Chapter 49

Naruto wasn't a real fan of sweets, heck his whole body is practically made of 75 percent ramen. But, now that his stomach is growling loud after spending half of the day not eating anything, added with depleting his chakra after creating hundreds of clones. No more words to explain, his whole body shut down.

He didn't have his bag or his scrolls, he all left them on the spot where he left Lhexi after she took a long and boring conversation with a Samurai. He just wanted to stroll around as he continue his search. He just can't leave his feet doing nothing.

The town doesn't have any ramen shops nor do they sell ramen cups and he somehow ended up inside a Dango restaurant. Being all hungry and exhausted, he didn't have the option to choose no.

Hesitantly he grabbed a stick of Dango, the sauce dripping on the plate. Gulping down his saliva, he closed his eyes before taking a bite off a whole chunk.

His whole face went purple, scurrying to swallow the sweetness overload in his mouth.

"Bleh! Too sweet!", he gagged.

He really shouldn't have split with Lhexi to find the man named Fukunaga faster. The four of them were grouped into two and he was teamed up with Lhexi. It was a really bad idea to go off on his way, now he don't know where he was.

It's been two hours already and now he's become a lost child. He heard an annoying sound coming from the ceiling right above him, a lizard staring at him down.

He sighed, face planting his cheek against the table, moving the plate away. "Lhexi-chan...", he mumbled, starving and tired.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened his eyelids he saw a white and warm meat bun in front of him.

"You called?", the familiar face of Lhexi came to view, her head tilted to the side, her hair hanging down the left side of her neck.

His big blue eyes shined and sparkled before he wiped the tears on the corners of his eyelids. "Hehe...you're here...!"

"Mattaku, what do I do with you? Always doing whatever you want...", She ruffled his hair, giving the warm snack to him.

"How did you find me anyway?", he asks before taking a bite.

Lhexi flicked Naruto's forehead with her finger as always, a habit she created over time before placing her forefinger on her lips. "It's a secret.", she winked.

"After you eat, let's continue the search."

Naruto nodded his head, for his mouth was full. Lhexi tapped her fingers on the table as she rests her chin on her knuckle watching Naruto eat in front of her.

"You're...a really interesting fellow...", Lhexi muttered under her breath. Naruto looked up from what he's eating, giving a confused look. "Everything you do...always sucks me in..."

"What ya mean Lhexi-chan?", the perplexed Naruto questions after swallowing down his last bite, drinking a cup of jasmine tea afterward.

Lhexi flicks Naruto's forehead once again and the boy instantly recognized it as a secret. "Lhexi-chan you're so mean...!", he pouted.

"Hai hai, gomenasai Naruto-sama. Now then, let's go.", she beckoned after placing the bill on the table. "We need to hurry or those two will find Fukunaga-san before us."

On the other side of the town, Sasuke was drinking a bottle of water to hydrate his dry throat. He had been asking around the town for the past four hours with no luck.

He heard trudges beside him and was side-eyed to see Sakura shaking her head in disappointment.

"Not on that side either, huh?", he muttered to himself.

"What should we do?", Sakura asks worriedly. "If we fail to find him before Naruto and Lhexi does we will be--"

"Now then, listen up my cute little students! The first one who finds Fukunaga-san will get to slave the losers, got it? Do your best!"

Sasuke clicked his tongue in annoyance. It's already noon and they still got no clue where he was. Narrowing down the possibilities, he was still left with countless options. All they received was the man's appearance and physical traits, nothing more, how could they find him within the day?

Although he had an ace up his card, he can't use it right now. He has to use it at the most critical moment although the problem they're facing right now is an emergency. He doesn't want to slave around even just for a minute.

"Are there any places we haven't searched yet?", Sasuke asks and the pinkette thinks of it for a few seconds.

Sakura shook her head and Sasuke sighed.

"But, we haven't tried asking those people yet.", she abruptly said out loud.

Sasuke parted his lips a little before smirking. "The Samurai warriors, huh?"

"B-but, Kakashi-sensei told us not to get involved with them.", Sakura warned, her hands flailing around her.

"As long as they don't know we're ninjas, we're fine.", Sasuke implied.

Team 7 hid their headbands like Kakashi had ordered to prevent unwanted attention. And they don't wanna go on the bad side of authorities. The town may have let them enter but, they had to be careful inside.

Kakashi looked down at the dead bodies lying on the ground. All of them were wearing black cloaks, their skin dead from getting frostbites that most probably killed them.

Looking from side to side to see if there were anyone alive or if anyone was watching him, he examined one dead body and brought out his kunai. He copied Lhexi, stabbing the black hand of the corpse and it created a small crack before it completely shattered his arm.

He grabbed ahold of one fragment, raising it towards the light. He narrowed his single eye, seeing nothing but, a familiar pattern similar to a snowflake.

"If it's that man, then what is his purpose?", he muttered before his gaze landed on the endless stretch of black-cloaked people lying on top of the snow. "And who are these people?"

They seemed to be Shinobi Ninjas but, he can't find a single headband on them.

Slipping his hand inside his pouch, he looked back at the white-cloaked man. He stood up, facing the man wearing a familiar mask.

Slowly, the unidentified man placed his hand on his mask and Kakashi's single eye widened slightly after he took a short glimpse of his face, instantly recognizing him.

"It's you."

Lhexi stood outside an antique shop. Her eyes glued on the three-prolonged kunai displayed in the corner of the shop, other weapons hiding the real gem.

"What are you looking at, Lhexi-chan?", Naruto asks as he stood beside her.

The girl glanced at the blonde for one short moment before smiling to herself. She should probably keep it a secret for now.

Grabbing the legendary kunai, her eyes assessed the weapon. Grinning ear to ear after seeing the intricate kanji written on the blades, it was the real deal.

She approached the counter, letting Naruto look around at the old vases and paintings. "Ne ne, Ojii-san, I'll buy this."

The middle-aged man lowered his newspaper, eyebrows raised at the kunai the girl was trying to buy. "Sorry but, I can't give that to you."

Lhexi blinked her eyes in confusion. "But, it was displayed as merchandise right?"

"It's a precious asset of mine that I've been keeping, no one has ever paid attention to it for thirteen years.", he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"But, you're selling it aren't you? And I'm gonna buy it anyway.", Lhexi responded.

"I said no. Pick something else. A girl like you should not hold that kind of thing in the first place.", he argued.

"But, you're selling it.", Lhexi repeated after getting annoyed by his sexist comment.

If this continues, she might as well stab him with the kunai and see if he would still say the same.

An angry vein popped on the man's forehead. "Listen, girl! You're not eligible for it!"

Lhexi giggled waving her hands. "I know that. I'm gonna give it to someone else."

The seller slammed his newspaper on the counter, annoyed and angered by a mad degree. "That's even more of a reason I can't give it to you! Listen up very well!", he huffed crossing his arms as he stood up. "That kunai you're holding right now was given to me by the legend himself. Na--"

"Namikaze Minato, the fourth Hokage of Konoha, desu yo ne?"

The old man sat back on his seat a little baffled. "You know him...?"

"Yes and his son is standing right over there.", Lhexi pointed at the window revealing the Uzumaki who was playing with a bunny in his arms on the snowy cold weather, chuckling in laughter like the kid he was. "I'm not eligible for it but, his son must be, right sir?"

The seller scrunched up his eyes in uttered shock. "No way! Minato-san have a son?! Wait...they...they look the same..."

Blonde hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin.

His hands dropped on either side of his body before facing the girl whose eye smiled at him. "So, will you sell it to me?"

The man clenched his fists before shaking his head. Lhexi felt like stabbing the guy until he responded. "You can take it for free...just make sure, he receives it."

The girl nodded in return a little bewildered. "Arigatou...then I'll be leaving now."

"Wait...!"

She twirled her heels around in perplex as the seller runs towards the second story of the building, hearing him rummaging through a bunch of objects. Stumbling on the staircase he shoved a long object wrapped with a white fabric.

"Take this at least!", he gasped for air and the girl looked at the sword in her arms. "Based on the pattern of the callouses on your hands, you're most likely a kunoichi who specializes in Kenjutsu. I'll give this to you as a present."

He rested his hands on his knees before shooing the girl away. "Now get lost and never come back!"

"A-Arigatou Ojii-san!", Lhexi managed to slip her voice through the gap of the closing door before it was slammed right in front of her.

Hiding the three-prolonged kunai inside her pouch, she removed the binders of the long object to see a one-sided blade. A pure black katana, gems engraved on the handle, a similar one to what her siblings have.

Probably a coincidence.

She run her fingers through the sword realizing how sharp it was. Pointing the tip to her palm, it instantly disappeared in a puff of smoke, a black seal slowly appearing on her hand.

The wet and soft familiar sensation on her skin made her glance down to see a lizard speaking through its slitted eyes.

"Naruto.", she called at the young boy who pouted when the white rabbit from his arms ran away.

"Let's go. I've found him."

Naruto's face went through several phases. Shock. Disbelief. Joy. Enthusiasm and finally an evil look. "I'll teach that teme...", he hollered.

The samurai warrior listened to Sasuke's brief explanation before he tilted his head.

"A prominent scar on his right cheek, blue eyes, black hair, in his mid-thirties, huh?", The Samurai repeated and Sasuke nodded. "Is his name Fukunaga Mabushi perhaps?"

Light twinkled in both Sasuke and Sakura's eyes as Sakura responded. "Hai! That's his name!"

"Well, he was here a few days ago."

The two genins reacted in sync. "Do you know where he is right now?"

"Yes, of course."

"Please tell us.", Sakura pleaded.

"But that place is a little uhm...dangerous....wait, rather than dangerous it's kinda weird."

"Eh?"

Naruto walked side by side next to Lhexi who was listening to the words of the lizard hidden in her sleeves.

"So he's beneath a lake?", Naruto asks a little bit unsure. "That's a weird place. Can he even breathe there?"

"He must have used a Jutsu or something.", she explained.

"Eh...what a weird guy..." Naruto raised his hands over his head and turned his face towards Lhexi who was shifting her grey scarf. Since he was a few centimeters smaller, he had to tilt his head up.

Observing while comparing her to the girl she met over three years ago, she has quite gotten paler and the red lines on her eyes became even more visible like she has gotten only three hours of sleep every day.

She has also gotten a little mature, back then she looked as if she came out straight from a fairy tale, just like an innocent princess. But, now even a boy like him knowing nothing about women except for their bodies could fall for her seductive allure. And her delectable, plump, red-tinted lips are not helping either.

His face exploded into heat like chili pepper when he had a flashback of the times they locked lips. He felt giddy, disorganized, exhausted, and confused. He was breathless and there's the exhilarating chaos in his chest whenever the apple of his eyes appears before him.

A small blush mirroring an apple crept all across his cheeks when Lhexi caught him staring. He would always look away in frenzy but, right at that moment when the cold breeze swept Lhexi's hair into a mess, he delicately tuck a strand of her soft hair behind her ear, opening up her features.

"The wind is getting colder but, we'll stick to each other until the end."

The usual aggressiveness in his tone disappeared, displaying his vulnerability through his eyes. Lhexi could feel her belly full of glittering monarchs and swallowtails that alighted when she met Naruto's tenderhearted gaze.

"Let's go, dattebayo!", he shouted startling the young lady. "Before that teme arrives!"

Naruto stepped into another pile of snow then felt a weight over him before he rolled on the ground together with someone else.

The sound of metals strumming together echoed in his ears. His eyes dropped wide when Lhexi stood up before him, protecting him from the enemy's blade.

Lhexi clashed her sword against the person in front who easily blocked her attack. With no time to spare, she swiveled a kunai out of her pocket. Her eyes narrowed when the man disappeared and she was left stabbing the air.

Crossing her arms, she blocked the heavy kick sending her skidding on the snow. Her hands formed signs faster than before that her fingers became a blur at the same time Naruto picked himself up and threw several kunai knives which the man dodged.

"Lightning Style: Thunder Bolt!"

A blue spark erupted on her hand before she pointed it at the enemy, the electricity traveling on air. The enemy simply dodged it by tilting his head to the side, his eyes focused on the blonde and his two clones forming a compressed chakra on his hand.

Lhexi bought him time by creating two clones as they surrounded him forming a triangle. The cloaked man stared at the three figures simultaneously forming hand signs for a Ninjutsu.

Wind Style, Water Style, and Lightning Style attacking him at once.

"Mugensajin Daitopa!"

The real one inhaled deeply before exhaling a vicious stream of wind capable of uprooting trees and blowing away several snow piles.

"Suiton: Fuuma Mizu Shuriken!"

The clone created one large Fuuma Shuriken launching it towards the enemy.

"Raiton: Raikou Kousen no Jutsu!"

The pinnacle of the single target-ranged Jutsu she learned from Kakashi shooting a beam from her palm.

The wind made it hard for the enemy to stand up as he was being pushed with the force. Combined with the water Fuuma Shuriken that created massive damage to his abdomen, ripping his cloak apart. The lightning Jutsu made him experience a fantastic amount of pain that continued until the Jutsu stopped.

Lhexi watched as the man got engulfed in a snowstorm and she quickly stepped back before she got blasted away. She dropped to her knees quicker than she thought as she looks at Naruto, Rasengan on his hand ready to attack anytime.

Her gaze shifted in front of the man whose body was covered with his blood. Smirking in return, her face contorted into a horrifying shock after witnessing the man's body cracked into ice, shattering after it tipped over.

Someone emerged from the dark shadows of the forest, walking towards where his ice clone died. He was unscathed, no wounds, his white cloak still present. He stared at Lhexi for a second, his eyes unwavering as he unsheathed his sword.

"You bastard! Take this!" Naruto appeared above him and Lhexi facepalmed.

What use would it be if you reveal yourself to the enemy before you could attack them?

"Rasengan!"

The enemy simply sidestepped and Naruto's Rasengan penetrated the ground, creating a massive crater. The masked man, kneed him in the stomach causing him to cough up his saliva before he was thrown on the ground.

He was about to approach the blonde when it puffed into a cloud of smoke. The three kunai knives below his feet transforming into him, a spiraling sphere of compressed chakra on the original Naruto's hand.

He backed away only to have his back almost slashed by Lhexi who was already behind him. Before he knew it, Naruto's Rasengan collided with his abdomen, his ice armor not enough to prevent it from destroying his stomach.

Lhexi moved out of the way, watching the enemy fly a few yards away from them before he crashed against a boulder.

"How about that, konoyaro?!"

His clones puffed into nothing but, clouds and Lhexi clapped her palms together proud and excited as her eyes shone with amusement.

The enemy sighed to himself as he closes his eyes. He should haven't held back against these kids, they were Kakashi's students for fuck's sake. Especially that Jinchuuriki, he was battle-ground smarter than he portrays.

The damage on his stomach was reduced to a minimum after he blocked his Rasengan with his ice armor.

Moving around, he dropped from the crater on the boulder to the snow, and rubbed his nape, moving his neck side to side until he heard a satisfying pop.

Removing his cloak as they dropped on the ground. Lhexi summoned her black katana, now holding two swords, she was a dual-wielder after all.

The enemy dashed forward, unrelentingly swinging his katana to the girl who blocked his attack with one sword while attacking with the other. The enemy perceived this, backing away before jumping on air.

Lhexi crossed her swords to block his incoming attack, glancing at Naruto who was fighting his clone. Perceiving the ice dragon that appeared from the lake, she jumped away as the dragon destroyed the area she was previously standing on.

'Ice...this guy...who the hell is he?'

Throwing several paper bombs, the area in front exploded, dust hindering her vision. Hearing another explosion to the side, she moved her eyes just for a millisecond to see Naruto blowing the ice clone with another Rasengan.

A black shadow caught the corner of her eyes who was dashing towards Naruto, a sword in his hand. Stepping forward, her body went frigid when she found her body captivated within an ice coffin.

Biting her lip, she brought out a fragment of her Ryuugaime chakra to control the ice wrapped around her. The blue lotus on her back once again glowed sending information to Kyuuji who just crossed the borders of the Iron Country while riding his hawk summon.

"What the hell is going on?", he asked to no one in particular clenching his fists. "That girl...is she possibly...?"

The blade was inches away from Naruto's neck as his eyes widened in horror, the enemy smirking behind his mask.

'Caught you!'

It was silent as the tip of his blade began to imbed itself on the blonde's skin, blood slipping from the wound before it was broken by a loud crashing sound. Naruto flew back landing on his butt as he watch a mountain of ice collide with the enemy.

A strong gust of wind left the snow flying everywhere and he looked to where it came from to see Lhexi's arms and front body covered in a crystalline solid. It was a brief second when he caught a clear glimpse of her gold eyes that sent shivers down his spine.

Fear.

That was what he first thought until another gust of wind covered the space between him and Lhexi making him unable to see through from the thick cloud of snow. As soon as the snowstorm abruptly stop, a thick fifteen-meter wall of ice blocked his view of the other side.

He looked back at the place he saw Lhexi only to find her gone. On the other side of the wall, Lhexi leaped back, casting hand signs along the way.

"Hidden Art! Gigantic Water Tsunami!", she spat out loud summoning a larger amount of chakra that enveloped her whole body to protect her from the double-edged sword.

Kyuuji gritted his teeth as the chakra grew larger and larger until his eyes widened when his tracking seal shattered.

Kakashi who was talking to his subordinate, Tenzo in particular, stood up from their seats after hearing a loud rumble only noticing the top of the wall from their view. Without a word, they began running towards the said place.

Something twisted inside Kakashi's stomach, his gut telling him that it's not something he wishes to see.

The mysterious man was sent getting slammed and drowned inside the deep cold water before he weaved his hands below him to create a tall ice pole. Standing on top of it to regain some rest, the pole shattered from the violent waves leaving him falling into the raging water once again, hitting every part of his body painfully. 

His body started convulsing crying out an extreme scream of pain deep into the water as Lhexi brutally sent electricity through her fingertips as she crouch down on top of the racking waves.

The water, dispersed leaving the ground muddy and soft as the mysterious man coughs up blood behind his cracked, white mask, revealing a part of his right eye, black lines formed by numerous kanji surrounding it. His body continued to shake as blue sparks continue to shock him.

"Damn...brat...!", he cursed while slowly getting up, pebbles and dirt sliding off from his chest-nut wet hair. Using the energy left from his body, he stood up looking for his sword.

Sasuke and Sakura appeared from the forest, their eyes dilating at the destruction ensued by the battle. Sasuke began approaching Lhexi from the far edge of the wall, panting heavily as the curse seal spread on her body.

"Lhexi!", Sakura shouts catching the attention of the enemy who was slowly standing up.

Grinning maliciously ear to ear, he focuses chakra on his feet, sliding his other foot on the ground before his body disappeared, leaving a heavy footprint on the mud. Grabbing his sword along the way, Sasuke sensed his approach, and instantly, he was in front of Sakura guarding her with his body as he performs several hand signs.

"Katon! Gokakyu no Jutsu!"

Sasuke took advantage of the blind spot of the fireball as he gathers chakra, lightning erupting on his palm. Waiting for the exact moment the enemy dodges the attack before he goes in straight for the kill.

The enemy narrows his eyes before sliding off in the space in between the fireball and the ground. Making a narrow escape, his chest met the sparks of Sasuke's Chidori.

Grabbing ahold of Sasuke's wrist with his injured hand, much to the Uchiha's disbelief he directed the attack above his shoulder. He flaunted his free arm diagonally from below to cut Sasuke's body into two.

"Sasuke-kun!"

In a span of a millisecond, a diagonal trail of blood scattered on Sasuke's blue shirt including his scarf starting from his abdomen reaching his chest while his activated Sharingan dazedly watch Lhexi's arm fly off in the air. The bloody scene got registered in his brain but, his body couldn't react.

Sakura screamed in horror, her eyes bulging from their sockets as Lhexi clenched her left shoulder with her right hand, blood flowing richly from her torn limb.

"Asuna was right...", Lhexi grumbled followed by a long depressed sigh. "I'm...truly an idiot..."

Her white pale arm fell on top of the snow her dead fingers clasped on the handle of her sword, leaving a trail of blood on the ground. She couldn't feel her arm, it was surprisingly numb. Her expression turned sour as her exhausted eyes glanced upon the man who swung his sword down.

A/N

*me about to sleep at 2 am*

*me screeching because I forgot to add Tenzo and Lhexi's fight in Chapter 38*

Ayo! Pls, don't hate me, peeps!

I've been imagining this scene in my head a thousand times!