Straw Hat Ninja

The Invasion Begins!

Naruto got to the waiting area where the other genin awaited and the two Suna genin looked at the blond with slight panic after witnessing the awesome power he possessed. "Will Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara no Sabuku please enter the arena," called the proctor only to for another jonin whisper something in his ear. After the ninja left, the proctor then said, "I am sorry, but the match between Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara no Sabuku will be postponed. Will Shikamaru Nara and Temari no Sabuku please enter the arena."

"This is just troublesome," said Shikamaru as Naruto got behind him, "Maybe I can forFEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Shikamaru landed on the ground in a comical crash as Naruto use his Blossom Style to 'convince' the cloud gazer into fighting. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT STRAW HAT!" yelled Shikamaru, not knowing that the person in question was already fast asleep. "Everyone ready?" asked the proctor as he received a nod from Temari and a reluctant Shikamaru, "Hajime!"

Naruto found himself on the Thousand Sunny with the other Straw Hat Pirates. He also saw some of the Straw Hats watch Shikamaru's fight with a couple of them making gets on who would win. Naruto then saw Zoro to the side and walked up to him. "Zoro-sama," asked Naruto as he bowed towards his teacher, "I would like to ask you and Kaa-chan something about my fight with Neji." Robin walked up towards Naruto and Zoro and said, "If you're wondering why you held back with Neji's defeat, the answer wasn't because you were fatigued from the jutsus you used in your fight with Uzume." Zoro saw what Robin was getting to and joined in. "Robin's right," said Zoro, "as much as you wanted to cut Neji to ribbons, you saw the pain in his eyes as he had to have seen the illusion of his father being disappointed in him."

Naruto sighed as he understood the feeling that any son would have as a son's worst fear was disappointing their father. He never had that fear towards Minato when Kurama was still alive as it was instead towards Kurama. Thankfully, Zoro was able to fill that fatherless void a bit by becoming one of Naruto's go to people. Sanji was also one of the guys that Naruto turned to, but Zoro had an aura about him that made you have more respect for the samurai.

"That's complete bullshit!" said Franky as it was revealed that Shikamaru had forfeited after finally capturing Temari with his shadow. "Call it what you want," said Sanji as he had a smirk on his face, "I still won so you have to keep to your word; Usopp as well." Both Straw Hats in question grumbled as the two of them were now wearing pink frilly tutus. "Next fight! Next fight!" cheered Luffy as Nami held her face in her hand. Much to Luffy's chagrin, the next fight was supposed to be Sasuke's but it was postponed, meaning the next was Shino against someone named Kankuro. "I wonder how those two fight," said Nami as she stared at the window, "We never did see how the others fought after Naruto-kun went Demon."

Everyone watching the fights was disappointed when Kankuro withdrew before the fight even started but that faded away when Kakashi and Sasuke appeared in the field and the fight between Sasuke and Gaara went underway. "That Sasuke kid is too arrogant," said Zoro as he watched Sasuke use taijutsu against Gaara, "taijutsu isn't going to break that armor." Naruto and the others learned about Gaara's power as he was a jinchuriki of ichibi, Shukaku, and how bloodthirsty the red-head can get. "We have to prepare for an attack," said Robin, "Otogakure will most likely attack at any moment." Sanji watched as Gaara put himself in a sand dome and Sasuke ran up a wall. Lightning surrounded Sasuke's hand as the raven-haired boy rushed towards the dome and pierced it. Naruto was pulled out of his mindscape as a sharp scream echoed.

"BLOOD! IT'S MY BLOOD!"

Naruto held his head as the rush from being forced out of his mind made him dizzy. After shaking the nausea and fuzziness out of his skull, Naruto saw Oto nin and Suna nin fighting Konoha shinobi as the Sand Siblings retreated through a hole in a wall with Sasuke and Shino following. Naruto was about to give chase when he heard screams and saw Hinata and Haku outnumbered and cornered.