Mariya exits near a school, and looks around. She seems a little depressed Axel wasn't here.

Elizabeth stands beside Mariya, eager. Perhaps this was her first mission.

"NARUTO!!!!!!!" A man shouts from somewhere near by.

Mario steps from the portal just as the yell rings out, startling him a bit. "What the?!"

Xildus steps through as well, looking around as he analyzes this new world.

Mariya pulls herself over the wall, just to see A kid wearing an orange jump suit of sourts run past with a few buckets of paint. She blinks, as some men dressed like Ninjas chase after him. "I'm guessing that was Naruto." She murmurs.

Elizabeth jumps down from the wall. "It makes you wonder what he did to be chased by ninja's."

Mario gives a shrug. "Well, given the initial impressions of this place, this is a ninja village of some sort," he states, looking around more. "Given that there is a mix of civilians and armed ninja, I'd have to say that they're at war, but this place is safe enough to where civilians do not have to worry too much. Could be at war with the Heartless, or perhaps another affiliation. Too early to know." He then glances at the mountains, noting the graffiti. "...Well, that might explain why that kid's in trouble, since those four must be pretty important characters for this village; why else would they have their faces chiseled into the mountain?"

"Indeed, well done." Mariya says.

Elizabeth sighs. She looks around. "If they're ninja's we'll need to be careful." She says. "They could be watching us."

Mariya nods. "Good point. Perhaps those men were kings...or simply great ninja's who lead this place."

"Yeah, we need to keep our guard up. No telling who is friendly and who isn't," Mario states. "And if they are watching us, then they might not be too quick to trust us for having appeared out of nowhere inside the village." He looks over toward the far edge of town, or what they can see if a large wall over that way. "That wall tells me that they don't want anyone coming in any other way, and those that do will likely be punished."

Mariya nods. "It's definitly not to keep heartless out." She murmurs. "We should find a place to stay, just incase we need to stay for a few days. Mario come with me, Lizzie you go with Xildus, call if you find an inn or hotel."

Lizzie nods. "Common, Xildus." She says, walking twords the mountain.

Xildus nods and goes with her.

Mario follows Mariya instead, looking around.

Elizabeth see's a few men, wearing headbands, and makes a mental note to mention this to Mariya. "Should we ask for a hotel?" She whispers to Xildus.

Mariya looks around and stops, thinking she saw a heartless. "Mario?" She asks.

Xildus gives a slight nod, and after glancing around, he points toward a nearby building. There is a sign on the building, and while there is no text, the symbol suggests that it is an inn.

Mario notices the glimpse as well. "On it," he states as he glances toward the general area of where they saw it, using his Shadow Sight.

Lizzie smiles. She gets out her phone, and calls Mariya.

A heart signature appears, but its not a heartless, and it seemed to come from the opposite direction in which they came, so whoever it was, they weren't following them.

"Hm...it's no Heartless," Mario states, "and it's not following us either, so..."

"So nothing to worry about." Mariya says before her phone rings. "Hello?" She asks. "You did? Alright we'll be right over." She says before hanging up. "Xildus found a hotel." She says, heading twords the inn.

---

Lizzie goes in, and goes to the check-in counter. "How much are rooms?"

"Is that bird gonna make a mess?" The man asks, looking stern.

"No, he won't, promise." Lizzie says, smiling.

"100 Ryu per night, and you have to pay for any damages." The man says.

"Understood." Lizzie says, opening her wallet. To her surprise, the munny turned into Ryu she hands over enough for a weeks stay. "Two rooms then, please. My friends are staying too."

The man takes the money, and gives Lizzie two room keys. "Enjoy your stay." He says.

Lizzie nods, and waits for Mariya in the Lobby.

Mario nods and follows Mariya. He looks around more as they walk, trying to note anything that seems to stand out as interesting or otherwise be it building or person.

"Hey Mario, this might seem random, but do you think I'd be a good mom, if me and Axel decide to have a child?" Mariya asks as they near the Inn.

"Hm?" Mario asks, a bit startled by the topic. "Um...well, yes. You're a great person, Mariya, always taking care of others before yourself. No doubt you'd be a great mother."

Mariya smiles. "Thanks. I doubt we'll be doing that anytime soon, though. It's to early." She says. She pets Xildus a bit as she reaches him and Lizzie.

"I got us rooms, one for us, and one for Mario and Xildus." Lizzie says.

Mario nods. "Thanks, Lizzie," he states. "Xildus, anything of note?"

Xildus shakes his head. Apparently, everything seemed normal.

Lizzie hands Mario a key, and Mariya the other. "Any heartless?"

"We thought we saw one, but it turned out to be a Ninja." Mariya says.

Lizzie laughs. "I'll take a look around town, and get some food."

Mariya nods. She holds her head then, as if she had a headache.

"Hm? Something wrong, Mariya?" Mario asks.

"Just a headache." Mariya says. "I'm gonna go lie down, maybe it'll go away." She says, heading twords the room.

"Alright," Mario states. "Come on, Xildus. Let's go see our room."

Xildus nods, and they both head for the room they were given and enter using the key Mario got.

Mariya lies on the bed in the next room over, and she giggles a bit, remebering Traverse Town a few months back before closing her eyes.

In the room, there are two beds, a bathroom, and a mini-fridge. This seemed like a ratty place, compared to the rooms at Palm Beach.

"Hm...well, better than nothing," Mario states before lying down on the bed. Xildus gets onto the other bed, simply roosting there.

Lizzie returns later with some food and drinks, and puts them in their rooms mini-fridge. She then lies on the unoccupied bed, and falls asleep herself.

Mario rises some time later, a bit restless. "Hm..." Seeing that Xildus was still resting, Mario decides to not disturb him, quietly leaving the room to take a walk around the village and maybe get something to eat.

Lizzie wakes as well, to see Mariya sweating, as if she was having a nightmare. She goes over and tries to wake her up. "Mariya, Mariya..." She says, shaking her. "Wake up."

Mario still walks around the village, and he soon comes to a ramen shop. Feeling a little hungry, he decides to go in and sit down.

"Welcome." The owner says, smiling. "What can I get you?" He asks.

Naruto enters then. "Morning Ichiraku(sp?)"

---

Lizzie gets up and goes to the other room and knocks. "Common." She mutters.

"A bowl of your best ramen, please," Mario states, and he soon notices Naruto and recognizes him. "...Hm, I'm in a generous mood. Put whatever he has on my tab."

Ichiraku gives Mario a 'Your gonna regret that.' look before getting started on their orders.

Lizzie sighs and paces the hall, worried. She goes back in their room, to find that Mariya had stopped sweating, but that doesn't stop Lizzie from worrying.

Mario looks to Naruto. "You're that kid who was causing all that trouble earlier, are you not?"

Naruto smiles. "Yup, that was me." He says. "Thanks alot for paying for me."

"No problem," Mario states. "I was hoping to get some information, anyway. My friends and I are here in the village for business, but the number of armed ninja here suggests that there is an enemy lurking out there. Would you have any knowledge about this?"

Naruto shrugs. "I'm just a Genin, I don't do any of those 'Major threat' missions. Only Jonin ninjas get to do that stuff. I guess we have alot of ninjas incase someone big does come around."

"Hm...I see," Mario states. "So you're just a trainee, then?"

"Yeah, but one day, I'm gonna be Hokage!" Naruto says as Ichiraku gives them their orders.

"I see," Mario states as he takes a bite of his ramen. "It's good to have a dream. Gives you a reason to keep going, even when times are bleak."

Naruto nods, and begins scarfing down his ramen.

---

Mariya wakes then, and see's Lizzie paceing. "What's up?" She asks.

"I was trying to wake you, it looked like you were having a nightmare." Lizzie says, sitting on her bed.

"Oh, well I can't remember any nightmare..." Mariya says, sitting up. She goes to the mini-fridge and begins to search for something to eat.

Mario works on his ramen and soon finishes, ordering a second bowl and eating that as well.

While Mario was on his second bowl, Naruto was on his fourth. Perhaps Mario would regret paying for Naruto.

Mario notes Naruto's hunger, and he chuckles a little. Reminded him of how ravenous he was as a Heartless. he wouldn't mind, though; he had plenty of munny/ryu to spend.

Naruto finishes eating after his sixth bowl, and nods to Mario before leaving, heading to the school.

Mario nods to him as well, and after Naruto has left, he pays for the food and leaves, heading for the hotel but by a different route to see more of the village.

As Mario walks, a few Neoshadows walking threw the shadows. They seem to be surrounding something.

Mario stops in his tracks, looking toward the Neoshadows. "...And so it begins," he mutters, summoning his Two Becomes One and running after them.

The Neoshadow's see Mario coming, and some run tword him while the are ready to finish the person off when a Assassin appears and destroys them, leaving the rest to Mario. It seems to guard the victim.

Mario quickly slashes at the Neoshadows, using a quick set of parries to finish them off. Once done, he glances toward the Assassin and the victim. "So...you're on my side then? Just making sure, since I have seen my share of rebel Nobodies recently."

The assassin nods a little, and moves aside so Mario can see if the victim was still alive, which gladly, he was.

Mario nods and walks over, Two Becomes One disappearing. "Good to have a Nobody ally, for once since Bleach and I joined." He checks on the victim. "Are you okay?"

The victim grunts, and the nobody nods before disapearing. "What...were those things?" He asks. He looked like a civilan.

"Nothing that you should be concerned about," Mario states. "I would like to know who to report this to, however."

"The Hokage." The man says, pointing to a large building near the mountains.

Mario looks and nods. "Go home, then, and get some rest." He then gets up and rushes toward the building. He reaches for his phone, but an empty pocket reminds him that it was still back at Hollow Bastion. He then remembers his Knight's symbol, however, and grips it in his hand, and with a slight squeeze, he releases a signal to let Mariya and those others on the world know that there was trouble.

Mariya blinks, seeing her symbol flash, and gets up, not even fixing her bed head. "Xildus, lets move!" She shouts into the wall. Her and Lizzie run out and try to find Mario.

The victim slowly stands, and slowly walks home, wary.

Xildus raises his head, always aware. He nods and darts out of the room.

Mario soon comes to a stop in front of the building, panting as he looks around for assistance.

Mariya and Lizzie arrive then. "What happened?" Mariya asks.

"There were several Neoshadows inside the village," Mario states. "They attacked a civilian, but I was able to fend them off quickly with help from an Assassin."

Mariya nods, remembering Bleach's letter. "That's good. Are you trying to find the Villages leader to tell him about the heartless?" She asks.

Mario nods. "This is where he is said to live," he says, motioning to the building. "I don't know if they'll just let us walk in." He then steps toward the building, wishing to enter.

"Well I'll come with you. I'm pretty sure I can make up something." Mariya says.

Mario nods and goes into the building, going in as far as he is allowed in order to see the Hokage.

Mariya waits beside Mario, and waits for the Ninja's guarding the Hokege to inform him of them. "When we're done here, I need to talk to you, okay?" She asks in a whisper. "It's concerning Xamira."

Mario looks at Mariya. "Alright," he says before looking forward again.

The Ninja beckons for them to enter, and Mariya walks in. She bows slightly out of respect. Mariya wiats for the Ninja to leaves before speaking. "Master Hokage. We've come from a place very far from here to see if the creatures we have back home have somehow gotten here." She says.

Mario also bows in respect and lets Mariya finish before he speaks. "And it seems that they are indeed lurking in the shadows of your village. They are known as the Heartless, and their only goal is to capture as many hearts as possible in increase their own numbers."

The Hokage looks stunned.

"We barely saved one civilian from being a victim." Mariya says.

"Can you stop these creatures?" He askes.

"For a time, yes. But unfortunately we haven't found a way to permenently stop the Heartless." Mariya says.

"I have noticed many ninja in this village who are armed, so there is clearly some conflict going on. Are you to suggest that you were not aware of the Heartless?" Mario asks. "And if that is the case, then who is your enemy?"

"A man named Orochimaru, as well as some rouge Ninja's." The Hokage says.

"Hm...is he evil, in any sense of the word?" Mario inquires. "If so, we might have our source of the Heartless, as the Heartless are attracted to hearts heavy with darkness, and for those with nothing but, the Heartless are more than willing to take commands from them."

"Then perhaps Orochimaru is your man, but good luck finding him, no one knows where he is." The Hokage says.

"Thank you, Master Hokage." Mariya says. "If it's not to much trouble, can we ask for something to show your fellow Ninja incase they don't believe us?"

The Hokage nods, and takes out a piece of paper and writes a note and hands it to Mariya.

"We will come to you if we have any leads, sir, thank you for your time." Mariya says before leaving.

Mario leaves as well. "So, Mariya, you wanted to talk about...?"

"Lets find somewhere to talk in private." Mariya says, discreetly pointing to the ninjas, who were watching.

Mario nods and walks with her until they have returned to the hotel.

Mariya shuts her door, and sit on the bed. "When I fell asleep, I think I dreamt some of Xamira's memories. I wanted to ask if Xildus see's Xamira in me." She asks.

"Well...Xamira was your Nobody, Mariya," Mario states. "The fact that you're experiencing some memory flashes should come naturally. In the past, I got a glimpse or two of Bleach's memories, and although it was weird, I've come to kinda accept it."

"I know. It makes sence now why he was so depressed when I offered him an apple. Xamira used to sneek some for him. She even gave him his name." Mariya says. "Do you mind if I talk to him? I think I can give him some peace of mind."

Mario nods. "Sure. I'll let him know that you want to speak with him. I'll probably hit the hay afterwards, so night." He then leaves the room.

A few minutes later, Xildus enters the room, looking at Mariya.

Mariya pets him. "She survived, Xildus. She just lost her memory, so thats why she didn't come for you." She says

Xildus is silent, but he looks away, as if that was not what he was really concerned about. However, he soon rests against Mariya, a tear coming to his eye. Perhaps he was just happy to know that his first friend had turned out alright.

Mariya kisses Xildus's beak. "I know I can't replace her, but I can be your friend to, Xildus. It can't be easy, outliving your friends." She pets him, playing with his feathers.

Xildus is silent and steps away, giving her a nod of thanks before returning to his room.

Mariya sighs, unsure if she really comforted Xildus. Lizzie comes in the room then, and sits on the bed. Mariya lies down, missing Axel.

The next day...

Mario rises, and seeing that Xildus is still asleep, he leaves the room quietly. He then leaves a note on Mariya's door to let her know that he was going to do some more recon as well as to get some breakfast. He then leaves to explore the village.

A half hour after Mario leaves, Mariya wakes and brushes her hair before leaving her room, and reads Mario's note. She folds it, and puts it ontop of the mini-fridge. She then goes into the village to see if she can find a tea shop.

Lizzie wakes up soon, and leaves the hotel as well, and simply explores the village.

Mario soon comes to a stop at the ramen shop once more, and after a moment, he enters once again.

"Welcome back." Ichiraku says. "The same as yesterday?" He asks.

Mariya finds a tea shop and enters it, taking a seat after she orders some tea.

Mario nods as he sits down. "Please."

Ichiraku nods, and a woman begins making the ramen, with the help of her father.

Mario relaxes a bit, glancing outside. "So what news is going around?" Mario asks Ichiraku, referring to any recent or notable news.

"Nothing really exciting, the Chunin exams are coming up, however." Ichiraku says. "But theres rumors about shadow creatures roaming about, but I'm sure that's nonsence."

"Probably so," Mario states, not wishing to instill feelings of insecurity. "And even if there are, the shinobi of this village will take care of them in no time at all. But what about these Chunin exams? From where I'm from, we have few shinobi and even fewer practices."

"Well in order for Genin, such as Naruto, to become a Chunin, they must undergo a series of exames, it may seem simple, but they're no easy task." Ichiraku says.

"I see," Mario states. "And is Naruto going to be taking these exams then?"

"That depends. The decisions for who takes the exams is determined by the Jonin just before the exams. Infact, Naruto should be out with a Jonin and two other ninja right now." Ichiraku says.

"I see," Mario says. "Well, I hope he does well."

Ichiraku nods. "So do I, sure the kid can be dence, but from what I hear, if he puts himself into it, he can be a great ninja."

Mario nods, and once he gets his ramen, he eats it relatively quickly. He pays for it, thanks them, and leaves to explore more, but this time around the walls of the village and in the forests nearby.

Somewhere in the forest, Mario can see Naruto, a pink haired girl, and a blacked haired kid facing a grey-haired Jonin. The next moment, Naruto lunges at the gray-haired man and Kakashi stops him wit one hand. He sighs.

Mario sees this and stops, leaning against a tree as he watches.

The fight continues, and Naruto gets lassoed, kicked, and poked, getting no where near the goal, which seems to be a pair of bells on Kakashi's-the grey-haired man- belt. Sakura, the girl, and Sasuke seem to be better off then Naruto. But something seems to be off about Kakashi, like he knew Mario was there. Before Mario can think twice, another Kakashi appears and attacks Mario.

Mario gets blindsided, and he hits the ground before recovering and facing the Kakashi clone. "What was that for?!"

The Kakashi clone puts a kunai to Mario's throat. "Maybe you should explain why your watching this training session."

Mario grabs the kunai at his throat by instinct to keep it try and push it away. "I was exploring the village, making sure that there are no Heartless around."

Kashi pulls the Kunai back and lets Mario go. But he keeps his guard up. "Master Hokage told us about them. He didn't give much details on you and your friends, just that you were a little odd."

"A little odd..." Mario repeats, sounding a bit offset by that. "...Well, I won't blame him. Sorry for interrupting then, but you never know where they might lurk."

The Kakashi clone nods. "I'll keep my eye open." He says.

"I doubt you ever won't," Mario states, referring to the quick takedown Kakashi performed on Mario earlier.

The Kakashi clone disapears, and the training continues.

Mario sighs slightly in relief and glances over at the training once more before leaving to look elsewhere.

Mariya exits the tea shop, and begins walking to the hotel. She stops, seeing a heartless and runs twords it, summoning her keyblade.

Mario, meanwhile, has finished his search of the woods and instead returns to the hotel via a path other than the one Mariya is on.

Mariya attacks the Neoshadow, and destroys it. She's about to head back when more appear. She attacks, defending herself when one attacks. More appear when Mariya is close to finishing them. She huffs. Huh, dejavu. She thinks just an Assassin Nobody appears. The assassin attacks the rest, and bows slightly to Mariya before disapearing. Mariya chuckles. "I'm not gonna get used to that." She mumbles before heading back.

Mario returns to the hotel, resting inside with a sigh. Xildus had left, it seems, perhaps to view more of the village.

Mariya heads back to the hotel, but stops to look at the mountain. She then heads to the mountain, and minutes later, she's standing on top. She smiles, being able to see the enitre village. Below, she can see the Assassin nobody taking out heartless all over the village. There's so many... Mariya thinks. Whoever this Orochimaru is, he must have a very dark heart.

A moment later, the sound of footsteps can be heard behind Mariya, and soon standing next to her is Xildus, who is also watching the activity of the solo Assassin. His expression seemed to be one of interest but worry. Possibly, he was touched by the commitment of this one Nobody in protecting the villagers, but it probably could not keep up with it forever.

Mariya sighs, seeming to have the same thought as Xildus. "I wonder..." She murmurs. "Thundara(wrong spell, i think.)!" She shouts, and bolts of lightning strike the heartless that the Assassin is fighting, destroying them.

Xildus is silent as he observes, and by his expression, he seems to feel that it helped but will only serve to postpone the inevitable. They would need reinforcements.

Mario, a few hours later, re-emerges from his hotel room and begins to walk the streets again. This time, he has his Shadow Sight active to better see the Heartless.

Mariya sighs, and beigns to run down the mountain, twords the lone assassin. She attacks a Zip Slasher, careful it doesn't strike her.

Mario walks through the streets, and he soon catches a glimpse of a group of Heartless. He runs in, Two Becomes One drawn as he finds himself against four "melody" Heartless of the Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green variety.

Mariya continues her fight, wincing when she gets struck twice, but before she can mutter cure, the Slasher strikes again, but Mariya manages to block it. The Assassin strikes the Slasher, giving Mariya time to heal herself.

Mario, meanwhile, begins his assualt on the "melodies", dodging the offensive magic as he makes his way toward the most important: the Green Requiem. With a quick slice, he knocks the Requiem from the sky and grabs it, and with a quick jab, he destroys and absorbs it. The darkness suddenly surges up, however, an Mario grimaces as it engulfs him. It blasts off a moment later, and Mario soon feels completely refreshed. He had regained his Cure spell.

Mariya soon destroys the ZIp Slasher, and sits on the ground. She felt like she hadn't fought like this in ages. She takes a deep breath, and releases it after a moment.

Mario's battle continues, and he dodges a Blizzard but takes a Fire. He quickly recovers, however, and one by one, he attacks, destroys, and absorbs the other three "melodies". At the end of his encounter, Mario has regained his Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder spells from the Red Nocturne, the Blue Rhapsody, and the Yellow Opera. The encounter over, Mario sighs with relief and goes to check a different sector.

Mariya continues to rest, streching her limbs, and once she hears a light crack, she stands, and does what she remembers of the Rimgar, which she learned from watching Eragon back in Alageasia.

Mario soon returns to the hotel, tired as he sits down on the bed of his room.

Mariya returns as well, and relaxes on her bed. I should get up early tomorrow to do some training. She thinks.

Mario, after a small nap, gets back up and heads back out to get some dinner. He ends up returning to the same ramen stand. It was that good.

Mariya is there before Mario, enjoying her second bowl of ramen. Naruto is sitting next to her. "I told you it was good."

"Sorry for doubting you." Mariya says.

By the look on Naruto's face, it seems he thinks Mariya is pretty.

Mario stiffles a small chuckle and sits down, ordering a bowl of ramen as before.

"Hey, uhh...." Naruto says. "Sorry, I forget your name."

"Name's Mario," Mario responds. "And how was your day?"

"Great." Naruto says. He leans over so he can whisper. "Do you know who that girl is?" He asks.

"Hm?" Mario inquires. "Oh, that's Mariya. Don't bother; she's taken, and her husband would kick your butt if you even try."

Naruto mumbles to himself, something on the lines of 'the cute ones are always taken.'

Mariya seems to be smirking, as if she heard everything. She continues to eat her ramen, wondering if she should ask for the recipe for Allissa.

Mario gets his order and begins to eat. "Well, sorry about that, Naruto," Mario states. "But, then again, you're wanting to become a ninja, not to mention one of the best, right? Well, it's not like a profession like that will give you much of a chance to settle down."

Naruto doesn't seem to hear Mario, simply eats his ramen. Once he was done, he pays and leaves. "Another bowl, please." Mariya says. "Man I wish we had this back home."

Mario gives a nod, still eating his meal. "Well, Mariya, I got back a few more powers," he whispers to her. "Cure, Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder, but they might be at their highest levels."

Mariya nods. "That's good." She says.

"So where are you to from?" Ichiraku asks.

"A village very far from here." Mariya says.

Mario gives a nod. "You've probably never heard of it, it's that far away. Called Radiant Garden. A beautiful place."

Ichiraku nods. "Indeed I haven't." He says. "Are you here for the chunin exams?"

Mariya nods. "Sort of." She says.

Mario gives a shrug. "Don't think we're elligible. Our village has few ninja, so the idea of being a part of a chunin exam is a shot in the dark."

"Really we're here is because our village was attacked b strange creatures. Another village was also attacked, and we wanted to see if the creatures have spread." Mariya says, finishing her thrid bowl. She pulls out her wallet and pays.

Mario gives a nod. "So far, we have seen a few, but nothing we can't handle. Fortunately, there are allies here that are already keeping them under control."

"That's good to hear." Ichiraku says. He hands Mariya a piece of paper. "That's my secret recipie. Don't loose it."

"I won't, thank you very much." Mariya says, smiling.

Mario finishes his meal and gives him a nod of thanks, paying for his meal before leaving.

Mariya leaves after him, and catches up with him. "So so far, you have your shadow sight back, and your spells, right?" She asks.

"Some of my spells," Mario states. "Still missing Aero, Gravity, and Magnet. Not to mention I lost a number of abilities I had from being a being of darkness. So, nowhere close to having everything back yet, and that's excluding Bleach's skills."

Mariya nods. She just wanted to be sure. "Anything strange anbout any residents?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary," Mario states. "Whatever brought the Heartless here, it's not inside the village. Whoever this Orochimaruu guy is, he's probably the source of it all; however, unless I see him in person, I won't know for sure."

Mariya nods. "Its serious if he is, I havent seen this many heartless since the war." She says.

Mario nods. "Which is making me think that there should be more support here within the village. I'm not saying that they're incapable of stopping the Heartless, but should the fight intensify here, it would be wise to have more assistance here."

Mariya nods. "I'm getting up early tomorrow. I'm getting rusty." She says as they near the hotel.

"Alright," Mario states. "And we'll see what tomorrow brings."

Mariya nods, and goes to her room and goes to sleep.

Mario returns to his room and falls asleep soon after.

Xildus, meanwhile, is still on the top of the mountain, watching down on the village. He could feel what would be coming. It would only be a matter of time...and they would need all the help they could get.

Five days later...

Mario rises with a yawn, noting that Xildus was out this morning. It wasn't the first morning this week that Xildus had been absent, but one must still wonder where he was and what he was up to. With a shrug, Mario leaves the hotel to head down to Ichiraku's.

Naruto, surprisingly, isn't there this morning. Ichiraku is making Ramen with his daughter nonetheless.

"Hm?" Mario inquires as he steps in. "Is Naruto still not back from the Land of Waves?"

"The begining of the chunin exams are today." Ichiraku says. "He's probly at the academy right now."

"Ah, I see," Mario states. "I bet he'll do well." He sighs as he folds up a napkin. "Well, my friends and I will be making the trip back to our village today. The Heartless problem is well under control at this point, so I think our leave will not affect anything."

"Good to hear. Hopefully you can stay for a few more bowls of ramen." Ichiraku says.

"I should be able to," Mario states, putting some ryu down in advance for the food.

Ichiraku nods, and puts a bowl of ramen on the counter.

Mario takes a few bites of the ramen. "Mmm, delicious. So what all occurs during these Chunin Exams anyway? Is it a written test? Physical fitness test? Something worse?"

"Well theres a written exam, then a physical exam." Ichiraku says. "It may sound simple, but its no easy task."

"I see," Mario states. "So there's a hint of trickery or skill required?"

"Skill and trickery." Ichiraku says, chuckling. "If you want, they allow civilians to witcness part of the physical exams, but thats not until next week."

"I see," Mario states. "Well, if I was staying for a while longer, I'd be happy to watch, but things don't always work out that way."

"I unerstand." Ichraku says. "Sorry to see you go, your one of my best customers."

"Oh, come now, I'm sure Naruto's a much better customer," Mario states. "We've all seen how much he normally eats."

Ichiraku laughs.

Meanwhile, Mariya is facing Lizzie, and they both are panting. Mariya whips her forehead. "Well done." She says. "Most knights can't hold their own against me."

"I've been training alot." Lizzie says, smiling.

"Keep it up." Mariya says, her keyblade disapearing.

Mario chuckles a little as well and starts on his second bowl. "Ah, I remember when I used to eat as much as he does, and more."

"I don't think Naruto will ever slow down. His insides are probably ramen." Ichiraku says.

"Any more, and he'll look like a ramen noodle," Mario comments with another chuckle as he finishes his bowl. "Well, thanks again, Ichiraku. If I visit the Hidden Leaf Village again, I know where to come eat." He waves and leaves.

Ichiraku smiles.

Mariya sighs, and looks around, feeling as if she was beign watched.

Mario soon returns to the hotel. "Mariya, I'm back."

"Dad called after you left. He says since the heartless situation is under control, we should head home." Mariya says.

Mario gives a nod. "Alright then. Is Xildus back yet?"

"I thought he was with you." Mariya says. "Come to think of it, I really haven't seen him all week."

"Me either." Lizzie says.

"Hm...perhaps I should go look for him," Mario states as he leaves, beginning to search the village for his missing friend.

All is quiet in the village, the only thing moving about it seems, is the assassin nobody.

Mario is silent before he makes his way up toward the mountain. He had learned of the point earlier and knew it was a great way to view the entire village. Maybe there, he would find Xildus or at least be able to see him. As it turns out, Xildus is there. "Hey, Xildus. Mariya says that it's time to go."

Xildus does not respond, still watching the Assassin.

Mario blinks and looks as well. "...You're worried about him, aren't you?"

Xildus still does not respond, but his fixed gaze tells the whole story.

Mario is silent before sighing. He then makes his way back to the hotel, and upon seeing Mariya, he shrugs. "Xildus isn't going to leave. Not as long as that Assassin is fighting alone. So I'm staying too, to make sure that Xildus isn't fighting alone either."

Mariya nods, and gets out her phone. She does a few things before handing Mario her phone. "Don't loose it." She says, opening a light portal. "Common, Lizzie."

Lizzie nods, walking threw the portal.

"Don't stay to long. Dad has a surprise for Xildus." Mariya says before going threw the portal.

{Lizzie and Mariya to Radiant Garden}

Mario nods to them and sighs, pocketing the phone and stepping out of the hotel. He steps downstairs and pays for an extra week before walking back outside. Looks like he would have some work ahead of him.

Suddenly, the lone Assassin is attacked by a pair of Zip Slashers, and begins defending itself.

Mario sees this and quickly dashes in, attacking both Zip Slashers to try and distract them.

The Assassin attacks the othewr Zip Slasher, and as he destroys it, a Samurai nobody appears. It nods to the Assassin, and seems to be talking to it.

Mario quickly finishes off the Zip Slasher, and glancing to the two Nobodies, he rests easy. Now if he only knew what they were saying.

The Assassin begins walking to the mountain, approaching Xildus when there. It points to where he keeps his pens and paper.

Mario follows, curious.

Xildus glances to the Assassin and nods, removing a sheet of paper so he can translate. He draws one of his feathers from a side pouch, dips it in a small bottle of ink, and is ready to write.

"The Fallen ones have many of us under their control. Very few of us are roaming free from their control. We are unaware if Bleach knew that they started residing on our world not long before you both joined. It may be only a matter of time before they seize control of us. If that happens, please do not hesitate in destorying us. We'd rather be destroyed then be controlled by low-lifes." The Assassin says to Xildus.

Xildus seems a bit dismayed as he writes it, and as Mario approaches, he offers the note to Mario.

Mario takes the note and reads it, every word giving him a larger look of dismay. "...Bleach knew...he knew, but what could he do?" He sighs as he looks over the village, trying to work his puzzler. "...It just gets more and more complicated..." He then returns the note to Xildus so he can write again and looks to the Assassin. "Just how are they taking control? And is there a way to break that control?"

"We do not know." The assassin says as the Samurai appears. He nods as if ageeing.

"Few of us revolted, but the Fallen are rutheless. They destroyed a few of our comrades. I think if one could stop the Fallen, perhaps they cannot control us any longer." The Samurai says.

Mario is silent as he continues to look out over the village. "...The logical part of my mind tells me that it's not possible, yet at least. I have visited the future, and they were still around ten or so years from now...but then again, in that future, Mariya was going to be assassinated, and I prevented it...so it's possible that the Fallen could still be eliminated now." Mario remains silent. "The only problem is, no one person could probably defeat them alone, especially not I with only part of my powers restored. And if I call on Radiant Garden for support, there's no telling how many will die to save a castle that most would rather avoid..." Mario sighs. "I'm sorry, but I'll need some time to figure out what to do. But I promise, I will do what I can to help you all. It's the very least I can do for Bleach...and for my friends."

Xildus glances up, a bit surprised by this last remark. Deep down, he smiles a little, and he prepares to write down any responses from the Assassin and the Samurai.

They nod. "Until you can, we can offer to spy on them for you. This way, we can prevent them from killing anyone else." The Samurai says. "If you wish."

Mario is silent as he ponders this. "...Here are my issues with that. True, given that they're turning the Nobodies to their side, one or two Nobodies would go mostly unnoticed in coming and going to relay important information. However, we are not sure how they are taking control of the Nobodies; the moment you return to the castle, they might already have you in your control. Until we know what they are doing and how to prevent it, it would be safer if the two of you stay away from the World That Never Was."

The Nobodies nod, understanding. They then jump off the mountain, going back to patrolling the village.

Mario is silent as he watches them go. "...Xildus, did I make the right choice?"

Xildus looks to Mario as he puts the ink, feather, and paper up and gives a small nod.

"...And I don't mean about asking the Nobodies to not return to the castle. I mean, taking Bleach's place."

Xildus is slightly caught off-guard, tilting his head a bit.

Mario sighs. "I know, I'm not only me but Bleach as well, but the fact still remains that I am me, and Bleach...I don't know if I can just take command of his Nobodies...his friends...his family..."

Xildus is silent before he sits down next to Mario, removing from his cloak two sea-salt ice creams and offering one to Mario.

Mario raises an eyebrow. "And where did you get these?"

Xildus does not respond, still offering the ice cream.

Mario is silent before smiling slightly and sitting down next to him, taking the ice cream. "Thanks." He takes a bite. "...Xildus, if you're willing to help me all the way, then I'll do my best to make a better future, for the crown...and for our family."

Xildus smiles slightly, releasing a rare "kweh" before taking a bite as well.

The Nobodies continue their patrol, on alert.

Mario and Xildus soon finish their ice cream, and as they descend from the mountain, Mario begins to think. After a while, he takes Mariya's phone and places a call to Sora.

"Hello?" Sora asks.

"Hey, Sora," Mario states. "Sorry if you were expecting Mariya, but she's lending me her phone while you still have hers. I assume she made it home alright and has alerted you of my extended stay?"

"Yea, she did. Do you need them to come back?" He asks.

"No, I'm calling for different reasons," Mario states. "You see, I've just met with two of Bleach's Nobodies who are helping to keep the Heartless problem here under control, an Assassin and a Samurai, and they bring troubling news. It seems the Fallen Angels have taken control of most of the Nobodies, and not many remain who are still loyal to Bleach, mostly stragglers."

"That is a problem." Sora says. "Well I've got a stack of papers on my desk, and all are claims about spotting Fallen Angels."

"Oh?" Mario inquires. "And what do these claims say?"

"Various people saw some people they've never seen before on their worlds, apparently, they were acting 'odd'." Sora says. "Like they were watching no one was following them, or something."

"I see...then I have a request, Sora," Mario states, "but I'm not sure how willing you will be to go through with it. First off, that room below the simulation room; what's the status with that?"

"Merlin is locking it up as we speak. Autherized personel only." Sora says, his voice low.

"I see..." Mario is silent before speaking. "Sora, would it be possible to scrub down that area, renovate it into a living quarters, but keep it sealed off from the castle?"

"Living quarters, for whom?" Sora asks.

"Well, given the reports you've given and what the Nobodies have told me, I can't be certain that those that escaped will remain safe for long. That's why I want to have a place for them to go if they have nowhere else to stay, where they can remain safe from the Fallen," Mario states.

"And how do you want me to explain this to the Knights?" Sora asks. "With the security system, the minute the enter the castle, the alarm will go off."

"Well, you were not aware that the area was there to begin with, so I doubt there would be any alarm at all if they are in that area unless you wired it since then. Plus, this is why I ask for the area to be sealed off. Only authorized personnel would be able to pass through, so the Nobodies would only be in and out of that area with no way into the castle."

"Alright. I'll see what I can do." Sora says.

"Thanks, Sora," Mario says as he hangs up. He then sighs before his stomach growls. "Guess it's lunchtime." He heads for Ichiraku's, Xildus behind him.

"Staying after all?" Ichiraku asks as Mario enters.

"There was a change in plans," Mario states. "My friends thought it would be better if two of us stayed behind to make sure that the situation doesn't worsen. There's no indication that it will, but you can never be too safe."

Ichiraku nods. He puts a bowl of Ramen on the counter.

Mario nods and begins eating. "And if you could get my friend a bowl as well, I would appreciate it," Mario then says as Xildus takes a seat.

Ichiraku nods, and puts another bowl down. He tries not to stare at Xildus. After all it wasn't everyday you saw a giant bird in a cloak eating ramen.

Xildus takes a pair of chopsticks and respectfully eats his ramen.

Mario also continues to eat his ramen, having a second bowl afterwards.

"Do you know how long your staying?" Ichiraku asks.

"Not sure," Mario states. "Likely, until I'm confident that the Heartless are well-controlled here. Might be a few days, maybe a few weeks."

Ichiraku nods. "What kind of birf is he, if you don't mind me asking."

"Xildus is a Chocobo," Mario responds. "Again, you've probably never heard of his species; when I said we came from so far away that you probably never heard of the place or anything there, I was serious."

"I was just curious." Ichiraku says. "Radiant Garden must be an interesting place."

"It is," Mario states. "It's very much like this village, with just as thriving an economy. We don't have ninjas, though, nor ramen, sadly. But, we have something called sea-salt ice cream."

"Sea-salt ice cream? That doesn't sound very tasty." Ichiraku says.

"Heh, if I had some with me, you'd be surprised," Mario states before noticing Xildus offering a bar of sea-salt ice cream to Ichiraku. "Okay, seriously, where did you get those?"

Ichiraku takes the bar, and takes a bite. His eyes widen. "It's delicious!" He says, taking another bite. He lets his duaghter take a bite.

"Amazing!" She says.

"Yeah, most people never expect the sweet flavor within all that salt," Mario states. "But we don't have anything like this ramen!" He then finishes his second bowl.

Ichiraku chuckles, and finishes the ice cream. "Man I'll have to get the recipie for those sometime. I'm sure once people get a taste, they'll be widely popular."

Mario gives a chuckle. "Well, I might have to check with my friends to see whether or not that would be possible, but I'll see what I can do about a recipe." He then pays for their meals and thanks them before he and Xildus leave.

Ichiraku nods, and sighs.

The nobodies continue their patrol, spotting no heartless.

Mario and Xildus soon end up outside the Forest of Death. Mario looks at it with a bit of curiosity. "Wonder what this place is."

"Hey, this place isn't for civilans." A woman says, appearing near them. She war wearing a leaf headband.

Mario looks to her. "Sorry, I was just exploring the village in search of any stray Heartless."

The woman scoffs. "I doubt heartless could survive the Forest of death."

"The Forest of Death..." Mario repeats as he looks at the forest. "I'll take your word for it."

The woman nods, and walks away.

Mario takes a final glance at the Forest of Death before returning to the village. "I wonder how Naruto is doing..."

Naruto is still staring at the test he was given. he would cheat, but they were told not to...

Mario soon returns to the mountain, looking down upon the village from there.

In the village, the nobodies continue their patrol, and run into no heartless.

Elsewhere...

"Lord Orochimaru, the creatures attacks are not working." A voice says to a man sitting in a chair.

"Then I'll have to take care of things myself." Orochimaru says.

Several days later...

Mario is resting upon the mountain, again looking down upon the village. It had been oddly quiet for the last few days, which was unnerving him a bit. The Heartless rarely gave up so easily; possibly, they were holding back for a larger assualt. He is silent before he descends, heading to Ichiraku's for breakfast.

Ichiraku, upon his arrival puts a bowl on the table. "Morning." He says. "The final round of the exams are today."

"Thanks," Mario states as he begins to eat. "So how does one go about getting a seat at these exams? Wouldn't mind seeing them."

"Well I think you can get them at the arena, better hurry, though, they go fast." Ichiraku says.

Mario nods as he quickly finishes off the bowl and pays for it. "Thanks again!" he calls before rushing toward the arena.

At the arena, there's quite a line. But perhaps Mario shouldn't give up hope.

Mario gives a sigh, but patiently waits in line. Hopefully, he would still be able to get in.

Just after Mario got his ticket, they sell out, and close the ticket booth. Guess Mario got lucky.

Mario gives a small smile and enters the arena, getting a good seat with a good view of the entire field.

Soon, the test begins, and the first two enter the field.

Mario is a bit surprised to see Naruto as the first competitor in the ring. The other competitor is unfamiliar to him, but a few whispers he catches help him identify him as Neji.

The fight begins, and after a bit Naruto is the winner.

Mario smiles and claps in response. "Way to go, Naruto!" he calls out.

Naruto smiles, and walks off.

Mario stretches a little to keep himself from getting too restless and waits for the next match.

Shikimaru enters the ring, and Temari, a sand ninja follows soon after. The fight ensues and for awile it seems like there would be no winner, finally, even though he could have won, shikimaru forfeits the match.

Mario is impressed by the fight, despite the victor giving up at the last minute. It wasn't just a matter of who won or lost, but who showed the best talent.

Gaara, another sound ninja enters the ring, but odly, theres no sign of Sasuke. Where could he be?

Mario glances around, wondering where the other competitor is.

Almost ten minutes pass before Sasuke appears, with Kakashi. Kakashi looks up into the stands, and right at Mario. He narrows his eyes.

Kakashi disapears, and reapears in the stands, standing near where Mario is sitting.

Soon the match begins, and during the match, Orochimaru attacks. Apparently, he was posing as the Sand Hokage.

Mario quickly jumps to his feet when the attack begins. "Wha-what's going on?!"

Heartless appear in the arena then, and go to attack the people in the stands.

Elsewhere, Orochimaru and the third hokage, Saratobi, begin fighting. "I should have known you were behind those creatures, Orochimaru." He says.

"Your quite wrong. I simply learned to control them, but where they came from is a complete mystery." Orochimaru says.

Mario grimaces as he runs in the opposite direction of the crowd, summoning Two Becomes One. He then immediately begins to slash at any Heartless getting too close to the civilians.

Meanwhile, the fight between Orochimaru and saratobi ensues, and it seems that a barrier created by four sound ninja is preventing anbu ninja from helping Saratobi out.

Mario destroys three Heartless, then dashes over and slashes a fourth. One slips by him, however, but a blur suddenly bolts by it and destroys it instantly. It is none other than Xildus, Winner's Proof secured in his beak.

Before long, the two Nobodies appear, and help Mario out, trying to keep the numbers of the appearing heartless down.

Mario nods to them and starts to use his magic a bit often, casting Thundaga to take out large numbers of Heartless at once when he can.

Soon, the heartless are few, and the Nobodies finish off a pair of Zip Slashers and leave the rest to Mario and Xildus.

Mario and Xildus, working together, soon finish off the rest of the Heartless in the arena.

Naruto, Sakura, Shino and Sasuke are all gone, as is Gaara, perhaps Sasuke wanted to finish the match and went after Gaara.

Orochimaru is winning the fight so far, but nevertheless, Saratobi continues to try and turn the tables.

Mario surveys the scene and looks to the two Nobodies. "I want you two to make sure that all of the villagers are safely extracted. Xildus, I want you to guard any sort of evacuation zone where the villagers might be going to wait this out; a spot like that will be a magnet for Heartless."

Xildus nods and dashes off to find and protect the area.

As it seems, the area is ocated in the mountain, and alot of the villages women and children are hiding. No heartless can be seen near here, at least for now.

The Nobodies nod, and begin escorting some villers to the evacuation zone.

Mario, meanwhile, dashes into the forest, heading off toward where he believed the others ran.

Xildus stands guard at the evacuation site, Winner's Proof at the ready should any Heartless make their way up here.

When Mario catches up with them, Orochimaru is being carried away from the village, and the Anbu members are standing over Saratobi's body.

Garra is not himself, instad it seems hes either created or become apart of a sand demon, who's fighting the three.

Mario pauses about a mile from the action, watching from afar. "...Now if I only had a Twilight Thorn to help me..."

But apparently, the Twilight Thorn wasn't needed, for all three of them are trying to wake Gaara up, like that was the key in stopping the sand demon.

Mario is silent before giving a small smile. Perhaps if he held him still long enough, they could have a better chance of waking Gaara up. With a snap of his fingers, Mario attempts to cast Stopga on the sand demon.

The stopga works, but only for a short time. But it was long enough for Naruto to turn into a orange nine-tailed fox, and get up and punch Garra in the face, waking him. Once the sand demon is gone, Naruto can be heard giving a speech to Gaara.As it seems, Naruto felt he was very similar to Gaara.

Mario overhears it from a distance, and seeing that things were settling, he returns to the village.

Once back, it seems all the heartless are gone, and the residents are beining to go back into the village. As it seems, the worst was over.

Mario lets out a sigh of relief as he goes to the top of the mountain. There, he finds Xildus. "Everything turn out okay?"

Xildus nods, Winner's Proof disappearing.

"That's good," Mario states, Two Becomes One disappearing as well.

Days later, the residents attend the funeral of not only the hokage, but other ninja whom lost their lives. Not long into the funeral, it begins to rain.

In the back of the group, viewing the funeral from afar, are Mario and Xildus. Mario is now dressed in a black set of his clothing, and Xildus is still wearing his standard garments which are suitable as is. The last few days had been a minor issue of cleaning out the rest of the Heartless that were still lingering in the village, but now, it was a time to honor those who had departed.

Mariya is standing in te back, wearing a black shirt and pants. She sighs, and when the funeral is over, she heads up to th mountain to meet with Mario and Xildus.

Mario is silent after the funeral, making his way up the mountain where to meet with Mariya. Xildus is just behind him.

"If I knew this was going to happen, I would have stayed." Mariya says when they arrive.

"I only wish I could have done more," Mario states. He is silent as he looks down onto the village. "After all, this village will have to move on without a leader until they find a new one. Not that it's impossible, but rather that it is like trying to use a spear without a spearhead."

Mariya nods. "I'd offer to stay until they find one, but I know nothing about this place, or it Ninja. An that Kakshi fellow is very suspious of us."

"Yeah, and I can understand why," Mario states. "He's one of the better and more observant shinobi of this village; if there were more shinobi like him in this village, the casualties might have been much less."

Mariya nods. "But from what I've heard it might not have mattered. it seems Orochimaru is rety powerful, perhaps on Galbatorix's level."

Mario gives a sigh. "Maybe if I wasn't so powerless..."

Xildus is silent, looking away as if contemplating.

"Don't beat yourself up over this, Mario. It wasn't your fault." Mariya says.

"I know that it wasn't my fault," Mario says, looking away. "But I'm just saying, I might have been able to do more if I had more of my powers back..."

Mariya sighs.

Elsewhere, Jiraya approaches Naruto and speaks with him.

Mario is silent before he closes his eyes. "...Mariya, my phone is fixed, right?"

Mariya hands him his phone. "And the request you asked for has been granted." She says.

"Good," Mario states. "At the very least, it'll give me somewhere to start in saving the Nobodies."

Mariya nods. "I'll be heading home soon, any reason I should stay?"

"No...I might still have business here for a while, though..." Mario states as he looks over the village once again.

"Alright, you staying to, Xildus?" Mariya asks.

Xildus gives a nod to Mariya. He had to be here to help Mario through this.

Mariya nods, and pets him a bit. She then opens a light portal, and steps threw, returning home.

{Mariya to Radiant Garden}

Mario is silent before he descends down to the village to assess the damage and recovery efforts.

There is a gaping hole in the wall of the village, apparently from a Giant snake that had appeared. A few people are injured, and are in the hospital. Other then that, things are pretty minor.

Mario is silent before he sighs, going into Ichiraku's for a meal.

Ichiraku is just getting to his shop, looking miserable. He nods to Mario, but says nothing.

Mario has little to say either. After a while, he sighs. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. If anyone should apologize, its the Anbu Black ops members who failed to stop Orochimaru who should apologize." Ichiraku says, sounding a bit sour.

Mario shakes his head. "But I was as blind to the problem. The thing is, had I been more wary, I could have sniffed this guy out before he even started the attack."

Ichiraku says nothing, only begins making the ramen.

"...Is it wrong to feel that you could have done something to stop it, or at least lessen the results of it? Is it just fate? Or can it be prevented?" Mario inquires.

"Who knows?" Ichiraku says. "Perhaps it was meant to happen."

Mario is silent before he shakes his head. "I just can't believe that. Things are not just destined to happen; they can be prevented. If destiny says that something should happen, what should stop us from trying to break free of it and prevent it if we do not want it to happen?"

"Perhaps, though, some things cannot be stopped." Ichiraku says.

Mario is silent before sighing. "Really, I don't know why I'm beating myself up over this. This...as sad as it is to say...was indeed unpreventable...but still...one always feels like he could have done more..."

Ichiraku nods. He checks on the ramen. "I know what you mean."

Mario is silent before he contemplates a thought. "..."

Ichiraku puts a bowl down. "On the house." He says.

"Thanks," Mario states as he begins to eat. He finishes the bowl ten minutes later, silent before glancing outside. "I wonder how Naruto is doing..."

Ichiraku shrugs.

Naruto is at his house, paking his things. Once he was finished, he begins to go meet Jiriya.

Mario is silent before giving a nod to Ichiraku. "Thanks," he says before leaving. He walks toward Naruto's residence, which he had come to recognize during his stay here.

Naruto can be seen leaving, carrying his things in a small back pack.

"Hey, Naruto," Mario calls to him. "What's going on? You going somewhere?"

"Yeah, I have to go train." Naruto says.

"Yeah...me too," Mario states as he looks off. "...I'm sorry I couldn't do more earlier..."

"It's not your fault. If I had known what was going on with the Hokage, I would have stayed behind and tried to stop him." Naruto says. "I'm partly going becasue Jiriya is draggin me along while he searched for this lady named Tsunade."

"Hm?" Mario inquires. "And what would she be able to do?"

"I think he was gonna ask her to be the fifth hokage." Naruto says.

"Hm..." Mario is silent as he looks off. After a moment, he glances back to Naruto. "Perhaps I could come along?"

"You'd have to ask Jiriya." Naruto says, heading to where he and Jiriya were sapposed to meet.

Mario gives a nod and follows Naruto.

Jiriya was waiting at the village gates abnd looks at Mario. "Who's this?" He asks.

"A friend of mine, mind if he comes with." Naruto says.

"I don't know. What if he's out to steal my techniques?" Jiriya asks.

"Jiraya, is it?" Mario asks. "What would I gain in observing your techniques? For one, I can't even use them. One look at me makes that a bit obvious. However, after what happened here, I can now see that I need more training myself in order to prevent such an incident from ever happening again. I am not asking that you train me; rather, you grant me the chance to have some time away from this village in order to train."

Jiriya seems to think. "You can come as long as your away from me when I train Naruto." He says.

Mario nods. "No problem; I'll have a trainer of my own to keep me occupied." He turns toward the woods. "Xildus! I know you're there."

Xildus steps from the woods, giving a nod to Mario.

Jiriya looks at Xildus. "I was wondering who owned that thing." He murmurs before leabing the village, Naruto following him.

Mario nods before following them. Xildus stays behind Mario, but he makes a gesture behind him to signal the Nobodies, to ask them to keep the village secure in their absence.

The nobody's nod, and go threw the village, watching for heartless.

Mario is silent as they walk. He knew that he needed this training, and to master his powers more. Only Xildus could do this for him; he was the only Nobody he knew who also had a Keyblade, maybe the only one left, and only he would be able to train Mario now that Bleach was gone.

Soon they arrive at another village, and Jiriya gets a room for them. "Lets get started." Jiriya says, leaving the hotel, Naruto following.

Mario watches them leave, then looks to Xildus. "Ready?"

Xildus nods and gestures for Mario to follow him. He leads him to an empty field outside of the village, where he then summons Winner's Proof.

Mario nods and summons Two Becomes One. And the training begins.

Hours later, Naruto and Jiriya return. Naruto looks beat.

Mario and Xildus return shortly after they do, and Mario looks a little roughed up. Xildus, on the other hand, does not look like he received a single scratch. "Whew...I'm ready for bed..." Mario mutters as he stumbles over and collapses into the bed.

Naruto crashes on his bed also, and falls asleep.

Xildus cracks a small smile, sitting down in the corner to rest.

Naruto wakes hours later, and beings to make a cup of instant ramen. He still seems half asleep.

Xildus glances up, not actually asleep, and observes Naruto.

Naruto looks at Mario now, and see's the bruses. "How much could he have been hurt by a big chicken?" Naruto mumbles.

At that moment, all heck breaks loose. By the time the commotion settles, a peeved-off Xildus is resting in the corner while Naruto is simply pulverized.

Jiriya is woken by the noise, and sighs. "I'm guessing he asked for it." He says.

Xildus only gives a small nod of agreement before patting down his ruffled feathers and going to sleep.

Jiriya sighs, and lies back down, trying to fall asleep.

The next morning, Mario wakes and yawns. He sits up and looks outside. "Well, today seems promising."

Naruto groans, still very sore from the beating Xildus gave him.

"Hm?" Mario mutters as he looks over at Naruto. "What's wrong with you?"

"Your chicken beat me." Naruto says, glaring at Xildus.

Xildus twinges at the mention of the word and gives an evil glare at Naruto, as if daring him to say that word again and expect to live.

"Um, he's not a chicken. He's a Chocobo," Mario states, coming to Naruto's aid.

"What's the difference?" Naruto mutters.

Xildus cringes at this, finding it just as insulting. He was about ready to make Naruto bird feed.

"Well, it's a matter of species," Mario states. "Chickens are, well, chickens. Chocobos are more noble and, notably, more vengeful."

"Whatever." Naruto says, trying not to move more then he has to.

Mario gives a small chuckle as he gets up, going into the next room to prepare for later that day.

Xildus, meanwhile, is giving Naruto a "I'm watching you" look.

Naruto turns asround, looking away. Perhaps he finally learned.

Mario emerges soon afterwards, having changed his clothing with his Knight symbol in privacy. "Okay, ready to go."

Jiriya is leaving with Naruto at this point, but it looks like Naruto is in alot of pain.

Mario raises an eyebrow and walks after them. "Something wrong, Naruto?" he asks.

Xildus follows as well.

"I think your bird broke something." Naruto mumbles.

"Well, you shouldn't mess with Xildus," Mario states. "Trust me."

"I hate birds." Naruto says, following Jiriya to where they train.

Just before Mario and Xildus walk off elsewhere to do their own training, a large rock hits the back of Naruto's head. At the other end of the throw is an angered Xildus, giving one final glare before walking off to teach Mario.

Naruto glares back, only angry at the rock-throwing. He mutters something.

Hours later, Jiriya returns with Naruto, and Naruto falls onto his bed, whiped.

Mario returns, looking tired as well and having several new scratches and several bruises.

Xildus comes in and sits down in the corner, soon falling asleep. He also seemed a bit worn, but nowhere near Mario's level.

Jiriya motions to Mario to join him in the hallway.

Mario blinks before looking to Xildus. Seeing him asleep, he rises and enters the hall. "Yeah?"

"Look kid, I want you to do me a favor. I think there are a couple of guys after Naruto." Jiriya says.

"Is that so?" Mario asks, raising an eyebrow. "I won't doubt your skill, but what is it that I can do?"

"I want to keep your eye out. Naruto isn't the vrightest bulb in the bunch. They could easily talk him into going with then." Jiriya says.

Mario gives a nod. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye out. I'll also let Xildus know as well."

Jiriya nods. "If you see any suspisious characters, let me know." He then walks inside the room and sits on his bed, and starts writng in a notebook.

Mario nods and sits down, getting a med kit from nearby to treat his wounds.

Naruto soon wakes, and groans.

Mario looks over to him. "Feeling sore?"

Naruto just nods.

Jiriya stands. "Be back later kid, I gotta do some research."

Mario nods to Jiraya and yawns, stretching a bit as he continues mending his wounds.

"Want some help?" Naruto asks.

"Sure," Mario states. "Not like every wound can heal magically."

Xildus gives a small wark, perhaps a sneeze or a cough.

Naruto comes over, and helps Mario mend his wounds.

"Thanks," Mario states as he tests the dressing. "Hm. Did a good job."

Naruto shrugs.

A knock comes to the door. "Did you order room service or somethin?" Naruto asks.

"No...no I didn't," Mario mutters as he glances through the door with Shadow Sight.

Two figures stand outside the door, both with dark hearts, one with more darkness then the other.

Mario blinks, then takes Naruto by the arm. "Naruto, do you have a way to get us out of here without being noticed?"

"Not really...why?" Naruto asks.

Just then the door is kicked down and the two fiures enter. One is a pale-faced black-haired man, the other is taller, blue-skinned and looks to be some humaniod-fish. "Hmm Itachi, should we kill that cloaked chicken? Its big enough to feed the entire organisation."

Itachi says nothing, simply points to Naruto. "Your coming with us."

Mario takes a step back, slightly intimidated by these two. However, what intimidates him a bit more is the sudden chill that fills the air.

In the corner, Xildus slowly turns toward the fish man, a hard glare aimed at him before Xildus looses it, dashing toward the fish man after summoning Winner's Proof.

He is suddenly caught short, however, by a sudden pull on the back of his cloak from Mario. "Not a good time, Xildus!" Mario yells as he snaps his fingers with his other hand. "Blizzaga!"

Large ice crystals suddenly spring up, sealing off the passage between the small antechamber into the room and the main room.

"Time to make a blast," Mario comments as he now faces the far wall. "Firaga!" A large explosion of fire goes off, blasting a hole in the wall. Mario grabs Xildus and Naruto and dashes out the hole.

The ice melts just as they escape. Itachi steps threw the doorway, and Kisame follows. "He didn't use handsigns..." He notes. They then persue Mario and Naruto.

Meanwhile, Naruto is flipping out. "A key? Your bird attacked that guy with a KEY?! And how did you create ice and fire without handsigns!" He yells.

"Uh, I'll tell you later," Mario states. "For now, let's focus on getting away." He releases Xildus, who has cooled down enough to have a level head and run with him, and summons Two Becomes One. He thrusts it into the ground as they run, yelling, "Stopga!"

As they run away from the Keyblade, a sphere of grayscale spreads out rapidly from Two Becomes One, and anything cause in this sphere instantly freezes in time. After thirty seconds, the spell wears off, the sphere shrinking back down and Two Becomes One disappearing afterwards.

"I think this kid is going to be a pain, Itachi." Kisame says.

"He won't be for long." Itachi says.

"Do you know those guys? And where the heck is Jiriya?" Naruto asks.

"Heck if I know, to either question," Mario states. "But he might know how to handle these guys better; I'm about out of tricks unless you have some of your own."

"Yeah, quick, hide somewhere." Naruto says.

Mario nods, releasing Naruto and he and Xildus dash into a nearby building to hide.

Naruto makes a few handsigns, and a cloud of smoke appears, and when it clears, three pairs of clones-of Mario, Xildus and Naruto- appear, and then run off in different directions. Naruto waits for Itachi and Kisame to follow one set before he turns to Mario. "Lets go."

Mario nods and then sneaks through the back alleys, and once they are a suitable distance away, he begins using his Shadow Sight to try and locate Jiraya. He had never read his heart signature, but he couldn't be too hard to find.

Jiriya is before a teahouse, surrounded by a few young girls. He seems to be very happy.

Mario skids to a stop in front of him. "Jiraya, maybe this isn't a good time, but we have two cloaked figures after Naruto."

"Sorry ladies, but duty calls." Jiriya says, stepping away. "What exactly did they look like?"

"Let's see...one was sorta like a fish man, and the other had black hair, short...um, sorta like Sasuke back in the Leaf Village, only it was combed down or something," Mario describes.

"It's no wonder. He's Sasuke's older brother, Itachi." Jiriya says. "The other is Kisame, don't underestimeate either of them."

"If their so dangerous how come they were easily fooled and went after the shadow clones?" Naruto asks.

"We didn't." Kisame says, appearing near them.

Mario glances toward them, drawing Two Becomes One immediately. "Okay, tell me why you're after Naruto. If you're just going to kill us, why not at least give us the comfort of understanding your plans?"

"Oh, I know what they want. It's why I'm training Naruto in the firstplace." Jiriya says. "They want the Nine-tailed fox thats sealed within him."

"I'm guessing your the one who told Kakashi." Itachi says.

"Hm..." Mario takes a moment to glance from Kusame to Itachi. He then speaks aside to Jiraya. "So...what are our chances of winning without casualties?"

"Not very good, unless they really don't want to fight against a Sannin like me." Jiriya says.

"...Perhaps a retreat is in order, then?" Mario inquires.

"Perhaps." Jiriya says. "But how do you sujest we escape? These are S-ranked criminals."

"Like this," Mario states, snapping his fingers.

At that moment, a dark portal appears behind them, a short distance away.

"Huh..." Jiriya says. "Well, lets go."

He then grabs Naruto and jumps threw the portal.

Mario uses a quick Blizzaga to block direct passage between Itcahi and Kasume and the portal, and he then rushes through with Xildus before it closes completely.

They re-emerge in the Land of Tea, and with the portal closed, Mario sighs. "Well, that should keep them off our heels for a while, at least."

Jiriya nods. "Well, at least we don't have to walk now. Tsunade was last seen in this village."

"Well, that's convienent, then. I kinda just chose to warp us somewhere randomly," Mario says, rubbing his head sheepishly.

Jiriya looks at Mario then. "Don't think your off the hook. How did you create that portal without handsigns?"

"Yeah, and those ice anf fire stuff." Naruto says.

Mario is silent before exchanging a glance with Xildus. He then sighs. "Well...there's a lot I can't tell you, but what I can say is that what I was using there was not chakra or whatever you all use; it's magic."

"Magic?" Jiriya asks, seeming to think Mario was joking.

Mario nods, and to make his point, he looks over toward a small bush. "Firaga!" The bush immediately ignites in a small fireball. "Blizzaga!" A block of ice replaces the fire, shattering afterwards to show a half-dead bush. "Curaga!" The bush is suddenly revitalized and looking as good as before.

"Huh..." They both say.

"Well, sorry I doubted you. Your village must be a strange place." Jiriya says, though hes still a bit suspicious.

"Very strange," Mario responds. "As I said, though, there's much I can't reveal; it's protocol. So don't try to ask too much else from me."

"I understand, every nation has its secrets." Jiriya says.

Mario nods. "So, what is this Tsunade like?"

"She's uh...something else. Watch you don't get on her bad side." Jiriya says, going twords a building.

'Alright..." Mario responds, a bit confused but taking his word for it.

That night, Jiriya takes them to a diner to eat, and he smirks as he enters. He approached the table of a blonde woman and leaned on it. "Well, its been a long time, Tsunade." He says.

Mario blinks and looks at the blonde woman he presumes was Tsunade, analyzing her with normal and Shadow sight.

Tsunade glares at Jiriaya. Her heart was pretty much pure, but their seemed to be pain in her heart. "What do you want, Jiriya?"

"I came to find you to ask you to be the Fifth Hokage, if you don't mind." Jiriya asked.

"Ha, the only people who dare to become Hokage are fools!" Tsunade said.

Naruto glared and went to punch Tsunade, but Jiriya stopped him. "Anyone who makes fun of the Hokage's, even if it's a girl, deserves a punch in the face!"

"Proper response is only as good as proper restraint, Naruto," Mario states. "After all, how likely is it that you will manage to take on someone who is being selected as your village's Hokage?"

"Still, she needs to learn a little respect!." Naruto says.

Jiriaya sighs.

Tsunade stands to look Naruto in the eye. “You have guts to say that to me. Let's take this outside.”

Once outside, the streets are abandoned, as if everyone was hiding. Then again, it was pretty late. “This shouldn't be to hard.”

Naruto glares. “We'll see.”

“One finger.” Tsuande says, holding up a finger. “Is all I should need against you.”

Naruto attacks Tsunade, and indeed, she only uses one finger to fight Naruto. The battle only stops when Naruto attacks Tsuande with the Rasengan and Tsuande flings him aside.

Mario blinks, surprised by the Rasengan. "What the-what was that? An Aeroga in a compressed ball?"

"That was the rasengan, although, Naruto hasn't perfected it yet." Jiriaya says.

Tsunade glares at Jiriaya. "What were you thinking, teaching him the rasengan?" Tsunade asks Jiriya, and they 'discuss' it for a bit.

"Uh huh..." Mario mutters. "...Now I kinda wish I still had Aero."

"He couldn't possibly master that!" Tsunade said. Well, seems they were ignoring Mario.

"I can! And I'll do it in three days!" Naruto said.

"Alright then. I'll give you one week to master it. If you win, I will accept that you could become Hokage, and will give you my necklace. It belonged to my grandfather, the first."

"I accept!" Naruto says, standing.

"Well, this is quickly getting interesting," Mario states.

"You wanna wager anything?" Jiriya whispers.

'Not really," Mario responds. "A, got little to wager. B, I'm kinda partial on Naruto's success to begin with. Not saying he's a terrible student, but his learning curve isn't exactly a smooth line."

"Alright, but I have a feeling Naruto is going to surprise us all." Jiriya says.

"Yeah, what's really going to surprise me is the day he learns how to dodge," Mario states. "Well then, I guess I'd better figure out what to do for the next week."

"Look kid, perhaps you should go home. Unless heartless show up, what is there for you to do?" Jiriaya asks.

"I can't leave yet," Mario states, a bit sadly. "I still have...some business here."

"I see." Jiriaya says, looking suspicious of him. "Common Naruto. Time to hit the hay."

Mario nods. "I think I'll get a room of my own for tonight." He checks in at the inn and goes to his room, Xildus going with him. Once inside, Mario sighs and looks at the Knight symbol. "...Just what should I do? Bleach left me to take care of the Nobodies, but so far, I haven't a clue how. If I could only speak with them, find more as allies..."

Jiriaya lies on his bed when he's sure Naruto is asleep. He sighs. "Man kid, I really hope you pull through."

Around the middle of the night, Mario quietly steps out of his room. He goes down the hall, ascends some stairs, and sits down on the roof. From there, he look up at the stars and ponders.

A few objects are moving threw the village. It was hard to make out weather they were human or nobody.

Mario blinks, noticing the objects before using his Shadow Sight to analyze them from his position.

They were nobodies.....but they weren't the same ones as in Konoha, but then again, it was hard to tell weather they had good intentions or not.

Mario is silent before he hops down from the roof, walking toward the Nobodies to inquire them. He is ready to draw Two Becomes One, however, if they attack.

The Dragoons look at him. They float ther for a moment before nodding to him, and flying off.

Dragoons. Not what Mario expected, but they seemed friendly enough. That was a relief to Mario. He sighs and returns to the hotel before going to bed.

In the morning, one dragoon can be seen outside the window. It seems it wanted to come in. Perhaps Mario should lock his door before doing so, however.

Mario wakes up and notices the Dragoon, sitting up before looking toward the door. he locks it, then opens the window for the Dragoon to come in.

Xildus is already awake, having sensed the Dragoon outside. He already has his quill, paper, and ink ready.

The dragoon slips threw and nods to Xildus. So far, there is no heartless in this village. But...I believe I saw one of the fallen. It was a glimpse, so I cannot be sure if it was. The dragoon says.

Mario blinks once he reads this message. He is silent before looking to Xildus. "Well, should we investigate?"

Xildus looks to him, giving a look that the choice was ultimately his own to make. He was in charge now, after all.

Mario is silent as he now ponders this, and after several seconds, he looks to the Dragoon. "Xildus and I will perform recon within this town. Keep me informed on the Fallen, if you glimpse the member again, but keep a distance so you aren't discovered, captured...or killed."

The dragoon seems to laugh. Being killed is better then being captured. It says before slipping threw the window. We shall keep our eyes open for them.

Mario nods and sighs as he looks to Xildus. "Time for recon."

Xildus nods, and together, they leave the room in order to investigate the town.

Jiriya and Naruto awake hours later, and go to the spot in the village they use for training.

None of the Fallen Angels can be seen, but if they're all anything like Mariya's future killer, they would stay out of sight til the moment was right.

Mario is silent as he looks around, using his Shadow Sight as he glances around to try and isolate the Fallen Angel.

A familiar signature can be seen almost right infront of Mario. Mariya's killer! Before Mario can act, he see's Mario, and recognises him. He begins to run.

Mario blinks, surprised to see the familiar Fallen Angel. "Crap," he mutters before chasing after him.

Xildus nods and runs with Mario after him.

The Fallen Angel keeps running, but when he see's he's not loosing Mario and Xildus anytime soon, he jumps onto the roof of a house and jumps to the other side, wher he opens a portal near a shop.

Mario quickly rounds the corner after him. "Stop!" he yells, swinging his arm to open a portal between the Fallen Angel and the first portal. If he stumbles into it, it would drop him from about ten feet higher and some distance away from the portals.

The fallen angel falls into Mario's portal. He grimances when he hits the ground. He tries to stand, grimancing as he gets on his feet.

Mario summons Two Becomes One, putting it to the Fallen Angel's throat. "Okay, talk," Mario responds. "Why are you on this world, and why were you running? Don't say you weren't up to something; why else would you run?"

"Oh, I don't know, it might have to do with the fact your a Knight." He says, chuckling a bit. "As for why I'm here, that's confidential."

"Well, if it's nothing to worry about, then I guess I'll just-wrong answer," Mario states, still holding the Keyblade to his neck. "Look, under any other circumstances, I would be a bit less severe than I am now, but between the facts that you began running from me the moment I saw you on this world and that you and your friends took control of Bleach's family, I'm in a pretty irritable state. So, you can either spill it, or I can call in other Knights who are not as nice as I am."

"Bleach? Who the heck is Bleach?" He asks, seriously clueless. "I won't spill ever, but I'll guarentee you I'll be out of here beofre your knight buddies arrive."

Mario glares at him as he activates his symbol for backup. "Bleach, the former resident of the castle whose halls you now inhabit. Black Organization cloak, had white hair, former leader of the Nobodies whom you have taken over."

"Um, alright. Never seen the guy." He says honestly. "But so what if we control the nobodies, it makes our joobs easier."

He laughs then, a portal opening below him. "Sorry kid." he says before he disapears."

Mario curses under his breath as he reaches out, but the portal has closed by the time he gets down to it. "He got away..." He sighs and cancels the signal on his symbol. "Well, might as well return to where we saw him and continue investigating there."

Xildus nods and follows him back to where they first saw him.

The place is a flower shop. Huh, whoda thunk he had a girlfriend.

Mario blinks before stepping inside. He glances around, using Shadow Sight to try and expose anything out of the ordinary.

It seems the man was standing there for wuite a bit. Maybe deciding on a bouquet. It seems he came from a hotel earilier. The shop keeper smiles. "Welcome, how can I help you?" She asks kindly.

Mario looks to her. "There was a gentleman here earlier. May I ask what his actions were while within this shop?"

"Looking at the bouquets. I guessed for a girlfriend or something." She says. "Why do you ask?"

"Hm...no reason," Mario states. "Thank you, though." He then leaves. This was indeed interesting. What did a Fallen Angel want with a bonquet? Did he really have a date? Deep down, this now creates a small twinge of guilt and sadness, for not only was this Fallen Angel possibly doing something generally good, but in comparison, Mario was not as lucky in love. "Well, Xildus, what should we do?"

Xildus gives a shrug.

"...Yeah, let's head back to the hotel, I guess," Mario states as they head back, grabbing a bite to eat along the way.

Naruto is still training with Jiraya, trying to master the rasengan, so they're not at the hotel.

Mario sighs and goes to get some rest in his room and maybe contemplate his next step.

The hotel is quiet, everyone must be out enjoying the day.

Mario is silent before sighing, stepping back outside to just explore. Eventually, something was bound to happen.

But alas, nothing does, nothing very exciting, at least. Perhaps Mario can hope the Fallen Angel would come back and go back to the flower shop.

Mario is silent before going back to where the flower shop is. There, he settles down and blends in as he keeps an eye on the shop.

The Fallen Angel does return hours later, but simply goes in, pays for a bouquet and quickly leaves the shop, and heads for the villages exit.

Mario is silent before he begins to silently follow, sticking to the shadows when he can so as to not attract attention.

The angel walks threw town for a bit before opening a portal in an alley, but before he steps threw and looks around, being sure no one sees.

Mario is silent, still remaining hidden and out of sight, but he tries to see if he can make out anything beyond the portal, and if he can, if it seems familiar.

It was a cemetary, one that wasn't familiar, but the scenery behind it was.

Mario blinks, surprised. Radiant Garden?! he silently contemplates. Who-what-why...

He steps threw then, and the portal remains open for a moment before closing.

Mario is silent before turning around. As he thought, Xildus was hiding next to him. "Xildus, keep an eye on things here. If Naruto or Jiraya asks, tell them I went for a day trip."

Xildus nods and writes a quick note to show for later. He then removes a cloak and offers it to Mario: Bleach's cloak.

Mario blinks, surprised, but he nods and takes the cloak, putting it on and pulling up the hood before opening a portal. "I'll be back soon." He then steps through.

{Mario to RG}

Xildus gives a final nod and returns to the hotel.

Naruto and Jiriya aren't back yet, still training.

Xildus gives a content sigh and sits down on the bed. After about ten minutes of boredom, he locks the door to his and Mario's room so that, should any Nobodies decide to come by, they'd have privacy. He soon ends up falling asleep.

Later, Jiriaya and Naruto return, Naruto crashing on his bed.

Xildus hears their commotion next door, but he just turns over in his sleep.

A Dragoon fly's by the window, not stopping. It seems he had nothing to report.

Xildus notices the Dragoon fly by and gives a sigh. Wow. He had forgotten how dull things were before Bleach and Mario came along. After years of patience, he was growing tired of doing nothing, despite being nothing.

A knock comes to the door. Perhaps it was Jiriya.

Xildus gets up, looking at the door before approaching it, unlocking it, and opening it.

Jiriaya nods to Xildus. He see's Mario isn't there. "He out?" he asks.

Xildus nods and hands him the note, describing that Mario had taken a day trip.

"Ah, I see." Jiriaya says. "Alright then, it wasn't that important anyway."

Xildus has a quill out, though, and some ink and paper. Apparently, he was ready to take a message if it was of any importance.

Jiriya laughs. He mutters something about Xildus being able to write. "I wanted to ask if he knew anything about those things flying around carrying a lance."

Xildus is silent, pausing before writing. Dragoons. High-ranking Nobodies with a mastery of aerial combat and with devastating jump attacks. Do not be alarmed, however. Ever since a recent war in our village, these Dragoons have been our allies. They are likely here to patrol new lands for Heartless.

"Ah, I see." Jiriaya says. "Welp, your village is really strange..."

Xildus only looks away, as if he had no comment on the matter.

Jiriaya shrugs. "Welp, I'm gonna make sure Tsunade didn't run for it." He says before walking down the hall.

Xildus nods and closes the door, returning to his nap shortly afterward.

Jiriaya continues to search for Tsunade, and when he see's her he heads back to the hotel.

Mario soon exits a portal and returns to the hotel.

Xildus looks up when Mario returns. Good, it was getting dull.

Jiriaya returns as well, and sits on his bed in his room.

Mario sighs and sits on the bed.

Xildus looks to him, hoping for a report.

"Nothing interesting," Mario responds. "Seems he just likes flowers."

One week later

Early in the morning, Jiriaya heads out, going to meet Tsunade. Perhaps, Naruto didn't do it afterall.

Mario yawns as he rises that morning. Xildus was out, it seems. Not too surprising for the Chocobo. He soon gets up and walks around town, going for breakfast.

Jiriaya nods to Tsunade, and they go into a bar, sitting down at a table and order drinks.

Mario gets a bite to eat, and after a moment, he goes out into the fields to look for Naruto, if he was there.

Naruto wasn't, seems he was passed out in the hotel room.

Meanwhile, Jiriaya and Tsunade chat, about what is only known to them.

Mario sighs, returning to the hotel to look for Naruto.

Naruto is asleep on his bed, work out from his training.

Mario gives a small smirk and sits down on the bed next to Naruto. "Training hard, I take it?"

Naruto stirs, and nods. "I didn't do it..." He mutters. "I couldn't master the rasengan in time."

Mario is silent. "So...you're just going to give up? That doesn't sound like Naruto Uzumaki to me." He is quiet for a moment longer before pondering. "Hm...maybe..."

Naruto looks at him, confused.

"...No, it's too risky...but what if I took what little time you have left and stretched it out?" Mario asks.

"Mario...I'd need a miracle to master the rasengan...plus, it's impossible to stop time."

"...Maybe, maybe not." Mario summons Two Becomes One. "Meet me at the training grounds in five." He then leaves and heads toward the grounds to prepare.

Naruto sighs, and in a bit he heads over to the training grounds.

Mario is there, silent as he is focusing. "...So you came. So, how much time do you think you'll need?"

"I dont know....." Naruto says. "Alot..."

"Well then, hold onto me," Mario states. "If you don't, then this will be a waste." He begins charging Two Becomes One as he holds it out in front of him.

"Umm...okay..." Naruto says, grabbing Mario's arm.

Mario is silent as he continues charging. Finally, he opens his eyes, swinging Two Becomes One around as nothingness ribbons begin to form around it. He then lifts the Keyblade above his head. "Ultima Stopga!" He then thrusts Two Becomes One into the ground, and instantly, the ribbons split off and burrow their way into the ground. A huge sphere of monotone begins to expand out from the spot, growing at an expodential rate to consume the entire world in a Stopga spell. At ground zero, Mario is silent before releasing his grip on Two Becomes One. He was free of the time freeze, and since Naruto was in direct contact with him, so should he.

"Ummm...what happened?" Naruto asks, confused.

"I stopped time," Mario states. "All over the world. And it will remain that way until I draw my Keyblade out of the ground. Everyone is frozen in time as well; don't worry, they'll be fine once time resumes, but now you have as much time as you need."

"Wow....umm...okay....." Naruto says before thinking. "Alright, her it goes..."

Naruto then begins to attempt to make the rasengan, and fails. He sighs, and begins again.

Mario leans against a tree and watches him. He analyzes Naruto's style and tries to figure out what Naruto is doing wrong. "Hm...Naruto, what is required for this move to work?"

"Jiriaya says its basicly a ball of chakra." Naruto says.

"Hm...so I guess something like chakra control and...rotation?" Mario asks, noting Naruto's rotational gestures.

Naruto nods, sighing when he fails agian.

"Hm...well, your chakra control seems fine, I guess. Maybe it's rotation? Are you getting it to rotate enough and fast enough?" Mario asks.

"I guess not...." Naruto says.

"Hm..." Mario looks at it. "...And you're only making this rotation with one hand?"

"well I need the other to hold it." Naruto says. He looks at him then. "I think I know what your getting at."

"Yeah, use more hands," Mario states. "Maybe it could give you better rotation and control."

Naruto makes a few hand signs and a clone of him appears. The clone then begins making the rasengan, and suceeds. Naruto smiles and tosses the rasengan at the ground, and it creates a large crater. Naruto smirks.

"So you did it, then?" Mario asks, impressed by the nice crater.

"Yeah." Naruto says. "Lets go find Jiraya."

"Well, let's unfreeze time, first. No good in finding him if we can't interact with him," Mario says as he walks over and grabs Two Becomes One. He yanks it from the ground, breaking the nothingness ribbons binding the spell. The Stopga spell unravels, and the monotone begins to fade away starting at ground zero and moving outward at an expodential rate. Soon, the world has resumed in time.

Naruto nods, and runs to find Jiriaya.

Jiriaya was out cold in an alley, apparently, Tsunade had knocked him out at some point.

Mario goes with Naruto, and when he walks by an alley, he notices a body. "...Um, Naruto?"

Naruto stops, and goes to Mario. He see's Jiraya. "Ah man..." He says, and goes over to him. "Jiriaya?" He says, trying to wake him.

Mario sighs and casts Blizzaga and Firaga over Jiraya, creating a small water cascade onto him.

Jiraya wakes, and looks from Naruto to Mario. "Where's Tsunade?"

"No clue," Mario states. "We only found you here."

"That means..." Jiraya stands, and sighs. "That means she's going to meet with Orochimaru."

"WHAT?" Naruto asks.

"WHAT?!" Mario states with equal disbelief. "Where? Why?"

"I'll explain on the way." Jiraya says, running to find Tsunade. He begins to explain.

Mario runs along and listens. "I see...then we'd better hurry."

Jiriaya nods, but when they reach Tsunade, her and Kabuto are fighting one another.

Mario sighs. "Great." He then casts Stopga on Kabuto. Given how much energy he used earlier with the global Stopga, however, the spell would not last long.

Kabuto freezes for a moment, and smirks. He then takes a shurikun and pokes it in his arm, drawing blood. Tsuade freezes. When Kabuto goes to strike her, Naruto attacks.

Jiriaya meanwhile, begins fighting Orochimaru.

Mario quickly darts in next to Naruto, Two Becomes One drawn to help out if needed.

Naruto doesn't do so well at first, but after a bit, he seems to have found his edge.

Mario gives a small smile and watches, using an occasional Curaga spell when Naruto might need it.

Naruto gimances as he and Kabuto come to a stand still. He smirks though, and moves one hand, and a shadowclone comes and quickly creates the rasengan, and Naruto shoves it into his stomach.

Kabuto is thrown back, and throws a surikun at him.

Mario sees the coming shuriken and quickly intercepts, throwing himself between Naruto and the weapon to take the hit. He grimaces as he hits the ground; he was okay, but the wound nevertheless stunned him.

Tsuande snaps out of it then, and see's Orochimaru going to attack Naruto, adn takes the hit.

"Why are you protecting him?" He asks.

"Because, it's my duty as the hokage!" Tsuande says.

Mario grimaces as he gets up, pulling the shuriken loose and using a Curaga to heal up. "So I suppose that means you're taking the position, then?" Mario asks Tsunade.

Tsunade nods. "Now you can leave now Orochimaru, or be forced to leave." She says.

"I think you may have to force me." Orochimaru says.

Mario gets back to his feet, keeping Two Becomes One drawn. "Odds are against you," Mario states.

"You underestimate me, boy." Orochimaru says.

Tsunade attacks then, Jiriaya following her lead.

Mario attacks as well, using a Blizzaga spell to try and freeze Orochimaru in place. And heck, if he was really as serpentine as he appeared, maybe it'd slow him down.

The spell hits, and Tsunade delivers a blow, which knocks him back. Kabuto appears and picks up Orochimaru, and retreats.

Mario sighs and casts a Curaga on everyone to heal any injuries. "So..."

"Go pack your things, kid, we're heading back to Konoha." Jiriaya says, heading to the hotel.

Mario nods and goes to the hotel to pack his stuff. He finds Xildus waiting for him. "Ready?"

XIldus nods.

In a few minutes Jiraya and the others are waiting for Mario and Xildus at the villages gate.

Mario and Xildus soon join them. "Sorry about the wait," Mario says with a sheepish rub of his head.

"Better late then never." Jiriaya says.

Tsunade looks at Xildus, but doesn't seem surprised. Perhaps Jiriaya informed her of Xildus.

Mario nods, "Well, let's go. Back to Kohona?"

Tsunade nods. "Lets go." She says, and they begin thier trip back to the village.

Mario nods, and he and Xildus make the trip back with them.

In a few days, they reach Konoha, and Tsuande is sworn into power.In the distance, the Nobodies watch, ready if heartless are spotted.

Mario sighs, relaxing now after the short turmoil of the last few days. After a few moments, he decides to go and check on Naruto. After all, Xildus was off somewhere again, and who knows what he was up to.

Xildus is silent as he climbs the mountain. Soon, he is on top, overlooking the village. Here, he waits for the Nobodies.

Naruto is on his way to the hospital, Sakura along side of him. Naruto seems pretty happy about that fact.

The nobodies go to Xildus. Nothing to report. Did Bleach's other find out what the Fallen one was doing here?"

Mario soon sees Naruto. "Hey, Naruto. What's up?"

Xildus is silent before looking over his shoulder to them. I'm not sure. He wouldn't tell me anything except that he had no place to interfere. A quizzical statement, but I know that he did what he believed is right. He soon looks back toward the village. I can only trust it was the right thing.

The nobodies look at one another. I see. One says. Very well, we'll go back to our patrols.

"We're going to go visit Sasuke in the hospital." Naruto says.

Mario tilts his head a little. "Oh? Mind if I come along? I'm curious about how he's doing."

Xildus is silent before looking back to them. Well?

One Nobody seems to sigh. Well what?

"Not really." Naruto says, although it seems he'd rather be alone with Sakura for a bit longer.

Mario catches the hint from Naruto. "Alright, well, I should probably go get something for him, then. Maybe a nice gift basket. I hear there's a special somewhere." He then leaves to get something, giving Naruto a secret wink.

Xildus turns toward them. Come on, I know you all have your opinions about him. So let's hear it; after all, he is who Bleach chose, and he must be tested not just by me, but by all of us.

What we're saying Xildus...is that he may have let the Fallen one escape for some reason, and it may have been foolish. One says.

Indeed. The other says.

Naruto smiles a bit, and they continue there walk to the hospital.

Xildus is silent and sighs. Again, I have considered this. In fact, from my observations, despite Bleach's influence upon him, he is clearly still a bit immature and still perhaps a bit reckless and hasty. But, name me one individual who is currently more qualified than him.

They seem to sigh. Very well, since he is the only one qualified at this point we will accept him for now.

Naruto adn Sakura soon reach the hospital and go to Sasuke's room.

Xildus gives a nod and looks back toward the village. Also understand that I am aware of the experience gap. We've been fighting the Heartless for several decades now, some more than others. He is still a child, and has been in this war for only a few years. It's our job to make sure that he gains the experience needed to become the great leader Bleach intended to have replace him. Remember: we're family, and we must raise each other if we have any hopes of survival or victory.

Mario soon reaches the hospital carrying a small gift basket. He soon meets up with Naruto and Sakura. "Sorry for being a little late. I forgot where the shop was."

Very well. They say, before floating off.

Naruto nods.

"How is it that you can get stronger, and I can't?" Sasuke asks

"Uhhhh..." Naruto says, unsure.

Mario blinks, setting the gift basket down as he listens.

"I challenge you to a fight, right now outside." Sasuke says.

"But..." Naruto says.

"No buts!" Sasuke says.

So, they make their way outside, and find a place to fight. They begins, and Sakura keeps yelling at them to stop. Sasuke creates his chidori, and Naruto his rasengan, and they charge at one another, and Sakura runs in to try and make them stop, but it doesn't seem they can.

Mario blinks and follows, watching the fight. Seeing the climax coming, he mutters under his breath. Instantly, the entire rooftop is hit with a Stopga spell.

The two freeze, as does Sakura, and suddenly Kakashi appears adn pushes the two brawlers back. He gives a nod to Mario, as if saying 'thanks'.

Mario nods, selectively releasing the Stopga spell to control the mayham. He first releases Sakura, as he didn't intend to catch her in the spell, then Naruto, then Sasuke.

Kakashi picks up Sasuke, and takes him off to give him a lecture.

Mario sighs and sits down. "Well...that was unexpected..."

Naruto sighs, and Sakura starts yelling at him, and they get into a little spat.

Mario is silent as he looks at where Sasuke had been. On a slight hunch, he hmms and glances at the spot, using his Shadow Sight to try to trace any possible darkness.

A bit of darkness is there, but it's not much.

Mario is silent after this. There was a trace of darkness there, but very little. Was this a good or a bad sign? Whatever it was, it meant something was up with Sasuke. Best to keep an eye on him. Still...

"...Has Sasuke been acting...weird, lately?" Mario asks. "Aside from trying to kill Naruto..."

"Just the usuall 'I want to kill Itachi.' thing." Sakura says.

"Hm..." Mario is silent as he examines the spot again. "...Somehow, I feel it's escalating beyond that...next time either of you are around him...keep your guard up."

"Umm...okay..." They say.

Mario is silent before turning away. "Well, nice to see you two today," he says before leaving. He had to figure out what was going on, what had triggered this sudden spark of hatred. He heads off in the direction Kakashi went with Sasuke.

Four sound ninja are fighting Sasuke, and seem to have gotten the upper hand. "Well kid, once upon a time, we were at your level, but once we joined Orochimaru, we got stronger." One says, apparently, there was some conversation going on. Apparently, Kakashi left him alone to think.

Mario soon gets close enough to notice the fighting, and he quickly hides, observing from a distance with his Shadow Sight.

The four Ninja's hearts are dark, with little light in them. Sasuke's heart has little darkness, but seems to be slowly growing.

"Your looking to get stronger, right? Why not come and join the sound Ninja?" Another asks.

When Sasuke is silent, the girl sighs. "We'll let you think about it, kid." She says, and they leave.

Mario is silent, waiting in the shadows for a moment. Whoever those ninja were, they were claiming to be a part of the Sound ninja, and at the Chunin exam, it was the Sound ninja who worked under Orochimaru. Whoever they were, they were working for Orochimaru, meaning they were the enemy. And they were extending membership to Sasuke.

After he is sure that the Sound ninja are completely gone, he emerges from the shadows so that Sasuke can see him, but he says nothing for the time being.

"So...how much did you hear?" Sasuke asks.

"Enough," Mario states, silent for a while afterward. "...Sasuke, understand that I will not pretend to understand you. We are clearly two different people, and whatever experiences you've gone through and how they have shaped who you are, I cannot say that I can relate to them in any way. But I do know that you have friends here, an entire village who has taken care of you for however long you have been here. If you go with the Sound ninja, you will be betraying everyone here who has tried to help you, who has given you a chance. Likely, they will come after you, and as a result, so will I. The decision is yours and yours alone as to what you will do, but make sure that you are fully aware of all the consequences that whatever decision you make will bring, and what sacrifices you will make along the way. Whatever you choose to do, be ready." With that, Mario leaves, and while he wonders if he made the right choice, he does not turn back.

Xildus watches from a distance. And thus does it begin. Now to see if his choice is the right one, and to see if he really has what it takes to be a leader.

Sasuke sighs, and heads home. He thinks for awhile, weighing the pros and cons. The power....if I go...I can get the power to kill Itachi...

Mario is silent, now standing at the gates of the village. He twiddles a blade of grass in his hand, sighing as he waits.

Sasuke slowly approached the gates, and see's Mario. "I'm guessing you're gonna try to stop me."

Mario is silent as he drops the blade of grass. "I could. But then again, my orders are to only interfere if it is Heartless-related or if I'm asked by the village itself to act. For now, you're free to go. But the moment you leave this village, I will have to report it. You'll have maybe ten, perhaps twenty minutes before the village reacts and sends a team after you, so you might want to get a running start...oh, and Sasuke? Good luck, whatever your goals are."

Sasuke sighs, and proceeds threw the gate.

Mario is silent, then sighs and turns around. He rushes into the city, heading toward the Hokage's building. He arrives in almost no time at all, and he immediately bursts in. "Sasuke's left the village."

Shikimaru, who had been talking with Tsunade, sighs. "What a drag." He mumbles. "I'm guessing your gonna want me to assemble a squad to go after him.."

Tsunade nods. "Do so quickly."

Shikimaru nods, and leaves, soon coming back with Naruto, Neji, Choji and Kiba. Tsunade stands. "The mission is simple, follow the sound ninja's trail, and bring Sasuke back at all costs!"

They all nod, and they begind to leave, and Sakura enters. She looks at Naruto. "Please, bring Sasuke back Naruto." She says.

"I'll bring him back, and that's a promise." He says, and the group sets out.

Tsunade smiles after Sakura leaves as well. "You know, I hear Naruto always keeps his promises..." She says, apparently speaking to Mario. "I think, though, he may need a little help with this one."

Mario nods. "Alright...and I might bring a team of my own to help," he states as he gives a final bow of respect before rushing out.

As he tries to close the distance between him and Naruto's group, he finds himself joined by Xildus. "So, how much did you hear?"

"Wark!" Xildus responds, and while it wasn't a lot to say, it was enough.

"Right, then I hope they're ready," Mario states. "Because we'll need the help."

When Mario and Xildus catch up to the Squad, they are fighting the sound Ninja. Sasuke's heart can be seen in some weird barrel, and it seems to be quickening the darkness' growth.

Mario grimaces slightly and rushes into to try and break open the barrel.

A sound ninja stops him, with a smirk. "Sorry kid, can't let you do that."

Mario gives a smirk of his own. "Oh really? Stopga!" He throws up the Stopga spell, hoping to freeze the sound ninja in place so he can pass by cleanly.

The spell, odly, doesn't work. "And what exactly, was that saposed to do?" He asks before attacking Mario.

Mario grimaces as he is struck, falling backwards before recovering. "Well, it was supposed to stop time. Guess it's time for plan B." With that, he snaps his fingers. "Nobodies, come!"

The nobodies appear, and attack the sound ninja. "Heartless!" The girl says, and a few heartless appear, and attack the Nobodies before they can reach the sound ninja.

Things don't seem to be going well for the others, infact, One of the sound ninja's seem to be trying to trap the squad in a rock dome.

Mario notices this and grimaces. "Blizzaga!" he yells, attempting to ice the rock dome and attempt to weaken it by freezing it.

Again, the spell wasn't working, what was going on? The dome closes on them, and The Sound Nin use this oprotunity to escape, except the one who created the rock dome. He stays behind, to keep the dome up.

Mario grimaces, now deciding to take a different approach. He now attacks the Sound ninja remaining behind, attempting to break his focus as clearly it was he who was maintaining the dome.

The Sound Ninja quickly creates a shadow clone, which attacks Mario with the assistance of some heartless.

Mario grimaces as he is attacked, but Xildus quickly intercepts and attacks the Heartless. Mario takes this opportunity to attack the barrier once more, using a Firaga.

Once again, the spell doesn't work. Perhaps Mario should save his spells. Suddenly, though, Choji bursts threw the dome, and starts attacking the sound ninja. The others climb threw the gap. "Go on without me, I can handle him!" Choji says.

Shikimaru nods, and the team goes on ahead, and the heartless follow.

"You too." Choji says to Naruto and he dodges an attack.

Mario grimaces, weighing out the situation. Finally, he decides to leave one of the Nobodies to assist Choji, and after issuing the command, he chases after the team with Xildus following him. He tries to catch up quickly so he can help slay the Heartless before they can slow the team down too much and, if possible, talk to Naruto.

The heartless disapear, as if giving up. The team keeps going, and stop when one of the sound ninja stay behind.

Mario soon comes to a stop as well, Two Becomes One drawn. "Okay, now I'm curious; how are you negating my magic? It isn't often that it's rendered useless."

"Negeating your what?" The ninja asks, confused.

"You think I've been attempting nothing but special effects?" Mario states. "I'm trying stuff here like freezing, exploding, and even time manipluation, but not a thing is actually working! ...Hold on." He then attempts a Curaga.

The spell works. Huh...maybe a little Alageasia thing was starting.

"Hm...this is strongly reminscent of what happened in Alagaesia," Mario comments. "My magic doesn't work except on me and the Heartless...then how the heck was I freezing time earlier?" He sighs. "Fine then, no magic. I can do well enough without it. Now return Sasuke."

"Look around kid, I don't have him." The sound ninja says.

"Then I have no business with you." Mario then attempts to pass him in a dash.

Everyone but Neji follows. "Is Alageasia another village?" Naruto asks.

"It's actually a different continent, one far off that few rarely see from around here," Mario states. "If it isn't obvious, I travel a lot, but that place was interesting in its own right. The residents there are also capable of magic, like I am; however, what I found odd about that place is that my magic doesn't work on anyone or anything that normally exists there. As of recently, that seems to be the case here as well, a phenomenon I cannot explain as of yet...possibly, it's because I technically should not be here. Sure, I have the ability to travel here, but events were probably destined to occur in particular ways; not only does the presence of the Heartless complicate that, but likely, so does my own."

"Uhhhhh...okay." Naruto says, as they continue to persue the Sound Nin.

Mario sighs. "I'm sorry, I know this all sounds weird," he states. "But for now, forget I said anything. Sasuke's priority right now."

Naruto nods. The group catches up to the sound ninja, and Kiba attacks the sound nin that seems to have two heads.

Mario pushes on, seeing that Kiba had the two-headed Sound ninja. He does request a Nobody to hang back, as he did with Choji and Neji, and continues on to try and find Sasuke.

Another sound ninja joins the last sound ninja left, and Shikimaru goes after the girl, while Naruto follows the other, who had the barrel Saske was in.

Mario follows Naruto, leaving the last of the assisting Nobodies to help Shikamaru. It is now down to him, Xildus, and Naruto at this point.

Naruto creates some shadowclones, but the ninja uses his....bones to destroy them easily.

"...Are those his bones?" Mario inquires. "Gross...but I won't back down." He takes this moment to try to reach the barrel.

Suddenly, the barrel bursts open, and Sasuke comes out and smirks before taking off. Naruto continues to fight Kimimaru, and it doesn't seem to be going well.

Mario blinks, seeing Sasuke run off. "Xildus, help Naruto! I'm going after Sasuke!" He then dashes after him.

Xildus nods and immediately jumps in, attempting to slash at Kimimaru with Winner's Proof.

Sasuke continues to run ahead, ignoring Mario.

Kimimaru blocks both the attack from Xildus, and Naruto's attack.

Xildus grimaces and attacks again, this time using a Zantetsuken to try and break Kimimaru's guard and inflict significant damage.

Kimimaru again blocks the attack, smirking. "Foolish bird." He says, before attacking back.

Xildus is knocked back, grimacing slightly before dashing in again. However, just before contact, Xildus disappears into a dark portal between the two of them. He emerges immediately from the other side of the portal behind Kimimaru for another Zantetsuken.

Kimimaru barely blocks, and is hit by a kick to the face, the kicker is none other then Rock Lee. "Naruto, go on ahead, and I will take care of him." He says.

Naruto nods. "Common Xildus, bushy brow can take him!" He says before going after Mario and Sasuke.

Xildus nods and follows Naruto.

Mario continues to pursue Sasuke, not losing pace.

Sasuke eventually stops at a huge waterfall, when Naruto catches up to him. "Stay out of this." Naruto says, approching Sasuke.

Mario blinks, a bit surprised by Naruto's request. However, after a silent minute, he nods and sheaths Two Becomes One.

Naruto and Sasuke begin to battle. at first, neither seem to get the atvantage, but Sasuke gains the upper hand, for now.

Mario grimaces, almost wanting to jump in, but Xildus raises a wing, blocking him and suggesting to remain out of this. This was Naruto's battle, and Mario sighs as he stands still.

Naruto gains the upper hand then, but soon Sasuke turns the battle. It keeps going like this for what seems like hours.

At the end of these few hours, Xildus is still watching and waiting. Mario, on the other hand, is half-asleep against a nearby rock. Apparently, he got a little too bored.

The battle ends as Sasuke deals a blow to Naruto, and walks over. Instead of finsihing him, however, he turns to Mario. "Once I jump over that waterfall, you can't go after me anymore." He says, before heading twords it.

Naruto lies on the ground, beaten and seems in need of a hospital visit.

Mario quickly gets up, looking between Sasuke and Naruto. Silently, he weighs his options. Finally, he speaks to Sasuke. "And what would I achieve in stopping you? You have your goals; I have mine. But promise me this, Sasuke; next time our paths cross, we have that battle." He then rushes over, picks up Naruto, and dashes back toward the village.

Xildus remains, looking to Sasuke one last time before following Mario.

Naruto groans a bit. "Have to...go after him...." He mutters.

"Sorry, Naruto," Mario states as he dashes back to the village. "But I won't leave a friend to die. We'll have other chances to bring Sasuke back, but you only have one chance at life, so don't blow it."

"I promised." Naruto says.

"And so did I," Mario states, "to see that you don't get yourself killed. We're heading back to the village."

Naruto mutters something under his breath, but doesn't fight it. I'll bring Sasuke back...someday. He thinks.

Mario soon dashes back into the village, going straight to the hospital. Upon bursting in, he yells, "We need immediate medical attention here!"

Tsunade runs over, and takes Naruto before taking him to a hospital room. She passes the rooms of Choji, Neji, Kiba and Shikimaru.

Mario looks into each room as he walks by. Once he catches up to Tsunade, he asks her, "How is everyone else? And what of the sound ninja they were fighting?"

"They're fine. All the sound ninja are dead." Tsunade says.

Gaara appears. "Kimimaru died just in time."

"So Lee told me." Tsunade says as she begins to treat Naruto.

Mario sighs as he casts Curaga on himself. "I'll be waiting on the roof if you need me," he states before heading up to the roof. There, Xildus is waiting. "So...the shonobi are in bad shape, but what about the Nobodies?"

Xildus is silent before he summons them, to see if any survived.

Tsunade ignores Mario, consentrating on treating Naruto.

All the nobodies but one are accounted for. They nod to Mario and Xildus.

Mario is silent, noticing the missing one. He then tries to remember which one it was.

Xildus also seems to take notice and shows some sign of worry.

Moments later the last appears, and nods to them. I wanted to be sure the bone-bender was truly dead. As it seems, he died from some disease at the last moment.

Xildus gives a small sigh of relief and translate the message for Mario in writing.

Mario sees this and sighs. "That's a relief...so no major injuries?"

Nothing I cant recover from He says. Odly...it seems the heartess have all retreated or left this world. I encountered none on my way back.

"Hm...then I guess there's no need to stay, then," Mario states. "Time to return to Radiant Garden. But first..." He pulls out his phone and makes a call to Sora.

"Hello?" Sora asks. In the background Merlin can be heard complaining about something.

"Yeah, Sora? We're all done here in Five Nations," Mario answers. "Heartless have apparently disappeared from this world, so for now, everything's green here. I'm going to be returning to castle soon, but I'd like to know if that favor I've asked of you has been completed yet."

"Yea, it has." Sora says as Merlin's voice fades. "Merlin is just complaining why he has to put a spell on the place if nothing is gonna be here. He can be a blabber mouth at times."

"I see," Mario states. "Alright then, I'll be there shortly." He hangs up and turns to the Nobodies. "Alright, so I have a place for you guys to stay, but you're going to have to wait for me to summon you from there, else there could be complications."

They nod. One looks to Xildus. He may be worthy afterall. But, we shall see if that lasts.

Xildus gives a nod, but in his message to Mario, he instead writes, They will wait for the word.

Mario nods and opens a dark portal, and he steps through it to Radiant Garden, followed shortly by Xildus after he makes a small "side trip".

{Mario and Xildus to Radiant Garden}

What Xildus had done during his side trip was deliver a letter, which now remains on Naruto's bedside and put there without anyone seeing it happen.

Naruto awakes hours later, and see;'s the letter, reading it.

The letter is clearly in Xildus's handwriting, but it reads,

"Naruto,
By the time you read this letter, I've likely left already. Sorry I couldn't say good-bye, but the Heartless have apparently moved on from the Five Nations. Until they are gone for good, I have to keep following them, to continue protecting those who need my help. I trust that you and your friends will continue to live in peace without my continued interference. Perhaps one day, we will meet again.
Mario"

Naruto sighs, and stuffs the letter away.

In a week or so, Nasruto leaves with Jiriya for training, returning almost three years later.