AN
Hello there! This fic is my first ever true work of fiction, well fanfiction to be clear. I originally was posting it only FF, then A03, Webnovel, and now here. I've heard people can be pretty interactive here, as well as harsh apparently. And a new author with work he wants feedback on that sounds lovely. Now mind you as it said in the synopsis as my first work well, the differences between the current chapter, and chapter one, are pretty drastic. This story is also pretty ambitious and not really designed to be the hottest thing ever. I had a vision and for nearly a year now have been working to make it into reality. This also serves as a practice run if you will, practice for they day I eventaully write my own work.
With all that said, I love feedback good or bad, and am always down to discuss things. One more thing before we begin. Due to to this being well, way ahead of this site when we talk about content, the first chapter will actually be the first couple merged together. (When I first started it, chapter were 2-5k and now they regularly hit 10k lol.) I may do shorter chapters on here, we'll see how this goes.
Enough yapping, let's begin!
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Hiruzen's POV (Hokage Manor - Hidden Leaf Village)
Hiruzen calmly sat in a cozy and organized office. His desk sat as many desks of influential men did, terminally covered in various documents, receipts, letters, requests, and whatever else the council could convince the busy man to look at. Mixed in among the papers were various objects indicative of a leader. Coffee, discarded meals, empty envelopes. Yes, even with a cursory glance, someone would recognize the signs of a leader burdened with work. Choosing to stay up late into the night to stay ahead of the never-ending workload.
He considered a series of folders in the center of the large ornate wooden desk, each marked with a picture of a teen and various documents explaining various facts and observations of the person the folder disclosed. He lit multiple candles in the large office, lighting up the office in the darker hours. Throughout the office were awards and pictures of the past leaders. All from various walks of life, each garbed with red and white robes, each marked "Hokage." The old man's eyes glance at them, and he smiles. He was glad to be reminded of the standards he had to uphold. But he knew his mind was wandering due to mere boredom.
With ironclad control, he drifted back to the various files before him. He picks one up with narrowed eyes, a young blonde teen on the cover. He had unruly spiky blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a giant smile framed by whisker-like lines. It would've been a great shot if not for the blonde's personality shining through a sly middle finger snuck into the shot at the bottom of the frame. As well as the bright orange jacket that seemed to shine with brightness. Unfortunately, his love of orange seemed permanent. Hiruzen, as wise and powerful as he was, simply did not know what to do with the teen. Naruto Uzumaki, on paper, was merely yet another shinobi under his employ. But in truth, Hiruzen considered him family. He had promised his father he would ensure his growth and safety, and Hiruzen had achieved it, but now he would need to ensure his surrogate grandson and the village had the required new teams.
As Hokage, he was responsible for the Village Hidden in the Leaves to protect its borders and continue growing its military might. As it always had been in the lands of the Elemental Nations, the power was split between the Five Major Hidden Villages. The Village Hidden in the Leaves is known for producing powerful shinobi, the coveted Hyuga clan, its fertile land full of lush and gigantic trees, and rumors of a powerful "beast" under their control. Despite that, they were known for being more peaceful or "soft."
There was also the Village Hidden in the Clouds, contained high in mountains and shrouded by clouds; known for their advanced technology, aggressive behavior, and powerful beast, they were the strongest nation before the Third Great Ninja War in which they were defeated by the leaf.
The Village Hidden in the Sand was a more unique nation. They lived in the incredibly harsh desert and, as such, were a more hardy bunch. While their shinobi are not mainly known for their power, they are a versatile and lethal ninja. And while their nation may be looked down upon, they intend to rectify this however they must. Hiruzen would need to be wary of them.
The Village Hidden in Stone was a more troublesome thought. Located in a series of massive canyons, they are rumored to have the safest village known to be an impenetrable fortress; little other information is known. What is known is their nationalist mindset, destructive techniques, and powerful hidden shinobi in their employ. The last one was arguably the least concerning and yet the most mysterious.
The Village Hidden in the Mist had always been interesting. Their entire stretch of land is surrounded by rivers, producing a constant mist. Also, giving a natural defense, the typical water nature shinobi could easily defend themselves and the land. They had shined among giants for purely the shinobi they produced. Ruthless, talented with blades, and known for unique bloodline traits. But this had changed; unlike the stone, there was no info anymore, only rumors of a vicious civil war.
A world full of such turmoil it made his bones ache. The next generation would have to be exceptional to keep their homes safe. Such is why Hiruzen sat and pondered these files. Yet another duty of his would be to determine the arrangement of the new genin teams. They would grow together, fight, and die together if unfortunate. Chemistry and complementary skills would be needed for each team. Otherwise, a poorly assembled team would be a surefire way to ensure their deaths. While they did have one test remaining to ensure they passed. Regardless, it was usually apparent to the veteran who was likely to join and who wasn't. After all, it had been Hiruzen who'd proposed the current academy setup.
Previously, they would take them as children and use them as active soldiers at 12. While this structure had seen success with a litany of leaf-produced and noteworthy shinobi such as himself, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Minato, in contrast, the relaxed and reckless style of the past had created some truly evil men. Men who were whispered about as if they were legends. Such as the murderous Itachi of the fallen Uchiha. Or the criminal genius Orochimaru of the Sannin.
Hirzuen had noticed how many newer shinobi didn't make it far. Often dying harshly in battle. While the ones that did were genuinely splendid, it had led to a difficult time with them needing more and more shinobi. As the traitors had made clear, these powerful shinobi often suffered mentally due to this. Hiruzen had met with his sharpest minds and sleekest shinobi, but an easy solution could not appear. So Hiruzen had formed an idea. He had called for a Five Kage Summit. There, he proposed a delay in the release of shinobi for all the villages and pleaded the case, leaning into the recovery efforts they all were engaged in from the last war. They all needed time to heal from the loss of life and money. But there was a cold war constantly going on. Luckily, this proposal would pause it. If they all agreed to move peacefully, we would doubtlessly be able to produce shinobi of the top level. In just one rotation of the academy, they would be able to see the results directly. It would guarantee the future for them all. It was a hard sell, but the truce was simply needed for all the villages in one way or another. The delay would allow their forces to be considered students until they reached their physical peak at 18 or 17. They would then be required to serve as genin at such age until they could pass the Chunin Exams. It would not be true peace; no, Hiruzen was unsure such a thing was possible. He knew he simply did not have the strength or ambition for such a thing. That had always been Jirayai's dream of peace, a strange one. But oddly fitting for the eccentric shinobi, Hiruzen found pride in knowing that was Jirayai's will of fire. Thinking of the will of fire filled Hiruzen with his own. He let loose a sly smile and started to assort the files into stacks of three, his eyes never leaving the file containing one Naruto Uzumaki.
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Naruto's POV (Academy - Hidden Leaf Village)
Naruto had never been the most brilliant guy; he knew this. Often, it irked him to no end, but he had come to accept he was a bit odd. In Naruto's defense, he felt he wasn't stupid; he was full of good ideas! But classes, people, and even the Hokage would drone on and on! Naruto knew that a man had to stay busy. But he didn't intend to be a regular guy. He would reach the top, namely the top of the mountain, with an excellent carving of his face. Yes, the young man smiled to himself. Being Hokage would be great! But first, he'd have to survive this exercise. Just as the blonde's focus zeroed into his surroundings, he felt a rubber dodgeball coming in from behind about six inches out. With a casual lean of his head, he avoided the headshot and quickly kicked up, avoiding another ball thrown low.
"Hey! Stop trying to be a sneaky bastard!" Naruto yelled, looking at one of his closest friends. While he was his teacher, he also served as an older brother figure. Giving him extra lessons and offering advice. Not to mention paying for what Naruto had decided was Ramen Fridays. The man smiled but focused on the blonde, looking for an opening to pelt him with a rubber ball he wielded. His name was Iruka Umino. He was a man of average build and height. Geared in the standard Chunin garb, he looked reasonably regular. If not for his spiky long hair bound in an upward ponytail. He did have a gentle face. But it was marred by a large scar across the bridge of his nose. If Naruto didn't know better, he would assume the Chunin was enjoying this.
"Don't lower your guard then." Iruka said with amusement. Naruto's trained instincts made him quickly observe the room. Padded but with obvious signs of wear, this room was used for most close combat exercises. As such, there was no actual cover. He has less room to maneuver than he would like. His eyes flicked to the other teacher present and, by far, the less likable Mizuki. Naruto had to confess he wasn't sure what he had done to the guy. Hell, he hadn't even pranked the guy in years. But he almost invariably was a bit ruder to Naruto and tense around him. He wore a bandana around his hair, which was a pale blue and just barely reached his shoulder. Also garbed in Chunin gear, he was the assistant to Naruto's class. But now, Naruto was more concerned about him being in the air and Muzuki winding up to throw. Naruto's mind raced, but Muzuki released the ball, and it flew incredibly quickly toward the blonde. He reacted with his gut and struck out with his foot, kicking the ball back toward the scowling Chunin. As soon as he touched down, he rolled, dodging another shot from Iruka. But as he did so, Muzuki snarled, allowed chakra to gather in his foot, and struck the ball to the wall behind the blonde; it flew with incredible speed. Naruto did notice, but he focused on Iruka deflecting one ball with another since it wasn't aimed at him. The ball Mizuki kicked hit the wall violently before ricocheting back towards Naruto, hitting him in the head. The force caused it to pop and knock the young man from his feet.
"Naruto!" Iruka called out to him and gave a scan as the blonde slowly climbed to his feet. "Are you alright?"
"Ya, ya, that just caught me off guard. Why'd the hell you throw it so damn hard, huh?" Naruto yelled, his gaze settling on Muzuki.
"My apologies; I had reflected the ball before thinking and, as such, used too much force," Mizuki replied apologetically.
"Ya, and hit me in the head, you absolute ass!" Naruto countered angrily.
"Naruto!" Iruka admonished.
"Once again, I do apologize, but I must remind you that it was the point of the exercise." Muzuki tried.
"Oh, I'm sure everyone else deals with that, too, huh?" Naruto said, frown growing as he stared down Mizuki. Mizuki simply offered an awkward laugh and did a slight bow. Naruto's eyes slid to Iruka, and he noticed his agitation. With a mental sigh, Naruto reigned in his anger. "Fine, my bad. I was just annoyed." He offered. Iruka smiled at this, then opened his file on his person. He leafed through it calmly, beckoning Muzuki over to see as well. Naruto glared at the blue-haired Chunin's back. Though it was impossible for the young man to prove it, he had always had a good instinct for people; he just knew Mizuki was against him.
Not to mention, he had felt this tension before. He couldn't figure out why, but some people throughout the village seemed to dislike him. As far as he could tell, he had done nothing to deserve it. But had decided to never let it bother him. He may not have much, but the few people he was close with were well worth it. He had just completed the reflex test of the final testing for the academy. Most alumni hated it, but Naruto found he was better in a pinch. Just seemed more straightforward to figure out things as he went, and even with both teachers viciously pursuing a hit, Naruto had nearly cleared the ten minutes flawlessly. He dodged and blocked as needed and even fired some back when he had the chance. Naruto knew he didn't have the luxury of taking it easy here. They had completed a wide variety of tests today. Today may be the most crucial day in the young man's life. It was the Academy Finals. This was the final metric to weed out the riff-raff and ensure the brightest remained.
While Naruto had all intentions of being one of the best shinobi ever. He knew he was a long way from his goal. Naruto was confident in the physical portions of the test. He had long ago become skilled with kunai and shuriken; hell, he even dabbled with traps. His Taijutsu may be less precise and showy than some other students, but Naruto could outlast anyone. Using a combination of an absurd chin as he had heard Shikamaru complain once of and an endless battery of a body others had accused. Naruto didn't really see it. As his thoughts concluded, he saw Iruka frowning as he prepared to speak.
"Naruto, now I don't want you to take this the wrong way. But your scores… are much lower than we were expecting." Iruka started, his voice gentle but firm. Naruto felt his stomach sinking, and he knew it. Despite his best efforts, Naruto had failed. His ninjutsu was laughable, as was his genjutsu as well. There had been plenty of theory tests, but he was never a strong test taker. But surely he didn't fail! He couldn't! "Now, you did pass, but well…" Iruka paused.
"Your scores are below average." Mizuki continued for Iruka. "We would have failed you in the past, but now we have another procedure for those needing… fine-tuning. These are remedial classes for you and anyone else in your shoes. You all will be offered a challenge, and as long as you complete it, you may start your journey as a shinobi. But if you fail, that's that." He said, his voice understanding, yet Naruto felt something similar to malcontent.
"I didn't fail…" Naruto murmured his emotions all over the place. He needed this! Iruka walked up to the blonde and placed it on his shoulder.
"Not unless you wanna give up." He said gently. Naruto growled to himself. He had almost failed. But for now, he had a lesson to ace.
"Fine, but when I pass, you are paying for Ramen Fridays for a month!" He hollered. Iruka merely smiled and nodded his head. Mizuki tossed a folded piece of paper at the blonde, who caught it.
"That has the location time and what equipment you need to bring. I will be proctoring the exam." Mizuki said in an oddly happy tone. Naruto couldn't pinpoint the emotions behind his words. But honestly, he wanted to leave; he was not looking forward to telling "her" of this. She could be terrified when the urge struck her. He nodded to Mizuki, waved to Iruka, and walked calmly out of the room into the hall. He was determined to leave before anyone could ask about his fate, but he was rarely so lucky.
"You know you can be a real drag to find." A voice called. When the blonde looked over, he saw the last thing he needed. Students who had likely passed were expecting the same of him. But Naruto Uzumaki was no coward. So even as he inwardly panicked, he merely smiled and waited for him to approach. The man who spoke stood an inch or two taller than the blonde, a fact he often lorded over him with lazy glee. He had dark hair pulled into an upward ponytail, not unlike Iruka's. Black eyes seemingly locked into a sleepy scowl, and he was smirking. His clothing consisted of green armored sandals with black cargo pants tucked into them, Matched with a black button-up shirt. Over it, he wore a green survival jacket with a Nara crest on it. Naruto had struggled a bit to find kinship at first in the academy. Shikamaru had come when the blonde thought things may be hopeless. A week after his 15th birthday, the lazy Nara approached the blonde at lunch and offered to sit with him. The blonde was unsure, but Nara had surprisingly insisted, seemingly ever since the two were friends. He could have been more talkative and exciting but made up for it by being remarkably informative and kind. But Shikamaru wasn't alone. Naruto knew the faces but couldn't say he was familiar with them. To the left of his friend stood someone the Nara had informed him of before. Naruto believed his name was Choji. He wore the same pair of sandals as Shikamaru and black sweat bound at various parts with bandages. A Grey tank top and green cotton jacket. His face was constantly in comical motion, with the swirls on his cheeks seemingly spinning as he ate. His eyes were brown and focused on the task of slaying chips. Naruto supposed his hair was done up in a bandana for the best since debris of slain chips managed to land on his bandana.
"Ye- mmm, we were looking forever, you know." He bellowed in between bites. The woman to the right of Shikamaru cringed at this. Naruto glanced at her. He first noticed her long blonde hair reaching her lower back and equally long bangs covering half her face. A blue eye peeked back at him. Her lips thinned a bit as she stared back. She wore a purple high-collared blouse that reached down to her knees. Underneath, she wore black tights and bandages she kept wrapped around her arms. He had heard of her. She was friends with Shikamaru somehow and was rather popular, especially with the guys. He believed her name was Ino.
"It is so gross when you do that, you know," She said as she rubbed her arms.
"It is?" He asked curiously.
"Yes!" Naruto and the girl said at once. Their eyes met before they both landed back on the messy eater.
"M-my bad then," The chubby man said with a laugh.
"Oh man, you really are a mess, huh?" A rough voice called out. They all glanced at the young man approaching. "I mean, seriously, even Akamaru eats better than that." The man said teasingly. He wore a black coat lined with gray fur around the down hood and on the ends of the sleeves. As well as matching gray sweatpants secured with what seemed to be chains. Behind him stood a dog that matched nearly all their heights with long white fur and a long swinging tail. Kiba then. He had heard of a bastard who fought like a beast, apparently with his giant dog. Naruto had to admit that it was pretty cool. The boy looked at Naruto and raised a brow and the edge of his lip.
"You're that guy, aren't you?"
"Um, what guy?" the blonde said hesitantly. Unsure if Kiba may be a vengeful victim of his many pranks.
"Well, the guy some say is a creep and infamous for pulling pranks," Kiba said, a smile growing. Naruto felt his rage swirl within him.
"You're damn right! I pulled those pranks, and they were awesome! I don't regret it one measly bit. I don't know what people's problem is, ya know! But one day, you're all gonna be answering to me!" The blonde yelled, hating having someone boldly throw his rep in his face. As he pondered if he should kick his ass, the bastard laughed.
"Hahaha, now that's more like it!" Kiba yelled back. "Maybe you are some creep, but you got guts." Naruto felt his anger slow a bit at that. The crass man even slapped his shoulder while laughing, and the blonde couldn't help but laugh. Enjoying Kiba's antagonistic but oddly friendly personality.
"Well, anyways, Naruto." Shikamaru started, "I was coming to find you to celebrate passing. Gonna be us and a bunch of the other students who passed heading to the bar tomorrow. Well, we're technically just doing it to enjoy our first drinks," The Nara stated happily. Naruto felt his anger disappear and, instead, was replaced with shame. Shikamaru had such faith in him. Naruto was unsure if he should correct him but decided to just go for it.
"Actually, I technically didn't pass." He said simply, his voice now showing some of his inner turmoil.
"What?" Kiba said, shocked, but was kicked silent by Ino. Shikamaru sent them both a glare for their lack of subtlety but was also silently surprised. He assumed the blonde would pass with at least a little breathing room.
"What do you mean?" Shikamaru replied. The blonde seemed to look down at the floor.
"They said my scores are below the "average" score. They want me to participate in a remedial lesson to decide if I will continue." He explained.
"Oh, that's no big deal!" Choji started happily, with Ino slowly nodding.
"But-" the blonde tried. But the portly man merely laughed merrily as he threw an arm around the blonde.
"I'm taking those too! Never been the fittest, obviously!" Choji chuckled good-naturedly. Naruto couldn't help but smile. "So make sure to watch my back, aye?"
"Hell yeah, we'll ace this test! Believe it!" The blonde yelled, fully now sold on the exam. Shikamaru chuckled lightly at this, glad to see the blonde's spirits lifted by the happy-go-lucky nature of Choji. Kiba laughed as well, loving the energy. Ino merely rolled her eyes, thinking the blonde was a bit of an idiot.
"So you coming?" Shikamaru asked Naruto with a smirk.
"Of course, I can't wait!" Naruto answered. With this, goodbyes were exchanged, and the group left the blonde, who watched them leave before starting the trek home.
Naruto slowly walked into his home. While the meeting with Shikamaru and co had definitely lifted his spirits, he still dreaded what awaited him. "She" was probably already home. Undoubtedly discovering his crime.
"She" was sweet most of the time. She was fantastic as long as you stayed on her good side and followed the rules. But the blonde sometimes wondered if she intended to kill him when he was unlucky enough to cross her. No, he thought morosely; she likely would kill now, no matter what. As far as he knew, his sin was unforgivable. A lesser man would retreat lest they face her wrath, but Naruto would stand firm. Well, for a bit, anyway.
With this thought in mind, Naruto unlocked his door and silently crept in. His eyes expertly darted about the room, looking for any silent threats. As far as he could tell, he should be fine. No traps, no genjutsu, and no murderous women. Now, Naruto was no fool and silently crept toward his room despite the apparent safety. Every step seemed to creak or thud or somehow attempt to give away his position. But with great skill, the blonde reached his bedroom door. He was so close! If he just got in, he could take a short nap before he had to get ready for the exam. Conveniently missing "her." He slowly opened the door a quarter, halfway, two thi-. He couldn't even finish the thought. A shape flew towards the blonde from the darkness of his own room. He couldn't react and closed his eyes, assuming a kunai or shuriken would soon end him. Instead, he felt a painful crash on his nose, the sound of breaking plastic alerting him he was hit by some brush. He stumbled back, trying to regain balance, but this was not an issue. A woman emerged from the shadows, dashing forward, grabbing Naruto's shirt, and casually lifting him. He flinched, knowing penance was coming shortly. He offered a short prayer to whoever was out there, knowing his time was soon.
"So… forgot to do the dishes, huh?" the shadows shifted, revealing her face; dark blue eyes met his light blue with vibrant red hair seemingly swirling around the woman. It was the reaper, death, the great dying, it was his… "I asked you to do them, you know?" Kushina said with a sweet, false smile.
It was his mother.
Naruto laughed meekly at his mother, knowing anything he said would likely not gel well with the angry mom. She frowned at this before sighing and letting him down.
"You're lucky I'm excited to hear the news, ya know? Well?! Did my boy pass?!" She asked excitedly. Naruto continued chuckling, still feeling a bit down.
"I did, but I have to pass the Remedial Exam." He said meekly.
"Ahhh, that makes sense; you still haven't got the clone jutsu." His mother remarked. "I thought maybe you could find a way around it, son, but you might be just like your mother." She said sweetly.
"What does that mean?" Naruto asked, unsure what she meant.
"Well, let's just say Uzumaki have problems performing jutsu like that. I thought you may be able to brute force it, but that was never realistic, I suppose. See, jutsu, like the clone jutsu, are low-intensive but require fine chakra control. But we have trouble with finer chakra control in cases of Shinobi like you and me with high chakra levels. It's like using a hose to fill a bottle cap; it simply overflows." She lectured. The blonde listened raptly; his mother was a Jounin; she knew her stuff.
"So what should I do?" Naruto asked, wracking his brain to find a solution. His mother chuckled as she made a hand sign Naruto had never seen before.
"We'll simply use a different kind of clone." As she said so, smoke popped beside her, a perfect clone of his mother. She had the same red hair, blue eyes, and apron for working at home.
"That isn't a normal clone." Naruto accused.
"You're right," Kushina playfully agreed, her clone mimicking her. "It's better." The clone then dashes forward and locks Naruto into a headlock. As the blonde struggled against the clone, Kushina opened a cabinet to her right. And nodded to the clone to dissipate. Naruto sighed, annoyed, but looked at the scroll with undeniable interest. Kushina smiled at his attention as she released the contents. First was a blade that Naruto had to restrain himself from grabbing. The sheath the blade was covered with was a simple black handle with red waves. He looked at his mother; she nodded, and the blonde picked it up. It was simple, even with the sheath. He slowly drew the blade, seeing a simple yet elegant steel blade nearly flawless except for the right side, where the kanji for Uzumaki was stamped upon it. Naruto marveled at the tanto. He had always considered getting himself a blade but had never pulled the trigger. Now he had one, and something about the blade made the blonde know it was a quality blade. He then sees that the scroll also has a note allowing him to learn the knowledge needed for the shadow clone jutsu.
"Thank you, ma, for the awesome tanto and jutsu!" He thanked her earnestly.
"No problem, son, it was mine when I became a shinobi. This blade represents my belief in you, ya know?" Kushina said, smiling.
"Can I name it?" Naruto asked excitedly.
"Actually, it's called the blade of whirlpools."
"So it came from our clan?" The blonde asked curiously.
"Yes, it's an Uzumaki tradition that they receive a blade on the day one becomes a ninja." His mom answered happily. Naruto stared at the blade intently. It was a cool sword. But more than that, it was a gift, a family tradition, his family's tradition. For the first time, he had an actual connection to his clan. To the extended family, he would never know.
His mother had recounted that they had been crushed in the Third Great Ninja War due to the Cloud, Mist, and Stone launching a joint conquest. Unfortunately, they were crushed. Meanwhile, the Uzumaki were well-defended, and the Shinobi were powerful against such a united front. They had never truly stood a chance. They desperately called the Leaf, but their allies were too late.
Naruto grabbed the note to escape the somber thought. On the note, it went over hand signs, chakra flow, the amount of chakra needed, and various tips and tricks to learn it. Unlike the standard clone jutsu, these were solid clones that could affect the world. Furthermore, it stated that this was great for espionage because he received the clones' memories.
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"But if I'm so bad at chakra control, wouldn't learning this be the same problem?" The blonde asked curiously.
"No, because this technique requires much more chakra. You may be able to do it even with your poor control." Kushina explained. "That being said, you are doubling your chakra control exercises, mister."
"Yes, mam!" Naruto said happily, attempting to rush off to start training.
"Naruto!" She yelled, stopping him in his tracks.
"Yes?"
"Dishes."
"Damnit."
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Naruto's POV (Uzumaki Residence Backyard - Hidden Leaf Village)
Naruto stood in his backyard, observing the mess he kept it in. There were targets throughout the field, peppered with shuriken, kunai, and chef knives. A training post stood in the center of the yard, wrapped in a rope that was frayed and obviously towards its end. There was also a small pond with a bench where Naruto would relax when stressed and meditate whenever his mother could convince him to do so. He scratched his head, wondering how to go about this. He only had a few hours before the exam but felt he needed to gain an edge over it. Naruto held up the note for the new technique and his new blade. It was likely that either would give him a significant tool in his arsenal, but he didn't have much time. The tanto was tempting, but Naruto already knew its basics and doubted it would improve his power in one day.
On the other hand, the shadow clones were flexible and would surely give him some much-needed offensive pressure. Naruto did consider if he could get a technique down in the short time he had, but, with a smile, he threw up his hands and activated his chakra. He could feel the energy as he finished the hand sign. It felt like there was a pull, and with a poof, smoke appeared next to him. Naruto tensed, waiting to see what he had been able to do on his first try. When it cleared, Naruto was lying on the ground with only one leg. He had a sickly sheen and merely groaned pitifully. Naruto felt a blush hit his cheeks as Kushina laughed from the back porch.
"You need a bit more chakra for it than that son." She called playfully. Naruto growled but did as suggested, making the hand sign and channel a bit more chakra… another poof, and this time, there was no show, merely a bang as Naruto flew back. He groaned as he crawled to his feet. "A bit less!"
Naruto merely deadpanned at her."This is gonna be hard, huh?" He asked dryly.
"Don't forget funny." Yep, no doubt the urge had struck her on this day.
The blonde walked back into his home some hours later. Covered in dirt and sweat but smiling brightly. Kushina looked at the boy, sighed, and tossed him a new outfit. Before she wordlessly pointed to the shower. Naruto, knowing better than to argue, did so. Taking time before the shower to examine his new attire. He had a new black headband. As well as an orange top worn over, it would be a thick black button-up jacket with orange buttons. Finished with orange utility pants and black sandals. It was less orange than he would usually like, but his mother bought it for him and clearly had compromised some with the orange. So once he was clean and refreshed, gear up. He glanced at the mirror and smirked at his reflection. He felt badass.
"NARUTO, IF YOU FAILED BECAUSE YOU WERE LATE YOU'LL PAY!" Kushina warned from outside his room.
Naruto frowned as he lost that feeling.
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Naruto's POV (Academy Training Field - Hidden Leaf Village)
Naruto approached the training field where the exam would be held. He saw the two others waiting. One was Choji, just as the portly man had told Naruto earlier; the other was someone Naruto did not recognize. He was doing upside-down push-ups, which allowed the blonde to come to grips with his look. He had a shining bowl cut perfectly trimmed with no imperfections, a green skin-tight jumpsuit, and orange leg and arm warmers. As Naruto got close, Choji spotted him and tapped the strange man, who flipped to see who had arrived. But the man only got a stranger with thick eyebrows that framed simple black eyes. Naruto needed to figure out what his deal was. But before Naruto could say hello, the strange man flashed forward at a speed that surprised the blonde before a nice guy posing dramatically.
"Why hello there, my name is Rock Lee." He said politely. "I'm assuming you also are here for the exam. From what Choji said, you sound most youthful. Come!" He yelled excitedly, "We're in the prime of our youth and shall conquer this exam!" Naruto smiled at his energy.
"Hell yeah, we're gonna kick ass," Naruto replied, throwing his arm around the bushy brow man.
"Yes, if we do not, I'll walk a thousand miles!" Lee said as he similarly threw his arm around the blonde.
"Believe it! I'll do it backward!" Naruto cheered in agreement. The positivity was somehow infectious.
"Yosh, that is youth~! We'll do it with only our hands." Lee said.
"Um," Naruto interjected but could not get through to the man who excitedly listed punishments he would endure. He leaned towards Choji with a whisper. "Is bushy brows ok?"
Choji laughed happily. "Pretty much; believe it or not, though, he is super reliable." Naruto admittedly felt some level of doubt, but he could use all the help he could get, so instead, he merely started to stretch. Choji chose to sit and eat chips, and Lee went back to upside-down push-ups at incredible speed. They waited for Mizuki for five minutes before the Chunin arrived geared in combat gear.
"Excellent, we're all here," Mizuki said with a significant smile. "Now, the exercise in question is rather simple." As he said, the three men before him steeled themselves. They couldn't be more different, yet they all had experienced failure before and had no intention of failing again. Naruto would not allow his dream to be slowed down! "All you need to do to become shinobi is defeat me," he said, his voice taking on a gleeful tone. "You may begin now."
Even without communication, the three men's brains came to the same conclusion. They were all close-range fighters and outnumbered him three to one. It was best to try to immediately overwhelm him. Lee dashed forward with great speed, Naruto trailing close behind and Choji a few paces behind both. As Lee drew within range, he fired off a high roundhouse that Mizuki blocked but failed to see Lee throw a body uppercut. This snaked through the Chunin's guard and made him stumble back with a grunt, but before he could gain any distance, Naruto appeared behind him, kicking him in the back and knocking him back toward Lee. Even unbalanced, Mizuki dodged a spinning back fist Lee fired and landed a vicious leg sweep. Mizuki intended to press the advantage, but once again, Naruto attacked from his blind side. Mizuki, trusting his instincts, caught the kunai aimed at his shoulder and attempted to throw the blonde. But Naruto sacrificed the kunai instead, jabbing Mizuki in the face. All three paused when they heard.
"DUCK!" Choji screamed. All three men didn't even look, just dropping low, a giant hand swinging over their heads. Before Lee and Naruto could recover, Mizuki punched Lee with an overhand and hit Naruto with a backkick. The two young men rolled with the blows, and Choji, with a yell, whipped his hand around, trying for a chop. But Muzuki merely smiled as he dashed forward and jumped, smashing his knee in Choji's face before he could react. Choji dropped to the ground, stunned, and as Mizuki fell, he prepared a crushing axe kick that would likely remove the chubby man from the fight. But he heard a yell coming closer.
"Dynamic Entry," Lee named as he crashed into the unguarded back of the Chunin, sending him flying into a tree with a nasty crash. Lee thought the fight was over and posed at the two other boys, proud to have caught Muzuki flat out. Choji and Naruto matched his smile. Deep down, they know realistically, Mizuki was done and likely had been holding back some. But they had controlled the fight reasonably well, and we're confident they could wear him down.
"Not bad, not bad at all," Mizuki growled. "Let's see how you like my A GAME!" He then flew through hand signs. Then called "Firestyle: Flare Blitz Barrage!" He then spat out a ridiculous amount of head-sized fireballs that flew out in a wide range and randomly. All three men froze for a moment. Surely, he knew this would be incredibly deadly, but they had no time to think. Lee quickly weaved around fireballs, loosening and removing his weights. He wasn't sure what Mizuki was thinking, but he intended to end this soon. Naruto dodged desperately before deciding to charge to end the barrage. But Choji in the back struggled to dodge the fast-moving attacks, being clipped by one and flying back from the power of flames. Seeing this, Lee dashed towards the Akimichi, hoping to help him extinguish the flames.
Naruto ducked under a fireball and jumped another. As he rises, he lets fly a barrage of shuriken up close. Mizuki laughs at this as he removes one of the fuma shurikens from his back, swinging it to deflect the attack. As Naruto lands, he draws the Blade of the Whirlpools and slashes. Mizuki blocks this as well and tries to overpower the blonde.
"What the hell are you doing? You're gonna hurt someone." Naruto said with a growl. As he leaned forward, matching Mizuki's might.
"Don't worry; the other two can live," Mizuki answered darkly. Naruto is shocked by this, and Mizuki, with sadistic glee, takes advantage. Dropping the fuma shuriken, Mizuki allowed Naruto to stumble forward as he drew a kunai. He thrust it into the blonde's shoulder, who rolled back to escape his grasp. Mizuki laughed and fired the fuma toward Naruto to finish him off. But Lee appeared in front, catching the shuriken and throwing it back. Mizuki charged as he ducked under the attack, but to his shock, one of the training posts planted into the ground flew toward him. His eyes whipped to where it was, and a Choji with bad burns stood with a giant hand extended from the throw. Mizuki felt the post connect with his legs, knocking them from under him and almost certainly shattering their bones. His feet flew behind him as he continued his forward path, now helpless.
"Mizuki!" He heard as he flew, and his eyes lazily flicked to the blonde who was now charging him, and he saw him preparing a punch from below the hip. It was sure to be a massive blow, but between pain and momentum, Mizuki was helpless as Naruto reared back, "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" The blonde screamed as he shifted his body weight, putting everything in his fist. He slammed into Chunin's face, hitting right below his right eye. Naruto felt the cracking of bone as his punch caused the Chunin's momentum to reverse and send him skidding across the ground. Naruto panted harshly as he stared. Lee and Choji approached him.
"I know it may sound unyouthful, but I believe Muzuki intended to hurt us," Lee said with a frown, seemingly seriously conflicted by this.
"I know what you mean. Mizuki was playing for keeps." Choji said, pain in his voice as he examined his left ribs where the burn was.
"He said he was gonna kill me," Naruto stated angrily.
"Oh, I will." All three boys tensed as Mizuki slowly and seemingly painfully stood up. He was bleeding from his mouth and nose. Though he stood, his legs shook. "I should've done this from the start. But how was I to guess you low scorers would be capable of this!" Mizuki monologues excitedly. "I had intended to maim you two and then kill Naruto, but since you want to play rough, you all can die!" As he said this, he pulled a syringe from his pouch on his hip and savagely stabbed into his own neck. "I had intended to use this to bust out of this pathetic village, but I suppose I'll start by killing you!" He suddenly stood up, ramrod straight, cackling wildly. The air seemed to swirl around him; the three could suddenly feel his chakra, and veins throughout his body pulsed violently, seemingly threatening to burst out his skin. There was silence as they wondered what he had just done.
He looked at them, smirking before blitzing the three and standing between them. Lee quickly attempted a spinning elbow; Naruto was a beat or two later but countered with a kunai thrust to his jugular. Mizuki chuckled as he caught both their blows and slammed them violently into each other headfirst. Then, whipping both into training posts. Choji, flinching due to the burn, stumbled back, but Muziki quickly stepped into his guard with an uppercut to his chin. Choji flew upwards, but Mizuki caught his foot, stopping his flight.
"You broke my legs." He said hatefully as he slammed Choji into the ground, nearly leaving the man buried in the rubble. He drew a kunai to finish him off before he heard several pops and was tackled by what must be twenty Naruto. He rolled through, stabbing two of the clones into nothing. Two more came from in front while four on each of his sides ran to surround him. The two in front came from high and low, unleashing dual-flying roundhouses. Mizuki smiled as he allowed both to hit, neither managing to damage him. He grabbed both and smashed them, destroying them. Two charged in from the left, and two more followed from the right, all wielding tanto. Mizuki growled at this. Naruto had never shown this before. He ducked under the thrust of one and blocked two more with his forearms. The blades cannot pierce deeply, his skin seemingly hardening since the injection. The fourth clone looked for a downward slash. Mizuki spun quickly, disarming the lot and drawing a blade as he did so, destroying the clones.
The four closest to him charged from his blind spot. Mizuki whipped around to kill them, but it had been a feint. The eight remaining clones in front instead launched a massive conjoined kick, sending Mizuki back into the remaining four, who attempted to hold him down while the rest ran forward with big slashes. Mizuki yelled angrily and managed to dispel the four simply by flexing. Charging the rest, he clotheslines two into another two, grabs two more by the faces, and slams them viscously into the ground. The last two stood guarded and defiant. "I'm gonna enjoy killing you, you monster!" Mizuki screamed as he charged the two.
"Any ideas on how we will do this, Bushy Brows?" Naruto asked as he summoned another twenty clones to surround them.
"Yes, keep him busy for just a moment. I have the most youthful technique that should work!" Lee answered as he stood, seemingly bracing for something. But Muzuki, laughing as he landed, stood before them confidently.
"Are you sure you wanna help that monster, Lee?" Mizuki asked with glee. "I don't think you know how much blood is on his hands." Lee froze for a second.
"I've never killed anyone, you ass!" Naruto countered.
"Well, of course, you did. You killed the fourth Hokage, after all. You even killed my family, didn't you nine tails!" Mizuki screamed manically. Lee looked back at Naruto, not quite believing it, but to his shock, Naruto looked panicked. Looking at Lee almost pleadingly. Lee didn't know what to say.
"Naruto?" Lee asked quietly.
"Naruto?" Lee again asked. Naruto wanted to respond, but he had dreaded this day for years. He was so shocked that when Mizuki charged the two, he froze. Luckily the clones seemed slightly less affected and met the Chunins' charge. As the Chunin slowly dispatched the clones, Lee stared at Naruto, who stared back. Naruto knew he should explain; Mizuki had made it sound much worse than it was. Naruto didn't choose this; he hated the monster within him. But technically, the man had spoken the truth; maybe Naruto really was responsib- "Naruto!" Lee said, his voice taking a surprisingly stern tone.
"Listen, Lee, it's not… l-"
"Are you my comrade Naruto?" Lee said calmly.
"What?"
"Are we comrades, friends, allies, fellow men in the prime of our youth?" Lee asked simply.
"Of course, Bushy Brows, but what is your point?" Naruto asked the confusion, managing to cut through his panic.
"Then nothing else matters. A youthful man judges a man not by the appearance of a man but by his actions. To discount another due to something they may not be able to control would be foolish. Not when you have shown me your youth so plainly. Let us youthfully defeat this treacherous man. The rest can be discussed later." Lee said, his teeth shining as if they were metal. Naruto couldn't help but match his smile. "Now, can you stall him for a bit? I can end this, but I need time to channel my chakra."
"Heh, screw stalling!" Naruto said as he wielded his tanto, grinning crudely. "I owe this loser for years of hate! I'm gonna kick his ass! Naruto then charged toward the Chunin, who had managed to dispel the last clones. As he turned his head, Naruto slammed his knee into Mizuki's face. The blow sent him stumbling back but didn't seem to be effective. Naruto followed, summoning clones, surprised that the ten he intended to summon merely came out as eight. Naruto's chakra was lower than he thought. The testing, training, and now this fight was waning on the jinchuriki's juice. But the blonde merely kept engaging. The clones and him drawing kunai and firing them on the off-balance Chunin. They hit yet once again do no real damage, simply annoying Mizuki. Who with a growl charged forward with a growl swinging in with a right hook. A clone leaped forward, catching the hook and pulling the arm back. Another blonde kicked him in the face while another swept his legs. Naruto smirked as he jumped into the air, another clone grabbing and spinning him before firing him at the down Mizuki.
"Naruto Hammer!" He called as he released a vicious kick as he landed, drilling Mizuki into the ground, causing the ground to crack and crumble. The blonde jumped back, shuffling himself into the eight clones to keep Mizuki on his toes. Mizuki leaped from his resting spot, immediately catching a clone and snapping his neck. He ignored a jab sent from one clone using a kunai to gut another. The clone tried to pull back his arm to fire off another attack, but Mizuki caught his hand and kicked him hard in the chest, dispelling it. A clone from behind tackled his legs, dropping him to his knees. In time for two clones to land, powerful kicks to his chin simultaneously. This sent Muzuki flying back, chuckling wildly, clearly unharmed. As he climbed to his feet, the remaining clones surrounded him and attacked quickly, slashing at him with their tantos but only causing superficial damage. The Chunin willingly tanked these, catching one every couple of seconds.
Naruto pulled back for a second, glancing at Lee, whose chakra was palpable but, based on his focused stance, wasn't ready. He sighed at this; Mizuki was ridiculously amped ever since the syringe. Most attacks simply didn't seem to faze him. Even blades would cut shallowly, but none of it was sticking. He'd probably need a damn bomb to keep him down. Not to mention his new freakish strength and speed. Naruto thought about his supplies, but none of them seemed helpful. Even with the shadow clones, Naruto was struggling to do anything. He needed power! Something that knocks this bastard into next week. A bomb, shadow clones, Naruto could feel his mind going into gear. When he had been training with shadow clones, he kept overloading them, leading to explosions. But he had made a stable overloaded one that worked usually but would explode when dispelled, and the boom had been massive. That was it! Naruto's grin appeared with a feral edge.
Naruto formed the shadow clone sign and charged his chakra, working overtime to form the explosive clone. The clone appeared to look mindless, but it worked. Naruto grabbed its hand and started spinning, noticing Mizuki was at the last clone.
"Hey, you damn sore loser!" Naruto called. Mizuki's eyes hatefully landed on the blonde. "Catch!" Naruto then launched the clone. Mizuki laughed as he caught the clone by the throat.
"Pathetic as always, monster!" Mizuki called with glee.
"Actually, that's just a set-up for my new technique!" Naruto stated confidently. Mizuki eyed the clone, realizing it was heavier. He may not know what the blonde planned, but it was likely something with the clone. He started to throw the clone, but it was too late. The blonde sealed the attack with a shout of "Shadow Clone: Walking Landmine Jutsu!" The clone exploded with a loud boom enveloping the area in smoke. Naruto sank to his knees, smiling happily.
But before he could even relax his muscles, Mizuki appeared before him. Unlike the other attacks, the blonde could tell this one had done damage. Mizuki's left arm was reduced to a charred stump. His body and face were burned on the left side. His entire body was covered in bruises. His legs bled through gashes and looked liable to collapse at any moment. Though Mizuki was seemingly unaffected by his state, slamming his foot into Naruto's chest and pinning him to the ground.
"You damn demon, I actually feel that pain!" Muzuki barked. "This makes no sense! This drug was supposed to make me superhuman! How did this happen?" He called brokenly before he started to stomp on Naruto's chest. "How? How? How?! HOW?" He screamed with each stomp.
Naruto needed to escape, but he was running on empty and couldn't breathe due to the harsh stomps. Mizuki must've landed eight before Naruto's vision started to dim. He needed to use his ace. He promised he wouldn't, but he couldn't die here! He wouldn't! Before Mizuki could land a killing blow or Naruto could activate his "ace," Lee appeared and quickly landed a massive overhand that sent the Chunin flying. As he stood, Lee appeared again, landing a high kick to his chin, sending Mizuki flying into the air. Lee smiled at Naruto.
"You were the most youthful I've seen, Naruto. We must spar after this!" Lee said casually before jumping into the air behind Muzuki, the bandages on his arm seemingly coming to life and wrapping around Mizuki. "I'm sorry to use this on you, Mizuki, but you leave me no choice! Youth always comes to an end." Lee said morosely. "Front Lotus!" They spun through the air, approaching the ground headfirst. Lee lets go of Mizuki, kicking him off to drill him into the ground while he rolls to bleed off the impact.
Naruto stares at the unorthodox but badass attack. He wonders if somehow Mizuki survived that. Once the dust cleared, Mizuki seemed partially buried in the ground, with only his feet sticking up. Naruto smiles wildly while looking at Lee. The green-clothed man merely gave him a thumbs up as he pants harshly.
"You two ok?" A pained voice calls out. They both look back and see a bruised and burned Choji, who had managed to unburden himself. He looked worse for the wear but alive. "Woah, you guys actually took him out?!" Choji asked, shocked.
"Yosh! He was a powerful and nefarious opponent, but using beautiful you-". '
"We kicked his ass!" Naruto interrupted. Lee frowned at this, thinking seriously.
"Less youthful but also accurate." He surmised. The other two boys looked at him perplexed before the three all started laughing, resting on the ground.
"Naruto!"
"Choji! Lee!"
Voices called out in the distance, one belonging to a man and another to a woman. The two landed in the clearing showing it to be Kushina and Iruka. Both are dressed and geared for battle. Kushina looked around quickly before spotting Naruto and attacking him with motherly worry. The two went from loving to bickering quickly as Naruto resisted the inevitable motherly smothering. Iruka approached Lee and Choji, smiling at the scene for Naruto.
"Soo, while momma's boy is busy," Iruka stated teasingly.
"Fuck you!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Iruka nodded as Kushina chased Naruto around, seemingly both having forgotten about his injuries.
"So Kushina and I had been suspicious of Muzuki due to his obvious dislike of the blonde yet insistence on being the proctor for this. Based on your injuries, he attacked you first?" Iruka asked patiently.
"Yeah, it was crazy! He almost burned me to death!" Choji called
"Indeed, he was most treacherous. He had tried to take many chances to kill Naruto, Choji, and me. Most troubling, I had thought Mizuki was on the side of youth." Lee continued. Iruka looked at them quizzically. Mizuki was no slouch, but he had been around Iruka's level. And Iruka had no doubt if he thought these three on his own, they would almost certainly be able to defeat him with little difficulty, so it was odd Mizuki had seemed to push them so far.
"He caught you off guard?" He asked.
"Well yeah!" Choji started, "We were surprised he was going lethal, then when we got an edge, he injected himself with something."
"Whatever it was, it was powerful. Before, even with my weights, I was faster than Mizuki, but after, he was faster than me without them." Lee added
"Believe it! He also became a tank!" Naruto added, being thrown back to the group locked up in chains. "Also, can you let me out of these?"
"No," Kushina answered, "we should check him to see if we can find more of this substance or evidence of it." She said her tone was all business now.
"I'm afraid I'll take the body and its belongings with me." A voice called from somewhere in the trees surrounding the training ground. "Sorry if that's upsetting, but I must insist."
Kushina drew a katana from a scroll and stood before the worn-out young men. On the other hand, Iruka jumped to Mizuki's corpse and started to weave hand signs. But the emerging figure kicked him in the face before he could activate whatever jutsu he had in mind. Sliding back to the group, they all checked out the new threat. He wore a Red cloak covering his body and head and a red mask covering the lower half of his face. Allowing vision of his red hair in a ponytail and his strange eyes. They seemingly were empty except for a kanji for seal in one eye and release in another. "I really must insist again." He said. "My name is of no importance to you. Not yet, anyway, but you may call me Ikam for now. See, Mizuki, here was a test of mine, but I can't afford for you to go learning my secrets now. So I'll make it easy for all of us and remove choice from the matter." He quickly grabbed a scroll from his cloak and sealed Mizuki's body before Iruka or Kushina could react. He held up the scroll smiling. But had to duck a katana thrust for his neck.
"You are trespassing in the Hidden Leaf Village, assisting a defector, and assaulting a shinobi. We will bring you in for questioning if you come willingly. But if you resist in any way, we'll kill you now." Iruka said now behind Ikam.
"Honestly, for hurting my son, I really want you to resist." Kushina said darkly, shifting her katana under the crouched man's chin.
"I see the Leaf still are mouthy savages," Ikam said, bored. "You may stand in my way if you wish; it will change little!" As he said this, he leaped up quickly. Kushina, with a glace and a tiger sign, allows red chains to fly from her body toward Ikam,
"Adamantite Chains: Crushing Embrace!" Kushina calls, attempting to end this fight quickly.
Ikam merely smirks. "Seal." He said, simply making the chains disappear suddenly. The Kanji in his left eye glowed with power. Once they right also glowed, he whispered. "And, release!" The chains suddenly reappeared, seemingly twice as sizable, slamming toward the group. As they approach, Iruka throws tagged kunai in a circle around them and chains hand signs.
"Barrier Method Formation!" Iruka calls as a circular blue barrier surrounds the group. The giant chains hit, cracking it severely but bounce off and dissipate. Iruka pants heavily before passing out, the technique seemingly taking a lot out of him. Kushina looked around, but it seemed Ikam had used the opportunity to escape. Kushina sighed at this as she reached into a pouch and popped off a medical emergency flare. She looks at the state of the group and relaxes slightly. She didn't say anything, but the man who had taken Mizuki must be absurdly strong enough to counter her chains quickly and produce a similar attack on a different level. It was hard to say if she would have beaten him, and earnestly she doubted she could have. It is times like this when she truly misses Minato. She looked at the exhausted Naruto and smiled. For now, she would guard him and put her faith in him.
"So," Naruto stated awkwardly, "we passed, right?"
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Naruto's POV (Academy - Hidden Leaf Village - Next Day)
Help had arrived quickly and saw to the aid of the group's men on the spot. Kushina was the only one who wasn't injured. Iruka had gone to give a detailed report for the night's events. Choji and Lee had both gone home to get some rest for the team scheduling tomorrow. Kushina had decided Naruto deserved ramen tonight. Something he had agreed to wholeheartedly and had gorged himself appropriately. Leading to a fitting food coma for the night.
Naruto wished he had the chance to talk to Lee more about the nine tails but to be frank, he preferred to not think of the giant fox in his stomach that had murdered many in his home village and apparently even his mystery father. He had learned to use some of the beast's chakra as he had been informed by Hiruzen himself that it would be necessary, possibly very soon... He was able to use some of its power. Power being the defining word.
Yet Naruto hated being one with a being that took his father as such he considered it his ace. A final resort to be used in hopeless situations. Last night had almost certainly counted as one. Mizuki had become incredibly strong; luckily, Naruto had good backup and didn't have to suffer using the beast's foul chakra. But it was close. Worse yet, Mizuki was only a Chunin and not an active field one. He may have been boosted by a drug, but if Naruto intended to keep his secret, he'd need to get stronger. Though he would most likely tell his team, a risk but a necessary one if they were expected to be comrades for their careers. It made him nervous. But he wouldn't let it get him down!
Naruto was on cloud nine, after all. The three boys for taking down a traitor had all been passed! Furthermore, Naruto was sure that Lee and Choji were fast-growing friends of the blonde; the time they spent being healed was full of joking and chit-chat. In his academy class, he wasn't hated but almost exclusively hung out with Shikamaru. The blonde reminded himself it was great, but having more friends would be awesome. Naruto chuckles to himself with his eyes close as he rounds the corner, only to smack into someone hard, knocking them both down to the ground.
"My bad!" Naruto apologized as he saw he knocked down another man. He had long spiky black hair with matching, intense black eyes. He wore a black high-collared shirt that was tucked into white combat pants.
"Stay out of my way, dobe." He said as he climbed to his feet and tried to walk by the blonde. But Naruto angrily grabbed him.
"Hey, you bumped into me too! Why are you acting so rude, huh."
"I'm a Uchiha; you are some kinda mutt," Sasuke says simply. Looking as if he was perplexed, the blonde didn't get it.
"Well, I'm gonna be Hokage, so why would I give a damn." The blonde said spitefully.
"Hmph, perhaps I'll show you your place right now." The Uchiha said as he tensed. Naruto saw this reaction and prepared to show this guy a thing or two.
"Sasuke!" a cacophony of female voices called. Uchiha's eyes widened as he suddenly whipped his hand free.
"Tch, your lucky loser!" Uchiha said before suddenly sprinting away. Naruto went to chase but dodged a crowd of females chasing after the Uchiha. Naruto sat on the ground, utterly lost. Before Ino and another turned the corner and saw him on the ground.
"Naruto?" Ino asked as she helped him off the ground. "Gotta learn to avoid the fan girl charge. Sasuke is pretty dreamy, but I swear they have no shame."
"It is pretty embarrassing. How can fangirls like that call themselves Kunochi?" The other woman asked. Naruto looked at her. She was his height with bright pink short hair that worked well with her green eyes. She wore a sleeveless red qipao dress that reached her upper thighs; under this, she wore black tights, elbow and knee pads, and leather gloves. "Oh, that's rude of me. My name is Sakura," she said with a smile. Naruto popped a big smile back.
"No worries, I'm not one for that stuff anyway."
"Obviously," Ino said with a roll of her eyes. "Anyway, I heard you passed. Congratulations, if you'll excuse us we gotta try and get a seat near him."
"I thought you two hate fangirls?" Naruto asked.
"Yep, it's all about being a powerful kunoichi and winning the hot boy." Ino said with a wink.
"Ignore her." Sakura said dryly as she dragged Ino towards the meeting place. "Something's wrong with her. Naruto watched the two leave and relaxed in the hall. He wanted to talk to Shikamaru before the teams were picked and knew he would be running late. He heard them before he saw them. Well heard Choji's chips anyway.
He ran to the two, all smiles, and three walked to class, simply chit-chatting. As they walked in, he saw about thirty students. These were all graduates from various classes of the academy. Shikamaru and him were the only ones from their class. As he scanned, he saw Sasuke in the corner with a group of girls, seemingly fighting for his attention. Naruto snickered at this as he walked with the boys to some open seats in the center. On the opposite side, other girls were crowding some guy with long hair. Toward the front, Ino, Sakura, and two other girls were chatting animatedly. Naruto then glanced at where they were sitting. Lee and Kiba were both to his left, engaging in a desperate arm struggle that Lee seemed sure to win. A third boy Naruto didn't recognize in a hoodie and sunglasses was referring to an absurdly severe degree. Shikamaru was awake, knowing the teams would be announced soon. But looked to be longing for some sleep. Choji seemed happy to wait while snacking on a candy bar.
Naruto pondered about who he would want on his team. Shikamaru was probably the most significant want. They got along well and knew what they could do. Plus, Shikamaru was stupidly brilliant and would likely be helpful. But he wouldn't mind Choji, Lee, or Kiba. They may be new to him, but they seemed like solid guys. He had no strong thoughts about having women on his team; it'd probably be excellent. He would be pissed if Sasuke or some severe other asshole with a chip on their shoulder. That would be a damn disaster!
As this thought finished, Iruka walked into the class with a grand smile. "Students, you have studied in this building for six years. You came as young and ignorant children. And now you stand before us adults. Trained professionals looking to begin your shinobi career. Your rank is genin. But I have no doubt you all will not be resting at this rank. I am so incredibly proud of this class. You are the first of a new generation. You represent the hopes and dreams of the future. Now as genin, you are assigned a genin squad with a Jounin leader. These teams are not up for debates or complaints. Please understand this was not random; these teams considered and matched your unique skills. Even if you are unsure of the arrangement, handle it with patience and professionalism. You will see the wisdom in time. Now I will read off teams!" Iruka said. Naruto was so excited he didn't even hear the first five; luckily, his attention flicked back on the sixth team.
"Team Six will be: Sasuke Uchiha, Kabuto Yakushi, and Hinata Hyuga! Their sensei will be Shisui Uchiha!"
"Team Seven will be: Naruto Uzumaki, Ino Yamanaka, and Neji Hyuga! Their sensei will be Kakashi Hatake!"
"Team Eight will be: Shikamaru Nara, Tenten of the Leaf, and Sai of the Leaf!" Their sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi!"
"Team Nine will be: Shino Aburame, Choji Akimichi, and Yuno Uchiha! Their sensei will be Kurenai Yuhi!"
"Team Ten will be: Kiba Inuzuka, Sakura Haruno, and Rock Lee! Their sensei will be Might Guy!"