A.N: This is a story spin-off story of How Naruto should have end. For those who didn't read that story, I'll suggest to read it 1st. If you don't, I did repeat some element of this story in it, so you know what to expect from the 1st chapter. This one will have action scene in it latter on. Like the original story, it is tag Naruto and Sakura, so if you don't like the couple, just don't read it.
The challenge for me compare to the other story, where I just tried to fill the hole of the manga, is to create fight scene and inspire myself from the manga world to have new rivals and character in the long shot.
This story come to an idea I had back when I wanted a part 3 ( after the whole Akatsuki story is over), the run that will make Naruto grow closer to a Kage. Again, English is a 2nd language, so I'm sorry for the grammatical or syntax error. My story is tag NS so if you're not fan of this pairing, just don't read.
The Jonin Exam
Chapter 1: Their training
It was a beautiful day in the Leaf village. The village reconstruction was going well. It's been a month since the end of the war and those were quite time in the village. However, that doesn't mean that this was the time to slack off. The ninja still has mission to perform and needed time to train. Right now, two of the best shinobi of this village, Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno were aiming to successfully pass the Jonin exam . For that purpose, they decide to train for 2 years with their sensei and now the new Hokage of the leaf, Kakashi Hatake.
Their were both waiting right now at the usual training, because well, bad habit die hard.
"It's already been 15 minutes What is Kakashi sensei doing?" asked Sakura
" I don't know, he made me do all is paperwork last night, he said it was part of a Hokage training. I expected him to at least be on time today." answered Naruto
"Well I wonder what kind of excuse he'll try to use this time?"
Then, Kakashi appear out of the blue.
" Yo"
"YOU'RE LATE", both of his students exclaimed.
"Sorry guys, I was doing paperwork at the office, you know how long it is."
"You made me do it last night? It was so long than when I get home, I just flat out fall asleep when my head hit the pillow"
"Oh, yeah well, I remember that, after I reread it to be sure. You did a great work, I didn't change a thing. Anyway, you know what they said, better late than never right!" he said with what can only be assume to be a smile under his mask.
The couple just gave him a glare as an answer.
"Anyway, I hope that this 2nd training lesson goes better than the last one, especially for me".
"Don't tell me you plan on insulting us like Sai did, just to make a point?" exclaimed the pinkette
"Don't worry Sakura, I don't need to do that, Sai already made that point last week. You did well on healing him. But he still has a point."
"That we suck at long range, we get it. So teach us some awesome long range ninjutsu so we can defend ourselves." The blonde stated with star in his eyes.
"Well, today lesson will be about ninjutsu. However, it'll be more theoretical than practical, however, I will show you after something to practice, the both of you. But in order to do so, I need to explain to you all about ninjutsu. So you can both sit down and let's begin. Naruto do you know why we use hand-sign".
"That's an easy one Kakashi-sensei, we use it to be able to use a jutsu".
"Yeah, but why using hand-sign on some jutsu and sometime not? For example, why Sasuke use to make hand-sign before using Chidori and now he doesn't have too."
"... Because it's too long, but to be honestly sensei I have no clue".
"What about you Sakura?"
"I know hand-sign help to build up the chakra, but as for why Sasuke doesn't even use it for Chidori, I don't really know either."
"You both have an incomplete answer but it's normal, this wasn't something they tell you at the academy and since your technique doesn't require a lot of hand-sign, well you can't really figure it out on your own. So here's the explanation. As you all know, there is 5 elemental ninjutsu, fire, wind, lightning, earth and water. Everyone as a natural affinity for one or the other. To use an elemental ninjutsu, you need to harness that chakra nature. The hand-sign are the way to help focusing your nature change.
When Sasuke was 12, he was trying to master a 2nd chakra nature. He did it quite fast but with his chakra level and mastery, he could only do it twice a day without risk. During that 3 years with Orochimaru, he grew up so his chakra reserve but mostly he work on mastering that chakra more natural you are with an element, the more fast you do your hand-sign and the less you needed as well. Some jutsu however must use hand-signs. The bigger a jutsu is, the more hand-sign he might require because it will need more elemental chakra. But there is some exception."
"How so?" asked an attentive Naruto
"Well, remember the tape on the fight between Sasuke and Itachi?"
"Yeah, the one Anko and her team found in one of the remaining Akatsuki base."
"Exactly, you see that Kirin jutsu, Sasuke didn't have any chakra when he did it."
"Then how he did it," asked Sakura.
"The fireball were the key on how his chakra were in the cloud, but it was mostly his lightning mastery that help him pull it off. When you master an element, you can use your chakra to use that same element in your jutsu. Your chakra is use just to shape the element into a jutsu. Water, wind and earth can be found quite easily in nature and are more easy to use that way, unlike fire and lightning that you cannot naturally touched."
"Is it possible to be able to touch fire? If so, wouldn't you be immune to fire ninjutsu?" asked the pinkette
"The only way I can think of is to have a total mastery of this element like The Hozuki brother got with water, they essentially become their element. No water jutsu will work on them and if you face them in a place where there is basically a water supply, well let's just say you're in trouble."
"Well Kakashi-sensei, it sounds awesome, but if it's possible to become an element, why there is almost no one that tried?" asked a curious Naruto.
"Well two things. First, it might take you a lifetime. Secondly and most importantly, becoming an element give you obvious flaws. Suigetsu can't go in a desert or in too cold place. Water is weak against Earth jutsu but by becoming it, one lightning jutsu or infuse lightning weapon hit him and the fight is over. Every jutsu as a weakness or a backlash and you need to think about that as well. Anyway, that's the big explanation I have to give you on ninjutsu , any question thus far."
The couple look to each other and Naruto then answer: "Nah, we're good."
"Good then Naruto, I will show you the only wind jutsu I know, it's a defensive one if your surround by foe or weapon."
Kakashi then proceed to make a few hand-signs before saying : « Wind style : Rising dragon». While rising his right hand in the air. A wind typhoon envelop him, fully protecting him.
"That jutsu is quite good. The flaw however is that the defensive power is as strong as the wind user. Wind is my weak element, that's why you don't see me using it very often. I'll show you the hand-sign while Sakura will infuse this piece of paper with her chakra."
"Time to find out what nature you've got, Sakura-chan."
"Yes I wonder what I've got?"
"Only one way to find out, the teacher said while Kakashi give the chakra paper to Sakura."
After that he begin to show the hand-sign slowly to Naruto. Then Sakura exclaimed.
"The paper is wet, that means I've got a water nature right?" .
"Someone look happy." observe the kage
"Well, she did say that she wanted to have either water or earth style ninjutsu on our way here, I'm glad you've got what you want Sakura-chan. Seeing you smile like this make my day".
"Thank you Naruto", she said while blushing.
"That is great, I know quite a few water ninjutsu. We will begin your water mastery training before I teach you some jutsu. Naruto practice with the hand-sign I show you until you get that jutsu down. Tell me how many time you can do it until you get tired, that should give us quite an estimate. Then Sai will take care of the rest of your wind training."
"Why Sai, is it a wind user?"
"No but he might have more knowledge to share with you than me. Then after you master enough your wind training, we'll start working on your father jutsu. Sakura need me more than you since she's basically start on ninjutsu plus I have to give her genjutsu lessons. If you need any help or want to keep update on her training, you just have to come and see us. Seeing the rate you've got, I give you 4 month to be able to use ninjutsu and you have like 20 months to figure your father jutsu."
"Well, cut it to 8 months, I'll talk with Sakura and I will go train to mount Myobuku during the next year, I need to work on something to perfect my sage mode."
"While he is away, I'll go to the forest where Katsuyu live, so I can train to develop my own sage mode" added Sakura.
"We'll comeback 3 months before the exam to practice our teamwork and catch up, dating, kissing Sakura-Chan."
"NARUTO", exclaimed the girl while punching playfully his shoulder.
"What 9 months without you be kind of hard. Probably hardest thing to do on a training trip, we'll have to catch up plus I didn't go into detail this time."
"I know and though I feel like that too, it's sweet of you but embarrassing at the same time."
She decide to tease him after this, got a little closer to his ear and said something that only Naruto could hear, but his face got crimson red.
"Okay you too. Time to get to work, Tsunade agree to fill for me for a while so I can train you, let's make the most of it."
"Aye sensei". both student answered.
And thus their training begin.
Next time it's gonna be 2 sub chapters, showing more detail about Naruto and Sakura training.