AN: I just wanted to point out that this is my first attempt at any fanfic writing, though I'm an avid reader. As such I'm looking for beta's and positive criticism from all on both my story and writing style. Please review and let me know what you think~Jester
"A ninja's life is said to be one of deception, duty, and discipline; skills and abilities gained through hard work and wrought from sweat, blood, and tears leading to a well developed tool for a governing body to utilize"-Abata Tetsujin. Founder of the Abata clan.
A young blonde sat in a bush unmoving, his breath controlled despite the need to pant in the heat of the summer; sweat dripping from his brow from the exertion of remaining still in the stagnant warmth of the season. Though in the shade, the youth was still garbed in all black, soaking up the heat and holding in the uncomfortable temperature of the leaf villages weather. Controlled movements tensed and relaxed the youths limbs and muscles as he staved off the cramps associated with sitting still for a prolonged period, only his determination to shake his pursuers gave him the will to continue his game of cat and mouse. Cerulean eyes peered through the brush in concentration, seeking out any hint of motion that would betray the positions of the others.
'Hmm at least three out there, but I don't see Kai anywhere...' the youth thought to himself as he gazed at his surroundings through the slight gap in the brush. A soft smirk played across his lips as he wonders if he'd managed to give Kai the slip for once.
A soft snap was heard behind him alerted the young blonde to the presence of someone within his hiding spot. Turning his head slightly, so that he could turn his vision behind him without causing the brush to rustle, intense blue eyes lock onto light purple ones; he'd been caught.
"Shit" was all that could be heard as the youth dashed from the bush he'd been hiding in, the other hot on his trail. Two figures garbed in black darted from bush to bush, the sound of steel striking steel echoing every few seconds.
Naruto jumped over the bush before him, flipping in the air as he brought his short sword up to deflect the incoming kunai his pursuer was launching at him. Landing in a backwards roll Naruto regained his footing only to find the other male directly before him with a kunai in each hand.
Each was dressed in much the same manner, a soft looking black material that seemed to absorb the light encased both, shielding them from the harsh sun-rays. Long sleeves tucked into matching gloves, bound at the wrist to allow maximum movement without allowing any excess material to snag upon the brush they darted through. Atramentous shirt was tucked into similarly made trousers which tucked into soft black boots with padded soles; the attire was made specifically for speed and stealth. Only the eyes and a single lock of blonde hair escaping the face wrap of the blue-eyed shinobi marked a noticeable difference between the two.
Light purple eyes met blue as the two shinobi froze across from each other, not a single movement made. "Tag, you're it" Shouted the violet eyes youth as a sudden burst of sound erupted from the blonde youth's back; encasing Naruto in a shroud of smoke.
Coughing loudly the blond youth staggered from the smoke with an annoyed look passing across his eyes, black veiled fingers moving to pull the wrap from across his face as he pointed rather violently at the other. "You had that tag on me the whole time, didn't you!" Whisker marked face shifted into a grimace of irritation, mouth pursing as his eyes narrowed. "Why the hell did you bother chasing me if you'd already got me, Kai?"
The violet eyes youth pulled his own mask from his face as he smirked at Naruto openly. Shaking with his own amusement, the young shinobi named Kai, retorted in a mirthful tone. "Why not? It's more fun that way, besides I need to enjoy these moments when I can find them, you're getting better. I actually had to try to find you this time, and it took me a full twenty minutes to manage to sneak up behind you."
Naruto grinned as he accepted the praise from his friend. "Yeah, well if you hadn't hit that twig I set up for you, then I wouldn't have known you were there." Sighing loudly, Naruto shrugged his shoulders as he turned to the others in their game. "I got caught guys, game over for now."
Kai punched Naruto in the shoulder playfully as he walked by. "Just remember you're it next time. Bring your A-game cuz I'm not gonna sit in a tree for half a day again waiting for your sorry ass to find someone again."
The two laughed as they made their way to the large estate just over a mile away, joined by several others dressed much the same as the two boys. "Yeah yeah yeah. It's not my fault you ass, I'm new to Ninja-Tag."
Kai shook his head lightly at Naruto as he replied. "I still don't know how you manage to get caught in a game of Ninja-Tag, but you can sneak into the Gilded Swan and lace the councils food with ipecac...It's like you're a prankster idiot-savant."
"Yeah well it's easier to hide in the city; more crap to hide behind and more alleyways; I'm not used to all this open space to run through, makes losing people way harder...and besides, you have to admit, that was funnier than hell. One day I'll teach those assholes to stop messing with me." The blonde youth commented amused. He had to admit he sucked at hiding in the woods, but Konoha was his playground. "Just so you know though, that wasn't easy. I had to hide in the duct work for hours just to find out which orders went to which council member. I didn't want to get the shinobi clan heads with the civilians. I'm not one hundred percent, but I think the Akimichi'd notice the food didn't taste right and blow my cover."
Kai paused for a moment as he thought about it, while he knew that Naruto had friends who's parents were on the council he hadn't considered Choji's dad noticing the change in flavor; if anyone would, it would be an Akimichi. "I hadn't thought about that... anyway we better hurry up and get dressed for dinner or mom's gonna kill us. I told you we didn't have time for a quick game of Ninja-Tag."
Nodding in agreement Naruto followed Kai as the two hastily made their way to the mens' showers in the Abata complex. Showering quickly, the two youths changed into their casual attire for dinner.
Naruto now wore a pair of dark gray cargo pants tucked into a pair of matching boots; the pockets stuffed with an assortment of gear for general prankster and ninja usage alike. A dark burnt-orange shirt with a black swirl upon the black was tucked into the gray pants, adding a bit of flare to what could be a drab outfit.
Kai chose simply to wear a pair of plain black trousers with a gray T-shirt that was left with the hem hiding the leaf-insignia belt he wore. The youth's hair was swept back into a loose pony tail as he wrapped a band around the difficult locks. Leaning down as he spoke, Kaisui clasped the matte black metal bands across his boots. "I still don't know why you feel the need to wear that shirt, I swear you just like orange."
Stretching as he yawned, Naruto absently glanced at the mentioned garment before cocking a brow. "You do realize that besides the fact that animals can't see orange, this color blends in with the leaves during fall really well...That and I gotsta have spiffy threads. I know a shinobi is supposed to blend in, but there's no reason I can't blend in style." Chuckling lightly as he smacked Kai on the shoulder he motioned for them to get going. "Now c'mon let's head to dinner before your mom decides to flip out for us being late." Kai could only nod in agreement as they all but ran down the hallway to get to the dinning hall.
Pausing at the large ornate doors, Naruto reached out with a barely hidden wince to push lightly on the heavy wood. As the portal opened the two young men saw that the hall was already filling up with the other members of the Abata clan.
The room was equally as ornate as the doors, a vaulted ceiling with sconces set into the numerous support struts that had been carved and shaped to look like waves of water swaying and crashing in the ocean; soft blue flames flickering from the lamps and adding an almost surreal light to the artfully crafted beams. Stone flooring with alternating tiles of blues and greens wove across the flooring, adding to the oceanic motif of the room. Several large tables broke up the interior of the hall with each table seating the clans members with no apparent order; aside from a single raised platform at the back of the hall upon which a single table sat by itself, set aside for the clan head and immediate family.
Kaisui and Naruto quickly made their way to said raised platform and scaled the short set of steps beneath the disapproving view of a single middle aged female. Three males sat around the table already, silently laughing at the misfortune of the two youths. Kai and Naruto bowed lightly to Kai's mom before taking their place next to Kai's two brothers and uncle.
Naruto shrank in on himself slightly at the unveiled glare from Kai's mother, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that he may have been the reason they were late.
Kai simply shrugged and cut his mother off before she could begin her tirade. "Sorry we're late mom, Naruto wanted to play a quick game of Ninja-Tag and it took me a lot longer to find him than I thought it would. He's gotten so much better than when he first came here from the orphanage." The young male spoke hastily as he covered his hesitation with a false-sense of confidence in his actions.
Naruto shot Kai a dirty look for casting the blame on him as Kai's mother turned her gaze to the young blonde. "Asshat" Naruto muttered under his breath so only Kai could hear."
Mihane's glare softened as she gazed upon the blonde, lips twitching upwards in a small smile as she heard of Naruto's progress. "I'm glad to hear you're not only learning Naruto-chan, but excelling under Kaisui's questionable influences. Though I'm not sure it's a good thing you seem to be picking up his tardiness." Mihane spoke softly, pausing to glare briefly at her son before she simply let the matter drop. "So how are you two doing in the academy? Do you think you'll be ready for the exams this year? Kai, I know you held off last year to wait for Naruto to catch up, but you're the heir to the Abata clan...I'm not sure I can let you do so again without looking weak to the other clans."
Naruto sweat dropped as Kai's diversionary tactic seemed to succeed in averting the chewing out he thought they were going to receive. Shrugging lightly Naruto responded as he absently nodded to the servant that had approached to fill his plate. "Honestly if you and Kakeru-sama hadn't pulled clan rank to get me transferred to Kai's class I would say no...but with Kai already having learned what he needed at the academy and helping me with tutoring and training...and Kakeru-sama beating taijutsu into me" The elder of the other males laughed softly at the description of his lessons with Naruto. "I think I may actually be ready for the exams right now. Given that I have another three weeks before I actually have to take them...I'm pretty sure I'll be a ninja this month!" Naruto finished excitedly, grinning cheekily at Kakeru.
Kakeru broke into the conversation at this point, laughing lightly at Naruto as he spoke. "In all honesty Gaki I'd say you were good to go a few months ago, but he council has the examiners actually holding you to higher standards. If it weren't for the fact that we've declared you an adopted Abata I'd say they might go so far to sabotage you. As it is, the best they can do is grade your performance harshly in hopes to try and hold you back...I'm not training you to pass an exam, I'm training you to be a ninja." Kakeru paused for a moment as he spoke to bite into the steak before him, chewing quickly and swallowing before he continued. "As it stands now you're good enough that they won't be able to hold you back. You'll be a shinobi in a month, I'd bet the Abata clan's bank account on that." A grin plastered across his lips. "Better still, once you're a shinobi, the civilian council won't be able to do anything about the ipecac incident either."
Naruto's eyes widened slightly as he stuttered out. "W-what are y-you talking ab-bout Kakeru-sama?" Cerulean eyes glanced around nervously, hoping he wasn't going to get into trouble for his pranking. Gaze paused on Kai to see if his friend had given him away; though Kai's features showed just as much confusion as Naruto felt at Kakeru knowing who had laced the council's food.
Kakeru just laughed as Naruto tried to play it off, and failed to do so convincingly. "Boy, I know it was you; it's got your brand of crazy-messed up all over it. They think you did it too, but they have no proof, so don't worry...unless you don't pass your exam...then a little birdy might let it slip that he heard you admitting to the act." Dark brows rose mockingly as the older male feigned innocence. The threat wasn't lost on the youth as Naruto began to sweat at the implications.
Mihane hid a smile behind her tea cup as Kakeru's antics, knowing the incentive was unnecessary but useful for Naruto to try his hardest at the exam.
"You wouldn't!" Kai declared accusingly.
Kakeru merely smiled as he began to focus on the plate of food before him, hiding his amusement behind chewing.
The weeks passed with Naruto throwing himself into his training with a reckless abandon; going to sleep each night covered with dark blue splotches from his 'training' with Kakeru.
The sun rose over the quiet village, casting soft pinkish color across the brightly colored rooftops and walls of hardened stone and plaster. Few civilians were up so the streets were sparsely populated, the silence of a sleeping village broken only by the soft chirping of birds and other wildlife.
"SHIT! I'm gonna be late. Not good, not good, not good at all" Shouted Naruto as he ran along roof tops, using the zip-lines installed across the village roofs for training genin to use as they traveled cross-town. A blur of burnt-orange and gray left from roof tops only to precariously bound off of a wire connecting roofs as it sped to the heart of the village.
A young chunin stood before a class full of hopeful students as he called roll. "Sasuke Uchia." "Hnn" A rather disgruntled young male muttered from the back of the classroom; posture belaying his boredom and subtle arrogance in his demeanor. The soft chatter of the children talking amongst themselves could be heard as Iruka spoke loudly enough to be heard.
The sound of pounding footsteps could be heard approaching from down the hall, followed shortly by the door to the classroom being thrown open violently as a young male stormed into the room out of breath. "I'm... here...Iruka-sensei..." Huffed Naruto in between gasps of air.
Annoyance crossed Iruka's face as he motioned for the youth to take a seat, marking him present. "Naruto, sit down, and try not to be a distraction... at least you made it on time for me to count you present. You'll take the exam." Iruka smiled slightly as he continued with the roll-call.
Upon finishing his roll and finding everyone present the chunin teacher began to go over the rules of the exam. "Okay, so for those of you that are taking this exam for the first time, I'll cover the rules of the exam as well as the expectations. First of all the exam is split up into three parts; Knowledge, practical knowledge, and a practical examination of necessary shinobi skills. The first part is broken up into several sections and is given as a written exam. You will be answering questions on various topics. Basic history, chakra fundamentals, jutsu fundamentals, village protocols, weapon knowledge, and basic knowledge about key villages from other nations." Iruka paused for a moment as he waited for the depth of the examination to sink into the hopeful genin-to-be before him. "Some of you may wonder why we bother with a written exam at all, and I will give you the answer. Knowledge is necessary tool for all shinobi. Konoha requires all genin to know at least the fundamentals in each of these categories so you won't be ignorant in the field. The requirements are set by a council of jounin and chunin; so take this seriously. This knowledge may save you one day.
Now, the second part of the test will be a practical theory test where you show us how you would construct a trap, where you would set up and ambush, and a general knowledge of basic medic skills and other skills deemed necessary for all shinobi to possess. You'll be graded on a fundamental knowledge base, so don't worry if your not great at laying ambushes and traps. It's up to your jounin-sensei to teach you the finer points, we just want to assure that you'll have a little bit of knowledge for them to work with."
Pausing in his speech Iruka glanced across the classroom to see if he still had the classes attention. "Okay, and lastly the exam has the practical examination. You will be matched against a chunin-teacher for a single round of taijutsu. Obviously, since you are facing a chunin, you need not win, but merely show a basic competency to pass. Beyond that you'll be required to pass a thrown weapons course, and perform several jutsu under the supervision of a chunin-teacher to guarantee that you have basic survival techniques mastered."
"Your scores will be averaged across all three parts of the exams with a grade of 70 or higher being necessary to pass and receive your head-bands...Any questions?" Iruka waited to see if any of the youths would raise the hands for clarification. Seeing none, he decided to move along to the exam. "All right let's get started."
Three chunin-teachers proceeded to pass out the thick paper packets to the students, placing one packet and a single pencil upon each desk. As the three assistants passed out the packets Iruka addressed the class once more. "Now to avoid any cheating we're supplying the writing utensils. The test is exactly 700 questions long with each question counting for 1/7th of a point. When you are finished raise your hand and a chunin-teacher will collect your test. Do not leave your seat until your test is collected. Once finished you may proceed to the training field for the practical knowledge part of your test. You may begin."
Almost in unison every student grabbed up the pencils and began the written part of the exam, the soft scratching of graphite against paper filled the room. Naruto glanced down at his test, confused for a moment as the letters seemed to be hazy and shifting slightly on his paper. His brows furled for a moment as he contemplated what he was seeing, it almost looked like his test had a genjutsu on it. Pausing the realization hit him, this was actually a practical knowledge test to weed out the poor ninja. Closing his eyes Naruto focused on his chakra for a moment before whispering 'kai'. Seeing his test seem to solidify and the words shift once to what he assumed was the correct placement he began his test; running through the information with relative ease.
The minutes ticked by while the students worked arduously on the test, most scrambling to finish as quickly as possible as they cared more for the practical aspects than the written knowledge; with a few notable exceptions. A young pinkette seemed to be contemplating each question for several moments before carefully marking her answers, her lips turning into a smile as she moved on knowing she answered the question correctly. While the young girl answered slowly, a young male with a pineapple like haircut seemed to lazily mark questions with an almost uncaring demeanor. He simply scrawled his answers as he lazily made his way down the test; not even bothering to break the genjutsu as it was simply too troublesome since he could answer the questions anyway.
Naruto laboriously finished his written exam, flipping his paper over and raising his hand as he waited for a chunin-teacher to collect his test. He felt confidence in his answers. There had been a few questions he wasn't too sure about, but over all he'd managed to answer almost all of it with relative ease. A chunin with brown hair moved to collect his test, quirking a brow at the younger male for being the first one to turn hi paper in; though he was only the second one to finish with a lazy Nara sleeping on his own test.
Scratching the back of his head sheepishly Naruto could only grin at his speed, knowing his speed was more from study than carelessly answering the questions. Once the chunin took his papers Naruto jumped up to run out to the training fields, rushing in his haste to gain his shinobi license. Kaisui hid his smirk beneath a cough as he pretended to be going over his answers.
Naruto had breezed through the practical knowledge part of the exam as setting traps and evading detection were both skills he'd long since mastered from his elaborate pranks. Making his way to the side where the combat arena was Naruto approached the chunin there hesitantly. "Umm...I think I'm ready for the combat and practical examination part..."
The chunin leaning against a pole set up to mark off the perimeter nodded briefly before turning to the three chunin sitting at a long table that had been set up outside for the judges to sit at. "State your name and academy number and we may begin."
The youth nodded excitedly and shouted "I'm Naruto Uzumaki-Abata, Academy student three three zero one five four! You better get ready, because I'm comin, Teacher-san!" Without pause the young blonde took off after the older male, charging straight at him as he leaned in to gain speed.
The older male quirked a brow at the youths shouting before rolling his eyes as Naruto charged him. "Pfft, he's got about as much tact as a bull in a china shop, this will be over quick." Not bothering to brace the chunin merely waited for genin to close the distance before stepping to the side and pushing Naruto as he ran past.
The genin-to-be seemed to stagger and trip as he was shoved, falling to the side with his full momentum from his run causing him to tumble head over heels onto the ground. Rolling as best he could, he landed sliding on his hands and feet, an annoyed expression passing over his features as he charged again; his right arm cocking back as though he was going to try to punch the chunin in the face.
The chunin with brown hair merely sighed again as the youth charged him, stepping into his guard as he closed in and twisting his arm, flipping the younger male over and tossing him off to the side. Naruto, however, as he was being flipped grabbed onto the chunin's shoulder with his free arm, though his fingers slipped as his opponent shifted his arm, causing Naruto to go sprawling and the chunin to stagger slightly.
Smirking Naruto charged again as soon as his feet had touched the ground, kicking off with more speed than he'd shown so far as he took off towards the chunin-teacher. The chunin, however, was getting annoyed and stepped back as he threw a blunted kunai at the charging youth; hoping to end the fight quickly so he could simply fail Naruto and move on to the students that mattered. The kunai arced straight for Naruto's chest as the blonde charged, though just before it hit Naruto jumped into the air rolling back with the kunai as he brought his feet in front of him to drive both of his heels into the examiner. The chunin, caught off guard, felt two booted heels drive into his sternum causing him to stagger backwards and nearly fall down. As he fell, Naruto released the kunai that had nearly hit him, with a sizzling tag tied to the handle that air-burst as it passed over the chunin-teacher.
The chunin teacher quickly got to his feet before shaking his head as he tried to suppress the ringing in his ears, the tag had exploded just a foot over his head. 'If that had been a real note I'd be dead right now.' The chunin thought to himself before shifting into a fighting stance. 'I gotta end this quick before the brat passes'.
Smirking Naruto made a ram sign and muttered 'kai' causing a practice tag to explode beneath the chunin's feet. Though not lethal the note threw the chunin off to the side where he landed in a heap, having not seen the tag that Naruto had placed earlier. 'Brat must have placed that when I pushed him at the start of the fight...not bad for a twerp, but not good enough. If I end it now.'
Standing the chunin merely shook his head. "Alright I think that's enough. Your tricks are decent, but against an opponent taking you seriously that would never have worked. This exam is over, the judges will submit your score and you'll get the results later." The chunin turned to the snickering judges as he commented, knowing full well he ended the fight well before Naruto could attain a passing mark.
The blonde, however, had other plans. "Well that's cool, though I should still get credit for the tag on your back, Sir. I'm not sure if you noticed it, and I'm not sure you want me to set off a tag that close to your spine, even if it is a practice tag." He quipped with amusement as he sauntered off, knowing that they would have to pass him for what could be considered three lethal shots to a chunin-teacher. 'That's got to be a new record.' The amused blonde thought to himself as he wandered off to take tell Mihane the good news. Naruto was going to officially be a genin.
