A Great Breakthrough
Chapter 1: A New Jutsu
It was a restless night in Konoha, and every available chuunin and jonin was out searching for one specific blonde jinchuuriki.
Naruto ran as fast as his short legs would take him, with the Forbidden scroll strapped securely to his back.
Naruto had failed his final test at the Ninja Academy; he just could never get that damn Clone Jutsu right, no matter how much chakra he pumped into it or how many times he tried. So, even though Mizuki, one of his examiners and teachers, had tried to vouch for him, Iruka Sensei said he just couldn't let him pass. Naruto had only made one clone and it was pathetic. The other students had made around 3 perfect clones each.
Iruka Sensei had always been a favorite for Naruto, despite his vaguely fatherly attitude toward Naruto. It was always he who found Naruto during his pranks, so normally he gave the punishment. But still, he was way better than the other teachers, who always looked like they wouldn't care if he was brutally murdered right in front of them, in fact, sometimes it seemed like they wanted that to happen. Iruka Sensei was… different, a bit more annoying, since he always punished him, but in a way, Naruto kinda liked it. To him, when Iruka yelled at him, it seemed like Iruka actually wanted him to learn, to learn not to do whatever he did again, unlike the others, who yelled at him for the sake of making him feel bad and a reason to throw him to the ground and then proceed to kick him. When Iruka yelled at him, Naruto understood that Iruka did so because he truly cared. Not because he hated him.
Mizuki had told him there was a "secret way" for him to pass. Intrigued, Naruto listened intently as Mizuki gave him instructions, Naruto thought it was a pretty weird test, but it sounded like fun and he would do anything to pass.
Naruto arrived at the small shack Mizuki told him to go to. He looked around saw no one there. Satisfied he looked behind him to check for pursuers.
'Nope' he thought. 'Time to get busy!'
When Iruka sensei had heard what Naruto did, to say he was not pleased was like saying Shikamaru was only a little lazy.
'Naruto has done pranks before, but nothing like this' he thought, still somewhat shocked by what he had heard. 'This is criminal, if I don't find him soon, he could die. I know more than a few jonins and chuunins who would never pass up a chance to slaughter the hated Village Pariah. They could kill him and just say he tried to flee as there excuse.'
With that, Iruka sprinted to the next most likely place Naruto would be.
Naruto had just finished memorizing and performing his second new jutsu when a very tired and very displeased Iruka showed up in the clearing.
'He's been training from the looks of it,' thought Iruka. 'Did he steal the scroll just so he could learn some new jutsu?'
"Hey Iruka sensei!" Shouted Naruto. "I just mastered a couple new jutsu from this ginourmous, scroll and your to let me pass now because of it right?"
"Naruto, what are you talking about?"
"Well that's how it works right? If you master a jutsu from this scroll, you can pass the academy and become a Ninja right?"
'Is that why he took it?' questioned Iruka. 'Who told him that?'
"Where did you get an idea like that Naruto?"
"Mizuki sensei! He told me that if I take the Forbidden scroll, brought it here and learned a jutsu from it, then I would pass and become a ninja!"
'Oh no!' thought Iruka.
Just then, before Iruka could even process what had happened, he was pinned to the shacks wall by a dozen kunai and shruiken.
"So, I guess you have it all figured out now then, don't you Iruka?" said an ominous voice from the shadows.
"Mizuki." Said Iruka as Mizuki materialized from the darkness.
Naruto was bewildered, 'Why was Iruka sensei pinned to the wall?!'
"Hey! What the big idea Mizuki? Why are you hurting Iruka sensei?!"
"Well well well, looks like someone brought Mizuki a little gift." Said Mizuki. "Now Naruto, if you'd be so kind as to give me the scroll now, I can let you both go and you two can forget this ever happened," he paused for a second in thought. "Well, you can Naruto, but I'm afraid Iruka sensei can't be allowed to escape with this valuable information on me."
"Forget it!" yelled Naruto in defiance, "You won't get this scroll!"
"Well then I guess I'll have to kill you both!" Mizuki yelled, unstrapping the giant shruiken on his back and throwing it at Naruto."
"Noooooo!" Screamed Iruka sensei, still pinned to the wall.
"GREAT BREAKTHROUGH JUTSU!" Yelled Naruto as a huge gust of wind blasted out of his hand, effectively stopping the shruiken completely and throwing Mizuki off the branch he was standing on.
'He only had the scroll for a couple hours! How did he manage to master such a difficult jutsu in such a short time?' thought Iruka sensei.
Mizuki jumped back into the clearing and through a few shruiken at Naruto, "One little new jutsu won't save you from me demon brat!"
Naruto dodged then stopped completely,
"What do you mean demon brat?" asked Naruto.
"What? You don't know? Snickered Mizuki "Fine then I guess I'll tell you."
"No Mizuki stop!" yelled Iruka.
"Shut-up!" Mizuki Yelled back "Do you remember Kyuubi no Kitsune from twelve years ago?" asked Mizuki. Naruto slowly and reluctantly nodded his head. "Well, Kyuubi could never truly be killed; instead it had to be sealed inside a newborn baby with a special jutsu that cost the Fourth his life. That baby was you! You are Kyuubi no Kitsune!"
Naruto fell to his knees, defeated, though not a single wound had been inflicted on him. 'That's why everyone hates me. I'm a demon. I've killed more people than I could count. I'm a murderer, a monster! I deserve to be hated and terrorized! I don't deserve to live!' He shouted in his mind as he pulled out a kunai from his pouch and held it to his neck.
"STOP NARUTO!" yelled Iruka sensei. "You're not a monster! You are Naruto Uzumaki of Konoha! Kyuubi is inside of you, it is not you yourself! If anything you are a hero! If you hadn't been born, the village would have been destroyed and we would all be dead!"
"Then why do they hate me!?" Naruto yelled back. "Why?" he said again much quieter.
"Because the people of Konoha as a whole are stupid! Replied Iruka. "Just look at Mizuki here!"
"Hey!" yelled Mizuki.
"Not all the villagers are like that though, I never thought of you like that Naruto." Said Iruka.
"I've grown tired of this little drama act." Said a bored Mizuki. "As much as I love watching Naruto be miserable, I'm afraid business is business."
Mizuki unstrapped a second giant shruiken, twirled it, and through it at Naruto, who was still on his knees.
"Noooooo!" yelled Iruka. 'Naruto won't be able to get out of the way this time' Iruka ran and leaped in front of the shruiken, saving Naruto's life. The weapon had pieced his back and was sticking straight out of it now.
"Wh-, why? Iruka sensei?" asked a shocked Naruto.
"Because… were the same." Said Iruka, who was suddenly feeling very weak.
"What do you mean Iruka sensei?" asked Naruto.
"When that damn fox Kyuubi attacked, my parents were killed. I was an orphan, like you. I would pull pranks and acted dumb just for attention, because at home, there was no one there to give it to me. I was the class clown and I was never taken seriously and a lot of people disliked me for it. I never hated you for what the fox did though Naruto. I should have been there for you more. I'm sorry Naruto. I'm sorry." Said Iruka with tears streaming down his eyes.
Naruto paused to take it all in, and then took off and neither Mizuki nor Iruka knew where he was going.
"You do know where he's going right, Iruka?" Said Mizuki. "He's angry; He's going to slaughter the whole village."
"You're wrong Mizuki. Naruto's not like that." Replied Iruka.
"Whatever," said Mizuki. "I've wasted enough time here anyways. Time to kill you and flee with the scroll."
"Don't even think about it!" Yelled Naruto, he charged at Mizuki with his fist raised and posed to strike. He was about to punch when Mizuki stabbed a kunai right into his eye.
"Naruto!" yelled Iruka as Naruto's eye was infiltrated by an invading kunai, and blew up in a poof a white smoke.
"What?!" yelled Mizuki.
"Futon (Wind Release): Great Breakthrough!" Yelled Naruto as he slammed his palm directly onto Mizuki's back. Mizuki shot forward like a bullet, his back broken by the initial impact of the blast itself, and thrown into a tree with huge force.
Mizuki groaned, still stuck to the tree, and fell down to slam on the ground, and fainted.
"Naruto." Whispered Iruka in bewilderment.
"Are you okay Iruka sensei?" asked Naruto, who had ran to his side.
"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Naruto, I want you to close your eyes and follow me, I have a surprise for you."
"Really?! All right! That's awesome Iruka!"
Iruka let out a small laugh, "All right let's go."
"All right, you can open your eyes now!" Naruto flinched a little at the bright sun when he opened his eyes. They were in a bright clearing next to a tree. Naruto saw Iruka standing before him, but what stood out the most, was the headband he was holding. "Congratulations! You pass and are now an official ninja of Konoha!"
When Iruka looked, he noticed Naruto was not jumping up and down like he expected, but rather, looking down. He almost seemed sad, but Iruka couldn't see his face.
"Iruka sensei!" Yelled Naruto as he jumped and tackled Iruka to the ground in a great hug.
'You're meant to go very far Naruto, and you have a long and hard journey ahead of you as a ninja, but I won't say that now, lest I spoil the moment.'
Iruka was standing before the Village Council, he was arguing to have Naruto made a genin and it was not looking good.
"But sir, I saw Naruto perform the great breakthrough and shadow clone jutsu. Great breakthrough is an elemental C-rank wind jutsu and shadow clones are a B-rank jutsu. Naruto failed on the clone jutsu but was able to make a perfect shadow clone that I bet would even fool the hokage. Isn't that reason enough to let him pass? On top of that, he saved me, broke Mizuki, and saved the forbidden scroll." said Iruka.
"He stole it in the first place!" shouted Hyuuga Hiashi.
"He was fooled!" replied Iruka.
"If he had paid any attention in classes he would have known it was criminal to do so!"
"If his studies hadn't been sabotaged maybe he would have!"
"Well then maybe you were just too incompetent to teach him right!"
"I have a whole class to teach I can't just worry about a single boy!"
"Enough!" yelled the hokage, Sarutobi. "I have come to a conclusion. I will send an ANBU to bring him here and have him perform the shadow clone jutsu with all his might. If, he can create 3 or more solid clones, we will pass him, if not, he will have another year with you Iruka. Is this agreeable?"
With no reluctance, everyone in the room agreed.
Naruto was awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of knocking at his door.
"Naruto Uzumaki, come out right now. You have a meeting with the council" said an unfamiliar voice.
"Alright alright I'm coming!" Naruto yelled back.
Naruto walked and the ANBU escorted him to the hokage's tower to see the council. Once he arrived they had him stand near the entrance, in front of the giant round table.
"Naruto Uzumaki, word has reached us that you can successfully perform the shadow clone jutsu. Is this true?" asked the beloved hokage.
"It is Hokage-sama" replied Naruto.
"Then would you not mind performing it to the best of your ability in front of us." Asked the Hokage.
"Not at all!" said Naruto with a great grin. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He yelled.
30 Solid clones filled the area in front of the council round table.
"Well then, I think we have our answer." Said Iruka, who was not nearly surprised as the rest. In fact the hokage's pipe fell from his mouth and the Hyuuga's eyes got even bigger, if that were even possible.
Naruto was now an official Konoha Ninja.
Author's Notes (AN): Yes, the jutsu is Great breakthrough.
Naruto's Jutsu List
Clone Jutsu- A basic E rank jutsu that requires decent chakra control to perform. This creates illusionary replications of the user. Naruto has a lot of trouble with this jutsu.
Transformation Jutsu- A basic E rank jutsu Naruto uses to alter his body form and change his appearance. Naruto is adept at this jutsu.
Substitution Jutsu- Another basic E rank Jutsu Naruto can perform. This jutsu is used to switch the user with another person or object. He will often use this to switch places with a shadow clone to save himself.
Shadow Clone Jutsu- An advanced clone jutsu that replicates the user into solid clones that can fight and learn. When a clone is 'popped' it transfers all the information it learned back to the user. This jutsu is forbidden but that rule is not strictly enforced on this specific jutsu. It is forbidden because of the immense amount of chakra it takes to make just a single clone. This jutsu does not require barely any chakra control to perform; instead it just takes all the chakra the user pumps into is and uses it all. The more the chakra used, the more clones made.
Futon: Great Breakthrough Jutsu- this is the jutsu Naruto learns here, but not in the canon. It takes all the chakra the user puts into it and blasts wind out of the users hand and at the foe. The perfect jutsu for Naruto, especially since his elemental affinity is for wind.