Kakashi raced down the once bustling streets of the Leaf Village that was now deserted due to such a late hour. He had received a distress call from the front gates of the Village. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, darting through the darkness like a shadow in the night. The moon was high in the sky tonight, casting a silver glow off his headband that covered his left eye. He finally leaped his last rooftop and landed before the giant, northern Gate of the Village. It was a giant archway that was connected to the outer walls that protect the Village. Under the archway was a gruesome setting. On the ground unconscious were the gatekeepers Hayate, Ganma, and Riga. Standing over them was a cloaked figure holding three, oval shaped packages. Kakashi was surprised; one loan figure couldn't have taken out three elite Jounin level ninja. If he could, Kakashi had to approach this cautiously.
He walked up to closer to the figure, just barely in the light of the lamppost hanging overhead. He could see that the cloaked figures features were exceedingly feminine. Her face was covered in a large hood. "Who are you?" Kakashi asked cautiously.
"You already know the answer to that, Kakashi of the Sharingan," After she spoke, Kakashi instantly pulled out a kunai in defense.
"What are you doing here?" He said with much conviction.
"Relax, shinobi of the Leaf," She began. Her voice was that of a mature woman, but it had the knowledge and might of a god behind it. "I only wish to convey a message."
"You know that setting foot on shinobi soil is a direct violation to the Treaty," Kakashi proclaimed. He never let down his guard and was ready to strike her if necessary. Yet, something in her tone relaxed him; telling him that she wasn't there to fight, but here in desperation.
"The Treaty means nothing anymore," She snapped. He was taken by surprise at the gravity of her tone. She sounded sincerely concerned, and if she was, then the whole world should be. Kakashi lowered his kunai and put it cautiously back in his pouch. He studied the mysterious figure carefully with his highly trained eye.
"Why would a goddess have business in the shinobi realm?" He asked curiously. Then she took off her hood off to reveal her godlike features. She was the most beautiful woman Kakashi had ever laid eyes on. Her features were literally glowing. She had long black hair woven in a braid with golden thread down her back. Her facial expression was very blasé but in her brown eyes reflected much knowledge and power.
"Trust me; I am not here by choice. Zeus sent me to deliver these," she said flatly. She beckoned to the three bundles of cloth in her hands.
"A new evil is upon us, and it not only threatens the shinobi realm, but as well as the Roman, Greek, and Wizard realms. It is time to band together like we once did and eradicate it. I, as the Queen of Olympus, give you these in hopes that they are somehow the answer," She held out the three bundles for Kakashi to receive. He took them from her hands when another figure joined the party.
"Hera, long time no see," Came a voice to the right of Kakashi. Out from the shadows strode a man. He was rather tall, with a lot of spiky blond hair. He wore an orange cloak with black flames as well as Leaf Village headband.
"Naruto," Hera said with a less than thrilled tone. She had not sensed him sneak up from the shadows. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to accept the packages, of course," he nodded to Kakashi to go ahead and take them. He gingerly held all three of them and was taken aback when he realized what, or who they were. The bundles were actually three little babies sleeping soundly in rolls of cloth. There were two boys and a girl, breathing softly in his arms.
"These are…" Kakashi whispered to himself.
"The triplets of legend, or they will be," Hera explained. Each baby had something around their neck; the boys had a metal chain with a ring slipped on, one gold and one silver. The girl had a bracelet attached to a string around her neck with five different charms on it. "I trust that they will be trained well here, under the guidance of the Hokage and you, Kakashi."
"Don't worry, Goddess, they will become the strongest shinobi in the village, believe it!" The Hokage proclaimed.
"Let us hope so," Hera said under her breath.
Naruto looked to the sky, a storm was brewing overhead. Suddenly, a large lightning bolt flashed across the sky and a loud clap of thunder filled air. "Zeus sounds pretty impatient."
"Yes, it's not easy living with such a baby of a king," Hera added in disgust. After she said that, a larger bolt struck. "I best be on my way. Good luck, ninja. Let's hope my husband picked the right village to send the children."
With that, she was struck by yet another lightning bolt and vanished. Kakashi looked down again at the rare set of triplets. He wondered where the Roman or Greek Gods found such important triplets.
"These children will become the most powerful ninja of their generation," Naruto agreed. "And who knows, they might surpass both of us. But right now, they need a family to care for them, to show them the ropes."
Kakashi looked straight into the Hokage's eyes. "Wait, hold on. You're not actually making me look after these three babies, are you? I could barely handle you three when you were little!"
"And looked how we turned out," Naruto countered. "I believe in you, Kakashi sensei. There is no one else better suited for the job."
"I hope you're right, Naruto," Kakashi said softly and looked down again at the three, slumbering babies. He noticed that each object around their necks were illuminating a little the closer they got closer. A thin stream of light began to stretch out of the two rings and the bracelet. They reached all the way to the sky, and possibly farther. Kakashi and Naruto looked up to three stars flicker to life in the heavens.
"These three will be very special…"
Chapter IFrom the tunnel he could already hear the shouts and roars of the people shake the walls and ground. From the tunnel he could feel the electric atmosphere. From the tunnel he saw the lights that marked the beginning of his future as a shinobi. He stood alone in that tunnel with only the shadows to keep him company. He nervously twisted the golden ring around his left middle finger. It was a family heirloom that he had ever since his youth. It took years for him to decipher the complex seal that was engraved in silver around the ring. He brought his hand up to his mouth to look at the ring. He didn't know how, but it had fit him perfectly ever since he was seven years old. He suspected a special Jutsu that was put in place to make sure it would always fit the user. He kissed it for good luck and took a deep breath to calm the rest of his nerves before he was to step into the light.
Are you prepared? A voice rung in his head. The voice belonged to his brother. I'm not going to help you this time. You're on your own.
I know that, the boy said confidently. This is my battle to win.
Just don't get hurt, another voice chimed in, this one was feminine; his sister. I don't want to carry you off the battle field in a stretcher.
I'll be fine, sis. Just sit back and don't blink.
Good luck, they both said in unison. He smiled and started walking toward the wall of noise masked in light. The crowd grew with excitement when he drew closer. He stepped into the light of the bright, desert sun that coveted the arena. The crowd exploded in cheers as he entered the arena. They cheered and chanted his name.
"Wilhelm! Wilhelm! Wilhelm!" His smile grew bigger, but he kept himself from looking up for fear they might distract him. The bright sun's light glinted off his headband which specified which Village he was from. He could say with the upmost pride that he was a Leaf Ninja from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He looked around the arena where he was to fight for the glory of becoming a Chunin. The stage for fighting was at the bottom of a huge, dug-out crater. The crowd was perched high above the crater for safety concerns. The shinobi fought at the very bottom, on a flat stage. He walked straight toward the stage, where the referee was waiting for the two finalists. Wil walked straight for the center stage, whilst fidgeting with his ring in his hand. He took it off with one hand and put it back on at least a dozen times until he reached the center of the stage.
He finally lifted up his head to look at his opponent as he entered the arena out of his own tunnel. The boy was from the Village Hidden in the Sand so he had home field advantage. He was a tall and slender figure, standing about an inch over Wil. His hair was as red as blood and had a surprisingly pasty complexion for someone who hails from the desert nation. His eyes were of the blackest shade that seemed to look straight through you. Wil though stared straight into them, unflinching and unyielding with his electric blue eyes. His opponent also had a giant gourd strapped to his back. Wil could only guess that whatever was inside that gourd was going to be used against him. Wil had a few weapons of surprise as well, though. His opponent stopped a few yards away from Wil as the referee walked up in between them. He was a leaf village ninja, Shikamaru Nara, the great strategist of the leaf. He strolled up with his hands in his pockets and his signature expression of udder boredom.
He raised his hands and pointed at each of them, then waved each of them to meet at the middle and shake hands. They both did as they were told and met in the center. Wil extended his arm out in a friendly gesture while maintaining eye contact. Wil smiled slightly to him, but his opponent kept staring at him. He kept the smile going until he walked back to his original spot.
"The rules are as follows," Shikamaru announced. "Each shinobi will fight to the best of their ability. The battle is over when one fighter is no longer able to continue. Let's have a good fight. Are the fighters ready?"
They both nodded slightly. Shikamaru didn't know, but they were both having a mental war with each other. Wil stared and evaluated his opponent. He heard from research and past rounds of the Chunin Exams that his name was Arenae of the desert. He was renown throughout the Sand Village for having an excellent grasp on ninjutsu and takes after his father, Gaara of the Desert. They both use a unique style of Jutsu that involves manipulating sand to make a nearly impenetrable defense and a very effective offense. That's what probably is in his gourd on his back. Wil would have to fight in close-quarters and quickly in order to land hits on Arenae. Wil had the upper hand in hand to hand combat, because he was also a renowned shinobi from the Hidden Leaf. He was described by the Sixth Hokage himself that he possesses the speed of the Fourth Hokage, who was known as the "Yellow Flash of the Leaf". He coincidently resembled him as well; same wild, blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and killer mentality on the battle field. In no time, Wil had also adopted the nickname of the "Yellow Flash".
There was something else that set Wil apart from other ninja. He could perform one of the Fourth Hokage's secret techniques: The Flying Thunder God Technique. That made him tied for the fastest ninja who ever lived, along with the Fourth and Sixth Hokage. He had come into the Chunin Exam with a lot of confidence that he would win, and now he was only one battle away from it. He finally broke into a more of a fighting stance by bending his knees and readying his hands. Arenae just stood there, though, but if Wil was right, he didn't need to have much of a stance if he used sand for his defense.
Shikamaru raised his hand about to signal the match to start. Wil could feel the ring on his hand tighten a little as the battle drew nearer. The referee dropped his hand and shouted, "Begin!"
Instantly, like a bullet fired from a gun, Arenae sprang into action. He sprang at Wil with astonishing speed for someone of such a body type with a regular kunai in hand. Wil was quicker to the draw though. When he saw even the first hint of movement, his ring on his left index finger transformed into his signature weapon: the kunai of the Flying Thunder God. It had a three-pronged blade for extra lethal hand to hand combat and superior throwing ability. On the handle was the seal for the Flying Thunder God technique that took Wil many years to decipher and use correctly. He expertly blocked the oncoming slash from Arenae's kunai. Wil stood his ground as his opponent wasn't that strong. The expression on Wil's went from friendly and warm to dead seriousness and stone cold determination. Arenae then began to push against Wil. Wil had underestimated his strength, but he pushed back with equal force. He needed to break this stalemate quickly, because it wasn't getting them anywhere. That's when the cork out of the gourd popped off and a large amount of sand flowed out from it. It started to circle in the air above the two deadlocked fighters. It swirled above Wil's head then it stopped abruptly. He sensed what was going to happen next and immediately pushed Arenae, breaking the hold right when the sand cloud shot down hundreds of sand bolts like rain. Wil skidded to a stop yards away when the cloud came in pursuit. It bolted toward him, but he expertly jumped high into the air to avoid it. When he was air born, Wil pulled out three more of the same kunai and threw them at Arenae. It was to no avail; the cloud of sand hardened and deflected the kunai. Wil landed and immediately started running laterally while pulling out more and more kunai and throwing them at Arenae. Arenae demonstrated his mastery over the sand to create a formidable defense against Wil's kunai. He waved his hands to where the kunai would strike and the sand would react instantaneously, blocking the kunai. Wil tried to throw at different angles, aiming for his feet or his head, but all the kunai fell short.
Wil now only had one kunai left, but he kept it in his pocket for later. With his hands he made a hand sign; it looked like a plus sign or a "t". he proclaimed, "Shadow clone Jutsu!"
Instantly, five clones of him poofed into existence around him. All at once, they charged at Arenae. They all shifted to confuse him as to which one was the real Wil. With lightning speed two jumped in the air over Arenae and tried to attack him from above. They tried to kick him and throw their kunai, but a spear of sand shot straight through both of them. They dissipated into white smoke; two misses for Arenae. The other three spread out and tried to attack him at three different flanks. Arenae knew the real one had to be one of the remaining three. He decided, instead of taking them all out one at a time, he would take them out together. He knelt and pressed his hands to the ground hard and sand spikes shot up from the ground and impaled each of the clones. They stayed there for a second, but then poofed out of existence. Arenae smiled in triumph and slowly stood back up; all five clones have been neutralized. He had proved once again that no one could penetrate his defenses. Then something really disturbing came over him; where was the real one? Then it hit him, literally.
The real Wil burst out of the ground right below Arenae and delivered a powerful uppercut to his chin. He used the five clones as bait to lure Arenae into a trap. He hit him into the air, but didn't stop there. When he was air-born, Wil used his amazing speed to continue the onslaught. He turned a full circle and kicked Arenae right in the stomach and sent him flying into the far wall of the crater. He hit with a painful THUD. Wil hit the ground and smiled, he was able to penetrate Arenae's defenses right off the bat. He relaxed a little bit and stood straight up. He twirled his kunai on his fingers out of boredom. He looked at his opponent who was just beginning to stir.
"Come on! On your feet, we're not done yet," Wil chastised. "I know you have more fight in you."
He heard his opponent grunt and grumble as he slowly stood up. That's when Wil felt something climb onto his leg. He looked down and was faced with a horrible sight. His whole left foot was engulfed with sand. He tried to move away, but he was frozen there. Then the sand began to climb, up his leg and onto his body. He struggled against it, but soon enough, he was in a cocoon of sand that rose into the air. Wil started to panic, he couldn't move a muscle and his opponent was getting up. Arenae's arm was outstretched with his hand in a half clench like he was reaching toward Wil. He tried to free his arms, but the sand was too strong. Arenae strolled up to the struggling Wil, passed all the kunai that lay strewn across the ground with a smirk on his face.
"What are you smirking at?" Wil spat.
"Where's your fighting spirit?" he asked.
"Let me out of this thing and I'll show you,"
"I'm afraid I can't do that," he replied simply.
"And why is that?"
"Have you ever wondered why I was the favorite to win this year?" Arenae asked ominously. His smirk turned to an evil grin. "It's because my opponents never lived to fight another day."
Wil's eyes grew wide in terror. He knew this guy's reputation all too well. They don't call him the Phantom of the Desert for nothing. He was a crucial part of the Sand's assassination core ever since he was a little kid. He performed flawlessly in whatever he did; he just got a little blood thirsty. And Wil has a front row seat to Arenae's monstrosity. He looked in terror into his opponent's eyes. They were full of malice and disdain toward his enemy.
"It was nice knowing you," He said with a sinister tone and started to close his hand. In that split second Wil heard his brother.
Don't give up! He was right, Wil couldn't give up now, and the match had only just begun! Arenae closed his hands and instantly crushed the giant sand coffin. The sand exploded and the whole crowd gasped in surprise at the horrific spectacle. Arenae smiled manically and lowered his hands. He had thought he just killed Wil, but he didn't care to notice what the crowd was gasping at.
"Miss me?" A voice came from behind Arenae. Wil had his last kunai across Arenae's neck. He was dumbfounded as to how Wil escaped the Sand Coffin, and then he looked on the ground. Strewn all across the ground were kunai that he had only heard about in legend, the Flying Thunder God Kunai.
"That's impossible," Arenae gasped.
"Yeah, I know, déjà vu, huh? It's over for you, Arenae," Wil said.
"Don't underestimate me, Yellow Flash," Arenae snapped. Just behind Wil, sand began to form into a sharp spear ready to impale him.
"Bastard," Wil grumbled and turned around to meet the spear head on. It flew at him, but he forced out his hand and molded some chakra. "Wind Style: Spiraling Wind Spears!" Instantly, dozens of chakra-laced wind spears met Arenae's sand spear, completely destroying it. Will jumped out of the way to a safe distance away from the sand manipulator.
Wil was in full on battle mode now, no more fooling around. He charged at Arenae once again. He punched with no hesitation and was barely blocked by sand. The force of the blow staggered the shocked Arenae and he stumbled back. Wil then teleported to a kunai behind him and successfully landed a kick in his back that sent him sideways. There was another kunai waiting for him where Wil teleported to and punched him in another direction. It was all too quick for Arenae to react and get a sand shield in the way. He kept punching and kicking Arenae until he landed a perfect uppercut to his chin that sent him soaring straight up. Wil threw one of his kunai up at him, but Arenae was oriented enough to use some sand to grab the kunai, but only to be met with Wil who teleported to it. He landed a series of combos to Arenae's center. Wil grabbed his kunai and kicked Arenae one last time in the stomach and sent him horizontally flying. Wil wasn't done yet, though; he threw his kunai at him, purposely missing him. He teleported behind him and raised his hands and made a giant fist with both of them. For a brief moment, he made eye contact with Arenae. It was probably the first time horror had crossed Arenae's face. Wil felt no remorse toward him; Arenae was a monster who could harm his friends, and no one harmed Wil's friends. Wil brought his giant fist on Arenae's head and sent him hurdling down towards the ground. He hit with such force that he kicked up a giant cloud of dust. Wil teleported to a kunai back down on the ground in the swirling dust cloud. He focused on where Arenae had landed and waited for the dust to clear.
When it finally cleared he saw Arenae lying in a crater with cracked and crushed stone all around him. He lay motionless within the debris as Wil cautiously stepped toward him. He looked down to get a better look; he was beaten up pretty badly with multiple bruises, blood on his face, and possible broken bones. There was something wrong with the picture though. Then Wil saw it; Arenae's eyes burst open and instantly a large stream of sand hit Wil and sent him flying. He was quick enough to put his arms up in a defensive position when the sand hit, but it was like a steel wall with the force of a meteor and sent him flying to the far wall of the arena. He oriented himself in mid-air and landed softly on the wall and used his chakra to keep him up.
The dust was gone and he saw Arenae slowly rise up on a platform of sand. He held out his arms and starting forming hand signs. Wil was shocked to even see him upright, and then he looked closer. His skin seemed to be cracking like ice on a lake. It was breaking off and dissolving in to sand; Sand armor. With each hand sign Arenae performed, more sand began to collect around him forming a huge protective sphere around him. He must've been injured so he's retreating to some kind of defense, Wil thought. The sphere became denser and denser until it lowered to the ground. He wasn't done yet though, another sphere, miniscule compared to the other one, was forming on the outside. It formed into a giant floating eye. Wil guessed it was to watch him if he tried to attack; very impressive. Wil would have to be very cautious on this one. His sphere wasn't there for looks, it probably had some booby-traps as well.
Like he always did, he sent shadow-clones into the field of battle first. He had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport him and all his clones to different kunai and start attacking. They all tried to kick and punch, while flipping over it or stabbing it with kunai; and sure enough giant spikes shot out of the sphere that impaled some of the shadow clones making them disappear. Wil, being blessed with instantaneous reflexes, was able to dodge the spikes that came for him among the shadow clones. As the clones thinned, more spikes attacked, so he was forced to retreat more and more. Finally, over five were coming for him at once. He tried to block the first few, but one caught him in the shoulder, ripping it partially open. His arm instantly became numb and he had no choice but to retreat and teleport to the farthest kunai and out of harm's way. He then jumped up one of the walls to catch his breath.
He clenched his shoulder in an attempt to stop the throbbing pain, but the spike drew blood and his arm went numb. Arenae's defenses were formidable for sure, but through Wil's training, he had learned that no matter how strong a defense is, there is always a weak point. He saw the ball's first line of defense, the spikes that flew at anything that attacked, but they weren't doing that by themselves; he was somehow controlling them from the inside. Then Wil saw the floating eye. Arenae must be using the eye to see where Wil was and counter using the spikes. Wil had to get rid of the eye in order to even have a chance at breaching Arenae's defenses. A slight smile formed on Wil's face as he formed the perfect plan in his head.
Wil, his sister's voice chimed in his head. She sounded alarmed and had a scolding tone. I know what you're thinking and I'd advise against.
She's right, Jake, his brother added. You haven't even mastered that technique yet.
Well I guess there's no better time to learn it then, Wil said slyly.
Wil, don't try it, what if it backfires? Then what? His sister asked concerned.
Ashley, sometimes you have to run before you can walk, and with that, Wil pushed off the wall into the air and used the same hand sign as before to make this time ten shadow clones. They all flew down toward the sand sphere with kunai out and at the ready. They shuffled around again as they sprinted toward the sphere. The eye snapped toward the mass of shadow clones, fixed on them. Then the spikes hit, shooting out of the ball like javelins. But these clones weren't that dumb. They jumped and dodged the spikes without losing a beat and continued their pursuit. When they were about twenty yards away, they scattered and attacked. The third eye frantically moved around to keep track of all the clones. The spikes finally caught up with the speed of the clones and impaled a few, making them poof.
The third eye was so busy with the clones at hand that it forgot to watch its own back. The real Wil appeared out of thin air right behind the eye and slashed straight through it. His blade cut through it like butter, disintegrating into tiny sand particles that scattered in the wind. Phase one of Wil's plan was complete; but there was something that happened that he didn't expect. When the eye was destroyed, the sphere erupted in spikes that randomly shot out. It was a futile attempt though, with the impossibly fast reflexes he possesses, he was able to use the Flying Thunder God technique and teleport away to a safe distance. Arenae was probably furious in his little ball of protection, Wil thought.
Wil didn't waste any time initiating phase two of his plan. The second phase was the hardest though. The first phase was destroying the Third eye that oversaw everything, but also to plant a Flying Thunder God seal onto the sphere, which he did while the clones were busy distracting him. With that in place, he could perform the second part of his plan. He held out his hand with his palm up and concentrated. Wil molded chakra into his left hand, concentrating it and spinning it. He bright yellow ball began to form in his palm, a perfect sphere of super condensed, spinning chakra. He focused harder and the ball grew a little bigger. You could see little golden entrails of Wil's chakra swirling around it as the chakra became more condensed. It finally stabilized and a smile crept onto Wil's face. He snapped his attention to the sand sphere hiding Arenae. It was about time to break his "unbreakable defense".
Wil jumped off the wall with such force that it cracked and flew toward Arenae at top speed. He hit the ground and bolted, making a dust trail. He was wielding his secret technique with his left hand in striking position. Spikes shout of Arenae's defenses right towards Wil, but he anticipated that and effortlessly dodged them. They weren't nearly as accurate without the eye, but as he drew closer, they became so. Time seemed to slow down in the last second of the battle. Wil brought the ball of spinning chakra forward ready to strike, but three spikes started to fly at him. Just before they hit, Wil teleported to where the seal behind the sphere and shouted, "RASENGAN!"
The explosion from the little ball of chakra was astounding. When the Jutsu hit the sand, it exploded outward, transferring its energy throughout the whole ball, ripping it to shreds. Arenae was blasted out of the ball as well, all the way to the other side of the battlefield. Jake sat back in his seat and folded his arms. Wil was always full of surprises, and this was one of his most explosive. Ashley was jumped up and down, shouting with the crowd for her brother. Jake was proud of his brother and thought to himself, why not? He jumped up and started to cheer with the rest of the crowd in excitement. Ashley was so energetic that she jumped on his back, and shouted, "Way to go, Wil!"
Wil was still standing in the last position he was in when he perfected the Rasengan. His eyes were still narrowed and hardened with killer intent, but when he noticed his success, he relaxed. The sphere of sand was completely obliterated and a large trail of debris led up to an indent of a human at the far wall of the arena. There, Arenae stayed plastered against the wall, completely defeated. Wil finally gathered himself and looked around the arena. The crowd was cheering louder than ever before. He could hear them chanting his name, "Wil-helm! Wil-helm! Wil-helm!"
You did it, little bro, He heard Jake's voice ring in his head with pride.
Way to go, Wil! Came his sister's voice as loud as ever. You mastered the Rasengan! I'm so proud of you. If you were up here I would so hug you right now!
Thanks guys, Wil said telepathically. He was exhausted from the battle.
Shikamaru walked into the center of circle and surveyed each fighter. He looked at Arenae in his decrepit state. Then he looked at Wil, who was breathing hard out of exhaustion but was still well on his feet. He had finally made his decision and said, "Arenae of the Sand is no longer able to fight. Our winner is Wilhelm of the Leaf!"
Above the crowd, looking down at the action and the victory, the Hokage sat in his chair of honor alongside the Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand who was the host to these exams this year. He and the Kazekage, Gaara, have been friends since their first Chunin Exams. Gaara had become Kazekage way before Naruto has, but nevertheless, they have treated each other as equals. Ever since Naruto had finally achieved the Hokage status, they have secretly placed bets on who would win each year's exams. This year it went all the way to the finals. Gaara, since he was a father now, went with his son Arenae to win the whole Tournament. Naruto on the other hand picked Wil. This time, it looked like Naruto had won. They both turned their heads slightly to look at each other. Naruto had a wide smile on his face while Gaara's expression was disappointment over the loss of the bet.
"Pay up," Naruto said cheerfully and held out his hand. Gaara just reached in his ceremonial robe and pulled out a single gold piece and flipped over to him. Naruto caught it and examined it to determine its authenticity. "Thanks!"
"Next year, Naruto Uzumaki," Gaara promised, seeking his redemption.
"We'll see about that," Naruto shot back with a more competitive grin on his face.
"You're all out of triplets," Gaara pointed out. It was true; Wilhelm was the last of the famous triune of the Leaf. The first was his brother, Jakob. He was a natural prodigy and the eldest of the three. He had a very unique power that let him breeze through the Exams without so much as a scratch. The second was their sister and middle triplet, Ashley. She was the most mysterious of the three. She was able to use Jutsu of all the different elements: fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning. She adapted quickly to all of her opponents and rose to victory. And the last was Wilhelm, the unpredictable. He had risen through the academy having a mastery of space-time ninjutsu that has never been seen since the Fourth Hokage. He also mastered Yondaime's secret technique, The Flying Thunder God Technique. Now he was here in the finals of the Chunin Exams having mastered the Rasengan. He reminded the Hokage of himself in a lot of ways; the undying hope he had and how he never gave up on anything or anyone. He had no doubt that he would win this year.
"That may be so, but the Wil of Fire burns brightly in all of the generations to come," Naruto looked to the sky and even though it was day time and the sun dominated the sky, he could still remember that night 15 years ago when he had first received the triplets. Three new stars, a triune of light were illuminated in the night sky. They were like beacons to a new evil that it would not exist without being opposed. He just hoped that the triplets were up to the challenge.