Okay, my first Naruto fic here.
I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters.
Three years... Three years had come and gone. And now, Naruto's time was up. His time had withered away to the last confrontation with Sasuke. But his precious time had not been wasted, Jiraiya and Kakashi had trained him well. And he even had a few new jutus up his sleeve, including his own original jutsu.
A vicious storm whipped Konoha with howling winds, and bursting crackles of lightining arcing through the dark clouds. Naruto simply stared out the window, his steady breathing fogging the window. "It's time," he said to himself, "It's time."
In a week's time, I'm going after Sasuke, he thought. A knock sounded, on his door, and he opened it. "Hello, Sakura chan." He greeted.
Sakura merely nodded her head in greeting, and wordlessly came in. She looked around; for Naruto's house was cluttered with many Instant Ramen plastic bowls. Along with, dirty socks, some kunais, and... a summoning contract.
"Naruto," she asked, "What exactly is that summoning contract for?" She could feel Naruto stiffen beside her, "Oh, nothing," he said hastily, dashing over and quickly rolling it up.
After, tying it to his backpack by the door, he just stood there, staring at Sakura. "Are you ready?" He asked. For a moment, Sakura stood there, but a small smile bent with her lips. "Yeah."
"You," she asked. Naruto merely nodded. "I just wish Pervy Sage would get back here already, because I don't know what to do," he muttered. Sakura smiled a little, "Well you've only been back for one day, why don't you go, see if you can find anyone."
Naruto shrugged, "Why not." So he and Sakura walked out of the door and down the hallway. They stepped into the pooring rain, but then Naruto did some quick had signs, and muttered something Sakura couldn't hear, and the rain stopped falling. At least, it stopped falling on them.
An invisible bubble of chakra was shielding them from the rain. Sakura quirked an eyebrow, "When did ya learn that?" Naruto laughed, "It rained a lot when I was with the Pervy Sage, so he showed me that little jutsu. I asked him how he knew it, and he said it had to do with wet white shirts and how he doesn't want his vision to be effected at all while performing his research."
Sakura couldn't help but frown, she was glad she hadn't worn a white shirt today. "So, how did the training with Tsunade sama go?" Naruto asked, still grinning a little. Sakura smirked a little, then pushed Naruto with her finger. He gave a cry as he went flying through the air for about a hundred feet.
"SAKURA!" He cried, "I didn't ask you to show me what you've learned!" But Sakura wasn't there, she was right beside him. "Hey you showed me some of what you learned you show off," she said innocently. This time, Naruto quirked an eyebrow, " As if you didn't punch hard enough, and that was quite some speed you showed."
In a flash though, Naruto had tripped Sakura and was looking over her, smirking. A vein pulsed in Sakura's forehead, "OH, so that's how it's gonna be huh?"
She grabbed Naruto's ankle, and tossed him like a rag doll straight into the air. "AAAHHHHH," he screamed as he came plummeting back down to the earth. To Sakura's dismay however, Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Huh? When did he- But her thoughts were cut off as she found herself on the ground yet again. He wasn't looking on top of her though, and his voice rang through the air, "If you want to show off that strength Sakura, then let's spar." With that Naruto appeared right in front of her.
The vein in her forehead started pulsing crazily, and she really got ticked off. The spar began, and she threw a barrage of punches faster than Naruto had ever seen her punch. He could feel an intense burst of air as each punch came with a centimeter of sending him flying a mile away.
Soon, Naruto's right hand started glowing with chakra, and he grabbed one of Sakura's fists. He slid back a little, but he dug his heels in and held his ground. Sakura launched her other fist at Naruto, but he also grabbed that one. Niether of them panting, Naruto said, "Come on Sakura, no need to hold back... You are holding back right?"
Sakura grinned smugly, "See for yourself." And she soon started tapping into her real reserves of strength. Naruto found himself sliding back as Sakura pushed, but he quickly sent chakra to his feet and soon they were at a stalemate.
"Come on Naruto," she mocked, "No need to hold back... You are holding back right?" "See for yourself," and the clone grappling with Sakura dissappeared in a puff of smoke.
NO WAY, when did Naruto find the time to do that, she thought. As if reading her mind the real Naruto appeared right in front of her. "You've been battling a clone since you pushed me with your finger he stated, "Didn't you notice I released the shield when you pushed me? The rain really poured down on you, which temperarily blinded you from seeing me, and that's when I did it, you were feeling to haughty to even notice, eh eh eh."
Sakura calmed down enough to think. Oh yeah, that's right. I do remember the rain starting to pour down on me, and now that I think about it, I thought I saw a puff of smoke as he created his clones. I can't believe you Naruto! You weren't sparring with me, you were hiding the whole entire time you coward!
"Tsk, tsk. Sakura, a ninja learns to observe his opponent before attacking, and I could tell you were still holding back, so let's not spoil each other's surprises okay, and we can show what we've got when we go after Sasuke." Sakura sighed, Naruto had even become a good strategist.
To Konoha's relief, it stopped raining and the storm drifted to the north, and the sun shone through the thin veil of grey still lagging over the village. So, Naruto and Sakura went on their way, trying to find their old friends from the academy.
They found Shikamaru first along with Temari. "Shikamaru," Naruto said "How's the lazy genius doing" he said, pointing teasingly at Temari. "Pretty good Mr. Genin," Shikamaru said, glancing at Temari. Naruto huffed, "Oh please, I'm at chuunin level now, maybe jounin." "Yeah," Temari asked, "We're both official jounin."
"What!" Naruto exclaimed. He whirled around, facing Sakura, accusation smoldering in his eyes, "And what about you Sakura?!" Sakura did not back down, but said, "I'm a chuunin Naruto, and Tsunade plans on making me a jounin once we successfully complete our mission."
"Don't worry Naruto," Shikamaru teased, "You'll officially advance, seeing how your the only one from our academy class that hasn't." (besides Sasuke)
Naruto mouth fell open and his tongue fell out before he fell to the ground in shock, "I- I- I've been gone longer than I thought, eh... eh." He quickly jumped back up, looking at Temari he said, "What about Gaara and Kankuro?" Though he already knew the answer, "Both are jounin, and Gaara is to becom the next Kazekage."
Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Ga- Gaara the the the Kaze- KazeKage!" "Damn it, I've missed so much, and Sakura why didn't you tell me this earlier?" "You didn't ask," she replied.
Naruto's chest puffed out, "Well it doesn't matter, I'm at a jounin level anyway." Temaria eyes fired up, "Do, you wanna bank on that?" Naruto smirked, "Heh, if you mean spar, then why are we talking?" Realizing what was coming, Shikamaru and Sakura darted out of the way from, Temari's wind attacks.
A second later, the three moons of her fan came out, and sent the air around them into a whirlpool of air. Naruto though, stood his ground. Just like against Sakura, he transfered chakra into his feet.
Temari couldn't help but smirk, for Naruto had forgotten when she inlaid her chakra with the wind, it could became sharp... very sharp. Wrong. Naruto performed handsigns, and this time they could here him, "Wind Style: Wind Shelter Jutsu!"
A roar of wind filled the air, and a stronger wind than Temari's, started whirling around Naruto, a hugh of blue chakra emanating from it. And just like that, before Temari's wind had even began to slice his skin, he had already countered it.
He grinned, "Come on Temari, you were using that technique three years ago, I would think a jounin would have more tricks up her sleeve!" Temari's eyebrows arched, just a little,"You have an affinity for wind, don't you!"
Naruto's eyes lit up with a secretive light, "Maybe, or I could've just picked up that jutsu along the road with Jiraiya!" He released the shield. For a while it was a staredown, and, much to Naruto's intrigue, Temari dropped her fan.
"I don't need my Three Moons to beat you, ya genin brat," she said, needling him. She started making handsigns, before crying out, "Wind Beast,Earth Armor Jutsu!"
The now familiar snarl of wind swept through the air, carrying boulders twice the size of Naruto's head. The wind began to swirl, dropping the boulders like crazy, until a figure of a beast, maybe a cat, was standing before them, before the last gap in the rocks could be closed, the wind rushed in, dropping the boulder in place in the process.
The gaps in the front, which Naruto assumed were the eyes began to glow, from the inside with Temari's chakra. Then, the beast let out a roar, the roar of the raging wind itself, before a particularly large boulder on the cat's right foreleg opened up as if it was hinged.
A jet of wind roared out, and Naruto, dodged, but not before feeling the heat of the wind. It was scorching. Naruto could feel some of the hairs on his left leg being burned.
"Well, thanks Temari, at least this won't be boring using the same old jutsus!" "No problem Naruto," she called back, "Do you like the little beast I learned to create from someone on the road," she mocked.
"Ah, ah Temari, but I guess sometimes the best way to counter something like this is with a classic techinique," Naruto replied. Forming the cross like seal, he called out, "Taijuu Shadow Clone Jutsu!" (Taijuu means 'mass')
Almost instantly, a small army of Narutos appeared, all holding kunais. With a cry, the army charged, but before they could make contact, the armoured wind beast opened it's gaping mouth, and released a monstrous torrent of wind as wide as the street, trampling all the Narutos, and destroying them.
Temari smirked, thinking Naruto would never be able to get past her wind beast, only to feel the cold tongue of a kunai against her neck. There stood Naruto, his clothes slightly singed, "How I wish I hadn't got burned to trap a clone." And with that he plunged the kunai into her back, only for it to be ripped from his has as small gust of wind appeared in Temari's place.
He watched the kunai soar through the air to land in Temari's hand, on the opposite side of the street, the side Naruto had just came from, but had never left.
Temari gasped as she watched the Naruto she thought she had fooled dissappear a puff of smoke, and once again felt the cold steel of the kunai against her throat. He breathed quietly into her ear, "I win jounin." He released her, knowing it was the real Temari.
She wheeled about to face him, "How did you make you clone look like it had burns all over?" Naruto grinned, and pulled up his left pant leg. It was burned. "All I had to do was picture the burn to be on my body, and there you go, one well done Naruto to go!" He chuckled a little.
Temari growled slightly, then made a handsign, and muttered, "Release." The wind from the beast came tearing out, carrying the boulders with it, and headed toward a seclude location where the boulders could be dropped.
Shikamaru and Sakura jumped down from a roof, where they had watched the specatcle. Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head, "What a drag, now we can't really call Naruto a genin anymore can we?" He said, smiling ever so slightly. Naruto caught this however, and decided to get back for his little needling, "We, huh? How long have you and Temari been together? OH, wait, let ever since she saved your butt from that Sound Four girl right? What were ya feeling a little jealous Temari?" But before he could add anything else, he earned a a pair of fists to his head, as Sakura and Temari drove him into the ground.
With a glare from all three, they began stalking away, but Naruto soon caught up.
After talking with Shikamaru and Temari, Naruto and Sakura went back to his place. Naruto, still somewhat in a daze kept saying things like, "I could be a jounin be now" Or, "I can't believe I fell so far behind in rank." Even, "Man, why couldn't Ero Sennin train me closer to the village, I could've at least taken a break from my training to go to the chuunin exams."
Sakura smiled inwardly, I guess I should've told him first... oh well, the look on his face was priceless. The smile soon shone outwardly too. Naruto snapped from his gaze to glance at her, it had been awhile since seeing a smile like that.
Man, she's really come out of her shell... again, he thought, the training probably helped keep her mind of him. Sasuke, I'm going to bring you back, but not before I pay you back for the pain you've caused Sakura... and even me.
Well, there you have it. I may not own Naruto, but I do own the Wind Shelter Jutsu and the Wind Beast, Earth Armor Jutsu. Anyway, I hoped ya like it. RandR