1-1-2

Goodbye

"Joining Kin in the Trials will be Naruto Namikaze!"

No. That couldn't possibly be right. How could I get called? I know for a fact there's a seventeen year old guy behind me who's entered in twice as much as me because he's taken the Boost so many times to feed his many siblings. I know there are plenty of other people with their names in more than me as well that are younger. So how can it be me? Sakura got away for another year so how could I have gotten called?

These thoughts run through my head even as Sakura's face pales and she looks horrified. I know my own must look similar and it's only when Kiba nudges me that I realize that I'm not dreaming. A quick glance at his face tells me he won't be volunteering for me either. We had an agreement with each other that we wouldn't volunteer for the other and instead would focus on making sure our families stayed strong after we left. He nudges me again and it finally sinks in.

I have been chosen for the Shinobi Trials.

I school my face as best I can into a bored look, desperately hoping that the cameras couldn't pick me out of the crowd by my reaction. If I show fear I'll be perceived as weak. The weak are left to their own and die within the first few days. It's with slow measured steps I walk up to the stage. I make it about halfway there and am mentally applauding myself for keeping up my bored look before I'm crashed into from behind and arms wrap around me.

"No! You can't go Naruto-kun!" Sakura's rushed out from her spot and is now holding me back from going up on stage like I'm supposed to. I know that I have to get up to the stage now. I've taken too long and the Capital's lapdogs, the ANBU, will be moving in to force me soon.

"Sakura-chan, let go." My voice is quiet. I don't really want her to let go and she knows it. She just buries her head into my back and tightens her grip as I stand frozen where she grabbed me. "Let go Sakura-chan." I'm louder and tad more forceful now but she hasn't budged. "Sakura let go!" I shout and she flinches but still refuses to let go. I'm about to forcefully remove her, as much as it would pain me to do so, when hands grab hers from behind and pull her off. I turn around to see that Kiba has her with a subdued look on his face while Sakura is struggling in his grip and crying freely. He nods his head towards the stage as he pulls Sakura back for a second.

"Good luck Naruto." I just nod before turning back and get onto the stage while Kiba continues to pull Sakura further back from the stage. She has stopped struggling at this point but is still crying and staring at me with her saddened and horrified eyes, no doubt thinking this will be the last time she ever gets to see me. Mizuki looks from me to Sakura before getting back into character as he needs to finish these announcements up.

"Well now, let's have a round of applause for our two chosen this year." He calls out as Kin and I stand before the crowd with the mayor and past victors behind us. I'm betting it's a shock to the Capital people watching in their homes when not one person even moves their hands to clap. Sakura's outburst at my selection seems to have forcibly reminded everyone of just how wrong these Trials are and now the crowd is doing what they can to spite the Capital. It's small and likely doesn't even make a ripple in the long run but the message is clear.

We do not agree. We do not like this.

Mizuki has us shake hands so I turn and shake Kin's noting that while she's doing her best to seem impassive about the situation she has the same fear in her eyes that I'm pretty sure was in mine a few minutes ago if it's not still there. The mayor steps up and gives one last speech about the Trials and the Capital that I barely register even hearing before Kin and I are ushered into the large building behind us and then placed in separate rooms.


Each chosen gets an hour to say goodbye to any loved ones or friends that come to visit while they prep the train for departure and take down the decorations for the selection. It's a nice room with large and fluffy furniture that's too expensive for anyone in Twelve to afford normally. I barely sit down when my father bursts through the door and grabs me in a hug. "Dad, I…"

"I don't want to hear it Naruto." He interrupts. "A parent always believes their child, no matter the situation. And I believe you can do this." His words cut me short from the response I was going to give him. "I've trained you as best I could for pretty much your whole life. You can fight, you can hunt, and you can survive. I won't accept anything but your best out there, you understand?" I nod as he lets go and takes a step back. He then reaches into his back pocket and digs around for a second. "You're allowed one item to represent your district in the arena Naruto. I want you to wear this." He pulls out a black headband with a metal plate on it and hands it to me. I turn it over and gasp at seeing the spiral leaf symbol on the metal before looking at him in shock.

The spiral leaf the symbol of the rebels back during the war. How my father got this is beyond me seeing as they were not only collected and destroyed but families had been killed for having them. The Capital wanted to demoralize and destroy any evidence or stirrings of rebellion after the war. While people haven't been killed for having these in years, I'm unsure if that's because the Capital stopped caring or if it's because they couldn't find anymore.

"Dad I…" I can't even finish my sentence but my meaning is obvious. Wearing this will be a literal slap to the face of the 'all-knowing' Capital. It would be the ultimate insult to them. Not only that but it would also alert the Capital to the fact that someone had this before me and gave it to me. Likely one of my visitors, which are recorded for document purposes. "Dad, do you know what you're risking by giving me this?"

"I do, and I don't care. Naruto, these Trials are wrong and if I can speak out against them through you then I will if you're willing to let me. Plus the metal plate is sturdy; I'm willing to bet that it could protect you from a head injury or two." He responds with a small smile. I just stare at the metal for a little while longer before setting down and wrapping my dad in a hug. He returns it as I can feel a few tears wetting my shoulder as he's only a few inches taller than me. "I love you Naruto."

"You too dad."


My next visit is Sakura's mother. It's short though. She comes in crying, hugs me and wishes me luck before handing me a few cookies she had left over from the last time she made them. I thank her and ask her to help Sakura if I get killed and she simply promises that she will. She only stays for a few seconds longer before rushing out of the room crying. I barely collapse into the comfy couch before the door is slammed open and I'm slammed down onto the couch as Sakura is on top of me crying and clutching herself to my chest. My shirt is quickly soaked by her tears as I wrap my arms around her and rub her back slowly. "I'm sorry for yelling at you." She hardly seems to notice as she's crying into my chest so much.

"You idiot." She mumbles before pulling her head off my chest and staring at me with teary eyes. "Why does it have to be you? Why did it have to be your name?" I kiss her to stop her from ranting on about whys. It wouldn't change a thing and I'm running out of time before I'm taken to the train for the Capital trip. "Naruto-kun…"

"Listen to me Sakura-chan. I don't care what you see, I don't care what happens with the people around here but you need to stay strong, you got me?" She nods as she wipes away some of her tears so I give a small smile and kiss her again. "I love you so much. If I don't make it back, I want you to promise me that you'll move on. I'm not saying it has to be right away, honestly I'd feel insulted if you did. But I don't want you to dwell on me for the rest of your life. Remember me, but don't let it stop you from finding happiness." She stares at me for a few seconds before responding.

"I will, if you'll promise me something in return."

"Anything Sakura-chan." And she knows I mean it. One thing she's always said she loves about me is that I'm a man of my word. I never back down from a promise and will willingly go through hell and back to keep one.

"I want you to promise me that you'll come home to me." My eyes flash open at the implication. I had already pretty much resigned myself to death. I was going to give it a shot and hope for the best but I have for the most part already written myself off and made peace with my death sentence. Luckily neither my father nor second mother actually made me promise anything so although they believed in me and wished me luck, I wouldn't feel bad about being killed and not coming home. But Sakura isn't like them. She likely knows I've already made peace with my fate and she doesn't want that.

I'm trapped and I know it. She knows it as well. I won't be able to think straight if I know Sakura would be miserable for the rest of her life because of my death, it's why I want her to promise me to move on. But she knows I'm not going to be coming back. So she's forcing me to. I never leave a promise unfulfilled. She's counting on that to bring me home.

"I can't promise that Sakura-chan."

"You have to Naruto-kun. It's the only thing that'll set my mind at ease. I want you to promise me. Promise you'll come home. Promise you'll come back to me." She's staring at me now with her tear filled eyes. She'd fake the look occasional when she wanted something I didn't particularly want to give or do but I could still never hold out against it for long. Knowing the sadness behind the look is real now is only making it worse.

"Sakura-chan…"

"Promise me Naruto-kun."

"I… I promise Sakura-chan." I finally mumble. She however doesn't look satisfied.

"Promise what?"

"I promise, Sakura-chan, I'll do my best to come back."

"Not your best. I want you to promise me that you will come home." I know if I say those words then I'll be damned. I'll have to come back to Twelve or she'll hate me forever for breaking the most important promise I've ever made. But I also know she'll hate me all the more if don't make the promise in the first place. And the one thing I've never wanted was for her to hate me.

"I promise you, I'll come home." For some reason, seeing her smile when I say those words instantly makes me believe I actually can do it. "I promise you Sakura-chan that I'll come back a victor. I'll come back and then, with the money I get for winning, I'll make sure the two of us are set for life. I promise you that the first thing I'm going to do when I come back is kiss you and hug the life out of you." The more I talk the more I believe it. The more I feel that I can do it.

I can complete the Trials.

"I love you Naruto-kun."

"I know. And I love you too." We share one last kiss before a guard opens the door to retrieve me. Sakura steps back as I stand. I hold her in my arms one last time before leaving with the guard, even as the tears have started anew on her face. Silently I promise myself that I have to come back now. I can't let Sakura cry.


The train is a shiny white contraption but I don't get a better look before I'm pushed inside to a room with Kin, Mizuki, Jiraiya and Tsunade already there and waiting at a table. I'm given a seat as a glass of water is set in front of me as well as a menu while the train lurches forward before picking up speed and heading out. In just a few minutes the scenery outside the windows is nothing but a blur of green and blue of the trees and the skies. We all order some meals but nobody talks. Mizuki is scowling at the others at the table, Tsunade is just drinking away from her bottle and ignoring the rest of us while Kin and I are looking around the train. I do notice out of the corner of my eye that Jiraiya is eyeing Tsunade every few seconds.

"So…" I try to start. Tsunade ignores me and Mizuki scoffs. Jiraiya is the only one to actually bother with people it seems.

"Yeah, so." He mutters out before sighing. "Alright you two, for now just worry about having a good meal. Afterwards we'll watch the selection recaps and then we can talk about the Trials." He tells us before going back to what he was doing, which was scribbling something in a notepad on his lap while glancing at the blond woman to his right occasionally. I happen to glance at Kin and see she seems just as lost and both under and over whelmed as I am. Overwhelmed by the reality of going to the Trials, lost by the way things apparently work, and under whelmed by the actions of two champions and the district liaison.

"What are you drawing?" Kin asks, to try and keep the silence away I'd wager. Jiraiya glances at Tsunade again before answering.

"Not drawing, I'm writing."

"Writing?"

"He's an author." I cut in. "He took up writing after his victory but I don't know what books he writes. I just know from my dad that they're apparently big hits all over the country." Jiraiya smiles and nods.

"That's right. Tell me, have either of you heard of the Icha Icha series?" I groan as Kin actually feigns vomiting.

"Egh, you mean those porn books my sensei always reads are yours?"

"They are not porn! They are romantic literature with a few adult erotic scenes!" He shot back with an exaggerated movement to go along with it. I roll my eyes as I know Kin's description is far more accurate. Kiba reads those books and while what Jiraiya was technically accurate, it would be more accurate to flip his descriptions and say they are erotic literature with a few romance scenes.

"They're porn! Plain and simple!"

"Romance novels!"

"Porn!

"Romance!"

"Porn!"

"Romance!" I'm biting back my laughter at this point while Mizuki looks bored rather than scowling while Kin and Jiraiya glare at each other. Tsunade grunts before finally speaking.

"I think I like this girl." It's the first time she's spoken since she came up to the stage. She's now eyeing Kin with a slight grin as Jiraiya looks struck between amusement and insulted.

"But Tsunade-hime…"

"Shut up Jiraiya and write your hentai trash somewhere else. Perverted old toad." She mutters after scolding the man. Kin's actually snickering at this point, while I'm finding more entertainment here than I've seen on TV in my entire life.

"At least I'm not some wrinkled old slug hiding behind a genjutsu…" The man fires back. Tsunade's grip on her bottle of alcohol tightens, as noted by the fact the bottle cracks, as she faces Jiraiya.

"You wanna run that by me again? I didn't quite catch that." Jiraiya is now cowering in his seat as Kin and I are openly laughing at this point. Jiraiya fires a glare at us but we ignore it. We're possibly dying in a few days, why should we care if he glares at us?


The selection recaps are held for us in another room with a large TV in it as well as plush chairs for all of us. As we sit down I think on how the process is done. Each district is done at a different time and staggered throughout the day so that in essence one could watch every selection and not need to see the nights recap. However since we of the districts are required to go to our own, only the Capital could truly see them all the first time.

The selections are done in district order so I know they'll start with One and then end with ours in Twelve. First the screen flickers on and then we hear the Capital anthem along with an image of their insignia. Then a small introduction to the announcers and the selections are started. I try my best to keep track of faces or names but to be honest few make an impression on me at first glance. The girl from one looks like she's terrified; a boy from four is grinning like a madman as his name is called; an older eighteen year old giant is picked and towers over the girl chosen alongside him from six; a young child from nine; and then us.

In my head I'm moaning in regret as I see that the cameras actually did pick me out from my fear stricken face when I'm first called. The announcers have a field day with romance speculations when Sakura slams into me from behind to try and hold me back. They also comment on how unpatriotic Twelve seems when the crowd refuses to clap for us. A few pre-Trial predictions are made just off appearances before the Capital mark and anthem are up again and the TV cuts out.

"Alright then. This year looks like it'll have some tough competitors." Jiraiya starts off as he turns to us. "So first things first, do you two want to work together for anything or be separate?"

"What's the point in working together when we have to kill each other in the end?" Kin asks the question on my mind as well. Tsunade's gone back into her bottle as Mizuki cuts out to go to sleep. Jiraiya lets out a small sigh but then starts talking again.

"I know, but I worked with my district opponent for a while myself before we split up to avoid that. I'm asking if you want to do the same or just be separate from the beginning." I glance at Kin and see her now staring at her hands in thought before looking at me and sighing.

"Apart would be better." I answer. "We're not friends really, more like she's friends with my girlfriend. And if we work together then the eventual split and possible fight is going to be all the harder. I don't think I'd be able to hurt her either anyways." Kin sends me a small smile at that admission before nodding to Jiraiya. He stares at us with a serious look before asking his next question.

"Okay then, do you want to keep your skills secret from each other or do you mind the other knowing. Since you'll be separate from one another, you may end up fighting and it's always good to have a secret trump card in a fight."

"Doesn't matter to me."

"Me either."

"Alright then, tomorrow morning we'll talk about your skills over breakfast. For now, get a good night's sleep and make peace with what you have to cause it's guaranteed at least one of you won't be coming back." He then gets up and leaves for his room without another word. We glance at Tsunade for a second to see if she has anything else to say only to realize she'd fallen asleep in her chair sometime while we were all talking. Kin and I get up quietly and leave to our rooms but right as I'm about to open the door to mine she stops in front of me and blocks my way.

"Did you really mean that?"

"Mean what?" I ask, somewhat confused as to what she's talking about. And why she's really stopping me for that matter since the toll of the day is starting to show and I want sleep.

"That you wouldn't be able to hurt me." Oh, that. I look to the side before nodding.

"Well, kind of. I guess I could hurt you if I need to, but actually killing you is another story altogether. A punch or cut to get away from a fight wouldn't bother me too much but killing you would leave a bad taste in my mouth." She nods her head in response.

"Yeah, same here." She then fidgets a little before looking me in the eye. "Listen, uh, if you make it back and I don't could you tell Tayuya I'm sorry? I mean, I promised her I'd do my best to come back but that's no guarantee." I blink as I realize she must've made the same promise I did just to another person.

"Uh sure I guess."

"And I promise, if I make it back I'll try and keep Sakura happy alright?" I nod with a small smile.

"Thanks Kin." She nods and gives another smile before moving out of the way and heading to her room as I watch her leave for a second. Then I shake my head and sigh as I open the door and walk into my own room. It's not much considering this is a train and yet at the same time I know for a fact the bedspread alone likely cost more than everything in my entire room combined. There's a dresser filled with clothes as well as a private bathroom and a small intercom next to the door. I take off my shirt and pants before hopping under the covers in just my boxers. It's not like things happen during this part of the trip so it's safe to relax. Plus since I may die soon, I may as well make as much use of the rich setting as I can.


"Okay, so what can the two of you do?" Jiraiya asks as we're all sitting at the table eating breakfast. Tsunade actually seems to be paying attention now so I suspect that she simply ignores the first day since nothing of interest or importance likely happens. Either that or she's just curious as to what we can do. Either way, as long as she's actually going to participate in the conversation this time then it's an improvement.

"Do you want to go first?" Kin asks so I shrug before cutting back into my pancakes. "I'm a decent enough marksman with senbon needles and I know a few genjutsu that work off sound. I can hunt small animals and I know a little more than basic first aid but that's about it." Jiraiya nods without a word before facing me.

"I was taught some decent taijutsu by my dad and can use only a couple jutsu. One is the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, which lets me make living breathing clones of myself that can act independently and the other is the Rasengan, an offensive close-range ninjutsu my father developed." I tell before going back to my food. Jiraiya nods his head.

"So the two of you are a long range support fighter and a close range combat type." The older man summarizes. We nod our agreement as Tsunade scoffs.

"What is it with people today? Neither of you even hinted at knowing medical ninjutsu."

"That's cause we don't." I answer. "In fact, I don't even know anybody that knows medical jutsu." Tsunade looks shocked by that before glancing at Kin and seeing her nod in agreement. The older blond runs a hand down her face before going back to her bottle of sake.

"Great, we've got another pair of dead fools."

"Hey! Just because I don't know how to heal myself with some fancy jutsu doesn't mean I'm automatically going to die." I don't know why since I had written myself off for dead earlier but hearing her tell me I'm dead just because I don't know a certain type of jutsu gets on my nerves. Maybe it's because I promised Sakura I'd come back and don't want to hear otherwise but Tsunade's adamant declaration of my assured failure makes me mad.

"Brat, the only reason I won was because I could heal my own wounds which kept me in better condition than everyone else. It's been seen in plenty of Trials since that practitioners of medical ninjutsu had a much better survival rate and chance at winning. Why don't they teach that stuff at your schools?"

"Maybe because they don't have anyone skilled enough beyond a couple minor jutsu to do so?" Jiraiya cut in. Tsunade instantly whirled on him.

"Oh don't start this shit again you old pervert. I'm not going to waste my time going and teaching my skills to a bunch of brats when it's guaranteed that a lot of them are going to die!" Apparently they have this argument every year if that response is anything to go by.

"Well if they don't have anybody skilled enough to teach the art how can they be expected to know? Besides, you could save a lot of lives if you did."

"I have better things to do than teach some brats!"

"Like what?" Kin shouts, now getting angry at the older woman. "It's well known in Twelve that you just stay at home all day and get drunk! Hell, outside of the Trials you're only seen going out to by food and even more alcohol! You don't have any right to complain when you're not even willing to try and help with the problem!" Tsunade is sitting there stunned as Jiraiya glances from the girl to the woman and back. Personally I agree with every word Kin said. To show my support I start clapping, making sure to send a smile towards her and a disapproving glance towards Tsunade. If she really is going to complain about something that she herself could easily fix just because she's too busy drinking away her life then she doesn't deserve the right to do so. Jiraiya just grins as I clap as Tsunade seems to regain some of her bluster by taking another drink.

"You better hope you're tougher than you look girly. In the Capital, you're mine."


Translation Notes

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)- A ninjutsu that separates the users chakra into equal parts to make living breathing clones of the user. The clones can think for themselves and cast jutsu of their own making them very versatile and able to be used in a variety of situations. An interesting effect of the jutsu is that when the clones dispel, whether by command or by taking too much damage, the user will recover whatever chakra the clone had left as well as gain the clones memories. The memory transfer feature makes this an ideal jutsu for recon missions or training.

Rasengan (Spiraling Sphere)- A seal-less ninjutsu that is formed by swirling pure chakra in the palm of the users hand. Since the jutsu requires no hand-seals, it can be formed and used in a second allowing for quick surprise strikes in close combat. The jutsu itself is very dangerous as well as it grinds away at whatever it hits. Striking a human body grinds away layers of skin and can even rupture organs and destroy bones if enough power is place into the jutsu. As a side note, the jutsu is incomplete as it still lacks an element. Both its creator Minato Namikaze and his son Naruto have been working on trying to fix this flaw in their spare time.

Author's Notes

I'm kind of disappointed that I only got a single review, but then again this isn't in a very big or popular section so I guess it's to be expected somewhat. Maybe I'll get more as the story continues? Anyways, next chapter is the Capital and the first impressions on the other chosen. I gave a few hints as to a few of the others I picked so see if you can guess who they are.