"Speech"

'Thought

Flashback (())

Disclaimer: I do not own in anyway Naruto. If I did the world wouldn't be so lame.

The gennin exhaled slowly as the chill reached his skin. Goosebumps rose up as his breath condensed the air in front of him. He stood shirtless as he marveled at the work of the Sandaime Hokage for what had to have been the tenth time that evening. The man was far more genius than he could have ever imagined. To have frozen an entire lake solid in mid spring with simple manipulation of chakra spoke volumes about what the man could accomplish. And it showed him how far he would have to go.

Focus. The blond chided himself as his blue eyes glanced around his bare surroundings. Where is he?

He currently stood atop the man made ice ring without a shirt and in simple shorts. The rules to this particular excercise were simple. Keep from falling unconscious. The icy footing made it difficult to keep his balance and forced him to continuously regulate a flow of chakra to his feet to keep his footing reliable. At the same time he was to keep a slow flow of chakra from the pores on his upper body in an attempt to keep himself from freezing.

This was an advanced sort of chakra training the Sandaime had introduced the day before. After he had successfully learned the water walking excercise to the degree that he was capable of sustained combat while staying upright the Hokage had immediately pulled him from the surface of the water before he used a single ninjutsu to freeze it to the core.

As he watched in awe the boy kept an ear open to the words the old man imparted on to him. You never know what kind of enviroment you'll be deployed in to and what kind of challenges you would meet there. And so you should always try to prepare as best as possible for it all. The old shinobi went on to tell him of the different long term assignments he had taken during his youth and the different environments he had been deployed in to during the days of war. He went on to say how something as simple as letting the smell of a swamp distract you could mean the difference between life or death. Or worse, winning a war and losing it.

"You never know what to truly expect Naruto." The man had said as he finished his ninjutsu. "As you rise in rank and reputation you'll be allotted missions that offer both a higher pay raise and a higher level of danger. From that point on the intelligence we give you can only take you so far. A number of things can change or go overlooked. Or perhaps your client will even flat out lie to you. I think you know exactly what I mean."

He did. He took note of those words as well. Just as he did everything the old Hokage had thrown at him.

In fact the more time he spent with the old leader the more he came to love the man's teaching style. It was unlike anything he had ever encountered before. It was a mixture of both sink and swim with a hint of 'this is why this happens'. Cause and effect with visual and physical examples.

It worked for him. And it was showing. For the first time in a long time Naruto enjoyed training. He enjoyed learning about the world of the ninja. Instead of going through the motions he woke up everyday with an eagerness to begin while going to bed at night tired yet satisfied. He knew it couldn't last forever so he took in everything he could as fast as he could.

There were two weeks left before the exam. He was prepared to make them count.

The slight shuffle on the wind reached his sensitive ears. The boy was moving a long time before the shuriken even reached his position. He moved across the ice in a controlled slide as he focused all his senses on to the world around him. The chakra on his skin tingled and rippled as it reached out to the world around him.

They had learned a week prior that he had minor talent as a sensor. If it came from blood or from the nine tails they did not know but it was useful none the less and added another thing for Naruto to focus his training on. Another avenue to increase his skill. For now he had little to know skill with it but he knew enough to help him find the direction of chakra that traveled towards him.

Like the flow underneath the ice below his feet.

With an application of control he didn't have before the blond shifted his chakra through his soles and in to the frigid ice below him. He stopped immediately before he hopped backwards. The timing was perfect as the meaty fist ripped from before him. He stopped and juked sideways as the summon fully freed himself from the water before rushing right at him.

He had quickly come to respect the strength of the Sarutobi head's contract. They were physically imposing and agile in ways that a human could never be. There tails acted as extra limbs and with their tremendous strength they made for excellent fighters in terms of taijutsu. Something he had come to find out the hard way.

The block came up in a near textbook example of what the Hokage had shown him. Rigid and firm it served it's purpose and stopped the haymaker inches before it met his face. He retreated quickly as the slightly taller animal began to press it's attack. Fist flew, feet flailed, and the tail twirled as his opponent for the day sought to teach him taijutsu the hard way. And the boy was quick to show what he had learned in response.

Block after block and strike after strike the blond struggled but never the less kept up with his assailant. The two danced across the frozen surface of the lake with a flurry of motion that normal people could barely see much less follow. Naruto ducked low under a hook before he lashed out a right sweeping punch of his own aimed for the ribs. It was slapped aside and the monkey to the chance to lean forward and fire off a quick knee towards the unprotect side the over extension created.

The blond was ready for that and with a slight application of his chakra in a circular motion he adjusted his footing and slid his body to the opposite side and brought the same arm in a returning back fist. The quick twitch fibers of the summon allowed it to avoid the strike by leaning it's head back with it's leg still extended. Falling backward it caught it's self with it's right hand while it's left leg switched the attempted knee in to a front kick.

The blow landed home and the gennin was uprooted from his feet but still maintained enough control to avoid from falling backwards. Instinctively his chakra re-attached his footing and he forced himself to breath as the assault continued. He raised his arms to defended each punch and shifted his base to avoid each kick. Taijutsu had never been one of his strong points. Something that could now be contributed to his lack of proper education.

But now he felt that he could at least take on most chunnin. And he would fight no one as strong or as fast as the Sandaime anytime soon. He may not be able to beat the Hyuuga genius in a straight up physical fight at this point but at least he wouldn't go down on the first few blows.

"Enough!"

The two combatants instantly split apart at the command. The gennin huffed and heaved as he took the time to catch his breath. The Hokage calmly stepped out on to the ice and walked towards them with his arms clasped behind his back. He looked over the two of them each before he nodded as he apparently found something he liked.

"Very good. Both of you." He commented as he puffed merrily on his tobacco. "It's seems as if you've actually got a work out from this Sanji."

The monkey, Sanji, nodded in reply as he too took the time to catch his bearings. A stirring of pride began to rise from deep within the gennin as he realized that he had caused that. The first time they had sparred the week prior he had barely been able to manage a full minute before he had been knocked down. Now he had nearly fought to a standstill.

"Thank you for your help. And please send Enma my thanks as well." The monkey nodded before it bowed to them both and dispelled. Sarutobi waited for the smoke to clear before he focused his attention solely on the blond.

"That was excellent work today. You've come a long way in your taijutsu in such a short time." He complimented. And it was true. More and more the gennin impressed him with his capacity for learning. "It is imperative that you keep your taijutsu training up. Many young shinobi overlook it for the flashy abilities of ninjutsu when it can be the difference between life and death. Obviously to be a Hokage you have to have some proficiency in each of the three main phases but the best thing to do is to be come well rounded enough."

The gennin frowned. "I thought working on too many skill was a bad thing." It was one of the few things he remembered from the academy. The Hokage nodded slowly.

"Yes and no. Most shinobi have neither the talent or the patience needed to completely round themselves. And it can be a bad thing to be a jack of all trades. But at the same time it can successfully cover weaknesses. You don't have that kind of excuse. You have the talent." Sarutobi argued.

Naruto nodded as he rolled his shoulders. "So what's next?"

"Next we'll begin summoning." The Hokage replied. "I have a surprise for you. For all your hard work."

The blond grinned slightly before he smothered it down.

"What I have in mind for you." He continued. "Is both beyond useful and beyond dangerous for you. Years ago in my occupation as a jounin I came across a fierce competitor from the now destroyed hot springs village. This man used an unusual sort of summoning and after his defeat I came across his scroll."

"Strange?" The blond questioned.

"Strange in the abilities it showed." The Hokage smiled at the gennin. "Abilities you'll have to learn your self. Summoning contracts are rare and valuable village resources. Konoha has the most at a total of ten in mass circulation. In order to sign a contract one must go through a long and extensive process that isn't even available until you reach special jounin levels. Of course there are some special cases in which these things can be circumvented. This is one of those such cases."

"I can use this summon?" The blond asked hopefully. The Hokage nodded.

"Naruto. You can have the scroll if you can convince them to take you in."

"We've got a problem."

The Hokage stopped mid step and turned in the hallway to face his old student. "Jiraiya. You've returned already?"

The sannin didn't say anything. His face full of the serious sort of conviction that he only showed during the most dire of circumstances. The village leader noted this and turned to continue his journey to the office he hadn't visited in over a month. If the sannin was here now this had to be important. He opened the door and stepped inside. A copy of him looking up in surprise. A nod and the person was replaced with an older looking women who rose from the seat. The sannin quickly stepped through the door and leaned against it.

"Are we clear?"

"Yes." The elderly woman answered as she shot a look between them and stepped from behind the large desk. "What's going on?"

"We apparently have a problem of grave importance." Sarutobi answered. "I'll leave it to you to relay it to Homaru. Jiraiya?"

"If you remember I said something not too long ago about checking up on Uchiha Itachi."

The two village elders shared a look before nodding.

"Then I sent a report noting a possible connection between him and Orochimaru."

"Yes?" The old fire shadow's voice now stern. A nervous edge creeping up. "What is it?"

"I found that connection. And it's not good." The sannin paused here and looked between the two. "It appears that a few years back, before Orochimaru became leader of sound, the two had been allies in an organization of some sort. A high class organization."

"What sort of organization?"

"The kind that spells bad news for not only Konoha but the entire ninja world. Apparently it was a group of ten with a very specific membership requirement... You had to be a missing-nin. S-class and wanted for some kind of heinous crime around the shinobi world." The words seeping in to their head. Even the sannin, who was reporting it, taking note of it again. "The bad kind of fuckers that you didn't want to mess with unless you had no other choice."

Koharu frowned. Worry showing in her eyes. "This does not bode well. Any idea as to what they were doing?"

"Oh yes. I have an idea." Jiraiya responded before taking a deep breath. "Apparently they were focusing on kidnapping. Or more specifically grabbing a certain group of people." His eyes quickly darting to the large bay window and the monument on the mountain. "The jinchuuriki. They're hunting them."

Sarutobi could not help but draw in a large gulp of air in surprise. Disbelief written across his face. A reaction that was matched by his old teammate.

"For what I don't know." Jiraiya continued. "But it can be safe to say it's not good. And from what I gathered Orochimaru rebelled and went in to hiding from them after he attempted to harvest Itachi's eyes... To which he was promptly beaten and tossed aside by our young mass murderer."

"Do you have any idea who else is included in the group?"

"No. The Akatsuki, their name, is very closely guarded. And I had to hide this informant for fear of his safety. But he did give me one piece of information. A measure of how dangerous they can be."

"What is it?" Dropping down in to his seat.

"You remember the civil war in Kiri correct?"

"How can we not?" Koharu replied as she choose one of the seats in front of the desk. "The bloodline limit purges."

"Rather insane." The Hokage added. "Blaming all the bloodline clans for their problems in wars."

"I've got some really chilling info that the Akatsuki had something to do with it. Rumor was that the last Mizukage was the sanbi jinchuuriki. And that after he was defeated it was unmasked that someone wearing a black cloak with red clouds had been using a jutsu to influence him for years... The calling card of the Akatsuki."

A tense silence descended on the room. The old Hokage sighed heavily as he dropped in to his chair and clasped his hands under his chin. Resting his head and weary eyes as he tried to maintain control of the wave of thoughts. He sat in the same chair that had been through so many of these situations before. Another crisis be falling his village. His home.

"We have to tell Naruto."

Koharu frowned. "What?"

"We have to tell Naruto." He repeated as his eyes moved up to meet hers. "Let him know of their presence and what they're after. Put him on alert for anything too suspicious."

"Is that wise?" She protested. "I just don't seem to believe Uzumaki can handle it."

"I agree with sensei on this." Jiraiya stepped in. "He'll find out sooner or later. But at least this way he'll have time to prepare himself. It involves him directly and in turn affects the village as a whole. He at the very least deserves to know. If only to keep his faith in the village."

"I suppose so..."

"It makes perfect sense." Hiruzen continued. "I'll leave it to you to tell him Jiraiya."

"Understood. I was planning on seeking him out after this. Only two days left."

"Meanwhile we'll be working to make a contingency plan for defending the village."

Koharu frowned even deeper. "You expect them soon?"

"No. Or at least I hope that isn't the case. Rather this is a precaution for the finals."

"The finals?" The sannin asked as he finally stepped away from the door. "Do you anticipate something happening."

The Hokage gave him a dull look. "Do you honestly not? You know Orochimaru as well as I do. He wouldn't have come out of hiding just to mark young Sasuke. He wants something more out of all this. The only question is what... Out of all the Uchiha left in the village why do you think he choose Sasuke? Because of his potential? His connection to Itachi? No. I believe the answer is far too visible to look that deep."

Koharu nodded her head. "For the simple fact that he has chosen the path of revenge." A heavy sigh escaping her. "It would be easiest to temp him with the promise of power. What he can't obtain easily here in Konoha. Of all the Uchiha left Sasuke is the most emotionally and mentally unstable. Others might have dreams of revenge but only he actively lets it rule his life."

"For that we have to keep a close eye on him. Especially considering his disposition towards Naruto. Seeing someone he previously disregarded improve so drastically in such a small amount of time could invoke him in to a fit of rage. And then I could easily see him falling in to Orochimaru's trap. Listening to the sweet whispers of power. It couldn't be something that we could put off though. Naruto needed the training. And this new development only makes it a more pressing matter."

"Hiruzen." Koharu began as she shot her old teammate a curious glance. "Do you honestly believe Uzumaki has improved that much in such a short time?"

"To be stronger then Sasuke? That isn't something I can say at this point without having an idea about how well Kakashi has trained him. With the Sharingan he has the potential for drastic improvement. But I do believe that Naruto has the ability to win this exam and show the skills necessary for chunnin promotion. To be honest I was at a lost for how much potential Naruto showed himself. He shows a surprising grasp when words are put in to the right terms. And his physical abilities were quite impressive to start."

"And the Kyuubi?"

"Not a problem." Jiraiya interjected. "Before we even began I put a seal on him to limit the Kyuubi's influence on him. I wanted to teach him how to manage his own power before delving in to that of the fox demon. And at first it seemed like a good idea. We were working on nature manipulation when his kekkei genkai resurfaced."

"Nature manipulation? A gennin?" She asked skeptically.

The sannin shrugged. "He was doing fairly well. Obviously I hadn't expected for him to gain complete control. But I wanted enough for him to manage higher level ninjutsu. I started with wind, being his primary nature, and figured with his massive chakra reserves he could use wind ninjutsu for mass area damage where he could not counter with inferior skill. Keep the Hyuuga boy from using taijutsu."

"I continued on that base." Hiruzen added, realising that they were now explaining Naruto's training. "Earth and wind natures are around a good level. He still needs a lot of work if he ever wants to get to the elite level but for now he's well beyond gennin. It's more then a little unfair at how quickly he's progressed considering he's the only one capable of using the kage bushin technique to it's full potential. Add to it his work with his kekkei tota, speed training, minor taijutsu adjustments, and summoning-"

"He can summon?" Jiraiya asked in real surprise, an expression that Koharu mirrored. "What is it? I had hoped he would continue the tradition and summon toads-"

"No." Sarutobi cut off as he shook his head. "He would not accept that. For that I gave him another choice. Do you remember Koharu? The scroll we found as a young team?

She frowned. "Those strange violent beast? They accepted him?"

The Hokage nodded. "Indeed. I was reluctant at first and insisted on staying with him for safety reasons. But in the end he supposedly impressed them quite a bit."

"So it's safe to say he's more then ready for the exam?"

"Indeed. Which means we have, for the moment at least, one less problem to deal with. And with that in mind we have to make a move now. Jiraiya, I'll be counting on you to watch over Naruto from here on out. Make sure he's prepared for this Akatsuki."

"Alright." Jiraiya nodded. "And as for Orochimaru-"

"Don't worry about that." Hiruzen cut in. "We'll be handling that. All I ask is that if something were to happen you would protect the village and it's occupants if I am predisposed with something else."

"Are you sure? I could-"

"No. Just what I've asked." Giving his old student a slight smile. "I don't want to worry you any more then I have."

The sannin frowned but gave in and turned to open the door. "Alright. I'll be on my way then. Check on the kid before the exam."

"Very well. Goodbye Jiraiya."

"See ya sensei."

The Hokage waited until he was sure his old student was gone before turning to the other occupant of the room.

"Now then. I'll need you and Homaru."

STAGE TWO

A SHIFT IN PERCEPTION

The air was full of excitement and the village was abuzz. Travelers from far and wide had marched upon the village hidden by the leaves in anticipation of this this one day. The final round of the chunnin exams were set to start that afternoon and everyone who was anyone were prepared to attend.

Around the village a festival had started and the people congregated together in groups by the thousand. Various bets were made on the outcome of the exams and nobles from various settlements came in droves to be wined and dined as they took the chance to check out the young future of the various shinobi villages.

Away from this all Naruto sat alone at his favorite ramen stand. His eyes traced the crowd of people before turned in his seat to face his ramen. This was the day he had been waiting for. The day he had busted his ass to get to. The day where he would really begin his journey. Today he would make sure the village knew his name.

And than the whole world.

His eyes glanced up to two of the few people in the entire village that had gained his respect. The sight of his favorite ramen spot filled to the brim with customers brought a now rare genuine smile to his face. They had always shown him kindness despite the trouble it caused them.

But that would all change now.

No point hanging around here any longer. Naruto thought as he looked around the crowded area. These people have come for a show after all.

With a wave of his hand he signaled the ramen stand server. "Thanks for the meal Ayame!" He called as he set down a stack of ryo that far exceeded the amount necessary before he slipped another piece of paper on top of that.

A hundred to one odds. He thought as he began to walk away from the stand. That'll put them in a great position.

And with that done the blond made his way to the newly built coliseum.

The roaring crowd was more than he expected. Far more. Thousands upon thousands of civilians, shinobi, and perspective clients had already packed the stands in preparation for what was to come. It was a sea of people so great the blond didn't even both to make a guess as to how many of them there were.

Over the break the Hokage had chosen to delve deeper in to the meaning of the chunnin exam. He expanded on how it's purpose of promoting unity was important but overall simply a front. Clients used their battles to measure the worth of the next generation and to decide where to put their stock for the future. Poor showings could mean the difference between a boom or a bust for each ninja's respective villages. Something that apparently Suna had already been feeling.

It was because of this the children of the Kazekage were even allowed to compete in the first place. As the first family of the village hidden in the sand they were to represent that despite falling on hard times the village still had more than enough talent at it's highest levels. Or at least that had been the idea. The fact that the only three sand ninja who attended the exam had all made it to the final round would help to validate that claim.

At least until they were knocked out by the home crowd that was.

"Hey Naruto. What's with the new get up?"

Naruto glanced down the line to his right where the young heir of the Nara clan looked over him. The blond frowned but didn't give anything else in return. He was unsure of how he felt concerning his fellow leaf gennin. Unlike most they had known him from the time spent in the academy together... And did nothing more but antagonize him. The more he thought on the subject the more upset it made him. He had always been subjected to unfair treatment by those around him and had largely gotten used to it. But still it annoyed him to have all of his attempts at friendship rebuffed or mocked.

And now the other leaf gennin wanted to act like they were great friends?

Naruto gave no verbal reply and instead faced the crowd ahead of them once again with full intent to ignore the question. His gennin teammate was missing and the young ninja briefly wondered if it was the work of his jounin former jounin sensei. Not that it would surprise him any. Kakashi and Sasuke were made for one another.

The Nara clan heir shook his head at the rude dismissal and gave the blond gennin another look over. He now wore a pair of lose fitting black pants with two small orange stripes running down the side while using his hiate-ate as a belt with it's black cloth. Strapped to both legs the blond wore the usual shinobi pouch with a stock of kunai for the left and shuriken for the right. A black vest zipped up to the middle of his chest covered a short sleeve orange shirt that just managed to reach down to his biceps. Bandages had been wrapped from just below the elbow up to the tips of his digits and fingerless gloves covering each hand while the meta plating below the knuckles protected the back. His hair had grown somewhat and now the bangs fell in to his eyes and obscured them just enough. And to top that all off for some reason the blond had taken to wearing a bright and obnoxious colored orange cloak to cover it all.

That aside he looked like an actual shinobi now. Or at least as much as one who was obsessed with the color orange could be. Still, if the blond gennin thought the change in uniform would help him in his fight against the Hyuuga prodigy he would be in for a rude awakening.

Maybe getting his face punched in again will finally teach him some respect. The Nara heir thought briefly before he snorted. Unlikely.

"All except for Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Neji need to leave the staging ground." The examiner proclaimed. Naruto briefly noticed it was a completely different man than it had originally been but didn't think anything of it as the gennin around him walked away. "Follow me Uzumaki."

The gennin followed the proctor as he led him a considerable distance away from his still opponent before he allowed him to turn back around. The two gennin faced each other as the examiner addressed the crowd around them who roared in anticipation. Everyone liked a good fight. Especially ninja fights.

The Hyuuga prodigy faced his younger opponent with the superior smirk he always sported. He looked over the smaller gennin before he snorted. "You can forget now and save yourself some humiliation."

The blond gennin frowned and made to open his mouth to reply before he stopped himself. He was letting his opponent get under his skin already. The Hokage had warned him of that and if he let himself fall victim to his enemies taunts he had already lost the battle between the minds. His lack of response did not seem to bother the young Hyuuga though and if possible the smirk seemed to grow brooder.

"Good." He spoke again. "You have complete confidence in your skills. It'll make crushing you all the more sweeter."

Again he only received silence.

The silence that spanned the distance between the two could be cut with a knife.

The exam proctor, chewing on this senbon, looked between the two young shinobi. Eyes glancing from the favored to the underdog. Despite everything he had been told about the two competitors up to this point he could not shake the feeling that this was going to be a battle that would be talked about for a long time in the village. Around them the crowd roared, anxious for the first fight. He raised a single hand high in to the air and held it with palm open.

"Are both of you ready?"

The Hyuuga nodded. The rookie gennin nodded.

He swiped his right hand through the air.

"Hajime!"

The first improvement the Hyuuga prodigy noted was the increase in overall speed. By the time the proctor had finished moving his arm the blond was in motion. One quick hop back to increase the distance was followed by the right hand reaching down and flicking free five shuriken. Than half a second later the two hands had together and the five metal stars had become fifty.

The Hyuuga stiffened as the customary veins around the side of his face bulged open. He bit his lower lip as his Byakuugan enhanced sight caught the glints of fire attached to the end of each metal star. Exploding tags.

Shit.

With his hand forced the young shinobi evaded the incoming death trap the only sure fire way he knew how. By spinning in a complete circle.

"Kaiten!" (Heavenly Spin)

The blond narrowed his eyes in surprise as the dome of solid chakra took shape around his adversary. The shuriken exploded on contact and a great wave of fire so intense he could feel the flames prickling his skin blossomed open. The gennin didn't waste any time in preparing his next move. A cross shaped seal later and two shadow clones popped in to existence around him before they darted off towards the dwindling cloud of smoke.

A pair of shuriken cut them both down mid way as the Hyuuga gennin ripped free of the devastation. He charged across the ground hard and fast as he sought to close the gap in order to attack the blond in close quarters. His feet slid to a halt and kicked up dirt and gravel as the other leaf shinobi began to make a row of seals even faster than he had before.

Suiton: Mizurappa! (Water Release: Water Trumpet)

The Hyuuga prodigy pulled his body in to a tight spin to the right to avoid the violent burst of water that ripped across the distance between the them. He focused on his footwork and came to a stop facing his opponent again only to jerk back as a wave of orange clouded his immediate vision.

The older gennin lashed out with a chakra coated palm strike and struck nothing but air as the younger gennin body flickered past his defense. The Hyuuga prodigy gritted his teeth as he lashed his left foot out directly behind him and forced the blond to evade by quickly turning his body to the side and slapping it away with a palm.

Using the momentum the Hyuuga quickly turned to meet his younger adversary and lashed out a front quick that was blocked by a raised knee. undeterred two hands lashed forward towards the chest in what would be crushing blows only for strong blocks to deflect them at the inner forearm. The blond dropped his knee and leaned forward to reach past the Hyuuga's guard. The action was meet with the prodigy quickly taking a step back before he realized he had been hand and hopped over the leg sweep the younger gennin had set up.

The blond leaned forward on to his two hands before he lifted his lower body up and lashed out with a quick side kick that stopped the prodigy's drive short. Then he focused a burst of chakra down and out with enough force to launch him sideways in to a roll. Standing quickly to face his opponent he leaned and knocked away another chakra infused blow with his right hand before he lashed out with a front kick from his right foot. The Hyuuga prodigy evaded that with a nimble side step as he moved to the outside and jabbed at the limb with two finger.

The two gennin became a flurry of strikes and blocks as they tried to land a solid blow. The crowd's combined voices rose in to a frenzy as the young leaf ninja went at each other with all the ferocity of bitter enemies. To the people it was an unexpected strong fight from what was supposed to be a quick encounter. The shinobi however saw something completely different. To them two young ninja flashed skill that boggled the mind when they factored their age and experience. The seasoned veterans saw two young ninja who's hand to hand combat skills far out stripped anything more then two thirds could have pulled off at the same stage in their own personal developments.

It was the future spread out before them.

"That can't be Naruto!" The Yamanaka clan heiress shouted as she looked down on the arena below them. "Tell me that's not Naruto!"

Haruno Sakura opened her mouth to reply before she snapped it shut. Her body had gone still and her own eyes were open with shock as she stared down at the scene before her. She wanted to say something, anything really, but couldn't. Because despite the loyalty she wanted to show to her teammate there was just now way that was Uzumaki Naruto.

"Tell me it isn't him!" The blond kuniochi had taken to gripping the metal railing in front of her to express her disbelief physically. "That isn't Naruto-"

"It is." The male beside her cut in roughly. "That's him alright. Only he could stand to wear that much orange." Inuzunka Kiba's voice was serious and out of character. In his lap the small puppy that served as his partner curled up as it watched the match along with it's master.

"But how?" The girl stressed. "How the hell did Naruto of all people get so good?"

"Oh I don't know." The boy snarked sarcastically. "Maybe by training? I know if I were given two months to work with and heard everyone counting me out you best better believe I would do everything I could to show them wrong." The words were rough but truthful all the same.

But what kind of training could turn someone so helpless in to something so fierce? Haruno Sakura rationalized as she watched her teammate twist and twirl with the older gennin. She could scarcely believe it herself but here he was matching an older and more experienced opponent blow for blow. The short boy who was more brawler than ninja had managed to keep up with previous year's best rookie. A member of an honored clan who was known specifically for their skill in hand to hand combat.

And this one was known as the most gifted they had.

How in the hell was he doing this?

The Hyuuga prodigy felt the opening before it even came up. A feint with his right hand forced the blond to guard. A mistake that the older gennin capitalized. With a simple shift of his footing he reached out and further batted the arm apart. Inside his younger opponents guard Hyuuga Neji snapped off three quick finger taps before he finally landed a fierce palm strike that sent the younger gennin stumbling back.

Without missing a beat the white eyed prodigy flashed forward before he rose up and launched a side kick directly to his adversary's chest. The shorter gennin flew back with wide eyes as he hit the ground with a thud and rolled back feet over head. With his smirk back in place the Hyuuga quickly rushed forward again and followed after with the intent on ending the match.

Only to stiffen in surprise as his combatant dispelled in to a puff of smoke mid roll.

The blond erupted from the ground with the force of a breaching whale. The long haired gennin slid to a stop and leaned back just enough so that the uppercut only snapped his teeth shut by brushing the edge of his chin. But off balance he was unable to stop the flowing kick that slammed in to his stomach with far more force than anything that blond had shown up to that point.

The older leaf gennin felt the air forced from his lungs as he was sent jolting backwards by the strike. He fell on to his back and slid for half a second before experience forced him to roll his body to the right in order to avoid the knee drop that landed where he had just been. Even with no air in his lungs the Hyuuga gennin lashed out, turning his body sideways and throwing a quick kick that caught the turning blond in his side.

Naruto grunted as he to hit the ground before he rolled with the momentum and forced his way on to his feet. Neji was on him the next second and the blond retreated as he blocked the rough series of strikes the older gennin leveled at him. Seeing no other way to put distance between them the blond took a gamble and turned his body to the right. He grunted as two strikes slammed in to his shoulder as he skip-hopped to escape the onslaught. Though he could feel the area start to numb immediately the maneuver paid off as it allowed him to pull free three shuriken to cover his tracks.

The Hyuuga prodigy juked to the side as the stars flashed toward him before he slammed to a stop as he looked up to see the younger gennin crouched down before him with one hand on the ground.

The two went still for nearly ten seconds before the younger gennin's face grew grave.

"Before we continue." He said. "I want to ask you... What the fuck is your deal?"

The branch family member blinked slightly in surprise before his brow furrowed. The veins surrounding his eyes pulsed with irritation as he processed the words. He grit his teeth and his right hand twitched in frustration.

"My deal?" The words were hollow and dead. "You want to know what my deal is?"

The blond frowned. "Damn right I do. Why did you go off like that before? What has she ever done to you-"

"Hyuuga Hinata is a failure." The older gennin cut in. "Right now, in their graves, our ancestors laugh at the idea alone that someone like her would take on the title of clan head." His white eyes pinned the younger gennin to the spot.

"A failure?" Naruto echoed in disbelief. Neji nodded as he calmly stood to full height and crossed his arms.

"That is correct. She, who was born heiress to our clan, is routinely mocked. She is unsuitable for the life of a ninja and the horrors it can bring. She is shy to a fault and dislikes causing suffering of any kind. She doesn't have the will in her to strike down the clan's enemies."

Naruto's mind flashed back to wave country and the kind young man who had spared Sasuke's life only to die himself. It was as the Hyuuga prodigy said. Some people weren't made for the horrible nature of the ninja life. But even still who was he to tell someone what they could and couldn't do?

This was the kind of person that made him the most angry.

"The Hyuuga clan is proud." The older gennin continued. "Our lineage goes back to the time even before the shinobi arts came about. We are warriors at our core and noble on our exterior. For generations we have been serving the leaf village proudly as members of it's shinobi core. And yet the next head of our family can not even defeat her younger sister four years her junior? This is unacceptable in our eyes."

"And that gives you the right to belittle her?" Naruto challenged as the crowd above them began to get restless with the stop in the action. "That gives you the right to step on her dreams?"

The older gennin scoffed. "Dreams? Hyuuga Hinata's dreams are just that. They aren't things that can be accomplished. She's the kind of person who wants peace for everyone in every little thing. She doesn't like conflict of any nature. Her dreams consist of us holding hands from Kumo to Kiri and singing about kindness and happiness."

He chuckled darkly and gave a shake of his head.

"Those aren't dreams. Those are delusions. There is too much hatred and animosity between the people for what she desires. Even in this village there are grudges generations deep that can never be overcome. Something she can never understand. Something she refuses to even try and see."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he tried to rein in his temper.

"As for my deal? I have a personal vendetta that extends not only to my younger cousin but to all members of the main branch family. My deal is that I don't even had a choice in my own life. My deal is that my fate has already been sealed."

The blond narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Your faith has been chosen for you?"

"Indeed." Neji replied as he opened his eyes. "And the fate of all other branch members. To live and die as slaves of the main branch due to the juin jutsu placed upon our foreheads." His hands had began to rise up to his face.

Naruto said nothing as the older gennin reached back and untied his forehead protector. His eyes instantly zoned in on to the array displayed across his forehead. He had heard about this from the Hokage. About that the horrible treatment of the Hyuuga clan branch members and the origins of said seal.

"With this seal on my forehead my fate is already written. I will die a slave to the main family as all branch members before me have." His face became twisted and his expression bitter. "As my father did."

Naruto raised an eyebrow as they came to the heart of the matter. "Your father?"

"Yes. My father who was killed for the sake of the main branch. Sacrificed for a mistake he did not make." He took another deep breath to calm himself before he continued. "Years ago, when I was still young, the leaf village held a festival designed around peace. And the honored guest was a diplomat from Kumo. A jounin."

Naruto remembered that. He had been unable to go for fear of how the people would react. But he did remember that the Hokage had been too busy with the diplomat to see him.

"It was a farce. A lie so that Kumo could pull another underhanded tactic." Neji said. "In truth the man was here for one thing only: to steal the Byakuugan of the Hyuuga clan. And as such he choose his target. Young lady Hinata. As you can tell the attempt fell. In his rush to escape the kidnapper had been tracked down by our clan head, her father. But in his anger instead of capturing the man he killed him swiftly. A mistake that made for a political disaster."

The blond could already see where this was going and didn't like it. It was a deep seated grudge that he admitted had some claim to it. Suddenly the older boy didn't seem as much of an asshole as he originally thought.

"Kumo of course denied any involvement and instead threatened with war. The only way to appease them was to give them the life of the man who had killed their diplomat. But that wasn't possible. The main family head could not be expected to take responsiblity for his mistake. And so instead they sent a decoy in his place. His twin brother. My father." The words were said with a snarl that made it clear what he thought on the matter and Naruto could not blame him.

"Because Hiashi-sama could not control his temper my father had to die. I hate that. But I do understand it." The gennin's hands had become fist at that point. "But to see my younger cousin acting this way? Weak. Helpless. Useless?!"

"I makes you feel as if your father's sacrifice was in vain." Naruto cut in quietly. Even so they Hyuuga prodigy seemed to have heard him. He shook his head again and caused his long hair to sway with the action.

"More than that. I've trained every day to make myself the kind of shinobi my father would be proud of. I've learned, despite the intent of the main branch to hide the resources from us, manuevers like the heavenly spin on my own. I've mastered every challenge sent my way. And yet no matter how far I get I'll never get the respect I deserve."

He's beyond angry. Naruto thought as he eyed his opponent. He's pissed. And I can't say I blame him.

Once upon a time he would have stopped the older gennin there and yelled things at him. Things like he was nothing more than a fool or selfish. He would have once declared something like he didn't believe in fate and would do everything in his power to change his perception as well. He would have made promises about the things he would have accomplished when he took on the mantel of Hokage. And that he would make sure that the branch Hyuuga were free.

Now. He just didn't care.

"I don't know." Neji continued as he reached up to to his forehead protector back. "If the clan head, my uncle, even cares that my father died. I used to imagine that he did and felt a great amount of guilt for it. But than again we'll never probably know. And instead every day I have to watch the person my father was sacrificed for fail again and again." He pulled the clothing tight before he slipped back down in to his stance.

"That's what my deal is."

What's going on down there? Haruno Sakura thought as she shifted over to another seat on her right to make room for the newest addition to their viewing group.

It was more than a little surprising when Rock Lee had descended from the stairs and had asked for a seat. The fact that the gennin was moving at all was beyond remarkable. The will power needed to force his body to be here had to be staggering. Not that Sakura couldn't understand why he would push himself. Even she knew how significant it was for him to be here.

"Excuse me." The brown haired girl who had helped him down the stairs had began to speak. "But could you tell us what's going on right now?" Sakura couldn't remember her name but knew her as the teammate of Lee and the Hyuuga prodigy. Of course any answer she would have had didn't even make it to her lips before the blond next to her leaned forward and began to give an avid recap.

Sakura frowned as he moved her head out of the way of flying limbs. It was strange to say the least. One minute they were tangled in a complex series of taijutsu moves and the next they were calmly speaking to one another. She didn't know what to make of it. Naruto didn't usually do anything more but rush his opponent and try brute force.

But than again he was doing a lot he didn't normally do.

"And then they broke apart before..." The Yamanaka clan heiress trailed off with a frown. "Before they started talking."

The disbelief on the brown haired kuniochi's face was amusing to say the least. "I see." Though she didn't believe it. Rock Lee on the other hand had a bright smile on his face as he looked down on to the arena below them.

"I knew Naruto-kun could do it!" It felt a little wrong cheering against his teammate but there was more than just squad pride on the line here. "If anyone is a genius of hard work it's him!"

His teammate frowned as she looked to him and started to say something before the boy at the far end from her spoke up.

"There starting again!"

Naruto rolled his neck before he nodded his head. "I can respect that than. I was just a little curious."

The older gennin said nothing and simply stared back at him with bulging eyes. The blond didn't take offense to this and simply took a deep breath knowing that the slight intermission was over. His curiosity had been indulged long enough. It was time to finish this.

Here we go.

Clapping his hands together the blond ran through a series of seals before he channeled chakra to the tips of his toes and pushed off. The Hyuuga prodigy didn't even bother to match the charge. Instead he choose to widen his base and flood his right arm with chakra as he prepared to reveal one of his new techniques. Taking a deep breath Neji dipped his hips further before he took a hard step forward with his left foot and threw his right arm out towards the charging Naruto.

Hakke Kuushou! (Eight Divination Sign Air Palm)

Naruto blanched as the wave of chakra rushed towards him across the expanse between them. Unable to dodge in time inspiration struck him. A seal less shadow clone popped in to existence beside him as he slid to a stop. It reached out and grabbed him by the shoulders before heaving him aside with all it's might. The wave of chakra decimated the clone and Naruto winced mid air as the memories rushed in to his head. He righted himself and landed in a crouch.

Only to jerk back in surprise as the Hyuuga prodigy entered his space via shushin. The arrogant smirk was back as the Hyuuga spread his arms wide and crouched down before him.

"Your in the range of my divination." He announced as his Byaukugan took in the location of the blond's tenketsu and two fingers extended from each fist.

Shit!

Hakke Rokujuuyonshou! (Eight Divination Sign Sixty-Four Palms Of The Hand)

"Two!" Neji shouted as two fingers slammed in to the blond.

"Four!" Naruto snarled as the assault began in earnest. "Eight!"

"Sixteen!" His hands only blurs the Hyuuga prodigy turned his body to assault a different section of the body.

"Thirty Two!" It was now that something occurred to him and the Hyuuga prodigy realized that something was very wrong.

"Sixty Four!" His furious attack continued as his arms became nothing more than blurs. He struck and pushed chakra at each of the points he saw before he realized that pain had began to shoot back in to his own arms.

A startled gasp ripped free as his attack finished and he realized with his Byakugan enhanced sight that none of the tenketsu he had attacked had been closed. He finished by slamming a palm in to the blond's chest intent on launching him away only for him to finalize realize that he had been hitting something solid the entire time.

His gaze snapped up from the chest the younger gennin's eyes.

Now the blond held the arrogant smirk.

"Your in the range of an ass whoppin."

What had followed next was a completely different experience for the Hyuuga prodigy. The blond slapped his hands together in a ram seal and his smirk widened. Neji watched in surprise as black markings suddenly spread across his skin before completely fading from view. He took the time to hop a few steps back for distance as he tried to figure out what had happened...

He didn't get far.

One shushin later and the blond was in his space before he delivered a right swing that was far faster and far stronger than anything he had delivered before. Neji deflected the blow away with a slap of the opposite hand but was unable to react fast enough to avoid the follow up knee to the side. He gasped as pain instantly began to spread from the point of origin before the right fist returned again and nailed him in the opposite side.

Instincts hardened by training and experience began to kick in as he sought to escape the blond's sudden assault. It was all for not though as he took another right to the stomach and a snap kick to the same abused side. Staggering back the Hyuuga prodigy preformed the strongest body flicker he could manage as he moved to put distance between them. And it worked, or so he thought, up to the point where the blond dropped to his knees instead of following and instead began to flick through hand seals faster than anything he had shown up to that point.

Doton: Doryuu Heki! (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall)

With his enhanced vision Neji saw the large wall suddenly sprout up from ground behind him. Mid shushin he barely had time to stop himself from going splat and paid the price when the chakra he had expelled in the opposite direction slammed back in to his own body. He winced and closed his eyes for a brief second as he tried to stop all his momentum.

More than enough time for Naruto to continue his work.

Three hand signs and a body flicker of his own later and the blond had covered half the distance between them before he thrusted both his hands with open palms at his opponent. Byakugan active Neji saw the build up of chakra seconds before the jutsu took effect.

Fuuton: Reppushou! (Wind Release: Gale Wind Palm)

The jutsu covered the distance between them in a flash. Neji was uprooted from his feet and thrown back with tremendous force before he was slammed in to the wall. His body seized up and the gennin coughed up a wad of blood as his midsection was abused. He slid down to his knees and fell on to his hands as his world twisted around him and a throb of pain began in the back of his head. Through sheer will power alone the Hyuuga gennin focused his vision enough to see what came next.

The three shadow clones covered the remaining distance between them with more of the same surprising speed. The older gennin forced his way to his feet as fast as he could and lashed out his left palm in an attempt to stop his attackers. It was a sloppy and useless gesture. The first clone that reached him slapped the hand down roughly as it flipped over him. Catching it's self against the wall using chakra coating it's hands it launched a mule kick in to his back that sent him sprawling back down and on to the ground.

Half a second later the clone had leaped down and falling on to his back as the two others slid to a stop on either side and grabbed each of his arms. Frustrated Neji could do nothing as the three clones each drew a kunai and placed the tips near his naked jugular. There was no more struggle. The older gennin with wide eyes deactivated his bloodline limit before his head fell over in shame.

He had been beaten.

"In the academy." Naruto shouted from the distance between them. "The clone jutsu was my worst skill. Three times I failed because I was unable to do it. But instead of letting it dictate how I should live I choose to keep on working." A smirk and a shake of his head. "Now it's one of my best. Don't let anyone tell you want you can and do or what you can or can't be."

He turned his attention to the awe struck examiner standing off to the side. "Well?"

The chunnin looked between the two of them and shook his head as he scoffed in disbelief.

With a hand raised to the sky he turned to the crowd around him and shouted the words the blond had longed to hear.

"Winner. Uzumaki Naruto!"

The roar of pure emotion that followed was sweeter than any ramen could ever be.

"He won!" Yamanaka Ino shouted in disbelief her facial expressions matched. "That idiot actually won!"

Haruno Sakura sat in equal disbelief as she looked down on to the arena floor below them. The abundance of noise around them keeping her thoughts from properly forming. Jaw dropped she watched as the clones dispelled and the proctor lowered the wall of earth that had erupted from the ground. Her eyes traced her own teammate's form as he walked over to the obnoxious orange cloak and reclaimed it as medic loaded his older opponent on to a stretcher to take away.

What in the hell did she just watch?

On her left side the strangely dressed gennin with crutches had gone wild with glee as his brown haired companion stared dumbly at the battlefield while muttering something under her breath. To her opposite side the brown haired male gennin had taken to simply shake his head with a smile as the puppy in his lap continued to yip and bark.

Still her brain refused to work.

He won? Her happy go lucky helpless teammate won?

Of course he did. That was what Naruto did. He overcame obstacles he he had no business even trying to take down. He defeated enemies who he should have never even challenged. He...

He won.

A smile split her face as the fact seemed to take root. He had won.

And for today that was more than enough.

"Way to go Naruto!"