Demon on Puppet Strings
By
Ragnorokrising
Hey guys, I need a good artist to do me a favor. Could someone do a fan art of Quick Silver for me?
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Chapter Three: Academic Treason
Naruto didn't go back to the academy till the day of the exam two years later. He would have smiled with glee at their shocked faces if he still had his emotions. Everyone stared as he turned in a massive pile of homework. Iruka smiled at Naruto and put the work in a draw. "It's good to see you Naruto. How have you been?" he asked with a smile.
"I have been very well Iruka-sensei." He said. Without another word, he turned around and moved over to his seat between Shino Aburame, heir to a clan that used chakra eating bugs. Naruto nodded to him and he nodded back.
"Well," Iruka said, addressing the whole class, "it's time for the Genin Exam today. So today you will have to perform the three jutsu we have learned."
Naruto paled slightly. He raised his hand to get Iruka's attention. "Iruka-sensei, I forgot how to do the jutsu."
Every mouth in the room fell open. Iruka was the first to shake it off. "WHAT!? Naruto what have you been doing?"
"I've been working on a new, more advance set of puppets to use. I haven't had time to work on remedial jutsu even these pathetic excuse for ninja could do." He said, ignoring the shocked looks from around the room. "The only ninja with potential in this room are the clan heirs, Gaara, I, and Haruno."
"Naruto, the council says you have to know these fundamental jutsu. I don't get a say in the matter. Just try your best and hope you're lucky." Naruto clamped his jaw with a clack that made the other students jump. He nodded and Iruka pulled out a sheet of paper with the names of every student in the class on it.
"Okay class," he said, making a few marks on the paper by the names, "we'll be going in alphabetical order. You'll go into the back room where Mizuki-sensei and I will be waiting. We will ask you to perform the three jutsu and if you can, you will automatically pass. While one of you is testing in the back room, the rest of you will work on a written exam. And after this, we will have a free style contest to determine the top member of the class. First up is Shino Aburame."
Mizuki passed around a paper, filled with trivial questions about history, geography, math, and jutsu. Naruto easily finished it, because most of it was in the scrolls left by Sasori, or in books he had read to find new puppets.
Every few minutes or so, a student would come out either with a headband displayed proudly, or with their head hung down in shame. He calmly waited for the time when his name would be called. He began to draw doodles of puppets he would like to create and eventually wiped it clean with a large eraser.
Finally, after the longest hour Naruto had ever endured, Iruka came out of the room. "All right, time for the final student, Naruto Uzumaki. Please, come into the back room."
Naruto stood up and walked into the room. It was small, with a desk on the back wall with two chairs behind it. On the desk was a single headband. Behind the chairs, where Iruka and Mizuki now sat, was a chalk board. Written on it was:
Transformation
Substitution
Clone
"Okay Naruto," Iruka began, "you have to perform each of these jutsu to a satisfactory level." He nodded and Naruto took a deep breath. Thinking of an image, he was surrounded in a cloud of smoke. A moment later, a tall boy of fifteen with hair as red as blood dressed in a black robe with red clouds appeared before them.
"Very good Naruto. And who is this person you transformed into?" Iruka asked as Naruto changed back to normal.
"That was the person I learned the Puppet Technique from, Sasori of the Red Sand." Iruka and Mizuki looked at each other in suspicion as Iruka checked off the Transformation on the board.
Without warning, Mizuki threw a kunai at Naruto. In a flash of smoke, the table appeared in the air, and the kunai imbedded itself in the wood. Naruto caught the headband that was falling through the air and handed it to Mizuki. Iruka checked off the Substitution box and smile slightly.
"Alright Naruto, all you have to do is make at least three clones, and you pass." Naruto inhaled and began to gather chakra, condensing the flow so the clones would appear correctly. And with a long row of poofs, eight real looking, and one pale, sickly looking Naruto, appeared. Iruka happily checked off the Clone box and threw Naruto the headband.
The blonde tied the headband around his forehead and left the room. He sat back down next to Gaara, who handed him a scroll which held his puppets. Naruto quietly thanked him and sat down, opening up a book detailing all of the most dangerous ninja from each country, their skills, and their weapons and equipment.
"Well," Iruka said, passing out the tests, "grades were very good. The three highest scorers, from lowest to highest, are Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and, surprisingly, Naruto Uzumaki." The class stared at the blonde, who sighed silently and put the book away. "Now, if you would all please come out to the training yard, we can have our free style contest."
The students stood and began to move towards the door, when suddenly, Gaara wrapped Naruto and himself in a sphere and sent them hurtling through the door and through the hallway.
"Show off." Someone snorted. The class quickly moved to the training ground where they met up with Naruto and Gaara. Iruka brought out a chalk board with him and he began to right down the names of students, boys and girls, who would fight each other.
"This is a tournament style contest." Iruka explained as he drew lines connecting the names together, eliminating one each time, until it came down to one. "Winner will receive a very special prize, created by the Hokage himself."
A ripple ran through the crowd. The boys began to cockily boast about their skills. Naruto and Gaara listened intently to what they said. "Hey," a boy with a dog by him said, "can you two losers not do anything or something?" he said. The other boys began to laugh with him.
"Actually," Naruto said, hating the way the boy assumed he was better, "we're smart enough not to tell everyone exactly what skills we have and their descriptions. And I'm sure you've heard of us through the grape vine."
"Nope, never heard of you." He said, shrugging.
"Hey, you two!" Mizuki yelled, pointing at Naruto and the boy. "You're up first."
The boy jumped into the make shift ring the teachers had set up. "Well, I'm Kiba Inuzuka, and this is my partner Akamaru." The little puppy at his feet barked loudly. "And we're gonna kick your ass."
Naruto stepped calmly into the ring and pulled out two scrolls. "I am Naruto Uzumaki, master puppeteer of Konoha." With two explosions of smoke, Rotaru and Hoshimaru appeared. The students gasped as the Uchiha and Hyuuga puppet began to click as their internal mechanics were activated. "And you are much too cocky."
"BEGIN!" yelled Iruka. Instantly, Kiba threw a pill to Akamaru and the little dog caught it. Instantly, his fur turned deep red and he jumped on Kiba's back. The Inuzuka lowered his head into his interlaced hands. When he brought it back up, he had become more canine-like, with longer incisors and long claws. Akamaru exploded in a blast of smoke, becoming a clone of Kiba.
"Eat this Uzumaki! Double Piercing Fang!" Kiba yelled as he and Akamaru jumped forward, turning into two spiraling tornadoes. They twined in and out of each other, flying through the air towards Naruto. Rotaru landed in front of him and began to flash hand signs. A wall of rock exploded upwards and blacked the two tornadoes. However, the wall began to rock as the tornadoes drilled through.
Kiba grinned as the rock gave way. However, as soon as they busted through, Hoshimaru was waiting for them, with several long scythe blades protruding from her body. "Eight Trigrams: Rotation." Naruto said loud enough for everyone to hear. The puppet began to spin, forming a sphere of chakra around her. The scythe blades spun with her, making it difficult for Kiba to get to Naruto. With a flick of his hand, Naruto sent Hoshimaru after them.
The three swirling attacks chased after each other in a wild dance of power. Several times, Hoshimaru sliced through the wind of one of the two Inuzuka and cut them. The Kiba would stumble and quickly restart the attack. Thinking quickly, Naruto had Rotaru perform a few quick hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu." He said. The puppet expelled a stream of flames that ignited Hoshimaru's Eight Trigrams: Rotation.
Kiba and Akamaru focused solely on fleeing Hoshimaru, forgetting Rotaru. The Uchiha puppet flashed through hand signs and was pulled underground. A moment later, he shot up into the air from beneath Kiba and Akamaru with a tight mesh net that ensnared them instantly. Kiba and Akamaru both spun slightly, dizzy from their own jutsu.
"Winner, Naruto Uzumaki!" Iruka yelled. The class grumbled and clapped slightly as Naruto sealed up the puppets and went back to the sidelines with Gaara. He watched the rest of the fights with interest. Most of the clan heirs won, except for the Yamanaka Heir, who was yelling at Sakura Haruno. Gaara ended up facing said girl, knocking her out with a single wave of his hand that sent a blast of sand slamming into her.
In his next match, Naruto faced Shikamaru Nara, the heir to a clan that used shadows to control their enemies. Naruto summed out Senna this time. The Uchiha was able to anticipate his moves, thanks to the ocular seal on her eyes that linked her sight to Naruto's, giving him the ability to see through her eyes whenever he wanted to. She broke his hand seals and threw him out of the ring.
Gaara faced off against Hinata Hyuuga. The hesitant girl was swept up in a wave of sand and spin around and around until she puked. Gaara gently floated her through the window of the infirmary and released her onto the bed. After Gaara's match was Shino, versus Choji Akimichi. The Akimichi used his clan jutsu, turning himself into a massive ball, but the Aburame simply jumped into the air and released his bugs. Choji was sucked dry of his chakra in an instant.
Sasuke Uchiha fought against Shino in the next round. Shino kept his bugs inside of himself, making it easier for him and his partners to dodge the fireballs Sasuke was unleashing. Several times, Gaara's sand swept around the ring, blocking stray lines of flames that would have hit another student. And Sasuke kept up the jutsu, even as sweat began to pour down his body. He began to sway, and only a quick set of water style jutsu kept the school from catching on fire.
Iruka jumped in and stopped Sasuke. "Calm down Sasuke. You let your anger get the best of you and wasted all of your chakra. Not only that you almost hurt other people in the process. I'll make sure I tell your future sensei this. He hates that kind of attitude."
Sasuke was taken to the infirmary and put to sleep so his chakra would recharge quicker. Meanwhile, Naruto and Gaara were standing in the ring. People were smiling in excitement at seeing these two fight. They were best friends, but they were also the best in the class.
"BEGIN!" yelled Mizuki. In a big puff of smoke, Quick silver appeared and was moved into a battle position. Naruto had modified him some more. He now had four arms and the chain scythe was missing. He was taller, and each tail had a compartment on near the top on the left and right side and a collapsible tip where a poison drenched blade could slide out of. Inside each arm was a tank on a rotator that spun to the next when one was emptied. The Sandaime had made them specifically with a seal at the bottom that held fire, water, wind, and lightning.
The head now had a third eye on it. It had a seal designed originally by the Yondaime Hokage that cast a beam that allowed the caster to see through the object, called an X-ray seal. Each arm had a built in katana that extended from a hilt stored inside the arm. And with a simple finger movement, the upper arms and head could combine into a drill. Naruto connected all ten fingers to it, so as to completely focus on Gaara.
The sand rushed forward in a massive tidal wave that was intended to engulf Naruto. However, he began to move his hands in rapid movements and Quick Silver went into action. Flames poured from the palms of each hand and collided with the sand, turning it to glass. The puppet drilled through the sand and rushed Gaara, spewing a concentrated stream of water that sliced through the ground with ease. The Jinchuuriki let loose with more waves of sand. Every time, Naruto would counter the move with some kind of hidden trap.
That was until Gaara brought all of his sand down on top of the puppet. Naruto could no longer operate the joints, because Gaara had filled them with sand. So he abandoned it and moved on to jutsu. He flashed through hand signs and took in a huge breath of air.
"Dual Elemental Style: Wind and Fire Drill!" he yelled. Instantly, a massive spiraling drill of burning air fired towards Gaara and he refocused all his sand to blocking it. The other students and the teachers we captivated by the battle, unable to look away for an instant.
"Give up Naruto, you're going to lose." Gaara told him as his sand pushed back.
"You aren't thinking clearly Gaara. You should have destroyed Quick Silver when you had the chance." Naruto said. Gaara turned, only to find the puppet gone, a large hole in its place. Suddenly, a blast of lightning exploded upwards and Quick Silver appeared, his tails poised to kill Gaara with the twenty-seven swords extended, the poison dripping to the ground and eating away at it. The drill of air and fire exploded, sending sand everywhere. Gaara stepped back, his hands in the air.
"I give in. Naruto has proven he can kill me at his will." Everyone stared in amazement as Naruto withdrew Quick Silver, sealing him into a tattoo in his arm. Iruka smiled as he handed Naruto a ring made of black metal, inscribed with seals.
"Naruto, this is a ring forged by the Hokage himself. It uses your chakra for three purposes. One, you can use it to form a chakra shield around yourself, at the cost of chakra. Two, it comes with three matching rings, that don't have the first or third ability, that can act as radio communication devices. And three, it can contain chakra that you can then use, with any chakra you want to put into it, to fire a concentrated beam of chakra."
Naruto slid the ring onto his right index finger. He exhaled and spun around to face a target. The chakra gathered around the ring and fired through the target, ripping a large hole through the middle. He nodded to himself and slid the hand into his pocket. In a puff of smoke, he disappeared, reappearing on the roof of the apartment building where he was attacked.
A hallway was suspended between the building and the four around them and each of those was connected by a similar connection. Puppets moved in and out of the building, keeping up the buildings and protecting the area. This would become the clan compound once he finally started a family. Until then, it was the perfect place to build puppets, practice jutsu, store weapons, and practice seals.
He jumped over to the building facing the south, and into the building. Each building was facing the direction that their reason corresponded with. South was for the seals. Naruto pulled out the ring from the Hokage and began to study the item. He placed it on a special seal that showed a hologram of the ring dissected. He began to copy down the diagram so he could recreate it, or something like it, later on.
Naruto slipped the ring back onto his finger and moved through the buildings to the east building, used to create his puppets. For the rest of the day, he worked on creating his newest puppets. He finished an hour before sunset, and spent the next three hours practicing with them.
As soon as he had sealed them into the new seal on his arm, the Hokage arrived. "Naruto, have you been here this whole time?"
Hearing the desperation in the Hokage's voice, Naruto nodded. "I just finished my new puppets. Why, what's wrong?"
"Someone stole the forbidden scroll from my office while I was away. The civilians and a lot of ninja are blaming you."
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "I have video footage of being here. They can't blame me." He said as he pulled an empty scroll over to him with a chakra string. "I'm going to search for the scroll. I'll make sure to report to you as soon as I do."
The Hokage nodded before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Naruto took off across the village as fast as possible. He pumped chakra into his legs and jumped as high as he could, making the roof of the house he was on collapse slightly. He soared high enough to see over the wall and pulled out a special pair of binoculars. He found what he was looking for and dashed through the air with a burst of chakra.
Mizuki and Iruka were fighting, each throwing weapons at each other. Strapped to Mizuki's back was the massive Forbidden Scroll. He pulled one of the massive shuriken off of his back and hurled it at the other man. Iruka spun, barely dodging the attack, and returned the attack with a Fireball Jutsu. Mizuki jumped over it and threw another giant shuriken.
Iruka jumped back to dodge the giant shuriken, only to be pinned to the tree by several fast moving kunai. "You didn't really think you had a chance, did you Iruka?" Mizuki asked as he spun the last of the shuriken on his finger. Iruka tried to pull the kunai out, only to discover each one had an explosive note wrapped around the handle. "Pull it out, it goes off."
"Mizuki, you bastard, why are you doing this?!" Iruka demanded.
"Why? Mostly because I was ordered to do so by Master Orochimaru, but partly so I can kill you!" he let the shuriken go and laughed as it flew towards Iruka.
The academy teacher saw his life flash before his eyes and closed them quickly. He waited for the pain but it never came. Instead, he opened his eyes and saw the shuriken had been stopped by several small blue strings, going off into the forest. It was pulled in, followed closely by the other two.
"Iruka-sensei, are you okay?" asked Naruto as he landed next to Iruka.
"Other than the exploding kunai I'm good." Iruka said, gesturing towards the explosives. Naruto snorted and pulled all of them out at once with chakra strings, sending them back towards Mizuki. The traitor activated, but the smoke gave Naruto just what he wanted: time.
Naruto quickly unsealed his three new puppets. As the smoke cleared, Iruka and Mizuki gawked at them in amazement. "Mizuki, Iruka-sensei, feel honored. You are the first to see my newest puppets. Meet Desolation, Retribution, and Genocide."
The first puppet, Desolation, was a tall puppet, with a shield on each arm, in the shape of clock gears. Eight silvery tentacles, made from a flexible liquid metal that formed into any shape or hardened at Naruto's will, waved back in forth, protruding from the puppets back. The chest could open up and close, and since it was made with metal, when the electricity from the seals on its hands touched it, it electrified anyone inside. Its hands could fire small orbs of poison with exploding notes wrapped around them from its finger tips and a wakizashi hung from both hips.
The second puppet, Retribution, was special, in the sense that it had two different forms. The current mode was humanoid, with four arms that each fired a poison drenched spear head on a long cable. A broad sword was strapped on each side of his back, and the chest opened up to reveal a barrel that spun, firing out senbon, shuriken, and kunai at amazing speeds. Two pipes extended from each shoulder blade and over the shoulders, and they both held three canisters at their source, containing three dangerous and fatal poisons.
The final puppet, Genocide, was the most powerful and threatening looking of all. Instead of legs, a long scale covered trunk that spanned six feet, four feet to the ground, two feet extra, was attached to the waist. Two black wings with gold streaks through them expanded outwards from its back. Inside of it was a seal, which held several large tanks full of propane and other combustible material. A hose led from the seal to the arms, were a set of flame throwers could expand from the palms, only Genocide's was more powerful than any flame thrower Naruto had ever added to a puppet, because it used more material to create it, was made by a famous weapons crafter, and ran through an enhancing seal. The flames were as powerful as a high A-, low S-rank fire jutsu. Not only that, but the puppet could control the fire, condensing it or shaping it.
Inside each feather on the wings and scale on the trunk was a seal that ignited the object and caused it to explode on impact when it was released from the wing or trunk, and several advanced self-activating storage seals that replaced the lost feathers and scales in an instant Naruto had gotten from the Hokage lay beneath them. Naruto had placed an amp behind a sound amplification seal array that he had ordered from the famous seal master Jiraiya, allowing it to create a sonic screech at Naruto's will.
Genocide had been in the making every since he had finished Quick Silver, so it had a lot of powerful features. It took Naruto all of the four years since he and Gaara had left Suna to finish it. Of course, he was currently working on plans for even more powerful puppets. But until then, Genocide was Naruto's tanking puppet.
Naruto's chakra strings connected to each of the puppets and he smiled evilly as Genocide lifted into the air, Desolation drew his swords from his hips, and Retribution opened up the holes in his hand and let the spears wiggle out and twist around in the air, ready for use. Genocide activated his flame thrower, making two small tubes extend from his palms. Naruto made a mental note to remove the canisters from his other puppets and add them to the puppet.
Mizuki smirked as he began to flash through hand signs. A dark purple chakra began to swirl angrily around him. "I was able to view part of the scroll before Iruka found me. And with my photographic memory, I remember all the seals. Add to that that I have a seal designed to increase my strength and chakra and I'm invincible! Now then," he said as he began to slow his hands, "DIE YOU BRAT!" he said. He slammed both fists into the tree and roots engulfed him.
"Forbidden Jutsu: Nature Demon Jutsu!" the monster that was once Mizuki roared. The creature was made of wood, with purple flames were the eyes should be. It was in the shape of a gargoyle, without the wings, with long sharp claws. He roared and vines exploded from his body, rushing towards Naruto. The blonde puppeteer moved his hands slightly and all three puppets attacked.
Genocide let loose with a waterfall of flame, Desolation's left shield expanded and began to spin, blocking the roots and Retribution sent all four spears hurtling towards Mizuki. The teacher sent more and more attacks out, but what he didn't realize was a clone of Naruto had snuck up behind him and swiped the scroll. The clone disappeared into the forest, under orders to copy the scroll down.
Naruto pulled the puppets back and began to talk to the former teacher. "Mizuki, that jutsu is forbidden because eventually, the vines will pierce you, killing you, and the body will run rampant, unless you are killed. Not only that but it drains amazing amounts of chakra. Give up now. Either way you'll die. But I'll make it quick."
The creature froze suddenly. It began to shudder, and the creature withdrew until the only reminder was Mizuki's left arm, which retained the shape. The teacher smirked but it was obvious the jutsu was draining almost all of his chakra. "Do you know why the village hates you Naruto? Do you want to know why they hate you so?"
"Mizuki, no, it is forbidden!" yelled Iruka, but Mizuki ignored him and continued on.
"It's because Konoha's greatest story is a lie. The fourth didn't kill the fox, no human can. Instead, he sealed it into a child Naruto. And you are that child. You are the Nine Tailed Fox!" Mizuki yelled, and he began to laugh. A kunai imbedded itself in the trunk of the tree he was standing on and exploded. Mizuki growled as he landed, unharmed, on another tree.
"You idiot Mizuki. I met the fox once before. And if he had control, he would have used the puppets to kill every civilian and ninja in this pathetic village and turn them into a puppet themselves. Then, with that kind of army amassed, he would go on to conquer Fire Country and turn everyone in it into his slaves. With the use of the puppets, he would destroy everyone and take over the world. I just want to kill Sasori of the Red Sand and by then I will not need this pathetic village any longer."
Mizuki and Iruka paled as chakra began to gather around Naruto in a massive swirling dome. The chakra flooded into the puppets, which began to glow as well. "And now I give, you the final act of my puppet performance! Tri-Puppet Style: Fallen Angel Poison Bombardment!"
The tentacles on Desolations back connected to Retribution and Genocide. The two massive clock gears expanded and connected, waiting to spin. Genocide flew into the air, his wings spread wide with the feathers primed and his scales slanted so the bottom lifted away, both ready to fall, while four holes opened in its back. Retribution's spears began to glow and hum with electricity and the pipes readied to release their poison. The spears flew upwards, inserting themselves into the holes in Genocide's back, sending the electricity coursing over the scales and feathers. Retribution pulled itself into the air as Desolation's gears began to spin at an incredible speed.
The feathers and scales shot out, followed by four more waves, as Retribution's pipes extended and unleashed it poison. The gears separated, and they spun so fast they made funnels that surrounded the poison, making sure none it was let loose and wasted, while cutting off Mizuki's escape at the same time. It had taken a lot of time and money for Naruto to dream up this technique and by the parts for it. So when it worked so well he was extremely happy.
Naruto made sure the attack killed Mizuki, but it was mainly for Iruka's sake and to test the technique. A feather landed at his feet and the electricity formed a shield around him. A piece of shrapnel went through his head and into his brain stem, killing him. A clone rushed in quickly and grabbed the body before Iruka could see it. For some reason Naruto didn't want Iruka to see him make Mizuki into a puppet. And he didn't have the right tools for said operation.
The clone from earlier replaced the large scroll while the smoke was in place. Once it cleared, Desolation, Retribution and Genocide were sealed away. Naruto walked over to Iruka and pulled him to his feet.
"Naruto… that was amazing!" Iruka yelled, causing Naruto to flinch and grab his ears.
"I'm right here sensei, you don't need to yell." He said. Iruka rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as Naruto pulled the forbidden scroll over to him with a chakra string. "Here, take this back to the Hokage and tell him what happened." He said as he turned and prepared to leap through the tree.
"Naruto, where are you going?"
Naruto turned to Iruka with tired eyes. "Home, Iruka-sensei, to rest. That attack took a huge amount of chakra. I'm almost dry."
Iruka paled at the prospect. "But your chakra reserves are massive!"
"Exactly. Which is the only reason I was able to use the attack in the first place. It takes too much time and chakra to use against a real danger, but for someone like Mizuki, it's an easy way to test my new puppets a few hours after completion. Now, if you would excuse me."
He shot through the trees, towards his apartment building, thinking of how useful his new puppets were. His thoughts began to wonder to the Uchiha puppets. What would those two be like if they didn't have normal Sharingans, but the legendary Mangekyou Sharingan? Only one way to find out, Naruto thought to himself. But first, he would rest. Then he would figure out how to trick two Uchiha into killing their best friends and how to take their eyes from them.