Rise of the Demon King
By Revelias
OoOoO
Author's Note: I don't in any way own Naruto or anything contained within the Naruto universe.
I am only borrowing the characters for the duration of this story so please don't sue me.
Thank you for all the favs and reviews. You guys are the best. As always let me know what you think otherwise how will I know what mistakes to try and correct.
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Chapter 3: First meetings
"I'm sorry, truly I am, but you can't live here anymore Naruto. I have to think of the good of the other children. And as long as you're here people refuse to even consider adopting a child from us. Besides, I'm sure that Lord Hokage will find someone to take better care of you in no time. So don't be sad. You'll see, soon you'll be in a nice home with new family that will love and take care of you." The orphanage matron said as she sadly looked into the eyes of blond four year old before turning to a nearby assistant.
"Please see that he gets to the Hokage's office Asoka."
"Off course Matron. I'll make sure he gets to exactly where he needs to be." Replied the young woman as she tightly grasped Naruto's hand and lead him away from the only home he had ever known.
Roughly pulling Naruto behind her Asoka lead the blond into one of the more out of the way alleys of Konoha. For what seemed like hours the pair made their way through so many twist and turns that Naruto had no ideal where he was only that it wasn't where he was suppose to be.
"Asoka-san, I thought we were suppose to go to see the Hokage" Naruto cautiously asked hoping not to draw the woman's anger as he seemed to do with so many other adults.
Glancing back at her charge Asoka smiled coldly and said "don't worry, we're almost there. The Hokage's waiting there for us to give you what you rightly deserve."
Turning a final corner Asoka lead Naruto towards one of the older buildings in the area. Everything about the place caused Naruto's instincts to scream for him not to go inside but with Asoka still firmly holding his hand he could do nothing to escape the place.
Once inside Naruto begin to look around in the rapidly dwindling hope that Asoka had not been lying to him about the Hokage meeting them there. However, that hope was dashed when the only person he could immediately see was a tall young man wearing a chunin vest that was not much older then Asoka.
"Hey babe, I see you brought the bastard as promised." The tall man said as he before several others emerged from the shadows and begin to surround them.
"Did you ever really doubt me Shin?" Asoka chirped as she swiftly dropped Naruto's hand and embraced Shin before kissing him.
With his hand now free from Asoka Naruto begin to slowly move away from pair of kissing teenagers and their friends. His short four year life had taught Naruto that these types of situations never ended well for him.
"Yo, retard, where do you think you're going?" A larger man carrying a ominously looking ax said as he forcefully pushed Naruto back towards the center of the group.
"I'm suppose to go see the Hokage so he can find a family to take care of me." Naruto replied as he quickly begin looking around for a means of escape.
"Oh, no. I don't think so. It's past time for us to finish what the Fourth started." Said a smirking short and fat pink haired woman as she entered the building from the same door that Naruto and Asoka had earlier.
"You have been the bane of this village since the day you were born. And we can no longer afford to let something like you walk around freely. But don't blame us for the pain your about to suffer. If that old fool Sarutobi had done what he should have four years ago we wouldn't have to clean up his mistake now." The woman continued from her place next to Asoka and Shin.
"Remember kids, take care of it anyway you want. I don't care how as long as it's done. When you're through leave nothing behind. Burn this place to the ground if you need too but nothing must be left behind that can be traced back to us. As for you two this is everything you'll need to safely leave the village and start over somewhere else." The pink haired woman finished as she passed a large envelope to Asoka before turning and quickly leaving the building.
Hearing what the pink haired woman had said and seeing no way of escape tears begin to slowly fall from the blond boys eyes. Every person that had ever hurt him had said something similar to that of the pink haired woman before they begin to do their best to cause him as much pain as they possibly could. These people would be no different.
"Please, I didn't do anything! I just want to... AHHH!" Naruto begin but wasn't allowed to finish before one of the group stabbed him in the shoulder with a kunai knocking him to the ground.
Not wanting to miss out in their share of the fun of hurting the demon the others quickly begin to hit, kick, and stand Naruto anywhere and with anything they had on hand.
Despite his wounds Naruto did his best to protect his most vital organs while screaming and pleading for someone to help him.
"Shut the fucker up!" Another of the group said before she forced Naruto onto his back and attempted to stuff a gag into his mouth.
As the woman tried to gag him Naruto fought back by flinging his arms about and screaming all the louder.
"Hold the little shits arm still and I whack one of 'em off!" Said the ax carrying man before the woman did just that and he used his weapon to sever Naruto's left arm.
"Arrrrrrghhhhh" Naruto screamed out as he drew what remained of his arm closer to his broken body.
"There's a wing. Who wants a leg?" The ax man asked soliciting a chorus of laughter from his fellow assailants as blood gushed from Naruto's severed limb and his body went into shock.
For nearly twenty minuets they continued their abhorred assault halting only when all that remained of their victim was striped and flayed torso and still attached head. Internal organs littered the floor along with pools of blood and lumps of flesh. How the boy was still alive could only be attributed to the demon he held. However, whether that was a curse or blessing no one could say.
"Let's get this over with. I don't think we should stay here any longer in case the Hokage sends someone to look for the little fucker." Asoka said as she took a kunai from Shin's pouch and slit Naruto's previously untouched throat.
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Naruto looked up into the glowing red eyes of the Demon King, Kyūbi no Kitsune, without fear. He had no ideal how long he had been there. Or for that matter how or where here was. He only knew that wherever he was he was safe and safe was something he had never been.
"Am I dead? Is this hell?" Naruto asked never taking his eyes from those of the Nine-tails.
"No Kit. You are not dead and this is not hell but time is growing short. Our lives will end soon unless we do something to prevent it." Kyūbi spoke calmly to the child before him.
"Why should we try to stop it. Even if we do stop them someone else will come along and hurt me again. They keep telling me that I don't deserve to live... maybe they're right." The blond child replied with a voice devoid of life.
"Life is what you make it child. The bastards of this village as made your life a living hell because they believe that you are me. They claim that they are carrying out the intentions of your father but I promise you no parent would want this for kind of life for their child.
He wanted for you what every parent wants for their children; to grow up healthy and strong. Don't allow these hate mongering bastards to steal away you fathers dream for you. Don't let them make what he sacrificed you be in vain." Kyūbi said lowering himself as close as he could to Naruto.
"I can save us. I can help you to make them understand the folly of their ways. I can give you knowledge, wisdom and power beyond anything that one of your kind ever imagined. But, I can do nothing unless you are willing to fight for your right to exist in this world"
Throughout Kyūbi's speech Naruto had remained silent doing his best to completely understand what the demon was trying to explain. His four year old mind could only grasp so much of what the ancient fox was trying to relate.
"I don't want to be alone anymore." Naruto finally said lifting his eyes to the fox.
"I promise you, Kit, you will never be alone again." Kyūbi honestly replied.
Hesitating for only a moment longer Naruto stepped through the bars of Kyūbi's cage without any sense of fear or doubt.
"From this until forever we are one my son." Kyūbi spoke as he touched the tip of one of his massive tales to Naruto's forehead and everything was engulfed into an aura of brilliantly colored lights.
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Asoka, Shin and company moved swiftly away from Konohagakure. In the distance they could hear the sounds of the village fire brigade rushing to contain the blaze that they had started nearly half an hour ago.
"By the time they get that fire out there won't be anything left but a pile of ash and a few bone fragments at best." Shin said with an over inflated sense of accomplishment.
"Never the less, we should make ourselves scarce for while. At least for the next few months to give things a chance to calm down. We can return to the village after that assuming we decide to return to it at all." Asoka chimed in to the acknowledgment of the others.
"Yeah yeah, whatever, I could give a rats ass about Konoha. We just took out the the Nine-tails. That's something to be celebrated." Laughed the jubilant ax wielding man as he lifted one of the females of the group into the air before returning her to the ground.
"Yeah, he's right! We did something that the Fourth couldn't! We killed the de..." The woman begin moments before her head fell to the ground with a unceremonious plop followed by the remainder of her body.
"What the hell..." Screamed the ax wielder seconds before his head and arms were ripped from his body by some unseen force.
"What's happening!" Asoka screamed as one by one her friends were torn apart before her eyes until only she and Shin remained.
"Damn it don't just stand there we have to get out of here!" Shin yelled at the all but paralyzed girl before grasping her hand and dashing back towards Konohagakure.
Watching from the shadows a pair of glowing blue eyes tracked his last two targets before dashing off to intercept them.
After nearly running all out for almost ten minutes Asoka fell to the ground in order to catch her breath.
"What the fuck are you doing! Whatever that was back there is probably right on our asses! We don't have time to stop, we need to get back to the village were we'll be saf..." Shin screamed before his body was cleanly sliced into two equal parts that fell to the right and left of his attacker.
Asoka had only be able to watch as the man she loved was evenly bisected before her eyes. As the pieces of her former love settled to the ground Asoka eyes locked on the person that had taken Shin from her.
"You..." Asoka managed to say before unspeakable pain ripped through her body and flames began to slowly consumed her flesh. So great was Asoka's pain that even as tried to scream no sound escaped to alert anyone that might have been of help to her. Instead for nearly twenty minuets she was forced to endure as some ungodly power forced her to remain fully aware as her flesh turned to ash upon the bone until at last some merciful god took pity upon her and granted her the death she had been silently begging for.
OoOoO
"Ah memories." Naruto said as he woke and rolled out of bed to begin his first day as a real shinobi. After his meeting with Iruka and the Hokage Naruto had chosen to return to the dilapidated apartment he was forced to call home. Not that the place really bothered him. After all, since the day he had first meet Kyūbi he rarely spent more then a few hours in the shit hole anyway. No, the apartment had become what most things in Naruto's life had, props to be used to convince his enemies that he was just what he appeared to be. A twelve year old ninja wannabe.
"So little do they know." Spoke the Nine-tails with a chuckle in his voice.
"Today Kit you shall shatter the fools mask you have worn for twelve years and adorn the mantel of our people! For far too long these maggots have lived with the fools notion that they are at the top of the food chain. It is long past time that be shown their proper place!" Kyūbi roared from the forest of Naruto's mind.
"Of course Lord Kyūbi." The blond replied as he cast off the horrid custom of his of his past and dressed in the garb of his adopted people.
"Naruto, always remember that, no matter what challenges you may face in life you will never be alone. Since the day you became a member of the Vulpine you have shown yourself to be truly worthy of the trust we placed in you. Over the past eight years you have exceeded my wildest expectations and have grown into young man that I am honored to call son." Kyūbi said as he gently flared his chakra in such a way as to embrace his adopted son.
"I... I don't know what to say. I am truly honored by your words." Naruto softly replied not trusting himself to say anymore.
"You have earned them and far more my son. Therefore know this, your name as been added to our clans summoning contract. You may now call upon our clan at any time to assist you should you require it and in time you will be trained to become the first Vulpine Sage.
More importantly, from this day forward you will no longer simply be an adopted member of the Vulpine. As per my right as leader of our clan I have name you as my heir apparent and the council has accepted you as such. In six years when our merger is complete and you become a full demon I will relinquish my title to you and you will lead the Vulpine from that day forward. Until then serve our people well and bring them honor through your deeds. Protect those that cannot protect themselves and punish those that rightly deserve it, for this is the way of the Vulpine."
As Kyūbi finished speaking Naruto found that it had suddenly become very difficult to stand. He had spent his entire life without any sense of what it was to have a real family, too have people to openly offer him their love and respect. Yet, here were the Vulpine doing just that.
It had come as no surprise that the foxes to some extent trusted him. After all he held the greatest of them sealed within him. Nor had it came as a surprise when he was first accepted into the clan as an adopted member. This too he had always attributed simply due to his connection with Kyūbi. However, to learn that not only had the Nine-Tails named him his heir but that the rest of the clan approved and accepted him was overwhelming and humbling.
"I promise... I promise on my life that I will serve the Vulpine... no, my family with everything that I have to offer and more. On my life, this I swear." Naruto barely whispered, but it was loud enough that the King of Demons heard and smiled.
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Iruka watched with a sense of pride as this years newly graduated students filled the classroom. Of course he was well aware that not all of them would ever hold the coveted title of genin. However, he was sure that what they had each learned during their time under his tutelage would serve them well in some form or another during their lives outside the academy.
"Sensei, what are you doing?" A voice behind the scare nosed chunin asked causing the man to nearly fall over in surprise.
"Naruto... how did you... Wait, never mind, I don't really want do know." Iruka mumbled as he struggled to regain some sense of dignity at being sneaked up on by a freshly graduated student. Then again, Naruto had proven that he was no ordinary student.
"By the way, why aren't you in class already?"
"I just got here and saw you just standing here so I thought that I would see what was going on." The blond explained.
"Well, I guess that makes sense." Iruka replied as he started to enter the classroom before halting in his step and looked to his companion.
"Hey Naruto, how about doing me a favor before I announce the team selections." The teacher asked with more then a little merriment in his voice.
"What did you have in mind?" Naruto responded with a smirk.
"Show them who you really are. Don't go overboard, but don't pretend to be the person we both know you aren't." Iruka said clapping the blond on the shoulder.
"Honestly, Iruka-Sensei, the thought hadn't crossed my mind."Naruto replied as the air around him quickly shimmered releasing the genjutsu concealing his appearance before entering the classroom.
Iruka smiled appreciatively as he took in Naruto's new look. Gone was the kill me orange jumpsuit that the boy had seemingly worn everyday for the past four years. In it place Naruto wore a set of black anbu styled pants, meshed undershirt and long-sleeved over-shirt. Instead of the standard issue ninja sandals he wore a pair of closed toed boots that were augmented with a black metal plate on the toe and heal. Attached to his right leg was a standard issue kunai pouch and on the left was another storage pouch for various items. Over everything else Naruto wore a black sleeveless trench coat made of some material that Iruka could not identify but that seemed to pulse and move as though it was alive. All in all as far as style was concerned Naruto had leap heads above his fellow classmates.
Naruto payed no attention to the others in the room as he entered. Since deciding to abandon the guise of the fool he no longer sought to impress those around him in some misguided bid for attention. Instead now that he was free to be himself he could at long last to the one thing he had wanted to do for years. That is once he dealt with a certain mutt that had just decided to play his hand at being king of the hill.
"Hey looser, what do you think you're doing here? If you hadn't heard today is only for those of us who graduated. Not some wannabe orphan bastard like you!" Kiba viciously said as he blocked Naruto's path further into the classroom.
"Yeah, Kiba's right baka! Why don't you go play ninja with the other little kids! Changing your cloths don't change the fact that you're still nothing more then a failure!" The class banshee screeched as she and several others laughed at so called failure.
Naruto never said a word to any of those that openly mocked him. Rather he simply smiled before vanishing and reappearing in the seat beside the object of his affection.
"Excuse me Hinata-chan, but is it alright if I set here?" The blond asked to the utter amazement of the girl beside him.
To say that class was shocked was like saying that water isn't wet. However, they were not in awe of Naruto's interaction with Hinata but rather his here never before seen speed. No one in the class had been able to track Naruto's movements. Even Sasuke, the current rookie of the year, had been unable to follow the blonds movements to his displeasure.
"Of... cou...rse you c...an Nar...u...to-kun." Hinata managed to say as her pale face turned a decided shade of pink earning a broad smile from the boy beside her.
"Get away from her you bastard! Hinata's my girl!" Kiba growled as he finally realized where Naruto had disappeared too.
Glancing towards the now enraged genin Naruto's smile faded as he returned his gaze to the Hyuga heir.
"I apologize Hyuga-san, I did not realize that you where spoken fore." The blond said as he moved to stand and find another seat.
Hinata for her part had not really been paying much attention to what had been happening since Naruto had first asked to set beside her. It was only when she felt him begin to move away did Kiba's remark and Naruto's response truly take root and forced her to act.
"What, no! Kiba and I aren't together! I have told him repeatedly that I do not wish to be with him but he insists that I will be his!" Hinata quickly explained to the blond beside her causing his smile to return once more and for him to retake his set.
"Didn't you hear what I said bastard! Hinata's mine so get the fuck away from her before I..." Kiba said before he found himself pinned against the wall closest to the rooms door.
"Kiba, listen well, I have never really had a problem with you. Although we have never been friends I have not had cause to see you as an enemy either. However, Hinata has said that she does not wish a relationship with you. That alone should be enough for you to know that your advances are not welcome.
However, if her words are not enough then let me add my own. Stay away from her. Unless she wishes for you to be near her or by some cruel joke of fate you become teammates do not go near her. If I should that you have chosen to ignore my words then you will learn first hand what most are only now beginning to discover about me." Naruto coldly said before dropping Kiba and moving to return to his seat.
Gingerly massaging his throat Kiba glared angrily at the retreating blond before attempting to regain some of the dignity Naruto had just stolen from him.
"What, you get a lucky move in and think your top dog? I'll go near my woman any fucking time I want and there isn't a da..." Kiba once more begin before finding himself once again pinned against the same wall with Naruto's icy gaze boring into him.
During this entire exchange the remainder of the class had watched with morbid fascination at how easily Naruto had put Kiba in his place. Of course, amongst the class graduates Kiba wasn't the strongest by any means. But, compared to what they knew about Naruto Kiba should have had no problem dealing with the smaller blond. Yet that had not been the case and it was quickly becoming clear that for everything they thought they knew about the village pariah they really didn't know anything at all.
Outside the room Iruka could only smile as he observed how Naruto dealt with Kiba. Sure, he knew that he should have stepped in when the conflict first begin but for some reason he couldn't explain he wanted to see how things would play out. Besides, Kiba was a bully and had always been one. And in Iruka's opinion it was past time someone other then a teacher did something to enlighten the boy on the fact that physical strength does not always determine who is truly strong. Regardless, it was time he returned order to his class.
"All right that's enough! Naruto, you've proven your point. Put Kiba down and return to your seat. As for the rest of you, specially Kiba, I suggest that you take what has happened here today as a lesson. Never underestimate your opponent. Even if you think you know everything about them there is always the chance that have a surprise or two hidden away." Iruka wisely cautioned his class before taking up a sheet of paper from his clipboard.
"Before I announce the team assignments I want to take a moment to say that I have truly enjoyed the time we have shared as a class. You have each proven that you have the potential to become incredible shinobi. With that said I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Team One will be..."
Iruka rambled off the first six team assignments with mixed results from their members. It was no secret that the majority of the female class wanted to be paired with the agreed upon heart-throb Sasuke Uchiha, with a multitude of prayers having been offered to Kami to attest to that fact. Well, all but one female. Hinata waited and prayed that she be paired with her not so secret crush Naruto. Who if truth be told also wanted to be teamed with her. Unfortunately, in life one rarely gets everything that one wants. At least not right away.
"Team Seven will be Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki." Iruka announced to the screeching cheers of Sakura and the heart crushing groans of everyone else.
"Team Eight will be Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Hinata Hyuga." Iruka continued earning a feral smirk from Kiba.
"Fuck!" Hinata screamed out before quickly covering her mouth and lowering her face in shame to the amusement of her crush.
"Don't worry about it Hinata-chan. How about we go out to dinner tonight, just the two of us and put it all behind us?" Naruto asked causing Hinata to forget her embarrassing outburst.
"After all just because we aren't on the same team doesn't mean we won't ever see one another."
"Really!" The heiress yelped with delight before quickly stammering a yes to the invitation and promptly passing out.
"We really have to work on the whole fainting thing though." Naruto chuckled before turning his attention back to Iruka as he finished handing out the assignments.
"Now all of you have an hour for lunch then you should be back here to meet you jonin sensei. But, before you go I want to wish you each luck in you shinobi careers." Iruka said before vanishing a swirl of leaves.
An hour later the fresh genins had all returned to the classroom to await their sensei. One by one the jonin arrived to gather their teams until only teams seven and eight remained.
"Team Eight, my name is Kurenai Yūhi and I will be your jonin instructor. Please follow me." Kurenai said as she waited for her team to join her.
At her sensei's instruction Hinata reluctantly left her new found place at Naruto's side with a barely heard promise to meet him later for their agreed upon first date. None of this however went unnoticed by either Kurenai or Kiba.
For her part Kurenai looked upon the scene with a small sense of pride. Over the past four years Kurenai had served as Hinata's de facto body guard and private trainer. During that time she had grown close the girl and in fact had requested that Hinata be placed on any team that she was assigned. The fact that her charge had seemingly finally acted upon her hidden feelings for the blond showed that in some way the girl was growing into the woman Kurenai knew she could be.
As for Kiba, he mistakenly took Naruto's and Hinata's forced separation as a means to garner a bit of revenge upon the blond.
"Don't worry Naruto, I'll make sure to take good care of Hinata." Kiba said mockingly only to find himself for the third time that day pinned against a wall.
Too say that Kurenai was shocked would be an understatement. Although she had been looking directly at Hinata and Naruto she never saw the boy move from the girls side. In fact the only indication she had that he had moved was the gust of wind that was displaced before the sound of Kiba being slammed into the wall filled the room.
"I warned you once mutt, I won't warn you again! If I find that you have in anyway intruded upon Hinata-chan's personal space then Team Eight will be in search of a new member." Naruto growled before lifting and slamming Kiba to the ground.
"I hope you can forgive the outburst Kurenai-Sensei. But Kiba needs to learn that no means no." Said the blond as he bowed and returned to Hinata's side just long enough for her to place a quick kiss on his cheek and dash from the room.
Smiling Kurenai returned Naruto's bow before helping Kiba up and leaving to follow the rest of her team.
With the departure of Team Eight and Hinata Naruto found himself in the awkward predicament of being alone in the same room as the rest of his team. It wasn't that he didn't like his teammates. No dislike was much to kind of a word. Naruto absolutely hated the pair.
In his opinion Sasuke had the potential of becoming an outstanding shinobi provided he could get over his undeserved superiority complex and thirst for revenge. Well, at least his desire for revenge was understandable. After all his entire clan had been slaughtered by his brother. However, the ideal that he was somehow better then everyone else was complete load of bullshit that had been drilled into him be several members of the civilian council. Simply because they had somehow gotten it into their heads that Sasuke's continued happiness would translate into their own personal betterment.
As for Sakura, Naruto's opinion could best be summed up as a complete and utter waste of space. Of course it was never his style not to give props where they were deserved. In her favor Sakura was smart and had incredible chakra control. However, the former was because as a child she lacked friends and spent all of her time reading the vast amount of books her family had available due to their successful trade investments. While the latter was simply due to the girls almost non-existent chakra stores.
Beyond those two positive points Sakura had nothing going for her. Any practical skills she might have learned during her time in the academy was washed out by her constant obsession with Sasuke and lack of taking the curriculum seriously. If Naruto was asked whether he thought the girl should be allowed to become a shinobi he would be forced to answer that if she did he would hazard to guess that she would not survive her first real encounter with an enemy. It was a sad truth but the simple reality of the shinobi world was that people that should not be shinobi were often the first to die on the battlefield.
"Naruto, you've been hiding you real strength. I demand to know how strong you really are." Sasuke demanded of the blond bringing him out of his mental rambling.
After a moment Naruto finally acknowledged that Sasuke had spoken to him and replied with a simple no.
"Naruto baka! Sasuke wants to know how strong you are and you should answer your superiors when the speak to you!" Sakura chimed in much to the displeasure of Naruto's ears.
"Team Seven, I assume. My first impression of you is that I don't like any of you. But, what can we do about that at the moment. So, meet me on the roof in five minuets." Team Sevens' Sensei spoke gaining the attention of the bickering trio before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
"See what you've done baka!" Sakura yelled at Naruto who shrugged with indifference.
"Whatever." The blond replied before he was consumed in a burst of crimson flames and vanished leaving his squad mates to make their own way to the roof.
Four minuets forty-eight seconds later a heavily breathing Sakura and Sasuke joined the remainder of their team on the roof of the academy.
"All right. Now that we're all present why don't you all take a seat and I'll explain what were going to be doing." The masked jonin said as he watched the remaining members of his team take a seat but not before glaring hatefully at their third member.
"Ok then... To begin my name is Kakashi Hatake and I will be you sensei until such time as you no longer need one. I already know all I need to know about you and I'm sure you all know quit a bit about one another so we'll skip the introduction stage.
Tomorrow I will administer your genin test. And before you ask the test you took in the academy was only to test your knowledge of being a shinobi. What I will be testing you on is a more practical application of what it means to be shinobi. Now I give you fair warning of all the genin teams that I have given this test too none have passed.
You will meet me in the morning precisely at seven at the seventh training ground. Don't eat because you will just end up trowing it back up and if your late you automatically fail. Other then that your free for the rest of the evening. Later." Kakashi said as his visible eye creepily formed a smile and he vanished leaving the three genins to contemplate what tomorrow would bring.
To be continued.