Author's Note: Hello, everybody. Confession time. This chapter was originally written as part of chapter 3. That's like, thirty-seven pages all in all. I want to know if you guys prefer shorter chapters (5-8K words), or longer ones. Time isn't really an issue. I'll still probably have weekly updates, but the proofreading might not be done as well. Either way, I'll leave it up to you.
As for the story, it always bothered me that Mizuki and Iruka were Chunin, but their showing was so weak. In part one, Iruka probably would've been destroyed in a fight with Neiji or even Naruto by the time the Chunin Exams came around. That's just my opinion, though. I've expanded the scene in the forest probably more than I should have, but it kind of wrote itself. More bits in here that are AU, I guess.
Since Ino was brought up, I'll just say that she's fun for me to write, and remind everyone that any sort of romances aren't likely until after the timeskip. I'm also going to be giving a lot more focus to everyone. Like Kurenai, for example. She doesn't really even have a character arc. It's just BOOM, Asuma's baby momma, and she's never heard from again unless Shikamaru needs to angst. As for team standings, you can consider Iruka to be a metaphor about my own indecision. I have a few teams in mind, but I want them to be balanced overall.
. . .
Chapter 4: Resolve
Naruto sat on the roof of the Academy, watching the last of his former classmates leave with their parents. They filtered out into the village like marching ants, each one going to their own private party, or just going back home.
He had seen everyone leave, and he noticed that Sasuke hadn't even bothered to show up. Naruto kind of understood why. As an orphan, watching all of these happy families was painful enough. He imagined Sasuke would have it worse, considering that all of it had been taken from him.
"Naruto." Mizuki was standing right behind him. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah, Yeah!" Naruto jumped up and ran to Mizuki. "C'mon, tell me about it, I say! What do I gotta do?"
"First, calm down." Naruto stopped moving around. "Now, you're going to sneak into the Hokage's office and take a certain scroll. The one you need to find has "Forbidden" written on the cover, it should be easy to spot. Last time I saw it the Hokage had it in a display case, right above his bookshelf. Got it?"
"Yeah, but is this really okay? I mean, stealing from the Hokage . . ." Even Naruto had never broken that barrier before. It was a matter of trust, and Naruto wasn't just going to steal from his village's leader.
"Naruto, this is a test. Everything is staged. Now, once you get the scroll, I want you to head to the old shack that's just outside the North Gate. I'll meet you there in three hours. I want you to try and learn a technique from the scroll while you're waiting, okay? If you can manage that, Iruka and I will pass you. Promise."
"Awesome. But, what do I do if the Hokage catches me?"
Mizuki smiled reassuringly. "If he sees you, treat it just like any other mission. He's in on it, and will react accordingly. Got it?"
"Yeah, yeah! I'm gonna get started right away." Naruto leaped off of the Academy's roof. It only took him a few seconds to get to the Hokage building. He noticed that the Chunin on duty was just locking up for the night.
Good, I'll wait until the building's cleared and start on the second story window that Jiji's assistant always leaves open. Naruto crept along the roof of a smaller adjoining building before he reached the open window. There was still light spilling out, so he waited.
Two minutes later, the light was off and he heard a door close inside.
Perfect.
Mizuki had warned him to bring all of his tools, and he had remembered his lock picking kit. Naruto was pretty handy with them, and it was preferable to just destroying the lock with a kunai.
What could he say? He had to get into all sorts of places—among other things—for his pranks. He pulled out his tension wrench and selected a three-ridge rake. It only took him a few seconds to line up the pins, and then he was inside. He scanned the hallways; they were dark and empty.
Where were the Chunin on duty? He crept through the hallway until he reached a break room with the light on and cigarette smoke leaking from the door. He could hear the raucous laughter from inside. Oh, there they are. They were playing cards around the table and drinking sake.
Well, that's disgraceful. Naruto sped past the door, hoping no one saw his shadow on the wall. When none of the guards came running, Naruto found the staircase and ascended quickly. He knew the third-floor guards would be much more attentive. That was where the Hokage stored all of his important documents.
He transformed into a Chunin he had seen walking out the door. One he recognized as a mission desk attendant with an office on this floor.
"Noboru? I thought you had checked out for the night," said a voice behind him. He turned to face another Chunin. It was the one who wore an eyepatch. Naruto remembered that of the Shinobi who hated him, this man was the worst.
Ah, crap. Think fast, come on. Weren't Fridays payday?
"Ah . . . I'm sorry, I forgot my paycheck. I left it on my desk."
"Oh, okay." The Chunin reached out and poked him in the forehead. Naruto felt a small burst of Chakra hit him, but it wasn't enough to dispel his Yang-Chakra form.
'Noboru' smiled at the Chunin. "Satisfied?"
"Yeah, you can go. Just don't cause trouble, or I'll have to bisect you."
Naruto laughed lightly. "Yes, sir." He rushed away, while trying to make it look like he wasn't rushing. Once he rounded the corner, he let his form fall, just in time to be confronted by Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
The Hokage, for his part, was curious. "Naruto? What do you need?" Hiruzen had expected to see Naruto after hearing about his failure, but when he hadn't shown up, Hiruzen had just thought the boy had gone home, not wanting to talk.
Naruto was paralyzed. Here he was, trying to pull a fast one on the strongest Shinobi in the village.
"Uh . . . Oiroke no Jutsu?" Naruto was engulfed in smoke, and Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
Then the old man found himself face-to-face with a naked woman. "Hokage-samaaaa~." The girl latched on to his arm. "You won't tell anyone, will you? I hope you can keep a secret, I want us to have lots of them . . ." She bit her lip and looked up at him with puppy-eyes.
For Hiruzen, a man nearly in his eighties, who also happened to be a closet-pervert himself, it was simply too much. The old man fainted on the spot.
"Wow, what a sucker." Naruto looked down at his surrogate grandfather. "Jeez, Jiji, I thought you were cool." He stepped over his grandfather-figure and opened the door to the Hokage's office.
"Okay, let's see . . . Forbidden Scroll, Forbidden Scroll . . ." Naruto found it in a display case, just as Mizuki said. "Now then, I gotta get outta here, fast." He looked at the window, then at the door.
Naruto discovered a new habit that night. Going in-and-out of windows was much more fun than using doors. His feet barely touched the roof of the adjacent building before he was off again. He only had a couple of hours to learn a new Jutsu, and he has going to make the most of them.
The hut that Mizuki described was right where it should have been. Naruto sat himself down and cracked open the large scroll.
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu
B-rank, supplementary, Kinjutsu (as decreed by the Second Hokage)
Hand seal(s): Tora
Use: The user pushes their Chakra out through each of their primary points. similar to the Bunshin. Then they must focus on placing it in a location nearby. The different hand seal will mould the Chakra in such a way as to form a solid clone, rather than an illusion. Note: Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu has the same principles, but without the specific location in mind, and using far more Chakra. This technique in its most basic form splits the user's Chakra evenly. If you attempt to use this technique without proper Chakra reserves, it can be fatal.
This technique creates a physical manifestation of the user's Chakra. Similar to the Bunshin no Jutsu, however, Kage Bunshin are capable of acting independently and can even use Jutsu–
That was all that Naruto read before he started complaining. "Aww, crap. Another clone technique? Maybe this was how Mizuki meant that I could pass." He stood up and formed a Tiger seal. "Let's try this."
His first try actually resulted in a clone better than any he'd ever done with Bunshin no Jutsu, but it was still pretty terrible. It tried to say something, but its speech was garbled.
Naruto let the technique fail. He still had plenty of time.
. . .
The Shinobi of Konohagakure had truly worked themselves into a frenzy this time. Hiruzen sighed as he sent his Chunin out in search of Naruto.
What is that boy thinking, stealing something like that? He was either pulling a prank, which would be bad, or he wasn't working alone, which was worse. Hiruzen went to his desk and sat down. Scrying would be worth a try.
Tomegane no Jutsu. His crystal ball was suddenly filled with an image of Naruto sitting alone in the forest. He looked extremely frustrated, but not nervous, or even apprehensive about potentially betraying the village. Hiruzen knew that Naruto could hide his true feelings behind a smile, but he wasn't smiling. He was training.
What is going on here . . .? "Someone fetch me Iruka, please." Noboru jumped up to do it. According to Iwana, Naruto had gotten past him by somehow perfectly impersonating the man. To say that Noboru was pissed would be an understatement.
Iruka would be able to find Naruto, though. He knew the boy better than almost anyone else. Hiruzen looked back onto his crystal ball.
Apparently, Naruto was trying to learn the Kage Bunshin. That might have made sense, considering he'd failed based on a Bunshin test, but it was still no reason to steal the Forbidden Scroll of Seals. In Naruto's hands, such a thing would be far too dangerous.
What if it was the Kyuubi? Had the fox somehow gained control? No, Hiruzen didn't have all of the facts, and he wouldn't jump to conclusions.
"Hokage-sama, whatever it is, I'll find him as quickly as I can. Please don't let any of the other Chunin go looking for him, it'll only drive him further into hiding." Hiruzen looked up from his ball at Iruka, who had apparently been working late into the night, if the ink-stained hands were any indication.
"Iruka, do you even know what he's done?" said Hiruzen.
"Yes, Hokage-sama. Noboru told me. I would still like the chance to find the truth of the matter. This is too much, even for Naruto."
"Please, leave us." Hiruzen dismissed the rest of his Chunin. "Iruka, I have all of my Shinobi searching the village for him." Iruka's face fell. "But he is not in the village. I have scryed him in the area around the hut. North Gate. Do not fail me, Iruka. I care for Naruto, but that scroll could cause far too much damage in his hands."
"I'll bring him back, Hokage-sama." Iruka met the old man's eyes evenly. "And I'll find out what's really going on."
"Go, then." Hiruzen watched as the Chunin disappeared. He turned back to his ball, keeping an eye on Naruto as he trained to use Kage Bunshin. Despite it all, Hiruzen would admit that the boy took to them like a fish to water. He had finished the basics of the technique after only an hour and a half. Now he was reading the scroll again.
If the fox escapes, I'll do what must be done. May the Shinigami accept my soul, I will not fail you again, Minato.
. . .
Naruto smirked at his success. He was tired, and bruised; he'd learned not just one, but two techniques from the scroll. He even had the foundation of a third one memorized. No way would Mizuki not pass him now. He'd be a Shinobi by tomorrow morning.
"Naruto! Are you stupid?!" Iruka landed on the ground. From the force of his impact, he had been moving pretty fast.
"I think I'll let my test scores speak for themselves, Iruka-sensei." Naruto stood up. "I got the scroll, just like I was supposed to. Mizuki-sensei said he'd meet me here, but I guess you're the one doing the test?"
"What test, Naruto? This . . . this is a disaster. You'll be lucky if the Hokage doesn't exile or imprison you for this."
What? No way. What was Iruka talking about? "Whaddaya mean 'exile?' I'm just doing what I'm supposed to, I say. Now that I know a clone technique, you'll let me pass. Isn't that the point of this other test?"
Iruka was about to start yelling again, but he stopped himself. "What do you mean? There is no other test. Who told you about all of this?"
"Mizuki-sensei. You'd know that if you had paid attention instead of yelling, but you always yell." Naruto crossed his arms and sat down. "I'm not doing squat until Mizuki-sensei gets here, so you can just wait patiently or find yourself a short pier to take a scenic walk off of."
"Naruto, there is no make-up test. Something very weird is going on here, and I need you to come with me back to the Hokage." Naruto turned his head away. No fucking way is he being petulant right now. "Naruto, get up or I'll–"
"Well, this is just amusing to watch." Iruka turned to face Mizuki, who was leaning on a tree branch. Apparently, he'd been there for some time. "The weakling and the failure, arguing over a powerful weapon that neither have the potential to use."
"Mizuki, what is going on? Naruto's saying something about a makeup test. He used your name a lot. This . . . what's going on?!"
"It's pretty obvious, Iruka. Naruto!" The boy turned around to look at Mizuki. "Hand me the scroll, and I'll make you a true Shinobi."
"Okay!" Naruto jumped up to do just that, when a hand landed on his shoulder.
"You will do no such thing, Naruto. Give me the scroll," said Iruka. Naruto looked between his two mentors, confused.
"Is this still part of the test? Am I supposed to make a decision, or something?"
"Yes, Naruto," said Mizuki. "You need to decide whether or not–"
"Shut up! Naruto, there is no fucking test, now hand me the scroll. Mizuki, I don't know what's gotten into you, but the Hokage will hear of this."
"Alright, whatever. I don't have time for this anymore. Naruto, you want to be a Shinobi? Catch!" Mizuki pulled a large shuriken from his back. He flung it at Naruto. It was moving faster than anything the boy had ever seen.
Naruto couldn't move, he could only watch in terror as the spinning weapon made its way towards his neck. Suddenly, a force from the side collided with him. Iruka jumped them both to the safety of a tree branch. The shuriken flew past where Naruto had been standing and nearly bisected a tree.
Wh-what's going on? "Iruka-sensei–"
"Be quiet now, Naruto. I'll take care of this." Iruka's voice was dangerous. It wasn't like the kind teacher he was used to. It was the voice of someone who had killed before, and would kill again. "You take the scroll, and you run. Don't go back to the village. The Shinobi there don't know exactly what's going on."
"I don't know what exactly is going on!" said Naruto.
"Dammit! Mizuki used you to get his hands on a Forbidden Scroll. If he takes it, any number of horrible things could happen. You need to run!"
"He's not going anywhere with that scroll!" Mizuki was bearing down on them. His foot collided with the tree where Naruto's head had been less than a second before he ducked. Iruka moved to block his follow-up attack, but Mizuki wasn't going for Naruto.
Iruka took the brunt of the kick in the stomach, then he fell from the branch. That left Naruto alone with Mizuki. Naruto chose to get some distance, and tried to jump down to the ground, but the scroll he had strapped to his back was caught.
"I'm just gonna take this and be on my way . . ." Mizuki had to dodge the kunai thrown by Iruka. In the process, he released Naruto. The boy fell hard on the ground, and he backed away from Mizuki.
"Iruka, I don't want to have to kill you, but don't think I won't."
"Why are you even doing this, Mizuki? What could you possibly gain from betraying Konoha?"
"Power, obviously. Money and influence." Mizuki looked at Iruka standing below him on the ground.
"What about your friends? Are you really just going to leave like this?" Iruka subtly gestured to Naruto, telling him to run away. "What would Tsubaki think of that? She died for this village, and you're going to betray it?"
Mizuki growled. "Don't bring her into this. I'm leaving because I can't get any stronger here. I've hit a barrier. Some powerful people have agreed to accept me if I bring them the scroll."
Naruto had heard enough. He finally understood what this was all about. "You bastard!" he said. "You used me to get the scroll!"
"You're a little slow on the uptake, Naruto." Mizuki had an idea. It would hopefully cripple the boy's resolve. "You know, since we're here, do you want me to tell you a secret?"
Iruka caught on instantly. "No, shut up, Mizuki. He can't know!"
"You remember how Yondaime-sama died, don't you? Killing that demon fox." Iruka tried to attack him, but Mizuki was the physically stronger of the two. First, he kicked Iruka in the knee, then he pinned him against the tree and turned back to Naruto. "What if I told you something? The day you were born, the day the Fourth died, the Third made a rule."
"What are you talking about? I don't care about any stupid rules. Let Iruka-sensei go or I'll pound you!"
Iruka struggled to break the pin, but Mizuki increased the pressure on his throat. "Oh, you'll care about this one, Naruto. It's about you, after all."
"About me?" Naruto could only think of one constant in his entire life. Those cold looks he always received from the villagers, the outright hatred some of the Shinobi expressed, despite not knowing him at all.
"He made a law that said: 'No one is to speak of Uzumaki Naruto's status as the demon that destroyed Konohagakure and killed the Fourth.' That's why you're alone, because you're the Kyuubi!"
"No way . . . That's a total lie . . ."
"No, it's the truth. Haven't you wondered why everyone hates you? You killed the man you admire most, and in the process, almost half of all the Shinobi in the village." Mizuki could still feel Iruka struggling. "It's no use, Iruka. He knows what he is now. I'll bet he hates you too, for lying to him." Mizuki started laughing maniacally. This was what it was to be powerful. To hold the lives of others in your hands, and to do with them whatever you wished. "Still don't believe me?"
"No, of course not! That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I may not be liked, but no way am I that fox! I'm me! I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Well, if you look deeper into that scroll, you could find the seal that the Fourth used on you, or so I've heard. It's amazing what can be done with Fuuinjutsu. Too bad you'll never get the chance!" Mizuki pulled the other shuriken off of his back and flung it at Naruto with all of his might.
The boy still wasn't moving. Am I . . . really? That makes no sense. But it does. I was born on the same day, I have no parents . . . He felt a sudden shift in his body, and then extreme vertigo. He blinked and found himself at an odd angle. He was sitting on a branch across the clearing from Mizuki. Iruka was in his place on the ground, the over sized shuriken stuck in his back. A double Kawarimi. Mizuki looked surprised, but not displeased.
"Naruto, run. Just run and don't look back." Naruto couldn't take it anymore. The sight of Iruka bleeding on the ground sent him into a panic. He turned and ran as fast as he could.
"Well, that was heartwarming." Mizuki jumped down from his branch and pulled his shuriken from Iruka's back. "Just sit there and bleed. I'll be back for you in a minute." With that, he disappeared into the trees.
Dammit . . . why? I need to get to Naruto. He's probably running scared right now. Mizuki could easily lure him into a trap. Well, traps were always a good place to start. Iruka pulled himself off the ground and stumbled forward. He had a plan, and it would work.
Friendship with Mizuki be damned, it was time to get serious again.
. . .
Naruto was not good at many things. Two of the things he was best at, however, were running, and hiding. He had already dropped Mizuki off his trail several times. Naruto knew he couldn't run forever, though. He needed a place to hide.
There was a clearing just ahead. He could dig out some tree roots and keep a low profile until . . . Until what?
According to Iruka, none of the Shinobi in the village even knew what was happening. He heard noises in the clearing. When he stopped behind a tree, he could just barely make out Iruka's voice.
"Because, you idiot. I'm Iruka. What, you can't even figure out an ordinary Henge? Shameful, Mizuki. Maybe I'm not the only one who's gotten soft."
Naruto tried to look around the tree, but Mizuki's cold tone paralyzed him again. "Iruka, I wasn't going to kill you, for Tsubaki's sake. I'm changong my mind about that.
"If you even can. You're barely a poor excuse for a ninja right now. What kind of idiot monologues instead of pressing his advantage? You should've killed me before I even knew where you were, instead you needed a power trip." Iruka coughed, and he appeared to slump against the trunk of a tree.
"You're monologuing right now, you hypocrite."
"I'm good at multitasking. Isshi Tojin!" A string of sealing arrays sprung from underneath Iruka. surrounding the clearing. "You're stuck in here, Mizuki. The only way to escape is for you to kill me."
"That won't take too long. I'll kill you and find Naruto. The plan hasn't changed just because you've sealed yourself in here with me."
Iruka stood up on shaking legs. That was fine with him. Naruto would get some distance on Mizuki, and he'd be able to see his parents, and Tsubaki, again. "Bring it, second-fiddle." He smiled as the implications of that nickname caught up with Mizuki. "Tsubaki'll probably be wanting to see me again, anyway."
Mizuki roared with rage and charged Iruka's weak form. With how injured Iruka was, the hand-to-hand fighting was rather one-sided. Naruto winced with each punch that landed on Iruka. He's not going to last very long . . .
Naruto had been on the receiving end of a beating a couple of times, but older bullies and street punks weren't quite as dangerous as trained Chunin. Naruto couldn't even see half of the movements. How can he take this? Naruto would have given up minutes ago, but Iruka kept on standing. He was bleeding from his mouth and his nose, ignoring the smaller hits in favor of preventing Mizuki from landing a killing strike.
Finally, Iruka fell to a knee, and then backwards as his legs appeared to give out. Mizuki smiled triumphantly and produced a kunai from his tool pouch. "So, since we're monologuing, can I ask why you're sacrificing your life for that demon that killed your parents? I figured you'd hate him more than most . . ."
"You are right, I do hate the fox with every ounce of my being." Iruka wiped his lip.
He does actually hate me . . . Naruto's eyes were downcast, trying to prevent the tears from spilling out. Just like everyone else.
"And you're right about Naruto. I did hate him once." Naruto let the tears go, no longer capable of holding them back. "Then I opened my eyes to what was really standing there. Naruto and the Kyuubi aren't the same. He's one of my students; he's a no-good prankster, and he doesn't work as hard as he should, sometimes. But he also knows what it's like to be alone, to feel like there's nobody out there that would care if he dropped off the face of existence." Iruka dragged himself up from his back into a slumped sitting position. "We have more in common than even you and I, Mizuki. Naruto is a fine Shinobi and a citizen of Konohagakure. He knows of sacrifice and selflessness, something I don't think you could even conceive of as you are now. I'd lay down my life in a second if it meant protecting him!" Iruka pushed himself up from his slumped position on the ground. "So, come on. Kill me if you can!"
Mizuki lunged forward, and Naruto could tell that Iruka's counter was coming in too slow. His teacher was going to die, for him. No, this can't happen. He knows what he's doing, right? He can't actually be willing to die for me . . . Something clicked into place for Naruto at that moment. The piece of the puzzle he'd been missing.
Sakura had told him that he had no one to disappoint, but she was wrong. His family was standing right in front of him, about to take a fatal blow. "The Hokage is certainly the strongest, but he's also willing to sacrifice himself ten times over for any single villager. Everyone in the village is like family to him." Iruka's word rang in his head like a death knell. He had found the answer to his question.
Iruka, Ayame, Teuchi, Jiji . . . They had all known about the Kyuubi, and none of them cared. They had accepted him with open arms. They weren't just people he cared about, they were his family. The sad smile on Iruka's face as he accepted death sealed it for Naruto.
He moved with speed like never before, there was a power that surged through his veins the likes of which he'd never felt in his life. Iruka's barrier never stood a chance. Mizuki was knocked across the clearing as Naruto body-checked him.
"You think I'm just gonna let you kill my friend?" Naruto turned and offered his hand to Iruka. The Chunin looked him in the eyes for a moment, and then hesitantly took the offered hand.
"Naruto, I told you to run." Iruka was trying not to stare at the red irises and slitted pupils in Naruto's eyes.
"Sorry, Iruka, but I'm not going to leave you behind." Naruto turned around and they both faced Mizuki. "How do I take this guy down?"
"You don't. He's a Chunin, you run. That was the point." Naruto shook his head furiously.
"You're not dying tonight. We can totally take him together."
"Not likely, demon!" said Mizuki. He threw the large shuriken on his back at Iruka. Naruto knew he couldn't block it with his tools, they were too small. But he had something.
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. He formed the unique cross-shaped seal he had used when the technique finally worked for him. A perfect clone appeared in front of Iruka just in time to catch the shuriken with his stomach. It looked down with wide eyes for a second before looking at Naruto.
When it dispelled, the sensation that overcame him was . . . terrifying. He saw as if through his own eyes as he was formed, and when he died less than a second later.
The memories of the clone? Naruto gasped and fell to a knee. That was death. It was a horrible sensation, to say little of the feeling of betrayal he had picked up from his clone. That scroll never said they had souls.
No wonder it was listed as a Kinjutsu. He stood up again, grateful that he hadn't lost control of his motor functions like his clone had. Naruto dismissed his doubts. He would do it all over again to save Iruka. He filed the trauma away for later analysis, as he'd been taught.
Mizuki came running to engage them in melee, which Naruto figured was his best skill. Iruka pushed him to the side and jumped in the opposite direction. "Naruto, flank him!" Iruka had been worried when he'd seen Naruto fall to his knees; Kage Bunshin was an incredibly taxing Jutsu. Even the strongest Genin Iruka had ever graduated couldn't hold one. That Naruto was able to and then stand up afterwards was impressive, especially if he'd been training with the technique before.
Naruto thought about the best way to get Mizuki. He had dominated Iruka in one-on-one, so Naruto thought it would be fair to even the odds a little.
He created four other clones around him, and they charged at Mizuki's left side. Iruka came in from the right, his injuries slowing him down.
Mizuki punched a Naruto right in the face, dispelling it in a burst of smoke. He then swung a roundhouse, forcing Iruka to duck and dispelling another clone. Iruka tried to get inside his guard, but Mizuki closed down his right side, taking Iruka's punch on his forearm, instead of his head.
One of the three remaining Narutos charged Mizuki in a suicidal attack, taking a strike straight to the clavicle. It dispelled, this time leaving behind a larger amount of smoke, which the original Naruto capitalized on by having his final clone launch him at Mizuki from inside the cloud.
He impacted with Mizuki's chest. While he was stumbling, Naruto bound the Chunin's left arm with his legs, then he wrapped his arms around Mizuki's right arm.
"Get him!" he shouted. Iruka and Naruto's last clone attacked. Despite Mizuki's physical superiority, he could not knock Naruto off, and took both of the attacks coming in from either side.
Mizuki substituted himself with a log in time to avoid most of the damage, but he was sure that Naruto had at the very least bitten him.
"Time to use a Jutsu . . ." He wondered which technique he should release on them.
Across the clearing, Naruto was breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath. Iruka was bleeding badly, and Naruto wasn't sure how to patch him up.
"Naruto," said Iruka, keeping his voice at a harsh whisper. "I have, ugh . . . I have a plan. I just need you to do what you do best."
"What?"
Iruka chuckled humorlessly. Putting Naruto in danger was the last thing he wanted, but the boy wasn't going to leave, and Iruka couldn't run away in his condition. "Go piss him off. Please be careful, though." Naruto arched an eyebrow. Iruka didn't have time to explain it all, so he went for the short version. "I need you to distract him, then I'll get him."
"Gotcha." Naruto looked around nonchalantly, putting together a way to piss him off. "Who was Tsubaki? That seems like a sore point for him."
"She was our third teammate when we were Genin. She didn't make it, and Mizuki had a huge crush on her. She also liked me a whole lot."
"Oh, well then would it bother you if I–"
"Say what you need to to infuriate him, Naruto. I'll understand."
"Alright, you ready?"
"Let's do it." Iruka had never actually thought he'd be fighting with Naruto as his partner. It was kind of surreal.
"Hey, Mizuki! Iruka told me who Tsubaki was . . . Did she really hate you that much?"
Mizuki hadn't left his hiding place yet. Iruka started to slink back into the shadows.
"Because according to Iruka-sensei, she was really good in bed. I don't know if that's something that would matter to you, though. Apparently, she always just kinda thought you were a eunuch." Naruto didn't like speaking ill of the dead, but Shinobi did unpleasant things to achieve victory all the time. "Anyway, yeah. That night you asked her out? She told you she was busy, right? Busy with someone else, more like. Hehe." Naruto didn't actually know if that had happened. It was a guess based on his own experience with one-sided love. The gamble paid off in Naruto's favor, as always.
Mizuki wasn't sure how Naruto knew about when he'd tried asking her out, but he didn't care. 'Doton: Doryūsō.'
The spikes of earth that erupted beneath Naruto sent him reeling. He dodged three of them before a fourth one caught his calf. it didn't cut too deeply, though.. Naruto, firmly on the retreat, didn't see Mizuki preparing his next technique. "Doton: Tobi Tsubute!" Shards of stone started flying at Naruto when Mizuki slammed his hands against the ground.
"Shit!" Naruto dodged as many as he could, but several sharp stones still clipped him, shredding the shoulders and sides of his jacket.
Iruka had used his time wisely, and he was ready to reengage Mizuki, this time on his own terms. Panting heavily from exertion and blood loss, Iruka waved the lightly injured Naruto over to him. They fled through the trees for a few seconds, before Iruka stopped them.
Mizuki couldn't see Iruka, so when Naruto took off out of the clearing, it looked like he was trying to flee. After a minute to make sure it wasn't a trap to expose his hiding place, he followed.
Naruto landed next to Iruka. "Now what. Ow, that hurts."
Iruka was inspecting his injuries. They weren't life-threatening, so he let Naruto go. "Now, I need to know, can you make two more clones?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Make them and have one turn into me. I want you to have them lead Mizuki twenty meters that way." Naruto did as he was told, then he heard movement from the direction of the clearing. "C'mon, hide!" Iruka dragged Naruto away from his clones, who turned to face Mizuki.
"Trying to run from me, huh? Well, I'll just chase you down." Mizuki jumped after Naruto and Iruka as they tried to run away from him. "What, too weak to fight anymore? Stop running, cowards!"
They stopped once they reached a small clearing several meters away from where he'd located them. They looked too tired to move.
"Well, that's convenient." Mizuki jumped down and drew his kunai across Naruto's throat. He then stabbed Iruka in the temple.
After they both disappeared in clouds of smoke, he knew something was wrong.
"Don't move, or you'll explode." Mizuki looked up to see Iruka and Naruto standing on a branch above him. "Fūbaku Hōjin." Mizuki saw the explosive tags light up, and the sensor strands extend from each one.
Naruto grinned at him. "Yeah, you got your ass kicked by a weakling and a failure! How's the taste of defeat?"
Mizuki growled. "I don't know, ask Iruka." The Chunin was swooning where he stood. After a few seconds, he fell from the tree.
"Iruka!" Naruto jumped after him.
"Easy, Naruto. I'm . . . I lost too much blood. I'm too weak to keep going. I need you to run, and I'll hold him here."
Mizuki stepped forward, knowing that, despite a good effort, he had won. "Just hand over the scroll, Naruto."
Naruto glared at him. "I'll kill you first." He formed a cross with his fingers.
Where had Mizuki seen that before? Whatever, it doesn't matter now, he can't stop me.
"Yeah? Try me. A punk like you wouldn't make it past my first shot."
"I already did," said a voice behind him. Mizuki turned, and almost fainted on the spot.
There were at least a thousand clones in the trees, each one glaring at him. As one, they spoke. "Don't think you can hurt my family and just walk away." Mizuki put up a valiant effort. His Taijutsu was something to behold, but even the strongest Shinobi could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Of the thousand clones Naruto had created, nearly seven hundred remained when Mizuki was little more than a babbling puddle on the ground. Naruto dispelled them all at once.
Big mistake. His head throbbed, and his vision swam. "Wha- ugh. What the hell?"
"Feedback," said Iruka. He had propped himself against the tree. "Try to dispel them in small groups, or you'll get their memories all at once. I had a friend tell me about it once. It can get pretty bad, even ending in dementia."
"Oh." Naruto smiled at Iruka. "Glad you made it, Iruka." He fell on his butt. "So, what now?" Naruto found that a thousand clones was a pretty tall order. He decided to avoid using that many unless it was an emergency.
"Now we wait for the Hokage. He'll send a party out here for us pretty soon."
"Are you gonna be alright?"
"Hopefully." Naruto pulled a roll of bandages from his pouch, thankful that he had taken Mizuki so literally when he told him to pack everything, and tossed them to Iruka. The man nodded in gratitude and rolled them up over his wound.
"Thanks, Naruto. I'll make it, but I want you to come here for a second." Naruto stood up and dragged himself over to his former teacher. "Close your eyes." Naruto did as he was told. Then, he felt a weight lifting off of his head.
My goggles. Iruka pressed something into his forehead, and Naruto felt a headband being tied around the back of his head. No way. Is he really . . .?
"Can I open my eyes, now? Can I, I say?"
"Yeah, Naruto."
The first thing Naruto saw was Iruka, sans his forehead protector, holding his goggles. Then Naruto reached up and felt what was resting on his own brow.
He was too tired to celebrate, otherwise he'd have pulled Iruka into a hug, but he did smile brightly at the man he now considered to be his family.
"Congratulations, Naruto. You pass. And even if you still have much to learn, I think you're already one of the finest Shinobi I know." Naruto was too busy admiring Iruka's old, beaten-up forehead protector to really be listening. "I'll get you a new one tomorrow, if you want."
"No! No . . . This one is fine, better than fine."
"Well, maybe I want mine back?"
"Nope, I'm keeping it, get your own."
"It's symbolic, Naruto. I need that."
"No way. This one's mine now." After a moment, they both started laughing.
The boy certainly held the Will of Fire that the Hokage had told him about. That much was obvious, but tonight had been the first time Iruka was truly convinced Naruto would become Hokage one day.
. . .
Iruka had been taken to the hospital when the Hokage arrived. After what't he'd seen in his crystal ball, the old man had come himself, along with two others, who looked like Jonin. One of them had a badass-looking beard and was smoking a cigarette. Naruto thought he had heard the Hokage call him his son.
The other one was a really tall guy with silver hair who was sporting a mask that completely concealed the lower half of his face, and he looked lazy enough that his forehead protector might have actually just fallen over his eye and he never bothered to fix it.
The Hokage had the silver-haired one escort Naruto to his office, where they both sat and stared at each other awkwardly for a moment.
"So," said the tall man. "What have we learned tonight?"
"That Jiji's a major perv. Also, Iruka and I make a pretty kickass team. Oh! And I should definitely ask Jiji about Fuuinjutsu, because I saw Iruka using it, and that shit is soooo cool! Dattebayo!"
. . .
"So, Jiji, Could you? I promise not to seal my arm away or anything stupid like that! C'mon, please?"
Hiruzen rubbed his wrinkled forehead. His talk with Naruto had gone rather smoothly, after he revealed that Naruto himself wasn't the Kyuubi, but rather its container. He had explained the dangers of the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing, which were numerous and varied, asked what Naruto had seen in there—Which was not much—and what the boy planned on doing with his new information.
Naruto said that he didn't think it would matter. He'd been just fine for twelve years without the fox, why would he suddenly need it now? Then the boy had asked about sealing. This had put Hiruzen on guard, until Naruto told him that he only wanted to study it because "Watching Iruka do that Ichi Taijin thing or whatever it was was epic."
"Well, I don't see you causing more trouble than you've already managed to stir up."
Naruto looked offended. "I'm a Shinobi now, I won't have time for trouble."
"Of course not." Liar. Hiruzen stood up and walked over to his bookshelf. What's the harm, eh? It's not like there's anything in there that could be used to release the Kyuubi. He found a dusty book that looked like it hadn't been touched in at least ten years.
"This is a Fuuinjutsu pocket-guide. It was written by Nidaime-sensei when he instituted the Academy program. This copy has been passed around by a few people who might be significant to you."
He handed the book to Naruto, who accepted it with eagerness. "Thanks, Hokage-Ji." Naruto seemed transfixed by the print on the red cover, which was faded, but still legible: Fuuinjutsu, a Comprehensive Guide.
"That book belonged to the Fourth, you know." Naruto jerked up so fast he almost dropped it.
"Really? Cool. What's in it? The secret of his Hiraishin? How about the sealing array that he used to drop a bridge on—"
"Everything you'll need to worry about for at least your first two years of practice. It also belonged to one of my students, Jiraiya the Toad Sage, and your mother."
"This belonged to my mom? When? How?"
Sarutobi shrugged. "As far as I know, it was given to her as a birthday gift by Yondaime." Hiruzen picked up the book and opened it to a random page in the middle. "Since it was most recently your mother's, I think you should have it, even if it's a little outdated. The notes in here are nearly invaluable."
The page he was showing Naruto was marked-up all over the place. Some of the printed sentences were scratched out and an arrow leading to some flowing script was connected to them.
"Wow."
"Indeed. Your mother was something of a sealing prodigy, as were Minato and Jiraiya." The Third was about to hand it to Naruto, but then he seemed to think again. "Naruto, I want you to promise me something."
"Okay?"
"Don't ever read ahead in the book. Master what it has to teach you, and then move on, but never read ahead."
"Okay, I promise."
"Then it's yours." Hiruzen handed the book to him.
They sat in silence for a moment. Naruto looked tried to read the introduction, but he couldn't really get into it. Finally, he spoke.
"Hey, Jiji . . . was it really enough? Today, I mean. Iruka got hurt really bad because I couldn't defend myself. I don't want that to ever happen again."
"Naruto, Mizuki was an advanced Chunin. He was going up for promotion to Jounin in less than a year. The fact that you and Iruka even survived means that you're ready. There's no surefire way to keep your loved ones from being hurt. The only thing I know to do is to try and never stop growing, as both a person and a Shinobi."
"You're right." Naruto closed a fist in front of his face. "I shouldn't be moping like this. Will I be able to see Iruka tomorrow?"
"Yes, he should be able to receive visitors by then."
"Awesome! I think he wanted to give me a speech, but he passed out too soon." Naruto grinned at the Third. "Can I go now? I'm really tired."
"You may. I'll see you again on Sunday."
"What? Why Sunday?"
"Your Shinobi Registration. You need to have your photograph taken, then I'll need you to fill out some forms."
"Oh, okay. See you, then!" Naruto surprised Hiruzen when he jumped out the window, instead of taking the door.
Oh, no. Now there's three of them. Hiruzen shook his head, putting thoughts of troublesome window-jumpers out of his mind. It was well after midnight, and he still had to work in the morning.
At least his Will is burning strong again. Maybe he really will succeed me one day. Goodness knows, I'll need someone to, and soon.
. . .
Author's Note:
So, yeah. Tell me what you think. Also, I feel like Naruto getting into sealing is becoming a bit of a fandom cliche, which is distressing because it's like, the coolest thing ever. I've had the idea for this story for, like, three years though, so I'm just gonna go with it.
Oh, as for Tsubaki, she did actually exist, sorta. She was Mizuki's girlfriend in the filler arc where he escapes from prison. I went AU and put her on a Genin team with Mizuki and Iruka. This time around she died before they would have gotten together. If your experience of the Narutoverse if forever diminished by her loss, then I apologize from the bottom of my heart.
One more thing, I haven't really been keeping a glossary of translations from Japanese to English. Is that something people want, or are the context clues good enough for you to know what's going on?