Hey guys!
Here's another chapter, the longest yet.
Enjoy!
Four more years have passed they were finally returning back to Konoha. They were traveling from Resembool, where Naruto got his arm upgraded. They finally reached the main road that led to Konoha and it should only take them few short hours to reach the village.
Naruto has changed a lot in the last four years. He grew taller and more muscular. His hair was no longer short and spiky. Due to an incident while practicing his alchemy, his hair was now straight, with two bangs framing his face. It also grew longer so he tied it in a braid.
His clothing consisted of black ninja pants and sandals, a black sleeveless shirt over which he wore his red cloak. He was also wearing pair of black gloves.
They were walking down the road in comfortable silence, slightly relaxed. Naruto was looking around, seeing some familiar sights he hasn't seen in five years since he was away. Jiraiya was merely looking ahead, but every now and then, he would look at his student with pride.
Naruto has grown in his skills tremendously. His taijutsu was almost on par with Jiraya and he could probably win against most jōnin because of his incredible stamina. His ninjutsu was mostly composed of wind techniques, along with some non-elemental ones Jiraiya taught him. He had mastered wind manipulation in a mere month, with hundreds of clones cutting through leaves, rocks and waterfalls.
He was also learning fūinjutsu from Jiraiya and, even though he was nowhere near his master's level, he was very proficient in it. Creating sealing scrolls or paper bombs was something that came naturally to him. He even created several of his own useful seals.
After few hours of walking, the gates of Konoha appeared on the horizon. Jiraiya smiled at the sight of his old home. He looked at his student and saw that he was looking at them with slight apprehension, but overall he seemed happy to be back.
"Happy to be back?" Jiraiya asked him, startling him from his musings.
Naruto looked at the man. "Kinda, I can finally see Jiji and some other people again. I just hope the villagers will give me less shit from now on."
"Well, it's your job to change their minds. Just be sure to go easy on them if they cross the line," Jiraiya said with a smirk. He knew better than to piss Naruto off, unless you wanted to end up with broken limbs and concussion.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll try," Naruto replied with a smirk of his own. "Don't want to have ANBU down my neck for hurting civilians."
Jiraiya chuckled and shook his head. Soon they were standing in front of the chūnin guard house, the last stop before entering the village. The two chūnin that were stationed there looked up and their eyes widened at the sight of Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya-sama, welcome back to the village," Izumo said to the man.
Jiraiya chuckled. "It's good to be back."
"From what we've heard, you haven't been here for the last five years," Kotetsu added.
"Yeah, I've been training my apprentice here for a while," he replied.
The two chūnin looked at the blond and soon their eyes widened. Before Naruto could even talk, they appeared in front of him and started to examine him.
"Could it be?" Izumo asked with a hopeful voice.
"It has to be," Kotetsu said with the same voice.
"The blue eyes are here," Izumo said.
"And the whiskers as well," Kotetsu added.
"The hair is different though," Izumo said.
"But there's no mistake," Kotetsu whispered.
"Uzumaki Naruto, it is you, it is you!" they both shouted happily and bear hugged him.
Naruto gasped for air as the two chūnin cried comical tears. They suddenly released him and he took a step back, gasping for air.
"Kami… you guys… could kill me!" Naruto shouted between breaths.
The two chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, Naruto." Izumo said.
"Yeah, we're just happy to see you again," Kotetsu added.
Their faces then turned serious. "We heard you were attacked and lost an arm before you left," Izumo said. Their gazes traveled to Naruto's right arm. They gave him a questioning look and he chuckled.
"Yeah, well I guess you guys will be the first in Konoha to see this," he said and raised the sleeve of his coat, revealing his auto-mail. The two got wide-eyed at the sight.
"W-what's that?" Izumo asked in amazement.
"This," Naruto started. "Is auto-mail. A robotic arm made of the finest metals known to man," he said proudly.
"Is it something like a puppet arm?" Kotetsu asked in awe.
"Something like that, only much more durable and, due to it being connected with nerves and not chakra, it gives you better movements than that wooden crap," Naruto answered while lowering his sleeve.
"That's amazing!" Izumo gasped. "Why don't more ninja use them?"
Naruto chuckled. "Well it's expensive as hell and installment hurts like a bitch," he said.
"So it's just like a real arm?" Kotetsu asked.
"More or less," Naruto said. "Only it doesn't have the chakra network so I had to learn those stupid one-handed seals to complete techniques."
The two chūnin nodded. They were about to ask more questions, but Jiraiya cut in. "As much as I'd love to let you guys catch up, Naruto and I have to see the Hokage."
"Oh yeah," Naruto said. "Well guys, I'll see you later!"
"Yeah, see you later, Naruto," Izumo said with a wave.
"It's good to have you back," Kotetsu added with a smile.
Naruto grinned at them. "It's good to be back."
Naruto and Jiraiya turned around and started walking toward the Hokage Tower.
"So," Jiraiya started. "How do you know those two?"
Naruto was looking around as he replied. "They loved my pranks and would usually hide me from the ANBU or the villagers."
"Oh yeah," Jiraiya said with a faraway look. "I've heard something about the blond prankster who ruined peaceful lives of people."
They looked at each other and laughed. That got them several strange looks from the people. Some recognized Jiraiya and bowed, which he ignored. They didn't recognize Naruto though, as his hairstyle was changed and the bangs somewhat covered the whiskers. Naruto suddenly stopped dead in his track and his eyes lidded when the smell hit his nostrils. Suddenly he turned right and entered a building.
Jiraiya sighed when he saw the look in the boy's eyes. When he looked at the sign above the entrance, his suspicion was confirmed. During their travels, Naruto somehow became addicted to dango and sake and whenever they passed a dango shop, they would always stay for a meal. Knowing that there was no way to tear the boy from his food, he walked toward the entrance.
Naruto rushed inside the shop and sat at the first empty table. It was only a second later that the waitress appeared to take his order.
"What can I get you?" she asked kindly.
Naruto smiled when he saw her, which made her blush. "Plate of dango and sake!" he said.
"Coming right up!" she said with a wink, before turning around and heading to the kitchen.
While waiting for his order to arrive, Naruto looked around. There were some civilians behind him and in the corner in front of him, he saw several Konoha jōnin. He spotted one with a mask and another one in a hideous green jumpsuit, before his view was blocked by Jiraiya.
"Did you have to eat right now?" Jiraiya asked in annoyance.
Naruto grinned as he saw the waitress returning with his order. "Of course I did!" he smiled at the waitress as she placed the tray and the bottle on the table. "Thanks."
"Anytime," she said and winked at him again.
Jiraiya watched the exchange with jealousy. This kind of situation happened regularly for the past year. He looked at Naruto who was now eating his dango and taking a gulp from the bottle every now and then.
"This is amazing," Naruto muttered as he ate.
Jiraiya sighed. "Last I remember you were addicted to ramen, not dango."
"Don't get me wrong, I still love ramen," Naruto said and ate another dumpling. "But there is just something that's pulling me to dango every time I smell it."
Jiraiya was about to speak, when he was interrupted by one of the drunken civilians from behind Naruto.
"Hey, guys," he said with a slightly drunken voice. "Have I ever told you about how I cut off demon's arm?"
The moment he said that, his friends cheered him on to keep going. The jōnin in the back narrowed their eyes and prepared to take the man in custody, but a large amount of killing intent stopped everyone in their tracks. Even Jiraiya slightly cowered from it.
They all looked toward Naruto, who was emitting it and watched as he slowly stood up. Jiraiya wanted to tell him to stop, but he knew that he couldn't do anything at the moment and, to be honest, he didn't really want to.
Naruto turned around and faced the drunken men, who sobered up quickly when the intent was released, and spotted the one who spoke. His eyes narrowed the moment he saw him and his mouth curved into an angry snarl.
Flashback
Eight year old Naruto ran from the mob of angry and drunken villagers. It was his birthday and he didn't want to get all beaten up like last year. He took a turn and ran into an empty street. He could hear the villagers shout from the distance.
Suddenly, the door on his right opened and a man walked out. Naruto stood frozen in fear the moment he saw him. The boy knew that he couldn't escape him. The man suddenly smiled and waved him over.
"Come on, you can hide in here," he said with a sincere voice.
Naruto didn't know if he should listen or not. It could be just another trick to hurt him. He realized his choices were narrow. It was either go inside or get pummeled by the mob. In the end, he threw caution to the wind and rushed inside, not noticing the evil glint in his eyes.
The moment he heard the door close, Naruto turned around to thank the man, only to meet a fist in the face. The blow was so strong it knocked him out immediately.
Naruto opened his eyes and found himself in a dark room. He tried to move his arms, but they were chained, rendering them useless. He was about to shout when the door opened and that same man entered. The man turned on the light and Naruto closed his eyes to shield them from the blinding light.
"Hello, demon," the man spoke with hate and disgust in his voice.
Now Naruto could see his face clearly and he shuddered when he saw his eyes filled with hatred.
"W-what do y-you want from me?" Naruto stuttered out in fear.
The man chuckled darkly. "I want to hurt you, crush your dreams, make you sorry."
"S-sory for what?" Naruto asked. "W-what have I ever done to y-you?"
"You killed my son!" the man shouted, making Naruto cringe in fear. "You ripped him apart without remorse!"
"I didn't!" Naruto shouted back. "I didn't kill anyone!"
The man growled dangerously and punched the boy in the face. "Shut up, demon."
Naruto spit out some blood and looked at the man again. He now realized that this might be the last moment of his life. His eyes narrowed and, deciding to go without fear, he spat in the man's face. The man glared at the boy, before chuckling again.
"I'm not going to kill you, demon," he said darkly as he wiped the spit and blood of his face. "I will just crush your biggest dream. After all, you can't be a Hokage without an arm."
Before Naruto could say anything, the man pulled out an axe and swung at the boy. Naruto watched in slow-motion as the axe descended on his right arm. He closed his eyes, willing himself not to scream, and waited for the strike to come.
He didn't have to wait long until he felt sharp pain in his right arm. His mouth opened in a silent scream and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He passed out immediately.
Flashback end
"I remember you," Naruto said with a dark voice filled with venom.
The man in question began to cower in fear. He looked into those cold, blue eyes and instantly remembered the boy he dismembered five years ago. When he noticed his right arm, his eyes widened and he started to scream.
"You demon! You used your demonic powers to get your arm back!" he screamed as Naruto approached him.
Naruto didn't respond to the man cries and continued to walk toward him, until he stood right in front of him. Naruto grabbed the man by his neck with his left hand and raised him in the air.
"L-let m-me g-go," the man managed to choke out.
Naruto raised his right arm and bit on the glove. He pulled it off, before pocketing it. He raised his metal fist and showed it to the man.
"Do you see what you've left me with?" Naruto asked quietly. "Do you see what you did to me, you filthy bastard!" he shouted before rearing his arm back and punching the man hard in the gut.
A jōnin moved it to stop him, but Jiraiya stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Let him be, Kakashi," he said loud enough for the other jōnin to hear.
"J-Jiraiya-sama?" Kakashi asked with wide eyes.
"I will stop him before it escalates," Jiraiya said before looking at Naruto again.
Naruto reared his fist again and punched the man, only this time in the jaw. The strength of the blow crushed the man's jaw and rendered him unconscious. Naruto growled and raised his fist again, but Jiraiya caught it before it landed.
"Stop, Naruto. He had enough," Jiraiya said calmly.
Naruto growled at Jiraiya. "I will rip his arm out," he said trying to move his arm, but Jiraiya held it in place.
"Naruto, give him to the jōnin over there and they will arrest him. If you hurt him more, you might get in trouble," Jiraiya said calmly, still not letting go of Naruto's arm.
Naruto grunted angrily before tossing the man into the wall, which cracked slightly. Jiraiya released Naruto's arm and the boy walked over to the table he was sitting before. He dropped some money on it and left.
Jiraiya sighed. "Kakashi, take the man to the hospital and put some ANBU around him. When he wakes up, his punishment will be decided."
Kakashi nodded and went over to the man, before picking him up and leaving. Jiraiya didn't spare anyone a glance as he left as well, leaving some scared civilians.
Xxxx
Naruto walked through the village with an angry aura surrounding him. He couldn't believe what just happened. He was angry at Jiraiya for not letting him finish what he started, but at the same time he was grateful. Jiraiya was right when he said that he could get in much more trouble if he finished the man of. He was probably in some deep shit already, since he did hurt the man pretty well.
He shook his head clear and looked up. In front of him was a giant forest, surrounded by a tall fence. Not having anything to do and still to stressed to see the Hokage, he jumped over the fence and set out into the forest. When he reached a good enough distance, he jumped on a branch and leaned back.
Birds were chirping around him and every now and then a wild animal would roar. He found it peaceful and relaxing. Naruto loved the nature and he would often relax in a forest after an excessive training. Closing his eyes, he slowly drifted off to a state of meditation. He relaxed his mind, while still aware of his surroundings.
Few hours have passed and sun was showing it was early afternoon. Naruto felt relaxed and his anger vanished so he decided to visit the Hokage. It was five years ago when he last saw him and he missed the man very much. Jumping off the branch, he ran toward the edge of the forest, before jumping over the fence and setting out toward the Hokage Tower.
Arriving at the Tower few minutes later, he walked up the stairs and saw the secretary in front of Hokage's office. He walked up to her and smiled.
"Hello sir, can I help you?" she asked and blushed when she saw him smile at her.
"I'm here to see the Hokage," Naruto said. "Don't worry about announcing me, he's expecting me."
The secretary nodded and Naruto walked toward the office door. Grinning widely, he raised his leg and kicked the door open.
"Yo Jiji! Long time no see!" he shouted the moment he entered the office.
Whole office fell silent and Naruto finally noticed the others inside. He saw Hokage's advisors, Homura and Koharu standing behind the Hokage himself, along with Danzō clan heads of Konoha's most prominent clans in front of the desk. He could also swear that he heard Jiraiya snicker from the shadows.
Naruto grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Maybe I should've knocked."
Inuzuka Tsume barked with laughter while the famous trio along with Sarutobi chuckled. Shibi and Hiashi seemed serious, although a slight twitch here and there revealed their amusement. The advisors and Danzō were not amused though and they frowned at the boy.
"Ah, Naruto-kun, you seem as energetic as usual," Sarutobi said between chuckles.
Naruto grinned. "You seem just as old as before, Jiji," he said and another round of chuckles followed. "Still having troubles with paperwork?"
Sarutobi sighed. "As usual, Naruto-kun, as usual."
Naruto chuckled and opened his mouth to speak, when he was interrupted.
"This is Konoha's Jinchūriki Uzumaki Naruto? Last time I saw him, he was crippled," Danzō said coldly.
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Watch your tongue, old man, or you might just lose it," he said with slight anger.
Everyone's eyes widened and Danzō even took a slight step back. They just saw Naruto insult one of the highest ranking people in the village. Danzō quickly recovered and narrowed his visible eye.
"Watch your mouth, boy. Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" he asked angrily.
"Enlighten me," Naruto said with a smirk.
"Shimura Danzō, leader of the Honorable Council of Konoha and the second highest ranking person in the village!" Danzō almost shouted.
Naruto's eyes widened for a second, before they narrowed. "Now I remember who you are. You're that moron who wanted to turn me into a living weapon."
Danzō growled. "Haven't I told you to watch your mouth, Jinchūriki?" he asked and took a step forward. "If I want, I could make your life a living hell!"
Naruto took a step forward as well. "I've been through hell and back, Cyclops. You don't scare me at all."
"Enough!" Sarutobi shouted. He looked quite angry, although he was barely holding back a smirk. "This meeting will continue another time. I haven't seen my grandson in five years and I want to catch up with him."
Danzō growled angrily before leaving the office, quickly followed by others. Few seconds later, only Sarutobi, Naruto and Jiraiya, who walked out of the shadows with a grin on his face, remained. Sarutobi stood up and walked over to Naruto with a smile. Naruto returned the smile and hugged the old man.
"I missed you, Jiji," Naruto said, holding back a tear.
"I missed you too, Naruto-kun," Sarutobi replied before taking a step back. He looked Naruto over and smiled. "You're taller than me now," Naruto grinned. Sarutobi then sat back in his chair. "Well, sit down, Naruto-kun, and tell me what you've been up to for the last five years."
Naruto sat down and relaxed in his chair. "Well, after we got to Resembool, I received my new arm," he said and pulled up his sleeve, revealing his auto-mail. Saurotbi seemed amazed at how the arm seemed so real while covered. Naruto then pulled the sleeve back and continued. "After the operation, Jiraiya had to go to check on his spy network while I had to stay for a rehabilitation process. While recovering, I've discovered alchemy and met Izumi-sensei who trained me in it for the next year."
Sarutobi's eyes widened. "You've learned alchemy?"
"You know about it?" Naruto was quite surprised that the old man knew about it since Jiraiya didn't know anything about it.
"When I was young, Tobirama-sensei told me stories about ancient alchemists. He said all their knowledge died along with them. They were told to have amazing powers, which ninjas could never understand," he said in awe. "If we taught alchemy to our ninjas-"
"Don't even think about it, Jiji," Naruto cut him off. "Alchemy is my clan art from now on and I sure as hell won't teach it to anyone."
Sarutobi sighed. "Nothing I say could change your mind?"
Naruto shook his head.
"Very well," Sarutobi said, slightly saddened, but then he smiled. "Please continue with your story."
"After Jiraiya returned, we continued our travels and he started my training. I won't go deep into it, but he can tell you I'm pretty strong now," Naruto said with a grin. "During my training, we did some missions as mercenaries to boost up my experience."
Sarutobi nodded. "I also noticed your hair is a bit different."
Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Well, I had a little accident with alcemy."
Sarutobi chuckled. "I have to say it looks good on you," he looked outside and noticed the sun setting. "Anyway, I'm sure you're tired from your journey so it would be for the best to finish this meeting now. I've arranged you an apartment in the jōnin building. Your old one was burned to the ground and I don't think anyone would mess with the other jōnins."
"Thanks, Jiji," Naruto said with a smile before he frowned. "About the guy whose ass I kicked today?"
Sarutobi nodded. "I've been told about that. He confessed cutting your arm off and is put in jail for quite a long time."
Naruto nodded. "Good, he deserves nothing less."
"What he did was inexcusable, if we found him earlier, he would already be under lock up," Sarutobi said seriously before smiling. "You should get some rest. Your graduation exam is tomorrow."
Naruto's eyes widened. "What? I'm at least jōnin level, why do I have to be with a bunch of brats?"
"You're a brat as well, Naruto-kun," Sarutobi said with a chuckle, making Naruto growl. "Don't worry, you'll get to jōnin soon enough."
Naruto sighed. "Yeah, I guess."
"One last thing before you go," Sarutobi said seriously, making Naruto look at him. "Jiraiya told me that you wanted to take your father's last name. I ask you now to confirm it."
Naruto thought for a minute. "I am Namikaze Naruto and I want everyone to know that."
"Alright, Namikaze Naruto," Sarutobi said with a smile. "Minato would be proud of you, as am I."
"Thanks, Jiji. It means a lot," Naruto said sincerely. "See ya later."
Sarutobi waved and Naruto left the office. The old man then looked at the only other person in the office.
"You did a good job in raising him," he said to Jiraiya.
Jiraiya smiled. "He's going to surpass us all."
"I know," Sarutobi said quietly.
Xxxx
Naruto stood in front of the academy for the first time in five years. He hated it here most of the time and he was very happy that he didn't have to spend five more years here. If Jiraiya hadn't taken him, he would probably be the weakest in class.
Only good memory from the academy days was ramen with Iruka. The man was one of Naruto's first friends and, even though the man hated him at first, they became very close. Taking a deep breath, he entered the academy and walked toward his class. It was soon that he heard distinctive screeches of familiar fan-girls and he knew he was in the right place. He knocked once and entered.
"Yo," he said with a wave and entire class silenced.
All eyes fell on the tall blond and the girls blushed. Naruto looked around, noticing some familiar faces, before his eyes landed on two confused senseis.
"Can we help you?" Iruka asked.
"It's been only five years, Iruka-sensei. I can't believe you've already forgotten me," Naruto said in mock hurt.
Iruka studied the boy for a minute when he noticed the blue eyes and whiskers. "N-Naruto?" he asked with a voice full of hope.
Naruto gave him a familiar grin. "The one and only!"
Iruka walked to the boy and enveloped him in a fatherly hug, before bonking him on the head. "You idiot! You disappear for five years and you don't even write? I was worried!"
Naruto grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, I was busy," Naruto looked at his classmates and smirked. He remembered quite a few of them. His eyes landed on Sasuke. "Ah Sasuke-teme, still as broody as usual?"
The Uchiha glared at him before his eyes widened. "Dobe?"
"Don't call me that, teme," Naruto replied.
"Hey don't insult Sasuke-kun!" Sakura and Ino yelled at the same time.
Naruto snorted. "I see you two are still as loud as ever."
The two blushed in embarrassment and huffed.
"Anyway, let's get this over with. I need some sake," Naruto muttered before taking a seat in the back.
"Why are you here, dobe?" Sasuke asked arrogantly.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "What do you think? For the exam of course."
"But you haven't been in the academy for five years!" Kiba shouted. "We had to bust our asses here and you think that a dead-last like you can just come and take the test just like that?"
Naruto's eyes narrowed making Kiba flinch. "Watch your tongue, mutt, or you might just lose it. I'm here because Hokage told me so. You received the notice, Iruka-sensei?"
Iruka nodded. "Yes it came last night, but I didn't know it was referring to you."
"Did you even read it?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.
Iruka chuckled sheepishly, before pulling out a piece of paper. His eyes skimmed over it when they stopped at one point. His eyes widened. "No way," he muttered. "Are you really?"
"Namikaze Naruto?" Iruka nodded. Naruto chuckled. "Sure am."
Every person in the room gasped. Of course they all recognized the name of their hero.
"Your father was the Yondaime?" Sasuke asked unbelievingly.
Naruto grinned. "He sure was."
Before any more questions could arise, Iruka gathered the attention of the students.
"Sit down and be quiet!" he shouted. "Now Mizuki will pass the papers so the written part of the exam can begin."
Mizuki nodded and gave a test to each student. The moment Naruto got his, he noticed a genjutsu on it. Even though he wasn't very proficient in genjutsu, meaning he couldn't cast them at all, he could very well spot and dispel them. He dispelled the genjutsu and turned to Mizuki.
"Mizuki, if I see you try to fuck up my chances to pass this exam again, I'm gonna beat the shit out of you," Naruto said with calm and deadly voice.
"What are you talking about?" Mizuki asked, faking innocence.
Naruto growled dangerously. "Don't fuck with me, Mizuki. You're nowhere near my level."
Mizuki snorted. "You think that a brat like you could do anything to me? A chūnin?"
"Would you like to find out?" Naruto asked with a smirk while slowly standing up.
Before the fight could start, Iruka interrupted. "Enough! Mizuki did you put the genjutsu on his test?" he asked seriously.
Mizuki growled in anger. He didn't expect Naruto to discover it. "So what if I did?"
Iruka's eyes narrowed. "Then I will have to report you to the Hokage."
"That won't be necessary, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said making both men look at him. "Just let me fight him in a sparring part of the test and we'll call it even."
"Are you sure, Naruto? That was a serious offence," Iruka said with worry in his voice.
"Don't worry, sensei," he said and turned to Mizuki. "After this test, your ass is mine."
"Bring it on, brat," Mizuki said with a smirk. To say he was confident would be an understatement.
"Fine, Naruto, you will fight him," Iruka said while rubbing his forehead. "Now sit down and finish your test."
Naruto sat down and finished his test in mere minutes, his eyes never leaving Mizuki. Other students could barely concentrate with the thoughts of an upcoming fight between a chūnin sensei and the dead-last of the class.
The test was soon finished and they all went outside for the sparring part of the test. Other graduates were getting more and more excited as the two contestants walked to the ring. Naruto and Mizuki stood across each other, waiting for Iruka to start the match.
Iruka, even though reluctantly, stopped in the middle of the ring to set the rules. "This match will be taijutsu only. No weapons or techniques allowed, understood?" the two nodded. "Then, begin."
The moment the match started, Naruto ran toward Mizuki with his right fist reared back. Mizuki smirked and crossed his arms in front of him. Why not give the kid a free shot before pummeling him to the ground. Like the brat could ever hurt him.
It was a great surprise for Mizuki when Naruto's fist landed on his crossed arms and the bone snapped on impact. Mizuki clutched his now useless arm and let a cry of pain. He glared at Naruto who stood right in front of him with a smirk on his face.
Naruto was quite surprised that Mizuki would let him have a free shot so he decided to make the best out of it. He wasn't surprised when the bone snapped. He looked at Mizuki and smirked at his glare. Deciding to end the fight, he swept Mizuki's legs and, with a final punch in the chest, sent him to the ground.
The crowd was stunned at how easily it took for Naruto to defeat Mizuki. Their eyes darted from groaning Mizuki, to Naruto who turned around and started leaving the ring. When they looked back at Mizuki, they saw him shakily standing up with a kunai in his hand.
"I'll kill you!" Mizuki shouted and charged at Naruto. He raised the kunai to stab the blond in the back, but Naruto was quick to intercept. The blond spun around and grabbed Mizuki's outstretched arm and pulled the man down on his waiting knee. Naruto's knee landed directly at the same spot where he punched the man before and a distinctive sound of breaking ribs was heard. Mizuki then slumped down on the ground, unconscious.
"Idiot," Naruto muttered and walked away.
Iruka was first to recover and he tied Mizuki up before calling for some ANBU to take the man away.
"A-alright, let's continue the exam," Iruka said and started to call out names.
The spars were rather boring in Naruto's opinion. Some of the students completely sucked and only few made him somewhat interested. From what he saw, Sasuke was the best out of all of them. He was followed by Kiba and Hinata who, although very shy, knew how to fight. Soon all matches ended and they went back inside for the ninjutsu exam.
"Alright, when I call your name, you will do the three techniques you've learned in the academy," Iruka said and started to call out names.
Naruto was amazed at how many people failed to do these simple techniques. Sure he couldn't do a regular clone, but he had much, much more chakra then the others. In the end only eight people passed before it was Naruto's turn. He didn't know why he had to go last, but didn't care either. He saw Sasuke sending him a 'Let's see if you can do better than me' look, since he created ten clones, seven more than others.
"Alright, Namikaze Naruto, it's your turn," Iruka said and smiled at the boy.
Naruto nodded with a smirk, but didn't leave his seat. Iruka was about to ask him to come down, when nine shadow clones appeared around Naruto. The clones then walked to the front of the class where Iruka stood amazed. The clones then transformed into the nine students in the front row, before each clone replaced himself with the original student.
"W-were those shadow clones?" Iruka asked disbelievingly.
Naruto flashed him a grin. "They sure were."
"Iruka-sensei, what are shadow clones?" Sakura asked in confusion.
"They are solid clones. That technique is B-ranked kinjutsu due to the enormous strain it places on the user's chakra," Iruka said, still in awe before he recovered. "Anyway, Naruto you pass."
Naruto grinned and took a black-stripped forehead protector from the desk.
"To those who passed, congratulations. You will come here tomorrow for team placements. To the others, I'm sorry you didn't pass so train hard and you' pass next year," Iruka said sincerely. "Now you're all free to go."
The students started leaving, but Naruto stayed for a while. When the last student left, Naruto approached his sensei.
"So, Iruka-sensei, how's life been treating you?" Naruto asked.
"Same old, teaching kids and all," Iruka replied before his face saddened a little. "I've heard you lost your arm."
Naruto sighed. "Yeah, the bastard cut it off. Don't worry though, he got what was coming to him."
Iruka nodded. "May I see?"
Naruto nodded and pulled up his sleeve. Iruka took a moment to study the arm. It really was amazing how realistic it was. He smiled at the blond who pulled the sleeve back down.
"We should get some ramen sometime," Iruka said.
"Yeah," Naruto replied. "Well, I gotta go. See ya tomorrow!"
Iruka nodded. "Yeah, see ya tomorrow," he said and the blond left.
And that's it for now.
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