Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Okay, so it appears I don't need to write the disclaimer every chapter, but it adds a whole 5 words to the word count, so I'm going to keep on writing it.
Chapter 6: Genin Exams: Secrets Revealed!
Naruto grinned as he ran over the rooftops, chased by a number of ANBU, chuunin, and jonin.
Obito sighed. "You know, Naruto, won't people wonder if a so-called dead last manages to stay ahead of ANBU?"
"They'll just think I'm just really fast!" Naruto grinned.
"Still, don't you think you overdid it a little!" Obito pointed towards the Hokage Monument. "Painting the Monument? Seriously?"
"It's fun! Don't tell me you never played a prank before." Naruto retorted.
Obito twitched. "Okay, maybe, but never something as high scale as this!"
"Then you can't really argue, dattebayo." Naruto reasoned.
Obito shook his head. "The genin exams are tomorrow. You want to pass this time, right? Shouldn't you be practicing your horrible Bunshin?"
"This is training too." Naruto retorted.
"Are you using wind chakra to power your legs or something?" Obito asked.
"How would that work?" Naruto frowned. "I'd just cut my legs off or something."
Obito sighed and looked at the Hokage Monument again. The Shodaime had pretty pink flowers painted on various parts of his face, the Nidaime had green hair, the Sandaime had whiskers, and the Yondaime had a nosebleed.
"You know, the Yondaime was my teacher." Obito said.
"I know! And he's my idol, too! That's why he just has a nosebleed!" Naruto grinned.
"Why did you paint a nosebleed?" Obito asked.
"Well, most strong ninja are perverts, right?" Naruto asked. "I mean, Sandaime-jiji is a pervert and he's supposed to be the strongest ninja in the village."
"You shouldn't use Sandaime-sama as an example." Obito advised. Then he paused, thinking of many perverted strong ninja. "Even if it's true."
Naruto grinned. "Then it's true?"
"But Minato-sensei wasn't perverted." Obito said. "At least, not when I died."
"But the Yondaime died three years after you, right? Couldn't he have turned into a pervert after?" Naruto asked.
"Unlikely. He didn't have that sort of personality." Obito replied.
"Aww." Naruto complained.
Obito looked behind them. "Let's see... 12 ANBU, 18 chuunin or jonin, and they all seem annoyed."
"Well, they've been following me for an hour now. I'm going to lose them." Naruto decided. He jumped into an alley, quickly Henge'd into an unsuspicious-looking brown-haired boy, and joined the crowd.
Naruto smirked as he saw the ninja look around for him.
"I wonder why they can't sense your chakra." Obito wondered.
"Maybe it's blocked by all these people." Naruto suggested.
"Yeah, probably- Naruto, behind you!" Obito warned.
Naruto flipped around, just to see an Iruka-sensei with a smirk on his face.
"Oh... great." muttered Naruto.
"Iruka always manages to find you somehow." Obito groaned.
"Naruto, you're coming with me right now." Iruka retorted.
"Best not to argue." Obito advised.
"Fine." muttered Naruto, and he let himself get dragged back to the Academy.
"NARUTO!" Iruka shouted in with a big head. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! THE GENIN EXAMS ARE TOMORROW! YOU SHOULD BE PRACTICING FOR THEM, NOT PLAYING PRANKS!"
Obito smirked. "He says the same things that I do."
"I was training." Naruto said, tied up in a chair.
"HOW WAS THAT TRAINING?" Iruka cried.
"Hey, everyone!" Naruto looked at the class. "How many of you could avoid 12 ANBU and 18 chuunin or jonin for over an hour?"
Iruka paused. Now that Naruto put it like that, it was true. How in the world did Naruto, the dead-last, manage to do that? Even if he was naturally fast. Not to mention the fact that he wasn't caught until he was painting on the Yondaime's nosebleed- you would think someone would notice.
Sasuke scoffed.
Naruto glared at Sasuke. "Well?"
"If the dead last could do it, I could." Sasuke stated.
"Uh oh." Obito muttered.
Naruto glared at Sasuke so hard you could see sparks. Needless to say, Sasuke glared back.
"Oh, yes, I forgot." Naruto said. "You're the Great Uchiha Sasuke. The last of a clan of thieves."
Sasuke's knuckles turned white. "They weren't thieves."
"Then what is the Sharingan? No more than a doujutsu that steals jutsu that otherpeople worked hard to make and perfect." Naruto retorted.
Obito got ready for a whole lot more of insults.
Iruka blinked. Naruto knows about the Sharingan? We didn't cover that.
"Take that back." The sparks grew bigger.
"No. It's true." Naruto retorted.
"My family was a noble clan!" Sasuke snapped.
"Uchiha Madara." Naruto stated.
Sasuke increased his glare power.
"Naruto, apologize now!" Iruka said. "The Uchiha Clan was loyal to Konoha and deserving of their position."
Naruto looked to the ground and muttered something unaudible.
"Come on, Naruto, apologize." Obito said. "They weren't all bad! Hint, hint."
Naruto sighed. I guess Obito's all right.
"Sorry." muttered Naruto.
The rest of the class was more interested in the fact that Sasuke spoke- a lot.
"After class, you're going to be cleaning up the Hokage Monument." Iruka ordered sternly.
"Fine." Naruto sighed.
Iruka blinked. "You can go back to your seat now."
Naruto cut the ropes using wind chakra, then walked back to his seat.
Iruka stared at the ropes. It's normal for an academy student to be able to escape from ropes, but it looks like Naruto cut them! How did he do that?
Naruto scrubbed off another flower from the Shodaime.
"Hey, this is going pretty quickly." Obito commented. "This isn't normal paint, is it?"
"The paint's normal." Naruto said. "I'm just scraping off the rock that has the paint on it."
"What!" Obito cried. "That'll deface the Monument!"
"One or two times no one'll notice." Naruto dismissed Obito's worries. "Plus, who would think a genin knows wind chakra?"
"You're not a genin yet." Obito retorted. "You failed the last two times because of the Bunshin. What makes you think you'll pass this time?"
"I just will." Naruto nodded. "Come on! Have more confidence in me!"
Obito sighed and looked at Iruka, who was watching Naruto scrape off the paint.
Iruka, on the other hand, was looking at Naruto. He doesn't have any parents like me. Maybe- no, he did- do this just for the attention.
Iruka put a smile on his face. "Hey, Naruto! After this I'll take you to Ichiraku's!"
Naruto looked up at Iruka, a bright smile on his face. "I'll finish this up in less than 5 minutes!"
Naruto doubled his vigourous scraping.
Obito snickered. "You should have a sign- Will do anything for ramen."
"Yup!" Naruto grinned, happy at the prospect of ramen.
Obito shook his head. "My teacher liked ramen too- whenever we finished up a particularly difficult mission, he took us out for ramen."
Naruto's grin got bigger, if that was possible. "The Yondaime liked ramen?"
I forgot that he knew my teacher was the Yondaime... Obito thought.
Meanwhile, Iruka frowned at Naruto. Who's Naruto talking to?
"I'll so pass that test tomorrow!" Naruto munched on his ramen.
"Well, good luck." Ichiraku said.
"I'm sure you'll pass this time!" Ayame smiled.
"Not if you don't improve your Bunshin!" Iruka grinned at Naruto.
"But I can do Henge and Kawarimi perfectly!" Naruto complained. "And wind chakra."
"Wind chakra?" Iruka blinked. Those ropes... "You can use wind chakra?"
"Yup!" Naruto grinned.
"Way to go, you let the cat out of the bag." Obito groaned.
"Show me, er, do you mind if I use this chopsticks?" Iruka asked Ichiraku.
"They're cheap little things, feel free." Ichiraku answered.
"Cut these chopsticks." Iruka said. If Naruto can cut ropes, chopsticks shouldn't be too difficult.
Naruto took the chopsticks in his hand and concentrated. The chopsticks broke into two.
Iruka blinked. "How long have you known how to do this?"
"I started around July of last year. It took me a couple months to get to this level." Naruto answered.
"A couple months? Naruto, it usually takes 6 months to complete the first step!" Iruka said in shock.
Naruto laughed.
"Maybe Iruka'll pass you even though you can't do the Bunshin well..." Obito said.
Iruka blinked again and looked at his watch. "Well, it's getting late. Naruto, you better get back to your apartment. The graduation exams are tomorrow, after all."
"Before then... Iruka-sensei, can I wear your headband?" Naruto begged. "Just for a second?"
"Uh uh. This is proof you're a ninja of Konohagakure." Iruka grinned. "Pass the graduation exams tomorrow."
"Aww." Naruto complained. "Well, I'll be going now, Ichiraku-ojisan, Ayame-neesan, Iruka-sensei."
Naruto ran off to his apartment.
"So that's why you took my googles off!" Obito grinned. "You wanted to wear Iruka's headband!"
"Yeah." Naruto admitted.
"It's probably best for you to get some sleep." Obito advised.
Naruto nodded.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. You fail." Iruka sighed.
Naruto looked up at Iruka unhappily. He had done really well on the taijustu test and the knowledge test, he knew. The genjutsu test- well, better not to ask. And for the ninjutsu test, he had performed a perfect Henge and Kawarimi. It was just the stupid Bunshin!
"Naruto did well on all other subjects except for genjutsu. And his Henge and Kawarimi was perfect." Mizuki commented. "Why don't we let him pass?"
Obito stared at Mizuki with a frown. "What are you planning? You absolutely hate Naruto!"
"All the other students can make two working Bunshin. Naruto can only make one working Bunshin and one white one that looks like it's dead." Iruka said. "Naruto, I'm sorry but you fail."
"Okay." Naruto sighed. He walked out the door.
Kiba bounced up to Naruto. "Oh. You failed."
"Yeah." Naruto looked down.
"Well, don't worry about it!" Kiba patted Naruto's back. "There's always next year."
"Yeah." Naruto said glumly.
"Naruto, you shouldn't be unhappy!" Kiba said urgently. "Naruto being unhappy is like Sasuke being happy!"
Naruto smiled a little at that.
Akamaru barked.
"And Iruka likes you a lot- maybe he'll give you a make-up test or something!" Kiba translated.
Naruto shrugged. "Maybe."
"Kiba!" Kiba's mother, Tsume, called. "Did you pass?"
"Yup!" Kiba grinned. "Well, see you, Naruto!"
Naruto sat down on a swing.
"Is it a good idea to stay here?" Obito asked. "I think you'll just be more unhappy if you watch everyone with their parents."
Naruto nodded and left the Academy grounds.
"Cheer up!" Obito tried desperately to cheer Naruto up. The last two times, no one had passed so it wasn't that bad, but this time he was the only who didn't pass. "Out of the people who passed, only around 9 will become actual genin!"
"Really?" Naruto blinked.
"Yup!" Obito grinned. "So even if you passed, there was a 66% chance you fail on the second test!"
"That just makes me feel more gloomy." Naruto said gloomily.
Obito sighed.
Naruto was walking on a street close to the Academy when Mizuki came up to Naruto.
"Mizuki-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"You see, Naruto, there's actually a make-up test." Mizuki said.
"Don't trust him." Obito advised. "He's planning something."
"A make-up test?" Naruto asked.
"Yes. You see, you have to steal the Forbidden Scroll from the Hokage Tower, then learn one jutsu from that." Mizuki explained.
"Naruto, you musn't trust him!" Obito said urgently. "There's no way there's a test like that!"
"Okay. Is there a time limit?" Naruto asked.
"By dawn tomorrow." Mizuki answered.
"Got it, dattebayo!" Naruto grinned. "I'll get it!"
"Naruto, are you listening?" Obito grew more frantic. "It's a trap! A trick!"
As soon as the two of them got out of hearing distance of Mizuki, Naruto turned to Obito. "I know, but if there's the slightest chance I can pass, I want to take it. Sakura-chan's becoming a genin, Sasuke's becoming a genin- I want to too."
Obito paused. He knew the feeling of having a rival that ignored you, and a crush that liked that rival. He sighed. "Fine. But do it at night!"
"I'm not stupid!" Naruto retorted.
Naruto opened up the scroll. "Uh, Kage Bunshin. Bunshin! My worst technique from the start."
Obito looked around nervously. "Are you sure no one knows about this spot in the forest?"
"Of course! Uh, it says here to put your hands in a cross position." Naruto read. "Strange handseal."
"Kage Bunshin actually might be easier for you." Obito said.
"What? Why?" Naruto asked.
"Just try it." Obito advised.
"Kage Bunshin!" Naruto cried, following the instructions on the scroll. A kage bunshin promptly appeared.
Naruto blinked. "It worked..."
"Kage Bunshin requires more chakra." Obito explained. "I knew how to do it, but never used it because I didn't have ridiculous reserves of chakra. This is perfect for you."
"Kage Bunshin!" Naruto cried again, this time trying to make more. Around 30 Kage Bunshin appeared.
"It says that the Kage Bunshin is solid!" Naruto exclaimed, dispersing most of his Kage Bunshins. He poked one close to him. "They are!"
"Yup!" Obito grinned. "That's why the Kage Bunshin needs more chakra."
"It also says I'll get the memories of the Kage Bunshin when it gets destroyed." Naruto blinked. "Does that mean that if I used my Kage Bunshin to train, I'll retain the memories of the training, making it easier to train?"
Obito blinked. "That's smart... I would've never thought of that."
Naruto laughed happily and dispersed the last few Kage Bunshin just before Iruka jumped into the clearing.
"Naruto!" Iruka cried. "What in the world are you doing?"
"You found me already?" Naruto complained. "Mizuki-sensei's make-up test, of course!"
"Make-up test? What are you talking about?" Iruka blinked.
"Duck!" Obito cried.
"Duck!" Naruto cried a split second later. A large shuriken came out of the forest and would've stabbed Iruka if he hadn't ducked.
The shuriken came up to Naruto and he dodged it.
Mizuki came out of the shadows of the forest. "Hello, Naruto. Give me the Forbidden Scroll."
"Don't trust him, Naruto!" Iruka cried, running up to Naruto. "He's just using you. There's no such make-up test- at least not one like this."
"Did I mention Iruka says a lot of things that I do?" Obito asked.
"Give the scroll to me." Mizuki said.
"Naruto, run! Give the scroll to me!" Iruka asked.
Naruto hesitated and started to hand Iruka the scroll.
"Naruto. Do you know why the whole village hates you?" Mizuki asked.
Naruto paused and stared at Mizuki.
"It's because of a law the Sandaime set. A truth that everyone knows- except you." Mizuki said.
"What is it?" Naruto asked desperately.
Naruto doesn't know about the Kyuubi? Obito thought.
"Do you really want to know?" Mizuki teased.
"NO! Don't tell him, Mizuki!" Iruka snapped.
"IT'S THE FACT THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY THE KYUUBI!" Mizuki shouted. "THE FACT THAT YOU NEARLY DESTROYED THE VILLAGE 12 YEARS AGO! THE FACT THAT YOU KILLED IRUKA'S PARENTS!"
Naruto stepped back in shock. "No. No!"
"Don't believe him, Naruto!" Obito cried. "You're not the Kyuubi!"
"Your precious Iruka-sensei hates you too, inside." Mizuki continued on ranting.
Naruto ran away.
"Naruto!" Iruka cried.
"Hmmph." Mizuki scoffed. "The demon ran away, huh? Iruka, do you really think he won't use the scoll?"
In truth, Obito had managed to convince Naruto to stay, hidden behind a tree.
"Yeah, he'll probably use the scroll." Iruka said.
Naruto looked down at the ground. So, Iruka-sensei really thinks I'm a demon too.
"If he was a demon!" Iruka cried. "But he isn't! He's Uzumaki Naruto! My student!"
Mizuki glared at Iruka and swiftly threw kunai at Iruka, hanging him up a tree. "Your skills have deteriorated, Iruka. Now die!"
"NO!" Naruto ran up in front of Iruka and used his wind chakra to cut the shuriken in two.
"Naruto!" Iruka cired in shock ."Why are you here?"
"As if I could leave Iruka-sensei!" Naruto cried. "I'm not the Kyuubi!"
"You coming back doesn't change anything." Mizuki scoffed. "I'll just kill the two of you right here!"
"Yeah, right!" Naruto snapped. "I'll make you pay for this a thousand times over. Tajuu Kage Bunshin!"
Thousands of Narutos appeared.
"Naruto... You managed to learn Kage Bunshin in just an hour?" Iruka said in amazement.
Naruto got Iruka down from the tree. "It was easy!"
Mizuki obviously got beaten up.
Naruto grinned. "Victory for Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Naruto. About what Mizuki said..." Iruka hesitated. "You're not the Kyuubi. But, it's sealed into you. The Yondaime did that."
Naruto looked up at Iruka in shock. "The Yondaime?"
"Yes, I know it must be a shock, hearing that your idol was the one who condemned you." Iruka sighed.
"I don't care." Naruto said stubbornly. "The Yondaime's still a hero to me, and my idol."
Iruka shook his head. "Naruto, close your eyes for a second."
Naruto blinked but promptly closed his eyes. He felt Iruka tying something around his forehead.
"Congratulations. Naruto!" Iruka smiled. "You pass!"
Naruto stared at Iruka and a smile came onto his face. "Yeah!"
The Sandaime looked at Naruto and Iruka with a smile. His crystal ball was really useful.
Still, at first glance you would assume Naruto recieved Kushina's personality and Minato's looks. But it's deeper than that. Sandaime shook his head in amazement. Kage Bunshin in a hour. Mastering Wind Chakra in two months. Improving the Henge, even if it's a little- unorthodox, it's true that Naruto's Henge allows the user to Henge into something completely different than himself.
It appears that Naruto has inherited Minato's looks, Kushina's personaliy, and Minato's genius.
The Sandaime smiled. I have no idea how that worked, though.
Minato, you would be proud of your son.
Sorry for not updating yesterday! Anyhow, the annoyance that is school starts tomorrow, so don't expect an update until Saturday.