AN: My loyal fans, if there are any left, I am back for the moment. I have been extremely busy for the past several months. That, and my muse taking a vacation to Hawaii while I had to work, kept me from updating my stories. I don't know how long it will be before I can update again, but I decided to give you an update that you were all dying for.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's subsidiary components, such as characters, places, or weapons.
The dark clothed blonde stared at the sheet of paper in front of him. Many of the other students were struggling with the test which included history, shinobi tactics, and jutsu theory. Naruto was struggling too, but for an entirely different reason. He was struggling not to laugh.
To him, this test was so ridiculously easy it was almost an insult. The only reason he did not laugh was that it would break his cool kid character. That would have been a breach in his protocol, and force him to mind wipe anyone that heard it. Then he would wipe the rest of the village just to be sure, before removing the incident from his own memory.
The jinchuuriki quickly jotted down the correct answers, going so far as to give detailed answers that very few shinobi were aware of. Satisfied that his test was done, he placed his pencil down and leaned back in his seat.
After some time, he finally heard his name called out. Naturally his was the very last one. He stood up slowly before pushing his chair underneath the desk and sauntered to the back of the room.
"Naruto," Iruka began, "for the practical application of the test, you will be be given three separate tasks, one from each of the proctors."
"Well, let's hurry this up," the blonde said, running a hand through his hair. "I don't have all day."
The three adults looked at each other then nodded and the first man stepped forward. He was tall with well defined muscles. He wore the standard jounin outfit and had short brown hair. "I will grade you in the first task. Your first task is taijutsu."
XxXxX
"Do you think they'll pass?" a female jounin asked. She had long dark hair that curled up at the ends and bright red eyes. She wore a dress with red sleeves and a white body that appeared, at first glance, to be made of bandages. In reality the segments of cloth were slightly hardened to provide protection from small projectiles and glancing blows.
"I have all confidence in most, if not all, of the youngsters to pass," Hiruzen smirked from his seat. He had a bet against one of his chuunin, the one that had the special edition of Icha Icha Paradise. In fact the bet was for that exact book in Hiruzen's case, and enough Ryo for an S-rank mission in the chuunin's.
"Even the new guy pops?" a gruff man with a short pointy beard asked the oldest man in the room.
"Especially Naruto," the wizened Hokage nodded.
"What are the stakes to make you so confident in the blonde boy?" Kakashi asked.
"Platinum edition of the holy book," Hiruzen said, making Kurenai confused while Kakashi and Asuma nodded in understanding. Every other jounin in the room just sweat dropped.
XxXxX
"You pass the first task," the examiner said between breaths. Naruto was likewise bent over trying to catch his breath.
'I swear by all the kami, and by the power of the log that I won't skip out on taijutsu practice again' the blonde thought, a feeling of reverence passing through everyone in the vicinity at the mere thought of the log.
"I will oversee the second task. This one will be basic genjutsu," the next examiner said. He wore glasses that seemed to have a glare over the entire lens. He also wore the standard officer's outfit, but his hair was longer and an odd green color. "Are you ready to begin?"
"Yeah, sure," the blonde said as he finally recovered.
"I'm going to place you in genjutsu of increasing difficulty until you can no longer break free," the man said. "Get ready."
Naruto easily dispelled the first few genjutsu. Getting bored, he dispelled the one surrounding the proctor testing him right now, revealing the fact that the lazy man didn't bother to dress himself in more than his red and white striped boxers.
"PASS!" the jounin yelled as he leaped out of the immediate area, likely to find some clothes or redo his illusion.
Everyone still in the room rolled their eyes as the last proctor approached the boy. He had a stern face and spiky black hair. Unlike the others, he wore a gray outfit with a black trench coat over the top of it, which singled him out as a T&I specialist, all of whom were tokubetsu jounin and up.
"Uzumaki Naruto, I am jounin Shirano Kouta, leader of section 13 of the T&I division. I will be the one to grade you on your ninjutsu," the officer said.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Kouta-senpai," Naruto bowed low. However, this was only the conversation taking place on the outside.
~So, you're the one my masters fear?~ Kouta thought.
~Shadow Hunter?!~ Naruto exclaimed in alarm.
~Hardly. Do not worry, we mean you no harm. You haven't done anything to warrant an attack. Yet.~
Naruto's eyes narrowed very slightly. ~What do you mean by yet?~
Kouta smiled lightly. ~You alone have the capacity to do something that all the other members of the three organizations together would never be able to do. You alone have the ability to save, destroy, or rule the world. Or, you will soon. Our magic, whilst much more powerful than your psionics, is much less predictable and stable.~ "To pass my test, you must merely perform a successful kawarimi before I hit you with this kunai."
The blonde flashed through the necessary seals for the kawarimi. At the last second he felt the swap being performed.
XxXxX
"NOOOOOOOOO!" came an anguished cry from the back of the room. "Not the sushi! Why do the kami hate me so?!"
Everyone in the small observation room turned to stare at the sight of Reisu wailing in self woe on the ground while an unrepentant Naruto sat cross legged on the table, in the exact same spot that there used to be an entire platter of sushi, Murasaki's favorite food.
"It's not the kami that hate you shishou," Naruto said sagely, "it's the Log."
"ALL HAIL THE LOG!" all the shinobi in the room, the wizened Hokage included, praised.
Kouta walked into the observation room with the rest of the proctors and Iruka. "Uzumaki Naruto has passed all the requirements to be placed on a genin team."
Hiruzen let out an uncharacteristic whoop before using his own shunshin to reclaim his special edition porn. Some money exchanged hands as bets were won or lost.
"I give up!" Reisu exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air as he stalked off to head home. "I will not be able to understand a shinobi ever!"
All the shinobi in the room grumbled before passing the now beaming Naruto pretty much all the money on their persons.
XxXxX
"NARUTO!" an angry form flew at the blonde as he walked into door of his home.
The blonde sighed and ducked as his master flew over him to roll on the ground outside. Reisu, quickly got to his feet and sprang at Naruto again, only to crash face first into the jinchuuriki's hastily erected psi-shield.
"Now is not the time for your hysterics shishou," Naruto chided. "I met someone today who doesn't work for our order or the Shadow Hunters."
Murasaki stiffened. "Tell me everything."