Awesome: This chapter is dedicated to you, especially since that compliment was one of the highest I've gotten for one of my stories!

This chapter will be a sizable piece of the deviation from the normal story. I hope that my writing style and plot will continue to keep your readers as interested as you have been.


CHAPTER 8

"But..but... we've done this so many times..."

"This is bullshit! You've seen us use that technique... Give us another chance!"

Iruka almost conceded until Mizuki appeared and said, "As much as we would like to do so, I'm afraid we have to fail you too.." Mizuki said, letting slight amounts of arrogance seep out of his voice.

The duo left the room, not caring about the rest of the students. Both of them knew that they should have passed the test, but half through the jutsu their energies dropped below halfway. Shino felt for his friends, but he also noticed a few strange things during the test. The Bunshin never creates a glowing ring seal on the floor, that and Mizuki didn't appear until after the test was over. Even then he seemed somewhat pleased that the duo flunked. He had no true evidence though, so he resigned himself to hope for a miracle. The duo themselves walked around, too ashamed to go to Ichiraku or home, and kicked rocks as they walked. That continued until the evening time, when Mizuki sensei appeared with a proposition. Shino watched in the shadows, expecting foul play.

"I know you two must feel horrible for failing the final exams..."

"The Fuck are you here for, to rub it in? Miss me with that shit..." Rend replied with little feeling behind his words.

Masking his annoyance Mizuki replied, "I'm here to assist you two, since you both seemed skilled enough to pass except for that last...slip up."

"Then what do we have to do?"

Mizuki started to explain the "make up test" to them as he quickly disappeared. The plan was to steal a forbidden scroll from the Hokage tower and bring it to a certain area in the forest where Mizuki would be waiting. So Naruto rushed toward the toward with Rend essentially blending with his shadow as they snuck past the various Anbu guards posted near the tower. Inside at the front desk, a secretary dosed while laying on a small stack of paperwork. Rend noticed the extreme resemblance of her feline expression while she slept as they passed deeper into the tower. The darkened hallways were uncharacteristically devoid of Anbu so the ninja duo quickly reached the storeroom for the scroll. They weren't prepared to see the Hokage himself looking into a scroll himself, bearing a highly familiar spiral emblem. A few tears escaped the man's eye, allowing him to show a sense of weariness that most never saw in him. "If only I would have reached the council faster, I could have done better by you Naruto... Why can't you bring yourself to hate an old man for his incompetence? You deserve more than this village can ever give you." Hiruzen Sarutobi whispered to himself as he brooded over Naruto's treatment. Rend may have helped the boy through his harsh treatment, but the Hokage hated that any of it happened in the first place. He fought daily to lift the laws restricting Naruto from having a parent, but failed year after year before earning the boy a right to live as an adult. The news of the duo's failure to pass shattered the elder's small hope for good tidings. And he was well aware that the two should have been able to pass, since they showed him the three techniques once they learned each. He couldn't understand.

Neither of the two wanted to sadden the man any more than he was, and both knew that the Hokage was more than skilled enough to kill them twice even on his own deathbed so they decided to use diversion tactics. "Rend, I'll use the Oiroke no Jutsu while you sneak out of here with the scroll Mizuki Sensei wanted." Rend nodded and Naruto used his perverted Henge. The blond boy became a raven haired woman with coal eyes and a figure that would hypnotize most men. It didn't help that the woman was naked as the day she was born. "Hokage sama... You work too hard! Might a simple girl like me help EASE a little tension?" The henged blond said in a voice that beamed sensuality. The fully nude sight and the very indecent proposal was too much for an already emotionally offbalanced Hokage to take, and his nosebleed caused him to faint. The pair made sure their Jiji didn't hit the ground and once their were certain he would be comfortable, they raced off toward the outskirts of Konoha. What the two didn't know was that Mizuki had alerted the Hokage that their Naruto had stolen the scroll and said that he was attempting to flee. Knowing that his job had to come first, Hiruzen sent out his forces to find Naruto and Rend.

"Why don't we learn two different jutsu from this scroll, since we could also share the info later?" Rend asked, once they reached the clearing.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Naruto beamed as he opened the scroll.

Naruto started looking at the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu while Rend searched through until he found a technique known as Impure Worlds Genjutsu. Naruto had only read enough of the techniques description to try to utilize the move, since he felt that he didn't have enough time to spare with the detail. Rend's choice was quite different though. The Impure Worlds Genjutsu was described as an incomplete technique. The handsigns and the instructions on how to mold the chakra necessary for the technique were present, but the scroll stated that the illusion seen was not set. The user themselves had to create it. The strength of the technique lied in the fact that since the illusion was so personally speciallized, that the victim would lose all of their normal strength while within it. The downside was that if the illusion was broken by anyone but the caster, that all of their strength would be sealed until chakra recovery set in. It took an hour for Rend to grasp as much as he thought he could, but Naruto had already learned his jutsu. By the time someone appeared, the two were once again certain they would pass their exam.

"Iruka sensei... we did it! We took the scroll... We can be genin now.." Naruto said with quiet exuberance.

"What the hell are you talking about? They'll arrest you for the stunt you two just pulled!" Iruka yelled, more sad than anything.

"The hell do you mean? Mizuki sensei said that if we stole the scroll and brought it to him we'd pass!" Rend yelled.

"Give up the scroll kids..." Mizuki said with a cold tone.

"Don't do it Naruto! He just made you break a law, don't make things worse."

Mizuki laughed for a bit before his face contorted into a horrid smirk, "Well isn't this a fun twist, A boy taking up for the Demon who killed his family!"

"What the hell is he talking about?"

Already understanding, Iruka spoke up, "DON'T YOU DARE tell him! That's an S rank secret. And Naruto is NOT a demon!"

"I'll spare you the secrets boy! The village doesn't want you to know that very demon that terrorized the village is INSIDE OF YOU NOW! YOU MY BOY ARE THE DEMON THAT NEARLY DESTROYED THE VILLAGE!"

Iruka didn't even speak, as he blurred to Mizuki's location and landed a heavy blow to his jaw which slammed him into a tree. "Naruto... you are NOT A DEMON!" Iruka roared as he charged his former childhood friend with intent to kill. He flashed through the handsigns then scream, "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" and unleashed a large fireball into the traitor. Mizuki barely dodged, but decided to use Iruka's 'weakness' against him as he threw a fuuma shuriken at Naruto and Rend. Iruka noticed this maneuver and placed his body in the way. "Naruto.. Rend... you two have more than earned the title of genin from this village. Close your eyes Naruto..." The boy did as told and eventually felt a sensation like cloth on his forehead. "Don't let him leave here with that scroll you two... Run!" Iruka said as his consciousness started to slip. Mizuki didn't plan for what happened next. Chakra spiked to the point where every person in Konoha who were awake could see it.

"You lost your right to LIVE!" Naruto stated.

"He... I... I respected him ya know? I CAN'T LET HIM END HERE!" Rend yelled, unable to show the control his brother did.

Both however had the same idea and said, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Completely covering the clearing, at least a hundred clones of Naruto and Rend surrounded the traitor ninja with their stances ready. Mizuki shivered and whipped two kunai as the crowd descended on him. To his credit, he managed to fell a couple of the clones but the onslaught of anger laced attacks eventually overpowered the chunin as punches and claw slashes cut deeper and deeper into his body. By the time Anbu had reached the location, Mizuki was barely recognizable, but still living. Iruka was taking to the hospital quickly and treated with utmost care. The next day, Rend was also given his Konoha headband, which he wore around his neck. The T&I group were currently working on gaining information on the traitor and Iruka would fully recover in time. Naruto didn't get anytime to brood over the Kyuubi though, since Rend quickly steered him right again.

Flashback

"So I'm the demon huh? That explains why the villagers hated me all this time... I shouldn't even have friends! I'll leave you my apartment Rend, but you can't be around me. Since I'm the demon, its only right that I should die to ensure the village stays safe..." Naruto said as the life in his eyes nearly vanished

Rend, erupting in anger, stabbed his tanto into his brother's stomach. "DEMON? WHAT SORT OF A DEMON would die to save a human village? Would a fuckin DEMON have you're personality, or would they be cold blooded killers only interested in power? You are NOT a demon, Brother. What you are is a human who is more pure than I am. I was born a celestial and I'M not as forgiving as you are!" Rend's tears were streaming by now. "You're too kind Naruto... I'd rather have you than the entire race of humans... You're not a demon... You just have to stay strong to subdue the son of a bitch..."

By the end of Rend's rant, Naruto started to feel better about his situation. He wasn't the demon itself. It was sealed inside of him. He not only had the job of balancing the elements now, but becoming strong enough to tame the Kyuubi. Rend, his Jiji, and Iruka sensei believed in him. Naruto Uzumaki made up his mind to become as strong as humanly possible to ensure that he could protect his loved ones, and live up the the expectation they held with pride.

Flashback End.

The next morning Naruto got dressed with a new found resolve. His was the container of the nine-tailed fox and had to be the best ever in order to subdue a beast that even the famed Yondaime couldn't restrain. Rend watched his brother with the same adoration that he held as a pup, seeing how Naruto recovered from his weak moment and the stab wound to the stomach Rend made it his goal to become his brother's equal. The higher ups had already discussed that Naruto would simply have to come into the class with his headband and note in order to be assigned to as squad. Iruka sensei patched himself up enough to be there himself to hand out the team rosters.

"Team 7 is Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno. Your jounin sensei will be Hatake Kakashi. Team 8 will be Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuuga, and Kiba Inuzuka. Your jounin sensei will be Genjutsu Mistress Yuhi Kurenai. Team 10 will be Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Chouji Akamichi." Iruka sensei stated.

"Wait, where does that leave me?" Miki screamed. She was one of the few who were determined to be a kunoichi, so she'd be damned if a fangirl had a team and she didn't.

"Great question Miss Haruhara. Since there were an uneven number of passing genin, you shall be officially rostered as a member of Team 7. Your status as an odd member out will mean that you shall take missions with either of the rookie genin squads. You've proven well rounded enough to be a 'Jill of all trades' so to speak!" Iruka said, partially to soothe a quickly building temper.

Miki just hmphed and looked toward her "official" team. Sasuke was too cocky for her to get along with him. Sakura seemed FAR too focused on said cocky teen to bear being around. Naruto and by association, Rend seemed to be the only bearable people on her team. Naruto and Rend were giving her the once over as well, since the duo rarely had any one-on-one interactions with the young woman. Her eyes, that seemed fixed in a annoyed glare, were steel grey and highly expressive. She stood at Sakura's height exactly and her hair was styled far too similar to the pinkette's. Two huge differences were Miki's chocolate skin and dark green hair. The main difference stood out the most, she was DEFINITELY a shinobi. Her aggressive body language and obvious physical fitness made her a prime target for males affections, slightly less approached than the Hyuuga heiress though. After they were finished eying their teammate, the group of four sat and waited four their sensei. They watched as each group were lead out one by one until they were left alone. Two hours later, Kakashi appeared by Shunshin and said, "Sorry I'm late, a black cat started to cross my path and started following me. It took me three hours to shake it!" No one but Rend and Naruto bought the tale, and only because they were aware of a certain mostly black cat who would do just that. Already being briefed on the situation with Miki, Kakashi decided to start getting to know his genin.

"In order to grow stronger as a squad, we need to know a bit about each other. So why don't we tell a little bit about ourselves?" Kakashi asked.

Not willing to ask obvious questions, Rend asked, "Why don't you start us off then?"

"Alright, that's fair.. I'm Hatake Kakashi and I like the things that appeal to me the most. I dislike the things that somehow tend to rub me the wrong way. My dream is something that I see every night when I go to sleep."

The Okami brothers couldn't help but laugh at the completely useless answers. Sakura was annoyed, though Miki and Sasuke were apathetic.

"I'll go next." Naruto said calmly. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I like to brawl, ramen, sake when Ossan lets me drink some of his, Rend, Shino, training, and good women. I dislike arrogance, people who disrespect women, people who judge without getting to know others, and anyone who hurts my family and friends. I'll become Hokage one day and bring Kohona into a great age of power and peace!"

The listeners, and Sasuke even though he tried to look uninterested, were surprised by the actual coherent thoughts coming from the blond.

Rend ignored their shock and spoke, "I'm Rend Razorjaw and I like meat, fighting, sake when Ossan feels generous, Naruto, Shino, training, and gorgeous women!" He then looked at Miki. "I'm sure you'll easily fall into that category in a couple years.."

Miki then felt her face heat up and tried to attack Rend but was restrained.

Rend continued on, "I dislike idiots, people who hurt women, people who don't know what the fuck they're talkin about, gossip, fangirls, people who hurt my families, and most of all... Sweet Peas... Oh, my dream is to become an Okami that will make my family proud, and usher my brother Naruto into becoming the greatest Hokage ever!"

Sakura's speech was all pretty obvious, her like was Sasuke, dislike Naruto and Rend, and she dreamt of a yaoi scene between Sasuke and Naruto. Wait! She blushed once she realized that she said that last part out loud. Rend and Miki snickered while Naruto looked pretty damn shaken.

Sasuke calmly spoke up, "My likes are power and learning new jutsu. I dislike too many things to name. And my dream is to kill a certain someone..." Then Sasuke's voice took a strangely dazed tone. "And to one day impress a certain someone..." His gaze became quite distant as he said the last piece, and luckily no one knew who the last Uchiha had wanted to win over.

Miki shook everyone from their stupor. "My name is Miki Haruhara. I like power, training, men who focus on their job, nature, order, and calm people. Too much noice is annoying. I dislike fangirls, idiots, perverts, bugs, lazy bastards, children, and most of all... being weak. My dream is to help my village become as strong as it possibly can. I mean, being Hokage has a lot of pressure around the job so I'd rather be a capable enough ninja to complete any task I'm given."

With Miki's words, everyone was forced to take her more seriously. She may have suffered a quick defeat by Shino, but her determination could be seen as plain as day. The Okami brothers mentally added her to the list of people to befriend and found themselves looking back at her with a different set of eyes. Their eyes were those of someone who wants to watch a flower bloom. They wanted to see just how great of a kunoichi she would become...


Here's hoping that the subtle yaoi hints don't drive off readers. This story will NOT be Naru/Sasu. The current setup just seems to fit the story. And Sasuke is obviously out of character. Miki will be semi important, and become more developed as the main characters learn more about her. I'll try to keep the OOC amounts to reasonable levels, and reviews are much appreciated. And Iruka did receive a power up. I just didn't see the how he would be so easy to defeat during the canon scene. I mean, I understand his reasons but Iruka did nothing as he was skewered by his ex best friend. He'll continue gaining strength throughout the story too, as well as all of the genin.