AN: Greetings all! Time for the 10thchapter of the series. I do not have any important announcements so I will go straight to answering some questions in the reviews.
Calebros: The Juubi's portion of chakra is still inside of Shio. It is the reason that she can now sense emotions and has a greater aptitude for senjutsu.
Tsukoblue: Shio is the main pairing. However I am not planning on starting any romance until mid shippuden.
Guest: The Spider Bomb Jutsu series was inspired a bit by Kisame's shark style jutsu and Deidera's bomb jutsu. What Naruto does is inject a highly explosive acid in the middle of the water spider. When the spider crashed into an enemy, the acid will explode. The Queen Spider bomb that he used in the final clash is a bit different. The Queen Spider bomb is formed out of pure chakra like the rasengan, and wraps around the same explosive toxin. When in contract with an enemy the orb crashed into an enemy with blunt force, then the toxin explodes in front of the user, even more explosive with the chakra in the sphere.
Now time to get into the story!
Chapter 10:
Clarity and Chunin Exams
(On top of Konoha Monument)(3 day after being released from the hospital)(Naruto's POV)
Naruto stood on top of the Third Hokage's head and looked out towards the village. It was raining lightly so he had his hood up. His entire life had changed drastically over the past few days. The fight with his sister, the revelation of Inari, and the visit from his parents while in the hospital. He closed his eyes as he remembered the conversation he had with his mother.
(Flashback)
Minato had left an hour ago before he felt another presence though his chakra webs. He sighed a bit before the door open and revealed his former mother, Kushina Uzumaki. She did not look well. Her hair was uncombed and her eyes were red and puffy. Before he could say anything she rushed at him and hugged him while crying. He didn't know what to do 'I don't know how to deal with this' he thought. Kushina managed to speak through her tears "Sochi I am so sorry! We never meant to abandon you!"
He awkwardly pat her on the back as she continued to apologize for his abandonment. Eventually she managed to pull herself together a bit to speak clearly "When I realized that you were gone I felt so horrible. Both Minato and I know how it is to grow up without parents, and to unknowingly bestow the same fate to our son." She seemed to lose a bit of her composer and started to cry again.
Naruto's gaze softened a bit as he observed his mother. This was further proof that they did not intentionally abandon him. No would could fake that kind of sadness. He sighed a bit and spoke "When I learned that you abandoned me due to a genjutsu, I did not know what to think. After Minato explained his childhood, I doubted either of you would ever abandon me purposely." He looked down and touched his web markings "If you had not forgotten me I would have never have become as skilled in the subjects that I am today. I would never have met the spider clan, or would I have met Anko."
He looked at the hopeful face of Kushina "I used to hate you two. It was my purpose for growing strong. I swore when I was locked out of the house to become stronger than all of you. But now my hatred for you has disappeared. However, I doubt I can ever think of you or Minato as my parents."
Kushina started crying silently again but nodded in understanding. Naruto lifted his hand and smiled a bit "But that does not mean we can't be friend."
Kushina looked a bit shocked but laughed a bit and shook Naruto's hand "Sure!"
(End Flashback)
He was still in thought when he heard footsteps behind him and he opened his eyes to see his teammate Lee. Lee smiled a bit "I thought you would be here."
Naruto returned to looking out at Konoha "I like to come here to think."
Lee walked up next to him "You seem to be coming up here a lot."
He snorted a bit and smirked "That just means I have a lot to think about."
Lee grinned "I know how to clear some of your questions"
He looked at Lee curiously as he followed him to a training ground. Lee spun around in the Goken stance "In the midst of battle you will be able to relight your flames of youth!"
Naruto looked confused a bit before he laughed "Are you sure you want to fight me dead-last?"
Lee grinned wider as he charged forward at blistering speeds "I am sure I can provide a worthy challenge Mr. Rookie of the year."
He grinned wider and reinforced his body with the numerous toxins in his blood and rushed forward to meet Lee's punch.
(1 hour later)
Both Lee and Naruto are laying in the practice field exhausted when they both looked up to see Yakumo and Anko's smiling faces. They all started to laugh and joke around while Naruto was inwardly thinking 'I can't see you guys as family because I already have a perfect one right here.'
(Konoha Academy)(Day of the Chunin Exams)(5 hours before exam)(Naruto's POV)
Naruto, Lee and Yakumo are walking through the hallways of the Academy making their way to the third floor for the first test of the Chunin exams. They had arrived early to spy on the competition and find a good unnoticeable position. Over the past few days they saw many foreign genin teams from across the five great villages and nobles arrive in Konoha for the exams. It was a miracle that no incidents were reported besides a small altercation with a Suna and Konoha team.
They all noticed the small genjutsu on the second floor but Naruto quickly whispered "Don't point it out, the less competition the better."
Team 9 soon arrived at the testing room and saw there were not many teams in the room this early. There was only teams from Kumo, Sand, Kiri, and Iwa. The Kumo team had a blond with generous, er, assets alongside a red haired tanned skin girl and a tanned boy with white hair sucking on a lollipop.
The suna team consisted of a makeup wearing boy in a onesie, a blond girl with a large fan on her back, and a red haired teal eyed boy with a large gourd on his back.
The Kiri team had a boy wearing sound dampeners with a large fish shaped two handled sword on his back wrapped in bandages, a flamboyant looking boy in a large blue coat, and a tanned boy with a trident strapped to his back.
The Iwa team was the same team they had seen on their first C-rank mission. Naruto assumed that Iwa held them back to participate in this exam to demonstrate their strength.
None of the teams spoke to each other as more and more teams trickled in. Naruto recognized all of this year's rookie genin teams. Nothing interesting happened until Shio's team entered. Shio had been teamed up with Sasuke Uchiha and Kiba Inuzaka. He kept looking around the room before he heard his name.
"I would like to know the information on Mito Gekko, Gaara of the desert, and Menma."
He looked at the group again and saw team 7 standing before someone he recognized. He walked over before Kabuto could say anything "Ah, hey Kabuto, never thought I would see you outside of the hospital."
Naruto had met Kabuto while working part time at the hospital. They often discussed different medical practices and theories.
Shio looked up surprised at seeing her brother "Oh! Hey nar- I mean Menma how do you know Kabuto?"
Kabuto pushed up his glasses a bit "I know Menma-kun from working at the Hospital, we usually work shifts together. Anyway, the information." He pulled out a card "Mito Gekko, daughter of two of the premier swordsmen and swordswomen of Konoha, Hayate Gekko and Yaguo Uzumi. She was almost the Kunoichi of the year last year but lost due to her lower marks in genjutsu and throwing skills. She has been on 5 C-ranks and 48 d-ranks. It says here that her kenjutsu skills are off the charts, as expected growing up with two masters of the art. Her teammates are Neji Hyuga and Tenten.
Naruto kept an eye on the crowd as Kabuto listed the information and saw that the teams from Kumo and Kiri were interested in the kenjutsu information. As expected since those two villages were renowned for their kenjutsu users.
Kabuto pulled out the second card "Gaara of the Desert, not much information on him seeing as he is from a foreign village but I have here that he has come back from every mission without a scratch, even on a b-rank mission." Everyone's eyes widen at that information.
The white haired medic pulled out a third card "Menma, one of the only orphans besides Minato Namikaze to become rookie of the year. Specilizes in poisons and medical ninjutsu. He has been on one A-rank mission, which is very impressive, and 10 c-ranks and 67 d-ranks. His teammates are Yakumo Kurama and Rock Lee." Kabuto kept monologueing information but Menma had lost interest and was observing the crowd.
Soon after a small incident with some sound genin in a poof of smoke several chunin and Morino Ibiki appeared out of a shunshin. He quieted the room with his mere presence and barked out orders "Alright all you little brats, I am the examiner of the first section of the Chunin exams. The first part of the exam is a written test. Everyone starts out with 10 points, if anyone is caught cheating they will lose half their points." Soon after everyone was settled Naruto found himself between Kurotsuchi and the boy from Kumo.
15 minutes into the test and Naruto could only answer three questions, each requiring about jonin level poison expertise or doctor level medical knowledge. He discretely glanced around the room at all of the Chunin watchers. Why would they go to such great lengths to try and detect cheating. Ibiki could probably tell if anyone was trying to cheat him by himself blindfolded. He glanced towards the competitors nearest him and widened his eyes minutely when he saw Shiori Nara a few places away from him. He knew for a fact that she had graduated from the Chunin exams last year. So why is she here…? He thought back to Ibiki's words.
'Anyone caught cheating will lose half their points.' Why not just remove the person who cheated emediately? That is what they did back in the academy. He paused, what if they want us to cheat? He discretely looked around at some people and saw a few genin discretely cheat, good for genin, but someone like Ibiki could easily spot it. He assumed that their cheating strategies were good enough for chunin so the proctors did not point it out. He smirked a bit.
Closing his eyes he spread his chakra web around him and latched onto the tenketsu points of Shiori's hand and began to copy her hand movement on the questions. He was sure that at least one of the guards around him could sense his chakra being used, but he doubted they would call him out on it since it was not obvious.
He glanced at Lee near the front sitting next to Hinata. He was sure that Lee was too honorable to cheat on the test so he decided to give him a helping hand. Acting as if he was thinking he bit his thumb and went through some handseals disguised as cracking his knuckles and in a smokeless summon summoned two small spiders. One went to Yakumo while the other went to Lee. The spider landed on the desk and spun a small web detailing the answer to some of the shorter questions. Once three were filled for Lee he dismissed the spiders. That was enough points to pass the test.
Soon after the dramatic 10th question the proctor of the next exam, their sensei Anko, led them to the Forest of Death. Anko began to scare the poor genins with her antics while she explained the test.
Anko held up two scrolls "Alright you maggots, the purpose of this test is to survive for five days in the forest behind me. While surviving the forest your goal is to gather a heaven and an earth scroll before proceeding to the tower in the middle of the forest. However, before we begin the test I would like all of you to sign these wavers, you know in case you die."
There was some grumblings but everyone signed the waver and was given a scroll. When Menma signed the waver and got a heaven scroll for the team he smirked a bit as an idea came to him. He raised the scroll over his head and shouted "HEY! Our team has a heaven scroll!"
Nearly everyone around him looked at him as if he was an idiot but the proctors and judges of the test looked at him speculatively. What the genin around him did not realize is that he had protected his team from half the competition. No team would want to waste energy and a potential defeat on a team they knew had the scroll they did not need. With that stunt team 9 had become one of the best protected teams in the competition, while simultaneously luring only teams they needed to themselves.
As they lined up at an entrance to the forest he smirked a bit as he felt the small chakra of one of his spiders attached to the two genin team's whose gates were closest to theirs. As soon as the horn blared he motioned for their team to follow the chakra signature that his spider was emitting and soon crouched on a tree above a rain village team. They observed the team a bit and smirked as one as the leader took out an earth scroll.
Without having to be told Yakumo did some handseals and trapped the team in a genjutsu. Naruto took out two syringes full of knock out venom and jumped down, landing on two of the genins and stabbing them in a major artery, effectively taking them out of the competition while Lee appeared behind the last member and chopped him in the back of the neck, knocking him out as well.
Yakumo smirked as they took the Earth scroll "That was easy."
Naruto looked around suspiciously "Too easy, I say that we start heading to the central tower before teams get desperate enough to surround it looking for people with both scrolls."
After three hours of running, dodging wild animals, and avoiding teams with his chakra web sensing they arrived at a small clearing. Naruto looked around "We should rest here for now, we want to be at full strength if we encounter another team."
Lee nodded "Yes it would be best if we wait for our flames of youth to replenish before continuing on to the tower."
Yakumo nodded, already understanding Youth-speak to understand his meaning "We should lay some traps while we rest, even with your web we don't know if a team has the ability to counter or negate it."
Menma nodded and his eye's glinted as he remembered one of the traps he wished to test "I have the perfect thing."
Both Lee and Yakumo looked curiously as Naruto took out a black scroll and unsealed several….mushrooms? Yakumo looked hesitantly at the shrooms "And what do these mushrooms do?"
Naruto chuckled evilly "If anyone steps on one of these it will explode sending a cloud of paralytic poison into the air, forcing the person who stepped on it to inhale it. No one will be able to sneak up on us with these around us kukuku" (Unkown to team 9, but in a different dimension every person classified as a jungler flinched simultaneously while a small yordle chuckled evily as he waited for more people to fall to his shrooms of death).
(Three hours later 9 PM)
Team 9 had entered the tower and opened their scrolls which turned out to be summoning scrolls for a chunin to explain the scrolls to them and explained that they had to stay in the tower for the next three days.
Time inside the tower moved slowly for the team as there wasn't much to do. They could not train in case they were spied on by an enemy team.
After the five days were up the teams that had passed were Kurotsuchi's team, the kumo team with the lollipop sucking boy, the Kiri team with the boy with sound dampeners, the suna team with the red haired boy, team 8, team 11, Kabuto's team, and team 12. Team 7 had arrived with only a few hours to go for the competition. He was slightly surprised that Shio's team was the last to arrive. However when he saw them enter Sasuke and Mito looked pretty roughed up and Shio seemed tired. He guessed they had fought a strong team and only barely won.
Soon the proctors called all the teams to the arena in the tower and everyone prepared for the next event.
(Tower Arena)(Naruto's POV)
All of the teams were lined up in front of the Hokage and a group of jonin. Minato stepped forward and explained the rules of the competition "I am glad to see so much potential in one room. However, we have too many competitors to make it to the final round. In order to resolve this we are doing a preliminary round."
Minato then proceeded to give a speech about how the chunin exams were a replacement for war. A sickly looking man stepped forward and spoke "I will take it over –caugh- from here Hokage-sama. My name is Hayate Gekko and I will be the proctor for the preliminary round. The rules are simple, each battle will be a duel against a random opponent. The first person to surrender or be unable to fight will be out of the competition."
He pressed a button on a remote and a screen emerged from the wall "The first two opponents will be…"
The screen flashed with two names:
Sasuke Uchiha vs Yoroi Akado
The fight was not that impressive to Naruto. He was expecting more from the Uchiha heir. Although it appeared as if he was injured from the forest so his injuries could be inhibiting his performance. Although the move at the end was impressive. It appeared as if Sasuke made a swordless copy of the three crescent slash that the Gekko family was known to use.
The next match made many of the Konoha and Iwa members present widen their eyes
Shino Aburame vs Kamizuro Suzumebachi
The feud between the Aburame and Suzumebachi clans was legendary. It was almost to the level of the Uchiha-Senju feud. Ever since the Aburame killed most of the Suzumebachi clan members in the first war they have hated each other.
Soon Shino and Kamizuro stood across from each other. Soon many bugs were swarming around both genin. The battle was intense as neither side wanted to lose. Beatles against Bees clashed in the air as both genin directed them. However similarly to the last war, Shino's beatles were swarming each bee, taking them down due to sheer numbers over the larger bugs. Eventually Shino stood victorious over Kamizuro, the corpses of many dead bees around them.
Misumi Tsurugi vs Kankuro
The battle was quick and brutal. Misumi demonstrated his family skill of turning his arms to rubber and was prepared to break Kankuro's neck when it was revealed that "Kankuro" was a puppet that broke many of Misumi's bones in a twisted hug.
Sakura Haruno vs Ino Yamanaka
This battle was pathetic to Naruto. Despite Sakura's good usage of genjutsu, probably taught by her sensei Kurenai and Ino's use of her families jutsu, they were barely genin level with their taijutsu and ninjutsu.
Temari vs Shio Uzumaki-Namikaze
Naruto raised his eyebrow at the matchup as the two girls walked to the arena. It was obvious that Temari was a wind user with her giant fan. But he also knew that Shio was one of the best wind users in Konoha besides Asuma Sarutobi.
The match started like he suspected, Temari opened her fan and unleashed a great burst of wind at Shio while she unsealed her Nodachi and cut the wall of wind. It seemed both opponents were testing each other's wind affinity as they repeatedly blasted each other with wind. Naruto noticed that Temari seemed to specialize in the "force" of wind while Shio specializes in the "cutting" aspect of wind.
Soon Shio did one of her best moves, she used a wind cut to force Temari to jump into the air, which is what the Konoha genin was aiming for. Her sword glows green and she jumped into the air at great speeds and slashed at Temari repeatedly with the back of her sword. Shio landed gracefully and sheathed her sword while muttering "Majestic slash of the rising vortex." Temari fell to the ground unconscious with many long bruises all over her body.
All of the Konoha genin cheered for their fellow genin and waited for the next match.
Shikamaru Nara vs Kin Tsuchi
The match was more a battle of brains than brawn as Shikamaru out smarted the sound genjutsu using genin with his shadow mimic jutsu. Shikamaru proceeded to slam Kin's head against the wall of the arena, knocking her unconscious rather easily.
Kiba Inuzaka vs Samui
Naruto wanted to facepalm as the match progressed. Kiba seemed more distracted by Samui's breasts than the actual match. While Samui displayed brilliant sword play she realy did not need it with how Kiba was distracted. Eventually she countered Kiba's fang over fang with her storm release. Naruto assumed the storm release is a mix of water and air to create lightning clouds in the arena, which bombarded Kiba after he mistakenly grabbed Samui's chest.
Then came the next match:
Neji Hyuga vs Menma
Both genin looked at each other, Neji hatefully and Menma emotionlessly. Neji had hated him ever since he had stolen his spot for rookie of the year. Any time they met up Neji would say he was doomed for failure due to being a clanless orphan.
Soon they stood before each other and took there stances. Neji in the gentle fist style and Menma with his chakra scalpels. Once the match started they both ran at each other with high speeds and began a taijutsu battle. Neither put force behind their strikes and were extremely technical in their strikes.
(Up in the stands)
Sakura who had recovered from her match with Ino when he turned to his teacher "Kakashi-sensei, why are they not trying to attack each other forcefully?"
Kakashi looked up from his book and spoke "Neither of their styles of combat require forceful taijutsu. Neji is using his family's "gentle fist" style which focuses on striking the internal organs and tenketsu points of the body by injecting chakra into the opponent's body. On the other hand Menma is using an uncommon medic fighting style that resolves around the medical ninjutsu chakra scalpels. Menma can use those scalpels to cut open the internal organs of the body with just a light touch."
Shio shivered as she remembered two arms out of the lake clutching her ankles.
(Back in the Arena)
Neji and Naruto quickly separetes. Naruto glances down at his arm and tsked when he noticed several finger sized bruises on his tenketsu spots.
Neji is clutching his arm as he had cut the tendons on it. Naruto went through some handseals before thinking 'Acidic Bubbles' breathing out copious amount of bubbles towards Neji.
Many people in the audience snickered at the perceived weak attack until one popped near the wall and the concrete started to dissolve. Soon all of the bubbles began to streak towards Neji.
Neji inwardly frowned 'I haven't mastered this but I have no choice.' He started spinning until a chakra dome surrounded him, preventing any of the acid bubbles from hitting him. When he stopped spinning he quickly had to duck as Naruto swung his arm at where his neck would have been moments before and twisted in mid duck and struck four tenketsu points on Naruto's chest. He frowned a bit as the Naruto started to melt in a purple puddle and jumped away as Naruto tried to jab him from behind.
Unknown to Neji however is that medical chakra was surging into his locked tenketsu on his previously closed off arm. As Neji charged forward Naruto quickly dodged the palm thrust and then quickly jabbed with his previously sealed arm, hitting Neji near the lungs with the chakra scalpel.
Blood burst from Neji's mouth as he fell backwards. As soon as Menma was declared the winner he began to heal Neji's wounds. He looked up at the board and saw the next match and worried a bit.
Gaara vs Rock Lee
And that's chapter 10. I want to answer a few questions I know people will have with this chapter. Yes Sasuke did get marked by the curse seal by Orochimaru. I did not show the fight because frankly I find the 2ndtask extremely dull. I made it seem easy for team 9 because it was in a way. Naruto already knew the forest of death because of Anko's training and had marked a team with an earth scroll. If the suna team could do it in 47 minutes I doubt there is much distance from the start of the forest to the tower.
I also want to give a small description of the OC enemy teams.
Gengata Hozuki
Kiri Genin
Bio: Direct descendant from the 2ndMizukage. He joined the rebels when they hunted him for his bloodline.
Skills: Has great skill in genjutsu like his ancestor. He also holds the clam summoning contract. As any kiri ninja he has great skill with water ninjutsu.
Appearance: With gelled back blond hair and the 2ndMizukage's kimonoe/trench coat he looks like a younger version of Gengetsu Hozuki.
Umi
Kiri Genin
Bio: Child of a fisherman he grew up an orphan due to the war. He used his father's old trident in combination with his unique style of ninjutsu to become a known force during the civil war.
Skills: Excellent water style user. He has incorporated his Trident in a unique style of ninjutsu known as Wave style.
Appearance: Has long black hair in a spiked up style. His skin is tanned from staying outdoors on the water so much. He wears an open blue jacket with shorts and long sash belt.
Mito Gekko
Konoha Genin
Bio: Child born between two of the best kenjutsu experts in the village. She was raised to be a swordswomen and strives to become better than her parents.
Skills: Despite lacking in ninjutsu and thrown weaponry she excels at her fathers sword style, the "Crescent Leaf Blade style."
Appearance: She has long purple haired tied in a ponytail with pure black eyes. She wears a dark purple sleeveless shirt, black shinobi pants, and combat boots. She also wears a purple scarf that slightly covers her mouth.