AN:
Entry 10 - I'M NOT DEAD YET BOYS!
On another note, no-one's guessed any of the answers for the previous chapter! Answer correctly to get a free cyber-cake (which may or may not be a lie) and an honorable mention in the next chapter's AN!
Right! Curtains Up!
Chapter 9
Graduation and Chaos
~The Shinobi Academy~
Naruto grinned wildly as he walked alongside his best friend Hinata. The Hyuuga heiress smiled back as she strolled along. Her pale eyes slid down to the newest addition to the mad blonde's daily outfit, a long tapered cane with a snarling gold fox head as the handle. (AN: Naruto's holding it like Jacob and Evie do in AC: Syndicate) The shaft of the cane (or scepter depending on who you asked) was a pitch black that seemed to shine despite its dark color and its silver tip was a fine point, dull enough that it didn't penetrate into the ground easily, yet sharp enough that with enough force and power (which Naruto had in abundance), it could stab clear through a foot-wide wall of pure asbantium (as Naruto had put it) and could slice and slash just as if it were a sword. The handle was and elegantly crafted head of a snarling fox with its jaws wide, gold in color and with one red ruby for one eye and a sky-blue sapphire for the other eye. When she'd asked its purpose, Naruto had simply muttered something about testing a prototype.
So far, only Naruto, Kurama, the TARDIS, and Caledfwlch(1) knew about the "prototype's capabilities. Carnwennan (as Naruto had taken to calling it in honor of King Arthur's legends)(2) was a weapon that Naruto had been working on for quite sometime. It was incredibly sturdy and tough, using nothing but the strongest of materials to make it. It also held a weaponized sonic-laser function in the fox head's jaws, which could tilt as if it were looking upwards in relation to the rest of the cane, for better accuracy. It was, of course, mainly nonlethal but did have a kill setting if the situation required it. In fact, the cane was capable of picking up Naruto's thoughts and could switch settings and frequencies (both of which there were a multitude of) depending on the situation at hand and made Carnwennan isomorphic, meaning that it would only respond to him and others that he allowed(3). He had thought up the sonic-laser function as to tap into the powers of sound and light. It also helped that he was inspired by the Doctor's sonic technology and the Master's laser technology. Carnwennan's primary function however, was, put bluntly, for Naruto to use in the place of Caledfwlch to beat the living shit out of his enemies. The cane was perfect for sword fights, even having a tip for stabbing and cutting, and for just bashing them in with every other part, especially the fox head.
But the cherry on top was this: While Caledfwlch did possess a connection to Naruto's mind, when not being used, it basically existed in a pocket dimension around Naruto, which said blonde could pull it out of to wield(4). Using this information, Naruto pulled off a feat of engineering that was impressive to say the least. He partially merged Caledfwlch and Carnwennan, to make it so that if need be, Naruto could manifest the Blade through his cane, switching them out in exchange for the other. This also had the pleasant side-effect of Carnwennan being able to return to the user's hands at will, much like Caledfwlch.
Speaking of his weapons, Naruto had begun practicing with them even more, making him extremely proficient in their use and also fostering a bond with the sentient arms. Especially the Claw of Omega, which apparently had a strange form of bipolar disorder. Nevertheless, his power had definitely increased.
But enough of that.
These were the last few days of the Academy and they would soon be taking the graduation test to see whether or not they had what it took to be Konoha shinobi. Naruto slid the door open for Hinata, who giggled at his happy expression.
In the months since Naruto had begun to train Hinata, she had come leaps and bounds from where she was before Naruto's return. Her stutter was almost non-existent, and while she did still blush around Naruto (particularly during his more...manic moments), she had not fainted since Naruto had revealed his TARDIS and (most of) his secrets. She still used her baggy coat, but her confidence as a kunoichi and in her skills had grown exponentially. Her modified Juuken training had greatly increased her power and confidence in battle.
As the duo entered the classroom, they were waved over by Chouji, who now equipped a certain large Claidheamh de Laimh(5) on his back. In the time after Naruto had given Chouji one of his favorite teachers' sword, the Akimichi had concentrated on his training in using Saorsa just as much as he concentrated on food. He was now at a level of adeptness that could make William proud and even managed to combine one of the Akimichi's basic jutsus with the blade, resulting in the creation of a devastating combo. Chouza, Chouji's father and head of the Akimichi himself, had personally talked to Naruto, thanking him for giving Chouji the perfect weapon for the Akimichi fighting style.
Naruto gave a disarming grin at Chouji, who smiled back in return. The blonde repeated the grin with Shikamaru who was pretending to sleep in the seat next to the Akimichi. The Nara just nodded in acknowledgement. In the days after Naruto had revealed the TARDIS, the angel had seen fit to teach them the origins of Umbra Elementi and allowed them limited access to the TARDIS's library. When asked why he let them do so, Naruto had just shrugged and said that they would be traveling with him soon.
'Might as well come prepared.' The blonde had said.
As the rest of the class began to file in, Naruto promptly slid Carnwennan into his inner coat pockets and withdrawn a very large book with a silvery cover and gold lettering that read, The Silmarillion. He carefully opened it to the first page. Hinata noticed, placing her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck, looking at the pages. Naruto took a side-long look at her and she smiled back before he chuckled and turned back to his book.
Soon, more of Naruto's 'gang' of pals had joined the four friends. Shino and Kiba joined the four in the second row of the two back rows that the group had more or less established as their territory in the classroom.
Of the two, Kiba had not changed other than achieving the task of rising above dead last, the title going to Shikamaru instead. Shino had changed in terms of personality. Instead of only answering back when spoken to, Shino would now occasionally start conversations.
The bug user pointed at Naruto's book. "I take it that your plan of selling your friends' books to ensure that they survive is in effect?" Naruto smiled in return and nodded.
Naruto had given Sarutobi quite a few books of his to give to some bookshops. The reason that Naruto gave them to Sarutobi was so that he couldn't be directly connected to the books that were sold. Naruto still knew that there was prejudice and hatred against him and that if people knew that these were 'his' books, they would never buy them.
So, he gave them to the Hokage to give off to bookshops, in return, the profit would be given to the Hokage, which would then be given to Naruto.
Kiba quirked an eyebrow, "How's that going anyway?" Naruto's grin widened considerably. It was going incredibly well. His (friends') books outsold every other book at almost every store, even outselling a particular perverted work series of a sannin. He had seen various copies or works like Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, Harry Potter, and even those of his very good old friends of J.R.R. Tolkien and Lewis Carroll making themselves home in the hands of the Konoha's citizens.
As the conversation continued within the gang, one particular person scowled from across the room at the mad blonde. Name? Who else but the emotionally challenged Sasuke Uchiha?
The raven-haired avenger ground his teeth as blond dobe chatted with his friends, a book in hand. That insect had just cruised in after two years of disappearance without so much as a by-your-leave, and taken his rightful place as Top of the Class. And then he refused to share his power and mighty technology with him, an Uchiha, the total superior! I deserve that power! Every bit of it must be mine! I need it to avenge my clan. To kill HIM!
A scuffle near the doors made the avenger groan a little as his worst fears appeared in the classroom door. He then simply assumed his usual brooding position, scowling away.
Sakura and Ino had begun to make their usual entrance when Sakura emerged victorious in their scuffle, seizing the seat next to her Sasuke. She stuck her tongue out at Ino, who got up and scowled at her before heading to the back two rows where Naruto and the others sat, quickly joining in on the conversation.
The pinkette briefly looked at Ino's animated figure as she talked with Naruto about the book in his hand. When had they become such good friends?
Sasuke's eyebrow twitched as he glanced out of the corner of his eye at his pink-haired stalker. No. That will be my final answer when she asks me if I want to go on a date. He scowled a bit more. Why can't they actually focus on their studies to become kunoichi? Like that Hinata girl. I would even consider asking her to be my wife if it weren't for the fact that she is still so weak.
He paused in his thoughts when the object of his attention, i.e. Naruto, suddenly stiffened and turned a little to Sasuke, glaring angrily. Did he hear that?
Naruto snarled inwardly. While he couldn't really read people's thoughts unless he was touching them, he could still hear little whispers of surface thoughts, things that people may have been thinking at the time. And just now, he heard thoughts that made his blood boil and his mental inhabitants rage. "Hinata...is still so weak."
Kurama and the TARDIS each snarled and gritted their "teeth" respectively. Though before any of the three could say anything, Hinata nudged him. He turned to her somewhat concerned face. "Are you okay?"
He smiled back reassuringly. "Yeah. Just a few...unsavory thoughts." He said as his eyes slid back toward the Uchiha, pinning the coal-black eyes with a cold stare, before turning back to Hinata and his book.
Sasuke involuntarily shuddered a little as Naruto's unnaturally cold eyes stared into his of pitch-black. He was suddenly shaken back to reality by his number-one fangirl saying his name. "Sasuke? Hello?"
The Uchiha shook himself out and shifted slightly in his seat back into his brooding position. He acknowledged her with a simple grunt.
Sakura was troubled. She had been thinking over Naruto's words that he'd spoken to her upon his return. At first, she had ignored them. But as time passed, she noticed that Hinata slowly gained strength, getting stronger and stronger under Naruto's keen eye. She had to ask. "I...ummmm..I was just wondering, what do you look for in a girl?"
Sasuke turned to her, inwardly mystified that this question was coming from one of his fangirls, the top fangirl no less. "Well...this is actually the smartest thing you've ever said to me. Basically, I just want a strong girl to be with me, so that my children when my clan is reborn, will be strong. That's all."
His pink-haired audience blinked as he turned away, before she looked at Naruto. I can't believe that he was right! I ignored some perfectly good advice that could've helped! She sighed, mentally snapping her fingers in unhappiness, before looking up with determination, swearing that she would become stronger for her crush.
Within her mind, Sakura's Inner Personality added its two cents. "Yeah! And then we can rub it into all the other fangirls' faces!"
Just then, the two Chuunin instructors, Iruka and Mizuki walked in, effectively silencing the classroom. Naruto eyed the latter of the two, taking note of his frown. Now what have we here? Is Danzo making a move?
Kurama snorted. "Pretty bloody likely." The TARDIS smacked him around the back of the head. "Language!" The Timeship's green-blue eyes shone harsh and punishing, like an angry mother. Kurama cowered a little under the TARDIS's gaze.
Naruto groaned inwardly. Behave you two. Don't make me get Omega and Caledfwlch involved. The TARDIS rolled her eyes and Kurama stopped cowering, brushing himself off and grinning at how he escaped the Timeship's wrath. For now.
Meanwhile, it turned out that Naruto was only half right. Danzou had been dealing with one of the worst criminals and traitors of Konoha. The Snake Sannin Orochimaru. And apparently, in their negotiations, Orochimaru had asked for a gift. More specifically, he'd asked for the Forbidden Scroll of Konoha, a scroll containing many forbidden jutsus. And for Kami knew what reason, Danzou had entrusted him to do the task of stealing the scroll and giving it to Orochimaru.
Now, the plan Mizuki had laid out to do this task was this: Use Naruto to steal the scroll, under the pretense of it just being an extra-credit test. Then, once he lured Naruto out of the village, he would kill the "demon," and take the scroll! It was GENIUS...eh, not quite. You see, this plan was based on the assumption that the victim i.e. Naruto, was a complete idiot.
But the kid was, quite literally, top of the class. He wouldn't be able to graduate as Rookie of the Year, chances were pretty good that he'd pass.
I need a backup plan. Mizuki thought to himself as he glared at Naruto, who smiled toothily back, making a sort of "toodle-oo" wave with his fingers.
"Right then, morning class! Today, we'll be reviewing what you will need to know to pass the Genin exams. And I do expect you all to pass and I may or may not be unhappy should you not." The scarred wielder of the Vorpal Blade punctuated his remark with a glare at Shikamaru, who groaned out "Troublesome."
Iruka continued. "Now then, the exam is in two parts. The written academic exam and the test of your ninja skills. The written exam will be to test your knowledge. To pass the skills test, you have to be able to perform a substitution, a transformation, and to create three clones. Not shadow clones Naruto. The Council ruled that that particular jutsu was too much for a genin and isn't an acceptable clone. Sorry."
Two particular jerks smiled at the news. Mizuki smiled in relief as he saw another chance to salvage his plan and Sasuke smirked/scowled at Naruto, all the while thinking. Hah! Now you fail dobe! Now you fall while I rise!
Hinata looked over to Naruto in concern. She knew as well as the Trickster himself did, that the boy couldn't create a regular clone. His reserves were too vast to be properly and fully controlled, despite his remarkable chakra control. Naruto just gave her his trademark grin, telling her that he had something in mind. "Don't worry 'bout it Hinata. I'll pass."
Iruka picked up a clipboard and asked that each student come up to demonstrate their transformation. Each person lined up and tried their hand at the transformation. One by one, each student turned into either Mizuki or Iruka. Eventually, they came to Naruto.
The Trickster grinned, poofing into a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, everyone's jaws dropped. In Naruto's place stood a perfect replication of the Yondaime, only outfitted with larger versions of Naruto's own clothing.
But the fun didn't stop there. slowly the Image of the carbon-copy Yondaime in Naruto's clothing shifted into an old man with swept back silvery hair and piercing blue eyes, wearing what Naruto and some friends knew to be an Edwardian frock coat complete with other Edwardian articles.
It then shifted into a scruffy looking man with a mop of black hair and eyes that seemed to flash different colors depending on the light, wearing an outfit similar to the first man, but they were clownishly large. The man held a recorder to his lips, smirking a little as he played a note.
The man shifted again, becoming an old man again. This man had a shock of white hair, a pretty big chin, and a pointed nose. He wore an Inverness cape outfit, said cape having a red inner lining, a cravat, and gloves.
Now the shifts began to go faster and his audience began to only see flashes of men. A man in a impossibly long scarf and a floppy fedora with pale blue eyes, tombstone teeth and curly brown hair. A younger man in what Naruto and his friends knew to be a cricket outfit and peach-white frock coat with fair blonde hair and blue eyes. A man with a mane of long curly blonde hair who wore a "patchwork" coat that actually made Sakura and Ino shriek in fear and horror. A man in a hat similar to Naruto's, a vest covered in question-marks, and a black umbrella with a red question-mark handle. A young man with longish hair and a face that made a few girls sigh happily. He seemed to have a penchant for green and wore Edwardian clothing.
Now the next one was a strange one, his form was shrouded with dark smoke, ash, and shadow, his actual features mostly obscured. Though many could pick out some key features. He had a beard and wrinkles indicating weariness and old age. He wore simple clothing, ragged and soiled, and had a bandolier over his shoulder. Unlike the previous men, this man had an air of sadness, weariness, and strangely, fear. After that, more men began to show.
A man with big ears, a leather jacket, and a sweater underneath. A skinny man in a three piece suit and ruffled hair that caused some girls to nosebleed a little and Hinata to blush. It reminded her a lot of Naruto's style. A goofy looking man with a big chin, wearing tweed and a bowtie that made Hinata smile. Again, it seemed a lot like Naruto.
And finally came the man that many had heard of. Velvet coat with lining. Waistcoat. Hoodie. Silver hair in a quaff. A wrinkled face. Eyes the color of space itself. and to top it all off, eyebrows large and thick enough to pop off bottle tops. The Doctor himself.
Hinata giggled and blushed as the replica bowed royally to her. Finally, with a puff of smoke, Naruto reappeared smirking widely under his top hat. Quirking an eyebrow, Iruka had to ask. "Who were those other people?"
Naruto gave him a sidelong grin. "You all know don't you? Grandad of course." And with that the blonde retook his place next to Hinata. Everyone's minds were thinking overtime.
Grandad? Does he mean the Doctor? But those were so many different people! The scarred teacher thought to himself.
Who were those people, his Grandad? But Naruto's an orphan! And for the Yondaime...if you added whisker marks...no! No he can't be related to the Yondaime! Can he? Sakura deliberated within her mind.
So those were all the Doctor? How can they all be the same person though, they all looked different..? And the fact that Naruto looks very similar to the Yondaime...ah this is too troublesome to think about. You-know-who thought as he leaned back in his seat.
A thin line of drool rolled out of Ino's mouth. Was that first one how Naruto's going to look like when he grows up? Let me get some of tha-NO! BAD INO! WHAT ABOUT HINATA! AND SASUKE OF COURSE! The mental outburst was enough to push those...indecent thoughts away in favor of the other mysteries. So those guys were that 'Grandad' we hearing about from Naruto? But, his grandfather can't be multiple people! Some of those people didn't even look old enough to be grandparents! Though some of them...no! BAD! Ino chided herself mentally.
Hinata was shyly poking her indexes together, the somewhat childish action masking her otherwise maturish thoughts. Naruto is HOT! I-I-I! Her inner personality made itself known. "You don't say?! You know what we've got?! A MAJOR HUNK AS A FRIEND! Come on! All we need is to get his attention! There must be something?!"
Iruka kept thinking but chose to shelve those thoughts He nodded approvingly at Naruto, opting not to praise Naruto due to a little...trick shall we say. The scarred chuunin looked down at the clipboard. "Hinata Hyuuga?"
The girl in question stood up, before pausing and smirking. A cloud of smoke poofed around her. The smoke cleared and the results: Naruto's widest mad grin, about all the boys with a heart attack, a stroke, and a nosebleed, and every girl looking on with jealousy.
Hinata had chosen to transform into an "older" version of herself. She had long bluish hair, flowing like water to her mid-back. She appeared to just be wearing a longish cloak about her that hung loosely but was still very close to her body. Her face was narrower, with high cheekbones and pale red lips. The interesting thing was that her eyes seemed to shimmer a startling, piercing blue.
Kiba looked at her, dazed and bleeding profusely. HOLY CRAP! This hottie is Hinata grown-up?! I should've gone for her sooner!
Naruto leaned back in his seat, smiling at the transformation his best friend had performed. He pulled off his top hat, freeing his haywire blond hair so he could sweep the sweat off his brow. Who knew that a Hyuuga could make him sweat? Then again... "Well~ now. Looks like ye've got quite the catch, 'aven'tcha?" Kurama grinned widely with a tiny hint of admiration. What do you know? I've seen stars, nebulae, supernovae, and countless wondrous planets...and I've never seen anything as beautiful as this...mea incredibilis dea(6). The TARDIS squealed in delight. "CUUUUUUTE!"
She's definitely hot. If this is what she's going to look like later on..maybe I should take her for myself. Another plus, it would really burn Naruto. Two birds, one stone. Sasuke made a cruel smirk. He should've thanked whatever deity existed that Naruto wasn't listening to surface thoughts.
Ino growled a little involuntarily, before pausing and berating herself on her jealousy.
Hinata gave a small smile aimed at one person in particular as she returned in a puff of smoke. Understandably, she was quite surprised at the amount of guys on the ground nursing their nosebleeds. About half the class apparently.
As the lavender-eyed girl took her seat next to Naruto, the boy smiled at her. "Seems I'm rubbing off on you. Whether that's a good or a bad thing...meh, not important." He leaned closer, dipping his voice to a whisper. "But I was very close to joining the sorry lot on the floor." He said, indicating the males that were coming to their senses. "Nice touch replicating my ancestor's wife, only with your features though." Hinata blushed, her smile still on her face as she nodded. She'd found an illustration of the Other's wife, named "Patience" apparently, in the TARDIS's library(7).
Iruka eventually managed to get to his feet, balancing a little unsteadily with two tissues tinged red up his nose. "I-I-umm, I think we should be moving on now." He said as he quickly called down the last student (who made a horrible rendition of Mizuki with acne and bulging eyes).
After that incident (which had much of the class laughing and Mizuki's eye twitching angrily), Iruka saw fit to do an overall review of the year before turning them loose for lunch.
Chouji had asked for his favorite restaurant and Naruto had seconded him, on the condition that the Akimichi heir chose to eat light. Not that he really needed to, considering that Chouji was trying to eat to gain muscle, not simply become overweight.
So now the merry band of friends were sitting at the table talking and laughing. Shikamaru, Shino, Ino and Hinata all chose to eat light, whereas Naruto, Kiba, and Chouji ate quite a lot, though light for Akimichi standards (and a race that Naruto had met called 'Maxillians' apparently). And of course, Akamaru ate his fair share as well. After gorging himself (more or less), Naruto leaned back in his seat, looking out the window as his mind traveled back to the class. His eyes hardened slightly at the memory of the thought he'd gleaned from Sasuke's mind. 'Hinata...is still so weak.' What did he mean 'still'?
Kurama added his two cents. "Clearly boyo, he's plannin' somthin'? And I doubt it's gonna be savoury." The Trickster growled internally. Whatever he's planning ought to quit now, or else... Naruto's mental voice darkened considerably, as if Death itself was speaking through him (AN: Pazuzu's voice from the TV show Constantine). His mental form glowed. His irises were blood red and his pupils were vulpine in shape, much like Kurama's eyes, only an inner silver light shown in the pupil. His sclera shone a bright gold streaked with black veins. His eyes seemed to exude red and blue light in tendrils. His teeth and canines sharpened as did his fingernails.
The TARDIS frowned. "Snap out of it!" She yelled as she slapped his mental manifestation. Ouch! The blonde yelped as he rubbed his manifestation's cheek, his features returning to normal. Thanks. I needed that. The Artonic Fox pulled a somewhat worried face. "Ye need ta be careful. We don't want you to lose control again. Remember the last ti-" "Shut it!" The TARDIS admonished the fox.
Naruto chuckled at the Time hound being chewed out by his ship. S'alright now. I'm fine. "Hey. Are you okay?"
The boy blinked as he returned to his senses. He looked over to who had spoken and smiled. Hinata was staring at him concernedly. "Yeah I'm fine. Just a bit of trouble in Paradise." Naruto commented as he tapped the side of his head.
Hinata looked into his sapphire eyes with concern. He was still hiding things. The question was, 'what?' What could he be hiding now?
"So, what do you lot think of the exams?" The Mad Seraph deflected, clearly noticing that Hinata was going to ask again.
Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome."
"Easy."
"I find it acceptable."
"Meh."
"Shouldn't be too hard."
"Piece of cake."
"It should be fine, but I'm worried about you Naruto. You can't make normal clones and you aren't allowed to make shadow clones."
Naruto gave a reassuring smile. "Meh. Don't worry about it. I've got a, well, a plan of sorts." His smile turned slightly mad and crazed, before morphing back into his previous look.
The majority of the group shuddered a little. It unnerved them how the blonde's moods and demeanors could change like quicksilver. That and the look that Naruto had shown meant that he was up to something. Something that sounded "Trick or Treat"-ish.
A waiter then came around with the bill, giving Naruto an angered glare while setting the bill down. The Mad Angel looked down at it, shrugged, and paid for the meal, giving a relatively generous tip. The waiter looked down at the bill and looked back up, his glare slightly dimmed.
"Thank you." The waiter said curtly and coldly as he picked up the bill and pocketed the tip. He then promptly walked away. The kid may have been the demon brat, but he definitely tipped good. Naruto sighed a little before grinning as he got to his feet.
"Well. You lot owe me some lunch. Later along the line o'course." Smiles and a couple laughs responded, the one standing out being Hinata. Her smile was warm and happy. His strange accent was always so soothing to her, lifting her spirits.
Naruto pulled a wry grin as he crooked his finger at them as he began to walk away, withdrawing his scepter from the confines from his coat. "C'mon ladies and gents, off to the TARDIS."
The group chuckled as they followed, though no-one noticed a pair of green eyes in head of pink hair watching from behind a tree that was close enough to overhear them.
Later on that day
~Hinata~
Hinata slowly closed the door behind her as she smiled happily to herself. After a long and admittedly boring day at the Academy, they had all gone back to Naruto's TARDIS, which had become somewhat a hangout for them. She giggled lightly to herself as she remembered how hyperactive Naruto had been. The poor angel had made shadow clones for his friends to keep himself and his guests entertained after letting his wings burst out (as they had gotten accustomed to as he usually let them out after getting into his Timeship).
One clone played chess with Shikamaru while another did the same with Shino, each clone changing places after every turn. Another clone played the violin, apparently composing a piece while Kiba leaned on the piano's side, pointing out spot where he could improve the piece. After all, the Inuzuka had animalistic hearing which definitely helped with music and listening. Akamaru was there too, yapping along with the music when the clone started playing.
As for the seraph himself, he was sparring against Chouji, who had become rather good with Saorsa. He was using Carnwennan and Chouji was using Naruto's apparent hyperactivity and distractedness to such an advantage that Naruto had unfurled his wings and used them to turn the tide. By then the spar had become something of a contest to see who could win. Naruto shifted his feathers to make them razor-sharp to cut at Chouji when they locked blades and would flap his wings to either try to knock the Akimichi off balance or to take short flight when a sword swing came close. Not to mention, the scepter was perfect for keeping Chouji on his toes, which the boy was, especially after Naruto had unleashed a blast of powerful energy from the cane's Fox head. Hinata and Ino each stood on the sidelines, the former cheering the Angel on and the latter cheering the Akimichi on. And eventually, by means of a crafty disarm, Naruto triumphed and Hinata had cheered loudly.
Her reminiscing smile faltered slightly. Tomorrow would be the Graduation test. And Hinata knew she could pass. That wasn't the problem.
Naruto was clearly confident that he would pass as well. And she had faith in him. There was no doubt in her mind that he would indeed pass. But what about after they had passed?
Hinata couldn't bear the thought of not being on Naruto's team. The thought of not being at his side. He was everything to her; a teacher, a friend...her love. Her personal guardian angel. He had given her confidence, training, friendship, even some of his secrets. His mad demeanor and chaotic behavior always made her smile and laugh and his mixed-accent voice lifted her heart into the light every day.
Hinata always knew she had some pretty strong feelings toward him. After all, when they had first joined the Academy, she had admired him. That admiration soon turned into a crush and, at the time, that was all she had. After all, she had barely known him. But now...now she knew him better. And she now knew that the blonde angel was the type of person that she would want to be with, now and for eternity..
The pale-eyed heiress bit her lip. But, she wasn't entirely sure that he would return her feelings. And even if he did, her father didn't like "commoners" as he put it, and probably disapprove of him, despite what she overheard during that little meeting.
Her eyes suddenly narrowed. Her father. Now there was a strange thing. Hiashi had become increasingly quiet and less vocal in his expressions of his "disappointment" towards Hinata. He was more silent in his daughter's spars, especially when they were against her own sister. She would never strike back against her sister, no matter how many openings she saw for a well-placed attack.
Her sister, Hanabi, had noticed this. Before this, she was very withdrawn from Hinata, thinking her weak. But she had confronted her sister after one spar, where Hinata had had a chance to end the match at the very beginning and yet the elder one didn't, choosing just to dodge until she had lost. When Hanabi asked Hinata why she didn't strike back, the answer was simple. "I never want to see you hurt. Even if I look weak to Otou or anyone else, I'd prefer it to hurting you." Hanabi had stared at her for a long while, before simply walking away, her face scrunched up with confusion.
Why did her life have to be so strange? She sighed as she flopped back onto her bed, thinking what her mother had said many times. "In time, all answers are revealed."
Meanwhile in a certain angel's TARDIS
~Naruto~
In the garden/training ground, an angel stood tall, three tails of energy behind him.
"Focus. Ye've got'ter concentrate!"
Naruto gritted his teeth as he tried to reel in the fourth tail of Artronic energy. His eyes glowed brightly, shining like miniature suns. His winged form shone like a star in space. His irises were still a bright blue, only now interlaced with threads of gold and red. His vertical, vulpine pupils shone with a silver light and his sclera were a pure shining gold. His teeth were sharp, pointed, and feral and his fingernails were claw-like. His whiskers shone more prominently. A reddish, gold tail of energy, laced with blue tendrils began to manifest itself next to its three compatriots.
Suddenly, the angel's eyes morphed drastically. Irises turned red like blood and black lines began to show in his gold sclera, appearing like arteries and veins, encroaching and threatening to engulf the entire sclera in black. His eyes began to output more and more blue, red, and gold light.
"Stop!"
The Trickster gasped as he quickly relinquished his hold on the Fox's power, turning himself back to his normal state. For days and even weeks (within Naruto's mind), the TARDIS and Kurama had been trying to get Naruto used to wield his more inert Timelord power or more so the Other's power. Namely, his own stores of Artron and Huon energy. That had been a cake walk and drawing on that power had given him more control over his perceptions of time and space and he could manipulate the Artron fields in other beings and objects. Meaning, he had psychokinetic abilities that could manipulate his surroundings and the elements without the use of jutsus. It made him look a bit like the biblical 'warrior of God.' His form would glow, his scleras would shine gold, his irises would be blue, exuding and laced with gold tendrils and his normal, circular pupils shone with an inner silver light. Of course, it wasn't to the point of raining fire and brimstone from the heavens, stopping time, or anything to that extent. It was more so things like making objects spontaneously combust, lightning and thunder, slowing time's flow or creating gale-force winds (with the help of his wings of course). Though there was little doubt in Naruto's mind that his ancestor was capable of power on such a scale of biblical proportion.
After all, when you were a precursor to one of the greatest and most powerful races in history of reality, you would've had some serious firepower.
But there was one curious power that Naruto exhibited. He could output massive amounts of light, enough to outshine some stars and galaxies. And where there is light, there is heat, so as the light grew brighter, the more heat Naruto put out. Naruto could manipulate light and heat in incredible ways in this state.
Naruto and his mental occupants agreed that it would take quite some time till the Angel was at the Other's level of power. So, they had turned focus to trying to grasp Kurama's energy and use it. It should have been easy...except for a strange detail. Restraint in this form proved to be extremely elusive, as Naruto risked simply losing control, much like how the Doctor could be, on occasion. "God I hate doing that. It's so close!"
The fox sighed, "Not much we can do, just keep workin' at it." The Time Hound gave a smirk.
In th' mean time, ye've got an exam in th' mornin', don't'cha?"
Naruto sighed before smiling and heading off to bed.
Meanwhile in the Dark
~Undisclosed Location~
Mizuki stood before a desk where a man sat, shrouded in the shadows. The white-haired chuunin coughed as he prepared his report. "I have watched over those few that you have requested as per our agreement, namely Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Hinata Hyuuga. Naruto Uzumaki has shown superiority over the Uchiha in all areas. He is extremely unpredictable and cunning. If he had this training from, the Oncoming Storm," he stumbled over the name, "before he left, he would have easily gained the title of #1 Rookie. However, as he stands now, his grades, combined with his before trip grades, place him just below the middle point in rankings. Hinata Hyuuga has grown much stronger in his company. She is now more confident and assertive and is now the top kunoichi in many aspects. Only Sakura Haruno tops her in Genjutsus and Academics. Sasuke Uchiha is ranked second in terms of Student of the Year, and is overall the #1 Rookie. He is also extremely power-hungry and vengeful. He is determined to avenge hid clan and to bring Naruto down."
The man sat at the desk, silent. Mizuki swallowed quietly. "I trust that my report is to your liking Lord Danzou?"
"...Yes. It is. Thank you Mizuki." The man got out of his chair and walked into the light, revealing the crippled warhawk himself. And this location was his personal army's base. ANBU ROOT's Headquarters to be precise.
Danzou continued. "We will have to keep a close watch on the last two. As for Uzumaki, he is sure to fail the exam."
Mizuki grinned eagerly, his eyes reflecting cruelty. "Agreed. And afterwards, I will use him to steal the Forbidden Scroll. Then, after his arrest, you will be able to take him into ROOT. Just as you have planned."
A ever-slight smirk made its way onto the warhawk's face. "Excellent. You have done well. Now go and prepare for your task." The traitorous chuunin bowed and disappeared from the elderly councilman's sight. Danzou turned to the shadows at his left. "Sai."
A boy, pale as a ghost, wearing effeminate clothing stepped forward. "Yes Lord Danzou?"
"After Uzumaki fails the exam, go capture the other two. Bring them to me, but only if the jinchuuriki fails. Do you understand me?"
The newly named 'Sai' made a smile so fake it was somewhat creepy. "Of course Lord Danzou." He spoke, before vanishing as well.
Danzou leaned back in his chair as he made the faintest of smiles, thoughts and schemes flying around in his head. And now, with patience, that brat will be my weapon!
The Next Day
~Shinobi Academy~
Approximately 40 hopefully soon-to-be ninjas sat at their desks, waiting to be called up for the final part of the exam: the Ninjutsu exam. This would determine who would or wouldn't become a genin. While everyone else sat fidgeting nervously and talking as they waited, Naruto was absently playing with his yo-yo, performing tricks with the string and the like, while his friends watched or did other things, like sleep or just wait silently. Iruka looked up from his clipboard, "Shino Aburame!"
The group wished the bug user luck, the Angel doing so without so much as faltering in his movements in catching the yo-yo on the string. Ten minutes passed and the Aburame returned with a Konoha headband of blue cloth. He sat down as his friends congratulated him. The class continued to talk and such as each student was called one by one, returning either with a smile and a headband or empty-handed with a frown or other negative espression. Hinata sat next to Naruto watching as he did his tricks, her new headband sat around her neck as she cast a concerned glance at her crush, who winked at her with a smile, making her smile and blush back. A resounding cheer arose from the fangirl side of the class as Sasuke walked back in with a headband in place. The emotionally challenged boy didn't so much as spare a glance at his supporters, instead choosing to sneer at Naruto as the Trickster's name was called.
"Good luck dobe. Try not to cry when you fail."
The taunt didn't so much as faze Naruto, who just smirked as he twisted the strings into a slingshot-like mechanism, launching the yo-yo off his fingers. The toy promptly fell into his waiting hand.
"Luck is irrelevant, my least-favorite emo. Just try not to trip and fall over that broken ego of yours."
He left the emotionally-challenged boy fuming as he followed Iruka to a different classroom, empty and devoid of student desks. All that was there was a coatrack and a teacher's desk, at which Mizuki was sitting. And on that desk, sat a single Konoha head-band.
Iruka walked in and sat next to Mizuki, giving off an atmosphere that showed that the test was beginning now. "Right. First perform a transformation jutsu."
The Trickster nodded. With a snap of his fingers, he had morphed into a perfect copy of Iruka, which smiled at the teachers before turning back into Naruto. Iruka nodded approvingly.
"Good. Now substitute with the coatrack." With a nod, Naruto switched places with the coatrack in a puff of smoke that strangely was tinted gold and silver, before switching back. Both teachers watched with a hint of curiosity, considering that instead of the generic smoke, Naruto's colored smoke now seemed to resemble a murky mist or cloud. Nevertheless, Iruka nodded, "Now please make three clones."
Here, Naruto paused. "Does any form of clone other than a shadow clone work?"
Mizuki scowled. "Of course you ca-!" "I'll allow it." Iruka interrupted in a calm, even voice.
The Trickster smirked at this and put his hands behind his back. Almost immediately, three copies of Naruto shimmered into existence. The four smirked at each other before turning to the teachers. "Does this work?" The clones and Naruto said in unison.
Iruka nodded. "Yes it does. I don't know what this technique is, but it does produce clones that are not shadow clones. Well done, you have passed."
Naruto smiled as he picked up the headband. He turned to his clones and nodded, each of them shimmering into nothing as the Trickster walked out of the classroom, leaving in his wake, a smiling Iruka and inwardly raging and plotting Mizuki. DAMN! WHAT SORT OF CRAP WAS WITH THAT CLONE?! Alright. Calm down, and think. Now I've just got to use my back-up plan. Heh, at least the demon brat will get the blame. A cruel smile crept across the white-haired chuunin's face, creeping out Iruka, who simply shook his head and walked out.
The Trickster now walked into the regular classroom, headband in hand. He tossed it up, flipping it midair and catching it, gaining cheers from his friends and surprised (and furious from guess-who) looks. As he passed by Sasuke, he smirked and whispered, "Nice try at a guess Uchiha. Better luck next time." And with the last word in, he left Sasuke fuming in rage.
Hinata smiled widely as she grabbed Naruto in a hug as his other friends crowded around him. Kiba grinned as he asked, "How'd you make the clones? You can't make any others past shadow clones."
"True. But, I've got this," the Trickster tapped his watch. "Vortex manipulator merged with a powerful heirloom. I used it to make some minor distortions in reality- illusions if you will. Perfect for distractions. Or passing a slightly rigged exam." Chuckles ran around the group, drowning out the mental grumbling of the Claw of Omega. Which stopped after a quick mental thanks.
That Dark Night
Konoha's newly refurbished and improved monument looked over the village in its silent vigil under the clear night sky, shining with stars like jewels. Atop the monument, the air sounded with a mechanical symphony as the TARDIS materialized on the Yondaime's head. The door creaked open and the Mad Seraph walked out, Carnwennan in hand and wings out and slightly folded behind him. He pulled off his hat, holding it close as he sat atop the Yondaime's head. "Hiya dad." Naruto spoke with a slightly subdued grin. That grin stayed as he narrated how he passed the exam and about his friends.
Now, he looked at the stars. His grin grew wider and happier. Now he could travel like the Doctor! "Proud of me now Grandad?" Even as those words left his lips, a thought struck him. Would the Other, his ancestor have approved? Would he have been proud?
"No doubt 'n me mind that 'e would be lad." Kurama and the TARDIS smiled at him from within the Angel's mind, and he smiled back. He looked down at the village he was now fighting to protect.
Just then, as his gaze flicked over to the Hokage Tower, a shadow flickered across the rooftop. Quirking an eyebrow, he got up, picking up Carnwennan from its slot into the rocks. I'm sure I haven't gone that mad. You guys saw that right?
Entering his mindscape, Kurama quickly pulled over a monitor, displaying a snapshot of the memory. Naruto looked over. He was looking at...himself? He squinted and his lips curled. There was chakra on his copy, which meant that was a person who was disguised as him. And Naruto knew who would do so.
The TARDIS and Kurama's faces both grinned. "Time for the Hunt."
Elsewhere, about 30 min. later
Mizuki knocked hard on Iruka's door. The scarred chuunin opened it, blinking his eyes sleepily while holding that strange sword of his loosely in one hand.
"Iruka, Naruto just stole the Forbidden Scroll! He's headed into the forest!"
Iruka instantly went on red alert. "What! Why?!"
"We don't know, but the Hokage's sending everyone after him." And with that, Mizuki darted off. Iruka smiled as he looked up, catching a glimpse of gold and silver. He then shut the door, fully intending to get back to bed.
~The Forest~
Out in the forest, by an old shack, sat a familiar blonde boy poring over a large scroll. He immediately stopped when Iruka appeared in front of him. "Oh, hi Iruka-sensei! I was just looking up some techniques. They're very interesting."
Iruka appeared to raise an eyebrow. "Oh that I have no doubt. Do you have permission to have that scroll though?"
"Heheh," Naruto seemed to scratch his head sheepishly, "Not really. You know," his smile turned dark and cruel. "I was planning on taking it to Orochimaru." The boy quickly made 3 shadow clones to charge before throwing two kunai in quick succession.
The scarred chuunin quickly dodged the two projectiles before drawing his sword. Swiftly, he bashed the first clone in the skull with the pommel, dispelling the copy. He turned and stabbed the second clone through the chest. The last clone grabbed Iruka as the original drew another kunai and charged. Iruka flipped his grip on the Vorpal Blade and skewered the clone behind him while kicking the original 'Naruto' away. Iruka grinned as the boy rubbed his chest. "You really think that would've worked, Mizuki?"
The boy scowled as he turned into the treacherous chuunin. "How did you know it was me?"
Iruka smirked, raising his free hand. "Because," he snapped and disappeared. "I'm Naruto." The mad blonde stood tall, Carnwennan in hand and his headband wrapped around his hat, the tails of the headband fell down his back and shoulders (11).
Mizuki growled, his eyes narrowed in malice. "Damn brat!" He suddenly stopped, his lips curling into an evil smile. "At least, now I can frame you for taking the scroll and turn you-!"
"I'm going to stop you right there, Moronzuki," the chuunin in question's eye twitched and his body shook in rage at the taunt. "Do me a favor, eh? Look 'round?"
The white-haired traitor did so, and stiffened as he saw a certain Sarutobi standing there. The old man smiled before vanishing in a puff of smoke. Naruto grinned widely. "So, now then, the Hokage probably knows all by now. Which means," Naruto took his free hand, and slid his index across his throat. "That you, sensei, are positively screwed."
Naruto's enemy growled. "At least I can kill you!" He roared in anger as he charged in with a right hook. The boy just ducked, adjusting his grip on his scepter as if it were a club and smashing the traitor across the face.
Mizuki went reeling back, nursing a wound near his temple. Naruto just chuckled, twirling Carnwennan like a baton. "Is that really the best you can do?"
The albino chuunin scowled, before smiling evilly. Naruto rolled his eyes internally. Another "trump card"? "Apparently so, ki-" "Shut it! I'm recording this moment into my hard-drives!"
"Do you know why everyone in the village despises you?"
Again, Naruto mock-pondered the question. "Nah! Do tell though."
Ignoring the obvious taunt, Mizuki continued. "What they taught you was a lie. The Yondaime didn't kill the Kyuubi. Instead, he sealed the demon into a human child. You. You are the demon, the Kyuubi no Kitsune that destroyed Konoha!"
Mizuki snarled evilly, fully expecting Naruto to break down on the spot. What he didn't expect was for him to stare and double over laughing hysterically. "What the- stop laughing! Didn't you hear me? You're a demon!" The boy just laughed harder.
The evil chuunin's eye twitched more and more. "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!" Naruto finally calmed down, wiping a tear from his eye. "Oh, blimey. Haven't laughed that hard in ages!" The mad blonde straightened up.
"And to answer your question, it's the fact that you and everyone else who thinks that, are bloody idiots!" Mizuki ground his teeth at the slight. "I mean, me, the Kyuubi? Have you lot lost your minds? Do I look like a fox with nine tails to you? Mind you, I've known about him for ages. And we've been good friends, for quite a lot of that."
Naruto scoffed. "And besides, how could I be 'a demon'?" He said, making air quotes. "If I've got these?" With that, six golden-feathered wings burst from his back, wreathed in silver flame. Mizuki's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Impossible! You're-!" "The Angel of Konoha. Surprise!"
The newly revealed angel flipped his cane and pointed the head towards the traitor, the fox head snapping upwards so that the jaws were pointed directly at Mizuki. "And just so you remember, you just broke one of Konoha's laws, among several, one of the newly broken ones involves capital punishment!"
Mizuki snarled in anger, grabbing one of the windmill shurikens from his back and hurling it at Naruto. The Angel simply smirked. One of the wings moved quickly and smashed the shuriken into metal shards which embedded into the trees. "Was that it?"
The traitor responded with creating more shadow clones and charging. Naruto chuckled as he reached into his pockets and threw down a smoke bomb. Mizuki growled as he saw his foe vanish after the smoke cleared. "Where are you?! Show yourself coward!"
A chuckle rang from the trees around him, echoing. "What a pathetic little shinobi you are. A real ninja doesn't fight hand to hand if he has the chance."
Suddenly, Mizuki was spun around and felt pinpricks that felt like very sharp feathers at his throat. Looking up from his throat, he saw Naruto grinning darkly, all his wings positioned at the traitor's throat. "He attacks from the shadows. Lights out moron." And with that, the Mad Seraph reared back and head-butted the traitorous chuunin, breaking his nose and knocking him out cold. The clones of Mizuki poofed into smoke. Naruto smirked as he summoned up two clones to carry Mizuki and slung the scroll onto his back, between his wings. He beat his feathered appendages once and took to the air towards town, his clones trailing behind him.
Two hours later
Danzou allowed a tiny smirk to grace his lips as he headed to the council chambers. If all went to plan (which it should have), Mizuki would be gone, far from Konoha, and Naruto would be stripped of his rank, ready for Danzou to come in and take him into ROOT.
Imagine his surprise when he saw Sarutobi sitting there with Naruto reading a black book titled The Divine Comedy (12), the scroll underneath his arm as a support. Looking to Sarutobi's other side, he saw Mizuki in shackles, flanked by two ANBU.
The old warhawk sat down, his mind running hard and fast, What is this? Mizuki failed? But the plan should have been foolproof! Sarutobi nodded. "Now that we are all here, we can begin. About two hours ago, the Forbidden Scroll was stolen. Originally, it was thought that Naruto Uzumaki was the thief. However, an eye-witness account from Iruka Umino confirmed that Naruto was not the thief due to the fact that he saw the boy before it was even reported that the scroll was missing and that Naruto did not exhibit signs of a transformation to hide anything. Also, by using shadow clones, I was able to witness Mizuki's confession that he had stolen the scroll to frame Naruto and attacked Naruto while breaking my law concerning the boy."
Council members turned and looked at each other, some of them silently questioning the evidence, considering the Hokage's fondness for this boy. Danzou himself cursed quietly to himself. Running the ways that he could deny this claim through his mind, he came to one simple conclusion. He couldn't refute the claim, especially with Naruto right there with the Forbidden Scroll in hand. He ground his teeth in anger, quickly running through the agents he could use to silence Mizuki before information involving himself was revealed.
Sarutobi just smiled, pleased that no-one tried to go against him. He nodded at Naruto, who shut his book and placed it somewhere within the confines of his coat. "Thank you for returning the scroll and apprehending Mizuki. This will go in as an A-rank and thus, you will receive payment tomorrow. In the meantime, you may leave to go and rest."
Naruto grinned as he handed the scroll and turned around to leave. He suddenly stopped. "Oh! Before I forget Jiji, don't try to use any Yamanakas on Mizuki to get information for about a day or so, okay? Psychic headbutts do tend to scramble things up here." He said, tapping his temple before departing.
As he left, Danzou glared at the boy. I will not be denied what is mine! You will be my weapon!
AN:
WOW! Over 10,000 words! That is much longer than I originally thought. Right so, from now on, I'll be trying to make longer chapters so do bear with me if I don't upload for a while. Midterms hit hard. I will try to get more chapters out as fast as I can, but remember guys. Do things correctly, not quickly...that's how it goes right?
Now some of you (I'm looking at you Leaf Ranger) would notice that this chapter in particular has a lot in common with another chapter in the story Wizard of Kitsune. This is because I found this particular chapter to be more difficult to write than I expected (mainly because my mind kept jumping ahead in the story instead of focusing on this part), so I drew on the Leaf Ranger's great story to use as a base, more or less. Hope that clarified some things (mainly the fact that I didn't plagiarize) and if you are either confused by this little part or haven't read Wizard of Kitsune, just skip this part and do read it respectively.
Legend:
(1) This is the name with which I shall be referring to Caliburn/Excalibur by default, though I still may use the other names interchangably. This is because that was the original name for King Arthur's sword, it means "Hard Lightning," and it sounds awesome. Need I say more?
(2) Carnwennan is King Arthur's magical dagger (among his other weapons of lore. Guy has enough magical weaponry and fire power to take on an army by himself), that held the power to turn the user invisible. In this story, I set it up as the scepter that is now inextricably attached to the King's famous weapon Caledfwlch. Clever eh?
(3) The Doctor's screwdrivers and the Master's laser screwdriver as well exhibit traits of isomorphic controls, only allowing few particular individuals to access their power and settings. They also appear to be linked to their primary users' minds, allowing for the ability to switch settings with just a thought.
(4) The Claw also possesses the ability to enter Naruto's mind, but does not have its own dimension. It simply exists on Naruto's wrist.
(5) Proper name for the Wallace Sword's type of blade.
(6) Latin for "my incredible goddess."
(7) The Other's wife, and apparently Omega's wife as well, was named and referred to as Patience such as in the story Cold Fusion.
(8) Scots Gaelic for "little angel"
(9) Scots Gaelic for "his devils"
(10) Scots Gaelic for "Hell"
(11) Think of the Mad Hatter's top hat in Alice in Wonderland (2010)
(12) Mention in the next chapter, if you know what that is.
Right then, nothing else comes to mind except,
Toodle-oo!