"Nurse, what has happened to the patient?"
"He is suffering from a chakra depletion hat I have never seen before."
"Doctor, the boy is losing his heart rate! His chakra levels are falling at an exponential level! If we don't do something to stabilize him he won't make it!"
Get him to the ICU stat! We don't have much time!"
'Sasuke. Itachi. Why?' The boy mumbled.
"Sandaime-sama, you must help me hold him down. We're going to try to-"
Aghhh!
Boom!
"Sir, it rejected the medication! He starting sprout of –"
"Can we seal it off?"
"If we do that we will be losing more staff at a very quick rate."
"Ojisan, help me!"
He's waking up! We got to knock him out!
No! No! No!
Cling!
Dark blue eyes opened as sweat went down his face. A sword connected with a horn that was almost the same density and strength of a diamond. The owner of these eyes was Naruto Uzumaki. It had been two long, miserable years since the Uchiha Massacre. His face was still round but became much narrower. His body adapted to the many changes that has come over these two years. He started to gain a little bit more muscle mass and structure. One could see that he had been training to become a swordsman as well as he had multiple cuts specifically on his arms and a little bit on his chest. He even had callouses between his left thumb and left pointer finger. It is no doubt it was from drawing out his blade from his sheath.
He blinked as he noticed his blade was up against Orenji's new horn. He took a sigh of relief as he put the blade back into its sheath. He sat up is his bed. It was quite clear that Naruto let his hair grow out as he moved his bangs out of his face. Orenji had gained a scowl on his face. He also grew in size to accommodate Naruto's growth. He even surprised himself when he grew a horn type crown. To be able to do that, one must have been given one of the highest ranks in the Hebi Clan. Orenji scowled, "How many times are you going to do that to me?"
Naruto grew a smirk on his face as he spoke, "I'm terribly sorry Orenji but how many times must I tell you do not sneak up on me." Naruto got up and started to stretch out his limbs. Of course Orenji was not thrilled with the answer Naruto gave him. It didn't help that Naruto asked Orenji to wake him up at the crack of dawn. He's starting to regret it.
He muttered under his breath, "I liked it better when you didn't have that troublesome blade. I'm telling you it is demonic and coming out to get me." Orenji left to go check on Zoruamaru. Naruto laughed at his brother/mentor's plight. He shook his head as he headed to the showers.
Naruto came out of the showers about fifteen minutes. He looked at the time seeing he had about forty five minutes left until he had to meet his sensei. He quickly got dressed in a dark orange shirt with black pants. He hooked his sheath onto his back. He put his brand new kunai pouch on the side of his leg. He even had a kunai springer seal attached to his sleeves courteous of Orenji. The boy went into the kitchen and ate a quick breakfast. He was about to run out of the house until a certain fox sprung up.
'Naruto-sama!"
Oof!
Zoruamaru had grown quicker than Naruto anticipated. He grew to about three feet tall. His tail was longer and bushier. His fur became dark charcoal. His red fur became even darker almost a burgundy. He had grown more than just physically. He was able to properly use Naruto's chakra and has become a permanent asset to Naruto's overall repertoire. His speech and dialect had grown immensely under the tutelage or Orenji. Hiruzen had finally found out about him about ten months prior. Luckily for Naruto, Tsume had vouched and even became his advisor for the kit until Naruto became of age to be a shinobi.
"Naruto-sama, where did you think you were going without saying goodbye to me?" As Naruto realized almost a year ago, Zoruamaru had abandonment issues and was a little bit clingy.
"I'm sorry Zoru-kun. How about I take you to the training ground later so we could train?" Zorua wagged his tail with delight as Naruto got up. Naruto smile as he immensely enjoyed his fox companion. He gave up some of his chakra to the fox. The fox could never get enough of it as he reveled on the floor. He just shook his head as he petted his companion. "Orenji, I'm about to go. I'll see you in a bit." Naruto closed the door and was on his way.
"You're on time"
Naruto knew his sensei was kind of an anal person when it came to time. He honestly didn't know why but hey he is getting training so wouldn't complain. He reached the center circle of the training ground. The dummies were scattered across the training ground with deep cuts. 'Either they haven't cleaned the training ground yesterday or sensei let out some steam. I'm thinking it's the latter.' Naruto sat down in lotus position in the middle of the circle. He took his blade out its sheath and stuck into the ground in front of him. He began to meditate as his chakra went around the circle eventually making it to the blade. The blade started to glow a bluish hue. Naruto hued a quiet tune as the blade started to move.
Swoosh!
Cling!
Naruto's blade had levitated and blocked an incoming kunai. This was how his sensei trained him. This was just a warm up as four more kunais came at the boy.
Swish!
Pop!
Clank!
"Good job, Naruto. Although, you must be quicker in your decision for when you attack." Naruto's sensei dropped down in front of Naruto. In his ANBU uniform, Gekkō Hayate picked up Naruto's blade. Hayate could feel the energy surging through the blade. He smiled inwardly as Naruto was one of his favorite students. He took kenjutsu seriously and actually was proficient at it although Hayate knew that four years ago. He saw the boy closed his eyes and went back to meditation. "Naruto-san, I must commend you on your efforts as of late. You have started to bulldoze through my teachings. This is great as you remind me of my older student. With that in mind I must see you in practice. It is easy to bulldoze through it all and not fully learn it for life. As a result, you are going to have a spar."
Naruto's eyes lit up in surprise. He has not had a full spar since his last evaluation a year ago. He was eager to see what he could do with his power. He nearly jumped up as he spoke, "So we're going to finally spar-"
"No."
"What? You just said spar and" Naruto was generally confused by this. Hayate actually grew a smirk on his face as he gave Naruto back his blade. He walked around the circle causing Naruto to be slightly nervous. He didn't show it as it would be a sign of weakness. Sweat was daring to fall of the blonde's face. Gekkō secretly enjoyed these kinds of moment.
Gekkō said, "Like I said, Naruto-san, you will spar but it will not be against me. I know that you sensed another in this training ground. Come down if you please" In an instant, a woman in a full ANBU garb was standing right beside the ninja sword master. Naruto's eyes were wide as he looked up at her. She stood still as Naruto got back up. Gekkō, with his cough said, "Naruto I want you to meet your opponent, my first student, and high classed ANBU member, Neko." Naruto of course bowed to her to show respect. Neko did a short bow.
Hayate said, "She naturally cannot reveal who she is so you will call her Neko-san. Out of the kindness of her heart and slight boredom, she agreed to be your training partner for today. You will spar her in three categories. The first is stability and strength. It is to see how much you have grasped the idea of holding on to your blade and fighting. The second is speed. You will be tested on your prowess and agility. The final thing is an over battle where you will incorporate your sword into your style because it would be pointless to be taught kenjutsu and never use it."
Naruto and Neko nodded. Hayate coughed as he said, "Good! I will be the referee. Hajime!"
Naruto looked at Neko and her stance. Hayate had taught him long ago that it is better to be patient in kenjutsu and learn about the opponent's weakness from his or her stance. 'The way she holds her blade tells me that she might be able to use both hands effectively. I can't flank the left or right side. It looks like she is impatient. Might as well try that tactic.' Naruto seemed to leisurely walk to her left side as if he was going to attack on that side.
Neko for her part was getting impatient. Although she had mastered ten different kenjutsu styles, she learned from ANBU that you cannot delay a fight as it could guarantee your death. She watched closely as Naruto moved in slower than usual like he was taking his time. 'Normally these students would be attacking to show their abilities. Why isn't he?' Neko was right as she had attacked first when she started.
Naruto could see her patience was thinning. He cracked an inward smirk as he saw her sway towards one side. 'Perfect!' In an instant, Naruto was at her side with a powerful thrust. Neko was surprised to see Naruto was as quick as he was. 'He is as fast as Itachi was at this age. Impressive!' Neko blocked his attack by deflecting the blade.
Naruto smirked inwardly as that was what he was hoping for. Using the momentum from Neko's deflection, Naruto spun his blade to hit her other side. Neko's eyes went wide as she was forced to spin in the opposite direction just block his incoming attack.
Swoosh!
Neko looked to see where the blond haired boy went. 'How could he have disa-'
Boom!
Naruto had went under her blade and struck with the hilt of his blade. This had sent the surprised ANBU to the other side. Naruto blinked as honestly did not expect for the plan to work. The dust settled to show the ANBU captain standing in a graceful swordsman stance. As graceful as she looked, Neko held a darker demeanor. Although her mask didn't allow anyone to see her face, Naruto could feel the fury in her eyes.
Hayate just smirked as watched the scene play out, 'So it seems my apprentice has gotten himself into a pickle. Let's see how he will do against an agitated Neko.'
Before Naruto could even blink, Neko had a blade coning towards his neck. His body move instinctively and ducked the attack. Unfortunately for Naruto, his duck was acquainted by Neko's knee. Before she could connect, Naruto grabbed her leg. Neko used the hilt to try and drive it in Naruto's back. Naruto took this opportunity to spin her with her one leg.
Neko was surprised by what he tried to do. What Naruto didn't know was Neko is one the most agile ANBU members in Konoha. So for him to even think about trying this was an insult to her. As she hopped to keep from falling, she grew a smirk on her face.
She said, "Well Uzumaki-san, this is going to hurt!"
"Wha-" before Naruto could even finish, Neko used her other leg and did a power kick right into his temple. Naruto was able to move partly out of the way of the full brunt of the kick. Naruto had become dizzy. Before he could stabilize himself, he saw a blade near his neck. He looked up to see an arrogant Neko standing above him with her sharp blade. She said with her taunting voice, "Is that all you got Uzumaki-san? After that hit to the chin, I thought you would be more trouble than this. I guess I was wrong. Hayate-sempai, I guess you lost your touch on picking your students."
Hayate just shrugged as he knew the battle was not over just yet. But even if it was over, Naruto put up a fight against an ANBU so he didn't expect much, although the fight had not been a full kenjutsu battle. Hayate's eyes wandered to where Naruto's blade was. Neko of course won the first match of strength but the next match will be a lot more interesting.
Neko smirked as Naruto was finished. She obviously forgot one of the major rules of a ninja; never give your opponent a chance. Naruto saw that his blade was a few meters ahead of him. With his hand outstretched, he silently sent his chakra strings and connected to the blade.
Naruto smirked as he felt connected with the blade. 'Ok Neko-san, you are about to see why you shouldn't underestimate Naruto Uzumaki!' With a quick move, Naruto was able to grab his blade and do a powerful slash towards Neko. Neko with her eyes full of surprise, quickly did a back flip to get out of the way. It left the ANBU opened allowing Naruto to dash forward. With a last ditched effort, Neko blocked Naruto's attack.
Zing!
She smirked believing she had beaten the boy. However, her face turned to horror as Naruto smirked. Her body started to feel heavier. It was as if thirty pounds was add to her. Before she knew it Naruto had gone for right kidney. Trying to adjust the add weight she blocked the swipe.
Zing!
She got heavier. This time it doubled. 'What the hell is going on? It feels like a ton keeps getting added! How is he doing this?' Before she could even move her body, Naruto attacked again but much faster. Her legs became stumps and could not move her lower half.
Naruto was ready to assault her. He had a few tricks of his sleeve and this one particular trick is damaging her senses and reflexes. With a quick turn to his left, he struck her right arm. By this time Naruto's attacks have left her with so little mobility, she had essentially became a statue. Naruto started to attack her arms and legs. He knew at this point the sword was nothing more than a blunt object. Yet it didn't matter much to Naruto. After all it is very rare for someone to get a few whacks to a member of the infamous ANBU Black OPS.
Hayate watched in amusement as he saw his younger student humbling his older student. He thought, 'So it seems Naruto has actually learned how to use seals on his weapons. He is smarter than the average shinobi.' The ability to use fuinjutsu with kenjutsu is extremely hard to do. In fact, many samurai or kenjutsu masters do not teach their students this as the fuinjutsu will more than likely backfire on them in battle. So for Naruto to be even able to use it was extraordinary and it most certainly was an unwanted surprise for Neko. 'I wonder what his backfire is with this ability.'
Naruto kept striking the poor defenseless ANBU member. With each hit Naruto's speed kept rising as the blade became as sharp as a cardboard but strong as titanium. However with each strike, Naruto loss chakra. He knew he wanted to manage his chakra strength. 'Ok let's finish this!' Naruto stopped for a moment and charged up his blade. The stumped as a tree Neko could only watch in horror as Naruto with all his power swung his blade.
Bam!
Naruto's attack went across the ANBU's abdomen. Neko was sent flying all the way to the other side of the training area. She slid down of one of the training dummies. Naruto merely huffed and puffed as he leaned on his sword. He heard Hayate clapping over where he is.
"Good job, Naruto-san! I am very impressed by your performance. However, the battle is not over. Just yet!"
Naruto looked over to see his opponent dusting herself off. She was most assuredly not thrilled. Her vest ripped while her pants had a tears all over. She held a blade with great strength as her eyes burned with fury. She said with barely repressed anger, "So you believe that you can use fuinjutsu on your blades. Huh. Well allow me to teach you what it really means to use Fuinjutsu!" Neko allowed her blade to absorb some of her chakra. Her sword pulsed as it became a bright purple. She swung her mighty blade at Naruto.
Naruto was surprised when not one but three materialize crescent moon shaped blades came at him. Naruto tried to lift his blade but the blade's side effect is that once the person uses that ability, they cannot use the blade in anyway. In addition, he could not let go of it as another side effect. 'Note to self, I need to make better seals with little to no side effects.' Naruto cursed as he could not get out of the way the three blades.
Boom!
Naruto slid to the ground after hitting the wall. He was finished. The three blades took away his charka, his muscle movement and the ability to truly fight back. Hayate was impressed by his first and second student. He said, "Naruto is unable to battle Neko wins! So Neko you were finally able to master the full Mikazuki no Mai (Dance of the Crescent Moon). I am so proud of you."
"That was a good spar Neko-san." Naruto staggered up with a bloody smile on his face. Neko saw him hold on to sword for balance. "It was really fun fighting a member of the ANBU. Thank you for taking the time to assess my skills." Naruto bowed.
She said with a smile on his face, "It was my pleasure. Although I am still pissed off about the seals but its great you are learning from Hayate-sempai. I expect to see more out of you." She reached her hand out and shook the boy's hand. Hayate smirked as he thought, 'He is going to be a great Kenjutsu user one day'
He said, "Now Naruto you must saw where you are in terms of skills. Obviously you have a lot more work to do. So Tuesday I will give a half day but on Wednesday your workload will be doubled especially with your stability. Dismissed!" Naruto with a little more energy along with mobility ran out of the training ground. Hayate could only smirk at his student. 'Yes you will make an excellent sword user.'
A little later one male stood on top of the second highest tree in the training area. He has short brown hair and large, an almond-shaped head, and black eyes. He wore the standard attire of a member of the ANBU, with a sword strapped to his back, a mask that resembles a dragon's face covered in green and red markings and the ANBU tattoo on his left shoulder. According to the reports that the Hokage had given him, this was where his target was going to be. He did a few hand signs and he said, "Mokuton: Gisou (Wood Technique: Camouflage)". The man disappeared into the tree and waited.
As he waited, he saw his target in his sights. 'So that's him. He doesn't look like much. I wonder why Hokage-sama wanted me to watch him for. I know Gekkō has been training him so he should be a better person to give an analysis on his skill set. This kid better be worth my time.
Naruto lied peacefully on the soft grass on the 32nd training ground. After that intense spar he had with Neko, he felt his energy quickly fading. Who knew that an ANBU Black OP could take that much out of you? He smiled as he thought about how silly that sounds. 'Heh, she probably thought how could this little twerp keep up with me? Although, I must admit, I have gotten much better in kenjutsu. I need a whole lot more training but right now I need to work on my other part of my training.'
Naruto sighed as he put his scabbard next to him as he went into lotus position. He took something of his pocket and dug it into the ground in front of him He closed his eyes and put his hands in a hand sign. He poured some chakra out of his pores. A swift wind came through the air as the grass moved. Naruto felt the wind go through his hair as he hummed a small tune. His chakra started to seep into the ground. The chakra level was higher than it was supposed to be as the seed shot up from the ground smoking.
Naruto naturally scowled. Ever since the incident he has this thought that he could make trees grow out of the ground. Due to how little information about this subject is out there, he decided to look into doton. Unfortunately it is not helping him much as the seed kept overloading or overheating from chakra.
"Damn it!"
Naruto did it again.
Again.
And again.
Naruto took a deep breath as sweat went down his face. There were seeds everywhere hissing from the overheating. He was getting frustrated as he was not progressing. He got up and started to walk around.
"There is something missing. I know it is but what." He swung his sword in the air at the intruder. The blade was close to the man's neck. Naruto had sensed the man since he arrived. Naruto's eyes became hard as steel as he said with his voice void of all emotions, "Who are you and what do you want? I don't like to be spied on when I am trying to train."
The man's hands were up in the air. The man hid his face in his mask. The man was not stupid and knew he could easily trap the boy. The boy better be happy that the Sandaime had sent him to help the boy. The man said calmly, "Hello Naruto-san, I am Yamato-"
The blade got closer as Naruto cut the man off, "How do you know my name?"
Yamato silently cursed as he was not supposed to know his name when first introduced. Oh well you got to wing it. He said, "Naruto-san, you are one of three people in Konoha to like wear the color orange. You are the only child that has blond spiky hair. You are the only child that has blond spiky hair. In addition, you are the only child to have whisker marks on his face."
The man did release a small sigh of relief as Naruto seemingly put his blade away from his neck. It didn't last long as Naruto was not convinced. "Even If this is the case Yamato-san, it doesn't explain why you are here spying me. So I'm going to ask you one more time. Why are you spying on me?" Naruto could see the man is a member of ANBU. His whole attire and demeanor screams ANBU. This meant that Naruto had to be careful as he was definitely was no match for ANBU. Naruto did have to ask what is up with him and ANBU members.
Yamato lied smoothly, "Naruto-san, I should not have to explain to you my role as a member of ANBU. I guess I have no other choice. My assignment is to patrol all of the Training Grounds. It is common for missing ninjas, spies, and other untrustworthy ninjas to hide in the training grounds. So we are forced to check and hide to see if any unworthy people are around.
Naruto said with a snark reply, "I guess you are not good with your job if an Academy Student was able to see you."
"Now Naruto-san, you know and I know you are more than an Academy Student."
"That still doesn't mean that you are good at your job."
Yamato secretly smirked. Things were going according to plan. "Naruto you are more than an Academy Student. Let me ask you how did you sense me?" Naruto stopped for a minute. How was he able to sense this man? Naruto's hand started to move. Yamato said, "I know how you did it. Do you want to know?"
Naruto's hand steeled itself as he sad, "Tell me."
Yamato simply smirked, "I will if you spar against me."
Naruto laughed at the man. This man couldn't possibly think Naruto would let him free for a "spar". No, this simply will not do. He pressed the blade further. "Do you take me for a joke? People die easily when it comes to false information. But you know that don't you ANBU-san? For that matter how do I even know you are who you say you are?"
Even with the blade came dangerously close to his neck, Yamato was calm. He said, "Not too shabby for an Academy Student. Normally Academy Students like to show off their skills. So Naruto-san, how can I prove that I am a Konoha ANBU?"
Naruto looked deep into the man's eyes. He remembered that Orenji talked to him about ANBU. He remembered that Konoha's ANBU had a signature spiral tattoo on their shoulder. He smirked as he said, "The only way, you can prove it, is to let me see your right shoulder."
Yamato eyes went wide as he didn't realize Naruto knew about the ANBU tattoo. 'The Sandaime Hokage has no clue as to what this kid knows. He is dangerous and ill become a weapon if any miscues were to arise. I just hope I will be dead before he reaches that point.' Yamato slowly pulled up his shirt. Sure enough the man had the spiral ANBU tattoo.
"See."
Naruto dropped the blade. The man had been telling the truth for the most part. To be truthful, Naruto had no idea if the man had went rogue. Unfortunately for Naruto, he had to commit one of the biggest no-nos in the shinobi world. He had to trust him. He said, "Ok you have the mark. So what now?"
After rubbing his neck, Yamato said, "Let's have a spar."
"Suiton: Mizu Kasui (Water Technique: Water Spikes)!"
With the use of the little river stream in the training ground, Naruto sent twenty water spikes at the ANBU member. They have been sparring for about an hour. The ANBU member held back a lot his ability especially his special ability. He had to admit Naruto was stronger than he gave him credit for. He was able to use different ninjutsu styles and techniques almost flawlessly. He still didn't know how Naruto was able to use Fūton and Suiton with such rapid succession. Yamato was definitely going to talk to the Sandaime about this. Yamato jumped out of the way of five spears.
For the other fifteen were torpedoes, they were just waiting for him. It took him three seconds to do ten hand signs. He yelled, "Not this time kid! Doton: Dobei (Earth Technique: Mud Wall)" Naruto's water spikes collided with a ten foot muddy wall.
Naruto could only marvel at this man's ability. This spar was extraordinary for him as he never seen an ANBU fight. He knew that his level was nowhere near this man level. But he didn't know just how below he actually was. Naruto jumped from tree to tree trying to get closer to the man.
He pulled out a kunai with a special tag on it. He had been patient enough to watch where his weakness was. 'He is weaker on his right side. I could use that to my advantage.' Naruto threw his kunai at Yamato. The kunai's wind cutting design caused a slight whistle sound.
Yamato heard it and easily dodged it. He was unpleasantly surprised when the kunai started to shake. The shaking of the kunai caused the ground to start shaking. Yamato was losing balance as he thought, 'What in blue blazes is that kunai doing?' He had dealt with many types of kunais but never one that could shake the ground. What was worse is that the kunai was disrupting his chakra to the ground. Yamato could not get out of the way from the now glowing kunai.
Boom!
Naruto's smirk quickly turned into horror as his eyes witnessed something that caused him to become weak in the knees. Instead of a blown up area, there was a gigantic tree with rows of trees filling the area. Naruto fell on his ass as shock and awe stabbed him in the gut.
Yamato shook his head as everything was a bit fuzzy. He rubbed his head as he got up. . 'Ugh my head. What the hell was that? I had to..." His eyes went wide as he realized that he used the Mokuton. His fuzziness became clear as he "accidentally" let loose his bloodline. Naruto could barely speak as he realized the implications. His hands started to shake as he said, "Do you have the Mokuton Kekkei Genkai?"
Yamato nodded with stoically. He said, "Naruto, my job as the protector of the Training Grounds is also repairing them. I do in fact have the bloodline. Just like you I can sense when something is wrong with the natural habitat of a nearby areas. When you tried to use your jutsu earlier, I felt the disturbance in nature. I realized you were trying to use Mokuton but did not know the special hand signs. I had to check to make sure if you are able to use it. The way I am able to tell is how much of nature's chakra you could start absorbing. I know it does not make sense to you but I can teach you how to harness your abilities."
Naruto could not believe it. This man was able to use the Mokuton bloodline. There was hope that he could potentially learn how to truly harness the Mokuton bloodline. The reason he could not use the Mokuton correctly is that he was using the wrong hand signs. He was willing to give up some sacrifices to truly learn it. He said just barely above a whisper, "What are your conditions?"
The man sighed as he relaxed a bit. He said, "My conditions are simple. Do not tell anyone of my existence. This includes your Kenjutsu Master Gekkō. You are to be will to push your limits and be willing to learn 100% of the stuff I teach you. We will meet twice a week. You will also learn how to gather nature's chakra. Are you willing to do this?"
Naruto merely smirked.
Naruto looked at Orenji with mild interest. After facing Neko and Yamato today along with practicing his Mokuton ability, he was surprised that Orenji wanted to train on something else. Naruto was at an abandoned training area just south of the Hokage Tower. Supposedly this training ground was used by a powerful ninja as it had many security features. Naruto never really thought about it but how did Orenji know about this place and who was this powerful ninja that created and used this building? Naruto merely shook his head as he went back to what he was supposed to do.
Orenji slithered across the room. His piercing eyes looked at the young blond boy. He said with authority, "Now Naruto-kun, I know you worked hard all day with your kenjutsu, and Mokuton but that doesn't mean you stop working on your other abilities. What is your progress on the use of your scales? Have you been able to call and recall them? " Orenji had seen that the boy's ethic and it was something to praise. However, Naruto sometimes forget he had other abilities. It's a shame since Naruto had activated a few abilities but just hasn't trained them.
Naruto nodded his head as he lifted his hand. Naruto loved his ability to grow scales especially in battle. Unfortunately, Orenji had told him not to show anyone this just yet. He wanted him to fully harness it to the point that he can call it at will. He said with a smirk, "Really Orenji-kun, you thought I haven't been training this?" Naruto in a few seconds had his right hand fully covered in scales. They flexed with him as he moved his arm. They do not give Naruto that phantom feeling that he had from the first time he used it. The scales were sharper and sturdier than they were before.
Orenji had a dangerous smile on his face. Naruto had seen that face. That face has caused him many painful memories. He shivered involuntarily. Orenji smirked as he said, "Good Naruto! You can activate them a will but can you command them in battle?" Orenji pressed a button that was on the wall.
Naruto could only look in horror as the training ground traps sprung.
"OH. MY. KAMI."
It has been three hours since Orenji sprung those traps. Naruto's body was hurting everywhere as he was forced to dodge kunais, shurikens, bombs and so much more. He was literally exhausted. He had been training nonstop with Hayate and Yamato and now Orenji. Even with the reservoir of chakra he possesses, he had a limit and Orenji was most assuredly passing that limit. He could only look at Orenji as the snake spoke.
Orenji said, "Well done. I must admit I was very surprised to see that you are learning how to harness that ability so quickly. How about your "other" techniques?" Naruto of the last two years has activated a few kekkei genkais. It didn't come as a surprise to Orenji but to Naruto it was shocking to say the least.
Orenji inwardly smirked as he thought about one his favorite kekkei genkais was activated. Naruto had started to freak out quite a bit when he tried to activate his scales and instead of scales his actual bone popped out. Oh what a spectacle it was as Naruto was running back in forth across the room until he passed out on the floor. Boy did he Orenji get the laugh of his life. Naruto however wasn't comfortable with shooting your bones out of your body. It wasn't very hygienic or sanitary. As a result, Naruto decided to hold onto to that training for a little bit.
What had surprised Orenji has been Naruto's eyes. He told Naruto to concentrate his chakra to his eyes. When he did, Naruto's eyes tried to formulate what doujutsu was going to form first. Naruto had fallen on his knees as he clutched his head. It was an optical overload. Orenji had thought about it and came up with one conclusion.
Whatever doujutsu that was trying to activate had a conflict with the others. The likelihood was that even if one was to dominate the other, Naruto did not have the proper requirements to even initiate them. Orenji was more concerned as to what these doujutsus were.
Naruto also gained the Chisoku bloodline. The bloodline was peculiar to say the least. The Chisoku bloodline allows the user to reach insane speeds. With the use of weapons such as a kunai the user could kill a person without the person batting an eye. The problem is that with this insane speed the person cannot use elemental ninjutsu as the element needs time to initiate. In addition, if the user is hit by such a move they become paralyzed for about two minutes and in this ninja world that means death.
The slower you are in this state means more time to free yourself. So if the user went to half of his or her speed, it will take a minute to become free after being hit. It is a deadly bloodline with but with a huge risk. Orenji wanted to train this in a few months so Naruto would not get caught off guard if he were to use it prematurely. For now, Orenji put limiter seals to try and contain it. The seals only work when Naruto concentrates enough chakra in them. However, if Naruto dropped under a certain level the Chisoku kekkei genkai starts to reveal itself.
As Orenji thought about all everything that has happened with the boy, the tired Naruto let loose some of his chakra. With a sniff of the air, Orenji's eyes became wide. It is said that when a chakra based kekkei genkai is ready to be activated, there is a certain smell that fills the air. 'Another kekkei genkai?! There are way too many kekkei genkais for a small body to handle! If they keep activating like this Naruto is going to become disabled or worse die! We got to at least slow down the process. Maybe if we could wear him down before Naruto fully activates this one."
"Naruto, we're not done! You still have to-"
"We're done for today Orenji." Orenji was certainly surprised as the boy's voice was calm but held such authority. Naruto posture was slumped as his blond, spiked hair hid his face. His chakra started to cover Naruto's body. His eyes turned to a darker blue almost azure. Orenji was taken aback by such a form.
Orenji tried to keep himself calm as he said, "Naruto-kun, let's try to -"
Big mistake.
Naruto's chakra spiked as Orenji saw five to seven chakra chains protruding from Naruto's back. The chains were bluish linked chains with spikes at the end. Before Orenji knew what happened the chakra chains were in his face. With a quick move, Orenji was able to dodge the chakra chains. Where Orenji was previously standing was destroyed. Orenji's eyes went wide as more of Naruto's chakra chains came after him.
'What the hell is this?' Orenji thought as more of the chains sprouted out of the boy. 'I got to stop Naruto quick or he will become a honing beacon for the Hokage and the ANBU. But I've never seen anything like this before. It is giving off such a high level of chakra. Thank Kami that this place is a chakra absorber.' Orenji was taken out of his thoughts by Naruto's distorted voice.
"Orenji come out and play!"
This wasn't Naruto's voice. No this voice was demented and extremely disturbing. Orenji saw that the boy was changing. His hair had become bright blue with blond and white streaks. His eyes were white as snow with a small blue irises. His whisker marks had all but disappeared. Orenji was terrified as this new Naruto came at him with blazing speed. Orenji's eyes went wide as he dodged a powerful kick from the boy.
'Such power! I got to be quicker especially with those chains.' Orenji's thought process stopped as he got out the way from five different chains. Orenji slithered up into one of the crevices in the wall. It gave him some time to think about how to handle such a delicate situation. 'It's not the Kyuubi. If it was the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the chakra would be more sinister in nature and his appearance will undoubtedly be seen. Whatever this is, it is powerful.'
Naruto sniffed the air. The smell in the air was chakra. It was sweet with a tad bit of tart. The thought that came to this new Naruto's mind was the orange snake. With his nose he could smell Orenji's location in the crevice. He smirked dangerously as he walked over to Orenji.
Orenji was state in a panic. One of Orenji's special abilities was the ability to completely camouflage himself. He is able to be undetected by even the strongest sensors. This is one of the reasons he has been able to keep up the charade with not being caught by ANBU or any other high ranking shinobi. So for Naruto or this new Naruto to be able to find him is extraordinarily impressive. Unfortunately, Orenji did not have anywhere to go. He was trapped and he knew it.
The blue cloaked Naruto smirked as he said dangerously, "Orenji-kun, I think it is time for you to realize the power of the-gurk!"
Naruto fell to the ground bending over in abdominal pain. Orenji was able to get away from the crevice and slithered to the boy. The boy was holding onto his stomach as his whisker marks started to come back but darker. His hair was turning back to its golden blond color. The boy was starting to transform back to the boy Orenji once new. As the boy passed out from all of the exerted energy, Orenji saw the Uzumaki Crescent glow on his right arm. Orenji's eyes went wide ass this could mean only one thing.
Naruto had activated the Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai.
It is early this particular Monday morning. . The sun had given the sky a beautiful yellow, orange, and red hue. The morning was especially great for an old war hawk. Danzō was sitting on the bench watching his fellow citizens. He saw the business side of Konoha starting the day off with opening their vast stores. Although he loved being in the darkness, Danzō loved to wake up seeing his work. Freedom.
Danzō enjoyed seeing his motherland being the best. He knew that sacrifices had to be made and that his plans went against the soft Sandaime Hokage. He chuckled inwardly as he knew nobody would understand Hiruzen and his dynamic. After all, Hiruzen was the one who allowed Root to grow exponentially after the Second Shinobi War. Although, he did wish that Hiruzen allowed more people to join them.
He wasn't that much upset as Citizen did turn a blind eye on many things. Plus thanks to the good ol' Kyuubi and it nearly leveling Konoha, he was able to get almost a surplus of orphans. Speaking of which Operation ADOPT has been more successful than he could ever dream. The seals are working beautifully as well as their training. He had to admit Orochimaru was a much better fuinjutsu master than he was.
The sound of the bells rung through his ears. No matter how old he was, that particular ringing always made him cringe; the school bell. Oh yes, the school was officially opened. That could only mean the students were racing the rooftops to be on time. At this age, he could really appreciate the childhood fun. As he watched the students running their tails off, he saw one student. He gained a small smile as the boy took his time to class. 'Well speak of the Shinigami, its Orochimaru's kid. Let's see what the boy has been up to.'
The boy started to run as he saw he was running late. 'Damnit how did I forget to set my alarm today. I got to hurry or I will be in detention on the first week of class!' However, before he could get in the groove of things, he heard his name.
"Good morning, Naruto-san."
Naruto ran passed the person that had called him. He stopped to look back at who had called him. The wrinkled, one eyed face was definitely familiar to him. He squinted as he remembered the dark shaggy hair and the robes but didn't know from where. It was not until he saw the cane did his eyes become wide. He was present when he was notified of him doing the best on the exam.
He bowed slightly as he said, "Good morning hmmm."
"Danzō."
"Gomen. Good morning Danzō-sama. How are you?"
Danzō had hit his cane on the floor causing Naruto to jump slightly. He said with an inward smirk, "I am great Naruto-san. Why don't you come take a seat? I wish to discuss something with you." Naturally, Naruto was hesitant of the man. The man could very well be a pervert or something of the sort.
Naruto replied, "I am sorry Danzō-sama but I must get going. Iruka-sensei can be a hard ass if people miss class." As soon as he was about to take off, he felt as if someone was watching him. He had a feeling that an ANBU member was watching him. His instincts told him it was best for him to sit with the Council Member.
Awkward silence started to impregnate the area. Naruto shifted uncomfortably as Danzō became eerily silent. For Naruto time was standing still for an eternity. Naruto nearly jumped when the drawl of the man's voice spoke to him. "Naruto-kun, what do you want to be in life? Do you know how far you want to go?"
Naruto was visibly startled by such a question. It was not necessarily the question that got him but sudden interest in him. Normally questions like these aren't asked out of the blue. He looked at the one eyed man who was merely looking at the people once again. He could tell the man was about business. He wasn't a person who uses his emotions but merely logic and reason. Naruto said with a bit of confidence, "My dream is to be Hokage."
The man didn't say a word. To be honest, it scared the hell out of Naruto as he didn't know what the man was thinking. When he tells most people about his dream, they normally laughed, which caused him to push back and work harder. However this man's silence was getting to him. For Danzō, the mere idea of the Kyuubi Jinchūriki becoming the Hokage was quite interesting.
With his stoic voice, Danzō said, "That is a most interesting dream, Naruto-san. In our luscious history, we have had many kage level shinobi but only four Hokages. Tell me what do you believe it takes to become Hokage?" It was belittling or mocking. This was more of curiosity and the want for understanding. After all Danzō was so close to becoming the Hokage.
Naruto said, "Well to become the Hokage, you need a few things. Often people believe you have to be the strongest. I disagree. Do you have to be strong? Yes but not so strong. When you put all you emphasis on only one field such physical strength or ninjutsu strength, you are easy prey.
In addition, you become more of the grunt. However you do not want to be too smart to the point where you slack off in training. The final thing that makes a good Hokage is the ability to lead. If you are able to gain the undying support of your people turnout have truly reached that level."
Danzō once again became silent. This time it was more out of shock. It is rare for a child to give such an answer. Although, he did miss the political strings that come with it, Danzō truly didn't expect him to know that much as of yet. He said, "Well Naruto-san, it seems like you are on the road to achieving your goal. Of course, there is to becoming the leader of the village but it is better for you to experience these things than me merely tell you them."
Danzō to a moment to gather his thoughts before he continued, "Naruto-san, what do you consider to be good and evil?" Naruto was taken was taken aback by such a question. That type of question isn't asked out of the blue. As a result, Naruto was suspicious.
He answered nonetheless, "Well to be truthful, being good is doing what it takes for the betterment of Konoha. While evil is doing more damage to Konoha." Danzō smiled thinly as Naruto's ideas of good and evil are along the same lines as him. 'Hmm the boy is still young but he might be able to be persuaded towards my side. But that is later.'
Danzō said, "Naruto-san, you are smarter than most children your age. Before I go, I will say this. The mere perception of good and evil relies on the culture you were born and belong to. The mere concept of good and evil can cause you and your friends and family to disengage each other. Your good could very well be Kumo's evil. Naruto's eyes went wide. 'Why is he up to?'
Naruto said as he looked the man in the eye, "Danzō-san, there must be a point where our moral compass comes into play. I mean there has to be mutual agreement where someone can be charged with war crimes and the like."
Danzō could see the boy was trying to explain that world is a happy place but yet you are/were being trained to kill people at young age. Danzō could only sigh as this way of thinking was created from peace time. He put his on the boy shoulder as he said, "My dear boy, many shinobis have believed this to be true. But the older you get in this deadly world, you realize that certain things are just not possible. Since you want to be Hokage, I will say two things. The first is the world is not black and white but very grey. The second is that you will either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain. Now be smart. Be careful where you tread in this world. Now get to class. I know you have a few minutes."
As Naruto hastily ran off, two shinobis dropped in front of the Root leader. As they bowed Danzō thought, 'He is an interesting piece in this ever changing puzzle. I do wonder what the future holds for the boy. Well Hiruzen, we shall see what will happens to him.' He broke out of his musings as he said, "Kenshutsu, document his chakra levels and the other tests."
Iruka's eyes roamed the room. Each hear more kids dropped out of the Academy. To be honest, he felt they were not shinobi material to begin with. Most of them were put into his class by the upper echelon of the Civilian Council. They wasted their time and money to bribe some of the instructors. The instructors shrugged as they are essentially paying for their child's death in the near future. Plus they got extra money on the side. Real shinobi fought for something he or she believes in and works hard to get to that point. These individuals are trying to gain status at the cost of their children. As the Academy course went on, many of the children learned they couldn't compete against their classmates like Naruto, Sasuke, or Shikamaru.
Iruka smiled as he was able to witness three individuals who hopefully lead Konohagakure for the next generation. He stopped his train of thought as they could easily be killed in a war, invasion or even a mission. He watched as the returning students came through the door. 'Hinata is here. Sakura is here. Kiba just came in. Shino has grown a little taller. Chouji has gotten a bit bigger but that's to be expected being an Akimichi and all. Hmmm Ino is here. Sakura has a new book I see. Sasuke has a new attire and a fancy looking kunai. I think that is the Uchiha higher ups kunai. Interesting! Shika has found a new way to sleep this year. I will just move him up to the front of the class. Or maybe put a flash bomb under his desk...I need to get away from Naruto. Speaking of Naruto, he is never late for the first day. I know he's in the class but-'
Iruka eyes went a little wide as he saw Naruto Uzumaki sitting silently at his desk. He saw everyone was chatting it up but Naruto. He looked content as his ears listened to the various conversations. To be honest, this scared Iruka as he learned a silent Naruto is a deadly Naruto.
He cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Good morning everyone. I want to first congratulate you for passing your exiting/entrance test. As you can see more than half of your class is gone. That was and still is the plan of the Academy. We want the very best of every generation to become shinobi. With this in mind, it is important for your next stage of training to know if any of you have unlocked a kekkei genkai of some sort. So if you have a kekkei genkai of any kind raise your hands."
Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji raised their hands. Iruka nodded as he saw Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura didn't raise their hands. He didn't see Naruto hesitate to raise his hand. Sasuke was kind of disappointed as his Sharingan did not activate. Sakura on the other hand did not care about bloodlines.
"Okay that's great. I expected about this amount. Now we are going to do an experiment. I will be separating the class into four groups of three. Group 1 will consist of Hinata, Kiba, and Shino. Group 2 will be Chouji, Ino, and Shikamaru. Group 3 will be Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. Group 4 will be Koui, Imei, and Entaitoru. This whole week we are going to have a battle royale to see who has grown over the summer. Let's go outside.
As Iruka's class went over to the Arena, Sarutobi sat at his desk. Much has changed from two years ago. He had essentially did a genocide of the Uchiha Clan wiping out a big part of their shinobi forces and police. The Clans, although they would never admit it, have become paranoid that they may become the similar fate as the Uchiha. He could not blame them as he would do the same thing if he did not know the full story. It did not help that Konoha had to go against their belief of quality over quantity as they allowed less than standard academy students become shinobi.
Some of the higher echelon members of the Council believe this is their opportunity to merge with the Shinobi Council. He smirked as he made sure that he kept a record of who did what. Of course, he gave his instructors a small promotion for making sure these individuals were worth the time. His mind wandered off to one of the bigger problems inside Konoha.
Naruto and Sasuke have been the talk of the village since Itachi did what he had to do. Sasuke had obviously taken it the worse as he lost his whole family. The Yamanakas thought about probing the young Uchiha's mind but something was blocking the entrance. They described it as a shield that would fry anyone who tried.
Hiruzen merely sighed as he wished he could actually help the two. He has been walking a tight rope. Even though he will forever be known as the Shinobi no Kami, his power and time was running thin. He had to find a successor quickly. He sighed as he thought about his former successor, Minato.
Minato was the ideal choice. He was young, powerful, mature and heartwarming for both the civilians and shinobis. In addition, he had the dashing looks that made the girls swoon. It always made him chuckle when some woman young or old tried to have friendly conversations with the young lad. Kushina nicely told them where the door was.
He chuckled as he thought about the fiery redhead. Naruto had both of their qualities. He was loud and loved bright colors like his dear mother but analytical and intelligent like his father. His mother was in no way stupid but compared to her husband, she was not even close. When it came to jutsu, Naruto was naturally talented like his father but worked extremely hard like his mother. Speaking of which...
"Hokage-sama, I'm here to give you my report!"
Hiruzen looked up from his musings to see the dragon-masked ANBU member. His face instantly became stone cold as the black ops member rose from one knee. Hiruzen said, "What is the report on Operation Tree?"
The man stoically said, "Hokage-sama, your suspicions were proven to be correct. The young sapling has shown to be adept to it. When I observed the boy, it appeared that he was trying to use it. However he was using old and outdated hand signs that was too time consuming. Imagine my surprise that he started to grow a small tree. From what I could see, he was exerting too much chakra causing some of the seeds to burn."
Sarutobi nodded his head as he thought about such implications from the council and the outside world. Too be honest, Iwa didn't scare Hiruzen. Iwa had its own problems. From what his spy networks told him, Iwa has been divided as one side wants revenge against Konoha. The other side realized that they haven't recovered from the Third Shinobi War. So it would not make sense to start another war with very few allies.
He is more worried about the likes of Kumo. Kumo had already tried to kidnap the boy's mother and the Hyuga Heiress. So it wouldn't surprise him in the least if Kumo tries for another "Peace Treaty". He was smarter than that. Then there was the main concern. Orochimaru is still a huge part of the puzzle.
Hiruzen had learned that anything with Orochimaru was not simple or clean. If word got back to him that Naruto had Mokuton, Konoha would not be safe. His mind started to wander as he spoke, "How would you describe his level at this moment?"
With an almost stunning glare, the ANBU member said, "If he were to have learned the correct hand signs, he would be about half way to my level. He is stronger and more powerful than I perceived him to be. To be honest although his raw power has not been tapped into, I feel like his power is being honed somehow."
This caught the old Hokage by surprise as he asked, "You believe someone is training Naruto other than Hayate?"
The man nodded as he replied, "Naruto has shown some qualities that he didn't learn from Hayate. Hayate has taught him how to use the blade in kenjutsu but not ninjutsu. Yet he has been able to use techniques that are higher than C-rank with relative ease. He is dangerous."
Hiruzen clasped his hands together as he started to think. 'How could I let this slip my mind? Naruto is highly talented, I'll give him that. But he has to be learning these different techniques from somewhere.' Hiruzen asked, "Did you sense its chakra?"
"No, it wouldn't try to influence Naruto when you are talking about the Mokuton ability. It would be a lack of a better word an oxymoron."
Hiruzen didn't say anything as his mind was still processing such an oversight. After a moment of silence, Hiruzen said, "It's time to initiate the second phase of Operation Sapling. Gain his trust and hone his abilities but keep an eye on it and if you can find out who Naruto's mysterious mentor is. You will give biweekly reports for the next two years. If you feel you are being compromised pull out of the mission."
"Hai Hokage-sama" the Dragon-masked ANBU said as he disappeared from sight. Once he was gone, Hiruzen let out a weary sigh. 'I hope this is the right course of action. If I am wrong then Kami help Konoha through what will be its darkest times.'
As the Hokage went into deep thought, he did not see a certain creature slither out the door.
Tick. Tick.
Naruto could hear the clock reverberate through the air. In front of him was his opponent, Shikamaru Nara. The boy was able to beat Sasuke in a variety of games. Naruto knew that most of the Nara Clan had very high level of intelligence and Shikamaru was no different. He was just extremely lazy. However today, it was a b. it different. He was more determined to win this fight. With the look of their sensei's face, it was obvious that this was blackmail. As a result, he had to be very careful as to what he can do with Shika.
Shika was thinking along those same lines about Naruto. Naruto was an enigma to him. At one point, Naruto could be a brawler and beat you merely overpowering you. The next battle he'll beat you with speed or traps or... Shika shook off his thoughts as he knew it wasn't going to help him. He got into a defensive stance. Naruto merely cocked an eyebrow as he certainly didn't expect Shika to start off this way.
Iruka said, "Naruto and Shikamaru I expect you to fight cleanly. No hits below the belt. This is a spar. As a result, the intent is not to kill be incapacitate you opponent. This also means you cannot use a jutsu over B-ranked. We will save that for the next two years. Do you understand?
The boys nodded. Iruka smiled as he said, "Good luck boys. I expect a good fight from both of you. Hajime!"
The battle had started. Naruto started to circle around the Nara boy. He saw the direction of where the Sun was. It caused almost a web-like formation. Naruto cursed inwardly as he realized Shikamaru had the advantage. "Hey Shika by chance, do you want to play Go?"
Shika sighed as he said, "I would love to but they-" pointing at Iruka and Mizuki, "Have me under surveillance. So I guess the answer is no."
Naruto merely sighed as he said, "I guess it can't be helped. Well good luck Shika you're going to need it." With a sudden move two kunais came at the shadow user. Shikamaru was certainly surprised as the speed of the kunais increased as it came towards him. He barely had time to jump out of the way.
Thud!
Shika heard the two kunais hitting the hard ground. His eyes wandered to towards the kunais. He really shouldn't haven't done that as Naruto slammed a right hook into his face. He stumbled to get up. Naruto's face was not of mocking nature but more of disappointment.
"I expected better of you Shika. You do not lose focus of your opponent."
'Troublesome. He's right though. He's not one to lose focus on. He's way too much of an enigma to let him roam. I have to end this quickly. I wonder what he'll do next. Maybe he will...' Shika merely shook the thoughts out as this was a different Uzumaki than he was a few months ago.
Spitting out some of the blood from his mouth, he threw out three of the Nara customized shuriken at the blond head boy. Naruto dodged them with ease only to see three shadows connect to them. Naruto's eyes went blank as he said almost evenly, "This is going to hurt"
Shika using the rat hand sign had gain control over the shadows made by shuriken. There was a reason the Naras had customized. The shuriken had a special "tail". The tail contained a bit of shadow chakra allowing a Nara to easily connect with it. When it connects the points become sharper. He smirked as he pulled the weapons back towards his opponent. 'Too easy. Wait a minute that was too easy!' Before the young shadow-user realized it.
Pop!
Instead of the blond Uzumaki, the shurikens dismembered a rubber ball.
Iruka and Mizuki were pleasantly surprised by the match. They expected Naruto to dominate this match but Shika seemed to be holding his own. "Mizuki, who do you think is going to win this match." Mizuki was still bitter about that epic loss to Naruto and Sasuke. People ever so kindly reminded him of it every time they see him. Embarrassing! However if Shikamaru was able to beat both Naruto and Sasuke. He would be a laughing stock! He couldn't have that.
He whispered, "From what I can see, Shikamaru has Naruto off balance with the use of shadow chakra. However, Naruto hasn't used any of his jutsus. Naruto is trying to see which way can he beat his opponent without wasting too much energy."
Iruka shrugged as he whispered back, "I'll give you the elemental part but the efficiency part is a little iffy. Naruto might be trying something new. I'm interested in what he has learned over the summer."
Mizuki nodded, "Yeah, I'm eager to see how much he has grown."
Shikamaru eyes were wide as he didn't expect the Uzumaki to get away from his attack. Now the boy was nowhere in sight. Of course this put the shadow-user on edge. 'He's better than I thought he was. I have to be on my guard. He just disappeared out of nowhere.' The Nara boy did the sensible thing and got into a defensive position as his eyes readily searched for the boy.
Meanwhile, Naruto was hiding in one of the trees. He watched the boy get into his defensive style. He was slightly hit by Shikamaru's shuriken. A little blood dripped from his right arm. He thought, 'Hmmm Shika has been very serious about this fight. The sun is also starting to set. So I need to end this match quickly before he gains his power and I have to show mine.' Naruto jumped down in front of the Nara boy.
He said, "So you're finally ready to play hard ball. Well my dear friend, let's roll the dice." Before Shikamaru could move his lips, he saw Naruto coming at him. He couldn't block Naruto's uppercut as it sent him flying. Naruto, gaining speed, got behind the shadow-user and did a spinning kick into the lazy boy's back. Shika ricocheted of the wall as he was met with a kick. This time however he caught the kick.
Naruto was surprised as blood dripped down his opponent's mouth. Shika smirked as he spit out blood. He said, "You're not getting me this time, Naruto." Naruto shook off the surprise and gave a smirk of his own. Shikamaru's face turned into horror.
Boom!
Sasuke had been watching the match from the beginning. He was angry at himself for losing to the Nara boy a few months ago. The match was not even close as the boy caught him in his shadow jutsu. It disturbed him as the boy never showed such capability. He knew the Nara is smart but practical was a totally different animal. Hindsight is 20-20. He could see that the boy is a wear the opponent down fighter which works well with his personality.
He won't make that mistake again. His thoughts however went to towards Naruto and Shikamaru. They both are playing a dangerous game. Naruto is allowing Shikamaru to see some of his moves which is dangerous as that enables the Nara genius to come up with a plan of action. However that will be even more dangerous for the Nara. Naruto is unpredictable. So as long as Naruto doesn't show Shikamaru everything he has the clear advantage.
Boom!
Sasuke winced as his classmate has at least a broken nose.
Shikamaru had just met Naruto's right hand. He stumbled back as he couldn't hold onto the blonde haired boy. The boy didn't have time to recover as Naruto landed a left hook to his jaw sending him to the other side of the room.
A soft thud was heard as the Nara genius landed on the ground. Naruto felt some type of chakra coming from Shikamaru's direction. 'This is not good. His chakra is becoming black almost like a shadow. This could only mean that the Nara bloodline is starting to come out. I have to do something quickly or he will win.'
"Sorry Naruto but you have lost this fight!"
Naruto could see the darkness covering everything around him in a thirty foot radius. He cursed at this as he was running out of time. He could see that his classmates were starting to disappear in the shade. 'I hope this works!' Within a flash of two seconds, he did three hand signs. He concentrated with all his might…
"Kagemane no Jutsu is a success! I got you Naruto." Shikamaru had him incapacitated in a shadowed dome. Shika smirked as he realized this match was over. However his eyes went wide as the boy started to thrash around Shika quickly put as much chakra as he could muster in the move. 'Man, Naruto has a lot of chakra and must weigh a ton to be able to thrash around like this.'
Once the boy stopped thrashing around, Shika to a deep breath. This was the first time that he truly had the move down. It had been a work in progress to the point he could hold the move for twenty minutes at full power. He said cockily, "Tch you gave me too much time to let the sun to shade over you. I expected you to try and use some of your ninjutsu. But I guess you underestimated me. Like I told you before I am always at least fifty steps ahead. Naruto, I-"
"Win"
Shika's eyes went wide in horror as a seal the other person put a seal on his back. His body started to convulse as he fell onto the floor. The only thing that came to his mind, 'How was he able to do it? It is impossible!'
Naruto stood behind the young Nara boy with a look of triumph. He sighed a little bit as it took a bit out of him. He smiled as he saw the look of awe surround his classmates' faces. Even Iruka and Mizuki were stunned by what had happened.
Iruka asked as bewilderment to control, "Naruto-kun, how were you able to get of the Kagemane no jutsu? It traps you completely and you should have been able to move."
Naruto smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. He said, "Well if you were never caught in the jutsu, you can't feel the effects of it"
Curiously, Mizuki asked, "If you were not caught in the jutsu then pray tell who was caught in it. We could see a figure in it."
Naruto smirked as he said, "Well why you don't look for yourself." The class turned their heads to see a one Chouji Akimichi laying on the floor unconscious. The class was absolutely baffled by this as Mizuki walked over to the boy. Before Iruka could ask the question, Naruto said, "I guess you want an explanation, Ne?" Iruka nodded.
"Well he me trapped into that dome with the help of the sun. The shadow overcast mixed with Shika's chakra caused me to become nearly blind while also binding me from moving for a bit. With what little vision I had left, I saw the class. So I had an idea. Maybe if I could switch positions with one of the other classmates. So I did the Kawarimi no Jutsu with said student. It was very close call as I felt the Shika's shadow move starting to get a grasp on me.
When I switched places with Chouji and Shika was explaining how he 'won, I took the opportunity to switch with the kunai I threw behind Shika. Then I put a special seal on his back. The seal is a chakra disrupter in which his chakra could not stand a chance to do anything but well that." Naruto pointed to the twitching unconscious Nara boy. Rolling his eyes, He said, "Any who, I beat him and I feel like vomiting."
Iruka was certainly shocked by this. It was not the plan that got him but the execution. There was a reason many people did not switch with humans. To do so means that you were able to connect with the person. That is fairly easy. But to use the move you must overpower the other person's chakra. The person would likely know if you are overpowering their chakra and try to disrupt it but if the initiator has a lot more chakra than the victim he could do it with ease. The problem often is that you don't know the person's level and you could damage yourself. That is why the people who use the jutsu usually logs or trunks or things to that nature.
Iruka said with shock evident in his voice, "Well Naruto that is pretty impressive! I guess the first match goes to Naruto." The class was naturally shocked by this. They of coursed applauded Naruto. As he was being applauded he disappeared into the bathroom. He didn't see the anger and determination on Sasuke's face. 'I will get to your level Naruto and I will defeat Itachi!'
Later on that day, Naruto looked at his best friend, Sasuke Uchiha working his heart out at the academic training grounds. Sweat poured down his young face as he threw another kunai at the training dummy. As the years have went by, Naruto had been worried about his best friend. Don't get Naruto wrong. He is still Sasuke's best friend but Sasuke had been fixated on his brother. He wanted his brother to die at his hands. Naruto mused it was something more but he didn't want to delve in and destroy the relationship the two had.
"Hey, Duck-butt, your aim has gotten much better. Last year you were a few meters off. Now you're barely centimeters off." Naruto said to the raven haired boy. The boy that was panting was surprised by his counterpart. He started to stagger as his body has been doing this from the early morning. His eyes showed the unwavering determination to keep going. Naruto came over and gave him a shoulder to lean on. Naruto said, "Looks like you over did it today. I told you that an exhausted ninja is a bad ninja. Come on Ducky.
Sasuke merely nodded as he let Naruto drag him to the Uchiha district. To be honest, Sasuke was happy that Naruto has been helping him. It mattered to him that he was getting attention not because he was the "last Uchiha" but because he was Sasuke. It didn't make sense to him but he was more content being known as duck-butt than Uchiha. He just shook his head as he spoke in an exhausted tone, "If I'm a Duck-butt, then you are a baka. So ha!"
As Naruto dragged the boy, he said, "You know Sasuke, the bakas who live are the ones who have the best stories and become the experts. So if that is the case, I much rather be a baka but a smart baka"
Sasuke replied, "You know that is an oxymoron. There is no such thing as a smart baka."
"True enough but I want to know if I am the baka and you keep losing to me, then what does that make you."
Sasuke could feel the smirk that adorned the blonde's face. "It means nothing as you just were lucky at the right time and place." He walked a bit straighter as some energy came back. He could see the district was close by as held on to Naruto for support.
Naruto on the other hand rolled his bright blue eyes. He said with an amused tone, "Ducky, I honestly don't think that losing 79-9 is luck."
"... I hate you"
The two boys had reached the Uchiha Clan District. Sasuke had fallen asleep a few moments before while Naruto carried him on his shoulder. It was an interesting scene as Naruto although a bit more muscular was skinnier than Sasuke. As a result, Naruto looked as if he was going to drop the boy. Naruto opened the gate. He had returned to this place only a couple of times. The blood that forever stains this coffin still haunts Naruto's memory. He still hears the various members' deathly cries as he walked past the buildings. He had been here for a few moments and it ultimately changed his mood. He wondered how his brother deals with it. He is surprised, Sasuke hasn't went crazy.
He shook his head from his thoughts as he put Sasuke in his room. 'Is it just me or is Sasuke's room getting bigger by the day?' Naruto mused as he started to walk out. Naruto closed the door on the sleeping raven-haired boy.
Swoosh!
Naruto fell on one knee in front of the door as a ring of flames went through him. He gasped in pain as he could not even move from his one spot. Naruto's eyes shot up to see a man with grey and red clouds. His vision had become sharper but also blurry. It didn't make any sense to him as clouds surrounded him. His paralyzed body started to feel a tingling euphoria of pleasure and pain. It was surreal he watched a new, cloudy figure appear.
According to Naruto, the figure was about six feet tall. He came towards Naruto with a regal stride. Naruto's body couldn't move to protect himself. Naruto inwardly cursed, 'What the hell can I do? I can't move any part of my body. Gotta break free!' The boy's eyes started to turn a much darker blue as his chakra started to seep out.
The shadowed being felt the chakra coming out of the boy. He brushed it off as many who have come after him were not even able to recognize they were in the hold. He might as well stop struggling child. You are not going to be able to break free from my jutsu." The man spoke with authority. Unfortunately, Naruto was not one to listen to an enemy. Naruto grunted as he tried to wiggle free. The shadowy figure was bemused as he was one for commanding and following orders. The shadowy figure looked at the boy as he struggled. He looked into the child's eyes and was shocked. Naruto with the last of his strength broke the invisible bond.
'He was able to break my jutsu hold! Only a few were able to know they were caught in the jutsu much less break it. Interesting! Although he doesn't look like much, his chakra reserves are the highest I have ever seen for a child so young'. The man watched the boy get up albeit with a weakened body. The boy said with a strained voice, "Who are you and what do you want?"
The man grew a smirk as he circled the boy. He eyed him with piqued interest. Maybe it was that he could stop his technique. Maybe it was his enormous chakra reserves. The shadowed man wanted to at least know who he was. Naruto was different. It was something about him. He said to the boy, "My dear child you are one of the few people to have broken my technique. Although, I must admit, it is not even close to my full power. What is your name, child?"
Naruto, on the other hand, was finally able to get a clearer view of this man. He was surprised to see the man was lankier. He was on point about the height. The man's face wasn't rugged but more pointed. The man was bluish but more like the color of chakra. Naruto couldn't describe his armor as it was not something that was from Konoha or in the pictures he had seen of other villages. He gritted his teeth as that technique felt like it was slowly ripping out one's skin and pouring salt on it and doing it again. He spoke through a hiss, "Answer my question first then I might answer yours."
"Boy you are in no form to order me around. You are barely in the double digits and you think you can tell me what to do! Ha!"
The man barked at Naruto. Naruto was not going to have any of it. "Says the man who looks like a stick!" The man naturally frowned at the boy. Not even a moment later, a smirk adorned his bluish face. Naruto could feel his body recuperating. His breathing was much better as it allowed Naruto to stand much straighter. The man blinked as he felt a kick connect to his jaw.
He didn't move.
Naruto's eyes went wide as the man grabbed Naruto's ankle and threw him to the ground. The man's face gave the impression that he was not amused in the slightest. His eyes were serious with a yellowish glare almost like a snake. He said with authority of a general, "You will stop this debacle at once! I find this he a waste of time. You will tell me where the Uzumaki is at once!"
Naruto could only blink. This man wanted him for what? He had never seen this man before as he would remember someone who was blue. He got up into a defensive stance as he spoke. "You are looking for the Uzumaki. Well congratulations, you just found him!" Naruto charged the man speed higher than most genin and a lot of Chūnin.
The man was surprised by the fact this boy can beat him. He eyed the boy as he came at him. He thought, 'He does have the chakra level and the bone headed idea to fight his opponents head on. Wonder why he doesn't have red hair. The Uzumaki genes are one of the most dominant genes in the world. He only knew of two families that could dominate the Uzumaki Clan -
Sploosh!
The man's thoughts were disrupted with a powerful punch to the gut. Instead of the man keeling over like Naruto had predicted, the man shrugged it off. It was here that Naruto realized his chakra enhanced fists went right through the man. Naruto eyes went wide as he looked at the gap in the man's stomach. Naruto's mouth quivered at the mere sight. Naruto said with fear in his eyes, "Who are you?"
The man smirked inwardly as he thought, 'Hmmm, he is an Uzumaki. Only an Uzumaki can mortally wound me. Perfect!' The man put his glowing blue hand on Naruto's head. The bluish glow started to cover the boy as his eyes became wider. His body felt hot almost like lava coming out of his body. His wrists burned as a seal started to form. He could not even scream as the pain became unbearable. Naruto wanted to pass out but thus man had other plans.
The man on the other hand felt pain like no other. Because Naruto did not tell him his name, the only other way to know was to use this technique. It sends certain information about Tue person at hand. The technique was also used to see if one was "worthy". The problem with the technique is that if the person is indeed worthy, he the perpetrator goes into a deep pain.
Currently the man's face scrunched up in deep pain. He let Naruto to go as the young boy panted in agony. He said, "Naruto-san, I find this to be utterly boring. You are not ready to face me just yet. I see a lot of promise in you. I will give you three years to get ready for our fight my dear child."
The man turned around with confidence. Naruto, with the little energy he had left said, "W-what is your name?" The man stopped and looked at the boy who struggled to get up. He kept walking as he disappeared into a mist.
As Naruto fell and passed out on the floor. One name resonated throughout his head.
Aegis.
AN: I'm back! I have been on a mental vacation. This chapter is more of an update of Naruto's Progress. Next time we will see his other abilities. Thanks for the reviews. I hope to see many this time around.
JK10 Signing out.