Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Naruto, s-CRY-ed, or Tenchu. I only use them for writing this story.
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
"Radio"
"Demons/Inner self"
'Demon Thoughts'
A/N: This chapter will deal exclusively with the training Team 10 goes through during the Chunin Exams. Training
"You idiot. I wanted us to approach them as quietly as possible to test their detection skills, but no you had to step on a freaking stick the size of your leg," complained one of the two women walking through a forest that started to steadily rise.
The two "adults" had been bickering ever since the night before, and it was now starting to make the young Genin wonder just who the mature ones were supposed to be. The three members of Team 10 had been quietly talking amongst themselves while they tried to evaluate the two guides who had surprised them the night before.
"I think I would have preferred staying home if this is what we have to expect," whispered Naruto as he eyed Ayame and the cloaked man who had yet to introduce himself.
"Naruto-kun don't be so rude," chided Hinata lightly as she watched the cloaked man shy away from a now angry Ayame.
That was how the rest of their trip passed until nightfall came and came to a stop at the foot of a mountain. There was one winding pathway that led up the sheer cliff face that vanished into the distance. Even though they were at the foot of the mountain, they could see large thick gates placed along the pathway that was visible to them.
"We set up camp here for the night. The gates are going to be closing shortly and they will not let anyone in once the gates are closed, even us. If we double time it tomorrow we should be able to make it to the castle by tomorrow afternoon," stated Ayame as the young Ninja looked at her.
It wasn't long before they had a camp going not too far from the worn path through the woods. Not far from them they could see other travelers who seemed to have had a similar idea. Some looked like they were with pack animals, horses, mules, oxen, and other beasts of burden. A few looked like diplomats on their way to see who ever was at the top of the mountain. All looked to be ready to turn in for the night to start their climb early in the morning.
"There isn't much to tell you except you can plan on having little time to rest. Each of you will be worked to the bone, but none more so then Minato over there," whispered Ayame as they all gathered around the small fire they had started.
"I think we all expected that," muttered Shikamaru who was promptly slapped in the back of his head by Ayame.
"Rule number one, no smart mouthing. Remember that and you might just make it," countered Ayame before turning back to the others.
"You can't tell us anything else right?" questioned Naruto in a soft voice while looking into the fire.
"Nope, and don't bother trying to push for any more information. You will find out everything once we get there," said the woman before moving away from the fire and into the tent she had set up.
The cloaked man continued to sit there looking into the flames and hiding beneath the shadow cast by his hood. They couldn't make out anything except for the black hair that would peak out from time to time. Aside from arguing with Ayame, he had hardly said a word to the Genin team.
"So, what's your name," questioned Naruto in an attempt to get to know their nameless guide. The man just looked up slightly but not enough to reveal his face to them. The action was brief and would have been missed if they hadn't been focusing on him.
"Sorry kiddo, but that is going to have to wait until we make it to the top. You should know though that looking directly into a fire is bad for your night vision," answered the man before he stood up and moved towards where Ayame vanished.
"These guys are no fun," grouched Naruto as he quickly looked down towards the ground and away from the fire.
"No one said these guys had to be pleasant," stated Shikamaru as he sat back and looked up at the night sky.
Hinata only shook her head at the way the two acted. It was all so very different from when they had been in the Academy together.
Ayame walked till she came to a small creek and sat at one of the rocks that walled it in.
'Why do we have to take these kids in and train them? Aside from the Hyuga the others really don't seem that spectacular,' thought Ayame as she absently kicked her feet while looking at the stars.
She had tried to fight against Rikimaru's orders to meet up with this group and bring them to the castle for training. It didn't make sense for them to bring in Shinobi from Konoha to train in the Azuma clan compound and ways. They had their own methods that didn't match the teachings of the Azuma. As far as she was concerned they probably couldn't cut it since they were fresh rookies.
Still though, the last two to train there ended up alright. Rin had proven very capable and her animal partners had proven very valuable on several missions. She had managed to adapt to not using chakra to battle and move about. It was often hard to get experienced Shinobi from a Hidden Village to do that. It was nearly like taking them back to the Academy.
Anko was the best of all and seemed to take to it like water. The three of them had loads of fun mocking Rikimaru when he was training them, and it felt different once Anko left to return to Konoha after training there for six years. She had left to return to Konoha and work as a Special Jonin after spending six years under the roof of the Azuma clan. They would talk every now and then, but that had mainly been done when they had missions in the same area. The only one who talked regularly with her was Rin, and that was done by letter.
"You know they really aren't all that bad," stated Obito as he sat down beside her.
Ayame had to keep from attacking the man and yelling at him for startling her like that. She had to hand it to the guy; he was pretty good at stealth when he wanted to be. Other times it seemed like he screwed up on purpose, like the night before.
"You know you shouldn't sneak up on someone like that," growled Ayame as she glared at the man beneath the hood. "Take that stupid hood off to," added the woman as she reached for the offending object.
Obito ducked and leaned away from the grasping hands before he pulled a hand from his cloak to shake at her. Even if she couldn't see it she knew he was smiling within the shadows hiding his face.
"You shouldn't let yourself be as distracted as you seem to be right now," chided Obito as he laughed at the glare she sent his way.
"And no, I will not take my hood off until we meet up with Tsunade-sama and the others. I was ordered to keep it up as long as possible," added the Uchiha as the girl started to pout once again.
The two sat in silence after that. One looking up at the stars and the other down into the creek.
One was thinking about the reasons for brining in the students of a former trainee, and just why they had garnered such special treatment. Never before had the Daimyo or Rikimaru been so eager to welcome guests into their home, with the only possible exception being the Hokage and the two loyal Sannin. No matter how much she thought about it she could never figure out why they were doing the things they were doing presently. Even if she asked why, she would never get an answer.
The other person there by the creek had something else on his mind. Since he had heard about meeting other Konoha Shinobi his mind had been on his former friends and family. Doubtless they all thought he was dead, which is what they had wanted at the time. After that though he had been on the road with Tsunade and Shizune up until now. Because they had always been moving he never had the chance to think about Rin, Kakashi, Anko, and Kanami. Now though he found himself thinking about them at every turn.
'I suppose I can blame that on barely missing a chance to see Rin-chan after all these years. Not to mention that I'm going to help train Arashi-sensei's son to help fight my own clan,' reflected Obito as he slowly climbed to his feet and started to walk back towards the camp.
"The kids are probably all asleep by now and you should be doing the same. I'll go ahead and take first watch since I have a few things I need to think about," said Obito as he departed.
Having known Rin for so long and seeing the girl mourn twice a year let the Kunoichi know just what might have been bothering her new friend. Rin often talked about how she wished she could have changed things with Uchiha Obito; after several rounds of sake of course. She always seemed to regret the way she treated him.
On top of that she mourned the death of her father and mother, and the child that was being carried. The girl had a lot of emotional baggage that needed to be sorted out, and a lot of it came back to the surface when she had gotten a letter from Anko about their family.
"Gah, this is why they tell us not to get attached to people," muttered Ayame as she rolled to her feet and walked to her private tent for the night.
Morning the next day had the group breaking camp and had made it past the first gate leading up the mountain.
Normally passing through a gate was nothing. That though didn't include places where the gate had enough guards for a small army, and a gate that any regular army would have a hard tome over taking. With Shinobi it might have been easy, but that thought proved useless when they walked beneath the gate and felt a pull on their chakra. As they started to walk the path to the castle atop of the castle Ayame whispered to them the secrets of the gate.
"They gates are made from a special stone mined here in the Land of Fire. It is a chakra absorbing stone that will disrupt any jutsu that comes near it. If you had been in under a Henge just then it would have been dispelled. It makes hurling jutsu at the gate nearly impossible as well," whispered Ayame.
"What's to stop Shinobi from climbing the cliff face," questioned Naruto from her right while looking over the side. It was a fairly obvious solution that even a Genin would come up with, given basic training. With Chakra a Shinobi could do just about anything, including climbing up cliff sides.
"During times of war there would be special troops assigned to watch the cliffs. Should Shinobi try to climb them, they will be met with molten iron, hot oil, or boulders. Even then though the cliffs are rigged with booby traps and some of the chakra absorbing stones," answered Obito from beside Ayame.
His answered caused Ayame to look at him in surprise, since not many people were privy to that information. Of course an invading army and any who survived would know such things, but it was normally kept secret since it was where the Daimyo lived. Similar things were done with the Hokage's defenses and the defenses for Hidden Villages for the very same reason.
"Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama did teach me a great deal," answered Obito when he noticed Ayame looking at him in question.
Ayame nodded before she added a little more on the defenses, since they were going to be expected to help in defense while there. With Rikimaru and the Daimyo calling for them to come to the castle it meant they could be trusted with most of this information. This was how they passed the time as they walked higher and higher into the mountains.
"One of the last lines of defense before an enemy army makes it onto the bluff atop of the mountain is a drawbridge that can be raised, or destroyed. Once that it done it would be nearly impossible for any regular army to make it across the chasm that separates the bluff from the walkway," finished Ayame with a knowing smile as they walked past a final gateway and each of the Genin froze in surprise at what was before them.
Before them was a chasm that looked as if a god reached down and tore a hole in the earth. Looking down you couldn't see a bottom but if you listened carefully you might have been able to hear raging rapids some where down below. The chasm walls were as smooth as glass and would make any attempt to scale them extremely difficult, even for Shinobi.
The hole in the ground was wide enough to make jumping across it extremely difficult for most Shinobi, and probably impossible for the average Shinobi. The large stone drawbridge that sat across the chasm was just as impressive as the rest of the structures that lines the walls of the bluff.
White stones made up the drawbridge and easily stretched nearly fifty feet to bridge the gap. Enormous chains were attached along the edges of the bridge to heave the massive structure back up to the walls. It was hard to believe that such a thing could even be crafted or lifted in case of an invasion. It certainly dwarfed anything that was used in the defense of Konoha, as far as the Genin knew.
The walls on the bluff were high enough that arrows would have a hard time hitting the defenders, and larger siege weapons would possibly make it over. That was of course if they could make it across the chasm and over the walls. The closer they got to the walls surrounding the Capital of Fire Country the more difficult things seemed to lay siege to the city.
"It really is impressive," whispered Hinata as she looked up through the gateway.
Like the rest they felt a pull on their chakra, and could feel several sets of eyes watching as the crossed the threshold and enter the capital of the Land of Fire. Right away they could see several barracks that seemed to go all the way around the walls of the bluff. It was only after passing a smaller inner wall that seemed to circle the bluff that they came to what could only be the residential section of the capital.
Large houses made of stone and wood could be seen stretching from one story to four stories tall. Children could be seen running around laughing as they played in the streets or walked with their families. This section as well as the last seemed to form into a circle around the center portion of the city.
Moving past the residential area and up hill and through another gate they came to the market district. The walked through a bazaar that had people selling goods from stalls that could be easily taken down and put up. Wispy fabrics covered the bazaar and offered shelter from the sun's heat as they dodged their way past stalls. Once they made it out of the bazaar they came upon a market that was bound to have anything you were looking for.
Despite the urge to look around they continued to follow Ayame and Obito up another rise and though another wall and gate, and across a slow moving moat. This time they came into a large park and gardens that helped to serve as an escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy city streets. Benches and lampposts were spaced through the park and under the trees to help add a more romantic and peaceful atmosphere for lovers and families.
Walking through this they walked up another series of stairs and through another fortified wall and gate. By now they could see what could only be the home of the Daimyo above them, but they had yet to reach it. Now they walked onto a flat expanse of land with training posts and soldiers. Some of the younger soldiers watched them as they passed. The more experienced ones quickly barked at them and told them to return to their work.
"This is obviously the training ground for the military housed here in the capital. It also serves as a parade ground for special events and can be turned into festival grounds at the same time. There are guard barracks within the wall we passed, just as there are in all of the walls we have gone through," said Ayame as they passed a group of soldiers practicing archery drills.
"As you noticed the capital is sectioned off in rings, and each part can easily be defended and abandoned should they need to be. Aside from being separated into rings, they are separated into districts within the rings. So if one district falls, the defenders can still defend from other districts until they are overwhelmed," added Obito as he waved at several of the female soldiers who they had passed.
The two had been giving them a brief history of each of the rings as they made their way through the city. It was impressive and far larger then Konoha. Aside from the different rings, they had told them a history of the city. It was often rumored that the mountain was once a volcano that went inactive and soon became responsible for heating the waters and the homes on the mountain.
"The walls we passed upon first walking onto the bluff circle nearly the entire bluff. The only place where they don't is the back of the mountain where the Azuma clan compound resides within a forest. The only reason the walls don't reach there is because part of the mountain still sits there and rises up into the clouds," whispered Obito as if he was revealing some secret.
By now the group had come to another wall, but this time one was nearly three times taller then the previous ones. This wall proved to be as thick as a normal house and seemed to serve as barracks as well as a defense. The gate they walked through were tick wooden doors reinforced with iron and steel bolts and bandings. Over all the defenses looked to be able to withstand anything that might be thrown at it.
On the other side of the wall though in the middle of a lack was what could only be the palace of the Daimyo. The standards for the Land of Fire flew high on the walls, and soldiers wearing the nation's colors patrolled every inch of the grounds.
"We will check in with the Daimyo and hopefully meet with those who will be training you then. Do not speak unless you are spoken to, and do not make any quick movements if you value your lives," whispered Ayame harshly as she walked up to the guards at the gate leading across to the palace.
The two carried on a conversation for several minutes before Ayame returned and motioned for the Group to follow her.
"So the brats finally arrived; about time," muttered a man with white hair as he made his way down the halls of the Daimyo's palace.
Jiraiya had spent his time in the palace working on his book and hoping to gather more research material while he was there. That didn't mean he tried to peek on the wife, or the Daimyo's daughters. It just meant he spent time within the city at the various hot springs trying to research while he could.
It did mean higher then normal reports of people peeking in the women's bath houses. It also meant a few trips to the hospital for the perverted sage when he made the mistake of spying on Tsunade. The only thing that seemed to stop the woman from killing him out right is the fact that he was needed, unfortunately. It helped though to have an accomplice who knew just as many great spots to spy from.
'I wish I had more time for my research though,' thought the man as he was escorted towards the reception room of the palace.
He was rather interested in how the boy turned out and how well he performed the task he had been given years ago. He was only glad that he had heeded the words of Sarutobi and checked in on the young blond. Had he not there was no telling what could have ended up happening with the boy's life.
"To think someone so young would try to take his own life though," mumbled the man as he looked down in his notes.
The guide looked up at him in question to what he said and was waved off easily enough. He was sure though that it would be reported to the Daimyo at some point in time. Just as Jiraiya was spying on the Daimyo and the happenings within the capital, he was being spied on and the news given to the Daimyo and his advisors.
He could bare it though if the information he had learned from Rikimaru was true. Oto and Orochimaru were plotting to attack the Land of Fire sometime within the year. Most information gathered pointed towards the attack occurring during the Chunin exams. It couldn't happen during the first portions of the exam because Orochimaru could end up making enemies of the other nations that entered Genin. That left only the final portion of the exam that would occur a month after the second round finished.
As much as he wanted to be there for Konoha and his Sensei, he needed to be here to help train Naruto and fix his little problem. From what he had gathered something might be wrong with the seal that prevents the Kyubi's energy from leaking into Naruto's. There should be no reason for the demon to have control of its own chakra and how it is released into Naruto. Not to mention that the seal should have prevented the demon from entering the host's mind and dreams.
'Perhaps though this is because of something else and not the fault of the seal. I suppose I will only know once I get to see how the two look,' decided Jiraiya finally as he entered the room where he would meet the Genin from Konoha.
At the same time he entered, Tsunade seemed to enter from the opposite side of the room and immediately looked over in his direction. One she had caught his eye she just nodded her head and turned towards where the group would be entering from.
Shizune could easily be seen next to Tsunade holding the small pink bundle known as Ton-ton. Both looked to be nervous but no one would blame them. It wasn't often you were allowed to stay or visit the Daimyo under such pleasant conditions. She too greeted Jiraiya with a smile, unlike Tsunade's scowl, and a small wave before turning her attention to the entrance.
What all three had expected was a typical Hyuga female, violet or black hair, with the same lavender eyes. They had also expected a boy with whisker like marks on his cheeks and golden-blond hair. The Nara boy was described as a typical member of the family, as far as looks went. They did manage to get the Nara boy but they were confused when they saw the other two.
A brown-haired boy with hazel colored eyes and a tanned complexion stood there looking around and gawking at the room. For all intents and purposes he looked like a peasant visiting the palace for the first time. They couldn't tell if the person was honestly amazed, or if they were just that good at acting.
The only girl of the group wasn't a dark-haired female with lavender eyes either. She had snow white hair and a pair of red eyes that stood out on her pale face and under her white hair. She seemed to be taking things better then her friend and seemed to hold her self with an air of confidence that was absent in the other two.
While the two Sannin were sizing up the people who didn't look like their trainees, Obito slipped in behind Shizune. No one did anything until he reached towards the confused apprentice and tickled her sides slightly. His action caused her to laugh, squeak, gasp, and drop Ton-ton all at the same time. It also caused the woman to turn around to slap the man, only to miss and nearly slap the confused blonde next to her.
All the attention was taken off of the group of three by that simple little action and the white-haired girl could be seen relaxing slightly. The boy who looked amazed has straightened up and was looking forward towards where the Daimyo would normally be sitting.
Before Shizune could yell out at Obito though Ayame stepped forward and cleared her throat to gain the attention of those gathered in the room.
"I've returned from my mission to escort these three here on behalf of the late Yondaime of Konohagakure no Sato," declared Ayame loudly before she kneeled down on her right knee, bowed her head.
The Genin looked on slightly confused by her actions. It didn't confuse them as to why she was doing it, since they had seen Anko do something similar for the Hokage. What confused them was the fact that she was kneeling towards the empty throne behind a curtain. She couldn't have been bowing towards the two Sannin since she had walked further pass them before bowing.
Silence settled in as all the occupants in the room turned towards the throne.
"Very good Ayame. I told you the mission wouldn't be that much trouble," said a slightly deep voice that caused Ayame to finally look up towards the throne.
From behind the throne stepped a man nearly as tall as Jiraiya, but no where near as built. If anything he seemed to be more compact and possibly faster then the white-haired man who was now shaking his head while he smirked at the man. The figure parted the curtain that separated the throne from the rest of the room and walked out to stand beside the crouched Kunoichi.
Naruto froze slightly when he noticed who the man looked like and frowned internally. The man had silver hair, but it was no where near as long or wild as the hair of Kakashi. A mask kept his nose and mouth hidden from view, but a scarred left eye could easily be seen by those gathered in the room. Naruto sized the man up and easily saw the ninjato the man had on his back. No other weapons were visible except for the armored greaves and bracers that could easily conceal small throwing weapons.
"Rikimaru, are you sure these are the brats? I was expecting someone like Arashi and Hiashi," questioned Jiraiya as he stepped forward.
Tsunade, Shizune, and Obito soon joined Rikimaru and Jiraiya in the center of the room as they all looked at the three Genin.
"I guess I could understand your question since they don't look like themselves, with the exception of Shikamaru-kun," responded Rikimaru as he motioned for Ayame to stand and smiled behind his mask to the children. Tsunade turned to look at Naruto and Hinata once again, but this time with a more critical eye.
She paused as she looked over Naruto's face and stopped to when she got to his cheeks. She wouldn't have noticed before with just a customary look, but this time she could see the slight discoloration there. Parts of his cheeks didn't have the same tone as the rest of his body. If anything his cheeks were darker then the rest of his face and arms. Some might shrug it off as nothing, or the boy covering up his arms more, and his face being exposed to the sun more. To a trained eye though it was easy to spot the problem.
"They've changed the way they look without using a Henge," muttered Tsunade finally as she walked towards Naruto.
The boy flinched slightly as she brought a hand up and licked her thumb. Before he could move away she had firmly grasped his shoulder and used her thumb to rub away the makeup on his cheek. Tsunade smiled slightly when she removed some of the makeup and slowly started to reveal the whisker marks she had been expecting.
"So Anko trained them in that fashion. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since she did take a liking to those teachings when she was here," said Jiraiya as realization finally dawned on him.
After getting a nod from Ayame, Hinata reached up and removed the contact lenses that she had placed over her lavender eyes. At the same time Naruto reached up and started to remove the ones he had decided to wear. Once that was done Tsunade's smile grew even more as she looked into the bright blue eyes that were now staring back into her brown eyes.
"I guess it really is you Naruto," whispered Tsunade finally before wrapping her arms around him in a massive hug and crying into his shoulder. It was during her muffled apologies that Naruto finally realized who she was and mimicked her actions, minus the apologies.
Jiraiya just groaned at the actions of the two and turned away from the scene to offer some privacy. It wasn't that he didn't are but he didn't want to get caught up in the emotional situation. He was glad to see that the boy had turned out okay after all the years, but he had a reputation to keep up and it wouldn't do to start tearing up right now.
Shizune smiled as well when she saw Tsunade break down and cry tears of happiness instead of sorrow. The only time she had seen her teacher cry before was when she had too much to drink and reflected on all the things she had lost in her life. To see tears of joy now flowing down Tsunade's cheeks was a welcomed sight to the apprentice.
Most others in the room had turned to give the two a sense of privacy was well. Perhaps the only person who wasn't looking away, aside from Shizune, was Hinata. It wasn't often that she got to see a Naruto who was completely open to the world. He used to hide his feelings so well when he was in the Academy, and when they had first been placed on the same team. Now though it was becoming easier for her crush to open up.
To her it was one of the greatest things in the world. It was also another reason why she started to hate the villagers of Konoha. There was no chance a demon could cry tears of joy, sadness, sorrow, or happiness. A true demon wouldn't be able to shed any tears. If they couldn't see the different between Naruto and Kyubi then, to her, they didn't deserve his kindness.
Not long after the introductions were completed the three Genin were shown to their rooms. At least that was what happened with Hinata and Shikamaru.
Instead of bedding with one of their mentors, like his team mates, Naruto was shown out of the palace and towards the back of the bluff. He was shown to a large lake, a forest, and a rocky spire that was blotted out by the clouds. It wasn't until they had reached a clearing in the forest that Rikimaru and Jiraiya called a stop to their little trip and turned towards their charge.
"This is where we will be training. We will not go into the populated sector of this bluff unless I say we need to," stated Jiraiya. He finished his statement with a slim hum as he looked at Naruto.
They had been walking for nearly an hour, and the pace being set by the older men wasn't an easy one. It was at this time that Naruto started to feel the effects of being on such a high mountain. The thin air and exercise ended up taking more of a toll on him then he had expected. Now he was bent over attempting to catch his breath, while cursing the two for setting such a fast pace.
'Those bastards did that on purpose,' swore Naruto as he straightened himself and looked around.
"Before you even ask, you will probably never see your friend until your training is over. Your isolation is required for the things that I am going to teach you and for the safety of everyone here," cut in Jiraiya when he saw a question starting to form on the lips of the Genin.
Naruto stood there confused for a second but his confusion soon turned into anger when he was told he was being separated for the safety of everyone. It opened wounds that had never healed, and would probably never heal until people saw him as something other then the Kyubi.
"What the hell do you mean by that you bastard," yelled Naruto as he clenched his fist and prepared to trigger his Alter.
Jiraiya looked to Rikimaru confused for a second until he thought over his previous words. He kicked himself when he realized just how the last part could be misunderstood.
"I don't mean it like that boy. I will be inspecting the seal and we will be working on how to deal with the Kyubi. We don't know how things will go and because of that we need to be a safe distance away from any populated areas," answered Jiraiya solemnly as he regretted his earlier words.
Both of the adults sighed when Naruto started to relax and a weight was lifted from their shoulders. The lights that had started to dance across the forest floor vanished, almost as if they were just an illusion.
"What about Tsunade-baa-chan? I wanted to talk to her some," asked Naruto quietly with his head hung.
Okay, so he didn't want to 'talk' to her. He wanted to milk her for information about his mother and father. It was the same thing he had done with Anko when he found out she had known them and then same with Rin. He latched onto any chance he had to learn about his family, but up until now none of them knew about the childhood of his parents. All he could find out was how they were as adults. He wanted to hear some embarrassing stories and about how they lived or met each other.
"I understand what is going through your mind brat, but Kyubi shouldn't be able to do what he has done. Not only that but if you are expected to handle an Uchiha you are going to have to work your fingers to the bone like your father.
Naruto sighed deeply as he looked up at the man who had taught his father. The words made sense, but that didn't mean he had to like them. He had spent his entire life wondering about his family, and now that he knew about them he devoted a great deal of time learning more about them.
"Fine, but I think you may want to know something else about Kyubi and my Alter powers," stated Naruto finally. Rikimaru and Jiraiya were both puzzled by the words of the boy, but they were also eager to know more about the enigmatic forces.
Later that night Jiraiya sat with Rikimaru around the campfire talking about what they had heard from Naruto. It was hard to believe that the thing they thought was a demon could actually be a being from another dimension. Not just any dimension, but the dimension from which the Alter power evidently originated from.
"And here we thought that Orochimaru was a greater threat," mumbled Jiraiya as he poked the fire and looked over to where Naruto was currently sleeping.
"The news was rather disturbing, but I get the feeling that is only half of the problem. This person that was part of the first generation of Kazuma's must be a dangerous man. If we are to believe the story we were told, then this man has been alive for who knows how long," added Rikimaru as he thought over everything Naruto had told him.
"If this person is part of the Akatsuki, like I believe, then we may have even bigger problems on our hands," muttered Jiraiya as he rubbed his chin.
While Naruto was telling them of the small ritual, they couldn't help but worry about the news being given. After all, finding out that a man with an unknown power who has been alive longer then the elemental countries has been around is slightly disturbing. The questions It brought up were too numerous for the two to list.
The other bomb dropped on them though was equally confusing. From the way Naruto described the happenings of this ritual, someone or something was hinting at Kyubi, and possibly all Biju, being from the other side. From where the powers of the Kazuma clan purposively originated.
These creatures or beings were drawn to others of their kind. That could partially explain why the Kyubi had come to Konoha. It came seeking a strong Alter power to devour, or Konoha was just in its way to a stronger source of power. Could it have been after Kazama Arashi, Naruto, this strange new Alter user, or could it have been on its way towards another Biju?
Each time they thought they had an answer, another more complex and confusing question would rear its head to throw them off.
"This is why I gave up being a teacher," mumbled Jiraiya as he sat back to look up at the sky.
Rikimaru nodded his head slightly as he glanced at the slumbering form of Naruto. The training they had originally planed would no longer be used. It was originally designed to help him with the problems with Kyubi, and increase his speed, strength, stamina, and endurance to a new level, one higher far higher then they were presently at.
A great deal of the training was going to focus on his ability to fight without his Alter power. Both of the elder Shinobi knew that depending solely on one move to finish a fight could hinder the growth of their new pupil. It had happened to his father before he had taken to seal crafting and chakra manipulation after all. Once he had ventured into those fields, his Alter power became the trump card only a few were ever able to see.
"To fight an Alter user, you need an equally powerful Alter user," whispered Rikimaru finally as he glanced at Jiraiya.
"The boy is ready for the second form of his Alter, but it seems he has yet to actually unlock it. We are going to have to throw him into several life or death situations if we hope to push him enough to unlock that power. I had planned on something similar to force him and Kyubi into an understanding but now it shall be used to unlock his full power as well," stated the Toad sage before he sighed.
"It seems that Tsunade won't have as much trouble with her charges. To think she wanted to over see Naruto's training more then she did the other two."
"I can't blame the woman Rikimaru. The boy is family that she thought was dead; that I told her was dead. I'm surprised I'm still alive right now to even have this conversation with you," countered Jiraiya while shivering at the thought of what could have been done to him.
"I suppose. It is likely she will take her anger out on her two new pupils though. I do feel bad for them, just a little," added the right hand man of the Daimyo.
Jiraiya chuckled at the silver-haired man as he pulled a small book from a pocket. He casually flipped through the pages before finally stopping and looking up into the eyes of one of the few people in the Daimyo's court to earn his respect.
"From what Sarutobi-sensei has told me, Hyuga Hinata has a little crush on Naruto. Not only that but she probably knows more about the boy's habit then the boy himself does. Since she has known Naruto, Sensei says that she has been like his shadow. I think Tsunade will take a liking to the girl even if she wasn't as kind hearted as she is," rattled off Jiraiya before snapping the book closed and sliding it back into his pocket.
The Azuma Shinobi nodded his head in acceptance before standing and moving away from the campsite. Before he had gone too far though he turned back to look at Naruto's prone form and then turned to look at Jiraiya.
"I suggest you start his training early in the morning. The sooner he gets into shape the better," was all the man said before he vanished into the night.
Hinata
Hinata woke the next morning feeling well rested, though sore after their trek up the mountain and through the city. As a Shinobi, she should have been used to such physical activity. That though doesn't change the fact that there are still components of her body and muscles that she doesn't use regularly. Climbing up the mountain just happened to focus on some of those muscles.
'I can't let them slow me down. Naruto-kun and Shikamaru-kun will be doing their best, so I should as well,' thought the young Hyuga as she climbed out of best and went through her morning rituals.
Before she was halfway done, there was a knock at her door. Seconds after the knock a dark haired woman in a dark kimono came walking into the room with a small pig following her. It didn't take long for Hinata to recognize the woman as Shizune, the current apprentice to Tsunade.
"Good morning Hinata-chan, I'm glad you are already up and about. Tsunade-sama wanted you and Shikamaru to work out some before you went to breakfast. So hurry up and meet us out in front of the palace," greeted the woman briefly before leaving the room.
After her door was closed, she could hear the same thing occurring next door in Shikamaru's room. This time though it was accompanied by the sound of something being turned over, and a muffled cry of pain and laughter. Seconds later she could hear a deep laugh booming down the hall as the person exited Shikamaru's room.
Within a few minutes she had exited the palace and was standing out on the parade/training grounds that stood before it. Minutes later Shikamaru joined her while nursing a large bump on his head and cursing at hooded fools.
"Good, both of you are here. From now until you leave for Konoha, you will be waking at three each morning to train before eating breakfast. Afterwards, you will clean up, and we will continue training until lunch. We will then repeat the process with dinner and lights out for you brats will be at nine each night," declared Tsunade as she walked up with Shizune, Ton-Ton, and Obito.
Shikamaru groaned and started to mutter under his breath. The only thing that stopped him from completing his old habit was the flood of killing intent being given off by Tsunade.
"I don't want to hear any complaints. If I do, then you will find yourself in a world of pain," growled Tsunade as she loomed over Shikamaru.
The Nara could only gulp and nod his head in understanding before he straightened up, and glanced at his team mate. She oddly seemed immune to the action of the female Sennin. It confused him at first but then he noticed that Tsunade was only looking at him, and directed everything towards him.
'Damn women always stick together,' thought the boy when he saw Shizune smiling sweetly at him.
"Since we understand each other, I want you to follow my friend here on a jog. By the time you are done with your little jog it should be time for breakfast," stated Tsunade as she motioned towards Obito.
The hooded man started to slowly jog away from the Genin and soon started to lead them away from the city. It didn't take long for Hinata and Shikamaru to notice they were going towards the edge of the bluff. It came as no surprise to them though that Obito soon started to run along the bluff's edge.
The pace being set wasn't exactly a harsh one, but for the altitude they were at it was taking a toll on them. Despite their training with Anko, Hinata still appeared to be the fittest out of the two present members of Team 10. Shikamaru had gotten into shape, but nowhere near the level of his two teammates.
Obito called for a short break once they were halfway around the bluff. The two teens nearly collapsed as they slowed and tried to fight hunching.
"You will get used to the difference in the altitude by the time the day is over. Once you are used to it, fighting down on sea level will be nothing for you. Today we will only being doing one lap, and that is mainly to get you used to the exercise. Everything we do today will be geared towards that. Afterwards count on us upping the difficulty level," said Obito as he leaned against a rock and looked at the teens.
'This guy is barely even fazed by this. I guess it isn't his first time training here. He must have been here for at least a few days to be acclimated so well,' thought Shikamaru as he straightened up and tried to control his breathing.
While doing so he cast a glance over towards Hinata and nearly balked at what he saw.
The girl who many had written off as frail and pathetic in the Academy seemed to be handling things far better then he was. The young Hyuga hardly seemed to be winded from the first stretch. Now that they had a break, she had taken off her jacket to reveal some clothing Anko had obviously picked out. That though wasn't what caused the Nara to twitch in annoyance.
Around her stomach, arms, and legs were weight bands. With her bulky jacket off Shikamaru could now see them as clear as day. It didn't help that the girl seemed to be testing the bindings on them to ensure they were still securely fastened and wouldn't distract her from her work out.
The Nara turned away as the girl turned her back to him, revealing that the clothing she wore was open backed. If that weren't enough to make him turn, then her bending over would have sent him rocketing away as stretched her joints out.
'Damn women… Naruto if you don't snag her up then somebody else might beat you to it,' cursed Shikamaru as he tried to bring his mind away from Hinata.
Obito stood off to the side watching the two Genin, and nearly fell over when he saw what Hinata was doing. It wasn't something he would have expected from someone like Hinata. It looked as if the information they had been given on her might be more then a little off on some accounts.
'I'll have to bring this up with Tsunade-sama when we return. The girl is obviously pushing herself harder then the Nara. I wonder if littler Naruto is doing the same,' thought the Uchiha as he straightened up and called out to his charges.
The rest of the jog went on quietly as they finished circling the bluff and returned to where they had started. By this time, both of the Genin were covered in sweat, and were allowed to return to their rooms to clean up before heading to breakfast. While the two teens were cleaning up, Obito made his way to where Tsunade and Shizune would be waiting for his report on their performance.
Naruto
In the forested portion of the bluff another type of training was occurring. Anyone that was near the forest could hear the shouts of pain, annoyance, and anger erupting from the woods.
Anyone who walked into the forest would be shocked at the red streaks that lined boulders, dirt, and the plant life. To many it would seem as if a murder had taken place within the confines of the secluded forest.
If anyone were to make it to the center of the forest by the lake, then they would have seen a bloody figure hunched over on the surface of the lake. Around him were several large frogs armed with a variety of different weapons. On the shore of the lake stood a white-haired man, who looked dead serious.
"You can't expect to battle an Uchiha, Orochimaru, or Akatsuki with the way you are now! If you want to stand a chance you need to be able to take on these Seven Samurai Toads," yelled the man as the boy coughed up blood.
"What kind of training is this," asked the boy feebly as he fought to stay standing.
He had been forced awake at three that morning, and had been moving ever since then. Any weapons and clothing he wanted he had to grab while avoiding the attacks from Jiraiya. At around seven that morning the Toad Sage removed himself from battle and summoned what he called "The Seven Brothers". Each of them was dressed as samurai, at least as close as amphibians could get, and had been attacking him since then. No weapons were blunted. No attacks pulled to lessen the damage. Everything was full speed from the word go.
"You need to be on your toes and ready for anything at a moment's notice. No real enemy will ever give you the time to properly defend yourself if they intend to kill you," yelled Jiraiya as he walked onto the surface of the lake.
Naruto growled as he prepared to defend himself from the coming onslaught. He was thankful that Jiraiya had stuck with mainly Taijutsu and a few defensive jutsu at the start of the fight. When the toads came out, he had been lucky to dodge a few of the blows. Others he had tried to ensure they would only hit in non-vital areas. Now though he would be lucky to find a patch of skin that hadn't been cut in some fashion.
His entire body ached and he was sure the only thing keeping him standing was his refusal to lose to the white haired bastard. The main thing on his mind though was the blood that he was losing. After remedial work with Anko, he knew he had lost more then enough blood to cause some problems. He had been trying to shake off the lightheaded feeling for the past hour, and even now knew that he couldn't fight it off any more. It would only be a matter of time before he passed out.
"There is only one way you are leaving this lake Naruto," stated Jiraiya once he was in front of the blond.
Naruto stood there frozen as he heard the coldness in the voice of his trainer. Just hearing the man talk sent a chill down his spine and made him stand straighter. It made the boy run over a mental checklist of when, where, and how he could escape. Most of all it triggered something within him that he had never really felt before.
The toads and Jiraiya all started forward. To any onlookers it would seem as if they wished to finish the boy off. The panicked and beaten look on Naruto was more then enough to tell them he felt the same way. What many of them did not know was what Jiraiya had hoped to do with this training.
Soon though anyone looking on would be surprised.
Mindscape
Within the mind of Naruto, the Kyubi stood behind the bars of its cage smiling in satisfaction. Soon he would be free of his prison, and one-day exact revenge on the village that had imprisoned him for so long. It wouldn't be any time soon, but he would level the buildings of Konoha, and be sure to savor the taste of those within the walls.
"Finally I'll be free of this blasted boy," mused the Kyubi as he chuckled in amusement.
Already it could see the lights dimming, and hear the sound of footsteps running through the halls of Naruto's mind. He knew who it was and what was likely going to be asked. He did not intend to help the boy in any way. That didn't mean he couldn't tease the boy though and give him false hope.
"KYUBI! That bastard is going to kill us! You are a living being and probably don't want to die any more then I do," screamed Naruto as he entered the room and stopped just short of the cage.
The demon laughed and coated Naruto in saliva as it barked at the words. It slowly regained control of itself though and looked down its muzzle at the blond as it smiled enough to reveal its deadly fangs.
"Oh, I wish to live human," stated Kyubi finally as he lowered his head.
The demon had to fight the urge to smile at the glimpse of hope that flickers across the blond. Things were going just how it had wanted.
"I wish to live boy, but unlike you pathetic humans I can rise from the dead. The Shinigami has no claim to my soul and once I am free of this wretched place I will return to the Other Side, and one day to return to finish what I started the day you were born."
Naruto stood there frozen at the words the Kyubi had spoken echoed through his mind. The deal with the Shinigami, the sacrifice of his mother and father. All of it was for nothing if what the Kyubi said was true. It would merely return to the birthplace of Alters, and recover whatever energy it may have lost. All to return years later to seek revenge.
"No."
The Kyubi stopped laughing when he heard the words escape Naruto's mouth. Slowly it cocked its head to the side and looked at the boy who now looked down at the floor with clinched fists.
"What was that boy? Trying to grow a backbone now of all times? Don't you see it is useless for you to continue fighting? Your body no longer has enough blood in it to sustain life. As we speak, your lungs are filling with what little blood you have. Those tasty morsels you humans call ribs have punctured several organs. You have no chance of living," taunted Kyubi again.
The only answer given to him by Naruto was "No" as Naruto continued to clench his fist and stare at the ground. The lights in the room started to flicker as the Genin started to walk towards the cage that held Kyubi. With each step Naruto took wisps of Alter energy could be seen rising from the footprints that he left in his wake.
"I don't know why you've only started acting like this, but I do know I went through most of my life recovering from injuries faster then everyone else. You act as if you have control of what goes on here but you couldn't be further from the truth. I'm the warden and the prison. You are nothing but an inmate who thinks he runs the place," declared Naruto as he touched the bars of the cage.
Kyubi started to growl and made a move to stab Naruto with his claws once he was at the cage. Just as his claws were about to run Naruto through they started to disintegrate into specs of light. The demon recoiled in pain and howled as he backed away from the young alter user.
"Your power is my power. My life is your life. Without one there will not be another. I die you die, and you will not be reborn. I'm taking back control of this place one way or another. You will never see the light of die until I feel you have regretted your previous actions."
Kyubi snarled as he went to drive its other claw through the blond, only to have the previous action occur again. With both of its front paws badly injured, it could only fall to the ground in a position oddly similar to a bow.
"DAMN YOU BOY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME," screamed the demon as the specs of light started to fly towards Naruto and circle him.
Naruto looked up towards the Kyubi's furious eyes as he brought his right arm up and clenched it into a fist. As Naruto did this, the lights in the maze of Naruto's minds exploded back into life and flooded the twists and turns with light.
"I'm taking back control and putting things back the way they should be. If I don't we would probably end up dead at the hands of that bastard ancestor of mine," said the boy as he started to walk away.
Naruto
Jiraiya was afraid at first when he saw chakra explode from the blond Genin. His fear intensified when he noticed the red wisps that started to mix in with the blue. When the chakra took on a rainbow like hue, he started to sweat and fear for his life. Then an explosion of power sent up a spray of mist and forced the Toad sage to cover his eyes.
It was then that Jiraiya heard the distinct sound of summons being released and felt a powerful blow that sent him flying back to shore.
"FUCKING ERO-SENNIN! You want to try to kill me again, well bring it on," shouted Naruto as water cascaded back into the lake, and a heavy "rain" soaked the blond.
Jiraiya righted himself before he landed and easily landed on his feet as he smiled at a fully healed Naruto. The only thing that would give away he had been injured were the holes in his clothing.
"Very good brat. Now its time to go to the next level of your training," shouted Jiraiya as he fought to keep from laughing at the pissed look on the boy's face.
Tsunade
The female Sannin sat and listened to Obito's report and mulled over just what his words may mean. It was obvious what they meant, but what would it mean to their training was another thing entirely.
Most Kunoichi who formed a crush on a Shinobi neglected their training, and focused more on their looks. It was a deadly flaw that ended up claiming the lives of many Shinobi and Kunoichi alike. In the end though most only learned their lesson when it was too late. Others may come to realize how foolish they were. Once that happened one of three things normally occurred.
First, they would realize that the Shinobi/Kunoichi life isn't for them. These people would give up on such a violent life and leave the military services of Konoha. They would become regular villagers and try to find a job that they might be better suited for. These people could often live normal lives if they made the choice sooner in their life. If they waited until they had been a Shinobi/Kunoichi for years, then the odds of them being able to adapt to normal society were slim to none. That would then lead to suicide, drunken habits, or in the extreme, becoming a Shinobi for hire. Of course, some also went into the reserve program, where they could live a normal life, and would have to take a small test of their abilities every three months.
The second option left open to these people was to become serious about their career. In this case, they would take their training serious for once, and strive to become a better Shinobi/Kunoichi. It didn't mean that they had to ignore their love life, and other personal aspects. It just meant that they didn't put as much emphasis on it as they had before. Their life, well being, and the life of others in the village would come before everything else. It was something that was common for warriors of Konoha.
The final option was one that often occurred when they realized too late. The Shinobi or Kunoichi would be killed in action in a scenario that could have been prevented if they had paid more attention to their training. A Shinobi or Kunoichi should never be killed by small bands of bandits, since it should be a routine mission for them. The unlucky Shinobi of Kunoichi though would suffer a fate worst then death. They would be taken as slaves and tortured, raped, or held hostage until they were of no further use to their captors. That was normally told to Kunoichi, but it also happened to Shinobi, though it was hardly talked about as much. In the case of a person with a Kekkei Genkai, they may be turned into breeding stock for an enemy nation. None of these outcomes were favorable though.
The last option was one that Tsunade detested the most. As a woman who once took her job serious, she felt saddened, and yet disgusted when that occurred to Kunoichi. Saddened because it meant the loss of a life that could have been saved if the person had realized sooner the outcome of their choices. Disgusted because of what might befall them. During her time in Konoha, she fought against using Kunoichi as slaves, holding them hostage, and raping them for information. It didn't seem right to her, even if they were a military.
"I can see some of Anko's influence through the clothing you described. It's obvious that Anko likely knows of Hinata's feelings towards Naruto, and is probably trying to help the girl gain the confidence to act on her feelings. At the same time she is taking her training seriously, which is a very good thing," commented Tsunade finally as she looked at Obito and Shizune.
Shizune nodded her head in agreement, and was secretly proud of the young Hyuga. Even though she may not have known her very long, she liked the young Kunoichi. It was possible that the girl reminded her of herself at that age, but it was just as likely that her hidden romantic side was pushing the girl to gain the attention of her crush.
"Yes, it does seem that some of the information sent by Hokage-sama and gathered by Ayame-chan. They mentioned that their mentality was different, but they never stated how different it had become. Hinata-san seems to have taken her training very serious. I think it may be obvious that it is partially due to Naruto and knowing what he has gone through most of his life. She wants to be a strong support for him, and be there when he needs someone to confide in," added Obito from across the table.
"It seems though that while they care for each other as more then just friends, they are not sure how to act out those feelings. They don't know just how to say the three words that have been absent from Naruto's life for so long, and likely Hinata's."
Tsunade nodded at the Uchiha in understanding. Young love was a strange thing, and more so when then people involved were not used to expressing those feelings. For these two it was sure to be a wild ride.
The blonde-haired woman sighed as she leaned back in her seat and thought about the situation. It was far too early for them to become hung up on their feelings for each other. If they did, it could change the way the team functioned; a reason why relationships within the Team was often frowned upon. At the same time though Konoha drew strength from such bonds and Naruto seemed to draw the most strength from such feelings.
"I guess it is a good thing that Jiraiya is going to be keeping Naruto out in the woods," said Tsunade finally.
She didn't like the choice made by her friend, but couldn't help but agree with it given the situation. The things that these three were going to face meant that they had to crank up the training to prepare them. It was no longer just about a possible confrontation with a Rogue Uchiha. It was now about a confrontation with a person that defied time, and quite possibly held one of the strongest Kekkei Genkai known.
"Shizune, the girl has shown a fondness towards poisons. After looking through her bags, and reviewing the book she was given I've decided you will teach her everything you know about the subject. That doesn't mean I won't be helping when I can. Most of the time I may end up busy with the Akimichi's special pills. If you need to, get Tesshu to help you out," added the woman as she tented her hands on the table.
Shizune nodded her head but couldn't stop the shiver from racing down her spine as she thought of the man. He reminded her too much of Jiraiya for her to be comfortable around. The good thing was that she might get to play matchmaker some, and try to build the girl's confidence up some. Not to mention coming from a clan like the Hyugas, she probably didn't get to enjoy a good talk with other girls.
"Until Jiraiya calls for you Obito, you will be training Shikamaru. I want you to work his bony ass into the ground every day. When he starts getting used to a work out routine, change it up and make him work harder. I've heard nothing but good things about the brat, but the one bad thing everyone has to say is that he is lazy. Even Anko mentioned his lazy nature and how he doesn't push himself as much as the others seemed to do. If words don't motivate him, then try kunai and shuriken to get him moving," stated the woman as she turned to the one-eyed man.
The man nodded his head and smiled behind the high collar of his cloak. He remembered all the training he went through under the former Yondaime, and then under Tsunade. He always hatred being the pupil and secretly couldn't wait to be a slave driver to his own students one day. Perhaps it was his hidden prankster that had to go into hiding when he started traveling with Tsunade. One way or another though, he was going to enjoy tormenting Shikamaru.
"Remember, we only have a month to whip these kids into shape. Once that month is over, we are heading to Konoha, along with the Daimyo, for the Chunin exams. They need to be ready for just about anything that might pop up in war," ended Tsunade as she stood and looked at her two companions.
"Yes Ma'am," answered Obito as he stood and saluted. The entire time he was fighting the urge to look down past Tsunade's chin and at her nearly exposed breasts.
Shizune nodded at her mentor and smiled at the enthusiasm displayed by her friends. It wasn't often that they were worked up over something that wasn't money, gambling, or perverted. So to see the two agreeing on something outside of those categories was a great relief to the sole person who acted as the guidance counselor of the little group.
"Their lunch break is over, so I think we should get back to them. Shizune, you go with Hinata, and Obito I want you to work with Shikamaru on whatever you feel is necessary," stated Tsunade after getting an agreement from everyone.
The three filed out of the room and made their way to where the Genin were supposed to be enjoying their brief lunch. It didn't take them long to make it to the mess hall where the Palace guards consumed their meals. All it took was them to walk into the room for the two young Genin to stand and make their way out of the room behind the Legendary Kunoichi and her two aides.
It didn't go unnoticed by the guards who were "in the loop" to realize that the Legendary Sucker seemed to have finally taken on another apprentice. It would of course be the talk of the Palace, since Tsunade was like Royalty in a sense. Because of this, it was a good thing that the Genin still kept their disguises on.
With a few simple commands Shizune was followed by Hinata out into one of the gardens of the Palace. At the same time Shikamaru followed Obito out in front of the palace and to the training grounds of the Palace Guards and Soldiers.
"It seems that Tsunade-sama wants to work on your Taijutsu and general physical capabilities. Because of that you will be taking part in some of the drills performed by the troops stations here," stated Obito as he paused to gauge the boy's reaction.
Shikamaru looked as the men and women ran along the grounds. None of the soldiers were decked out in clothing one would normally work out in. Instead, they wore the attire they would normally take part in combat in. On top of the armor they wore, several of the larger men could be seen taking part in strength building exercises and contests.
"Your general physique needs to be worked on, and because of that I have just the right program for you," commented Obito as he started to walk towards the one exercise that had Shikamaru's eyes bugging out.
It looked like something primal or something you would only expect to find in a POW camp. Men walking in circles while they pushed a mill wheel. While they did this a series of cogs and wheels would turn and grind grains of all kinds. It was something that could have been done by farm animals, but instead it seemed the soldiers in the Palace took it upon themselves to perform this duty.
"They don't like slackers, and they won't hesitate to crack their new found whip on you. By order of Tsunade-sama, you will be working here after breakfast and your morning runs," stated Obito as he pushed the Nara towards a burly man with a whip in his hands.
'I'm going to kill Naruto with I get out of here,' thought Shikamaru as he as pushed into the mill, and had his hands strapped to the wheel.
It would be the one thought and goal that would see the Nara through his training.
Hinata
Shizune quietly led Hinata through the Palace and out back towards a section of the Palace grounds that reminded her of the Hyuga clan homes. The buildings were slightly raised, and seemed to be a more traditional design.
The closer the two got though the more Hinata could tell that the buildings seemed to be unoccupied. It was clean but little life could be seen. It was only after they had walked into the center of the home that Hinata saw the first true sign of life in the form of a garden.
"We will be handling your lessons in poisons here in the Azuma home. This garden is the home of several poisons that they once used in assassinations and other missions in the name of the Daimyo," finally said Shizune as she motioned for Hinata to have a seat on the walkway bordering the garden.
"Before we begin though, I would like to set down a few guidelines. While we are here we will wear protective surgical gloves to ensure we don't accidentally poison ourselves. Some of the poisons we will be working with can be applied through skin contact, and do not have to be introduced into the blood," stated Shizune as she produced gloves for Hinata to wear.
The Hyuga heiress nodded as she put the gloves on; having already undergone through something similar with Meizu, Gozu, Haku, and Anko. It had been one of the first things they grilled into her head to ensure she never accidentally poisoned herself. The second thing they made sure she understood was just as easy to understand. When working with poison, never touch your lips, eyes, nose, clothes, or other parts of your body. This helped to further the prevention of self-poisoning, and ensured that you didn't poison others who may touch those parts of you.
"As you probably know, there is to be no loose clothing here either. If any of the poisons we work on comes into contact with your clothes, then we may have to either burn them, or wash them to flush the poison out," added the meek woman as she continued going over "lab" safety.
The two sat there for several more minutes as Shizune continued to go over safety procedures and what was being expected of the young Hyuga. The instruction from Shizune was not just going to be limited to creating poisons based off plants and animals. She would also instruct the girl in some of her own personal Ninjutsu that incorporated them. They would cover how to add the concoctions to weapons and several hidden weapons that Shizune was rather proud of.
"Shizune-sensei… I'm not sure about hiding laced needles under my tongue, but I do like the idea of a wrist mounted launcher," stated Hinata.
Shizune laughed softly at the girl's reaction to one of Shizune's hidden weapons. It wasn't a strange place to hide weapons, but it was an odd way to hide laced weapons on your body. It wasn't an easy thing to do either. One of the major problems you would have is the poison on the weapon, and how it would interact with your saliva. Another of the problems would be learning how to operate with the weapons hidden in your mouth, and not swallowing them or chocking on them.
"I understand your hesitance. I myself had more then a few problems when I first started to use this type of attack. Had Tsunade-sama not been there I could have died on a number of occasions. I only had this problem because I didn't have anyone to teach me how to do it properly," answered Shizune with a happy smile on her face.
Hinata couldn't help but smile slightly at the cheerfulness of the woman. It wasn't like Naruto's, but her genuine kindness and gentle nature seemed to comfort her. Hinata's smiled dimmed slightly as she remembered the last person who could put her at ease so easily.
Shizune noticed the sudden change in the mood of her student. She wasn't sure what had brought about the change in demeanor, since the only other time she had acted like this was when they were told Naruto wouldn't be training with them. The apprentice went over everything she had said and done and still couldn't figure out what had happened.
"What's wrong," asked Shizune finally as she moved closer to the young woman.
Hinata tried to shake off the woman's concern. This wasn't anything new to Shizune. She had spent years with Tsunade and Obito and could easily pick up signs of depression. She had become an expert at reading the emotions of those around due to the constant change that would occur between the two.
'I could try pressing her for more details. I hardly know her though, and she hardly knows me. She may be hesitant to trust me with what ever may be causing her to feel this way. I hope she doesn't keep it locked away,' thought Shizune as she made up her mind to talk to Tsunade about it later.
"Alright then Hinata-chan why don't we start on your lessons," decided Shizune finally as she smiled serenely at the young woman.
Jiraiya
It had nearly been a week since Jiraiya started training Naruto, and the landscape showed that he was a harsh task master. It seemed as if the Gama-Sannin believed in practical experience rather then theoretical exercises. While it may have seemed harsh, it did get the job done with those motivated enough to get their acts into gear.
Currently the perverted sage was on the shoreline of the lake watching as bubbles of air would breach the surface from time to time. As he stood there watching the bubbles finally stopped surfacing. Still the man stood there watching and waiting for his young charge.
Since Naruto had managed to get the seal working properly again Jiraiya had started the boy off on some intense chakra control exercises. They were intense because of the fact that if you failed at them there was a chance you could end up killing yourself. With Tsunade a summon scroll away though he wasn't too worried. With Naruto healing like he should have been for the last few months, he didn't have a fear in the world.
The current exercise was two fold. The first part of it was to use chakra to grab a hold of the bottom of the lake and walk across. Not an easy feat when the sediment was loose and could easily cause a mistake. It wasn't something that many of the mainland Hidden Villages bothered with, since the odds of them fighting in such a place was slim to none. Those that did only practiced it among their highest ranks, or with those who wished to specialize in a field. For beginners it helped to weigh them down with a few pounds of rocks to get them to stay down on the lakebed.
The second and most dangerous part of the chakra control exercise was something only the most experience Kiri, Ame, Taki, and Medical Shinobi could do. It required the breaking down of the base elements of the water into something that would continue to oxygenate the blood. The dangerous part of this came from the fact that you actually had to fill your lungs with water and "breathe" normally.
The slightest mistake could very well drown the young Genin.
That though was one of the reasons that a toad was also down with the young Genin as he practiced these dangerous exercises. Aside from saving the blond if he ran out of air, it would also slowly remove the rocks from Naruto's backpack to ensure he actually learned the exercise.
"If the boy can get these down then he should have no problem completing the Rasengan or any other chakra manipulation," muttered Jiraiya as he pertinently awaited news from the observation toad. So far the record for staying under, breathing, was at about the normal length of time someone could hold their breath.
Now it had passed Naruto's record and was crossing into a dangerous territory.
"You better not die on me brat or Tsunade will kill me," muttered the man as he waited patiently.
The seconds turned into minutes and still there was no sign of Naruto or the watch toad. If the toad had been dispelled Jiraiya would have known by now. After all, when summons were dispelled they tend to displace air. Displaced air would cause a surge of bubbles to surface and signify that Jiraiya needed to get down there fast.
"There is no way the brat managed to get the hang of this in such a short amount of time. He's only had a few hours each day to practice this," thought the man aloud as he looked up at the sun.
After thirty minutes Jiraiya was sure that the boy was just doing this to piss him off, and he was doing a brilliant job of it. Still though, he couldn't help but be proud and confused at how the boy managed to get the hang of such techniques in such a short amount of time.
'What better way to get the answer then right from the horse's mouth,' thought the man as he stomped his sandaled foot down on a stone that was just barely touching the surface of the water.
It was a signal he had worked out with the toads watching Naruto In advanced, just incase he and Naruto needed to move onto another lesson. Since Naruto would normally spend the entire three hours trying to get the hang of the exercise, he had never needed to use it before. Now though it seemed the wonder blond had gotten the hang of the technique.
Seconds later bubbles could be seen rising to the surface, and soon a light blue toad with yellow swirls could be seen. Holding onto the surfacing amphibian was none other then Naruto as they finally surfaced and started to swim to shore.
No one said anything as Naruto crawled onto the bank and doubled over and proceeded to purge his lungs of the water within. Minutes later the boy was sitting up straight and taking in breathes of fresh air.
"That water tastes nasty Ero-Sennin," muttered the Genin as he leaned back against one of the trees around the lake.
Jiraiya laughed at the remark, and laughed even harder as Naruto tried to join him only to double over in slight pain. It was one of the side effects of the control exercise that he had been doing. His body and lungs had become accustomed to the way the water filled his lungs, and was now trying to reacquaint itself with being filled with regular air.
"Don't worry kid, your body will slowly become accustomed to the changes and will adapt," stated Jiraiya as he remember going through similar pains when he had learned it during his travels.
"I really hope so because it hurts like hell," groaned Naruto after he had finished coughing and vomiting out what was left of his breakfast and water.
"How'd you get that down so fast kid? I know you are pretty quick to catch on, but I intentionally limited the time you had to work on this for that reason," asked Jiraiya as he offered his canteen to him.
"I figured you were Ero-Sennin, and that's why I practiced at night after you left to the city," snapped Naruto while he declined the canteen while suppressing a shudder. After spending nearly thirty minutes under water, breathing it and drinking it, he wanted nothing more to do with the liquid unless there was no other choice.
Jiraiya had to resist the urge to boot Naruto into the water as he took a long pull from his canteen and thought over what else he could have worked on. He figured he had worked on the Rasengan while he was gone; it was somewhat easy to tell from all of the craters that kept popping up. Suiton jutsus was another possibility since Naruto had been training under Zabuza for a brief time. Swords skills were a major possibility as well, due to how the next form of his Alter was described.
"Fine then brat, but I'm still not teaching you anything until you show me can you perform the Rasengan with a single hand, and without your Alter activated," snapped Jiraiya when he noticed Naruto making faces at him.
Naruto's face fell as he glared at the Toad Sage. He had still failed to perform the Rasengan without the strange benefit his Alter seemed to provide him. Without the Alter power activated, he had been using a clone to help him form the deadly Rasengan, and had been trying to wean himself off that dependence since he started training with Jiraiya.
"Well you did good for just being here for a little over a week kid. You still have a ways to go though before you learn one specific technique that will prove valuable should you ever fight another Jinchuuriki or a summoner. Get some rest and then you can work on your Rasengan. It should be more then a little easier now with these control exercises down," admitted Jiraiya as he stood up and walked towards their campsite.
"Not to mention we still have to work on your reflexes and reaction time. If you ever hope to beat someone with the Sharingan you have to be able to react instantly and respond to attacks that they believe you would never be able to respond to," added Jiraiya as he now towered over Naruto and smiled grimly.
It was a feeling that Naruto was starting to dread. Something in his gut twisted as he watched Jiraiya bite his thumb and smear blood across his hand. That was all it took for Naruto to realize just what the man was about to do.
Naruto only had a few seconds to rush to his belongings and grab his weapons before seven clouds of smoke surrounded him. Before the smoke could even clear, Naruto was avoiding the weapons that started to appear from the clouds to skewer him.
"NOT THESE BASTARDS AGAIN ERO-SENNIN," screamed Naruto as he did everything he could to avoid the attacks from the Seven Brothers.
Obito
After nearly two weeks of training Obito was starting to become impressed with his young charge. Of course, the young Nara struggled with his training at first, but slowly he was starting to figure things out. While it may have been a physical exercise, it didn't mean that the boy couldn't use his head to figure out some helpful hints.
How to correctly push the mill wheel, the angle of the body, how to properly grip the ground to ensure the right amount of leverage and force. These were things that Shikamaru could easily figure out given the time and desire. Having been at the task for almost two weeks gave him enough time to figure things out. Having a man crack a whip at him every time he started to slow increased the desire to find a way to do his work without the consequences.
Of course the whip only touched him once or twice, but that was often more then enough to get him moving. There was just something about a whip snapping close to your ear that seemed to motivate people into action. Some human fear that was ingrained into their most basic functions.
"I'm surprised he has lasted this long though," muttered Obito as he watched the Nara walk in a circle hunched over pushing.
The main reason he was astonished was the fact that Shikamaru had yet to drop to the ground in exhaustion. Even during his first few days he had not dropped and had just continued pushing. For a person with Shikamaru's history that was truly amazing.
The reward for his effort could already bee seen though in the way he moved, and how he seemed to increase his overall strength and stamina. While it may not appear like much, his musculature was finally becoming more toned and distinct. His skin was finally taking on more color due to the constant exposure to the sun. It would probably come as a shock to many in Konoha when they saw him again.
Tsunade had even been surprised when Obito had brought him in one night. Is wasn't that Shikamaru has passed out during the workout, but right after he was told he was done for the day, he promptly passed out and had to be carried back to his room. Once there the busty blonde had checked him out and assured Obito that he was just physically exhausted.
From that day on Tsunade had been sure to check on him after each day while he was sleeping. It wasn't just for her peace of mind, but to help his muscles grow by slightly repairing the damage that had been done to them. This was also the time that she would tell Obito if he should increase the load that was being ground by Shikamaru.
Shaking his mind from the thoughts of the past week, Obito looked up towards the sun to determine how much longer Shikamaru had. From what he could guess it would only be a matter of minutes before the sentinels watching him would call a stop for the day. With that in mind he calmly walked over to the pit where Shikamaru worked. It seemed he had timed it just right too since Shikamaru was making his way out of the pit and resting at a water trough to quench the thirst that had built up.
"Another lovely day at work," asked Obito as he moved beside the dark-haired boy in his ever happy mood. He laughed slightly when Shikamaru scowled at him and his perpetual happiness.
"It's easy for you to be happy when you just sit around, eat, drink, and being merry. I've worked my ass off the last two weeks," muttered Shikamaru darkly before dunking his head in the water. Obito only laughed again as the Nara brought his head up and made sure to wet him with the water flying from his hair.
"Well come along, Tsunade wanted you to at least shower this time before you joined her and the others for dinner," commanded Obito as he started to walk off. Shikamaru soon followed him and waved to the men who had been supervising him the last two weeks.
"So when will we get to see Naruto again? We haven't been able to talk to him since he left to train with Jiraiya-sama," asked Shikamaru as he once again tried to pry information from the hooded man.
It had begun as a venture in information gathering. After all he knew very little about this hooded man, and yet he seemed to know a great deal about every member of Team 10. He had of course tried asking the man questions about himself, but they were evaded easily by the man. He had tried catching a glimpse of what was under the hood and yet could never seem to pierce the shadow that always seemed to be present.
To a person who thrived on information, it was becoming quite an annoyance for the young Nara.
"Hm, don't know," stated the man as he seemed to rub his chin. His answer was obviously something that Shikamaru had heard already since he just snorted and rolled his eyes.
"What do you know," muttered Shikamaru as he tried to march ahead of his guide.
Just to irritate him, Obito walked ahead a little faster and turned around to face the boy. Even though he couldn't see the face beneath the cowl, he could tell that Obito was smiling at him. For some strange reason it reminded him of the times Choji talked about Kakashi and his mask.
"Now now Shika-kun that isn't any way to talk to the person who tells the nice men at the mill wheel how much weight and grain to put in each day," taunted Obito, as he seemed to dance while back-pedaling.
Shikamaru just glared at where he assumed the eyes of the man were. He knew he couldn't do anything to stop them from upping his training regiment. He also knew that he needed the training that he was currently undergoing. Strength had never been his strong point and knew that depending on his brains and shadow skills wouldn't be enough if he wanted to pursue a career as a Shinobi.
Obito watched as Shikamaru seemed to contemplate the things they had just talked about. While it was nothing major, it still seemed that no matter what the young Nara would constantly process information. At the moment it seemed that he was thinking over his recent training and what it might mean.
'Throughout the Academy he has always failed at physical exercises. Even his skill with kunai was surpassed by some of the less skilled students. It could be because of the fact that he didn't want to reveal much, but even Naruto revealed his true nature off and on during the time he was in the academy. The records don't reflect any such fluctuations in Shikamaru's behavior. Nor did the reports from the teachers and random ANBU observations reveal anything of that nature. It can only mean that his true power is with his mind.
'This is proven when we take into consideration his love of strategy games like Shogi and Go. Searches of his bedroom and home always turned up puzzles books and puzzle games that were well beyond anyone within his age range. He may have determined since he was gifted with higher intelligence then those around him that it would be best to apply himself there,' mused Obito as he turned around to face away from Shikamaru.
The reports and files sent by the Sandaime were surprisingly informative on Shikamaru. While there was a few interesting tidbits of information from the Academy on Hinata and Naruto, it seemed that Shikamaru was spotted by the Hokage far earlier then anyone else.
Part of the information came from random observations done by ANBU and Jonin to ensure that nothing like what happened with Itachi happened again with the current group of students. Students would be watched and observed to see if they might be a threat to those around them. It was also one of the ways they tried to determine if a student was actually meant for a life as a Shinobi.
Not only would the student be watched, but their homes searched for anything that might seem strange for an Academy student to possess. It was during this that some rather embarrassing information would be found out about numerous of the Academy students and filed away into a record kept in the Hokage's vaults.
The last part though was harder to do on those students who came from big families, such as the Hyuga clan.
It wasn't the best way to gather information about the would be Shinobi, but it did help to look into them. The last thing Konoha had ever wanted was another Orochimaru or Itachi. Many among the leaf village felt that had one too many child prodigies go bad.
"What ever just leave me alone. All I wanted to know about was one of my friends. I didn't want some smart-ass answer," said Shikamaru as he resigned himself to his fate.
"I know he is doing so crazed training wherever he is because I can feel it. Late at night I can feel the vibrations in the ground from him using his alter power. The way his chakra feels saturates the air, even though we are probably a good distance away from where he is training. Last but not least, at night I can see the aura given off by his alter ability at night time," added Shikamaru as he ticked reasons off on his fingers.
'It seems Naruto-kun's team mates have become attuned to his chakra signature and alter ability after spending so much time with him. Hardly surprising though since he does seem to exude power, and lately it seems like he is a straining dam trying to keep the flood of power back,' mused Obito as he smiled beneath his cowl.
"Well, don't tell anyone I said this," started Obito as he stopped and leaned down towards Shikamaru.
To the Nara it felt like he was being let in on some big secret, though no secret could match the bombshells Naruto had dropped on him.
"You three came here early, and made good time at the same time. Because of that your training is actually going faster then we had counted on," continued Obito as he glanced around. Quietly he moved Shikamaru into a dark passage between a grain storehouse and tool shed.
"The first two parts of the Chunin exams would take at least six days. One day from the first stage, and then five more days for the Second stage. After the second stage of the exam the participants will be given a month to prepare for the finals," added Obito in a whisper.
Shikamaru just nodded his head and tried to add up the numbers in his head. If he had to guess, Team 10 had left about three days before the start of the exam. If took them at least three days to get to the capital, about the time the Chunin exams had started. They had been training for two weeks, meaning that the first two parts of the exam had passed.
"I see you noticed. Well something else you should know about the Chunin Exams finals. It is a big event, as I'm sure you know, and because of this Feudal Lords, Daimyos, and leaders from all participating countries will make the trek to Konoha to witness the fights. Because of this, and the way such crowds tend to travel, depending on where they are they may have to leave days or weeks in advanced," continued Obito when he saw understanding flash across Shikamaru's face.
"As you probably know such travel for a leader of a country requires fanfare and at times large numbers of guards. Since you probably could guess it, we will be leaving here with the Daimyo. Taking into consideration the people who will be joining him, it could take use at least a week to make it to Konoha. It could go faster but we will be traveling with people who are not used to such activities. Not only that but the pack animals will need to rest every so often. Villages along the way will want to see their leader and that of course will slow things down as well. All of that considered, you have only a week more to train, if my guess is right," stated Obito as he finally straightened up.
It may not have seemed too informative, but it did answer a few of the questions that had been bothering Shikamaru. One of course was when he would finally get to see Naruto again. A side effect of that was also being able to see and talk with Hinata. Even though he had breakfast, lunch and dinner with her, they were often too tired to talk about the details of their training.
"I can't wait," mumbled Shikamaru as he once again followed Obito towards the mess hall.
Hinata
Hinata groaned as she limped towards the mess hall with Shizune leading.
At first she thought all of her training with Shizune was going to be easy, as easy as medicine and poisons could be at least. She didn't expect her lessons to be split into two sections while working with Shizune. So of course she was surprised when Shizune had taken her outside and introduced her to the female soldiers and Ayame.
Her team with the female occupants of the Palace was spent stretching her body to new limits and learning of more ways to use her smaller and more agile body to her advantage. Many of the people training her felt that there was no need for a female not to be the leader of a squad, military, village, or country. This showed in their work ethic and the fact that many of them could go against some of the best male guards and soldiers in the capital.
The exercises had started out simple enough, and focused on stretching her body to the limits. She soon found herself stretching in ways she would have never dreamed of with the Juken. From different forms of the splits, to dangerously high front, side, and back kicks; she found her legs being twisted and turns in every way her teachers could imagine.
After her first lesson with them she soon found herself thankful to Anko for selecting clothing that was suited for such exercises. Even though they showed off more skin then she was accustomed to, they offered the perfect amount of flexibility to her while fighting. The only problem she had could easily be covered up with a jacket, which she had already figured out when Anko bought the clothes for her.
After the first week of working with these women though she had started to get over the pain of her muscles tearing, and the aches in her joints. She was no longer tender from being stretched, and bent in awkward angles, and could now do most of the moves that was asked of her by Ayame and the other women. That though did little for her mood as she thought back to some of the comments thrown at her by some of the ruder and more loose-mouthed men that had come across her during her training.
"You did very well today Hinata, and I'm sure your father and team would be proud of how far you have come in such a short time," said Shizune as she paused outside of the mess hall to look down at her pupil with pride filled eyes.
Hinata looked up at the older woman, uncertain at first but then smiled back.
Praise wasn't something she was used to, even after working together with Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, and Anko. Though she received praise from them, she had grown up receiving little praise from her father and clansmen. It wasn't until that night that she had forged a bond with Naruto that she had started to gain praise from her father.
That isn't to say that she didn't gain any before the day that her life had turned upside down, and stumbled upon the secret of her crush. Teachers would sometimes praise her and at times some of the Branch Members would praise her as well. Those were never the praises she had yearned for though. She had desired nothing more then to gain her father's respect and to hear a few kind words from him. After that the only other person that mattered would probably be the one who praised her at every corner now; Kazama Uzumaki Naruto.
Since the day she and Naruto had learned the truth about his past, things had been different for her. Her father had finally started to show a side she hadn't seen since her mother had passed away. She now had the praises she had wanted but it was still taking her some getting used to.
"Thank you Shizune-san," answered Hinata finally as she bowed in gratitude to the woman.
Ton-Ton oinked from the floor beside Shizune and looked up and smiled, as best as a pig could, once Hinata looked in her direction. The small animal perked up some when Hinata decided to thank it and started to scratch it behind the ear.
"Yes, and thank you Ton-Ton for helping me," added Hinata as she stood up and smiled back to Shizune.
The older woman nodded and her smile widened just a little before she turned and pushed open the door to the mess hall. The second the heavy doors were opened, a wave of sound washed over the group as they navigated their way through the crowd to pick up their meal. The entire time she was also busy trying to spy out her other team member. It didn't take her long to see the shaggy head of Shikamaru and the always-hooded stranger.
Feeling a nudge from Shizune, Hinata nodded and followed her toward where the duo were currently sitting and eating their evening meal. Of course once Hinata had arrived, she and Shikamaru had moved away from the two adults. The adults didn't seem to mind though since they more then likely had their own conversation they wished to conduct in "private".
"You look better today," observed Hinata quietly as she went about slowly eating her meal.
Shikamaru laughed slightly at her greeting before taking a few quick bites of his food. It had been more then a little annoying for the Nara to deal with all of the formalities that used to be present in his friend. Now though she had loosened up around him and the others to the point that she acted like a normal kid, most of the time. She could still act formal but had finally figured out that there wasn't a need to be formal all of the time.
"Yeah well I think our friend is going to up my work tomorrow. He seems to take pleasure it pissing me off," mumbled Shikamaru finally as he looked up at Hinata's muffled giggles.
He huffed in indignation and started to pick at his food as he once again thought about what he had been told minutes ago about their return to Konoha.
While Shikamaru was sitting there thinking about what to do, Hinata noticed the signs of him being deep in thought. Of course it probably wouldn't take a genius to notice the signs of Shikamaru thinking about a subject.
"Is there something wrong Shikamaru-kun?" questioned Hinata softly.
Her questioned forced the Nara to jerk slightly and then look up into her eyes. The concern for him was clearly seen, as was the building concern of the one they had both wondered about since they had arrived. In the end it was that concern that ended up making up his mind.
"Hinata, I'm probably not supposed to tell you this but I think you should know," started Shikamaru before he went into what Obito had told him minutes ago. The entire time he never noticed the eye of his instructor focused on him from further down the table.
Further down the table Obito was eyeing his charge from beneath his hood. He didn't expect the boy to keep things a secret for too long. That was part of the reason he told him about their plans.
"So how did things go for you today," asked Shizune suddenly, and pulling Obito's attention back to her.
"Things went pretty well actually. Shikamaru is coming along quite nicely with his training. He may have thought that he got the short-end of the stick when we started, but I believe he knows the reason for it now. If he hadn't of gone through this training then he would probably be overpowered by some girl," stated Obito merrily as he started to dig into his food.
Shizune though lost all signs of being happy with the results of the training with the last thing said by her friend. In fact, if Obito wasn't focusing on his food, he might have seen a scowl on her face that promised immense pain in the future.
"I'll try not to be offended by that last remark," growled out someone as they sat down beside Shizune.
Obito nearly choked on his food as Tsunade sat down with a scowl on her face. Looking up he saw an identical scowl etched onto the face of Shizune as well. He unconsciously gulped as the Sannin seemed to restrain herself from slamming her tray down on the table and narrowed her eyes at him.
"I wasn't talking about you two! Honestly," pleaded Obito. If the table hadn't been in the way, he probably would have been down on his hands and knees begging for forgiveness.
"Cut it out, you're causing a scene," ordered Tsunade once she had felt the man had sweated enough.
Once Obito had settled back down she, and nearly everyone else in the mess hall, looked over to where a loud gleeful shout could be heard. Most were stunned when they saw the young white haired girl they had all become accustomed to leaning over the table with a death hug on her friend. Tsunade in particular quirked an eyebrow at the display before quickly narrowing her eyes.
"Shizune I thought you told me she was infatuated with Naruto," whispered Tsunade harshly to her apprentice.
"I thought she did Tsunade-sama," answered Shizune quickly as Tsunade seemed to tower over her.
"Then what the hell is going on over there."
"I don't know. Maybe s-she started to develop feelings for Shikamaru-kun while they were training."
"She better not break Naruto's hear or I might just break her legs and arms."
"NO! You can't do that Tsunade-sama! Naruto-kun wouldn't want anything to happen to anyone he may care about, even if it hurts him," said Shizune quickly, nearly shouting the first part. By now though Tsunade was no longer listening, and was instead focusing on the two Genin on the other end of the table.
"Um, I might be able to answer the question," said Obito finally. Both women turned to him and locked in on him with their eyes. That and the killing intent being pumped out by the angered women were more then enough to get him to continue.
"I might have told Shikamaru about when they might see Naruto again, and he probably just told her," answered Obito as he started to wave his hands in front of himself to stave off any blows from the duo.
Tsunade's eyes widened slightly in surprise before she took on the smile she normally used when trying to bluff someone. If that wasn't enough, she propped her chin up in her right hand while waving the left in front in dismissal.
"I knew that all along! She's just happy to know when she will see her beloved again," said Tsunade casually. Thanks to her closed eye smile she never noticed Shizune and Obito roll their eyes, or the sweat drops that developed.
"If you say so Tsunade-sama," muttered Shizune as she looked away from her master and back to her forgotten food.
With those final words a comfortable silence settled at the table, and the only sound that could be heard was the clicking of dinnerware. Every now and then one of the guards or soldiers would say something that caused the neighboring tables to break out in laughter. Everything seemed to be just fine with the world as stories of how the day went were exchanged and talk of the upcoming Chunin exam started up.
Some were even able to produce newsletters and scrolls that talked about the finals of the Chunin exams. One of the hottest topics though was how the last Uchiha was going to be fighting against the son of the Kazekage in the first round of the finals.
Others showed an interest in the fight between a Branch Member of the Hyuga clan by the name of Hyuga Neji. What made his fight so interesting though was the fact that he would be fighting his teammate, and up and coming Taijutsu expert, Rock Lee.
The exploits of their Sensei was well known, even here in the Capital. Just as the deeds of Hatake Kakashi had reached their ears and how he had two students fighting in the finals. The main one everyone talked about was of course Uchiha Sasuke. Some though showed an interest in the fight between Akimichi Choji and Temari of the Sand.
From the sounds of things it was easy to tell that this was one of the most anticipated Chunin Exams that had been held ever since Uchiha Itachi had competed. Of course talks of bets, odds, and other gambling terms did not go missed by Tsunade.
"Sounds like this Sasuke kid is favored to win the Exam this year," stated Tsunade with a hint of sorrow in her voice. Having been around her long enough, it was easy enough for Obito and Shizune to catch the slight change in her voice.
"A shame Naruto and the others couldn't be there to show them some real talent," added Tsunade before the others could question her. Shizune and Obito chuckled at her comment as they tried to ignore the money signs that had popped up in her eyes.
"I wish I could be there though," cut in Obito as he thought about his wayward nephew.
'If only I had made it to Konoha in time, I could have prevented Mikoto-nee-chan from…'
Obito shook his head to get rid of the disturbing thoughts that always seemed to pop up when he reflected of his family. Aside from making Rin believe he was dead, he had also had to fool his family. From what he had heard no one had been hurt more then his older sister, Mikoto.
"Don't worry about that. You should know we will be there for the exams. You just have to wait a few more days and we'll be heading out," soothed Shizune as she patted his hand.
"It still doesn't change how apprehensive I feel about finally going back to Konoha," added Obito as he thought about how much things may have changed, or the reactions of the people who knew him.
Tsunade could understand how he felt, as she felt something similar. She understood perfectly how Obito felt since she was going through something similar with Naruto. Despite having met him, she had yet to actually been able to talk to him one on one. She was partially worried about how he would react to her never coming to Konoha to check on him.
The more reasonable side of her knew that she wasn't to blame, and that Naruto would understand. After all she had been told that he was dead, and Naruto had been informed of that as well. Logic though could hardly put a dent in her self-doubt.
Before Tsunade and Obito could delve further into their pit of sorrow they were all thrown to the floor by a sudden shake of the Palace. The cries of the guards and soldiers outside could be heard all the way in the Mess Hall as the room quickly emptied.
Jiraiya
'Crap crap crap crap. Oh DAMN! Tsunade is going to kill me,' chanted Jiraiya as he rode on the back of Gamabunta and made their way towards the Palace. With him a top of the Toad Boss' head was a broken and bleeding Naruto. What really worried the Toad sage though was the severed limb that he held in his lap as they made their way to the Palace and Tsunade.
Things had started well that day, with Naruto finally managing to summon an actual toad, and not a tadpole. Of course it shocked Naruto and the Toad when they came face to face to see who was summoned, and who the summoner was. After spending weeks fighting him, Naruto had actually managed to summon one of the Seven Brothers.
From there Jiraiya had decided it was once again time for combat practice in hopes of honing Naruto's skills and to get him to awaken the second stage of his Alter. So of course Jiraiya had summoned the other six brothers to once again perform their deadly dance of steel.
By now Naruto had grown accustomed to their attacks, and was actually managing to avoid most of them. Not only did he avoid attacks, but he was starting to land several of his own attacks on the deadly amphibians. To Jiraiya that meant only one thing, it was time to kick it up a notch and add more opponents. Therefore, he summoned another small, but rather elite group of toads, the Battletoads.
These toads were probably the elite of the elite in the Toad Kingdom, at least when it came to the smaller denizens. Each of them was almost humanoid in appearance, and towered over Naruto by more then a few feet.
The first one of them stood an impressive 6'3 and had dark green skin with a light yellow chest and belly. Aside from his obviously massive hands and feet, he sported deadly looking spiked kneepads that looked deadly enough for Naruto to avoid.
The second one was bluish-green and had a similar light yellow chest and belly and stood 6'8. IIf his reach wasn't deadly enough already then his black gauntlets and spiked kneepads made things even deadlier.
The final one was the one that scared Naruto the most when he appeared. Never before had Naruto seen a person, humanoid that blocked the Sun out. With a large muscular frame and broad shoulders went a long way to intimidate the boy; of course it also helped that he towered over Naruto at 7'4. His skin was a tan color, bordering on brown, and like the others he had a light yellow belly and chest. Just as the others he also wore spiked kneepads, and to go with them was a set of spiked black braces.
With these three summoned to fight, things were not looking good for Naruto any more.
With the addition of the three new warriors, Naruto was quickly overwhelmed and batted around the little clearing like a child's play toy. Even with the bruises and obvious broken bones he would not stay down, despite the pleading look in the eyes of the gathered Toads. Everyone knew Naruto was beaten and couldn't do anything else, but he continued to fight and engage the Battletoads in fierce Taijutsu battles.
It was when he was engaged with the smallest of the Battletoads that tragedy struck.
Naruto was so busy focusing on his Taijutsu bout that he neglected to stay aware of the Seven Samurai Brothers. To be more exact, he failed to notice the one with the glaive moving in from behind him. He never noticed the Toad until he brought his weapon down and the toad he had been fighting jumped away.
Naruto couldn't react fast enough and put up a guard. Time seemed to slow down as the glaive cut into the top of his shoulder and slowly made its way down. Jiraiya and the toads watched in astonishment as the weapon finally succeeded in cleaving Naruto's right arm off at the shoulder. The toad dropped his weapon quickly as it realized what it had done. Silence settled in as everyone came to terms with what had just happened.
Seconds later though Naruto screamed out in pain as his body registered just what had happened to it. He collapsed to the ground and clutched at where his severed limb used to be. His cries of pain only increased as he started to role on the ground as blood continued to pump from his shoulder.
'Damn it I am so dead,' decided Jiraiya as he stopped reflecting on just what had happened.
He let out a soft sigh though as Gamabunta landed outside of the Palace, and he quickly jumped off with Naruto and the arm. Already the courtyard was filling up with Soldiers, guards, and anyone else who could wield a weapon to battle what ever the threat may have been. With them of course was the person that Jiraiya had been hoping to find, and also the two that he had wanted to avoid.
"Tsunade we need to get him inside NOW!" screamed Jiraiya as he ran towards the Slug Sannin and then past her. He had only slowed just enough for her to catch a glimpse of what he held in his arms.
All those present gasped as they saw the blood trail that followed Jiraiya inside the Palace. The Shinobi quickly gave chase though when they caught sight of just what was being held by the white-haired man. The only thing stopping Shikamaru and Hinata from following their friend into the Palace was the interference of their trainers.
"LET ME IN," yelled Hinata as she started to become frantic.
She easily saw what Jiraiya held and had started to panic the second realization dawned on her. If she could have she would have easily gone into the Palace with Tsunade to check on the one person who probably meant more to her then her own family.
"No, stay here and let them work in peace," countered Obito as he stood firm in their path.
"That's our friend in there," countered Shikamaru as he stepped up beside Hinata to try to push past the cloaked man.
"Yes I realize that. What you need to realize though is that you would only get in their way and hinder his treatment," cut Obito. "As we speak you are keeping him from the best help he could get. Shizune-chan could be in there right now assisting and gathering anything Tsunade-sama might need. Instead Jiraiya-sama is performing her duties, and she is standing here with me keeping you out," added Obito harshly.
It seemed that Shikamaru understood what was being said, but Hinata wasn't going to let things be settled with just that. She rushed forward to try to push past the would be guards and was quickly pushed back by Obito.
"Don't you understand, the more you act like this the less chance he has of ever having a Shinobi career," snapped Obito as Hinata took a fighting stance. Obito looked to Shizune who nodded her head. Before anyone could blink Obito has vanished from sight.
Shikamaru and Hinata were looking for the cloaked man, but saw no sign of him anywhere. It wasn't until Shikamaru looked towards Hinata again that he noticed Obito appear behind her. Before he could shout a warning though the man had subdued the Hyuga and rendered her unconscious.
"Shizune get in there and I will take care of them," snapped Obito as he slung Hinata over his shoulder.
Tsunade
'Blood… So much blood,' thought Tsunade as she finally saw Naruto's prone form.
She had followed Jiraiya in knowing something was wrong with Naruto, but she could didn't get a good look at what had happened. Now that she could though all she could see was red.
"Damn it Tsunade now isn't the time," yelled Jiraiya as he tried to shake his old friend out of her fear induced state of shock.
He had hoped this wouldn't happen when he showed up. He had hoped that she had gotten over her phobia, but it seems after all this time she still held onto it. It was not what Naruto needed at the moment. He had lost far too much blood for Jiraiya's liking and any longer and it might not be possible to save the boy.
Just as he was about to yell at her again Shizune came rushing into the room. She froze at first when she saw Naruto and his severed arm, but then quickly snapped out of it and rushed to his side.
"How long as it been since the limb was severed," asked Shizune as her hand started to glow green.
"No more then fifteen minutes," answered Jiraiya solemnly as he looked at Tsunade shaking like a leaf in the wind. Shizune continued trying to stop the loss of blood, giving that a number one priority at the time. Once she got that under control she would be able to focus more on the arm.
"Tsunade, the boy you thought you lost years ago isn't far from actually dieing NOW! If you don't get off your ass and do something he may very well die right here in front of you," shouted Jiraiya as he stormed over to his teammate and started to shake her.
"NO," yelled the woman as she pushed him away and frantically backed away until she was backed into a corner.
"There's something going on here," declared Shizune as she starter to back away from Naruto who was starting to move.
"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh," screamed Naruto as he clutched his shoulder and sat up straight on the bed he had been placed on.
"This isn't good, his chakra is fluctuating wildly," yelled Shizune as Naruto started to scream louder.
"Not just that but I can feel Kyubi's chakra in all of this," added Jiraiya.
'I just hope the bastard is healing him like he has been. Then again maybe asking it to heal an entire limb is too much,' thought Jiraiya as he watched Naruto.
Tsunade sat on the ground watching Naruto writhe in pain. His cries were echoing through her mind as he rocked and flipped around on the bed. Images of her brother flashed before her eyes and superimposed themselves over Naruto.
Soon images of Shizune's uncle, Dan, started to race across her mind as she remembered him dieing as she worked on him. Seeing his bloody body once again caused her to hug herself and rock back and forth as tears started to flow down her cheeks.
"Damn you ERO-SENNIN," yelled Naruto as he started to grind his teeth to keep from screaming in pain.
As he did this though a strange light started to form around where Naruto's right arm should have been. At the same time a similar light started to encase his severed limb and slowly eat away at it. Naruto's will lost out as he let out a bone chilling scream as the light exploded and sent the two Sannin and the apprentice flying into the wall. Seconds later a loud crash could be heard, and was soon followed by a pained grunt.
"That's for making me lose an arm you damn pervert," yelled Naruto. The light that had blinded everyone slowly started to clear up. Shizune was probably the first who could see again, and gasped at what she saw.
There stood Naruto with wisps of smoke circling around him as he clenched his fist and shook it at a hole in the wall. Through the hole Shizune could see Jiraiya crumbled over with an obviously broken jaw and straining to try to stand.
What really caused her to stare though was the fact that Naruto was clenching his right armor encased fist. A fist that by all means shouldn't have been there. Looking around she couldn't even see the arm that had been severed, but she could see several pock marks eaten out of the ground.
"N-Naruto," croaked Tsunade as she looked at him with his Alter activated for the very first time.
"Don't worry Baa-chan, nothing can keep me down," declared Naruto as he smiled at the blonde-haired woman. Tsunade just watched on and once again saw her loved ones superimpose themselves over Naruto.
'Arashi he is so much like you… Dan, Nawaki, are you watching him? Kanami-chan do you see your what kind of man your son has grown into,' thought Tsunade as Naruto moved to pummel Jiraiya.
Obito
Obito sat in a room with Hinata and Shikamaru. The former was busy glaring at the cloaked man as he played a game of cards with her dark-haired teammate.
"You need to trust me Hinata. You were being irrational back there and I did what I had to do to make sure Naruto survived," stated Obito as he shuffled the deck of cards.
Hinata just sat there as she tried to keep the tears from her eyes. She knew he was right, now. She had been acting foolish earlier and let her emotions get the best of her. She had been so worried about Naruto and trying to see him that she had stalled treatment for him because of her own childish whims.
"From now on when one of your Senseis says they know best, trust us," added Obito as he scowled at his cards from beneath his hood.
"How the hell do you keep on winning," asked the man as he threw his cards down and looked at Shikamaru evenly. The only answer he got was a yawn as the Nara stretched and leaned back.
"How about you bet another thirty and I might just tell you," added the boy finally with a barely concealed smirk.
"Fine," agreed Obito as he started to shuffle and deal again.
It was right about now that they felt the surge of chakra from the other side of the Palace, and then felt it drop suddenly. All three tensed slightly before finally relaxing as they each realized that there was little they could do from there. It wasn't really that they didn't want to check it out, but that they knew they would have to wait things out.
"Well you can count on a few things happening with these current events," muttered Obito as he lost another game to Shikamaru. The two Genin looked towards him and asked the question that was on their mind with a simple look.
"Well, you know that schedule I told you about before."
Shikamaru and Hinata both nodded their heads.
"With this happening, the bulk of Naruto's training with Jiraiya-sama is finished. That means that me and you won't be seeing any more of each other Shika-chan," answered Obito as he threw down his newest hand of cards.
"It isn't like I'm going to miss you or anything," muttered Shikamaru as he pulled his newest pile of money to him.
"You wound me with your harsh words," declared Obito dramatically as he grabbed where his heart would be and acted wounded.
"Just shut up and tell us already," snapped the Nara finally, having enough of the games that the man always seemed to enjoy.
"Fine," said Obito as he started to stand and reached towards the hood of his cloak.
Hinata and Shikamaru watched closely as the gloved hands reached up and started to remove his hood. The same hood that always seemed to defy gravity when he was running, jumping, or just playing around. The same hood that always seemed to hide every feature of his face, and only allowed tuffs of black hair to be seen.
The two things that stuck out to them when the hood was lowered wasn't his face. It wasn't his hair. Nor was it some scar. What stuck out to the two Genin was the right eye with a three Tomoe Sharingan and the black eye patch that covered his left eye.
Naruto
The rest of the time spent in the Capital flew by for the three members of Team 10. True to what Obito said, they continued training for one more week after that night. With the exception of the day Naruto spent being poked and prodded by Shizune and Tsunade as they scanned his newly regenerated right arm. Jiraiya also spent some time checking the seal on Naruto to make sure everything was indeed fine.
After that Jiraiya had spent the remainder of their time in the capital under the tender care of the local hospital once Tsunade finally came to terms what had happened to Naruto. After sending the Gama-Sannin to the hospital, she spent her days and nights tucked away in dark secluded corners trying to drown her sorrows in liquor. She hardly slept due to a reoccurring nightmare of watching Naruto die right there in her arms, and she did nothing to help save him.
Shizune and Obito took charge of the training of the three Genin due to the two Sennin being preoccupied.
When Naruto was asked late at night what he had done for training with Obito, he would never say. He kept those events a closely guarded secret, one that would probably never be revealed until he had to complete his mission.
Hinata had spent more time training with Shizune, and when she could, she tried to catch up with Naruto. She was appalled at the training regime used by Jiraiya, and wasn't sure which one of them she should beat the crap out of him for. From placing Naruto in a situation where he could have drowned, or where he constantly fought for his life against multiple enemies who were obviously not pulling any punches.
Despite that though the pay off from that training was easily seen with the way he carried himself. He once again stood straighter, and this time he held himself in a way that said he knew what he was doing. To a trained Shinobi it would be a look that said mess with me at your own risk.
Her training hadn't been for anything either though, as Naruto pointed out. A number of young Kunoichi started off their career thinking they needed to diet to lose weight. The more realistic ones knew that regular training would more then take care of whatever weight problem they might have had. This was shown in Hinata when she decided to walk around without her original baggy jacket on.
Her slim petite frame offered her a great deal of flexibility, agility, and speed. A deadly combination for a Kunoichi, a Hyuga, and a person dabbling in the arts of poison. Thanks to the training she had undergone, she could now kick you from just about any angle, and would be able to kick you in any part of the body. Should you try to sneak up on her, you would likely find a very unwelcome surprise waiting for you.
Shikamaru's body too had filled out more due to his training. Instead of the slightly chunky boy, you now had a more muscular Nara. It wasn't over exaggerated, but for him it was a big improvement. For any Genin their age it might have been considered a great physique to have. Most of the baby fat that had been on him was worked out and allowed his more defined features to become noticeable.
Had anyone from Konoha saw him, they would probably mistake him as his father, without the scar.
Together the three probably made up one of the fittest teams of their age group, which was saying something since they were fresh Genin who had worked themselves to the bone since Graduation.
Right now they were standing with Jiraiya, Shizune, Tsunade, and Obito. All of them were waiting for the Daimyo's travel party to gather so that they could disembark for Konoha.
"I can't wait to get back home," said Naruto happily as he tried to blow some hair out of his face.
It annoyed him to no end that Jiraiya would never let him cut his hair. After seeing the reason why though, he was more then glad to let it grow out some to make it a better weapon.
"Just wait a few more minutes brat. You can't rush the Daimyo of the country you serve," pointed out Jiraiya as he tried to keep from tapping his foot impatiently.
He may know that you can't rush a Daimyo, but it didn't change the fact that he was used to moving around when he wanted to move. After living with the freedom he was used to enjoying, it made it hard to try to look regal and diplomatic.
'Hehe, I guess I can't blame the kid though. He was never exposed to this type of event, so this is probably killing him,' mused Jiraiya as he watched Naruto start to bounce on the balls of his feet.
After another thirty minutes a carriage finally arrived with several dark clothed figures with their faces covered. With a nod from the one driving the carriage, an order was yelled out throughout the line and the procession finally started to make its way down from the mountaintop.
The Daimyo's group was two days into their trip when the head of the Daimyo's guard called for Naruto, Shikamaru, and Hinata. When they had arrived at the tent they were surprised to see Ayame and Rikimaru inside waiting for them.
"Good, I think its about time you three started to earn your keep," stated Rikimaru as he nodded to Ayame, who closed the flap to the tent.
"You three will be acting as our scouts, and first line of defense should you happen upon any unsightly fellows. Should you come across anyone or anything that may cause trouble, you are to dispose of it and be sure to keep all that transpired there a secret. Cover up anything you do so that no signs are left behind," ordered Rikimaru as he moved to the other side of the tent and pulled out several packs.
Ayame met him halfway and took the packs off his hands and handed them to each of the Genin.
"These packs are your supplies that you would normally have for such a mission. You will find everything in there is authentic, and all of your original equipment, straight from your house," answered Ayame as the three looked at the packs strangely.
"Well you have your mission. You have five minutes to get ready and head out. You will stay out on patrol until someone relieves you or you come across something too big for you to handle," finished the Azuma Shinobi before turning away from them and heading to a table in the middle of the tent.
Ayame waited until the Genin were out of the tent before she turned to look at the man who had raised her. She could understand the need for the scouting party, but why send three rookies out when there were reports of enemy movements?
"Rikimaru, I know we need this, but don't you think that you should have sent at least Jiraiya-sama with them? At least you could have sent Obito with them," asked Ayame as she moved to stand beside the one-eyed man.
Rikimaru didn't say anything as he carefully observed a map lying on the table. Mark on it was the Daimyo's party, and two other such marks were shown coming in from the southwest of Konoha, and another from the northwest of Konoha. The one from the southwest was colored in a light green, and the one from the northwest a dark brown.
"I believe it was needed Ayame. They are trained for this sort of situation, and should be able to handle themselves. Do not think I've sent them to their death, since Jiraiya-sama will be shadowing them just in case they come across something they can't handle," answered Rikimaru finally.
"The Kazekage's caravan and the Tsuchikage's caravan are to the north and south of us at the moment. Should we continue on schedule though we should all arrive in Konoha about the same time," added Rikimaru off hand as he continued observing the map. Ayame's eyes flew open though at the news of the Tsuchikage's party being near by.
She knew of Naruto's history and the events that surrounded it. She also knew of the anger and hate that Naruto seemed to harbor towards that country for what it had caused.
"You did this on purpose! You want the Tsuchikage to see him don't you," questioned Ayame, trying to restrain her anger.
"And if I did."
Ayame glared at the man's back and tried to fight the urge to kill him that was slowly rising. Should the Tsuchikage or any older Iwa Shinobi ever see Naruto there would be no mistake of who he was.
"You may have just sent him to his death," snapped Ayame finally as she spun the older man around, only to stop when she saw the seriousness in his eyes.
"No, they won't kill him, but it will make them think twice about their plans. I think it is time you heard more about the reasons for Naruto and his team coming to train with us Ayame. Shortly before they were sent to us, someone in Jiraiya's spy network came about information of an invasion. This invasion was going to be done by three different villages," answered Rikimaru finally as he continued to lock eyes with his friend.
Ayame was somewhat stunned at the news. She normally handled any information that came into the capital, and had never seen any such intelligence come in. At the same time though her anger was rising for not being told of this sooner, and only now being told on the dawn of what might be one of the greatest attacks on Konoha since the Shinobi Wars and Kyubi.
"Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Otogakure. Those three villages are going to attack Konoha. Otogakure will be leading the attack with Orochimaru in the lead. Their plan is to completely level Konoha, and all of those who stand in their way. Had it been but two villages the likely hood of success would have been slim. With three villages though and Orochimaru feeding the information to them things become somewhat grimmer," continued Rikimaru as he saw Ayame's building emotions.
"Then why send Naruto and his team out there when Iwa would do anything to kill him! They've already removed their disguises, so he would be easily recognized and probably hunted down to the ends of the Earth."
"Perhaps Ayame, but should he do as I believe he will, he could also cause the Shinobi of Iwa to falter. Even if he is revealed to them now, it will have an impact of the forces of Iwa. The blood of the one they feared is still present in Konoha, and has more then a few bones to pick with them. I don't think he can take on their entire army, but should push come to shove he would fight them to the death," stated Rikimaru before he turned away from Ayame and started to exit the tent.
Ayame clenched her teeth at the dismissal she was being given, and knew she wouldn't get anything else out of the man now. He had moved into complete Shinobi mode, and questioning anything right now would not turn up any new information. It was the same way he got every time he focused on an objective.
"Damn you Rikimaru."
A/n:
It's been a while, and again sorry about that. I had hoped to have this out before New Year's, and obviously things didn't go the way I planned. I have a nasty habit of letting life get in the way
Think of Soifon/ Yoruichi from Bleach for the way Hinata's new clothes look like. I suck at describing clothes, so this is the best I can do for you atm.
I changed the way I was going to handle the Chunin exams somewhat, and decided on taking somewhat of a different approach. I won't be covering what happened in Konoha during the time Team 10 was absent. The most I will do is flashbacks, or have characters reflect on events that occurred.