Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did I'd be a rich bastard with millions of fans.
Chapter 10: Scary and Snakes
Sasuke smirked as the gathered shinobi all turned and glared at him. He could see the signs of frayed nerves on many of their faces. He also saw flickers of worry in the eyes of several of the gathered crowd as they took in the appearance of Sasuke and his team. Naruto's plan was already working flawlessly. Let the fools wonder what they could do. Despite their young ages, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura all cut an intimidating appearance in their dark outfits and with black and gold snakes across their shoulders.
"Sasuke-kun!!" Sasuke mentally groaned as a blond-haired purple-clad girl rushed towards him.
Ino Yamanaka very nearly glomped Sasuke; the Uchiha heir was only saved from the ignominious assault by the sudden hissing of the snake upon his arm as it uncoiled it self, raising its head to glare at Ino.
"EEK!!" The blond girl cried out as she skidded to a stop, fear in her eyes.
Over a year training under Anko had left the blond girl quite terrified of snakes. Anko had a very…peculiar method of encouragement during training.
"I'd advise you to watch your actions, Ino-san, and behave appropriately. We are no longer students at the Academy, we are soldiers of Konoha and I must insist that you remember that." Sasuke spoke calmly and coldly, fighting to keep his real disgust at nearly being glomped by a rabid fan girl from appearing. It was necessary to their illusion that no one suspects it was faked.
As Ino sputtered about how she 'loved Sasuke though' Sasuke turned and walked towards where there was an open corner of the room and leant against the wall with his arms cross, looking out over the gathered Chunin-hopefuls. Naruto and Sakura took up flanking positions, Sakura crossing her arms under her chest and Naruto stroking the head of the large snake wrapped around his arms and body. Lachesis hissed in pleasure, startling a trio of Kusa shinobi standing nearby. Naruto ignored the worried looks on their faces and continued to stroke his partner, his gaze cast out through his sunglasses over all the gathered ninja.
They remained in this position as the final Konoha teams arrived, and watched as an older Konoha shinobi approached the other rookie genin and offered to give them advice on the exam. Naruto observed the silver-haired young man closely for a few moments before making a decision. Carefully, so as not to alert any of the other shinobi, Naruto began to channel chakra through the special heat sensitive pits hidden on his face and let his tongue flick out, tasting the air. He focused all of his attention on the young man, and barely managed to restrain a loud hiss as he scented something foul on the man.
Lachesis, sensing her partner's discomfort, tasted the air as well. It took the deadly snake mere moments to pinpoint what was disturbing Naruto. From nine separate points around the room there were varying degrees of a scent emanating, one that their instincts recognized and that immediately set them on edge. Moving slowly, so as to not draw attention, Naruto slid one hand onto Sasuke's arm and began to tap out a message in the simplistic contact-code they had developed.
Orochimaru-taint scented. Nine targets. Be on guard.
Sasuke showed no sign on reaction on his face, merely uncrossing his arms and carefully conveying the message to Sakura as well. The pink-haired girl narrowed her eyes behind her sunglasses, but otherwise showed no sign that anything was wrong.
Just then the trio spotted a trio of Otogakure shinobi moving towards the silver-haired genin's back, seemingly intent on causing him bodily harm. None of the members of Team 7 moved, although Naruto and Lachesis both scented and then hissed slightly. Whatever was going on, it didn't make sense. The three approaching all carried the Orochimaru-taint scent, but it was much fresher than the silver-haired genin's. Did that mean that the silver-haired genin was a traitor of Orochimaru's who had fled? Or just a deep-cover spy?
Naruto personally figured it was the latter. No way a traitor of Orochimaru would be allowed to just hide in Konoha, or stupid enough to do so without giving information to ANBU.
As they watched the three attacked the young man, the large bandaged man using a haymaker swing that the silver-haired man initially seemed to dodge, before collapsing and spitting up blood. Naruto's eyes widened behind his sunglasses.
He never even hit him?!
He must be using some sort of energy to strike at a distance. Given there was no heat flare from a chakra release, I'm willing to bet that it likely utilized sound in some manner.
Naruto nodded slightly, acknowledging receipt of Kyuubi's theory.
Their fellow Konoha rookies and the three Otogakure shinobi appeared to be about to go to blows when there was a massive flare of smoke around the edge of the room that resolved itself into a very intimidating looking man who Naruto recognized as Morino Ibiki, the head of the Torture and Interrogation division, and about twenty Chunin exam proctors. After warning that any more fighting would result in the immediate ejection of the teams involved from the exams the intimidating man indicated for everyone to take a number and find their seat.
Ten minutes later everyone was seated and several of the Chunin proctors were passing out the exam forms as Ibiki explained the rules. Naruto listened with one ear while the rest of his attention was focused on the room around him, seeking to analyze any and all possible threats. He was seated between one of his old classmates, Hyuuga Hinata, and a very nervous looking Iwa-nin who kept shooting worried glances at the large snake that continued to slowly slither around Naruto's body. Lachesis had gotten antsy at so many sources of taint-scent in the room, so Naruto had allowed her to slowly begin sliding around his body as she searched to identify all nine sources.
The fact that the moving snake unnerved those near him was a bonus.
"The exam will last one hour. BEGIN!!" Ibiki's voice rang out across the room.
Naruto grinned and flipped over his paper, scanning the questions quickly. He would be the first to admit that book smarts weren't always his thing, but when push came to shove he acquitted him self admirably. He was just an active person, and much more suited to physical knowledge. Several of the questions on the page before him he didn't have the first clue how to solve, so he just shrugged and indicated with a small gesture of his fingers for Lachesis to see which question's he would need her to look out for the answers for.
The others he set to work answering immediately. In next to no time at all he had half the questions completed, and Lachesis was hissing to indicate that she had answers for him. Grinning faintly Naruto leant back with his hands resting behind his head and closed his eyes. The position also moved Lachesis so that her head was right next to his ear, and she quietly began relaying the answers to him. Naruto's smile deepened when Lachesis informed him that she had been able to see Sakura's paper form where she was.
Meanwhile, Naruto's two teammates were going about the exam in different ways. Sakura was simply answering all the questions, her penchant for bookwork and knowledge becoming a major aid here. Sasuke on the other hand, like Naruto, had always been more focused on the active aspects of being a shinobi, not the book work. So he, again like Naruto, needed to cheat just a little to complete his exam. Of course, in his case, he had a major advantage. Sasuke just used his Sharingan from the get go to copy Sakura's movements, trusting that his pink-haired teammate would know all the answers.
Fifty minutes into the exam Ibiki told everyone to put their pencils down and began to speak again. Most of the shinobi in the room had their attention glued to the man, although again Naruto split his attention between focusing on the man before him and searching for threats in the room. He had narrowed down two of the unknown scents to a pair of Konoha genin who were most likely the silver-haired man's teammates, as well as narrowing down what appeared to be the most intense source of the smell to a Kusa-nin. He still couldn't track down the other two sources, but he was willing to bet dollars to yen it was the teammates of the strange Kusa-nin.
Naruto absentmindedly noted when the black-clad Suna-nin returned from using the restroom and Ibiki called him out on having used a Henge on a puppet to secretly get the answers to the exam, as well as when the blond Suna-kunoichi shouted out in confusion when Ibiki mentioned that they would have a choice of whether to take the final question on the exam or not. Naruto's ears perked up and he turned his attention fully to Ibiki as the man became serious and explained that those who answer the tenth question incorrectly would never be allowed to make Chunin.
Naruto's mind instantly began to race. Was this how the exams were always run? No, because even if it was enforced for the hosting village's shinobi, no way the other villages would abide by such a rule. Had the council gotten this rule put in place because Naruto was taking the exam? No, because the exam was a cross-village event the Konoha council had no say on its content. So…
It must be a trick question, just like this entire exam. I caught at least twenty people cheating, beyond those expelled from the exam for being caught, so this exam obviously has an ulterior motive. He must be testing our resolve and dedication.
Naruto grinned and through a subtle set of hand signs signaled for both Sakura and Sasuke to stay put. His teammates, who were both worried, trusted Naruto's judgment and remained calmly staring forward with their hands clasped before them.
Slowly teams bowed out one by one as various shinobi wimped out and left the room depressed. Finally, when it was clear that no other teams were going to leave, Ibiki stepped forward once again and began to speak.
"To the 48 who remain…I congratulate you on passing the first test!!!" Ibiki said loudly.
The tall man paused and let his announcement sink in for a moment. Naruto snorted and leant back in his seat, closing his eyes and meditating.
The bastard was playing us all along. Well played, Ibiki. Well played indeed.
Heh, the bastard performed a trick worthy of a kitsune. You could learn a thing or two from him, Kit.
Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Kyuubi. I'm gonna take a nap now. Wake me if he says anything interesting.
Naruto disappeared into his center and began to channel his mental energies, reinforcing his connection with Nature and his partner Lachesis. He was only peripherally aware as various questions were shot at Ibiki, and of the gasps from around the room as Ibiki removed his head wrap to reveal his scarred head. He listened as the man explained the true purpose behind the first exam, and behind the tenth question. He was about to tune everything out completely when he felt a presence approaching at an extremely rapid pace; a very familiar presence.
There was a loud crash and a black figure barreled through the shattered window into the room just in front of Ibiki. Four kunai shot out and pulled the black cloth open into a large banner, revealing a woman grinning sadistically with her hands on her hips.
Six of the gathered genin all groaned and dropped their heads into their hands in perfect synchronization.
Emblazoned on the banner was the following: Mitarashi Anko, Beautiful, Badass, and Single.
Anko stood before the remaining genin resplendent in a black mesh bodysuit, black mini-skirt, and black trench coat. Even though no one could see the back of the coat, Naruto and the others who groaned knew that it displayed the Namikaze family crest on the back, surrounded by a pair of gold and black snakes.
As Anko began to introduce her self Naruto continued to groan and mutter to him self.
"No wonder she was so excited about this exam. She gets to torture ALL of us for a change."
Just because Naruto had spent the past seven years with Anko as his mother didn't mean that he lacked a healthy fear of the snake Jounin.
July 2nd, Thirteen Years After the Day of the Kyuubi…
Early the next morning the members of Team 7 stood at one end of the field that the second part of the Chunin exam was to begin from and shivered slightly in the bracing morning breeze. Well, Sakura and Sasuke shivered. Naruto on the other hand practically glowed with internal heat while the three snakes that would normally be draped across their bodies curled inside their clothes for warmth. No sense in the snakes being used to intimidate their competition if they were going to be too cold to be of any use in the forest.
The trio was lounging in the sunny end of the field, watching as the proctors of the exam set up a pair of booths with a curtain that could be slid over to obscure the tables inside the booths. They weren't the only team who had arrived early either. They saw a team from Kirigakure eyeing them suspiciously from another corner of the field, and a team of blond Kusa genin stood in another corner with their arms spread and their faces turned towards the sun. Naruto could almost swear that they were absorbing energy from the rising sun, something that he had to admit was entirely possible given his understanding of the workings of Nature.
The trio remained quiet in their corner of the field as the sun continued to rise, watching with narrowed eyes as the remaining thirteen teams slowly filed in. They all took note of Teams 10 and 8 gathering near the middle of the field and the way Ino kept looking nervously over her shoulder as if she expected Anko to appear at any moment, a possibility that Naruto had to silently admit was more than likely. They also noted as Uchiha Katsumi dragged her teammates over to join the other rookies. All three let out a breath they hadn't been aware they had been holding. Katsumi had seemingly given up her pursuit of Naruto in recent months, but the manipulative Uchiha heir-apparent still set them on edge, the irony of this being that, unbeknownst to them, Katsumi found their strange military-strict behavior even creepier.
Finally all of the teams had arrived and were milling about. Here and there teams were interacting with friendlies from their own village, or eying opponents from foreign villages with distrust. Naruto was keeping a surreptitious eye on the nine he had pegged as bearing Orochimaru-taint and was calculating possible methods of disabling them all when a swirl of wind and leaves announced the arrival of the Head Examiner for the Second Test, and his mother, Mitarashi Anko.
"Welcome to the stage for the Second Test, maggots. Practice Area 44, known as the "Forest of Death"." Anko spoke loudly and with purpose, not quite successfully concealing the sadistic grin that was attempting to plaster itself on her face. "You'll soon find out why it's called the "Forest of Death".
Everything was silent in the clearing before Naruto heard the brash Kiba shout out loudly, accompanied by a supportive bark from his companion Akamaru.
"You think that's going to scare me?!"
Anko chuckled and Naruto resisted the urge to rub his forehead.
"Please mom…not now…" He muttered quietly to him self.
Before anyone could blink a kunai had shot through the air and sliced Kiba's cheek. A second later Anko was standing behind the bewildered boy and licking the line of dripping blood off his cheek. She was about to make a typically Anko remark when she sensed a presence behind her and drew a kunai, preparing to defend her self. Across the field Naruto was tensed and ready to leap into action.
Standing behind Anko was the creepy Kusa-genin who Naruto had sensed the strongest Orochimaru-tain from. The man was now officially even creepier as his tongue was extended a full two feet out of his mouth and had the kunai that Anko had thrown gripped in it.
"Here's…your kunai…" He said in a creepy voice.
"Why thank you." Anko replied as she took the proferred kunai and stepped back from the pair. "But you know, it isn't wise to sneak up behind me if you want to live."
The creepy Kusa-genin chuckled as he turned away. "I just get excited when I see red blood…plus you cut my precious hair, I couldn't help it…"
Naruto's eyes narrowed and silently he motioned for Lachesis to focus on the creep as well. No one noticed Naruto's eyes turning slitted and green behind his sunglasses as he channeled his chakra silently.
It took all his willpower not to let out a momentous 'Fuck!' at what his heat-vision revealed there. Lachesis was equally not amused.
Silently Naruto used a pair of hand signs to warn his teammates of what he was about to do. Nodding in understanding the two stepped forward and shielded Naruto from view as he stepped behind his taller teammates. As soon as he was out of sight of everyone on the field Naruto performed a small cross-shaped seal. There was a near imperceptible puff of smoke and for a brief moment there were two Naruto's standing behind his teammates. Without any preamble the second Naruto performed a hand seal and vanished in another small puff of smoke, taking on the form of a small black and gold snake. Silently the bunshin slithered off into the woods around the field to surreptitiously make its way to the examiners tent.
As Naruto stepped back around his teammates he answered their questioning looks with a single finger brought to his lips.
"I'll explain later. Just be on guard."
Sakura and Sasuke nodded as Naruto took his spot flanking the Uchiha.
Ten minutes later, after Anko had explained the rules of the second exam and the geography of the "Forest of Death" to the gathered teams, Naruto and Sakura flanked Sasuke with military precision as they entered the covered booth to turn in their forms in exchange for one of the scrolls. As Sasuke received the Heaven scroll Naruto smirked as he realized that once his hidden snake clone was dispelled after delivering its message it would serve the added benefit of being able to inform him of which teams had received which scrolls. It would save them time they could spend getting to the tower if they could avoid teams that also carried the Heaven scroll.
As they exited the booth and were escorted towards their gate by one of the Chunin proctors Naruto caught his mother's eye and shared a long look with her. After several moments of silence Anko nodded and her sadistic grin returned to her face.
Thirty minutes later, all of the teams having been dispersed to their gates and the exam having begun thanks to her announcement, Mitarashi Anko ducked inside the examiner's booth and let out a soft whistle. As if it had been waiting for it, which it had in fact been doing, a small black and gold snake slithered out of the canopy and dropped onto Anko's waiting arm.
"Naruto thinks that Orochimaru has infiltrated agents into the exam, including one with suspiciously snake-like abilities. Lachesis plans to scatter bunshin throughout the forest to keep track of these agents. Number of identified agents is nine. The Otogakure team, the Konoha team with the silver-haired medic-nin named Kabuto, and the Suna team with the creepy guy with the long tongue. Advice ANBU to be on the lookout for other agents."
Anko nodded, and the snake dispelled itself. Mitarashi Anko straightened and then took a deep breath before calling one of the hidden ANBU to her side.
"I have a report that the S-rank missing-nin Orochimaru may have infiltrated agents into this exam. Alert the ANBU forces and begin a sweep of the village and the surrounding forest. I also want at least six ANBU squads on hand around the forest ready to enter at the first sign of trouble."
The silent ANBU nodded before vanishing in a leaf shunshin. All around the field hidden ANBU members followed his lead and took off, heading towards various ANBU patrols to pass on the orders.
Silently, Anko prayed that her little gaki would be all right.
Anko needn't have bothered, as less than an hour into the forest her 'little gaki' and his teammates were standing in a small clearing next to a stream. Outwardly they looked like they were merely looking at a map and trying to decide which direction to head in search of a team. Inwardly they were all laughing at the stupidity of the Amegakure nin who was hiding in the trees above them. Unless they had swapped the scroll around since the booth Naruto knew full well that he was carrying an Earth scroll.
"Ok, so the tower is this direction, but if we head straight there we are unlikely to encounter many other teams. It would be better if we headed towards it in a spiral, thus making it more likely that we will encounter our opponents." Sasuke was speaking in a monotone, Sakura and Naruto nodding in agreement.
In the trees above the masked Ame-genin was preparing to form some Mizu-bunshins and then use the cover of a Kirigakure no jutsu to drop in on his opponents. Silently the bunshins crept down the trees, until the three unsuspecting children were surrounded. He grinned behind his mask as the three failed to notice the mist forming as he silently performed Kirigakure no Jutsu.
Silently the bunshins approached until they were in position. As the three genin looked up in confusion as they finally noticed the mist the bunshins struck with lethal efficiency. Too bad for them their targets went up in puffs of smoke the moment their attacks struck.
High in the tree still the Ame-genin's eyes widened in surprise at how effortlessly he had been tricked into what must have been a trap all along.
"Thanksss for the cover." An eerie voice hissed behind his ear just before he felt the sharp pain of a kunai severing his spinal column just below his skull.
The Ame-genin fell limply from the tree only to be caught a few feet below by Sasuke, who carried him safely to the ground. All of his Mizu-bunshin had collapsed the moment his chakra coils and nerves had been cut, destroying his control over them. The Ame-genin stared up in fear as the mists began to clear and the cold eyes of his captors glared down at him. As the blond one stepped forward and crouched over his prone body his eyes widened in fear at what they beheld.
Over the tops of Naruto's black sunglasses the man could see his eyes, the eyes of a demon. Naruto's eyes were slitted and green, with flames seeming to flicker along the edges.
"Now, you're going to tell us everything you know about your teammates."
The Ame-nin managed to get out one question in spite of his fear.
"And what if I don't?"
Naruto only chuckled and leant back up.
"Oh, I don't think you understand. This isn't a matter of whether or not you are willing." He said as he stepped aside, allowing Sasuke to approach and crouch before the prone Ame-nin, his Sharingan eyes whirling and his hands blurring through a series of hand seals. "I'm telling you that you will tell us everything that you know about your teammates."
As Sasuke finished his hand seals and the genjutsu enfolded the poor Ame-genin the poor man felt an odd-double prick on his arm. Looking down to see what had caused it just before the genjutsu claimed him, the man saw a black and gold snake with its fangs embedded in his arm. He tried to scream, but found that he no longer had a voice to scream with.
Ten minutes later the members of Team 7 were dusting them selves off and tucking an Earth scroll into their packs. On the ground behind them lay the dead and dissolving body of the Ame-genin. The man hadn't lasted long enough to tell them everything, but they had been able to discover that one of his teammates was a genjutsu specialist, and that another specialized in using acid-based techniques.
Unfortunately, this being the first opportunity that Naruto had had to test the new venom Lachesis had developed, he had underestimated the lethality and the speed at which the compound would kill the target. He would not make the mistake of using too much the next time, particularly since the portion of the venom that acted like a psychotropic drug and forced the target to answer any question put to them was far more efficacious than anyone could have predicted.
Now, if he and Lachesis could just isolate that one compound from the rest, he would have the perfect interrogation tool. Combined with Sasuke's Makyou Akumu Bun'ya, it would be near unbeatable.
Leaving the body of the Ame-nin to dissolve under the effects of the venom Team 7 leapt off into the forest, making a beeline for the tower. Periodically Naruto would grunt and use hand signals to pass along information to his teammates as the various snake clones he had scattered around the forest were dispelled.
Some had merely run afoul of native wildlife, bringing with them warnings of colonies of forest leeches and packs of wild tigers. Others had gotten too close to the shinobi they were tracking and had been detected. Naruto had grinned as one brought him memories of the team of blond Kusa-genin cursing up a storm when they had realized that the snake was following him. It pleased him to no end to see these older genin teams had failed to see "underneath the underneath" and see through his team's ploy. Given the way the one girl had shied away from the snake rather than attacking it the trio would likely be easy prey if they encountered them along the way.
Then there were the memories of the one that had died after watching the Suna team utterly slaughter a team from Amegakure. It didn't bring Naruto any information on either of Gaara's teammates, but it had revealed clearly how the red-haired vessel of Shukaku was able to manipulate sand to fight, and his desire for blood. Despite even his own sadistic side it caused Naruto to shudder a little. This boy, who could very well represent what he might have become had Anko not taken him in and shown him love, unnerved him. Naruto made a mental note not to underestimate Gaara.
Maybe I'll have a chance to have a talk with him. If he's anything like me, then all he needs is to be shown love and friendship and he'll even out.
From his behavior it might be more serious than that. We might need to learn something about sealing jutsus from the old man.
Naruto frowned.
You may be right, Kyuubi, you may indeed.
A faint hiss in the back of his mind informed him that Lachesis agreed with Kyuubi's assessment.
Silently the trio moved on, unaware that a freight train of trouble was heading straight for them.
Elsewhere in the forest two Kusa-nin lay dying, having underestimated their respective targets. One had been skewered like a shish-ka-bob by TenTen after Rock Lee and Hyuuga Neji had utterly pummeled him into the dirt. The other had become caught in a powerful genjutsu courtesy of Uchiha Kazumi, leaving him vulnerable to a disabling blow from Hyuuga Hinata. A quick Gatsuuga later and the man wouldn't be getting up any time soon. Unfortunately, neither had a scroll, so the genin tied them up and left them in traps that would kill them if they tried to escape.
The third member of the team however was busy hunting down a mysterious boy who intrigued him to no end. His spies had reported that the child was teamed with an Uchiha, and had been adopted by his old apprentice Anko. The fact that the boy reputedly used snakes to fight made him even more interesting. Orochimaru had decided that he would investigate this child and test him. If he disappointed him, he would die a horrible death in the middle of the forest. If he impressed him, then Orochimaru would leave his mark on the boy, corrupting his mind until the child sought him out for power.
He found his targets approximately two hours into the exam as they made their way on a relatively direct route towards the tower. He was about to manipulate a way to knock one of the trio away when they stopped for a quick break. He paused to figure out what they were up to, but suddenly a trio of long black snakes struck up from the forest below, their fangs missing him by mere millimeters. Orochimaru spun and the three bunshins were dispelled.
Orochimaru's eyes opened wide.
The kid is using bunshins in the shape of snakes? Kukukuku, this is impressive already.
"Come on out, you serpent bastard." Naruto's voice broke through his reverie. "I can smell his taint on you."
Orochimaru's eyes widened again for the second time in as many minutes. This brat could smell his touch on people? Suddenly the usefulness of keeping the brat alive was becoming less evident to the snake Sannin.
When Orochimaru didn't immediately appear Naruto frowned and then narrowed his eyes. Behind his sunglasses they took on a slitted-green appearance as he scanned the forest. Within moments he found three giant snakes hiding just at the edge of his perception and three identical humanoid figures. No, not identical. Two of them were several degrees colder than the first. Naruto grinned and turned to face one of the two that were obviously bunshins of some sort.
"There you are." Naruto said as he pointed.
Surprising even Orochimaru a large black and gold snake leapt forth from Naruto's sleeve with such force that it speared between the branches of the trees and bit into the bunshin before it could react. The bunshin held its solidity for a few seconds before dissolving into a pile of mud.
Naruto chuckled.
"Or rather, there is one of your bunshins. Only two of you left, even odds I get the right one on the first try." Naruto said with a confidence he wasn't feeling. The more he smelt the strange Kusa-genin, the more his suspicions mounted. The taint-scent was just too strong for this to be a simple spy.
"Kukukuku, quite impressive ability boy, to be able to pinpoint all of my bunshins without possessing an advanced bloodline." Orochimaru said as he revealed him self. Or rather, as his bunshin revealed itself. Naruto had calculated things specifically to trick the strange shinobi into believing that he couldn't tell the difference between his bunshins and the real thing.
Naruto cocked his head slightly and mock grinned, all the while signaling for his teammates to prepare for an attack.
"Hardly. His taint on you his just too strong for you to possibly hide it from me." He replied.
"Kukukuku, and just who's taint is it that you smell on me, little boy?" Orochimaru asked as he approached the trio, preparing to unleash his killing intent to disable them.
Naruto chuckled.
"Orochimaru of the Sannin." Naruto opened his eyes and narrowed them further. "But it's not simply his taint that I smell, is it?"
Naruto chuckled again as he stood upright, bringing his hands together in a familiar cross-shaped seal in front of him.
"No, it's much more than that, isn't it? OROCHIMARU!!!" The snake sannin dodged to the side just in time to dodge the massive snake that dropped out of the trees above, shattering the branch he had been on. The snake swung its head around and struck repeatedly at the snake sannin.
Naruto frowned as he watched. The bastard was better than this, and he knew it.
"Damn." He muttered quietly to his friends and teammates. "It really is the bastard, in the flesh. He's just playing with us guys. We don't stand a chance unless we get out of here."
Naruto watched the bunshin's path and with a quick hand signal directed Sasuke to utilize a fire attack to provide cover for the swap out. As he was preparing to exhale Naruto performed another hand seal and the two snakes draped across his teammate's shoulders slithered off and vanished in puffs of smoke, replaced by larger versions of them selves.
Sasuke's attack had successfully caught the bunshin off guard, but as they watched the figure sloughed off its skin, revealing a pale man with long oily skin and slitted-green eyes.
"Kukukuku, you are more impressive than I expected."
"Quit with the games, old man." Naruto shouted back, emphasizing the old part. "I know that's just another bunshin. Why don't you bring your ass out of hiding and finish this. Either that or leave us the fuck alone."
Orochimaru's eyes again widened with the realization that the kid could tell the difference between him and his bunshins. But they were perfect, there should have been no way to tell them apart. Almost as if he could read the old bastard's mind Naruto spoke up again.
"Your bunshins aren't quite as perfect as you like to think. Now either make your move or let us continue on. I'm getting impatient being kept waiting here." Naruto spoke with more confidence and arrogance than he really felt, but he was dealing with a superior opponent, and their only real hope was to earn some modicum of respect from the bastard, and Naruto knew from his lessons with Anko that Orochimaru's major flaw was that he would often let opponents live when they amused him.
"Kukukuku, very well then. You have impressed me, boy, much more than I expected. Originally I was simply going to kill you, but I have a much better thought in mind." The real Orochimaru said as he appeared behind the three tense genin.
Before any of them could react Orochimaru performed a series of hand seals and suddenly his neck extended until it was abnormally long, reaching out and biting Naruto on his neck. The surprise was turned around on Orochimaru when a black and gold snake struck out of Naruto's coat and bit the bastard on the neck as he was about to retreat. Orochimaru's neck retracted and he rubbed the spot where the bite had been.
"Hmmm, very sneaky, brat, but ultimately pointless. I am immune to all forms of snake venom. You on the other hand will one day seek me out for power. That is, if you survive my little gift."
Naruto's vision was beginning to blur as a fiery pain spread from his neck, but he retained consciousness to see Orochimaru's face suddenly pale. Naruto smirked to him self as the arrogant Sannin suddenly slipped from the branch onto the back of a snake, shuddering as the snake hurried to get him away.
And then all was black.
Sakura and Sasuke found a small cavern at the base of one of the nearby trees and got Naruto to it safely. Their teammate and friend was burning up, so while Sakura tended to him, using was medical knowledge she had, Sasuke worked with Lachesis and some of her snake bunshins to set up traps surrounding the clearing. They would at the very least provide warning of any approaching enemies.
The trio of friend, girlfriend, and partner took turns watching over the boy during the night, so that they were all relatively rested when a small squirrel nearly set off one of the traps early the next morning. Sakura barely stopped it by tossing a kunai in front of it, but she and Sasuke were both so much on edge that neither noticed the exploding tag strapped to its back as it ran away. When a kunai flew out of the forest and triggered the trap anyways a moment later Sasuke and Sakura were both fully alert, both wishing that Naruto had regained consciousness for different reasons.
It was a long time before Naruto knew anything again. When he came to it was to find him self fully within the confines of his own mind. He sat upon his usual rock, the one thing about the jungle that was immutable, imperturbable, and as he sat up he became aware of his surroundings. He was not pleased.
Filling the clearing around him were nearly a thousand copies of Orochimaru, each one futilely throwing them selves at a dome of glowing golden energy that surrounded him. As his awareness became clearer he took note of the four furry red pillars that seemed to be surrounding him and a dull growling noise that seemed to permeate the air above him. Looking up Naruto beheld the crouched figure of the Kyuubi standing above him, growling and lashing out periodically, destroying an Orochimaru here with a swipe of its paw, another there with a smash of his tail.
As Naruto became fully aware of his surroundings he noted a hissing undertone to the growl, and looking down he found Lachesis circling the rock, striking out periodically to destroy various copies of Orochimaru. Naruto stood and stretched.
"So just what in Kami's name is going on?" He asked as he finished his stretches, causing both Lachesis and Kyuubi to turn their heads to look at him.
"That bite that Orochimaru gave you was some sort of biologically based seal. It was apparently intended to not only take corrupt your mind, but to also take control of your chakra. I personally have no desire for my vessel to be under the influence of anyone but myself so I have been assisting your snake in fighting them off." Kyuubi chuckled. "Not that she needed it. That serpent of yours had already consumed most of the representations of Orochimaru by the time I managed to fight my way through them to you. Now all we have to do is destroy the remaining ones and burn that seal off. I've been using my chakra to fight it, but it will take an intense focus of will by you to destroy it for good."
Naruto looked out over the see of identical faces and grinned.
"So basically, I need to bash face and take some names?" He said as he cracked his knuckles. He could hear the Kyuubi groan above him.
"In a word, yes."
Naruto's grin widened.
"Then let's do this thing."
The jungle within Naruto's mind was suddenly alight with blue flames as the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune drew upon his own inner strength to burn away the corrupting presence of Orochimaru's Cursed Seal of Heaven.
Back in the real world the fight between Team 7 with the unexpected aid of Rock Lee and the Otogakure ninja who had been sent to kill Naruto was suddenly paused as Naruto's body became surrounded by a flare of black chakra which was quickly subsumed by an even greater flare, this time of spiraling blue and red chakra.
The eyes of both the Otogakure shinobi and Rock Lee widened at this sudden change of events. Sasuke and Sakura however both muttered the same quiet word as Naruto rose to his feet, his eyes closed and chakra roiling around him.
"Shit."
"Hah, like that light show is going to scare us. I'll blow you out of existence!" Zaku cried as he raised his arms so that he could attack Sakura and Naruto beyond her using the air cannons in his arms.
The Otogakure shinobi never got the chance to attack as Naruto suddenly launched his arms forward, a pair of metal claws attached to chains shot out past Zaku's head and embedded them selves in the tree behind him. They were immediately followed by Naruto, who buried his feet into Zaku and slammed the Otogakure shinobi into the tree.
"You were attacking my mate. That cannot be allowed." Naruto's growling voice echoed around the clearing with an eerie undertone to it. As most of those gathered had never heard Naruto in this state the only people unaffected by it were Sasuke and Sakura.
"Now die, servant of Orochimaru, die and burn for your sins."
Rock Lee and the remaining two Otogakure ninja stared on in horror as Naruto opened his mouth impossibly wide, two gleaming slender fangs descending from the roof of his mouth before he bit into Zaku's neck. As Naruto tossed the convulsing body of Zaku to the ground and turned to face the remaining to Otogakure shinobi he opened his eyes, eyes that burned red with fire and were slitted like a fox's, and gazed with hatred at his enemies and love and adoration at his mate.
Sakura swallowed and felt a strange sense of knowing growing deep within her soul.
"Brother! Brother, it's me!! Hakumei!! I'm here Brother!!!"
Within her self-made prison Hakumei struggled to free her self, but the connection was not quite strong enough. Her host had not fully accepted the Twilight into her self, and Hakumei's own energies were still not sufficient to manifest on her own. She would need her summoner's help in order to do so for some time to come, even after the link was completed.
"Brother, I'm here!!"
Hakumei continued to rail at the darkness as she attempted to break free to see her brother again. Her one comfort was that he kept appearing around her partner.
Naruto looked between Kin and Dosu with hatred in his eyes.
"Tell me, scum of Orochimaru!! Why should I let you live?!!?!?"
Dosu blanched at the waves of killing intent that came rolling off of Naruto, fighting to keep the fear from killing him. Kin's eyes widened as well.
"Fuck this, I didn't sign up with Orochimaru to get killed by a psycho genin."
Kin dropped her weapons in what she hoped was a clear sign that she was ending hostilities and turned to try to escape.
"And where in the nine hells do you think you're going?"
Kin nearly shrieked as she suddenly found her self face to face with the monster that Naruto had become. The shorter blond boy had her arms in a vice-like grip as he stared deep into her eyes.
"Away from this shitstorm. If Orochimaru wants you dead he can do it him self. I'm going to go some where far away and forget I ever even heard of Konoha."
Naruto chuckled and released one of her arms, waving a finger back and forth in front of her face.
"Tut tut, the only way you are leaving this clearing alive is as my prisoner or my servant. Tell me, why should I leave you alive period, much less as anything other than a prisoner?"
Kin blinked in confusion before what Naruto had said finally sank in. It had been hidden in his tirade, but she was sure he had offered her a chance to live and enter his service.
Kin snorted.
"If getting out of here alive means serving someone like you, I guess I could live with that. Better than being killed by Orochimaru for failing my mission."
Naruto's answering smile looked an awfully lot like a predatory sneer to Kin as he released her hand and backed away.
"Then prove where your loyalties now lie." Naruto said as he stepped back and motioned towards the shocked Konoha genin and Dosu.
Without waiting for further orders Kin moved, striking before her teammate even had a chance to realize that he had been betrayed.
"Sorry Dosu, but I never really liked you or that bastard Zaku. I only served Orochimaru because it was better than the life I had before, and I have a chance to get out. Even if my new boss is crazy scary that hopefully means that I'll survive longer."
With out any further words Kin slit Dosu's throat, letting the heavier shinobi drop to the ground with a thud, wiping her kunai off and sliding it back into the pouch at her hip. Looking up she found Sasuke and Sakura eyeing her warily, while Rock Lee was staring at the approaching figure of Naruto who was still surrounded by an aura of spiraling red and blue chakra.
As Naruto came to a stop and crossed his arms the chakra began to die down, collapsing like a fountain that has had the water turned off. This did not removed the intimidating aura Naruto was putting out, just the eerie effects of the chakra. Naruto turned to face Kin and held out his arm, a long black and gold snake sliding forth from under his coat. Nodding in understanding Kin stepped forward and fought off her own fear as the snake slide from Naruto's arm to her own, sliding along her body and coiling around her torso. Naruto nodded in approval before turning back to his friends and teammates.
"Rock Lee, I am grateful that you stepped in to assist my teammates. I am in your debt." Naruto said, bowing slightly.
Rock Lee kept looking from his blond-haired friend and the dead bodies of the two Otogakure shinobi for a few moments before taking a deep breath to compose him self. When at last he spoke the illusion of a miniature version of Maito Gai was complete in every detail.
"That was not very youthful of you my friend, not very youthful at all."
Sakura and Sasuke, who had yet to meet the strange Jounin who taught Lee, blinked in confusion while Naruto just chuckled.
"Lee, that's what I like about you. You manage to see the best in the world even when it treats you like trash." Naruto said with a faint smile. "I could smell that Kin really didn't care much about her orders, and I decided to give her a chance to live. Besides, I can smell my mother coming now."
As if to emphasize this point Naruto's tongue slipped impossibly far out of his mouth, the end stretching and flattening into an extend V that flicked the air before returning to his mouth.
"Now, Lee I think it's time you get back to your team. I have some details to wrap up here, and it would be better for all involved if you weren't present." Naruto said as he turned to face where he could now sense Anko's chakra signature approaching from. "Oh, and Lee? I'd appreciate it if you'd tell anyone who asks that I killed all three Otogakure shinobi immediately. It will be safer for Kin if no one knows that she is still alive."
The bushy-browed shinobi nodded in understanding before turning and running off into the forest to meet up with his teammates. Naruto sighed and brought his hands together in a plus shaped seal, one which Kin didn't recognize.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."
The clearing was suddenly filled with puffs of smoke that resolved themselves into ten identical copies of Naruto. Without waiting for instructions they began to shuffle around the clearing, their black-clad forms dragging the bodies of the two Otogakure shinobi into a pile on top of several logs and some dried brush.
"Take off your clothes."
Kin nearly jumped in surprise as Sakura's voice came suddenly from her right elbow. Turning she found the girl was regarding her with a serious expression and a pile of clothes held in her arms.
"Take them off and change into these. We'll find a suitable substitute for your body on the pyre." Sakura repeated and pointed over her shoulder at the cavern they had previously occupied. Sighing, Kin took the offered bundle of clothing and trundled off to change. She did catch sight of the scary woman who was proctoring the entire exam appearing just before she ducked into the small cavern and out of sight of those outside.
As Kin was changing Naruto was having a heated discussion with his mother off in a corner of the clearing. Anko had finally acceded to Naruto's side of the argument it seemed when a pair of his clones, lead by Sasuke, returned dragging the dead body of a wild big approximately Kin's size. It would certainly be enough to trick anyone who investigated the burnt bodies of the Otogakure genin.
Not that Sasuke's cleansing fire would leave much to identify them by.
"Fine gaki, if you say she'll behave then I'll give her a chance. But are you sure you want to do this?" Anko asked as she and Naruto returned to Sakura's side, the blond boy giving his pink-haired girlfriend a quick hug and a reassuring kiss.
"I'm sure mother. She an provide so much needed intel on the bastard, as well as providing us a trump card. I strongly suspect that one or more of the great clans may have snuck a spy into the ranks of our servants, and I'd like to have my own agent in place, one who is capable of dealing with any problems discreetly." Naruto replied with a dark chuckle. "Besides, I scared the poor girl so badly I doubt she'd ever want to leave. Not when she knows I will likely kill her myself if she does."
Anko grinned down at Naruto as he wiped his mouth clean on his sleeve. Her adopted son may not relish blood and killing the way she did, but he didn't shy away from it the way far too many Konoha shinobi did. Her son had had his eyes forced open on that day, nearly eight years before, when a mob of enraged idiots and one traitorous Uchiha had attempted to murder him in cold blood. She knew that her son refused to ever become a victim again; to ever let innocents become a victim, if he could help it.
But she also knew that Naruto's view of who could truly be called innocent was wearing thin, and she silently prayed that none of the idiots in Konoha ever pushed him, because she wasn't sure that she could stop her son should he ever be driven to unleash his full power.
"Okay then. I'll take her with me out of the forest. I'll use Henge for us to get her an appropriate change of clothes and then I'll bring her back to the compound as if she was simply a new servant I hired as a favor to Ayame. In fact, I think I'll ask Ayame to play along. It will make the ruse much easier." Anko's words trailed off into an appreciative whistle as Kin stepped out of the cavern clad in Sakura's spare clothes.
The black haired girl was of course a bit uncomfortable and attempting to cover her self. The clothes, meant for a girl smaller than her self, was tight on her frame, emphasizing every single curve and muscle in her body. Kin may have been relatively plain compared to most of the kunoichi that Naruto and Anko both knew, but given the right clothes to emphasize her features she was obviously attractive. Even Sasuke took notice, although he had to shake his head to clear the image as the sight of Kin's half-naked body brought up images of that blond Suna kunoichi. There was just something about that blond that drew his attention, and he just couldn't make the thoughts of her go away.
"Kin, this is my mother Anko. She'll take you out of the forest and explain what is going to be happening. Give her any trouble or any reason to suspect that you might betray me, and I guarantee you that by the time I'm through with you you will be begging me for death." Naruto said, wrapping an arm around Sakura's waste as he spoke..
Kin shuddered, for she was finally realizing just how deeply she had gotten her self into this shit. Being the clever girl that she was though she recognized the fact that given the situation she had gotten her self into she was getting a pretty decent deal out of it. I mean, sure, the people she was now indebted to were snake-loving psychos who would kill her if she ever so much as thought about betraying them, but they were STRONG snake-loving psychos, and if working for them meant having their protection and maybe even one day trust, then she would take that any day over working for a snake-loving psycho who used his subordinates at random for his insane experiments.
"I understand, Naruto-sama." She said softly, bowing her head in subservience.
Anything to get out of this hellish life as one of Orochimaru's expendable lackeys.
As the black haired kunoichi left the clearing following the psycho lady Anko she caught sight of Naruto embracing Sakura in a tender embrace, stroking a strand of hair out of her face before kissing her gently.
Besides, any man who shows that much tenderness for the woman he loves can't be all bad.
Elsewhere in the forest a weakened Orochimaru was slinking away towards the edge of the forest, searching for an opening to escape unnoticed. He was very thankful that his best medic-nin had been in the forest at the time or else, he reluctantly had to admit, the venom from that strange boy's snake might have actually done him in.
Orochimaru was of course now very interested in the Namikaze heir.
"So, Naruto, tell me, what happened to that seal Orochimaru put on you? I know it isn't on your neck anymore. I got a pretty clear view of where it had been during our make out session." Sakura said said as she and her teammates ran through the forest. They could see the top of the tower in the distance and they were hurrying to reach it as fast as possible.
Naruto chuckled. "Let's just say that someone with mutual interest in not being influenced by that bastard helped me burn that damn seal off before it could take root. Good thing too. From what I could tell it was trying to influence my mind, and would have allowed Orochimaru some modicum of control over me. I doubt anyone without my…condition could have broken free of the damn thing." He said with a faint grin.
Sakura and Sasuke both chuckled as they continued along their path.
Team 7 reached the tower without further incident. Since barely two days had passed they had three days to them selves to relax, something they took to happily. Sasuke was surprised to learn that the Suna team had arrived in just under an hour, setting a new record for the exam, and it made him even more intrigued in that blond Suna kunoichi. Even if the thoughts kept bothering him at the most inopportune times.
Sakura and Naruto on the other hand had disappeared into the room assigned to the blond boy and had barely been seen the entire three days. However, those with rooms nearby had been heard complaining to the exam proctors about the loud noises coming from the room, including frequent cries of "Oh Kami!!" and "Deeper!!" Rumor had it that one bold kunoichi had even asked the exam proctors to order whatever guy was responsible for making a girl utter those cries to share his skill with the other kunoichi gathered at the tower. Sasuke had instantly nipped that rumor in the bud, if only to save his sanity as he knew full well what would happen should Sakura find that any girl had been after her boyfriend.
The other teams meanwhile kept mostly to themselves as they recovered from their ordeal. In fact, the only team Sasuke had actually seen other than the Suna team was Team 10, and that had been when the trio had arrived bloody and bruised on the evening of the third day. He figured that the three were resting up after the strain of reaching the tower.
Once the three days had passed the members of Team 7 gathered in the chamber that was to house the completion ceremony for the second half of the exam along with the other teams who had passed. Surprisingly, of the seven teams who graced the halls, six were from Konoha. The seventh was the Suna team, who stood slightly off to the side as the gathered genin lined up.
Naruto only paid half attention as the preliminaries that were to be held and the rules therein were explained by a sickly looking Jounin. He smirked with some satisfaction as Kabuto resigned from the exam, knowing full well that Anko had ANBU standing ready to capture the bastard spy the first opportunity they had. He also grinned as the man explained that the next stage would be preliminary matches involving one on one battles. Naruto's blood was boiling at the thought of a good one on one match, especially since he would hopefully get to fight a strong opponent.
When the rules had finally been explained, as well as the real reason for the Chunin Exams, everyone turned in anticipation as a panel on the wall slid upwards to reveal an electronic screen. Everyone held their breaths fore a long moment before the screen beeped and the first pair of names was displayed. Everyone blinked for a moment before a pair of utterances informed the gathered shinobi of who the two combatants were.
"This is troublesome."
"Oh hell yes! I get to beat the lazy-ass into the ground."
As the two chosen to fight walked to take their positions the rest of the gathered shinobi made their way to one of two balconies overlooking the chamber. As Naruto and his team took their chosen spot lounging against the wall on the side of the room mostly dominated by Konoha shinobi the blond genin smirked. Only the first fight and already he was sure he was going to enjoy this.
On the screen on the wall two names continued to flash as their owners gathered for their match.
Nara Shikamaru
VS
Inuzuka Kiba.
AN: Well, this chapter was more difficult to write than I originally anticipated, but I've had the stress of trying to find a job interfering with my ability to write lately. I hope you all enjoyed it though. I tried to emphasize Naruto's growing darkness, and how its tied in directly with his beliefs of protecting innocents. Those beliefs will be taxed though when events cause him to decide that there are few who are truly innocent. And just what could I be intending with Hakumei, I wonder? Well, if you haven't figured it out yet, that is going to be revealed quite soon. The bond between spirit and summoner is nearing completion and Sakura will soon be aware of Hakumei's presence. And don't forget Naruto's new weapons. I know I only showcased them briefly, but they will get play again soon. Of course, I won't be revealing everything about them quite yet. That would spoil the surprise.
This story is of course much darker than any of my other projects, although Desert Fox Redux will have its own blend of darkness. My Harry Potter fics will also likely contain a certain darkness, though that won't be as intense or in the front of things as in Golden Viper. Golden Viper was envisioned from the beginning as a darker version of Naruto, and that includes his willingness to kill without hesitation to protect those he cares about. I am actually not sure of which way to take the later portions of the fic, as I have two ideas that are in many ways equally as dark. But that decision will be saved for later, when I have a better idea of Naruto's character and how he will react to the situation that will lead to the decision. Either way, I can sum up the ultimate pathway of the story in two words: Konoha's Fucked.
Thanks for reading, and for being so patient with me while I've been busy and stressed. As always, thank you for reading, and please review. For those of you who read my other works, I will probably update my Harry Potter fic next, followed by either Phoenix Rising or Desert Fox Redux. I am going to wait to work on the next chapter of Legacy of the Planet until I have decided precisely how I want Naruto to unveil his abilities. It's a tricky path and I want to be sure that I do it carefully so as not to disrupt what I have planned for that story.
-ZI
Technique Translations
Makyou Akumu Bun'ya--Demonic Nightmare Realm/ This technique traps the user within a nightmare of their own making. Combining their own subconscious fears and desires, it manipulates the victim into willingly divulging information. It works best against either weak-willed targets, or against victims already under the affect of fear stimuli or psychotropic drugs. (C-Class Genjutsu)
Review Responses
Brooklyn Maxwell – Thank you, and you are most welcome. And Kakashi is due to improve soon. Having none of his students make it to the finals will cause the baka to reevaluate his behavior.
DustBunnyQueen – Hehe, oh man, the ideas that are running through my head. But I think I will save that Omake until I can write it properly. Something like that deserves some time spent perfecting it. Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter, and hopefully you'll check out my other projects.
Bandgsecurtiyaw – Your welcome.
Getsuga Tensou – Hehe. I'll do my best then.
Moonfal – Hehe, sweet. And yes, they do look bad ass, but not half as badass as what I have ultimately designed for them. And Hakumei is a fox, so of course she is devious. She will also be awesome once she reveals her self fully. And she certainly won't be the last of such critters to unveil themselves. I have big plans for everyone's favorite insomniac. Oh yes, big plans.
-ZI
AlphaDelta1001 – As you can see, Orochimaru still had plans. Too bad the pedophile completely underestimated his target. And he most certainly was playing with the boy. If Orochi-teme had been serious Naruto wouldn't have stood a chance. Not yet anyways.
Well, did I or did I not say earlier in a review response that I intended to get Sasuke laid by a very hot kunoichi? *chuckles*
Until next time, jaa ne.
-ZI
Alec-potter – And who said Orochimaru wouldn't be involved in the forest, hmm? With my changes to the story there were consequences, and one of them was Orochimaru targeting Naruto, though for a different reason than why he targeted Sasuke in canon. He wanted Naruto for his experiments.
Kontraband – Hehe, thanks. It was a ruse to psyche out the other examinees, though of course it doesn't stand up under combat conditions. Naruto very much stands at the head during these early battles.
Hehe, the sentiment is appreciated. If you are interested however in attempting to draw certain weapons from this and my other stories then drop me a line (aka, send me a PM). I can attempt to give you much more detailed descriptions of the weapons.
Yeah, Asuma did look pretty badass. I always felt that he could take on one of the Seven. Too bad he had to face the immortal bastards instead.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter Sai (damn cool name if I do say so myself). As I said earlier I think, the next chapter likely to be updated will be Guardians' Wyrd, followed by either Phoenix Rising or Desert Fox Redux.
Jaa ne.
-ZI
Paladin13 – Oh yes. Such a smartass that he taunts Orochimaru of the Sannin. Hey, at least it kept him alive, ne? And yes, Sakura and Sasuke are supposed to be both counterpoints to Naruto as well as stabilizers for him. If either of them should be killed you can bet there will be retribution. Should both of them die, then there would be no force on Earth capable of preventing him from slaughtering the entire human race. The Kyuubi would be proud.
Jaa ne Paladin.
-ZI the Nightstalker (I have decided to choose a new monicker every chapter)
Thales85 – Obviously the bastard was still in the exam. He just had a different target. *snicker* and that target was after him hahaha.
Believeit6 – No, Sasuke didn't really change his outfit before this. And Sasuke's outfit is only slightly changed to make him fit in with his teammates better for the purpose of their ruse. He won't drastically change his clothing until later. And there are many reasons why Asuma is not wearing the outfit. Amongst them the fact that he is still loyal to Konoha, while to Naruto's the outfits represent in many respects his challenge to those who would treat him like crap.
Prauge – Given that this is a dark Naruto fic, the Naruto "I'll work as hard as I can" thing isn't part of his personality. He'll make the vengeance of the damned look like hugs and kisses. Naruto is strong because he has been properly trained. Lachesis is merely an improvement over other abilities he has learned from Anko, which he could freely draw on instead if he wanted to. As to work ethic, the kid has basically been driven to ensure he can protect him self from any threat since he was twelve. Except in this story, he hasn't been sabotaged or ignored.
Lord Ezra-eil – It is a strictly NaruxSaku fic, but that doesn't meant that Katsumi's story will be all bad. I mean, hell, I'm already working towards giving the little annoying bitch a chance to a redeem her self.
Spider of the leaf – Why can't all my readers be as perceptive as you? Yes, Naruto and Sakura are engaged. Thankfully Sakura's mother had become accepting enough that after a discussion with Anko she was willing to sign the betrothal contract. And thanks to the rules about it, the clan head and clan elders can't do a damn thing about it. That is why she wears Naruto's clan symbol like he and his mother, and why Sasuke in this chapter and the end of the last chapter merely has the snakes. Sasuke after all is an Uchiha, not part of the Namikaze Clan.
Congratulations on figuring it out from the clues provided. I didn't actually expect anyone to figure it out for another few chapters.
Kyuubiwolf23 – Haha, sorry to disappoint, but it was supposed to be an indication of a factor tied to her connection with her partner. Summons of any sort require a lot of chakra, and the effects of the bonding process are causing her to eat a considerable amount to build up energy. And yes, as you have just witnessed, Naruto did in fact have a surprise for the snakey bastard.
-ZI the Nightstalker
I.E.T.S. – I'll do my best then. As to the outfit changes, there were reasons behind them, and it won't be the last time this happens in the story. I promise though that outfit changes that occur will not be gratuitous…unless its new clothes for a date or something.
Lexor – All of the snakes were clones of Lachesis, well, except the one on Naruto's shoulders. Lachesis simply refuses to shrink smaller than that, so that was why she appeared larger than the clones. I hope you liked Lachesis' little sneak attack on Orochi-teme.
KunochiDreamer – Thank you. Hopefully you will continue to enjoy this story, and maybe if you have time you'll check out my other stories as well.
OutlawKnight - *shrugs* what can I say? I'm trying to write something that is different in so many ways. Sasuke's bastard tendencies were a DIRECT result of the massacre and his brother's mindfuck of him using Tsukuyomi. Remove the worst parts of that event and he isn't so bad. And Naruto is mostly happy. He also has had his eyes opened for six years as to why people hate him, and the stress of that knowledge has changed him.
Trey Miller – Why thank you. I guess that means that I'm doing something right with this story. Punk Sakura was fun to design when I first thought of what she would wear if she and Naruto became that close of a couple, and while I originally had an even more elaborate outfit planned, I decided that a simpler one matching Naruto's would suit the story more. As to Mallet-tan, doubtful. That would break the seriousness of the work. But I may have to consider that for an Omake.
-ZI the Nightstalker
Sweet Heavens – Yeah yeah, I know. But if I had to choose between a two line notation and speaking with my readers, I'll choose this any day. I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter.
sessholove4lyf – Thank you.
BackYard – Thank you. And no, this is strictly SakuraxNaruto. Ino, like in canon, is interested in Sasuke.
Naruhina-otaku – Yeah, there is a nice fic I was reading that actually inspired my choice of name for this fic (the whole naming it after Naruto's nickname thing), but it unfortunately hasn't updated in a while. I haven't heard from the authoress either, so I hope everything is alright. There is also a good fic by EroSlackerMicha where Naruto is involved with both Anko and Hana, and that one is just downright wicked. As to your question, it was neither. The Uchiha who attacked him shall remain anonymous for the moment, but only because I don't want to ruin part of the story as I have it planned.
Naruhina-otaku – Replying to your second review ^_^
Don't worry, Sasuke will get better. And no, Katsumi will most certainly NOT be joining Orochimaru. Though after certain events she won't necessarily refuse a request to join Madara in destroying Konoha.
Naruhina-otaku – Replying to your third review (o ) ^/_\^ =^_^= (That's supposed to be Tobi, Itachi, and Naruto smileys)
Yes, snakes are awesome. And I still can't believe you have an amethystine python. Those are beautiful snakes. Poor dog though. And your right, I'm sure the bastard didn't stand a chance.
-ZI the Nightstalker
Iambocaj – Thank you. I'm hoping people recognize that neither of them is their canon selves. Far bloody from it.
Narutorules – Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter.
Leaprechaun1 - *chuckles* irony of ironies, but I have an epilogue to the very slow moving ranma project I'm working on with a friend buried somewhere in my computer, and it is most assuredly lemon. At some point I may very well write a side scene to one of my stories that is a lemon, possibly a sequence taking place in Golden Viper during a time skip.
Maileesaeya – Well, it wasn't too hard once I really thought about what he might have become had he not been mindfucked by his brother. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and Sasuke using an uber fire technique to go boom boom on Orochimaru.
InARealPickle – I had Naruto, at age 8, who has seen more in those 8 years than most men see in a life time, and who has been raised by Anko for two years. The gaki has basically been forced to grow up and act more like an adult. He's also had the facts of life forced on him, and this includes an understanding of liking girls. Early on he was basically just trying to lay claim to a girl he thought he might like that way once his hormones kicked in. He also saw the way the Uchiha bitch was looking at him, and felt that the easiest way to hopefully get rid of her was to make her see he wasn't available.
NorthernLights25 – Thank you. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Serenarey Chiba – Again, though I know I sent you a PM, thank you for noticing that. I didn't even notice that I had been doing that. It may be because I learned everyone's first and last names from the anime, but I had to search out Sarutobi's first name manually, so it isn't associated the same way in my brain.
DarkSyde24 – Naruto learned a lot from Anko, including some of her snake-related techniques. Naruto has merely adapted to Lachesis and her abilities in order to improve his own abilities. There isn't much that he can do with a Sen'eijashu that Lachesis and some of her clones can't do better. She can develop and modify her toxins too. And Naruto will develop an ability or two that doesn't rely on snakes, but for the most part a fair number of his abilities will rely on or be inspired by his snakes. There is just so much there for him to work with.