Naruto: Maoyū

by TheWriteFiction

Following the end of the joint Chunin Exam test match with the other hidden villages, Naruto and his friends begin their training in preparation for the main event. However, just as their training gets under way, Konohagakure is suddenly attacked by a horde of monsters from another realm... [Current Arc- Konoha Crush Arc] [NarutoHarem]

10. Graduation Arc - Step Up

NARUTO

Maoyū

Step Up

(A month later)

The sun creeping over the horizon marked the beginning of yet another promising day and, as the rays of warm light stretched its fingers across the building riddled setting of Konohagakure, the people in the shinobi town started to rise to meet the dawn's early hours. However, outside of the greater suburban and housing areas making up the majority of the village, within one of the many reserves in the outlying districts, two particular youngsters had already been up and active for quite some time. Even when store owners and villagers scheduled for early hour work were still in the process of getting ready, this pair of go-getters were just wrapping up their business.

The sound of beautiful flute music filled the forest as, sitting underneath their maple tree beside their bamboo grove, a readily dressed Tayuya was sitting cross-legged and playing her signature instrument. Amidst the fall of orange leaves, her sweet melody brought a sense of tranquility and calm to the atmosphere, as her eyes remained closed and her fingers danced elegantly along her silver pipe.

She wasn't alone in this wood either. Sitting beside her with her paws folded and listening to her play, tail swishing about behind her, the little white vixen Tama was staring across the clearing, watching the other half of the duo finishing his training session. Wearing a white hooded jacket with blue trim and flames along the bottom edge, with a blue shirt, orange pants, red pendant hanging from his neck, which hung under the blue scarf given to him as a present four years ago, a pair of airplane goggles framed across his head, and handmade bracelet with a petrified Suiro wrapped around his wrist, Naruto was presently sitting cross-legged beside the bamboo woods, meditating with his fingers pressed together in a diamond shape and eyes closed.

As Tayuya's peaceful melody filled the air, the boy remained fixed where he was, feeling the breeze drifting through the woods gently brush against his hair and skin. It was during this time the wind seemed to pick up around him, stirring up the grass and the leaves lying on the floor. As the loose foliage proceeded to float and swirl around him, an invisible force suddenly lifted the boy off the ground, bringing his body a couple feet into the air and keeping him there. And still Naruto's eyes remained closed and his face perfectly calm.

Looking at him from a distance, it was quite clear that it was the wind swirling around him that was levitating his body off of the ground and keeping him suspended, which created a cushion of air beneath him and formed into a spinning sphere of condensed force. This formation of wind spun and twisted for a full minute.

Once that moment had passed, the air then gently lowered the blond delinquent back to the floor, at the exact same time Tayuya finished up her musical piece.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Naruto opened his eyes and smiled across at his friend. "Ready?"

The redhead, wearing a maroon, oversized, unbuttoned, hooded varsity jacket with a white 'T' sewn into the left breast, white bandage top, black spandex shorts, black sandal boots, and red headset hanging around her neck, lowered her flute to her lap and looked across at her roommate. Upon which a grin formed on her lips.

"Yeah."

Gathering up their equipment, the two best friends and their fox companion headed out of the woods and back into the village. From there they proceeded to walk along at a comfortable pace, taking in the sights of the many buildings around them waking to greet the day ahead. As people started to trickle onto the roads, the pair of delinquent ninjas in training made their way to the administration side of town, which was sitting right at the base of the Hokage Monument.

By the time they arrived on the very road leading them to the academy, the sun had already risen from behind the hills to light up the entire neighborhood. From the feel of its warmth on the back of their heads, Naruto and Tayuya knew right away that this was going to be a very good day.

It was a fact that was made even more apparent when the would-be jinchuriki spotted a very familiar person waiting at the front gates to the school ahead of them. Leaning against the wall with her hands behind her back, wearing a pink martial arts top with gold buttons, green pants, and her long brown hair done up into two ox horn buns, was none other than Tenten. Sporting her own Konoha headband framed proudly across her brow, the girl looked up when she heard the sounds of footsteps approaching her. When she spotted Naruto and Tayuya ambling up the road, the girl grinned.

"Sup, Goldie?" Tenten chirped affectionately to the village's most famous street fighter when she saw him move towards her with his flat mate.

The blonde she was referring to grinned broadly with his hands in his pockets and Tama sitting comfortably across his shoulder, the latter of whom was obviously pleased to see the brunette. "What up, Stardust?" Stopping beside Tenten, whom he saw step away from the wall, Naruto nodded at her. "You here to wish us luck?"

"You bet," the kunoichi replied heartily and without hesitation. "Since today is such a big day for the village, I figured I would drop by before the coronation ceremony and give you guys an extra kick in the ass." Tenten then lifted her fist towards the boy, while Tayuya stood by quietly and watching with a smirk. "I know you two are gonna kill it in there."

Naruto's eyes shone as he returned Tenten's gesture with his own, rapping his knuckles against hers in a show of gratitude. "Look out for us when we're up on top of the tower with the new Hokage."

Tenten snickered, "I will." Lowering her arm, she then turned her attention to Tayuya, whom she also nodded to. "Do your best."

"Yeah. No sweat," Tayuya responded with a thumbs-up.

Once their words of well wishes and encouragement had been exchanged, Naruto and Tayuya headed straight onto the property, braced up and ready for anything. It was while they were leaving the gate under the watchful eye of Tenten, the redheaded flute player turned to her companion and elbowed him in the side. The sudden gesture had the blonde jolt over and grip his ribs in surprise.

"Whoa. What? What's going on?"

The redhead merely smirked and stared ahead of her. "Nothing, Mr. Irresistible Deviant."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked, looking completely confused while Tama barked cheekily from his shoulder.

OOO

(Over the next few hours)

As it turns out, Naruto and Tayuya weren't the first students to arrive at the classroom before their specified meeting time. Sasuke, Hinata, and a couple other children had already rocked up and were in the process of waiting for their colleagues to arrive, and in theor own respective ways. Some were brooding, some were resting, while a couple more were doing some last-minute cramming before they had to undertake their written exams. Though this was similar to how the delinquent roommates approached their morning, the way Naruto and Tayuya went about it was the same ritual they'd been following since day one. So unlike a select few, they weren't stressing over the upcoming trials at all.

The same composure could be seen on Sasuke and Hinata's faces, as both of them had assigned themselves to their corresponding corners with their arms crossed and eyes closed. You could tell that they were extremely composed.

Anyway, after a little while of waiting by the desk with the Uchiha prodigy, whom Naruto and Tayuya casually chatted with, the rest of the students finally showed up, followed by Iruka. From that point they were then assigned different seats randomly throughout the class and made to wait as the teacher went about laying out the exam papers for the literary portion of the exam. Once the timer had been set and all the documents had been given out, the Chunin started the clock and all the students dove into their test sheets with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

Having only an hour to get all of their working out and answers written down, the kids had a lot of areas and topics to cover, ranging from problem solving to field math. Due to the teachers throwing the kids a few curve ball questions into the mix, a lot of the students could be seen sweating in their seats as they attempted to grind out the answers. However, there were a few exceptions to this rule.

By the twenty minute mark, and true to his usual form, Shikamaru had fallen asleep, causing the students around him to shoot odd glances in his direction and an observing Iruka to shake his head. When the thirty minute mark had come and gone, most of the bookish members in the class were already well past halfway, whereas both Sakura and Tayuya had already finished and were waiting for the others to finish. Being the most standout members in the field, the two young girls then proceeded to watch Hinata and Sasuke finish several minutes later, while Naruto completed his checking with only eight minutes to spare. When the timer went a little while later, it was pencils down.

After Iruka had finished collecting the kids' test sheets, he then let them have a quick recess break before moving them outside for the start of the practical tests. The yard had been cleared to make way for the students undertaking the exams, with both Class A and Class B being assembled on the dirt field. When both rooms had been assembled, it didn't escape anyone's notice that they had drawn a small audience to the proceedings, as a lot of the people in the surrounding neighborhood had turned out to watch this year's graduating group perform in the lead-up to the Hokage's inauguration ceremony.

Ignoring the kids and adults forming outside the fences, the Chunin teachers Iruka, Mizuki, and Daikoku arranged all of the students together to begin going through the practical courses. This consisted of an obstacle run through the equipment set up around the yard; a route that was outfitted with barriers, tight ropes, and targets the kids were expected to hit with shuriken while on the move. They all earned points on the time they completed the run and the number of targets hit.

This portion of the exam began in earnest, as the students put all of their years of training and practice to the test. One after the other the kids ran the course, lapping the entire yard and weaving through the obstacles under the careful watch of their instructors and their audience. The entire run only took a maximum of two minutes to complete, and by the time the last student made it over the finish line, another hour or so had passed.

Immediately after finishing his run, Naruto waltzed over to Tayuya and Sasuke, both of whom he gave a 'V' sign. "Crushed it." A happy yip from Tama firmed up his statement.

"Oh yeah?" the flute player responded with a grin. "You think you got the better time out of all of us?"

"Well… I'm pretty pleased with myself." The blond placed his hands on his hips, "What did you guys get?"

Sasuke, hands in his pockets, grunted at the boy, "One minute, sixteen point four seconds."

The redhead groaned and snapped her fingers. "Damn it. One minute, seventeen point two." She then noticed the smirk on the Uchiha's lips, which had her glare back at him. "Oh, don't act so smug, you chicken-headed prick. You only beat me by an eighth of a second." It was then Tayuya noticed the cocky smile on Naruto's face, which had her frown deeply. "And what are you so happy about?"

"Oh, nothing really. I'm just surprised, is all," Naruto replied while brushing his nails against his jacket. "You guys got such really good times. There's no way a talentless hack like me could possibly beat those." He then inhaled before suddenly fake-sneezing into his hand. *cough* "One minute nine." *sniff* Grinning at the stunned looks that appeared on his friends' faces, the blond then looked around coyly. "Man. My hay fever is really bad today."

Tayuya then glowered at the boy, her expression matching Sasuke's in disappointment. "Smart ass."

"Keep smiling. Because I'm going to breeze past you in the next test," the Uchiha declared while giving the delinquent a competitive glare.

Sasuke's remark earned a snicker from the fox-faced kid. "Oh yeah. I'd like to see you try, teme."

It was clear Naruto had won that round, with stellar marks for speed and accuracy on all targets.

What followed after the obstacle run was a standing shuriken exam, in which the participants were expected to hit five dummy targets on the field with a total of twenty five kunai and shuriken. Successful hits on vital spots earned them the most points, a single throw with multiple blades earned them extra points, with speed and accuracy being the main aspects of grading. Just like the test before, the teachers lined up the kids and, one after the other, assessed them on their individual performances. As expected the majority of the kids did really well; with the star players being Hinata, Kurumi and her friends putting out the best marks.

When it came the turn of Naruto Uzumaki, the blond hit all his targets with all the blades in rapid succession. All the kunai hit dead on in the heads and center chests over the hearts, while the shuriken were spaced out over separate areas. His throw earned him an applause from his Uchiha fan club.

But when he stepped back and watched Sasuke take his turn, not only did the boy hit all of his targets successfully, but every single one of them were superbly on point. He even had all the kunai clustered around one inch of space on all five of his targets, particularly around the center masses, which he triple-tapped.

While a big cheer went up from all the girls and the villagers watching from the fence applauded, Naruto and Tayuya could only gape at the boy when he waltzed back over to them with a proud smirk on his face and hands in his pockets. When he looked back at the dummy targets at the other end of the temporary range, he clicked his tongue and shrugged.

"Five for five… and in under five seconds. With a hundred percent accuracy around the head and center masses. How about that?" Sasuke murmured, before looking back at Naruto with an arrogant grin. "What was yours? Five for five… but in six… seven seconds… and only three targets hit around the center mass? If this was real life, those other two targets would've gotten away."

Expression turning blank, Naruto then started walking up to the boy with his hands moving towards him in a strangling gesture. Luckily he was stopped by Tayuya jumping on him and grabbing him around the waist, while Tama bit onto his pant leg to hold him back. This of course didn't stop Sasuke from giving his friend a cocky look and riling him up.

In terms of shurikenjutsu, both static and mobile, Sasuke earned top marks for accuracy and speed. However, in terms of footspeed and maneuverability around obstacles, Naruto took that one.

Once the shurikenjutsu trial was over, the next stage of the practical exam began, with students being pitted against one another to show off their skills in taijutsu. As the teachers assembled Class A and B around the chalk-drawn ring in the middle of the field, a much larger crowd had gathered, including a far more illustrious audience.

The entire area stirred when, from out of the academy building, the villagers of Konohagakure saw the Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mikoto Uchiha, and a group of other shinobi come out to join the Chunin instructors on the field. Flanking the village elder, the group of ninja approached the field in a casual manner, like a group of interested clients taking a tour of the vicinity. When they arrived at the edge of the ring, Iruka, Mizuki and Daikoku formed up and bowed to the village leader in greeting.

The same could be said for every other person in the vicinity, both academy students and spectators on the nearby road.

"Hokage-sama," Iruka hailed respectfully. "It's a pleasure to have you with us today."

"It's good to be out here," the old man in the white robe and wide hat replied, at the same time nodding towards the children gathered on the pitch nearby. During which time, the shinobi accompanying him, a bearded Jonin with a sash around his waist the children recognized as Asuma Sarutobi, a man wearing a blue face mask with messy, gravity defying silver hair, a raven haired man with sunglasses, and a black haired woman with red eyes wearing a white layered battle dress, spread out over the area to stand around the village leader. "Just dropped by to check on the young ones and see how they're progressing with their exams."

"Very well, Hokage-sama," Daikoku replied, while passing a glance back at the crowd of nervous and eager looking youngsters. "All of them have been giving it their all for every single test. I'm guessing the reason they're so fired up right now is because it's such a big occasion."

"In more ways than one," Mizuki commented while also glancing across at Mikoto and nodding to the woman courteously. "It's not every day the Genin graduation ceremony is scheduled to take place at the exact same time our village's next Hokage is sworn in."

The head of the Uchiha Clan nodded back to the white haired man, before then turning her attention to the field and crowds. After a moment of scanning the faces, her eyes then fell on her son, standing at the edge of the formation directly beside both Naruto and Tayuya. As soon as she spotted him, the woman smiled, earning a nod in return from Sasuke.

"I'm sure we're all looking forward to this afternoon's proceedings," Hiruzen remarked, regarding the villagers watching from a distance graciously as he slowly brought his attention back to the Chunin in charge. "But first and foremost… Iruka."

The man with the scar across his nose bowed in response, "Of course, Hokage-sama." Wheeling around, the man brought up his writing board and clicked his pen. "Alright class, here are the rules for this stage…"

What followed was yet another rundown on the prerequisites and guidelines of this stage of the exams. The students were each expected to fight one three minute round each within the boundaries of the markers drawn out for them on the floor. The winner was decided based on the instructor's assessment of the situation or whichever opponent conceded defeat, with knock outs being ruled out. After all, there was still one more batch of tests to follow after this one. Furthermore, just like it was for every taijutsu test in the past, no ninjutsu or genjutsu was allowed.

Just like before, the arrangement of the tally was randomized so as to properly show diversity in skill and ability between each student when faced with a different scenario. This most definitely included individual battlefield circumstances. With the Hokage, Mikoto, and other shinobi in attendance, all of the children were expected to show proper tact and battle etiquette during each round. Everybody would have one fight each and there were to be no disputes.

Once all the rules had been explained, Iruka got the ball rolling with the first fight, thus beginning his next string of examinations. What followed from there were a series of quick and impressive bouts of young, promising students showing the older generations of shinobi what they were capable of and what they had to offer to their village. Each pair of contestants gave their all in their rounds, with every bout ending differently or the same way.

Tayuya knocked her opponent of the ring with several well placed punches followed by a teep, showing a very strong, aggressive, brawling style of fighting she'd created from her years of training and fighting with Naruto. Making up for his quick loss from last time, Kiba went up against Mirai and showed his Inuzuka style of fighting against the Uchiha, displaying a finesse and ferocity characteristic of his clan. Even Shikamaru showed a small amount of skill… until he decided to quit about part way through when he got tired, thus cutting his assessment off a little bit short.

This earned a few laughs from the audience, while also causing Asuma and Iruka to shake their heads.

But then it came to the hard hitters of the classes. For Sasuke Uchiha, the boy was matched up against Kurumi Uchiha, which inevitably boiled down to a struggle between cousins.

After a fierce exchange of blows in center field, in which both kids danced around each other showing their respective styles from their family branches, the two ninja in training dove in to trade blows. However, with Kurumi having recently been going through a growth spurt, this put the girl at least half a head taller than Sasuke, giving her a much better reach and position over the noticeably shorter boy. When the youngster from the main branch of the family came in with a kick followed by a body blow, the girl responded with a chopping right, forcing the youngster to dodge, spring into the air, and try for a dropping spin kick to her head.

Sharingan with single tomoe in right eye spinning and the double in her left eye activating, the raven haired girl parried his blow with her right, while simultaneously hitting him out of the air with a sharp left cross, which the airborne Sasuke caught with a leg and arm check.

The latter was sent flying back from the force of the blow, skidding along the floor when he finally landed. Kicking up dust, Sasuke huffed, flashed his two tomoe Sharingan, and sprinted forward, zigzagging to confuse his opponent. Tracking his approach, Kurumi unleashed a series of flicker jabs, forcing the shorter boy to weave past them before he jumped at her with a right cross to her face. Much to everyone's surprise, the prodigy also received a counter of his own when the girl retaliated with a swift right hook, leading to a simultaneous exchange that knocked both kids' faces back and sent blood flying from their mouths.

The blows smashed both fighters skidding to opposite sides of the ring, with the pair dropping into defensive stances when they stopped sliding to watch the dust settle between them.

An observing Asuma whistled in an impressed manner. "Those two certainly aren't holding back, are they?"

"A second main branch member of the Uchiha clan fighting against a child from the fifth branch," the woman beside the bearded man in the white battle dress, Kurenai Yuhi, commented with her arms crossed over her ample chest. "It isn't just the title of Genin those two are competing for. They're also fighting for pride and place in their family hierarchy; with each one attempting to prove their worth to the other and before their village. Call it a little domestic competition."

"Well, those two are definitely in it for the top seat," Asuma chuckled, at the same time nodding towards the ring, where he watched Sasuke wipe the blood from his lip, as did Kurumi. "As expected, young Sasuke is using the Sendai Style of Uchiha taijutsu; an acrobatic, versatile form that was mastered by several former heads of the Uchiha Clan, including Fugaku and Naori. Kurumi on the other hand is using an old school Akita Style of Uchiha taijutsu, which makes good use of her reach and flexibility, and uses a lot of upper body work. It's also adequate for defense and counterattacking, since the form has her standing more upright as opposed to crouching down low." The man then lifted his head with a smile. "Both are incredibly sharp and both are fiercely talented."

"I'm noticing some good strategy work too," Aoba stated while adjusting his sunglasses. "Kurumi is keeping Sasuke at bay and making it very difficult for him to get close. She's taking advantage of the fact that she can hit further than he can to land blows at a safe distance, while forcing him to expend energy on excessive movements to close the gaps. But he's countering this by going in low to get her to drop her guard and go for her face."

Spitting out the blood still in his mouth, Sasuke smirked. "Not bad, cousin. I'm actually working up a bit of a sweat. You've gotten much better compared to before."

Kurumi smiled back, keeping her right hand at her face while her left hand swung back and forth in front of her like a scythe. "So have you, Sasuke-chama. I can tell you've been training a lot lately. Taking extra lessons in the evening?"

"You bet."

"Well then, let's see how much more you've improved."

With one last smile, the raven haired boy then turned serious and dashed in. Swiftly changing directions to go around, he cross paths with Kurumi when she did the same thing. Meeting in the middle, both opponents traded blows again, with Sasuke closing the gap by moving in close to cut off the girl's reach advantage. But Kurumi answered this with a swift uppercut, catching him in his guard while he threw a hook. Parrying his blow, the girl quickly retaliated with a sharp roundhouse kick, which the genius spotted through his Sharingan and blocked, at the same time landing a front kick in her stomach.

This blow sent the girl sliding back, with her arm having caught the blow. Shaking it out, Kurumi reset her stance, as did Sasuke. But just before they can move in again, the whistle was blown and both quickly looked across at the edge of the arena to see Iruka standing there with hand raised.

"That's time. Great effort you two," the Chunin said, lowering his arm and watching the kids rise out of their stances. As the pair then gave the Sign of Reconciliation and exited the ring, Iruka graded their performance before then turning to the next students on his list. "Next up; Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga! Please step forward and give each other the Sign of Confrontation."

There was an immediate stir amongst the students when everyone heard those names called out, with even Sasuke stopping to look across at the kids in question hard for a moment. Through the clamor and the excitement, the crowd of villagers and the shinobi spectators watched Hinata march into the middle of the ring with her hands in her jacket pockets and eyes closed. Wearing her trademark baggy, cream-colored hoodie that was unzipped, bandage-style tube top exposing her midriff, and dark blue tight short shorts, the normally cool girl with the hime-style cut stopped on her side of the ring and waited for her opponent.

When Sasuke returned to where Tayuya and Naruto were standing, the boy murmured when he saw the serious look on the characteristically cold Hyuuga's face. "Damn, Naruto. I think you're going to be in for a rough three minutes."

"Yeah. Hinata can be really scary when she's serious," Tayuya said, watching as Tama hopped off of the blonde's shoulder and the delinquent remove the Bo staff carrier from behind him. "That's not even counting the fact that she's one of the top four students here, and probably the best taijutsu user in our year level. Hell, she's kicked me and Sasuke's asses consecutively in hand-to-hand."

"Ah, it'll be fine. Trust me," Naruto said in a calm and chirpy tone of voice, earning looks from the students standing around him. Wearing his signature smile, the boy blindly held his Bo staff carrier out to Sasuke, slapping it against his chest. "Oh, bagboy. Could you hold this for me for a second?"

Staring at it for a moment, the Uchiha then glowered at the blonde, "Uhh… how about you bite me?"

"I'll hold that for you, Naruto-kun." A new voice suddenly spoke up, at the same time the delinquent in question felt the bag get taken from his hand. When Naruto and the others looked behind them, they saw the familiar pink head of a cheerful Sakura Haruno smiling fondly back at them. Clutching the bag to her, the girl lowered her head and spoke to the young brawler. "G-Good luck out there."

At first appearing surprised, Naruto then cracked a smile and nodded gratefully. "Yeah. Thanks, Sakura-chan." Adjusting his goggles, the kid then ambled out onto the ring too, where he took up his spot on the end and turned to face his opponent.

As soon as he did, silence quickly fell amongst the excited students, with the observing teachers also seemingly bracing themselves when they saw the air wafting off of the pair of combatants. Even the seasoned Jonin shinobi gathered on the sidelines behind the Hokage were immediately intrigued by the matchup.

"Well now… this ought to be interesting," Kakashi stated while crossing his arms, earning nods of agreement from Asuma and Kurenai.

Unbeknownst to the students and teachers, out on the street behind the fence, standing at the front of the crowd of villagers and wearing his typical white robes, Hiashi Hyuuga had made found himself a comfortable spot to watch the Genin trials. While nobody really seemed to take notice of him, the head of the Hyuuga Clan didn't mind one bit, as he was now currently focused on watching his daughter fight against another from her class for the first time.

As Naruto and Hinata made the Sign of Confrontation with one another, both of whom couldn't shake the glares from their faces, a quietly watching Ino and Kiba couldn't help but cringe nervously at how scary Hinata was now looking.

"You think… they're going to be okay?" Ino asked, as she was now seeing a very long and bloody fight ahead of them. "I mean… they're not going to kill each other, right?"

"Beats me. Naruto and Hinata are both monsters in taijutsu. Not to mention no one from this class has ever been able to beat either of them in a straight up fight, so I can't tell you what's going to happen," Kiba commented in a quiet voice, lest the two kids out on the ring heard him. When Akamaru whimpered nervously, the boy with brown spiky hair sighed. "All I know is that this round is going to be epic."

Ino shivered when she felt the intensity radiating from both kids, "Two of the big four pitted against one another. I wonder what they're both thinking right now."

One hand still in his pocket after acknowledging his opponent with the proper hand seal, Naruto kept his eyes fixated on the girl across from him. "I've fought against kids and teenagers of all ages, sizes and strengths from every single clan in this village, including Hyuuga Clan drop outs and prodigies starting three years back. As far as my experience goes, the punks from that clan were the toughest S-O-Bs I'd ever brawled with." A smirk then tugged at his lips as he then slid his foot out and took a stance. "But… I know how they fight and I know how Hinata operates… so I have a good idea how to beat her."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ring, Hinata was still glaring heatedly at the blond, giving the impression that she wanted to murder the boy right where he stood. But while her outside told one story to everyone else, her insides were saying something else entirely.

"Oh Kami, I'm fighting Naruto-kun. What do I do? What do I do? I mean… I can't NOT fight him, otherwise I'll fail the Genin Exams and I won't be put on a team with him like I planned. S-So I have no choice but to fight him. But how?" Sweat started to appear on her brow as her jaw tightened uncomfortably. "Naruto-kun is strong, and he likes hanging out with and fighting really, really strong people. So… do I try to beat him or not? I-If I beat him, he'll get embarrassed and hate me for the rest of his life. But if I can't beat him and I let him take me down, then he'll lose interest in me completely and not talk to me ever again! GAAAH! No matter what I do, I'm screwed! There's no way I can work around this without getting Naruto-kun angry… the kindest, smartest, bravest, most daring, cutest, handsomest-RAAAAGH!" Her body started to shake with nerves as she continued rambling inside her brain. "What am I going to do?!"

As he continued to watch her, Naruto couldn't help but give the girl a strange look when he suddenly saw steam start floating off of the top of her head. Even the other kids and teachers seemed to notice this, with several of them beginning to exchange odd looks.

"Uhh… you okay, Hinata?" Naruto asked, starting to feel a little bit concerned at the girl's shaking, shivering and overheating bout.

Face turning red when she realized she was being addressed by her crush, Hinata stiffened up and nodded, "Ah. I… I'm fine, Naruto-kun. Just… lost in thought, you know. Heh-heh." Her voice actually broke mid-stutter, which earned a blink of unison from all the people present.

Choji, standing beside Shikamaru as he usually did, leant over and whispered to his friend. "This is weird. I've never heard Hinata stutter before… or seen her shaking in her boots in front of people."

"Yeah. Normally she'd have charged in by now and completely emasculated her opponent… but she's just standing there and sweating," the Nara whispered back in agreement.

"I think she might actually be scared of fighting Naruto," the Akimichi replied, who then shrugged when he saw the blonde perform a few neck stretches. "I mean, shoot, I wouldn't want to fight him. The guy can knock you out with a single punch or kick, and make it look like he isn't even trying. Heck, he even did it to Kiba not that long ago, and that guy's one of the best fighters in this class. But this… I just don't get it." The rotund youngster then scrunched his face up tightly. "Hinata… the quiet, smart, well-mannered, standoffish girl that isn't afraid of anything and would bite your head off if you made her mad enough."

Observing the girl for a few moments, Shikamaru then tilted his head thoughtfully. "There's a word to describe girls like her." He then leant over and whispered to his friend in clear, spaced-out syllables. "Tsun-de-re."

"Ah! Yeah… I can totally see that," Choji chirped before narrowing his eyes. "I mean… we're seeing the dere now… but where's the tsun?"

It was at that moment Hinata suddenly snapped her head towards the two boys and flashed her Byakugan menacingly at them, while at the same time showing off her blushing face and baring her fangs. "If you two don't shut up in the next few seconds, I'm going to come over there and eviscerate the both of you!"

The moment she shouted that threat, everyone in the crowd froze up, while Shikamaru and Choji seemingly teleported to the other side of the field to stand by the fence a safe, dozen yards away. The only people who seemed amused by this response were Tayuya, Sasuke and Naruto, the former of whom actually had to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"Ah. There it is,"Shikamaru and Choji both thought simultaneously as they stood as still as statues beside the fence, looking calm on the outside but were actually really terrified. Since their backs were turned to the crowd of villagers on the other side, they missed the entertained looks from the audience and the proud, fatherly snicker from Hiashi Hyuuga.

While Naruto finished laughing, the boy then watched Hinata turn back around to him to fix her clan's signature dōjutsu on him. Seeing he had her attention, but that she was still blushing and still looking incredibly tense, the delinquent nodded to her. "Hey, Hinata-chan." Noticing the girl shudder and blink at him, the youngster then beamed and gave her a sincere nod. "There's no need to be nervous. Come on. I really want you to show me that amazing, kick-ass fighting style of yours."

His words only seemed to make Hinata's face glow even redder. "My… a-amazing… fighting style?"

Naruto nodded and then widened his own stance, bringing his right hand up to protect his cheek while his left arm swayed in front of him. "Yeah. Just relax, shake it off, and come at me with everything you have. After all, this won't be any fun if you're not giving it your all." With a wink, he then proceeded to skip on the spot.

Completely enamored by the delinquent's words of encouragement and positivity, Hinata felt all her nerves and doubts evaporate, allowing her to take a deep breath and relax. Once relieved of her woes, the girl slid her foot out into a wide stance and, weaving her arms through the air, held them out into a defensive stance. During which time her Byakugan locked on her foe and her expression became one of utter seriousness once more.

"I'm ready."

Pleased to hear this, Naruto stopped his skipping and started to shuffle around the dirt ring, with Hinata moving in the opposite direction, causing both of them to begin circling one another. For the next few seconds the students and teachers watched the kids size one another up while moving around one another, getting closer and closer with every step. Eventually the pair had switched sides and were both still glaring one another down.

After seeing this, Iruka, feeling that the pair had settled down enough to begin, raised his hand and dropped it. "And… BEGIN!"

The moment he shouted, Naruto made the first move, darting forward in a blur and opening up on Hinata with a swift jab. Spotting the boy's attack closing in on her in a blur, the blue haired girl responded, using a sweeping motion of her arm to deflect his punch and his momentum to spin her around on the spot. The moment the delinquent slipped past her, the Hyuuga spun and struck towards the back of his head with a follow-up palm strike, aiming to knock him out. But the instant she did, she saw Naruto wheel around in a similar manner she did, using his momentum to spin and parry her blow.

From there the calm Hinata began lashing and striking out at Naruto with a series of swift, sharp, yet incredibly graceful and elegant palm strikes. Her blows and attacks hinging on flexible waist and body movements, the girl's finger jabs and hands flew towards the boy unheeded, only to be completely deflected when the delinquent proceeded to parry all of her blows with sharp elbows and hand swipes. Though her hands threatened to cut down the boy with direct blows and sharp bursts of chakra to his organs, Naruto kept all of her attacks from landing on him by knocking away each and every one of her attacks.

As Hinata pressed forward her attack, Naruto defended, leading to the two beginning an elaborate and graceful dance around one another.

The students and teachers watched the fight, observing Hinata and Naruto spin around one another at such a close proximity that their battle didn't even leave two paces from the floor space that they were fighting in. Yet the pair continued to trade blows, with the kunoichi-in-training throwing the most attacks as she attempted to nail the blond with at least one of her palm or finger strikes. But as their brisk, vicious exchange continued, the 'jinchuriki' continued to show a superb and wieldy defense against the female prodigy as he calmly redirected and dodged all of his opponent's attacks.

As dust was kicked up around the duo, Sasuke then blinked in surprise when he noticed something strange about their duel. "Hey… Tayuya… Naruto's fighting style… is he…?"

The redhead, being the only one who wasn't gaping in awe at the pair's battle, simply smiled from ear to ear and nodded. "Yep. I know." This caused the intently watching Sakura to look between the pair in confusion, as she had no idea what was going on.

Apparently Hiruzen and the shinobi standing around him also noticed this, with the old Hokage cracking a smile. "I see you've learned a few interesting tricks over the years, Naruto-kun. Well done."

Gritting her teeth when a few more of her circular swings and palm strikes were effortlessly parried by Naruto's firm blocks, deflections and arm positions, Hinata then tried to slip one by him by spinning around in the opposite direction following a strike and, when her body was only halfway around, she changed directions mid-swing into a sliding strike from below, her right hand striking upwards towards Naruto's ribs from under her left arm, while her left hand was blocking his line of sight. But somehow, with only a split second to react while standing just a foot from his opponent, Naruto deflected her blow downwards and retaliated with a swift straight from the same arm.

The blow struck across Hinata's extended limb to her left shoulder. Despite her parrying it, the force of the delinquent's blow sent the girl flying back with a thump and a yelp, sending her into a spin that she quickly corrected. Redirecting her momentum forward, she skidded to a stop, allowing the Hyuuga heiress to position her arms into a pressed sit back position and glare her opponent down, thus placing her outside of the tiny circle they'd been fighting in.

Naruto, switching hand positions and bringing his right arm across his face and left across his torso defensively, chuckled. "Monkey steals the fruit… I believe that's what that move was called. An underhanded jabbing strike from below on a circular reversal."

"And you countered with a fan parry and return across the left flank," Hinata replied with a seemingly surprised expression. "How… do you know my clan's fighting techniques?"

The delinquent shrugged, "I've run into a few Hyuuga in the past… some of them nice and some of them not-so-nice. But I did manage to learn a few cool tricks from them." The boy then changed hand positions again, switching to a southpaw stance while Hinata remained as she was. "I'm also a quick study of martial arts books and form. Watching you fight these last few years during Iruka's classes has given me a lot to think about, Hinata-chan."

With a frown still framing her face, the Hyuuga heiress took a deep breath before charging back in, meeting the boy with a flurry of palm strikes and body spins. Naruto retaliated in kind, parrying her blows while using shorter, compact movements and stepping into her defensive circle to negate her rotations and reach. Using his knowledge of the fact that the Hyuuga prefer fighting at middle range as opposed to up close, as the super close distance prevents them from using their circular flourishes characteristic of their style, Naruto kept at least two inches away from her at all times, allowing her to dance around him while he orbited in kind.

The act of which allowed the blond to effectively deflect and repel all of her strikes from all directions, preventing her from landing any successful palm strikes and hitting his chakra circulatory system.

From the sidelines, the Jonin shinobi were very impressed.

"That's some excellent defense work," Mikoto commented, earning a nod from Hiruzen in kind. "Short, swift, precise, and with no wasted movements whatsoever."

"Hinata Hyuuga is also doing exceptionally well," the Hokage stated with a smile. "Her family's Gentle Fist style is the most graceful and elegant I've ever seen. Every single one of her moves are designed to redirect her opponent's weight and momentum, allowing her to control his body movements and maneuver him into positions to counter. She also applies bursts of chakra from her limbs and body to compensate for sudden directional changes and engagements."

"But Naruto is cancelling all of these out completely," Mikoto informed, at the same time gesturing towards the boy. "His reaction time is ridiculous, even by shinobi standards. He's reading his opponent like a book, evading and circling around every single one of her kicks, palm strikes and backhands, and swaying away before moving back in with a series of swift counters. He's also moving with the flow of her chakra bursts, using the force from them to spin back in to retaliate. Though Hinata is able to deal with his movements, Naruto is taking advantage of her redirected blows and momentary lapses in balance to attack, while at the same time considering what she's going to do next. That kind of forethought and strategy is a rare gem to find in taijutsu practitioners. He's a truly gifted fighter."

"This much you can expect from someone who only uses taijutsu as his main form of combat," Hiruzen informed with a smile.

Grunting as she struggled to land a blow on the boy, resorting to spinning back and forth with palm and elbow strikes from two directions and multiple angles, Hinata quickly spun out of range, aiming a kick at Naruto's forward leg, only to watch him avoid it and counter with a right cross. Performing a quick turn and a rotation of her arms, Hinata swiftly fired off several straight blows and a spinning backhand, only for Naruto to effectively shoot them down and counter each one simultaneously. The Hyuuga blocked and retaliated swiftly in kind, their blows causing a series of dull thumps to ring out, before their arms crossed on a synchronized parry. They then stepped in close to only an inch away from one another.

Naruto then locked up the girl, planting a leg on the floor directly behind her calf while driving his arm across her neck and collar, digging his elbow into her shoulder. He kept Hinata's palms away from his body while the girl also locked down, the pair freezing in a static grappling lock as they glared across at their opponent at pointblank range.

The crowd watched on silently and nervously, wondering what was going to happen next, while the senior members of the group waited for Hinata to deflect his opponent with a quick juken burst from her tenketsu. But after several seconds of watching and waiting, Hiashi and the observing Jonin quickly realized that something was wrong.

As she continued to press into her opponent through a slightly red face, Hinata then blinked in surprise when she couldn't move. "I… I should've dislodged him by now with a chakra burst from my body to break his hold. Why isn't it working?"

Noticing the confusion in her eyes, Naruto smirked and spoke to the girl while he had her full attention. "Your Jūken (Gentle Fist) style works by leaking chakra out from the body's chakra openings, either in small bursts to repel enemies or needle-like blades to slice through substances. This allows you to redirect physical attacks, escape from holds and break out of restraints with minimal effort. Topped with your Byakugan, it also allows you to directly attack the chakra circulatory system and internal organs." The blond then gestured the girl's attention towards his limbs. "However… you're not the only one who is able to exude chakra from their body to fight."

When Hinata turned her attention to his limbs, she quickly noticed that chakra was bleeding out of Naruto's pores as well and being forced up against her body where they were making contact. This took the girl completely by surprise, as she hadn't been able to spot this until just now.

"B-But how?" Hinata stuttered in shock.

"This is another trick I picked up after fighting a Hyuuga drop out from the academy. By forcing my chakra outwards at such a close proximity, I'm able to create a vacuum effect on your pores by smothering your chakra openings, which is stopping you from emitting chakra blasts to break free. That means your close-range defenses have been shut down," Naruto responded, at the same time grinning excitedly at the girl. "It's one of the many weapons I've developed for my Kūken (Void Fist) style."

Hinata gaped at the boy as the pair held their ground, their limbs trembling as they pushed against one another. Despite being caught in such a precarious position, the blue haired academy student could only stare at her opponent with a newfound sense of awe and admiration.

"Naruto-kun… you're… amazing," Hinata thought.

Figuring they'd held out long enough, Naruto then dragged his arm across her collar and cupped his hands right over her stomach, at the exact same time Hinata did. At once, both students let off a blast of chakra from their hands, sending both combatants sliding away from one another to skid to a stop several feet away.

Still grinning excitedly, the completely unfazed Naruto then dashed in for another engagement, at the same time Hinata reciprocated. The girl spun in with a series of palm strikes and back hands, letting off blasts of chakra to try and repel and disrupt her opponent's fighting style. However, thanks to the blonde's complimentary body movements and orthodox deflections, none of her attacks managed to land, leading to the boy stepping inside her defensive range once more.

Giving a low growl of momentary frustration, Hinata felt the boy catch and trap her arm for what felt like the tenth time in a row, before quickly deciding to use a new move. Swinging her arms around in a quick flourish, at the same time deftly twisting her wrist from his grip, the girl suddenly pivoted on the spot before throwing herself into a spin. Spotting her maneuver, a still defensive Naruto suddenly hit the brakes on his counterattack, just in time to watch the girl's form begin spinning like a top just two feet in front of her, blue chakra spilling from her body and forming into a miniature cyclone around her. The audience watched in astonishment when a dome of wind and energy surrounded Hinata, who then gave a cry of effort.

"Hakkesho Kaiten!" (Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven) the Hyuuga bellowed, before releasing a massive surge of chakra and causing the rotating dome around her to expand violently and with force.

Reacting in alarm, Naruto jumped away at the last second to avoid the surface of the sphere from hitting him, leaping to a safe distance to observe as Hinata's attack burrowed a crater into the floor around her, while sending debris and dust pelting in all directions.

The Chunin and the Jonin watching from the sidelines could only stare in surprise as the academy student unleashed her defensive trump card.

"Hey. Isn't that…?" Kurenai spoke with wide eyes.

"The Hyuuga Clan's secret taijutsu technique," Kakashi informed, watching along with the rest of the shocked audience as the dome retracted and Hinata stopped spinning. As the wind and dust started to settle around her position, the Jonin with silver hair lowered his head thoughtfully. "A defensive move that's been passed down through the members of the main household for generations. It allows the users to deflect and repel all forms of physical attack by creating a field of outwardly rotating energy by spinning the body and expelling chakra from all of their openings. From what I heard, that is an incredibly difficult technique to master…"

"And Hinata is able to use it at such a young age?" Asuma murmured, unable to fully believe what he'd just watched either.

Hiashi, hearing the mutterings and clamor caused by Hinata's display of the technique, smiled proudly. "Hinata is a fine, talented warrior… born with the strength and clout that has the potential to make her one of the strongest Hyuuga in history. To be honest, I never thought something like this was even possible. Years ago I'd almost lost hope… thinking that Hinata's shy, timid and compassionate nature would keep her from reaching her full potential. But then… one day… her disposition and attitude towards training changed entirely… and since then all of her time and effort has been devoted to building her skills, studying her techniques, and making herself stronger, both mentally and physically." The father then smiled when he saw his daughter reassume a new stance in the middle of the field. "She's growing faster and becoming more powerful than I could've ever imagined. However…" His gaze then switched over to Naruto, whom he could see was staring back at his opponent with an unflinching, undeterred look. "The opponent you're fighting today Hinata… the one who inspired your newfound strength and confidence, and whom you've come to idolize… he's on an entirely different level."

After staring at the smirking Hinata for a moment, Naruto then chuckled and slid his foot back. "So… you had a technique like that hidden up your sleeve? I gotta say, that was pretty impressive… and a little bit scary. If you'd actually hit me with that, I would've been in big trouble." It was then he shifted his weight behind him and clenched his fists tightly, causing his opponent to lower herself cautiously. "But… even with its perfect three hundred and sixty degrees of defense and power, it does have one critical weakness." He then crouched down low into a sprinter's stance and braced himself, his muscles noticeably bulking up and straining against his pants and jacket. A wicked grin then spread across his lips. "Here. Let me show you."

Hinata shuffled back cautiously for a moment, not exactly sure what the boy had planned. However, just as she and everybody else were watching, she suddenly saw the boy's form transform into a blur and zigzag towards her in a flash. Recoiling in alarm when she suddenly saw the boy's face just an inch in front of her, his body taking up half of her perfect field of view, the blue haired girl bit her teeth together and instinctively threw a right palm strike for his head.

"S-So fast!" Hinata thought, her attack flying towards his face, only to suddenly see his fist come up and slam into her extending hand. With her arm only halfway, the force of his punch reverberated down her arm and caused it to blow back sharply, a look of shock appearing on the girl's face when her whole body weight was thrown back. "He intercepted my strike mid-swing? Damn it!" Thinking fast, the girl then used the backwards momentum of her deflected arm to send herself into a spin. "No time to recover! I'll have to use it again!" With a quick burst of chakra to get her motor running, the girl's feet dragged across the floor in a circular direction while her arms began to curl. "H-Hakkesho Kait-"

THUMP

All of a sudden, just as she was getting her momentum going, Hinata's body stopped moving. Looking up in shock as a blast of wind rippled from her, the girl saw Naruto had intercepted her body on the very first turn; his left arm held protectively across his chin while his hand gripped the wrist of her right arm, keeping it fully extended. What's more, not only was the right side of her body turned into him, but her forward right foot had been stopped by his left leg, which had dug into the floor directly behind her calf, keeping it stuck there.

The crowd of academy students and teachers could only watch silently in amazement, as Naruto had Hinata completely locked down.

Naruto grinned widely when he saw his opponent staring over her shoulder at him. "The strength of that technique comes from the speed of your continuous rotations. However, if you cut off the user before they can pick up speed at the start of their movement, it cancels out the technique completely and stops you dead. Now I have you!"

Gasping, Hinata quickly tried to break out, but Naruto suddenly switched things up by thrusting his left arm over her body before sweeping her legs out from under her, at the same time tipping and causing her to fall backwards. With her footing gone, the girl was sent dropping to the floor like a dead weight. However, with a quick burst of chakra from her back, the young heiress quickly spun out of the body dump, slammed a hand into the ground, and expertly cartwheeled away.

Managing to recover from the boy's tripping maneuver, Hinata landed safely on the other side of the ring and quickly stood up, only to see Naruto was charging right at her once again. Stumped at his speed and aggression, the girl responded to the boy's approach with a left palm strike from the side, at the same time using her right hand to guard her face when she saw his left fist extending.

From the audience's point of view it happened in an instant, but from Naruto and Hinata's point of view, it was all taking place in slow motion.

Hinata's arm shot forward in a blur of motion. "I'll match his approach with a counter!" Suddenly the girl saw the delinquent step in much closer, shortening the range considerably and causing the heiress's eyes to widen. "No! The motion is too short! It's direct from the right! So I'll dodge to the left!" Just as the girl was moving to avoid for her counter to follow-through, she suddenly saw his right hand come into play and shoot upwards in a flash. "No? That was a feint! An uppercut!"

Out of desperation Hinata hit the brakes and threw her body back as fast as she could, just in time to dodge the boy's uppercut that shot past a millimeter from her face and into the air. This blow ended up causing a sharp gust of wind to ripple off of Naruto, which kicked up dust and sent a compressed blast of force shooting skywards. All those standing outside of the arena felt the breath of the shockwave hit them in the faces, with all the kids gasping at how close Naruto's punch came to taking Hinata's head clean off.

Clenching her jaw when she felt the burn of his knuckles barely graze her chin, the blue haired girl watched Naruto calmly retract his fist. Seizing the moment, Hinata dove in with a right finger strike towards his neck. "That was close! I couldn't anticipate that attack at all! But now I can finish this! I'll target the primary node in his neck and cut off his chakra!" Her fingers flew towards the boy, who watched her attack approach at the same time his arm dropped. "Follow Naruto-kun's arm back in and-Gah!" Just a split second before her attack could land however, Hinata suddenly felt her legs and body give out, causing her to stumble past Naruto.

In response, the blond simply stepped out of the way and watched the girl drop to the floor like a sack of flour.

On her hands and knees, Hinata stared ahead of her in shock, her Byakugan deactivating at the same time as she felt every muscle in her body seize up. Trembling, the girl attempted to make sense as to what was going on, as her vision quickly became spotty.

"W-What the? What's… going on?" Hinata gasped, trying to will her body to stop trembling but failing. "I… I can't move…"

Seeing Hinata was down with Naruto standing calmly next to her, completely unscathed, the kids began clamoring in confusion. As everyone started talking amongst each other, a startled Sakura glanced across at Tayuya and Sasuke.

"Hang on. Why is Hinata down?" the pink haired girl asked, as the entire exchange happened too fast for her to see. "Didn't Naruto's punch miss? What the heck happened?"

"His uppercut didn't miss." The new voice had Sakura and everybody else turn to look at Kurumi, where they saw the tallest girl in their age group staring at the field with both her Sharingan activated. "It was close, but he managed to graze her chin with the edge of his knuckles when she tried to sway back. Hinata may not have felt it, but it definitely hit." The raven haired girl narrowed her eyes. "Was that… intentional?"

"You bet it was," Tayuya remarked, as she was certain of the blonde's intentions.

"But then… if it just grazed her, then why is she…?" Sakura began, only to stop short when she took a moment to think about it. Her eyes then snapped back to the field. "Ah! I see!"

"If you get hit in the chin, it shakes your brain in a way that makes your body freeze up because of its connection to the nervous system," Tayuya said, her arms still crossed as she smiled across at her roommate, whom he saw was looking down at Hinata in a concerned manner. "Even if you're conscious, your body won't respond the way you want it to, leading to a temporary shutdown in motor functions. Thanks to that hit, Hinata won't be able to get back up… at least not right away."

"It'll take a little bit for the effects and muscle spasms to wear off. But by the time she's able to move, she'd already be knocked out or killed," Sasuke finished, hands on his hips and his serious gaze fixed on the scene in front of him. "Hinata lost."

Taking in all of this information spelled out to her, Sakura exhaled in amazement. "Wow." Outwardly she was stunned, but inside, her heart was racing a mile a minute as her eyes fixed on the blond victor. "He really is incredible."

Iruka, snapping out of his shocked reverie, finished up the count in his head and quickly thrust his arm out. "And that's it! Naruto is the winner! Well done you two." An excited cheer and applause of congratulations starting up amongst the students, the Chunin then gave his next set of instructions to the youngsters still out in the open. "Be sure to give the Sign of Reconciliation before stepping off the field."

Body still trembling as she knelt there on the floor, Hinata suddenly felt a shadow over her and looked up. When she did, she saw the kindly face of her opponent staring back down at her.

"Hey. You okay?" Naruto asked, at the same time offering a hand to the girl. "I didn't hit your chin too hard, did I?"

After gazing up at the boy for a moment, the normally coolheaded girl whispered. "N-Naruto-ku-" Gasping, the girl then blushed and shook her head, before then looking away heatedly. "Hmph. You don't need to act so concerned. I'm fine. Your punch just surprised me, that's all."

Not put off by the girl's huffed response in the slightest, Naruto continued to smile and kept his hand out. "Oh. That's good. But I'd feel like a bit of a prick if I didn't offer the young lady a hand after she's fallen down."

At first not saying anything, Hinata's pale eyes shifted between the crowd and Naruto's hand a couple of times. Her blush then deepened when she hesitantly reached up and accepted, allowing the noble delinquent to hoist her up. Once she was on her feet, the girl shoved her hands in her pockets and looked away. "Th-Thanks."

"You're welcome."

As Naruto and Hinata walked back on their own terms, the children immediately flocked around them, with Kurumi immediately gushing over Naruto's skills, Sakura giving him back his Bo staff carrier, and Tayuya teasing him for being such a showoff. During this same period the Jonin spectators and the Hokage couldn't help but nod their heads in approval of the performance they'd just witnessed, as they were able to see for themselves the kind of talent that would be coming out of this year's group.

Even Hiashi, who was hiding amongst the crowd of spectators on the road, was deeply impressed with the display. Though his daughter did lose, he knew she still had much growth and experience to gain before she could become anything. So, in spite of the outcome, the man continued to smile as the next round in the taijutsu portion of the exam began.

OOO

As for the instructors at the academy and their students it was business as usual. Once the last of the fights had been wrapped up, with none of the following bouts even coming close to the excitement earned from the Naruto, Sasuke, Kurumi and Hinata battles, Iruka then dismissed the youngsters for lunch. The kids broke off to their respective areas to eat, not only giving the teachers time to mark the exams the classes had taken so far, but also allowing the students to mentally and physically prepare themselves for the final hurdles to come.

Seeing as how this day was touching all the bases of their education, they had a great deal of expectations riding on their shoulders. What with the arrival of the Hokage and a handful of other shinobi, it wasn't just a matter of proving themselves worthy of the rank of Genin to their teachers. They also had to show their village leader and the adults they would be working aside that they were capable of carrying the weight and responsibilities of Konohagakure. So far their marks had all been steady, with only a few showing exceptional talent and skill in the handful of key areas.

But confidence was still high amongst the students, and by the time lunch break was over, the final tests could begin.

This was the ninjutsu portion of the tests, where all the kids were lined up and instructed to go through the three E-Rank techniques they'd learned over the last two years.

The first was the Kawarimi no Jutsu (Replacement Technique), where they were expected to replace their body with one of the objects provided, whether it is a log, a dummy, a chair, or anything else of comparable size. This test was conducted inside the academy's main hall with the students from both classes standing on one side of the room and the objects lined up on the other. Grading was based on how quickly and stealthily they could perform this technique, while also switching places with the provided items.

Then there was the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique). For this one the students were taken back to their classes and lined up, where they were then given a series of photographs of individuals they were required to transform into. Grading was based on all the details they were able to capture from the photos, with the Chunin inspecting each transformation closely for any unusual anomalies.

Finally, there was the Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique), the move that one particular student in the year level could not do, no matter how hard he tried. It was also the main concern of everyone, because it was the one technique that determined whether some of the students would pass or fail. But success was only determined by those who practiced and perfected, and one by one, as the students were called into the next room to perform the technique for the teachers, each and every one performed the jutsu successfully and without fail.

And so, after watching Tayuya and Sasuke leave the room, Naruto was then called up. Appearing a little bit anxious, the boy walked into the chamber across the hall with Tama on his shoulder, where he discovered Iruka, Mizuki and Daikoku sitting behind a desk covered in headbands, with Hiruzen Sarutobi and Mikoto Uchiha standing beside them and watching. Initially surprised to see the Hokage there, the youngster waltzed out in front of the heads of the academy and administration area, and stood before them with his hands in his pockets.

Iruka smiled at seeing the boy stand at the front of the room. "Hello, Naruto. Pretty exciting day, wouldn't you agree?"

The youngster smiled and nodded, "Oh yeah. Hell exciting." He then turned to Hiruzen and Mikoto, and bowed his head to both of them in greeting. "Hokage-jiji… Mikoto-san."

When the pair nodded to the youngster in kind, Iruka turned to his paperwork and, after skimming over it for a moment, then looked up towards the blond once more. "So, as I discussed with you a month prior, you don't need to perform a successful Bunshin no Jutsu in order to move on to the rank of Genin. Your performances in this year's tests, as well as your recent displays in the exams, were more than enough to get you a pass with distinction from me. However, if you still wish to give this technique one last try, I will allow it."

Taking a deep breath, Naruto then brought his hands up and laced his fingers together. "Oh well… no harm in trying, right?" Flying through hand seals, he manipulated his chakra just like he practiced to produce a clone, a split second before a puff of smoke went up next to him. Waving it away, the blond looked hopefully across the way, only to then look down to find two, pale-white emaciated copies of himself lying on the ground on top of each other. Frowning, he then looked back at the crowd of instructors awkwardly, whom he could see were all looking at his duplicates oddly. "Yeah… and that happens."

A chuckle left Mizuki's lips as he smiled across at his fellow instructor and friend. "Not everyone can be good at everything. I mean, out of all the techniques and practices in the world, there's always going to be at least one aspect that people will always falter at, no matter how hard they try." He then held a hand out towards the child while looking over at Daikoku. "Naruto may be terrific in all other areas of being a shinobi; combat, study, stealth… but he doesn't even know how to perform a single ninjutsu above the required E-Rank techniques. Are you sure he will be alright out there in the real world?"

Daikoku chuckled. "There have been many ninja in the past who've advanced without knowing any ninjutsu at all. Even the majority of shinobi from small families and clans only have taijutsu, kenjutsu and shurikenjutsu at their disposal. Considering how good this kid is at taijutsu, I don't see any problems with him moving on to the forces."

This assessment had Mizuki chuckle and look back towards the front. "I suppose that's alright. Very well. I'll trust you two on your judgement."

Upon hearing the remarks of his colleagues and seeing the unconscious clones Naruto had created disappear in two puffs of smoke, Iruka smiled and scribbled down the results. "It was a good effort, Naruto. Even though you were unsuccessful here, you've still earned enough credit to get your headband. So, as your homeroom teacher and instructor, it is my pleasure to-" Just as the man was reaching for a headband on his table, he was suddenly stopped by Mikoto Uchiha holding a hand out to him. Looking up, the young man then watched the woman walk over to Naruto to stand in front of her.

Seeing the boy staring up at her curiously, the head of the Uchiha Clan beamed and, reaching into her pouch, pulled out another Konoha headband; a slightly scratched one sewn to a new, blue strip of fabric. As soon as his eyes turned to it, Mikoto spoke. "This forehead protector belonged to your mother. It was given to me on the day after she died at my request… and now I'm giving it to you, in honor of the occasion." Reaching down, she removed the goggles sitting over his brow and replaced it with the headband. Once it was wrapped tightly around his head, the woman stepped back and smiled. "Wherever she is… and wherever your father is, I pray that they will watch out for you and protect you from here on out."

Her words of sincerity caused Naruto's eyes to shimmer with happiness and sadness, with the boy sniffing and straightening up. With Tama hanging off of his shoulder comfortably, the youngster responded in kind. "Th-Thank you, Mikoto-san." He then shook his head and grinned. "I mean… Future Hokage-sama."

The woman giggled and, reaching up, ruffled his hair. "Just Mikoto is fine, Naruto-kun."

As Naruto laughed and showed his friend Tama that he'd finally earned his headband, and Mikoto finished congratulating him for graduating, behind all the laughing and smiling going on from the majority of the people in the room, Mizuki was having his own reaction. Discreetly folding his fingers in front of his mouth, the man hid his displeasure through a veil of composure, while his eyes reflected thoughts of a less friendly nature.

"These ignorant fools are going to lead this village to ruin," the man thought, his stomach churning with disgust at seeing Mikoto Uchiha interacting with the Kyuubi's jinchuriki with such a carefree manner.

OOO

Not long afterwards, the academy students from both classrooms were then led by their Chunin instructors to the Hokage Tower, where they were all guided to the top of the building and arranged in an orderly fashion at the balcony. It was from that roof, every single child there saw an enormous crowd of villagers had been gathered on the roads and courtyard below. And it wasn't just farmers, shop keepers and other hospitality workers that had turned up. Shinobi and caretakers from every single clan had also taken to the scene and had arranged themselves beneath the shadow of both the tower and the monument.

Sasuke, Naruto, Tayuya, Sakura, Kurumi and Hinata, all of whom were standing in a row, could only look on in amazement at the thousands of people they could see below. As they marveled at the sights and attempted to make out all the familiar faces in the crowd, they suddenly heard a massive cheer go up. When they looked across to the very center of the balcony, where a gap in their line had been made, they saw the Third Hokage standing there, clad in his Hokage robes and arms at his sides.

After waving and smiling to all the villagers formed up down below, the elderly village leader then dropped his hand and set it on the balcony's railing.

"Today is a momentous day for Konohagakure! Because not only are we proud to recognize and congratulate this year's group of newly graduated Genin, and acknowledge their outstanding achievements," After gesturing to the two lines of students on either side of him, Hiruzen then took a step to the side and held his arm out to the person standing behind him, "we are also here to celebrate the start of a new era! An era that I believe will lead us all down the road to a better tomorrow! These last few years have seen our village gripped by great economic upset, personal heartbreak and social strife, and recently saw the near devastation of one of our community's founding circles. However, in spite of the tragic events of that horrifying night, the clan has managed to endure, and from the aftermath of the attack, have not only resewn the bonds of friendship and allegiance with our village, have also unified their branches and grown even stronger than before. All thanks to the efforts and guidance of one individual! It is this individual, this beacon of humanity, who I am pleased to announce has been selected, by you, myself and the daimyo, to be the next Hokage! Mikoto Uchiha!"

As soon as his speech was done, a loud cry went up throughout the village as cheers and applause rained down upon the great red tower. Under the calls of adulation and celebration, the kunoichi standing behind Hiruzen approached the balcony, where she stood by the railings beside the village leader. With a proud smile on her face, the woman in the black uniform and vest turned to Hiruzen. After bowing to him gratefully, Mikoto then saw the man remove the wide-brimmed hat from his head and hand it over to her, which she accepted gladly.

The moment the raven haired mother placed the hat on, an even louder cheer and applause went up. The kunoichi herself placed her hand on her hip and, with a grin, posed before the village at the balcony while Hiruzen stepped back, clapping for the woman just as the newly dubbed Genin did.

Naruto, standing closest to the middle, glanced across at Sasuke standing on the other side of Tayuya, whom he could see was practically beaming at his mother with pride. This sight put a smile on the blonde's face, who didn't hesitate to clap for Mikoto as well and silently offer her his best wishes.

As a blast of wind whipped across the balcony, the kunoichi in the center stage then spoke in a loud and clear voice, making her first address directly to the Third. "Thank you, Hiruzen, for granting me the honor of this seat, and thank you everyone for giving me this chance! I know that in the last several years my people and this village has had their share of hardships and disagreements. But following the incident with the Uchiha Clan and our district, I have done my very best to bring our people together and rebuild all that we had lost- our relationship, our reputation, and our standing within this great community! That is why, starting from today, I make you this solemn vow; to my forbearers, to my clan, and to the village- my family- that I will show you the same care, diligence, and dedication that I have shown to my position as the head of the Uchiha Clan, to the role as this village's first Uchiha and first female Hokage!" She then swung her hand out from one side of the horizon to the other in a grand gesture of dignity. "From this moment on, I, Mikoto Uchiha, am the new leader of the Village Hidden in the Leaves! The Fifth Hokage!"

Her speech came with a thunderous cheer and applause, which damn near shook the foundations of the Hokage Tower itself. The Genin at the top could only look on in awe as the whole village of Konoha celebrated the passing of the torch from Hiruzen to Mikoto, who was now officially given the title of leader of the hidden leaf. Overwhelmed by the downpour of support and praise, the children relished in the moment, and also applauded the kunoichi's assignment to the role of the village leader.

Despite being in the spotlight, Naruto and Tayuya were sure to give Sasuke a good thump in the arm and a solid, best friend congratulations to the boy. Though the raven haired genius attempted to hide it, he was unable to keep the big grin from his face as all the kids standing near him gave him their approval and admiration. Of course, it wasn't just the generational torch passing that was being celebrated.

For all of them, to be part of this moment, and to have graduated on this very day to become Genin of the hidden leaf, it was something grand and momentous for all of them. It was like a new stepping stone in their lives had been reached, where they would use it as a springboard to launch them to more great moments in the foreseeable future. Though none of the kids there knew what awaited them on the road ahead, they knew that it was going to be promising.

As the village continued to voice their approval of the inauguration of the new Hokage, the newly graduated Genin were all assembled into two separate rows, with Mikoto Uchiha standing in the middle. Together, with her son on her left, Naruto on her right, with Tayuya, Hinata, Kurumi, Sakura and all the other kids formed closely together, they all had a picture together with the newest village leader. The first couple of photos by the photographer were of course for posterity and photocopying, while the last couple involved Mikoto making funny faces and poses with the children, who all did something unique and memorable for the moment.

Once all the pictures, handshakes and wishes of good fortune were made at the top of the Hokage Tower, the children were then led back down to ground level. It soon occurred to all of them as they exited the central administration building that it was already drawing late into the afternoon, as the sun was now starting to set over the horizon. This told them that the final hours of the day had progressed even longer than they had expected, but was nevertheless a welcome sign.

When the children finally exited the building, they were all greeted by their parents at the front gates. The families that had turned out to witness the occasion all congratulated their children when they filed out of the capital building one after the other, with several of the kids quickly being led away to celebrate the day with a big feast and a night on the town. Obviously big arrangements had been made to commemorate this particular day, which was not lost on any of the kids as they hurried off to gush to their parents how easy or amazing their trials had been.

However, amidst all the clamor and delight, there were two particular youngsters who were discussing their own plans for the evening.

"So… where do you think we should go out to celebrate tonight?" Tayuya asked a cheerful looking Naruto as they marched through the crowd of parents and recently promoted Genin. "Wanna go hit up Ichiraku's and have another shot at the Super Mega Pork Pot Ramen Eating Challenge? Or do you feel like some traditional, handmade Udon over at the Sing-Sing Bar across from our street?"

"Hmm. Good pitches. I'm almost tempted to grab either one of them," Naruto responded, rubbing his chin as he gave the options a long moment of pause. After Tama and Tayuya waited for the delinquent to pick, the blond then snapped his fingers and stopped in his tracks. "A day like today requires something a little more special." He then turned to grin at his roommate. "I'm craving meat. Meat that is rare and practically screams when you cut into it."

Staring at him for a moment, the redhead snorted in amusement. "I… don't think there are any restaurants in this village that specialize in the catering and cooking of human flesh, Naruto-kun." She then looked away with a cheeky grin. "I mean, shit, I knew you had some weird and questionable tastes before, but cannibalism? Damn."

"N-… wh-? NO! No!" Naruto shouted while forming a big 'X' with his arms. "I didn't mean people meat, Tayuya-chan! Geez! I said that I just feel like something with some extra bite in it. A gourmet delicacy that only one place in this village can provide. The place otherwise known as barbeque haven." He then brought his hand up and clenched it into a fist. "Yakiniku Q!"

Nodding a couple of times in understanding, the flute player then looked ahead of her. "Sounds like a plan." Looking around to see some of the parents and children already starting to leave, Tayuya then raised an eyebrow. "Think there will be any booths left when we get there? It looks like the village is in for one hell of a night."

"I'm sure we'll be able to find something available," Naruto chirped, before then puffing his chest out confidently and flicking his newly acquired headband. "After the streak I've had today, I'm feeling super lucky."

A couple seconds after he said this, the boy suddenly felt a pat on his shoulder, prompting him and Tayuya to turn around. They then got a bit of a surprise when they saw Sakura standing there, who jumped a little when the blond and his friend fixed their attention on her. Quickly slipping her hands behind her back, the pink haired girl then did her best to appear as friendly and pleasant as she possibly could.

"H-Hey, Naruto-kun," the young girl spoke, while brushing some of her long locks back over her shoulder.

"Oh. Hey, Sakura-chan. What's up?" the delinquent asked, turning to her with Tama swishing her tail back and forth happily at the sight of the youngster.

"Nothing much. Just… wanted to say you did really awesome in those exams," Sakura responded, doing her best to maintain her composure, as she could feel three sets of eyes burrowing into her. "What you did in that taijutsu test was super cool. I'd never seen anything like it before, at least not in person. You made it look so easy."

Naruto chuckled at the girl's compliments, at the same time scratching his head bashfully. "Well, it certainly wasn't. Hinata was one of the toughest opponents I'd ever fought. It took me forever to come up with the perfect counter to her clan's fighting style… and getting the timing right on her movements was quite a chore." He then laughed a little when he sensed Tayuya giving him a funny look at his attempts to be humble. "If I wasn't so good at taijutsu, she would've kicked my ass."

Giving a little laugh at the boy's jab at himself, Sakura then stepped towards the boy fondly. "Umm… you… wouldn't mind if I hung out with you tonight? My mum and dad said that I could go hang out with my friends if I didn't want to come home just yet, so…" She then swayed on the spot anxiously. "Would that be okay with you and Tayuya-san?"

Glancing at one another briefly, Tayuya then gave her blond companion a smile and glanced back at the pinkette. "I don't see why not. If we're going to be heading out to a restaurant to celebrate our class's graduation, the more the merrier I'd say."

Taking this as permission to move forward, Naruto turned back to Sakura. "Yeah. You can definitely come along." Seeing Sakura's face light up gleefully, the blond then placed his hands on his hips assertively. "If we're making this a group thing, then how about we grab a few more? It would be a pretty dull party if it was just the three of us…"

"Did you say you guys are going to a party?" A new voice suddenly spoke up from behind, prompting Naruto to spin around. In that moment, he, Tayuya and Sakura came face to face with the blonde's Uchiha fan club: the tall, gorgeous Kurumi, the green kimono wearing Yumi, and the jumper clad Mirai.

Realizing that Kurumi had spoken up, Naruto directed his attention to the taller girl, who rested her knuckles on her right hip. "If it's an open invite, then we would love to come along and celebrate with you guys."

"Yeah! Totally!" Mirai spoke up, at the same time giving a 'V' sign and a wink.

"Since our entire clan is going to be out and partying all night on the town, we want to have a chance to rock out with our friends and fellow graduates," Yumi added, swaying back and forth nervously as she did. "That is… if it's okay with him."

Naruto, feeling elated at attracting such a group so easily, grinned brightly. "Well… I haven't turned down anyone yet. You girls are more than welcome to come." His statement had Kurumi grin and Mirai give a hearty cheer.

Tayuya chuckled as she stared across at the extra additions. "Wow. Now we're really going to have a hard time finding a table at the restaurant." After all, with the trio's inclusion, this bumped their total up to six.

"Unless we know someone who can help get us in through the back door," Naruto murmured, rubbing his chin as he then scanned the crowd around them. A few moments later, his blue eyes then landed on a familiar pair standing side-by-side just a few feet away. His expression immediately flickered with success the instant he recognized them and pointed, "Like that guy right there…"

OOO

(Later that evening)

Once the sun had set over the horizon, the village was in full celebration, as the streets were packed with party goers, the air was drowning in laughter and music, and the sky was filled with stars and fireworks. There was so much going on at this time that it wouldn't surprise anyone if any of the non-shinobi communities in the area would be able to see and hear them. Of course, nobody was worrying one bit. Thanks to the incredibly high defensive walls and extra defenses put into place in the lead up to this night, the people could relax and enjoy the festivities that their town had to offer.

However, the buzz and commotion did make it difficult for the authorities to put the hammer down on troublemakers within the village itself, or spot any unsavory characters conducting illegal business.

Outside of the downtown suburbs and entertainment boulevards packed with night goers, on one of the bridges crossing one of the few canals passing through Konohagakure, a shady figure was standing and watching the water run beneath him. Sporting a purple shinobi uniform, dark gloves, sandals, with short silver hair held back by a hidden leaf headband and a pair of round glasses, the young man had been standing and leaning against the railing for some time. It was only when he heard a set of footsteps against the wooden bridge that life eventually kicked back into him, and he looked up with a smile.

"You're late, Mizuki," the young man spoke in an arrogant tone of voice.

Hands in his pockets, the Chunin academy instructor, sporting his usual uniform but with a Konoha bandana on his head, stopped in the middle of the causeway and frowned. "Sorry. I got held up at the academy. Had some extra paperwork I needed to file away." He then nodded towards the man in glasses. "What do you want, Kabuto?"

Turning his attention towards the sky above, where he saw a few extra fireworks go off, the young male chuckled. "Quite the party that's going on, wouldn't you agree? An Uchiha being promoted to the illustrious position of Hokage… and Mikoto Uchiha no less? Honestly, I never thought I would see the day."

Mizuki narrowed his eyes and replied sarcastically, "Yes. It's almost a miracle." He then removed a hand from his pocket to hang it at his side. "You didn't call this meeting just to have some idle chitchat under the stars, did you? Because if you did then I'll just consider this a waste of time and excuse myself."

"No. No. Of course not," Kabuto replied, turning around and leaning against the bar. "Let's not go jumping to extremes, Mizuki-kun. I was just trying to break the ice. That's all." The shinobi from Konoha then crossed his arms and grinned. "No. What I really called you out here for was for something far more important than some long-shot candidate being elected to Konoha's highest office. You know what I'm talking about. The relic once owned by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju?"

Facing the glasses-wearing shinobi again, the impatient Chunin sighed, "The Scroll of Seals… right?"

"Bingo," Kabuto remarked, at the same time nudging his glasses up his nose. "Orochimaru-sama is very interested in getting his hands on that artefact… and he would like you to go retrieve it for him as a test of your continued loyalty and service to him. It's an easy enough job with very few guards or obstacles to cross. And with the village locked down in such a wild fiesta, you'll be able to sneak in and out of the Hokage's mansion without any trouble."

"If it's so easy then why don't you do it?" Mizuki asked, crossing his arms to glare back at the young male.

"I have other orders," Kabuto explained, not even breaking his calm character as he smirked back at the man. "Yours on the other hand have some… additional requirements. Once you've gotten the Scroll of Seals for our master, he wants you to meet up with him at his base in the western plains, just off of the border with Kaze no Kuni (Land of Wind). He says he wants to continue on with the final stages of your Cursed Seal's completion."

"The Animal Seal?" Mizuki questioned, earning a nod from the young male that had the Chunin look down. "After the last couple of trials I've had, if my calculations are correct, then one more advancement would-"

"Would make you even stronger than Konoha's finest shinobi," Kabuto finished, bringing a grin to Mizuki's lips as the full realization of the experiment finally sunk in. "That is if you successfully manage to acquire the Scroll of Seals… and if you don't die during the process." He said that last part under his breath, as that portion of his reply wasn't something the Chunin needed to hear.

Once the reaction had come full circle, Mizuki looked back at Kabuto with a smirk. "Is there anything else Orochimaru-sama wishes of me?"

"Yes. There is one more thing," Kabuto continued, ignoring the flashes of more fireworks overhead as he kept his gaze firmly fixed on his informant. "He also wants you to find and kill Sasuke Uchiha, and bring his body along with you." This order had the smile on Mizuki's face disappear. "That shouldn't be too much of a problem, will it?"

The white haired Chunin huffed. "No. Not at all. In fact… consider it done." Turning his back on the man, Mizuki then started to march off of the bridge, his eyes closing on the way down the slope. "Taking into account young Sasuke's current level of ability… I won't even need my Cursed Seal to destroy him. This will be child's play." He then disappeared into the dark, leaving Kabuto standing under the eerie light on the bridge.

As the sounds of celebrations and partying continued echoing in the distance, Kabuto's smile remained when he sensed a second figure appear behind him. Sensing them walk up the bridge and step into the edge of the light he was standing in, the grey haired spy and infiltrator then spoke. Heck, he didn't even have to turn to face the person to know who they were.

"How's the progress on cleaning up the rest of Danzo's hidden labs going?" Kabuto asked curiously.

His question earned a stern grunt from the man dressed in black, wearing a bird ANBU mask with an elongated beak, and with short spiky hair atop his head. "They've all been emptied out and scrubbed down from top to bottom, as per your master's request. It won't take long for my men to have all the research and information sealed up and dispatched to Orochimaru's headquarters in Otogakure."

The young man then glanced over his shoulder. "Did you manage to find any loose Sharingan lying around while you were at it?"

"No," the silver haired man replied gruffly, at the same time reaching up and removing his mask. When he did, he revealed the face of a middle aged man with big cheek bones, an old war scar running from over his right eye and down to his left chin, and a pair of red eyes with three black tomoe spinning in each one. This turned out to be none other than Tetsuo, who was the same Uchiha who spoke up about rebelling against Konoha back at the Uchiha Clan meeting four years ago. "Any Sharingan Danzo had in his possession were either lost or destroyed when he died… including the ones he had in cold storage."

Kabuto clicked his tongue and looked away in disappointment. "He probably rigged the embalming fluid containers to his body through seals, which would then activate the moment his body clock hit zero and combusted them. Honestly, getting rid of all those eyes… that's such a shame."

"As disgusting as that is, harvesting eyes of deceased Uchiha for his own personal gains, I can't help but praise the man for his organizational skills," Tetsuo Uchiha commented, not really appearing affected by all of this as he continued to speak with Kabuto in an even tempered voice. "Only someone who has had a great deal of experience and practice in the field of infiltration could possibly do what he did. But as shrewd and conniving as he was, the man was rotten to the core. Being one of the main people responsible for orchestrating the attempted massacre of my entire clan… he got what was coming to him."

"The Hokage still doesn't know anything about what happened to the old war hawk. To be honest neither do we… but Hiruzen Sarutobi and the council are still under the impression that Danzo is in hiding and living in isolation," Kabuto replied with a sly grin. "All thanks to our help, of course. Now, with over ninety percent of his organization and network wiped out, and with his few remaining subordinates reprogrammed to work for Orochimaru-sama, he's no longer going to be a problem for anyone." It was then Kabuto's eyes flashed wickedly. "But… there is one man who has yet to face justice for all the crimes he has committed. Someone I am sure you're intimately familiar with."

Tetsuo sneered angrily, "Itachi." Narrowing his eyes, the silver haired Uchiha then spoke. "Mikoto will never authorize a mission to hunt down her eldest son… and I wouldn't dare confront her or even think about proposing the idea to her. Not only is she as powerful as Madara, she'd rather go after Itachi herself and throw him in prison. But I'm not going to let that fly." The man's eyes then narrowed firmly. "The only reason I'm siding with you and your master is because Orochimaru promised me he'd find him for me… and in return I'd give him Itachi's corpse. I plan on going after that boy and killing him for what he did to my family." His Sharingan then flashed dangerously, before slowly morphing from the three tomoe pattern into a new pattern consisting of three overlapping black circles surrounding the pupil. "I swear on the lives of my wife Natsuki and my son Tatami."

"And I promise you will have your vengeance, Tetsuo-san," Kabuto replied, not even flinching at the sight of the man's Mangekyō Sharingan and simply smiling. "All in good time. But first, we have work to do."

TO BE CONTINUED…

---

Author's Note: Another chapter in. I was hoping to contain this arc to a single chapter, but with the characters and trials included I had to split it into two. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one.

Let me know what you think.

(P.S Still editting this chapter, so bare with me on any spelling and grammer mistakes)