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-------------------------------------------Shattered Illusion : Copy Of a Ninja
: Chapter 10
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Keeping pace with his teammates, Naruto focussed his attention on the surrounding area. The moment the group had entered the building they had been enshrouded within a mid level genjutsu technique.
Primarily illusionary, the technique seemed designed to morph the surroundings such that the hallway appeared to be on the third floor. The chakra maintaining the technique was clearly coming from their intended destination, so the boy declined to mention his discovery.
A crowd soon came into view, gathered around what appeared to be the registration room.
Resting his gaze upon the ninjutsu-transformed chuunin that was the source of the illusion, Naruto found another little surprise, the two chuunin guarding the door were enmeshed within a genjutsu technique themselves.
An ingenious illusion, it's purpose was to simulate apparent "damage" for the three genin that were confronting the guardians. This could be interesting, leaning against the wall Naruto decided to settle down and watch.
"Hah. You plan to take the chuunin exam with that. You should quit now. Your just a little kid."
One of the genin, a weapons specialist if the abundance of weapons Naruto detected on her person were any indication, weakly replied. "Please let us through."
This did not amuse the chuunin. "What did you say? Listen, this is our kindness. The chuunin exam isn't easy, even we have failed it three straight times. Those that take this exam and end up quitting as shinobis, those that die during the exam, we have seen it all."
He paused here, letting the importance of that statement seep into the candidates gathered to watch the spectacle, before continuing. "Chuunins often become captains of military teams, the failure of a mission, the death of a comrade, that is all the captain's responsibility. Yet, kids like you think you can pass. We are just thinning out those that will fail anyway, what's wrong with that."
Amused by the little speech, and now certain that this was some kind of preliminary examination, Naruto decided to cause a little havoc of his own. "An interesting analogy but, I must say it is rather easy to see why it took the two of you three attempts to become chuunin, the genjutsu that surrounds us at the moment has to be the most lame brained attempt that I have come across. Unless these candidates lack any kind of common sense, they should know that this room can not possibly be on the third floor, if only from its position relative to entrance of the building.
Another thing, those three 'kids' you are preaching to have completely enmeshed you within a genjutsu of their own creation, attempting to downplay their abilities I imagine. Why either of you bothered with these equally useless illusions I don't know and don't care."
Gathering his own chakra, Naruto overwhelmed the genjutsu techniques, throwing their carefully crafted chakra webs into disarray. "I am going to the third floor, I don't have time for this."
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"Hmm, not bad, but all you did was see through it."
With this casual response, the chuunin leapt to attack. Out of the corner of his eye Naruto caught sight of one of the genin charging forward also. With his chakra still raised, and the excess still spread throughout the room from the earlier dismissal, it was child's play for Naruto to gather that excess chakra and bond the air molecules as had become near second nature.
Unable to see the obstructions, both of his attackers fell hard, helpless to avoid the invisible barriers.
Looking down at their sprawled forms, Naruto just calmly informed the pair, "As I said, useless."
Turning to his two team mates, Naruto motioned for the pair to follow. He had gone perhaps three steps when he heard the self assured query from beside him.
"Hey you, what's your name?"
Turing to the voice, his gaze met with that of two cool white eyes, without the defining pupils so common in all others. Hyuga no doubt. Having no reason to withhold his name, and interested to see where this was going, Naruto replied.
"Uzumaki Naruto"
Obviously not recognising the name, the genin continued. "You're a rookie right, how old are you?"
Grinning at that, he decided to have some fun "Ten-thousand, twelve, either, both, you figure it out."
Leaving them with that confusing response, Naruto moved on.
From within the shadows at the other end of the hallway the two chuunin watched the trio leave. "So they are Kakashi and Gai's prize pupils. I guess they pass this unofficial first test. This exam is going to be fun, even for us examiners."
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As Naruto was entering the stairwell to the third floor he heard a voice call out from behind him, it was the genin from earlier.
"Hey, guy with the dark eyes. Will you fight me right here."
Challenge Sasuke?
"My name is Rock Lee, Uchiha Sasuke. I want to fight you, to test my techniques against the offspring of the genius ninja clan. Plus.."
He paused here to gaze at Sakura, oh… , a crush eh. From her reaction, Sakura is not amused. This should be interesting, judging from the Genins musculature, he was even faster than Naruto himself. Sharingan or not, Sasuke would have trouble keeping up with the pure speed that such a build could produce.
"Challenging me knowing the Uchiha name…. You are a fool. You are about to learn what this name means thick brows."
Sasuke would not turn down such an opportunity, especially after catching a hint of that speed in the earlier encounter. Resigned to wait for a little longer, Naruto settled down to watch.
His thoughts on the match proved accurate, The pure speed that Lees advanced taijutsu provided was met with no answer from Sasuke. As chakra played no part in the techniques being used Sasuke could not counter them, the vaunted sharingan was virtually useless.
Even so, Sasuke refused to give up, the one sided fight continued for some time. It was not until Lee attempted to perform what appeared to be a special technique that Naruto noticed something different, someone had just entered the room, whoever it was had an enormous and tightly controlled store of chakra. At the moment they were using this fine control to render themselves invisible.
Carefully easing himself to his feet Naruto prepared himself for an attack. So it was with surprise and not a little interest that he observed as the intruder summoned a giant turtle.
Summoning ability?
This must be a jounin then, and of leaf village if the figures actions were any indication. Likely the instructor of Lee, as there was little reason for any other jounin to interfere.
But even that was not comparable to the shock when the turtle appeared to chastise the other Genin.
Amusing, the Jounin was using the summoned animal to lip sink as he spoke, a curious activity indeed. A summoned animal could speak quite well on their own, so it was only for the quirky illusion of the turtle being the other Genins master. He didn't have to wait long for the intruder to reveal his identity though, Gai, a Jounin instructor.
Kakashi's eternal rival.
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The fight over, team seven continued on to room 301, Kakashi was waiting by the door. "Oh…, so Sakura came too, now we can properly take the exam. The truth is this test can only be taken in teams of three."
Curious, Sakura could not help but ask, "But you said that it was our own decision to attend, why did you lie to us?"
Unperturbed, the jounin continued, "If I told the truth Naruto or Sasuke would have pressured you to take the exam. Even if you didn't want to, if the others asked, you would have come anyway. But you came of your own will, you guys are my proud team. Now go!"
Buoyed by the encouragement of their instructor, the three pushed open the door.
It was time.
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-------------------------------------------Done. Comments Welcome.
