Persona Task Force: The Heart of the Watcher. Ninja World Arc.
Chapter Thirteen: The Beginning of the Chuunin Exams. The Waterboy vs the Whirlpool!
(Enter Andrew's POV)
After the month-long (four years in the dimension) training of the Avatars and myself, I then found myself with the other Jounin while Zabuza, Sarutobi, and Orochimaru are in the Kage box. Gaara, Suigetsu, Renji, Shikamaru, Temari, Kankuro, and Shino were there, but Sasuke was late and Naruto wanted to make a dramatic entrance at the last second.
"Where is Naruto?" Sakura asked me. I was sitting in front of her at the time.
"He wants to make a dramatic entrance," I said. "Just be patient."
"I hope he's okay."
"He'll be fine," Trisha said, who sat beside me. "We just had a few extra teachers to help." How she let Fox and wolf's teams into the dimension, I'll never know.
Everyone was here to see the first match and those who supported Sasuke were expecting him to win against "the Demon Brat"...or they would've had Vergil not threatened to spill their guts in front of their children.
That's when we heard it. A portal from the inner dimension opened near the exam gates. Naruto, expecting the jeers of the villagers, wore a trench coat and chains.
"Where have you been?" Shikamaru asked him. "It was a drag trying to warn you of the lynch mob when you and the mansion disappeared." Yeah, Shikamaru knew about Kyuubi during the month. And was grateful for it.
(Flashback. This morning)
I was walking towards the arena when I was being tailed by a shadow.
"You don't have to do that, Shikamaru," I said. "You need to save chakra for your match."
Shikamaru came out of the shadows. "I just wanted to ask you a few questions, considering you're Naruto's brother figure."
"If you have questions about Naruto's past, ask him."
"I already know." I looked at him at shock. "My dad holds Naruto in high regards, and so does Ino's and Chouji's, and I felt that I should as well, considering his condition."
I had just sighed. "Was it that easy?"
"The date of Naruto's birth and the date of the Kyuubi attack made the connection, plus the beatings Naruto got during the sixth festival made it a little obvious. I hadn't told anyone of it, other than Naruto himself during the Genin exams."
"Then you need to train harder to protect him from Danzo, and I know it's troublesome, but I learned this during my travels: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The training's not going to kill you, but it will make you stronger."
"That's a troublesome piece of advice. Then again, seeing Sakura change, means I have to train after the exams."
"Well, Matsudo does mind training all the time, so he'll possibly teach you some strategies. Watch out for the Terminator, though. And ask Asuma to train you with Trench Knives after you make Chuunin. You'll need them."
"Understood. I'll see you after the exams." He then used the shadow to warp himself to the arena, much to my surprise. Must have been a Nara sealed technique.
(End Flashback)
"Thanks for the help, Shikamaru," Naruto said, "but I had some extra teachers who can kill them with one strike in the right area." He then took off his trenchcoat and threw it to the side, making it crack. He was then seen in a navy blue jumpsuit with the Uzumaki symbol on the back and the insignias of both Star Fox and Star Wolf on each arm.
That's when Genma cleared his throat. "We're still waiting for Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto," he said.
"If he's training with Kakashi, put him in the last match. Don't disqualify him for taking Kakashi's example. For now, I have a score to settle with Waterboy here." He was motioning to Suigetsu. "That is...if the Hokage has no objections."
Sarutobi sighed. "Sasuke and Naruto will have their fight after Renji and Gaara. Right now, Suigetsu of Nami and Naruto Uzumaki will fight for the first match."
"Good luck, man," Shikamaru said. "You'll need it." He and Shino left the arena with Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro following.
(End Andrew's POV. Enter Naruto's POV.)
"I'm just surprised the Hokage went with your decision, Uzu-teme," Suigetsu said.
"I know Konoha better than you do," I replied, "and they want me to die by his hands. Not yours. Besides, we need to settle that feud of ours after I left Nami. And you'll pay for giving two of my friends hypothermia!"
"Not my fault that dog boy wasn't smart enough to give up. And the chubby guy wasn't exactly easy to break, but he ate every thirty seconds."
"If you two are done bickering," Zabuza yelled, "start the match already!"
"Will do, Mizukage-sama," I said.
"After I'm done with Uzu-teme," Suigetsu said, "I'm taking your sword." I had growled.
"The match between Suigetsu of Nami and Naruto Uzumaki will commence," Genma said. "Are both fighters ready?" Both of us nodded. "BEGIN!"
(Play "Strong and Swift" from the Naruto OST)
As Suigetsu turned into a water ball, I held my hand out, but he hit me from behind.
"You split as soon as I was distracted by Zabuza," I said.
"You got that right," he said. "Your water-manipulation bloodline ends here in this arena."
"Fat chance, waterboy. I'm the one who's facing Sasuke. Not you."
"I'm not that cocky, asshole." He then split into multiple puddles and reformed into a hundred clones. Surprising for a Sound Genin. "I know what you're thinking, and it's not through Chakra. I drank fifty gallons of water beforehand."
"And you don't feel the need to pee?"
"I am water, and water is me. There's no need for excrement. Now PERISH, NARUTO UZUMAKI!" As his clones charged, I then felt the Raijin pulse as he got closer. The fool.
"You just made your death sentence closer, you idiot." At that point, I unsheathed the Raijin. "THUNDER DRAGON, REAWAKEN FROM THY DEMISE AND HELP THEE STRIKE THY OPPONENT!"
(End tune. Play "Domine Kira" from Death Note.)
(Elsewhere...)
"AAGH!" Pein yelled.
"What is it?" Konan asked him.
"The Thunder Dragon. It's back!"
"WHAT?" Madara yelled. "I thought it was gone!"
"What did I tell you," the red-robed figure said. "The dragons don't die permanently. Pein's not strong enough to handle all of them at once."
"Then who is?"
"The one who has both forms of the Senju Blood."
"Impossible!" Konan said. "There's no way that anyone could fuse their affinities and have the Rin'negan at the same time!"
"It's not impossible," Pein said. "My brother...MADARA!"
"Oh shit," Madara said. "What is it?"
"You didn't tell me my brother faced the Kyuubi! And sealed it within my nephew!"
"Your brother died after the fire," Madara said, panicking. "You don't have a nephew, and he's not cursed with Kyuubi."
"Wrong, Madara," they heard. Minato had came from a paper door. "Nice to finally see you again, Nagato."
"Minato? You're alive?" Pein asked him.
"I was...until your boss sent Kyuubi after Konoha."
"Madara, you did this?" Konan said.
"Yes, and I'd do it again if it wasn't for my weakening power!"
"Minato, tell me. What should I do to make it up to you?" Pein asked him.
"Help my son grow. Leave this damned place and your hypocritical boss behind. That goes for you as well, Cousin Konan."
"But what about..."
"We'll deal with Madara when the time comes. Right now, I'm after the guy in the red cloak."
The red-cloaked man laughed. "You're pretty perceptive as the new Ninth-Division captain." The cloak then fell to reveal Gin Ichimaru. "Then again, you've got a lot to live up for to catch up to Tousen. I work for a new boss now. One that will shape the universe in his image, and I'll be after your head as well as Isshin's for forcing me into going to the deepest pits of hell." He then turned to Madara. "Let's go, Madara. They've found us out."
Madara growled. "You'll pay for this. All of you. My dream of taking over this world will bear fruit, and not even your son can stop me. Farewell, traitors." He then went through the Hell Portal with Gin.
"Better tell the others that Madara's out of the picture," Pein said.
"Not quite," Minato said. "There's still the invasion of Konoha, and Orochimaru's behind it."
"That's where I come in," they heard someone say. Itachi had appeared. "In secret, I've been monitoring Madara's movements, although his contact with a former Division captain eluded it."
"Not exactly the best timing, Itachi-kun," Konan said.
"I know, and I told the others that Madara betrayed us for more power. Right now, we need to free the Earth Dragon and return it to its brethren."
"Then we've no time to waste," Minato said. "I just hope they haven't started without us."
"And Minato," Pein said.
"Yeah?"
"I'm...sorry."
"You're going to have to explain it to the Hokage. Not me. But I forgive you."
"How's Kushina-chan?" Konan asked him.
"She's fine, although she misses the matchmaker who brought us together."
At that, they went to the lab.
(Back at the Stadium. Naruto's POV)
(End tune. Play "Vs. Death Metal" from the No More Heroes OST)
As the thunderstorm brewed, the Raijin released the dormant dragon from its slumber.
Thank you for releasing me, it said, although I hoped it wouldn't be in a trivial manner.
Suigetsu was in shock. Everyone was surprised. The naysayers had their jaws dropping.
"It's not trivial once you meet both the Nature Dragon and the Mist Dragon," Naruto said. "Now I need you to leave before Kumo puts you on sale."
Again, thank you, Naruto-sama. It then left for the skies.
"What the hell was that?" Suigetsu asked me.
"That is none of your concern," I said. "However, it did help me out with a new technique." I then used the handsigns Kakashi showed me on our way back from Nami Island. "Time to meet your end, Suigetsu of Nami. Had things been different, we could have been friends. RAIKIRI!" I then charged into the real Suigetsu and stunned him. Not killed him, but stunned him enough to knock him unconscious.
Genma was surprised, but shook it off. "Winner, Naruto Uzumaki." The crowd, grudgingly, cheered. They did want to see me get beaten by Sasuke.
(End tune.)
(End Naruto's POV. Enter Andrew's POV)
"That was the Thunder Dragon?" Kotetsu asked me.
"Yeah," I said, "and Naruto just developed his affinity for lightning."
"Knowing that the Six Dragons exist," Izumo said, "I might have to apply him for Chuunin rank."
"We might have to keep it secret from the Council's eyes," Kotetsu said. "They want his head on a pike and his insides fed to the wolves. Hokage only?"
"Agreed."
"I'm just surprised that you two don't have a grudge against him," I said.
"We don't," Izumo said. "We were on the borderline of not caring, but we couldn't help but feel sad for the guy."
"Still, he was trained well," Kotetsu said, "and his clones would make great distractions for tactical retreats, and they're good for all terrain. I'm going to go with Chuunin rank as well."
"Nice talking to you guys," I said. "Make sure to write the clone tactics in your report." Both of them nodded and body flickered. I then sat back with Trisha.
"What was that about?" Trisha asked me.
"Since one of the judges died, I had to fill in his place. I told him about Naruto's title in the Iwa Bingo Books, and they were surprised. Tactics are an important part of being a Chuunin, it turns out."
"Will Kankuro and Shino please enter the arena?" Genma asked them.
"I forefeit," Kankuro said.
"Then Shino advances to the next round. Will Shikamaru and Temari enter the ring?"
That match was the same as the anime, which got him Chuunin level as well. Renji vs Gaara, however...
"I forfeit," Gaara said, much to Renji's surprise. "I can't exactly face him with my sand not working for me."
"Winner is Renji Abarai. Now, will Naruto Uzumaki enter the arena?"
Naruto entered, much to the villagers' delight. Sasuke still wasn't there.
"If Sasuke doesn't appear in the next minute," Genma said, "he'll be disqualified."
Luckily for Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke arrived through Body Flicker.
"Sorry we're late," Kakashi said. "I had to take a trip to the lavatory and..."
"We know," Genma said. "Just be glad Naruto put his fight with Sasuke last, although you should have been here for the light show."
"Spare me the details," Sasuke said. "I just want to fight Naruto and show him that the Uchihas are superior to his clan."
"Don't be so sure, Sasuke," Naruto said. "Water beats fire every time."
Sasuke growled, but got into his stance. Naruto did likewise.
"The match between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha will commence. Are both fighters ready?"
"I've been ready even before this part," Sasuke said. "The dobe's been a coward during those times."
"You make it seem like I've got something to hide," Naruto said. "Let's up the ante a little. We fight with no bloodlines activated. If either mine or yours show itself through accident or intention, you lose the bet. If you win, you get to say that you're superior to me in every way. If I win, I reveal the truth."
"What truth?"
"The truth about the so-called loyal Uchihas." At that, the crowd started booing at him.
"SHUT UP!" I yelled. "You all have been blind from it for so long that you've even forsaken the legacy of Konoha, who happens to be the very same boy you've beaten for six years with a destiny he couldn't control! If I was Hokage and I saw it coming, I would've let Kyuubi destroy this village if you'd treat any member of my family like shit! You all have no right to judge people because of how they were brought up. Especially since the boy Sasuke is facing happens to be the direct descendant of the Fourth himself!" At that, everyone shut up.
"It's true," Sarutobi said. "Naruto is the Fourth's son. He couldn't ask for any of your children to carry the burden he did because of his position. However, as soon as the Fourth died, you turned your back on him, me, and the village itself by destroying any chance of Naruto having a happy childhood and friends his age. I hope you're proud of yourselves."
Soon enough, everyone felt bad. The genin (Kiba, Ino, Tenten, and Lee) were shocked.
"Why didn't they tell us?" Kiba asked me.
"Because if they did, how would you have reacted?" I replied. "Bad enough he's got Kyuubi in him, but with the Fourth's reputation in Iwa, well...fill in the blanks."
Genma sighed. "Due to the circumstances of certain secrets, Naruto Uzumaki will be now known as Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze."
"Fourth's son or not," Sasuke said, "I will prove that I'm superior to you."
"Try it," Naruto said. "It'll be like the fight between Madara and the First Hokage, only the winner is undecided until then."
"Both fighters ready?" Genma asked them. They both nodded. "Okay...BEGIN!"
To be continued...
(Angst outro (for all arcs): Zetsubou Billy by Maximum the Hormone from Death Note).
Towa ni utsu kono ichi peeji Hakanai senpou sono me ni Aigan sezu mo hou ni aku tsunagou rou e
Nooto ni moudoku bonnou ni osore idaku Oouso no mousou ni yodare ga taemanaku
Sabaki hanzai toukatsu to hozaku Dare ga dakaisaku nado wakaru?
Menzai no waarudo Seisai no waado
Eru netsu masa ni "DEATH PIRATES"
Aganau houritsu geemu
Zetsubou za birii iza rinri Saa tomerarenai Eraser Rain Zetsubou za birii iza rinri Saa tomerarenai Eraser Rain
Tomerarenai Eraser Rain