Next chapter of Shinobi of Destiny. After finishing their mission time has passed and Team 7 and Team 9 find out the Chunin Exams will soon be starting. Both are eager about entering but Team 9's sensei is reluctant. The past of the original Team 9 is revealed as he explains why he quit being a Sensei many years ago.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
In a city in Stone, A woman walked out of the casino she was in hours previous.
"Broke again…" The blonde muttered as she had lost all her money. Her apprentice would faint once she heard what she had done, blowing off the money they had.
"Might as well head back to the hotel." She said and started to walk.
As she walked she looked around the city and made her way to a park. Knowing she had plenty of time before she would get worried about her she stopped and sat down on a bench and caressed her forehead. The sake they had in their was lousy and gave her a headache.
The chirping of a pair of birds nearby wasn't helping any.
As she sat down she let out a sigh. Suddenly she heard laughter and she turned her head and saw the source.
A pretty woman in her mid twenties with brown hair was seated a bench a distance away from her. A baby stroller was next to her and she leaned forward and picked a young infant, probably no more than a year old up out of it and sat him on her lap.
The woman laughed as her son watched the birds and she pointed it out to them. The baby cooed happily as she held him in her arms.
She watched and saw a man, she assumed the woman's husband walk up to them and sit down beside them. Taking the child in his arms he held him close to his chest and let the child latch onto his pinky.
The blonde watched on and felt a pang of jealously enter her heart at what she saw. She was one of the most powerful ninjas in the world and a legendary medic. But a part of her would gladly trade it all just to be the woman in that picture.
"I've been running away for twelve years, and it will probably be another twelve years." She said to herself. She watched on and for a moment imagined herself in the woman's place. Holding her son in her arms and keeping him safe. Watching him grow, to listen to his heart beat as he slept. She'd never know a single thing about motherhood.
A look of anger appeared on her face when she thought of the boy's father. The bastard was gone, and she honestly didn't give a damn where he was at. She'd never forgive him for what he had done.
"I wonder if the kid has ever thought about me, why should he? I'm not in the running for Mother of The Year. Hell for all I know he could've been adopted the day after I left him there and has his own family." She muttered to herself thinking back to that day when she abandoned her week old son at the orphanage and left her home.
She then had an image, of her and a man in bed their naked bodies pressed against each other. A man with ghost like skin and golden snake like eyes. She could hear the pants and moans as what they had done back then.
She shook her head getting those thoughts out of her head and stood up.
"I need a drink…" She said bitterly and left the park.
At Konoha…
Time had passed ever since the events at Wave. Both Team 9 and Team 7 had returned successfully completing the C class turned A class mission. Due to this, they would be qualified to enter the Chunin Exams which would be held in Konoha in only a few short weeks.
"I'm ready for this, I can't wait for the Exams to start!" Naruto Uzumaki said excitedly as he and Sakura Haruno where at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar eating.
"Naruto calm down, you keep this up and you'll won't be able to keep yourself focus while we're training." Sakura said to him a smile on her face. She ran a hand through her hair and stopped as the short point of it. She gotten use to it being so short but had gotten teased by her arch rival for cutting her hair. She had to be held back by the blond boy to keep her from pounding her into the pavement.
"I hope Hanbei and the others are going to be there." Naruto said in between a mouthful of noodles.
"You do know that you two may have to face one another at one point?" Sakura said to him. "If only one person can become Chunin what will you do?"
Naruto gulped down a big helping of Ramen and wiped his mouth. "That's easy, if we have to face one another we'll fight. If he wins, he wins. If I win, I win. It's as simple as that." He said to her.
"Simple thinking," She said with a grin. Naruto was always so positive but she had been wondering what had happened back there at Wave what had happened. She saw that the senseis had felt something and it seemed to worry them. A part of her wanted to ask him but she knew it was something important.
"Well I'm going to head home Naruto, I'll see you tomorrow." She said and got up.
"Okay see you tomorrow Sakura-chan!" He called out to her and she was glad she wasn't facing him as a light pink powdering appeared on her face as she left.
The next day Team 9 was working under the watchful eye of their sensei. The group had finally found their calling as they would be both a mixture of offense and defense, Speed and Strength, Agile yet Enduring. A Sword, Shield, and Bow trio.
Motochika the weapons expert was the team's sword, he was skilled in Taijutsu and in weapon training as he learned many different styles of fighting with them. He was the sword of the group always up close and personal getting into the battle. Currently using a pair of Hook Swords he was the fighter of the group and was the power of the trio and knowing a few Ninjutsus as well.
Jun Seiko the calm medic was the shield of the group. She had been taught by their sensei and her father many defensive type of jutsus as well as detecting and sensing and breaking Genjutsus. Jutsus meant to protect and save the lives of her and her teammates as well as heal them should any injury come upon them. The White haired medic prodigy had also gave Sakura a couple of books for knowledge about medical jutsu as well.
Finally Hanbei was the bow of the group, his job was of using Ninjutsu and also using multiple long ranged weapons as well such as the blowgun or the shuriken. He was to provide cover fire from afar and use jutsus as well as be able to fight in hand to hand combat as well. He had been put in as the leader of the Team although reluctantly as he had been appointed it by his teammates.
Motochika slashed through the air with his equipped Hook Swords slashing through a target dummy whilst Jun was meditating and focusing on gathering chakra to increase her abilities. Hanbei was running across the water using chakra to not fall into it and threw multiple Shuriken hitting the targets that had been set up. The three focusing on increasing their strengths and hide their weaknesses.
Hanbei did a series of hand symbols and fired multiple bullets made of air into the wooden target knocking off bits and pieces of it. He then did more and taking a deep breath blew out a powerful gust of wind from his mouth.
Kojiro Oda was standing and watching his students work. They had finally found their calling.
"The Sword swings and slices its way through the enemy." He said looking at Motochika. "The Bow provides cover for the Sword and is a threat from afar." He then looked at Hanbei. "And lastly, the Shield protects both the Sword and the Bow and keeps harm from befalling all three of them." He finished looking at Jun. "If worked properly they would be unstoppable."
"Alright, that's fine for today." He called out to them later as the day was almost over.
Motochika wiped the sweat off his brow and sent his Hook Swords into a summon scroll that he had. "Heh He! We're going to kick butt! I can't wait for what happens in two weeks!" He said a grin on his face.
"Yeah, I think we may have a good shot at doing well in it." Hanbei said to him as Jun put her books in her bag.
"What are you two talking about?" Kojiro said wondering what they where going on about.
"The Exams of course sensei!" Motochika said to him. "We're going to be completing in them."
"What?" Kojiro said to them catching them off guard. "No, no you're not. Not this Exams."
"Huh?" Hanbei said as they looked confused. "But sensei we've qualified doing the A ranked mission. We're ready."
"I am the judge of that," Kojiro said sternly. "You three have been together only a few months. You're not going in it." He said to them.
"But Naruto's team and all the other rookie teams will be in it." Hanbei protested.
"Their sensei's are laxer than I am. You three will not enter the Exams, maybe in a year or so you can. For now it's too dangerous." He said to them scowling.
"Sensei, what was the point of the past months of training?" Jun asked him. "I believe we of the rookies have the best chance of succeeding in it since you taught us the Sword-Shield-Arrow Combo."
"The point is you're not ready. Younger ninjas than yourself have died participating in the exams. Right now you're too inexperienced and I won't have you running off and dying in the Forest at the hands of a team that is more than willing to take your head." He said getting upset as they frowned at him wondering why he wouldn't let them go.
"We're ready Sensei, why can't you let us go!" Hanbei asked him.
"Stop this! I'll have no more talk of this. You're not participating in the exams. You're too inexperienced and believe that four months of training is enough to prepare you for the dangers ahead. We'll continue our training tomorrow." He said and turned and started to walk away.
"Did you do the same thing to your last team?" Hanbei called out to him. "Did you act this way to them as well?"
Kojiro stiffened at that and stopped as memories of the original Team 9 came back.
"Don't ask me about things that are beyond your understanding." He said coldly and left them.
Meanwhile Team 7 was training as well and Kakashi looked on from the book he was reading. They had mastered tree walking and water walking.
Kakashi looked over at Sakura as the girl focused on the book she had gotten. He was glad to see her focusing on something other than Sasuke for a change and she had been trying to become a medic. She had also been working on improving her strength and stamina as well so she wouldn't tire so easily. Good to see her working on something.
He looked over at the two males as Sasuke was working on a Jutsu and Naruto was training with twenty different clones he had created. Team 7 had improved from the struggling trio they had been but they still had a few problems to be ironed out as Naruto and Sasuke would occasionally butt heads and argue with one another as both where proud Sasuke especially since he had activated his Sharingan and each wanted to one up the other, refusing to fall behind to the other. It was good there was a rivalry between them as it reminded him of his old rival who although he always beated constantly tried to get the best of him.
He flipped a page and saw Naruto deflect an attack and stab a clone with a kunai. He then surprisingly revealed chakra wires and several shuriken and slashed multiple clones at once with them bursting them to clouds of smoke. He didn't expect to see him do that, although the knuckleheaded blonde was full of surprises he would admit that.
Both The Uchiha and Naruto would often spar and Sasuke won a majority of them. Although Sakura congratulated Sasuke on winning she now seemed to try to lift Naruto's spirits up instead of making fun of him as she had before earlier when the team was formed.
"Hmmm, I suppose that's enough for today." He said to them and the three stopped. "You can go home now, but be here tomorrow at the usual time." He said to them.
He watched them leave but as he saw Naruto walk away he couldn't help but think. Back in Wave Naruto's anger had exploded and he had sensed what had happened. Naruto had unknowingly tapped into the power of the fox. The Kyuubi Demon, he had reported it to Sarutobi in secret after their mission was done and he had given him strict orders to watch over him and alert him immediately should another thing like that happen as although Naruto had managed to stop before something terrible could happen there was always that risk. The old man cared for Naruto, one of the few who did in the council.
Sasuke Uchiha was also wondering what had happened back there in Wave. Heading back home and ignoring the villagers praising him he thought back to when it happened.
"Hey Sasuke, wanna go out on a date?" A blond girl in a purple uniform said to him with a smile and he ignored her and kept walking. Although he was pleased that he had finally obtained the Sharingan he was wondering just what it was that made Naruto do that back there.
He knew the Dobe cared for that other boy and would get angry of someone tried to harm him. But what was that? That fury and rage he showed, that had nearly torn Haku to pieces. He also saw an Aura shaping around him and it appeared to be shaped like a fox. Just what was it that caused Naruto to gain such a large increase in power?
Whatever it was he wasn't liking it. What secret power did he have? And why did he never show it before? Or was it just a one time thing that will never occur again? He would be curious to see what happens if it happened again.
The next day…
Team 9 had meet at the training ground they usual met at and saw their sensei wasn't there. The three didn't say anything and they started to train by themselves when they heard footsteps an half hour later.
Kojiro Oda saw his students and they didn't say anything as he approached. He looked at them and they didn't respond to his entrance.
"Hanbei, Jun, Motochika…" He said to them and slowly they looked at him. "I know your upset over yesterday, but there is something I must tell you. It's part of the reason why I'm reluctant to let you enter the exams."
The three looked at him and he started.
"Ten years ago I was a sensei, the Sensei of the original Team 9. Toshiee Tokugawa, Tomochi Miyoshi, and Oyuki Takabana. The three where about the same age as all of you. They where my students as when I was eighteen I became a sensei of the Leaf and we where a Team." He said to them.
"Team 9 quickly proved to be one of the top teams that graduated from the academy. We where nearly flawless in our work and each of them worked together and was skilled in his and her area. We quickly grew to become very successful completing all our missions. Ten years ago was a different time as Konoha was still recovering from a disaster twelve years ago that resulted in the death of the Yondaime. After what had happened many countries and villages looked on with hungry eyes thinking to attack and destroy Konoha. We had to be strong and ready to defend ourselves incase anyone attacked us. My team quickly proved to be exceptional talents and in a years and a half time both Toshiee and Oyuki where Chunins having successfully competed in the Exams. Tomochi was also made Chunin a year later as well." He said to them giving details about the original Team 9.
"We where confident as we had completed nearly every mission that had been assigned to us. D, C, B, A, it didn't matter we succeeded in them and we came out of it alive. But then one day, something terrible happened." He said and his voice went low remembering the events of what happened.
"We where assigned to guard and protect a Merchant's caravan as they went to a town near the border of Sunagakure The Land of Sand. It should have just been a routine mission. But things took a terrible turn for the worse. Sand back then was still trying to frantically search for its missing Kazekage who's disappearance years earlier brought about the Third Ninja War, which I fought in along with Kakashi but that is a tale for another day. They believed according to rumors that a missing nin who may have been involved in his untimely disappearance resided there. A large force of Suna nins went there to find him."
"My Students and I had just finished our mission when they arrived. They accused the town and its inhabitants of being involved with him missing. The town refused as they accused the Suna force of trying to take over them. And like a lit match carelessly thrown into a room of black powder, things only got worse."
"The Kazekage demanded the Town's surrender and they refused. In retaliation he sent his men to attack the town. We where hired to protect the town by the ruler of it and at first we thought it would only last a few hours. The Suna force was beaten back despite the deaths of some townspeople and it appeared that they where retreating. It appeared that our jobs where done and we could head back home." He said to them as he continued.
"The next morning we awake and found ourselves face to face with nearly all of the Land of Sand standing against us. Suna nins, Samurai, Ronin, even hired Mercenaries and Nomads. The force was ten times larger." He said to them and they looked on surprised as they didn't know this.
"The town stood no chance as many of its citizens where slain during the intial battle against that sea of humanity and the chances of our survivor where slim to none. The only way we could survive was if one of us escaped and made it back to Konoha and tell the council and ask for aid. I was chosen to go. My students assured me to go as they would be all right. Although I didn't like, I managed to sneak out during the night and made it to Konoha just at the crack of dawn."
"I meet the council and urgently told them what had happened." Images of a younger him bursting into the room pleading for aid from the council showed in his mind. "I begged for aid as I knew every second counted. The council told me to wait and they would give their answer about what to do. And so I waited, the seconds passed like hours and the hours passed like months until finally I was granted another audience with them. I was certain they would send aid at once."
Remembering their response he gritted his teeth in anger at what they told him. "Negotiate Peacefully with the Suna Force, that is what they told me. To Negotiate with them and attempt to parlay as they could not spare the men to defend the town. The council I saw had little concern over the fate of one small town on the outskirts, and the same concern for my students." He said to them shocking them with his tale.
"Grudgingly I made my way back there, what I saw next still haunts me to this day. The town was in ruins. Nearly every building had been destroyed, the Suna Force was gone. Apparently done and seeing that there was nothing in it that they needed. Only a handful of people where still alive in it. They had been wiped out nearly to a man. Toshiee, Momochi, Oyuki, they all died there. My students had been killed." A lone tear fell out of his eye as he spoke. "They died defending it, waiting and hoping I would return and save them. My three students, the three I loved as my own children…"
"After taking them back and giving them a burial, I resigned my position as Sensei as I didn't want to deal with it anymore. I didn't want to deal with the loss that I had felt if I got another team. I cut myself off from the rest of Konoha, only doing missions and never being involved in it. That is why I didn't want to be your Sensei, because I was afraid I would experience the same thing again. You may think I don't care for you, but I didn't want you to be in the exams cause I'm afraid I'll lose you just like I lost them."
"Sensei…" Hanbei said to him. Motochika was wiping tears off his face that had fallen from his eyes and Jun also looked choked up. "I'm sorry, about what I said yesterday."
"Hanbei, Motochika, Jun. I want you three to know that I will let you participate in the exams." He said surprising them. "I am reluctant to let you enter on your first try, as I didn't allow them to do so on their first time. But I know this is what they want. I asked myself that all night if this is what they wanted me to do. I have spent ten years never getting over their deaths, Toshiee, Momochi, and Oyuki would not want me to spend the rest of my life grieving over their deaths as they have forgiven me, even if I never forgive myself. Team 9 shall compete in the exams for the first time in ten years."
"Sensei…" All three said and bowed to him.
A/N: That's it for this chapter review please.