Seals of Fate
Hey all. In case you missed it, I replaced the error message in chapter 20 with an actual chapter, so go read that before you read this, else you will be confused. Thanks for being patient with me, and enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 21: Legacies of the Forgotten Hero
"Vlad, for the first exercise, I want you to fight me. I need to see your strengths and weakness, before I can tell you what to start on first. Now, you better come at me with intent to kill, else you will do nothing."
The boy nodded, and drew his rapier. Going into a stance similar to basic fencing, but with a few modifications, he began a fluid dance of attacks. Lunging at Naruto, he found his strike parried by a kunai, and had two shuriken flying at him. Blocking both with surprising ease, the boy moved in again, only showing his side to Naruto, and taking out a kunai in his back hand. Moving forward again, his feet blurred, as he was quickly in front of Naruto. Spinning himself, Vlad attacked with the kunai, aiming for Naruto's left hip, only to have it parried. Continuing his spin, he struck with his rapier, kunai, rapier, and then kunai again, all attacks blocked before jumping back, panting.
"Well, you're kenjutsu doesn't need much work, at least for now. Come at me, no weapons."
Nodding again, Vlad sheathed his rapier, then got into a flawed basic academy stance. "Uh, kid, do you know any other stances?" Naruto asked, sweat-dropping at the boy's poor stance.
"No…" Vlad said, disappointedly.
"Alright" Naruto sighed. Soon, the boy was charging at him, and Naruto quickly slid his foot under him, tripping him so that he fell down before he could even get in range of the blond.
"Know any jutsus?" Naruto asked, hopeful that he at least knew something. Once again, Vlad shook his head signifying that he did not.
"Okay, Vlad, this is gonna take a lot of work. I only know of one way to get you up to genin level in five days, and it means that neither of us will be sleeping for the next four. First, take off all your clothes except your boxers."
Vlad was a bit uneasy, but did as his teacher asked, well, until he heard the flash of a camera. He turned and saw Naruto holding a polaroid, and yelled the first thing which came to mind. "What are you doing?!"
"Getting blackmail, what does it look like? Now, if you don't work your hardest for the next four days, I'm going to show this to every single girl in your class, and all the other classes, got it?"
Vlad simply grumbled out a 'yes' then sat down in his boxers. Naruto, seeing the boy's compliance, even if it wasn't entirely necessary, began walking around him, projecting various seals onto his body. After a good half an hour, and telling Vlad not to move several times, Naruto finished the seal and said quickly. "Sorry, but this is gonna hurt… a lot… Fuin: Power Infusion no Jutsu!"
Suddenly, all the seals on the boy's body began congregating themselves into a large spiral-like shape in the middle of the boy's chest, just below his pecs. They were glowing gold, lighting up the field, as Vlad screamed in agony. It felt as if a new chakra was forcefully merging with his own, in a temporary bond so that it was pulling on his own. Soon, the seal was completed and the power was sealed into him, and all Vlad could think was 'Wow… so much, power…'.
"I won't explain the details, but I basically gave you just enough chakra to survive this next week. To start, Get your clothes back on, go home, get some changes of clothes, and meet me at training field 8. It will be ours for now."
(Later)
They met at the training ground, Vlad carrying a large array of clothing, enough for four days and nights, including pajamas… which he'd never use. Training ground 8 was basically just a big round field of trees with a river flowing through the middle, relatively safe for any genin, assuming they could swim.
"Heh, well, you won't be sleeping so you won't be needing those" Naruto said, pointing to the pajamas and burning them with a fire-storing seal which was promptly released. Vlad looked upset, but covered it up. He didn't want any more seals like the one from before.
"Now, the first thing I am going to be teaching you is Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. It will be key to your training, but once you learn it, you can't use it without my approval. Got it?"
"Yes, but Naruto-sensei, I couldn't even do the normal Bunshin, shouldn't I be working on that first?"
"You will, when you have the skill too. Don't worry, as long as there is chakra available, this technique isn't all that hard. First, I'm gonna show you how to use the merged chakra you'll need, then I'll teach you it."
(A few hours later)
Naruto and Vlad were sitting in a small clearing by the river, having just finished their ration bars. Turning to the boy, really analyzing him for the first time, Naruto saw that he really shouldn't have been so weak. He was about four feet tall, a pretty strong build, with wide shoulders and long legs. He had a somewhat angular face, perhaps having to do with some kind of family history, and medium length dark brown hair, put in a ponytail reaching just beneath his shoulders. Unlike Naruto's hair, it looked naturally smooth. The boy was wearing a black cloak with a clasp in the shape of a dragon, which looked ancient, at least a few years old. Underneath that he wore a brown tunic. His pants looked to be standard issue black for ninjas, which was uncommon for children to have, but Naruto brushed that off. Vlad also had a pair of black combat boots. What was most unusual about him though was he didn't use normal kunai, or at least, usually didn't. He only had one, but other than that he had a variety of knives, including a pair of stiletto tips fitted into his boots, and two wide-blade daggers seemed best fit for slitting throats. He also had various others hidden around his person, and if he walked into just about any town, he could probably slip a big enough arsenal for several ninja without anyone ever knowing. It was at this point where Vlad cleared his throat to get Naruto's attention.
"You done?" Naruto asked, as if pretending he hadn't been staring.
"Yeah… I still don't understand, I can make a few clones now, and they're solid, but what does that matter? I mean, I'm grateful, but how does that help me train better like you said?"
The boy, surprisingly polite for his age, soon got his answer. "Vlad, when a Kage Bunshin is released, it transfers any knowledge it gains back to its owner. Essentially, its like speed learning. What you can learn in one day can be learned in half a day by two clones, as long as it isn't physical strengthening."
The boy looked confused for a moment, then a wide grin spread across his face. "So THAT'S how the other kids got so good."
"No, normal or even elemental clones cannot do this. The Kage Bunshin is a forbidden technique, as it splits your chakra. If you make too many clones, you can die from it, and thus: forbidden. Still, it is great for learning. Now, watch me, this is what you'll be learning first."
Naruto walked over to a tree, then focused chakra to his feet, and walked straight up the tree. Once standing upside down, he looked at Vlad and, remembering the higher standards, simply asked. "Have you done this before?"
"Yes… but I was never able to get more than 10 feet high, at most before I ran out of chakra."
"Okay, well, go make nine clones, and start that exercise. Come get me when you're done, I'll be right here."
Vlad, of course, was shocked by his tutor's apparent lack of interest, but didn't bring it up. After all, he'd just given him a load of power, and a new technique. Making nine clones, Vlad started them running up the tree, and within a few hours was at the top… Having re-made the clones every time he made a substantial improvement, Vlad was tired, but he'd done it. Panting heavily, he dropped down and tapped a meditating Naruto on the shoulder. Naruto look up, and grinned.
"Done already huh? Well, I'd say you have a pretty good grasp on control now. So, there are four more things you need to learn to become genin, are you ready? Actually, your answer doesn't matter, you're doing it anyway. Come on."
Naruto led Vlad over to the water, and began to walk on it, expelling a flow of chakra into the water so that he could walk on it. "Well, this is your next exercise. If you complete this, I'll give you the last technique on control, then teach you what you'll need to know for the exam. For this exercise, you must expel a flow of chakra at varying levels of power in order to remain standing. Now, get some clones, and get to work."
With that, Naruto went back to meditating, while Vlad struggled. 'How does he expect me to get this so quickly. I know this is chuunin level control, so why's he having me learn it? Oh well… he seems to know what he's doing, and the sooner I get started the sooner I get to pass. I just hope grand-pa is okay with me learning other things… even if I haven't perfected my rapier style. Grandpa, wherever you are, please forgive me'
Having each clone focus chakra to its feet, all nine managed a little progress before they sank. By the time all the clones had a chance, Vlad had seen a little of what was required, and began his output of chakra. Releasing all the clones, he felt the knowledge rush to his head, and suddenly knew how to do so better. After eight more hours of training on the technique, Vlad was finally able to walk and run on the water, oh course still using the merged chakra. About to fall asleep, he was tapped on the shoulder by a green tail emanating from Naruto, one of five… and a half… The tail motioned for him to come close, and soon he was sitting before Naruto, cross legged.
"Close your eyes." Naruto spoke in a voice that didn't seem like his own. It was deeper, with almost a malicious aura to it.
"The last exercise is meditation. You must bring your chakra, yours only, to your core and expel the merged chakra. Do so from each individual tenketsu for about a minute, and then it will run out. Once you think you are done, I will remove the seal. If it is not completely gone, the tainted chakra will damage your system, so make sure to do a good job of it."
Ten hours later, Vlad signaled Naruto, who now had a full six green tails swirling around behind him. Naruto leaned over, and opened his eyes to reveal his 14 seals eye. Removing the seal from Vlad's chest, him having removed his outer clothing to allow access, Vlad felt no pain, then promptly passed out, as he had almost no chakra left to support himself.
(1 day later)
Naruto had been meditating constantly, but couldn't begin the seventh tail. Allowing each to recede back into himself, Naruto got up. Eating a ration bar, he shook Vlad awake. When getting him up, Naruto analyzed the boy's reserves and saw that they were both filling much quicker, and that they were larger due to the strain of the merged chakra.
"It's been a day, get up lazy bones." Naruto said in a bored tone. After waiting another five minutes, he spoke again…"If you aren't up in the next five seconds, I'm gonna seal your ass into a scroll."
Not one to push his luck, Vlad hopped out of his sleeping bag and got dressed. Minutes later, he noticed how much stronger he felt. "Vlad, today is the day we start on your techniques. We only have two days left until the exam, so you better work hard. First, make three clones. You'll find this to be much more taxing on your chakra, now that you don't have mine, but your reserves and rate of recovery have increased, so three shouldn't be too hard. Send one off with mine each, with 25 of your chakra each."
With that, Naruto made three Kage Bunshin of his own and sent them off to train with Vlad's. "Each of them will teach one of your clones a technique, while you learn Taijutsu from me. I'll show you a basic style, but it is still better than the academy's. Once you're officially my apprentice, I'll show you something better. Now, we'll do this again tomorrow. Work your ass off or you'll never pass."
(With Clone #1)
The clone of Vlad was looking around confusedly. Naruto had just 'performed' a jutsu, but did so without seals. A seal appeared on the ground, then exploded, without Naruto ever seeming to move. All that happened was one of the kanji for seal in his left eye lit up.
"How did you do that?" Vlad asked, wondering how exactly the seal had appeared.
"My bloodline, but that's not important… yet. For now, I am going to teach you a defensive fire jutsu. It only requires two seals, and is really easy to use. You saw that explosion? Well, what this jutsu does, in its most basic form, is create an outward explosion of fire that lasts a second or two, the force of which should deflect kunai or scorch any nearby enemies. The key to this technique is to use it just before an attack is going to hit you. Now, I use this technique with written seals, which though different from hand-seals, are not so different in concept. The seals for this jutsu are Ram, Tiger."
The Naruto clone slowly went through the seals, making sure Vlad got them, then continued. "Now, throw a kunai at me."
"B-but, sensei? You'd-"
"No, I won't get hurt, I am going to demonstrate the Jutsu"
"O-okay sensei"
The Vlad clone threw a kunai at Naruto. The Naruto clone sighed, even his clones are nervous, at least he can use those shuriken pretty well, even if they are uncommon. Unlike normal Konoha shuriken, these shuriken had tiny fin-like blades coming out of them. With a flick of the wrist, they were tearing through the air at Naruto. Just as they were about to hit, the Naruto clone said "Katon: Blast Deflection no Jutsu" and a small explosion blew away the shuriken, leaving the tips of them a little black.
"Now, you try."
The Vlad clone went through the two seals, holding up his hand and saying "Katon: Blast Deflection no Jutsu". A tiny spark emerged from his hand, much to his disappointment, and the Naruto clone simply said "This is gonna be a lot of work".
(With Clone #2)
"Now, Vlad, do you know what a genjutsu is?"
The Vlad clone looked like it was about to respond, but then thought better of it. "Not really, no."
The clone smiled at Vlad's more thoughtful approach, willing to admit he didn't know. Humility… uncommon in many ninja. "A genjutsu is a technique used to fool an enemies senses by putting your chakra into their system and adjusting it. You can fool any of the six senses of ninja: touch, smell, sight, taste, hearing, and chakra recognition."
The clone paused when Vlad raised his hand to ask something. Sighing, the clone decided to nip this habit in the bud. "Vlad, this isn't the academy. Respect me, but just ask if you need something."
"Okay… What is chakra recognition?"
"Chakra recognition is the ability of ninja to sense large amounts of chakra, or the chakra of a particular person, which allows ninjas to find targets even without these other senses. Now, there are two main ways to dispel a genjutsu, either hit yourself to snap out of it, or pulse your chakra to disturb the flow. Let's see which you're better at."
Suddenly, Vlad was no longer in the training ground clearing, he was in a giant cage, slowly closing in on him. Knowing it couldn't be real, even if it was scary, Vlad tried to cancel it. Finding he couldn't coordinate himself well, he pulsed his chakra. It was a small, controlled burst but it did the trick. "Kai!"
Vlad was back to normal again, and the Naruto clone, looking impressed at the young boy, said "Well, that's how you'll go about doing it. That genjutsu I call 'Prisoner no Jutsu' and should work well as a beginning genjutsu. Now, here are the seals" Naruto said, performing them as he spoke. "Bird, Rat, Monkey, Dog, Ram".
Vlad's clone repeated the hand-seals several times, getting a feel for it. He knew that as a genjutsu, his chakra would have to flow, so he began the technique. Flashing though the seals in two seconds, Vlad whispered "Prisoner no Jutsu". Letting the chakra go to Naruto's clone in a flow, the clone soon found itself trapped inside the world. He was greatly impressed that the boy had managed to learn the genjutsu so easily, even if it was a genin level technique. Sure, there were a few imperfections, but for the most part it was functional. Creating a clone, then a burst of chakra, the first clone that had been there dispelled itself from the flow, dispelling itself in the process, while the new clone began helping Vlad master the technique.
(With Clone #3)
Taking an authoritative stance, the Naruto clone began his lecture. "Now, you can't learn much physical as just a clone. However, you can learn form. I will be working with you on one taijutsu style, while the real you and me work on another. That way, you'll get twice the training, and I'm sorry to say it, but you really need to work on your form. I am going to be showing you the start of your clan's taijutsu style, as I've already learned most of it, while the real you and Naruto work on physical strength. Now, copy my form."
The Naruto clone got into a position, which actually looked quite ridiculous at first glance. He was standing with his left foot forward on its heel, toes slightly off the ground. His feet were spread apart a little more than shoulder length, his right foot behind his left and perpendicular to his left, which faced straight forward. Bending his knees, Naruto then put his arms in place. His left arm crossed in front of his chest, like he was about to throw a frisbee backhanded, while his right was behind him. It looked as if he was about to spin around like a child.
Vlad got into the position clumsily next to Naruto, but after an hour his starting form was close enough to begin the katas. Naruto, leading him through the katas, was happy at the surprised but content look on Vlad's face. Wonder what he's thinking?
Vlad was having the time of his life, He'd always liked spin kicks in his taijutsu style, and was good at using them, so this style could have been built for him. The only attacks were kicks and a few stirkes with the hands meant to take the opponent off balance. Most of the time, however, the katas had blocks being performed by the hands, attacks by the kicks, and Vlad was just plain happy. 'Finally, finally I get to use a taijutsu style that won't require too much upper body strength, strength I just don't have.'
They continued the katas, the Naruto clone correcting the boy's form as he tired to master the more advanced steps. "Once you get this kid learning, he isn't too bad" the Naruto clone whispered to himself.
(With the Real Naruto)
"Now, the clones are working on ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. In the meantime, you and I are going to work on your body strength. For the next two days, you will only run and keep running. Every time you break a bone or damage a muscle, I will heal it quickly so you'll become stronger. You'll be exhausted by the end, but at least twice as strong as you are now, in with your legs at least."
Applying weight seals to the boy's ankles, Naruto added 10 pounds to each leg, and began chasing Vlad around the field, stopping every few minutes to heal the boy.
Vlad was in pure agony. 'All this, all this for one stupid lousy fucking test, and the pain doesn't stop. He can heal it as much as he wants, the pain doesn't go away. Father, I thank you for my pain threshold, first time I'm ever glad I was beaten. Ah shit, he's catching up.'
Vlad just began to run faster.
(Two days later)
At the academy, the exam to see who would pass was nearly over. 26 had passed so far, and the last on the list hadn't arrived yet. Just as Chouji was about to release the class, and let them go home, Vlad burst through the door. His clothes were slightly tattered, and his hair was a mess.
"Sorry, sensei. I woke up late… I'm okay though, right? For the exam?"
Chouji smiled, he could tell the boy had gotten stronger. "Yeah, just on time. Come to the front, and we can start."
Most of the class was looking at Vlad expectantly. They knew he'd fail, after all, once a loser, always a loser right? They were all simply waiting for him to fail and be done with it, he didn't belong as a shinobi.
"Vladimir Taltos, for starters make a bunshin, do a kawarimi, and do a henge."
Vlad did the seals, and in a few seconds, there were 4 bunshin of him in the room, a random student in front of them, and a perfect replica of Naruto where the student had been sitting. The room was mildly awed at the progress he'd made, but this feeling was quickly dismissed by those that had already passed, the 26 of the 55 students.
"Okay, well done. Now, one ninjutsu not given to you by us."
Doing two hand seals, Vlad held up his hand, gathering oxygen around it and heating his hands with chakra. "Katon: Blast Deflection no Jutsu". The blast was short and controlled, not that large but it managed to send small breeze around the room, and light it up brightly.
Chouji was once again impressed. He'd never even heard of that jutsu before. It was clearly genin class, but one thing was for sure to Chouji: Naruto must've been a damned good teacher. "Very well done. Now, a genjutsu?"
Vlad smiled, and did 7 handseals. After the first day, the clone had learned a second genjutsu, finding he had a knack for it. However, this one he invented with the help of Naruto, making the genjutsu visible. "Sleep World no Jutsu".
Chouji was suddenly surrounded by a world of feathers, and he felt himself weakening. The Jutsu was not just fooling his sight, but also his smell. Making the 'ram' seal, Chouji said "Kai" and dispelled the technique, though he was confused. 'How on earth did he use a dual layer genjutsu as an academy student? How'd we never notice this talent before?'
"Very well done again. Never seen that done before either. I take it Naruto was a good teacher, huh?"
Vlad nodded quickly, before he began preparing for his taijutsu test. Deactivating his ankle weight seals, he felt 50 pounds lighter… for good reason. "Sensei… who am I fighting for my test?"
"Well, considering how well you've done so far, I think I'll put you against Shinamura."
Vlad paled at that. Shinamura was the all around number one genin that year. She was smart, attractive, and had a beautiful voice. She was also deadly, the daughter of two ANBU shinobi.
"Well class, let's go outside. If Vlad's skills have improved as much as I think they must've, then this should be an interesting match. Now, let's go." Chouji said, leading them out of the classroom. Once they reached the small training field, Shinamura got into her stance, her 'Pit Dragon Style', while Vlad got into his clan stance, which Shinamura was tempted to laugh at but didn't. She'd seen his leg muscles, they were gigantic compared to what they'd been just a week ago.
"When I call the match, stop. Do not incapacitate your opponent too harshly, it's just a test after all. Now, you can surrender whenever you want. Begin!"
Shinamura charged forward, low to the ground. She attempted to sweep his legs out from under him, but he jumped over the strike, kicking her in the chin at the same time. She flew back a bit, but landed on her feet. Charging again, she feinted left, then kicked down at his left leg. He dodged, but she twisted herself, spinning and kicking him in the face.
Vlad used the momentum of the kick and his arms to do a quick spin past her, kicking her in the back. Before she could hit the ground, Vlad completed a second spin and kicked her stomach, sending her into the air. Jumping, Vlad did a flip and attempted an axe kick, but it was blocked. Flipping again, using Shinamura's arm as leverage, Vlad grabbed her legs, then landed on the ground. Using the momentum of gravity against her, Vlad slid underneath her just before she hit the ground, and kicked up with both feet. Shinamura punched him in the face at the same time, but the air was knocked out of her by his kick. She flew back a few feet, then landed on her ass. Getting up, she rubbed it gently with pain, and raised her hand. "I surrender."
Vlad, with a newly forming black eye, and a few bruises got up and looked at Shinamura. He mouthed "Thank you' and she blushed, but turned away so he wouldn't see. It was common knowledge among girls that she had a crush on the weaker boy, but she would never admit it.
Chouji looked Vlad and Shinamura over, then turned to all of them. "Vlad, you pass. Both of you, go to the infirmary and get checked out. You can come pick up your forehead protectors afterwards. Class dismissed. Come back tomorrow for your team assignments. Those of you that failed, report to room 201 tomorrow for either a remedial class or another Shinobi vocation."
All of them left, some grumbling, others giving Vlad odd looks, and still others smiling at him, though a bit jealous he'd gotten so good so quickly. Those students just wanted to know how that blond guy had gotten the previous dead-last so good.
(Elsewhere)
Naruto was strolling along the road, not a care in the world. He knew Vlad would have no problems, so he wasn't concerned about him. Also, he knew Hinata, Tenten, and Temari's chakra signatures well enough that he could escape them if they came to question where he'd been for so long. Stopping in at Ichiraku's Ramen, Naruto ordered a few bowls and began to eat. However, he was soon in conflict. Temari's signature was coming in this direction, and however much Naruto did not want to be caught, he didn't want to leave his ramen uneaten. Settling for performing a henge and trying to hide his chakra signature, Naruto continued to eat. Temari soon came into the ramen bar and began to eat Naruto's ramen. Knowing he didn't have a way to change his voice, Naruto couldn't tell her to stop, and soon he was eating as fast as he could to keep his food just that; his.
Temari stopped eating when she saw the man she was next to increase pace, not telling her to stop. Of course, she knew this had to be Naruto, no one else eats 10 bowls of ramen as quickly as this man was, but she decided to toy with him. Using a minor wind manipulation, Temari flicked her hand, sending a breeze up the back of the man's coat, making him shiver. She continued this, increasing it, until finally the henge was released to reveal a giggling Naruto.
"Stop it! Stop it! I can't take it, its cold and tickle-y" Naruto said, every other word his voice stopping due to giggles. Temari stopped, then gave Naruto a sweet smile. "Where have you been?"
Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh… I was just training someone… my apprentice?"
"You have an apprentice?" Temari asked, surprised. Anger temporarily forgotten, she looked at him expectantly.
"I have to have one, to become Hokage. You must've heard something about it from Hinata…"
"Uh, yeah, but only little things. I thought she was joking."
Naruto smiled. "Nope, but it looks like I'm gonna have to get a team. However strong I could make Vlad, I don't think he'd enjoy being just like me, he needs friends too. I talked to Chouji, I'm getting a team, and he'll be on it. I'll still teach his team fuujinjutsu, but I'm beginning to think that I'll have to wait to teach it to anyone. In war, such secrets could change the tide."
"Speaking of tide, I hear Hinata's came pretty hard, huh?"
Naruto was choking for about a minute after that, as he remained the events of that night. During this time, Temari was laughing at his discomfort, while a few other patrons looked at them curiously.
When Naruto finally regained control of himself, he looked at Temari questioningly. However, the response was not one he'd expected, as he'd expected her to take him then and there. "Oh no you don't. I'm waiting until our honeymoon before we go past second base. Speaking of which, you have two other women waiting at home who all have wedding plans to put into motion, and want your help. That's right, wedding planning, our revenge". Temari's voice was sweet until the end when she began cackling maniacally.
Naruto just let a large sweat-drop form behind his head, as he sensed the impending doom. Finishing his ramen, he soon arrived home, only to be attacked by the three women, wielding binders of endless decision making.
The next 6 hours of Naruto's life was spent agreeing to whatever the three girls wished for their joint wedding, including paying for the whole thing. By the time it was done, all Naruto knew was that he really needed to either retrieve his spine from the closet it had hidden in when he'd arrived at the estate, or he would forever be whipped.
Metaphorically retrieving his spine, all of them went to bed, still thinking about the wedding to come. The plans were not done yet, and Naruto's next few days would be hell.
(next day)
Naruto woke up to a new feeling, that felt oddly familiar. Having not really slept much in the past week, he was used to meditating and getting up whenever Vlad needed help. However, after sleeping, Naruto found that he needed to get used to waking up again. He knew not what he'd fallen asleep wearing, but he knew he'd fallen asleep alone.
Hinata, her hair a mess, was draped over his body which was clad only in boxers. She had her left arm over his chest, and was clinging to him for warmth under the covers. Her arm was over another's, but it wasn't Naruto's. Tenten was on his right side, her right arm draped over his chest, but under Hinata's arm, making a cross shape. Her hair was down, and on his chest as her head snuggle in his shoulder. However, they were no alone in the room. Temari was sitting at the low table in the room, four bowls of cereal in front of her, one of which had milk in it, and she was eating it. She was also dressed only in her underwear, her black bra neatly covering her breasts, her black thong just barely covering what lay down below. Naruto struggled to not get hard, fearing that if he did, one of the girls shifting on him would get the wrong idea when they awoke. Looking under the blankets, he saw this was a definite possibility, as Hinata was wearing a matching blue and white bra and panty set that looked a little small for her bust, making it peak out a little, and that Tenten was wearing a red teddy similar to that which she'd shown him oh so many years ago in the lingerie store to get his attention. She was also wearing panties but they were tied at the sides, showing her hips. Naruto could struggle against his manhood no more, and soon a tent formed.
Temari looked over, and grinned, a slight blush on her face. "So, bet you can get used to this, huh?"
Naruto blushed deep red, and closed his eyes, trying to settle down. However, this is when Tenten woke up. Stretching a little under the blankets, her hand came in contact with a hard cylindrical object. It could've been the hilt of a katana with its size. She grabbed it, feeling it begin to pulse, and gave it a few soft pulls. She heard the moaning of the man she was half on-top-of, and gave him one more little squeeze before letting go. She whispered in his ear "Don't worry, we all agree that you wouldn't get any until the honeymoon, and that on that night you'd get all three of us, and you'd have to get us all exhausted before you can finish." She smiled evilly at the last part, as she saw him swallow and a brief tinge of fear crossed his features.
Hinata awoke next. She stretched as well, but fortunately did not brush Naruto's member. She leaned over and kissed him on the lips before lifting herself out of bed and over to the table, where she put milk in her cereal and began to eat. Tenten and Naruto soon followed, and began discussing plans for the wedding. Naruto agreed to help with set-up and with costs, as long as the girls promised they got everything they wanted to make it perfect. At the same time, he cleverly freed himself from having to help plan it.
Soon, they parted ways. With a kiss each to Naruto, the three girls set off to arrange the wedding, while Naruto sighed. In three hours he'd have to go meet his new team, as apparently the whole apprentice 'shindig' wouldn't be sufficient. Deciding to catch up with a few more people, Naruto set off to find his two best friends, Shino and Kiba.
(Inuzuka Estate)
Kiba was in the veterinary clinic in the building next to their house. He was working at the table with a new kind of soldier pill which would work especially for animals. The soldier pills used for humans were too powerful in a moment for a dog to handle correctly. Carefully taking some ingredients, he measured out the correct balance, which had taken a year to figure out, and began grinding them up with mortar and pestle. However, he was soon stopped in his work by his dog, Akamaru, who was now about the size of him, maybe larger. He had spiky white fur, with a tinge of silver at the edges, and looked more like an arctic wolf than what was once a puppy. Akamaru barked, warning Kiba of the coming visitor, and his identity. Walking to the door of the clinic, he opened it and waited for the man in the white coat and black pants to arrive. A pulse of green warned him of the man's presence a moment beforehand as well.
Seeing the figure emerge from around the corner of a building, Kiba raised his right hand and called out to him. "Hey Naruto, long time no see!"
Naruto was slightly confused. This could not be Kiba. Sure, the tattoos were the same, and his hair was still brown, just a little longer in the back, and he had those fierce eyes. Sure, he had a similar coat, now brown instead of gray, with fur around the neck. He had a jounin vest and black T-shirt underneath, and was wearing standard-issue black ninja pants. Yes, he looked grown up, but that was the point. Kiba was 6'5", even taller than Naruto, and had muscles visible under even the coat. And Akamaru, whom Naruto assumed was the dog next to him, was even bigger. However, his scent confirmed it was him, so Naruto just obliged the greeting.
"Hey Kiba. What's up?"
"A lot, would you like to come in? My sister Hana is making tea in the house, and my mom's out on a mission."
"Sounds great. Hey, is that Akamaru?"
Akamaru barked in response, and walked up to Naruto. Jumping on him, he pushed the blond to the ground and licked his face a few times. Naruto was rolling around under the dog, trying to get free from the tickling, but it was to no avail. Soon, the dog let up and got off, and the three of them headed inside the main house. Once inside, they sat at the table where Hana brought in the tea.
"Oh, and clean up your room before you go back to work on that pill."
"Nee-chan, I'm not 12 anymore. I'll get around to it…"
Taking a slightly more menacing tone, Hana responded. "Sorry, let me rephrase that. Either clean your room before you go back to work, or I'll neuter you."
Kiba instinctively reached to shield his groin and nodded his head. Hana merely smiled while she walked off.
"So, what did you do for the last five years?"
"Eh, not much. I trained, trained, and trained some more. I got up to the 14th level of my ultimate doujutsu… out of 50. However, since I was in the 4th before, this is a decent improvement. Basically each level of the 50 increases the effectiveness, speed, and range of the seal I use. The sloth boss Folivora has the 50th level, it was like getting hit 50 times at once. I learned counter-sealing, how to use Kie better, and I'm up to the 6th tail of my power now. Basically…. I'm gonna be the next Hokage, well, after I get my team to chuunin."
"Wow, big improvement. I'd asked for the details, but something tells me that would take too damn long. Plus, it looks like you've explained that a few times, considering the look on your face."
"Yeah… three times at least, one in writing. It was a freaking book by the end."
"Heh, same old Naruto. Well, I heard about the team stuff from Chouji, sounds like they're giving you that kid you trained a week, so good luck with that. Just, in a few years when you're Hokage, give me some good missions."
"Heh, will do. So, what've you been up to?"
"Not much either. I've been training a lot, and going on missions. I spent a year in ANBU, and I've been working on medical and enhancement Jutsus and drugs. Done a lot of B, A, and a few S-ranks. We're still sort of a team, Shino, Hinata, and I, but not so much anymore."
"Sounds good. You'll have to show me those jutsu some time. I'll show you a beast armor technique I picked up from some rock ninjas once. Oh, that reminds me, what part do you play in all of this?"
Naruto was, of course, referring to the coming war. Kiba, getting a darker look, waited a moment before responding. "I am going to be a commander on the front lines. That's where they need me most, I can do medical stuff, I'm a leader, I can enhance ninjas, and I'm a special jounin myself… so That's where I'll be."
"You don't sound very thrilled" Naruto said, stating the obvious.
"Well, I'm not. I don't like war. I know they are necessary for the existence of villages, but that's not a reason to get into war, and the Rock country doesn't really have much against us, well, other than the most recent incident with their Kage being killed. Old bastard."
"Oh, heh, that was my fault. I got the order, and I snuck in and killed him. Don't tell anyone though, I'm only telling you because I trust you."
"Well, thanks for the trust then."
They continued to talk with each other, boasting slightly of their tales training or in combat, and after an hour or so Naruto got up and said. "Well, good to see you Kiba. Make sure you come to my wedding, heack bring your sister too. I gotta go see Shino, haven't talked to him yet."
With that, Naruto walked out after a quick handshake, followed by an awkward hug, and used Hiraishin to get to the Aburame estate.
(Aburame Estate)
Shino was out on the back lawn meditating. Normally when people meditate, they seek silence. However, for an Aburame, it is best to be once with nature. Allowing his bugs to flow around him, Shino could tell if anyone was around, even a mile feet away, without chakra, or any of his senses, just his bugs. It was because of this that Shino was very surprised to feel a tap on his shoulder. He did not jump, as Aburames, at the most, raised their eyebrows when surprised. This is exactly what Shino's eyebrows did. Looking up from underneath his cloak's hood, he saw Naruto, white fire receding behind 4 of 14 kanji seals in his eyes.
"Greetings Naruto" Shino said in monotone.
"Hello Shino. You may lower your eyebrows now, no reason to be surprised." Naruto finished teasingly.
Shino cracked his old small smile. "I heard about your trip already so don't bother. I usually leave a bug in the Hokage's office, as do the rest of the Aburame, in case Hokage-sama needs something from us. Interesting story. So, anything to add to your report?"
Naruto was relieved he didn't even have to go through a summary again. "Not much. I'm taking a team… did you hear all that I've said to the Hokage?"
"Yes, and I know you'll be the next one. Don't worry, there is more to our secretive nature than just the fact that our abilities seem to extradite us from others." Shino responded in the still monotone voice.
"Ah… saves more time I guess. Anyway, what have you been up to?"
"Training, doing missions… I'm a jounin now, and clan heir. I'm set to marry a woman from a clan with has joined with us, just two years ago. They use fire ants, really quite interesting. They don't drain chakra, they damage muscles. It's a physical attack as opposed to ours, but they can make theirs drain chakra with techniques as well. Wedding is set for when she turns 18, in three years…"
"Wait a minute… aren't you gay?"
"Yes"
An awkward silence followed as Shino did not feel the need to elaborate. Naruto shifted uncomfortably, then started the conversation again. After chatting about politics and other stuff for an hour, they ate lunch at his house, then Naruto had to leave for the Academy. After all, He wanted to pick up his team on time.
(At the Academy)
Chouji was at the front of the classroom of students, silent while Iruka talked to all those who passed. They were crammed into the room, filling all the seats and three being forced to sit on the floor. The 'badasses' from both rooms were next to each other, causing a veritable mass of fan-girl love to be sent in that direction, so powerful it was almost visible. Just because they're skilled doesn't mean they aren't fangirls. Meanwhile, Vlad was sitting next to Shinamura and his only other friend, an Akimichi boy named Chouro. They had just finished being told by Iruka how the ninja world was full of challenges and that they would be on a hard path from now on. The 17 teams of students were then called, and many waited with rapt attention to see who their sensei would be, most of them hoping they got Naruto, the boy that had turned Vlad into a skilled genin in just a week.
"Team 13: Owara Ganju, Wakashi Temio, and Jigan Lora. Your sensei will be Hatake Kakashi."
"Team 14: Shinamura Asuka, Taltos Vladimir, and Akimichi Chouro. Your sensei will be Namikaze Naruto."
Iruka continued announcing the teams, but the three who had just been called were frozen at their seats. Simultaneously they all thought: 'We're all on the same team! This is gonna be awesome!'
After a few moments, Iruka finished his speech and the jounins that were there took their students. Only 4 teams were left. Then three… then just teams 13 and 14. It was about noon, they had waited an hour, and Naruto still wasn't there. The teams chatted amongst their members for a few more hours, before Naruto and Kakashi both showed up. Kakashi entered in a burst of smoke, while Naruto simply emitted a yellow flash of light. They looked at each other, both embarrassed that someone had seen them be that late, but simply shrugged it off and took their teams. Team 13 followed Kakashi up to the roof, while Naruto stayed in the room, looking them over. Then, finishing his quick inspection, he spoke.
"Well, we're a team. Tomorrow you guys will do survival training to see what level of missions you'll be capable of, then the training will start. Before you get too excited, we won't be doing the speed training I did with Vlad. It was a huge drain on his system, he won't be able to train like that again for a while. Now then, don't worry if you fail the test tomorrow, it just means you'll do lower ranked missions. Meet me at training ground 6 tomorrow at 9 AM. Bye."
Naruto was about to Hiraishin away when he heard Shinamura speak up. "Sensei, can't we get to know you a bit? I mean, if we're a team, we need to act as one, right?"
Naruto thought briefly, then nodded. Internally, he felt he didn't want to get too close to them else he'd have a hard time taking his position later on, but being friends at least didn't seem like a bad idea. "Okay then, we'll get to know each other. Since you asked, you go first. Say your name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dream, that kind of stuff."
"I am Shinamura Asuka. I like Vladimir-kun and learning new techniques. I dislike people who put others down instead of trying to help them. My hobbies are gardening and training, and my dream is to be a hunter-nin, and take down enemies of this world."
At the last part, Naruto was simply thinking: 'Wow, I got a righteous one here. Well, better than a fangirl'. While Vlad was thinking '-kun? I'm Vladimir-kun?'
"Okay, that was interesting. You, big-boned guy, you're up." Naruto said, knowing that calling an Akimichi fat was to ask for a death wish.
"I'm Akimichi Chouro. I like anything Barbecued, and expansion techniques. I dislike bullies and people that call others fat" he paused, spitting the word 'fat' like it was poison, then continued. "My hobbies are learning my family jutsus and eating Barbecue, and my dream is to create the perfect Akimichi pills."
"I'm Vladimir Taltos. I like learning stealth techniques and poetry. I dislike my parents… got what they deserved. My hobbies are writing poetry, training, and learning manipulation, and my dream for the future is to re-establish my clan and destroy those that wiped us out."
At that, the other two looked at him oddly, before they all turned their attention to Naruto. "I am Namikaze Naruto. I like Hinata-chan, Tenten-chan, Temari-chan, and my students… well, for now on that last one. I dislike people who cheat to get their power, and people who manipulate others, or live for hatred. My hobbies are training and meditation, and in the future I want to be Hokage, and rebuild my clan with my wives. Now that that's over, see you all tomorrow. And make sure to get a good night's sleep, it'll be the hardest thing you've ever done."
With that, Naruto disappeared, only a vanishing Hiraishin seal left in his wake. He stopped moving for a second, and bit his thump. Swiping the blood across the blood-resistant leather of the leaf symbol on his left fingerless glove, the ironing board with wind-seals appeared. Jumping on, Naruto pumped 5 percent of his chakra into it, way more than what 5 percent had been before, and shot off at nearly 100 miles per hour.
(The Hot Springs)
Naruto had landed in front of Konoha's hot springs, gotten entrance, stripped, put on a towel, and was currently in the mixed baths once again. A week gone by already, and Naruto was looking forward to having someone to talk to, even a nearly naked woman he didn't know. The men's side was closed for the day, an occurrence involving a peeping older man with white hair leading to the destruction of parts of the spring, which would need to be fixed. No other man dared to go into the shared side, since the woman in there was supposed to be crazy. Anko, the 'snake whore' of Konoha, was observing Naruto as he slid himself into the spring.
"Hey Anko-san" Naruto said, eyes closed, head leaning back while he enjoyed the spring.
Anko couldn't think of anything to say. The man had the body of a greek god, and with her current appearance, which she had been making appear younger with Tsuande's help, so that she looked about 20 instead of 28, she felt she had a pretty good chance at him.
"Hello Naruto-kun. Enjoying the scent in the air?"
"Mmm-hmm, smells like Ank-"
This is when Naruto realized Anko had moved next to him, one hand resting on his left shoulder, arm draped across him, and her other hand tracing circles on his chest. 'So fast! I didn't even sense her moving!'
"Smells like what?" Anko whispered in his ear.
"Smells… like Anko-chan." Naruto said, immediately after thinking as to why it had just changed to 'Anko-chan'
Anko noticed this as well, and used it to her advantage. "Anko-chan eh? I guess I am young enough. Want to see just how young I am?"
"It's well worth it. I saw how big he was through the window…" A voice said from behind them. Ino was standing there… nude.
Now, normally Naruto had no problem keeping himself under control. He had three beautiful fiances at home, all perfectly willing for him, and all loving him, he loving them back with all his heart and soul. However, with Anko draped over him, her hips moving and crotch gently rubbing against him, with a completely nude Ino in front of him, in a seductive pose, Naruto was left helpless. His manhood became fully stiff from the sight… because Ino was gorgeous.
Ino, 5'6" tall, platinum blond hair, C-cup bust, thin body, beautiful hips, a tight, firm butt, slender thighs and calfs, and perfect feet, not to mention her cute face which could cause death from blood loss with just a casual wink, and her sky blue eyes, the steam giving her a heavenly aura and the little patch of blond hair just above her entrance hiding her just a teensy bit beyond sight.
Scratch that, Natuo didn't just have the world's biggest stiffy, he had blood coming from his nose, and his head bent back far into a position that shouldn't have been humanly possible. All faded to black.
When he awoke, he was on the side of the spring, his towel removed, though it would have been making a tent if it hadn't been. There in front of him, was just Ino. She had a towel on, and an apologetic look. Before he could speak, she began, in a quiet voice.
"Sorry… Naruto-kun. Its just, for five years I heard how great you were from Tenten and Hinata. I got distanced from them because I couldn't take part in anything anymore. Everything they talked about was either you or politics, and I couldn't or didn't want to talk about those things… But I saw you training Vlad, I see what they were talking about then. I saw how you act… responsible, and at the same time, you're fun. You're the type of person I'd once imagined Sasuke would be… but I was wrong… he killed my best friend, and…. and… I just don't want to be alone anymore!"
Ino grew gradually more upset as she talked, and in the end threw herself on top of him, crying into his shoulder… He held her close to him, comforting her while she cried, until she wore herself out.
"Naruto-kun… I, I want to be with you too… I like you a lot, and, I just want to be part of the world again. Do you think you could, at least give me a chance?"
Naruto was not one to turn an emotionally hurt woman away, but couldn't outright say yes, as that was something he'd promised to Hinata, and he kept his promises. "Ino… I'll give you the chance, but only if you can convince Hinata. I'm sure she won't have a problem with it… Do you want me to stay with you?"
Ino shook her head in the negative, as she slid back into the springs. She looked like she just had a lot to think about. Naruto gave her a last gaze, then slid back into the men's locker room, getting his clothes on and going home.
(Namikaze Estate)
Naruto decided not to tell Hinata all of what happened, informing her just of how their meetings went both times, and that Ino seemed to like him and asked him out, leaving out the emotionally crippled bit, as Ino would need to work that out with Hinata herself. Soon, Hinata, Tenten, Temari, and Naruto himself were all in his big soft bed, snuggled up to each other, Temari and Hinata on Naruto's sides, Tenten having drawn the short straw. They all fell soon fell asleep, slipping into dreams of… Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, and for the male member of the group, Tenten, Temari, Hinata, and Ino all in a hot spring doing 'fun things'. Tomorrow, it would all begin again.
(Elsewhere)
Three figures in dark cloaks with red clouds on them stood before about 15 corpses, all dressed the same way. All three figures opened their eyes… none of them quite normal. The man in the middle asked "What do we do now?"
"Now we get the last two demons. Shukaku… Kyuubi… you may have been banished, but you can be retrieved. Konoha will fall." Said the man on the left, a little shorter.
The shortest man muttered out his comment, his voice echoing in the dark empty chamber. "The War."
Ominous lightning sounded, as they began to pick up the corpses of the men who were once their allies.
Chapter End.
Well guys, it only took four days to write, but here you go. Another chapter over 9000 words, man, I'm just on a roll here. I got lots of votes for Ino, so she's in unless I get an unexpected idea or something. Oh, and if you find any major inconsistencies, please tell me, I don't trust my beta guy much right now... Review plz!!