Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

The Grinning Fox, Chapter 21

On the next day, every team that has passed the first part of the Chunin Exams, have gathered in front of the training ground number 44, also known as 'forest of death'. Anko has already let them sign documents that if they die, Konoha won't take responsibility for it. She also has already told them about rules in the exams. The first rule, you have to have two different scrolls to pass the exam. The second rule, you can't open the scroll before getting to the tower. The third rule, your whole team has to pass the exam, one is out the whole team is out. During all this time when Anko talked, Naruto could not keep his eyes from his waist, more exactly what was on his waist. It was a white sheath of Katana. Thinking about this, Naruto could only remember what happened yesterday.

Flashback

When Naruto returned home after his meal with his girlfriend, he went to his room to lay on the bed. While laying on the bed, he was reading his notes about his last project, his own Jutsu. The blond Genin thought about creating his original Jutsu after his first date with the Hyuga heiress. It was very hard but after a few days and nights and help from his lifelong companion, the Kyuubi, The last Uzumaki was able to understand how creating Jutsus worked, of course, it wasn't easy, but after reading a few books, Kyubi explaining Naruto the purpose of the hand seals in a Jutsu, Naruto grasped the idea how Ninjutsu techniques were created. And so the Genin began to create his first Jutsu, he decided it to be a Futon Jutsu since it is the best affinity. The main idea of the Jutsu was to release a vortex of compressed wind, which would be enhanced by the Futon chakra and make it possible to slice through boulders without a problem. Of course, to create such Jutsu it took much time and knowledge about the subject and Naruto not having any experience in it made a few mistakes in his hand seal set.

The blond was now laying on his bed upside down, reading his notes and thinking how to shorten the hand seals and possibly make the vortex of wind bigger without the need to pour more Chakra into it. After about twenty minutes of thinking, the last Uzumaki sighed in frustration and threw the notepad to his side.

"Dammit, why can't I find a way around this? There must be a way to shorten these damn hand seals!" he shouted to himself in frustration. Crossing his fingers into the cross sign, Naruto created two clones and looked at them. "You, pack the most necessary things for tomorrow exam," he said pointing on the first clone, who nodded and walked to the room where Naruto kept his ninja gear. Turning to look at the other clone he said.

"You will go to Ichiraku's and bring me twenty bowls of Miso Ramen," The second clone saluted and used Shunshin to go complete his task. With this done, Naruto cocked his head to where his notepad was just to see it missing. The blond raised an eyebrow at this and looked around his bed. "Where is it? I am sure I le... Oh! Here it is," he said finding a corner of his notepad outstanding from under his bed. "How did it move there?" he asked himself lifting his notepad, but something caught his attention from under his bed.

The blond stood up and walked to his bed and laid himself on the floor to look under his bed to find a... "Trapdoor?" he said out loud. "How come I never saw it? I wonder where does it lead," he said eager to open it, but not before creating another shadow clone and telling him to continue to try finding a way to lessen the needed hand seals in his first Jutsu. When he opened the trapdoor he saw stairs leading to somewhere, curious where it leads the blond Genin used a minor Katon Jutsu to create a small fire on his palm to use it as a torch. As he walked through the dark corridor, he saw that it some seals on the walls, but no matter how hard he tried to read them, they all were so blurry as if someone would make it like this.

When the stairs stopped he was standing before a long path. The only thing he could see was his own hand with the fire Jutsu, nothing more, everything else was pitch black. As he walked further into the corridor, the light that the fire gave, started to slowly fade, which after a few moments vanished completely. No matter where the Genin turned, he could see nothing. Even with the knowledge that he was in a place, he was never before and he neither see or even feels anything around him, he somehow was at ease and the only thing he had in his mind was that he had to go forward. Even after spinning a few times in place he still somehow knew which direction to go.

He walked.

For seconds.

For minutes.

For hours.

For days.

That was what he felt, he felt as if he was walking for days, With every step, he took forward he felt as minutes would pass, but he wasn't either tired, hungry or thirsty. He just had the desire to walk forward. After what felt like years he finally stopped. In front of him were brown door made out of wood and the aura the door gave was that of power, weakness, happiness, sadness, love, hatred, purity and darkness. Naruto didn't know how he could tell exactly how the aura felt, but deep in his head and hearth he just knew it was it. Looking at the sight before him, he knew that he has to open them, but somehow he felt that if he did it, he might regret it. Looking once more on the brown door surrounded but complete darkness, he sighed and started to push the door open, but at the moment he touched the door and tried to open them, everything went dark.

Suddenly he opened his eyes just to see he was standing in the middle of a chamber made out of polished stone. The chamber itself was in a circle form and had two torches on the left and right side to Naruto. He also saw that in front of him were two pairs of doors, one white made out of white wood. The door was on Naruto's left and it's torch's fire was pure white. On his right, the door was made out dark wood covered in blood and the torch's fire was pitch black. Suddenly Naruto heard a voice, but it wasn't either in his head or in a single place, no, he could hear the voice everywhere around him saying.

"CHOOSE,"

Somehow the blond didn't think about the voice, but about his choice. He felt, no, he knew that wether choice he will do, it will change the rest of his life. Suddenly the voice spoke again.

"CHOOSE,"

Naruto started to think, which to choose and he heads two more voices, but this time, he heard them from the door in front of him. The voice coming from the left, white door was a feminine voice, which was gentle and warm.

"Come and I will protect you," the feminine voice said. The blond then turned to the door on his right to hear a gruff and cold voice which was filled with hate and darkness.

"Come and I will give you all the power in the world," the voice said. The blond Genin looked once more on the door and the torches which were on the sides of the door. Then he heard the voice again.

"CHOOSE NOW,"

The last Uzumaki was suddenly pushed slightly toward the doors and then he decided. He turned to look at the black door on his right and walked over to it. His hand slowly reaching the door and when he was about to touch it, his hand snapped forward the torch with black flames and he extinguished it with a single flick of his wrist. The blond let the torch fell on the ground and then walked over to the white door and opened them.

Silence.

Darkness.

Suddenly Naruto's eyes snapped open just to close them because of the light in the room he was now. He slowly opened them again to accustom to the light. A few moments later he looked around to see he was laying in front of the brown door, which now was locked. It wasn't showed that it was, he simply knew it. He looked once more around to see that he was inside a corridor with white walls on which every two meters were hanging torches, which showed the painting on the walls. He walked over to a painting and after seeing it, he didn't know exactly what it was. There was an island with trees around it, surrounded by whirlpools on the water around the island. On the next picture he could see a Village, a simply Village he has never seen before, but somehow he felt as he was there before.

'I think I should get back, I don't know how long I stayed here, but I need some rest' the blond thought and started to walk forward the exit, but suddenly two things caught his attention. He looked behind him to see that every torch he has passed, has instantly burned down and there was the pitch black darkness again. He then turned to look at his waist to see something which made his eyes widen. On his waist was a white sheath of Katan, which had a pattern of two dragons flying around themselves made in golden color. The handle of the Katana itself was made out of a blood-red and the protecting ring made out of pure gold. the blond took the Katana carefully out and saw the most beautiful sword in his life. The blade was made out of black metal that could absorb Chakra. No matter on what angle Naruto would place the Katana, the blade always shined. Looking at the sword he could feel the power, a power that he had never felt before, a power that made him feel as Kami himself had created this weapon. leaving a piece of his power inside.

Unknow to him, he was right.

Suddenly he felt something, he had a feeling that the sword was saying something, but he didn't know what to do. The Katana started to shake in his hands, moving his arms even though he was trying to hold it in place. Acting on his instincts he pushed some of his Chakra into the blade just to lose his consciousness.

When he opened his eyes he was laying on a clearing full with flowers of different colors. He looked around to see nothing until he saw a person in front of him. The man before him had long, white hair which reached his mid-back. His eyes were purple with a cross in the middle of it. He wore a white formal Kimono, which hid his whole body. The man studies Naruto for a moment and then slightly smiled.

"Welcome, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto," the man said looking at the surprised Naruto, who was shocked that this man knew his name. "My name is Furui, I am the soul of this Katana," he said making the blond dropped his jaw on the ground.

"H-Hello," Naruto said still shocked. Knowing that if he would give him a chance to start to talk he wouldn't end, Furui decided to continue and pretend the boy in front of him wasn't there.

"Kami-sama has deemed you worthy the choice you made a few moments ago. The white door stood for a road of love and peace made by Kami-sama. The black door stood for hatred and war made by Shinigami-sama. Both of the Gods have decided that one in a century if they find someone who they both deem worthy, he or she will become the next creator because the chosen person will create the future for the world with his own hands. At the moment you opened the white door, you choose the path 'sun'. Since then I will be observing your soul and should I deem you worthy to wield my full power, you will gain the power held within this Katana," Furui said, still with his small smile. "I guess it is time for you to go back. Goodbye Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, until the next time,"

"Wait! I have so many questions..." Naruto shouted by was interrupted by a gust of wind caused by Furui, which made him close his eyes. When he opened them again, he was laying in the corridor and his Katana was sheathed. He stood up and left the corridor. When he arrived outside he saw that when he closed the trapdoor, it vanished completely. Not wanting to know how, why or how, he simply dispelled his clone and laid on his bed. Only two minutes have passed when he was inside the corridor.

Flashback ends

Naruto has sighed, he and his team were now standing in front of one of the gates which allowed to enter the forest of death. He looked at his teammates to see that they were excited, eager and a bit nervous about entering the forest. The blond, of course, had been here a few times, because it is the best place around Konoha for a survival test. The last Uzumaki looked at his new Katanda and newly founded determination sparked in his eyes.

'Just you wait for Furui-Jisan, I will show you that I am worthy wielding this Katana' the blond thought and rushed inside the training ground 44 with his team because the gates opened suddenly.

And here is a plot-twist! It won't be a canon storyline since I have some plans for Naruto's future development and the way he will go. Stay tuned, next chapters soon!

Ja ne!