Now that we have come to the Chuunin Exams Arc of this fanfic, you will be seeing much, much more of the other squads than before.
So I have decided to write a profile page for the important characters you will meet. This chapter is NOT PART OF THE ACTUAL STORY, but rather just a whole bunch of notes describing new characters and teams and concepts.
This is the fastest and most efficient way for me to let you know what these characters are all about, so please bear with me. It is kind of like that pointless episode just before the Forest of Death Arc when they had Konohamaru interviewing Squad 7's members. You can keep referring back to this page if you need to refresh your memory. It won't be a complete profile of course, because some things are connected to the plot and won't be given away now.
--
Squad 7 : Sasuke Uchiha, Shino Aburame, Sakura Haruno
Sensei : Kakashi Hattake
The new Squad 7 is a lot quieter without Naruto, of course. Shino is a huge difference in that he is poised and highly skilled. This is a team where all three are pretty good students in the Academy.
Sasuke does not have an annoying brat on the team who he will constantly snub, then later discover is not as flakey as he seemed at first. In other words, Shino (who is consistent and highly-skilled to begin with) does not raise Sasuke's competitive spirit and fighting anger the way Naruto did.
Shino is simply the less talented but more consistent person on the team. Sasuke's potential will eventually outshine Shino for sure, but for now (as you saw in the last chapter), Shino has the stronger foundation and Sasuke still has a ways to go.
It is probable that Sasuke does not push himself as much as he did with Naruto on the team, since Shino and Sakura don't get a rise out of him. He also won't find that "best friend" quality in Shino anytime soon, meaning his entire focus would be on Itachi alone.
So this Sasuke would be even more inward, self-centered and EMO than before, unless I give him someone else to hang with (which I actually will, so wait and see).
--
Squad 8 : Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuuga, Haku
Sensei : Kurenai Yuuhi
Well, these are our main characters. If you still need me to tell you what they are about, then I really can't help you. Okay, I'll talk a little; there you happy!?
Kidding aside ... I kicked Shino out because I wanted to give Kiba and Hinata a good reason to forge a strong friendship. With only two of them at first, they have no choice but to get along really well. This is also a good foundation for them going all fluffy on each other in much later chapters. Look forward to that!
It was quite tough thinking of a third teammate. I can't just throw anyone in there; it has to be someone who can replace Shino i.e. someone with tracking abilities and can fit into a team built for recon and info-gathering. That is why Naruto, who the most obvious candidate at the time, did not fit.
I nearly went with Sai actually.
Now, Haku does not have tracking capabilities like Kiba's nose or Hinata's Byakugan or Shino's bugs. But he does have his Ice Mirror jutsu. So maybe, like Zetsu (the plant guy in Akatsuki), he can play the role of the team's spy. His Ice Mirrors allow for a conscious and living reflection of himself to exist in a body of frozen water
Let me illustrate how this works ... Assume he cast this jutsu on a puddle of water in the road. If someone walks by that road, Haku's reflection will be able to see who it is and even hear conversations. When the jutsu disperses, anything the reflection picked up will be transferred to the real Haku, who could be miles away. Essentially, it is like Naruto's Kage Bunshin. Each Bunshin can work separately and when they disperse, whatever information they learnt will go back to Naruto.
--
Squad 9 : Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akamichi
Sensei : Asuma Sarutobi
Nothing new to add here, since this team hasn't changed from the original. The only thing inconsistent is that this squad is presented as "Squad 9" in the earlier episodes, then as "Squad 10" during Shippudden. Wonder what's up with that, or am I wrong and it has always been Squad 10?
For clarity, in my fanfic only, this is Squad 9.
--
Squad 10 : Naruto Namikaze, Shingo Kanbuki, Muumuu
Sensei : Ebisu
I already discussed why Naruto is registered as Namikaze and not Uzumaki.
(Please see my pre-chapter notes from Chapter 22.)
Ebisu was elected as sensei for Konohamaru's squad in the original story; I believe to be an issue of favoritism for the "Honorable Grandson" of the Sandaime (since Ebisu is supposed to be a top-notch teaching expert). As Yondaime's son, Naruto would probably be shown the same favoritism.
All three teammates are perennial jokers and pranksters, so Naruto isn't always alone in his pranks. With two more just like him, it gives him reason to feel confident. This time he isn't playing pranks to get peoples' attention, he's doing it out of sheer playfulness that is buoyed by having friends who share the same enthusiasm.
Naruto's new skills ...
In Shippudden, Naruto discovers that he has Wind-type chakra. Rasengan is a Wind-based jutsu, meaning that Yondaime had Wind chakra too.
Without the Fox's chakra messing up his system, Naruto should be able to learn things at a quicker rate (if he weren't so damn playful all the time). Don't forget that this Naruto hasn't had the pain of being estranged and hated, so he doesn't quite "grow up" in that sense.
Sasuke isn't there to pick on him along the way, then run away to Orochimaru and become evil. So Naruto knows no animosity and is happy and carefree all the time. He is more childish than the original Naruto and probably isn't as hardworking.
What I am going to do is to play up on Naruto's Wind-based jutsu. You will see some never-seen-before jutsu in the story later. Rasengan is already there.
I am also giving Naruto his usual Kage Bunshin jutsu, because it is so much a part of his character that I find it hard to write him without it. However, without the Fox's limitless chakra reserves, he is unable to create multiple Shadowclones (don't forget this is supposed to be a jounin-level technique). Ebisu has decided to teach him the skill (maybe out of favoritism again) and he is able to create only one Shadowclone this time. Just one.
Shingo Kanbuki
He is based off Shingo Yabuki from the King of Fighters franchise. Google him to see what he looks like. Basically, he is Rock Lee without the crazy hair and buggy eyes. Extremely enthusiastic about training and someone who really looks up to his sensei. In this story, he is a pyromaniac (likes anything that burns, fireworks, paper bombs, etc.). He dresses quite normally, except that his jacket and pants are a shockingly bright blue (in line with Naruto's blinding orange jumpsuit).
Like Naruto's wellworn "Believe it!", Shingo also has a catchphrase ... "It's my showtime!" He is also nutty over Ino, like Naruto is nutty over Sakura.
Shingo has Fire chakra and his kekkei genkai involves turning his body into a human fireball. So he's kind of like the Torch from Fantastic Four. Largely a taijutsu type, but can occasionally jump back and deliver a long-range flamethrower. His attacks are based off the ones in his KOF movelist.
In this story, the Uchihas are the real powerhouse Fire users in Konoha and Shingo's family, the Kanbukis, are a spin-off of the Uchihas. They are not as powerful, but can do more things with fire than the Uchihas. Their kekkei-genkai makes their bodies completely impermeable to flames, so Fire jutsus are pointless against them.
Muumuu
Based off Mel the Torrent Witch from Luminous Arc, a very cool RPG for Nintendo-DS that was released only recently. Google her to find out what she looks like. Basically, try imagining a smallish girl with poofy pants that wears a giant pink toadstool with white spots on her head. She has short blue hair like Evangelion's Rei Ayanami. Like her teammates, she sports an outfit with one insane blinding color. Hers is pink.
Very childish and naughty and spoiled; she is even worse than Naruto, but so damn cute that you love her anyways. Her overused catchphrase is "For justice!" and she fancies herself a superhero who will rid the world of all evil. Another quirk is that she always speaks in third person. (Eg. "Waaaah! Muu-chan wants some cake now! Give her it!") She is also a sweet tooth, at an addiction level similar to Naruto's love for ramen. Shingo is the only one in the group without a particular food addiction.
Muumuu's skills ... She always carries around this fluffy green pillow shaped like the Konoha symbol, even in public (in line with her child like attitude). She can transform this into a huge leaf with a very long stem that she will carry like an umbrella. Not only can she wield this leaf like a big axe; it is also a "magic wand" of sorts she can use to summon more leaves. Her skills all involve the use and manipulation of leaves. (I am surprised they don't have a single character that uses leaves in their attacks, considering this is the Hidden LEAF Village, so I'm making one).
--
Squad 11 : Rain Kanasawachi, Yun Long, Kamika Ayuhara
Sensei : Unspecified
The whole point of creating a whole cast of original characters is largely as a challenge to myself and to place my own original quality into the story. I don't want to fall into the trap of simply re-writing the old story in my own words, and one of the best ways to guarantee that is to simply create entirely new characters. Please take serious note of this trio because I will very likely use them again and again, maybe even throw Kiba into a mission with their team. I mean, what's the point of creating new characters if I don't make significant use of them, eh?
The jounin-sensei for this squad is unnamed because it is really not important right now. I may have to make up a name for him later in the story though.
Rain Kanasawachi
Based off Kairi from the Streetfighters EX series. He's a guy with long dark hair like Sora's (that boy from the Fire Temple who also has the Fox's chakra). An injury gave him a big scar vertically across one eye, and he is half-blind. Kairi is tough and a bit of a bastard like Sasuke, but without the elder-brother-killing-his-whole-clan thing, so he has no vengeance in his heart. The fact that he can jump around with the others fighting over Haku when they thought he was a girl shows that being a tough guy is not the same as being unsociable and unfriendly.
He wears a mesh shirt like Shikamaru's and a white long sleeve cotton shirt with high collar over it. He wears black pants, but the right legging has been ripped at the knee. Instead he has several weapons pouches strapped all over his lower right leg, as he prefers to draw them from there.
If you remember when Squad 8 was first formed, Kurenai introduced her favorite restaurant as Kanasawachi's. Rain's family is from the Hidden Rain Village. They came to settle in Konoha when they heard that commerce is good. They set up a fancy okonomiyaki (Japanese style pizza) restaurant, and Rain dreams of being a great chef like his father. Rain's dad is fat and strong and intimidating, and is about the only person in the world with whom Rain drops the tough guy act and becomes a pussy cat.
Rain, as his name and roots suggest, manipulates the rain itself. His jutsus are all Water-based, long-ranged attacks. As from his costume design, he uses a lot of throwing weapons as well. He fights with twin short crescent-shaped swords if opponents get too close, though this is not preferable to him.
Rain is the strongest on his squad and is their leader. He hangs out with Yun Long a lot because they are both outsiders that came to settle in Konoha.
Yun Long
Based off Chinese kung fu artists Yun from Streetfighters III. He wears a white satin cutoff top (sleeveless) with silver dragon print designs and black kenpo trousers. He has very long black hair down to his back, but this is usually tied up in a tight plait. The quirk in his outfit is that he sports a bright yellow baseball cap, given to him by his dead father.
A typical kung fu character, Yun Long is a taijutsu type. His kekkei genkai is a strange one. He has both Fire and Water chakra, but the strange thing is that he seems to have two separate chakra networks. The upper half of his body is controlled by Water chakra and the lower half by Fire. Meaning that he can generate Water jutsu only with his hands and Fire jutsu only with his legs. This will be made clearer in the story.
Yun Long's personality is somewhat like Kiba's, arrogant and a little sly, but minus the Inuzuka violence and impatience. Rain is his best friend because they are both outsiders. Yun Long's family came over from a small unnamed Chinese village. He has lost his father with whom he was very close, his baseball cap being the only memento he has left of him. He now lives with his mother, and his uncle's family (if you remember, his uncle is described as a very tall man in the "Haku is a boy!" chapter).
Kamika Ayuhara
She is the first original character to appear in the fanfic, as early as Chapter 3 when everyone graduated from the Academy. She appeared only briefly, her mother snubbing Kiba before Tsume showed up to rescue her son. She is based on Rurouni Kenshin's leading lady Kamiya Kaoru. In fact to make things easier, exactly like Kaoru, in looks, personality, everything. Beautiful, consistent, responsible but a bit difficult and unbending in her ways, in other words : great wife; tough girlfriend!
Like the Kamiyas, the Ayuharas are samurai swordsmen, and very typical ones at that.
Kamika is usually seen in the traditional hakama with white wrapover and black flare pants. (Notice how all three members of this squad wear a white top and black pants?).
Other than occasionally pelting shuriken and paper bomb tags on kunai, she hardly uses any ninja skills at all and sticks strongly to her samurai heritage. Kamika however will sometimes "power up" and send waves of chakra at the opponent with a swing of her sword.
Her chakra is also Water-based. Notice that all three members of these team have the same typing. One is a taijutsu type (Yun), another uses long range ninjutsu (Rain) and Kamika uses weapon-based jutsu; so it is a very good balance.
This is a team that is designed to do full-scale combat in waterlogged terrain.
--
Team Gai and Sand Siblings
These two teams also have not changed much since the original. I don't want to tell you too many things either, since they have A LOT to do with Kiba and Hinata, and as such I would be spoiling things if I talk too much now.
All I will mention is that Tenten will be written as being quite friendly with Hinata (because she is Neji's cousin). Neji despises Hinata for the same reasons he did in the original.
Rock Lee is good friends with Naruto and new character Shingo. All three often come together for morning aerobics with Maito Gai, where they will spend two hours screaming about youth and giving everyone around them heart attacks.
Rock Lee is Naruto's competitor for Sakura's affections and often joins Shingo in mourning for love since both of them can't get with the woman they want (Ino in Shingo's case). Naruto is different now and can score dates with girls because of his status as Yondaime's heir, so he often turns his nose up and laughs at the other two.
About the Sand three ... what can I say? Temari seems to find Kiba attractive. Gaara finds him attractive as well (in a very different way from his sister, damn it!). And Kankuro ... what do you want me to say about Kankuro? He's just a guy who wears makeup and plays with dolls. I'm sure he's very confident of his masculinity. Wanna bet that he wears panties as well?
--
Other Teams
The Sound Team is the same from before. I am also going to create a random Rock Team (rock/earth techniques). And a team from Cloud Village (storms/lightning manipulation techniques). The 3rd round preliminaries are going ot be FAR BIGGER than you ever dreamed it would be!!
Kabuto's Team is still the same, and I might as well tell you all now that Kabuto's involvement is the same, he's still with Orochimaru and they still want Sasuke. That's not really spoiling anything since it follows the original. But there will be something very different happening that will involve Squad 8.
--
Okay, that's all the notes I have for now. I wanted to throw all this out here so I don't have to waste too many words introducing the characters or differences to old characters in the story itself. The moment the exams actually start, which is like 2 chapters from this one it'll just be BOOM BOOM BOOM, action all the way. I am not going to linger on development then.
If you feel anything is missing or the info is insufficient, it is probably because I intend to write about it in the fanfic itself (like Naruto's actual new jutsu). But you can ask anything you want to know anyway; and I'll answer if it doesn't spoil the plot.
Please Google up the references I gave for all original characters to know what they look like and read up on their personalities. These details will become clearer of course in later chapters, but if you want a clear picture to begin with then do some research on your own.
Since this is not part of the actual story, I am not expecting reviews but it would be appreciated of course. Tell me what you like or don't like, helpful suggestions, stuff like that.
And keep making those requests.
There have been a lot of you saying want to see this and you want to see that. Don't worry that I am not replying. I am taking everything into consideration. I am not ending this fanfic for a long, long, loooooong time so the chances that your request eventually appears in the story is very high (as long as it's not COMPLETELY insane and does not break my plotlines).
There will be Kiba : Shippudden! I guarantee it! Stay with me until then!