Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any affiliated characters, places, or objects.
AN: Sorry it took so long for the update, I changed up the story from its original form when I started posting and it majorly changed some of the story line. Anyway, my reviews are at the 120's now. 122 as of this typing. My goal is to get to at least 127 this chapter, but I won't say no to more. Hint hint.
XxXxX
It had been a long month. After Minato and Jiraiya were certain that Naruto was proficient in his Rasengan, they allowed him to sign the toad summoning scroll. The first toad he summoned was a small orange toad with purple markings. He had introduced himself as Gamakichi, the son of Gamabunta the boss toad. After he was done with his introduction, he promptly asked for some snacks.
The other three men were a little frightened when Naruto summoned his personal foxes, Youkou and Yorui. However, the toad and the foxes got along well. Then Naruto decided it was time to summon a larger toad. Minato and Jiraiya agreed.
When Naruto put a little too much chakra into the summoning, he accidentally summoned the boss toad. Jiraiya had told him specifically that he was not ready to summon Gamabunta. It was at this point that Jiraiya literally shit himself.
However, with Minato there, they were able to keep Gamabunta from annihilating Jiraiya and Naruto. One from past mistakes and one from his loud brash attitude. After settling down to have some sake with the adults, Naruto and Zaku not being old enough, Gamabunta was actually pleasantly surprised that his newest summoner was also holder of the fox contract. The toads and foxes were great allies in the summon world. The entire this was happening, Youkou and Yorui were playing with Gamakichi.
Shortly afterwards, Naruto allowed Zaku to sign the fox contract. Minato and Jiraiya had talked with Gamabunta and decided on a training regime. Unfortunately for the two boys, it was the toughest training they had ever gone through. And worst of all, the boss summons were to assist in the training.
A month later finds the two boys standing in the chuunin exam arena. As of yet, they were the only ones present. However the crowd was already starting to fill in the seats.
XxXxX
"Hey Zaku, want to play a card game while we wait?" Naruto asked.
"Sure we ain't got anything better to do for now," Zaku replied.
As the boys sat down to play, the red and purple teams showed up. They took a seat around in a large circle while Naruto dealt the cards. "We'll go clock wise, starting with Omoi," Naruto said.
"What if we get paper cuts and can't fight properly and we lose our fights?" the white haired boy asked, rolling his sucker around in his mouth.
"If it happens," Zaku said seriously, "then we'll avenge your loss."
"Nani?" Omoi asked. He shook his head and looked at his hand of cards. "Do you have any sevens Uchiha?"
"Go fish," Sasuke said. Omoi went to draw a card and got a paper cut. "We'll avenge you," Sasuke said with a smirk.
"All right all of you," a voice said. "Put your cards away and stand in formation. It's almost time to begin."
The group looked up to see Hayate standing with another jounin. He had shoulder length brown hair, his hitai-ate was tied on as a bandana, but backwards. In his mouth was a slightly thicker than usual senbon. Almost immediately the cards were gone and the chuunin hopefuls were standing in a formation. Each rank contained four people. The first two teams in the front, the last two teams in the rear.
Up in the stands, the Kage of each nation that had a team pass were filing into the Kage booth. The Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen was in the center. On his left were the Raikage and Mizukage. On his right were the Kazekage and the Otokage. Once the other Kage were seated, the hokage walked to the edge of the booth.
"Lords and Ladies of the elemental nations, welcome to the Konoha chuunin exam finals!" The crowd started cheering wildly. "Please watch as these brave hopefuls fight for honor. Both for themselves, and for their country! Without further ado, let the exams commence!"
"Will all teams, except for orange team please leave the arena, and proceed to the competitor's booth?" Genma asked.
As soon as Naruto and Zaku were the only contenders on the field, Hayate turned to them. "The first rounds you will fight against twelve bandits. If they win, they gain freedom from jail, if they lose, they're either dead, or they go back to prison."
"Are both competitors ready?" Genma asked. Both boys nodded. With a slash of his hand, a section of the wall dropped and twelve bandits charged at the boys, armed with various weapons. Mostly clubs and swords. In the back, there were two larger bandits. One had a massive hammer, the other had a sword almost as large as the boys fighting him.
"How do you want to take them out?" Naruto asked. "Collaboration?"
Zaku grinned and held out his arms. "Zankuha!"
Naruto flashed through some hand seals, ending on tora. "Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!"
The two attacks combined, shooting out larger and faster than either of the two original attacks. The massive fire ball hit the first ten bandits, turning them to ash in seconds. The larger two bandits had dodged at the last second.
"I'll get the one with the zanbatou," Naruto said. "I always wanted a sword like that."
"Hammer guy will be a push over for me," Zaku said thoughtfully. He grinned. "Let's go!"
The two boys launched at the two massive bandits. The giant men seemed to be on the same frequency, because they both went for a vertical slam with their weapons. Both boys dodged.
Zaku flipped back from the hammer blow. Then he jumped onto the hammer and ran up the handle before twisting and launching a kick at the big man's face. The man let go of his hammer with one hand, and caught Zaku's foot.
"Bad move big guy!" Zaku smirked, holding both hands out at the bandits face. "Zankyokukuuha!"
The massive blast sliced deep into the man's face and neck, killing him instantly. The blood was blown away from the body, leaving Zaku relatively clean. After getting out of the man's grip, he went over to the hammer, only to find out it was both too big and too heavy for him. With a shrug, he turned to watch Naruto's fight.
Naruto rolled out of the way of the sword slice that was launched at the beginning of the battle. He brought his legs underneath him, tensed for maximum spring action, and launched himself at the bandit's arm. In the boy's hand appeared a blue orb. With a shout of "Rasengan!" Naruto slammed the ball into the bandits arm, releasing his containment field. This allowed the energy to burst out and injure the man's arm. Unfortunately for Naruto, the injury was small relative to his size. On the upside, he was forced to drop his sword.
Naruto grinned and leapt for the sword, grabbing it at the same time as the bandit. "So that's how you want to play," the bandit smirked. The massive man launched a kick at the boy's stomach. Naruto dodged by flipping back several time.
"Fine then," Naruto said, drawing his sword that was forged by the three legendary smiths. "I'll play!" Naruto charged forward, spinning around another smashing blow. He started launching a flurry of blows, each cutting deep into the bandits flesh. For his final blow, Naruto leapt high into the air, and channeled all of the elemental chakra he could into the katana. The blade turned black, but gave off several colors of light.
He slammed his katana to the ground, similar to the bandit he was fighting. There was a bright flash that blinded almost everyone before the sound of an explosion. When the smoke cleared, there was no bandit, no blood, and no gore. The only thing left in the decent sized crater was Naruto holding his perfectly fine katana in one hand, and holding the charred broken zanbatou in the other.
"DAMMIT!" Naruto shouted dropping the fragment of the zanbatou. He stormed out of the crater pouting.
"Winner, orange team!" Hayate yelled, causing the crowds to cheer. "Will team 1 proceed to the competitors' booth, and team 2 proceed to the arena floor?"
Shino and Toshi and made their way to arena via bug and mizu shunshin respectively. There, Genma explained the rules to them, just as he had with team one. When they signified they were ready, Hayate began the match.
"Terumi-san, I will take the left half," Shino said.
"Very well Aburame-san," Toshi smirked. "Let's see who can win first."
Shino sent his bugs out, to swarm the bandits, as Toshi used the water dragon technique to blast his opponents. They finished at, relatively, the same time. The only difference was that Shino's six were still alive.
"Will red team please come to the arena floor?" Hayate asked.
Up in the competitors' booth, Naruto smirked at Sasuke. "Good luck."
"I don't need luck," Sasuke shot back with a smirk of his own. "But I'll take it all the same." Rather than taking the stairs, Sasuke jumped over the railing to the ground below, Samui walking out of the normal exit. Which, by the way, very few ninja ever use.
After Hayate began the match, Samui unsheathed her tanto, and Sasuke pulled out a scroll. Quickly wiping his blood over the seal, he released a zanbatou roughly as long as he was tall. He smirked when he heard Naruto's cries of unfair play.
The bandits didn't stand a chance against the whirling blades of Red team.
"Will green team please report to the field?" Hayate called.
After the rules were explained to them and Hayate began the match, Lee turned to Kin. "Are you ready Kin-chan?"
"Hai!" Kin said with a small blush. She started tossing her belled senbon out into the bandits' ranks. Using her Genjutsu, she confused them as Lee, who was wearing earplugs, decimated their ranks with taijutsu.
"Will yellow team please report to the arena floor?"
Shikamaru turned to Temari. "The next group of bandits will be released by the tree." Temari nodded in understanding.
As soon as the match began, the bandits rushed the field, only to be stopped shortly near the tree. They couldn't look down to see, but all their shadows were connected to each others, and to the shadow of the tree where Shikamaru was.
Temari grinned and blasted the bandits into the wall, knocking all of them unconscious.
In the Kage booth
"You know, I think the only ones trying to show off their skills are the orange and red teams," Orochimaru said.
The other Kage grimaced as they looked at him, but nodded in agreement. Due to the laws set down in the elemental nations, they could not attack Orochimaru in anyway by his appearance in Konoha. By allowing his team to participate in the exams, the other Kage acknowledged that he was also a Kage, and therefore had diplomatic immunity.
"Perhaps Otokage-dono," E, the Raikage said, "but the others show another level of skill in dispatching the enemy as quickly.
"Be that as it may," Mei, the Mizukage responded, "the nobles who are in attendance came to see a show, and so far only orange and red teams have given that."
"Still," Hiruzen said, "All have shown skill and power. And somewhat of discretion."
"Your blonde boy in the orange team showed discretion how exactly?" the Arano, the Kazekage asked.
"I saw him during his training. There were many more destructive moves that he could have used," Hiruzen said.
"He did use the Rasengan," Orochimaru said. "He is his father's son."
"So your blond is the son of the Yondaime," E asked.
"He is," Hiruzen said.
"Interesting," Mei said. "Does he not fall under the CRA?"
"No, he doesn't," one of Hiruzen's body guards said, saving the hokage from answering. He lowered his hood to reveal his face, as the other body guard did so as well. The newly revealed Minato and Kushina smiled at the other Kage.
"You are supposed to be dead," E said.
"I'm sure that Shinigami-sama is missing the fact that I'm not in his stomach right now," Minato said thoughtfully. He smiled again. "Then again, I'm probably a good source of indigestion so he spit me out!" Everyone in the Kage booth sweat dropped. "Anyway, I will take up the hokage mantle again after the exams are over."
Two people were not listening to Minato's rant, however. Mei and Kushina were staring at each other as if they had seen a ghost. Kushina had been glaring at Orochimaru the entire time, so had not been looking at the other Kage until recently.
Without warning the two redheads squealed and leapt at each other, giving each other a tight hug. Most of the people in the Kage booth got a severe nosebleed.
"What's with them?" Orochimaru asked.
"Kushina-chan here is my cousin on my mother's side," Mei said with a smile. "I had thought she died in the Kyuubi attack, but here she is alive and well."
"And you are the Mizukage now," Kushina said with a megawatt smile. "Who would have guessed?"
"So you're not going to be hokage then after all?" Mei asked Kushina.
"After seeing the amounts of paperwork, I'm content to let others have the position," Kushina said, causing everyone of the Kage, minus Orochimaru and E to become depressed.
"I just have my subordinates do my paper work," Mei said cheerfully.
"I have bunshin do mine," Orochimaru said.
"Paperwork doesn't exist in Kumo," E said.
"I think Raikage-sama gets the trophy," Minato said out loud, causing the other kage to laugh.
On the arena floor
"Will the purple team please report to the arena floor?"
Hinata and Omoi both jumped over the railing.
The two charged into their bandits, almost as if they were dancing. Omoi using his sword and some raiton techniques, Hinata using her clans Jyuuken style.
The bandits were dispatched in a relatively quick manner.
"Alright, for the second matches the teams have changed up. There are now four teams of three people each," Hayate announced. "Team one is orange team and Terumi Toshi. Team 2 is red team and Aburame Shino. Team 3 is green team and Sabaku no Temari. And finally, team 4 is purple team and Nara Shikamaru. Will team one please report to the field?"
As soon as the three boys landed in the field, Genma turned to them. "For this set of rounds, each team is to fight one jounin of Konohagakure." The three nodded.
"Team one versus Jounin Tenzou! Begin!"
In the Kage booth
"Why Tenzou?" Orochimaru asked.
"It's because of his mokuton abilities," Hiruzen said.
"Because Naruto-kun is a jinchuuriki?" Orochimaru asked, causing the other three foreign Kage's eyes to widen.
"Former jinchuuriki," yet another new voice answered. The Kage turned around to see a man with short red hair and crimson eyes.
"Hello Kyuu-kun," Hiruzen said.
"Who is this?" Orochimaru asked.
"My name has been forgotten long ago, but my friends call me Kyuu, though you may know me as Kyuubi no youko or Kyuubi no Kitsune. Nice to meet you!" Kyuubi said cheerfully.
The other Kage were doing a great imitation of a group of fish. "It's rude to stare," Hiruzen said. The other Kage turned their attention to the arena, trying to forget that there was a being capable of destruction on a scale that was unfathomable to the human mind sitting right behind them.
On the arena floor
"Yo," Tenzou said, "Don't hold back on me now. I can handle whatever you throw at me."
"Can we have a minute to discuss a plan?" Naruto asked.
Everyone watching the match was stunned that the blonde would ask something like that. To humor them, Tenzou accepted. After all, this was only a test to allow them to show their skills. "You have five minutes."
"Great, thanks!" Naruto yelled before turning to his group.
"You must be god," Zaku said. "For only a god could get an enemy to allow them to have time to plan!"
In Amegakure, an orange haired man with many piercings and his red headed controller sneezed.
"Okay, what I'm going to do is make a large pit in the ground and trap him in it," Naruto said. "Zaku you blast him into the pit with your Zankuha attack. Toshi, you fill the pit with water. I will then use a simple raiton attack to knock him unconscious."
"Why are we following your plan?" Toshi asked. He obviously had issues with following orders.
"Do you have a better plan?" Naruto asked.
"Not really, no," Toshi said as Zaku smirked.
"Then we'll go with mine," Naruto said.
"Okay, but first, does anyone know any genjutsu?" Zaku asked.
"I know one, but I need a lot of water to do it," Toshi said.
"You know, there is a river on the other side of that wall over there," Naruto said, pointing to the eastern side of the circular wall enclosing the arena. "Just be careful not to hit any spectators too hard."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Toshi said. "You two distract him while I get water."
"Alright let's go," Zaku said. Both he and Naruto charged at Tenzou.
Tenzou smirked. "Doton: Dai-Doryuuheki!" A massive wall rose from the ground, elevating Tenzou at least thirty feet into the air. "Suiton: Takinami o Kowashi no Jutsu!"
With a small earth quake, a hole erupted into a large waterfall near the top of the earthen wall. The waterfall rocketed waves of water at the boys before pouring into a hole in the ground. The waterfall, however kept pouring.
'Actually, this might work better than the river,' Toshi thought for a moment. "Kirigakure Genjutsu Ougi: Ame o Gensou Rensa." Toshi whispered under his breath. The water rose into the air and started raining slowly around Tenzou, zipping past him in every direction.
Eventually the torrent stopped, but you could still see the rain in the reflection of Tenzou's eyes. He started moving as if he were in the middle of a taijutsu fight.
"Doton: Fuka Ana!" Naruto yelled out, causing a massive hole to open in the ground behind the Jounin.
"Zankuha!" Zaku yelled out, with one arm outstretched. The air from his tube blasting the Jounin into the pit.
"Suiton: Suiryuudan!" Toshi yelled out, a massive dragon crashing into the pit.
"Raiton: Denki Myaku!" Naruto yelled, a small pulse of electricity crashing into the water.
The boys, and the proctors, went to the edge of the pit. They looked down to see a stumbling Tenzou and a cracked Moku Bunshin.
"I, uh, can't seem to gather anymore chakra right now," Tenzou said. "I used the last of it on the substitution with my Moku Bunshin that I made in the conveniently placed hole behind me."
As he said this, the members of team one sweat dropped.
"I see," Genma said. "Well, Hayate?"
"Oh, right. The winner are Team one! Will team 2 please proceed to the arena floor?"
In the Kage booth
"Why can't they stop destroying my precious arenas?" Hiruzen asked with anime tears flying everywhere.
The other Kage felt pity for the old man. Even Orochimaru, who was currently patting the old man's back. "There there sensei, it'll be alright."
On the arena floor
"Team 2 versus Maito Gai!"
"Shit!" Sasuke said.
"What's wrong?" Samui asked.
"It's-"
"Come pupil of my eternal rival! We must your FLAMES OF YOUTH!"
"Fuck!" Shino swore loudly enough that everyone in the area could hear him.
In the stands
"I agree with my son's assessment for this match," Aburame Shibi, Aburame clan head, and father of Shino said with little to no emotion.
"They're screwed," Yamanaka Inoichi said.
"Troublesome," Nara Shikaku said.
"You can say that again," Akimichi Chouza said.
On the arena floor
"Such unyouthful language!" Gai shouted. "We must re kindle your FLAMES OF YOUTH!"
"I will try to drain as much of his chakra as I can," Shino said.
"I'll attempt to put him in a genjutsu," Sasuke said as his Sharingan spun wildly.
"While you two do that, I'll try to get behind him and use a raiton technique to knock him unconscious," Samui said.
"Why not use the electricity seal on the bottom of your tanto?" Shino asked.
"I could use that too," Samui said.
"Alright, I'll go in first to distract him. Then Shino can place his bugs on him. When that's over with, I will keep him distracted until Samui can use her tanto's seal," Sasuke said. The other two nodded.
"What a youthful plan!" Gai's voice said from right behind the group, making them stiffen.
On reflex, both Shino and Sasuke's arms snapped out to catch Gai on either temple, while Samui's foot lashed out, catching Gai in the fork of his legs. The combined attack of all three, or mostly the pain of the last one in conjunction with the temple blows of the boys, instantaneously knocked the man unconscious.
All of the Konoha populace, and former Konoha populace, stared in shock as Gai went down that easily. All of the males watching the fight instinctively moved their hands to safeguard their genitals.
"Isn't that supposed to be impossible?" Genma asked Hayate.
"I thought so too," Hayate said.
The members of team two stared at their hands, or foot in Samui's case, in shock.
"Winners, team 2. Will team 3 please proceed to the arena floor?" Hayate's voice called out, interrupting team 2's contemplation.
In the Kage booth
"That was amazing," Mei said. "Are you sure he's a Jounin?"
"I dare you to get hit in the balls and both temples at the same time and still be conscious," Arano said.
"I would, but I don't have any balls," Mei said.
"You could have fooled me," Orochimaru muttered.
"What was that?" Mei shouted.
"Nothing!" Orochimaru said, voice tinted with fear.
"That's what I thought," Mei huffed.
On the arena floor
"Team 3 versus Hatake Kakashi!"
"Yo," Kakashi said as he appeared in a swirl of leaves.
"Kakashi-san, I will avenge my sensei's flames of youth!" Lee said, fire burning in his eyes.
"Hmm," Kakashi said. He reached back into his Kunai pouch, causing the genin to tense. The sweat dropped, along with the audience, when he pulled out a familiar orange book and began reading.
Lee pulled up his legwarmers and unsnapped his weights. He kicked them off, sending them flying at Kakashi. The jounin just turned sideways, allowing both sets of weights to pass right by him.
Lee charged at Kakashi and tried to engage him in combat. "Lesson one, taijutsu," Kakashi said calmly. "Never let your opponent get behind your back."
"Nani?" Lee asked as Kakashi appeared behind him.
"Konohagakure Taijutsu Ougi: Sennen Goroshi!" Kakashi said in a slightly louder than usual voice before Lee was launched into the air.
"Lee-kun!" Kin yelled, running forward.
Kakashi appeared in front of Kin as Lee crashed into the ground. "Lesson two, genjutsu," Kakashi said, just as calm as ever. He disappeared from Kin's view. Kin screamed out loud then fell to the ground.
Kakashi dodged a burst of wind. "It's my turn," Temari said.
"Lesson three, ninjutsu," Kakashi said, putting his orange book away. Temari sent another gust of wind at Kakashi. "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!" Kakashi yelled out, before blowing a massive ball of fire that exploded on contact with the burst of wind.
A green blur dropped in front of Kakashi. The silver haired nin was forced to dodge as Lee became a blur of whirling legs and arms. "Lesson one, taijutsu!" Lee shouted at Kakashi who was hard-pressed to dodge.
He leaned back to avoid a kick to the face, but double over as he felt an impact in his stomach. "Lesson two, genjutsu," Kin's voice called out. He spun around to look at the smirking Kin. He narrowed his eyes as she pulled her arm back, causing the bells around Kakashi's feet to jingle.
Kakashi was tossed forward in a burst of wind. "Lesson three, ninjutsu!" Temari yelled. As Kakashi slammed into a wall he burst into smoke.
"Ma, ma," Kakashi said from a seated position in the only tree on the field. "It seems you defeated my Kage Bunshin." He dropped from the tree. "Proctor, I give up." He eye smiled as he vanished, only to reappear in the stands.
"Winner, team 3. Will team four please proceed to the arena floor?" Hayate called out.
When Omoi, Hinata, and Shikamaru were situated, Hayate called out, "Team four versus Shiranui Genma!"
"Nani?" Genma yelled, dropping his senbon.
"Your name was drawn," Hayate said. "Sorry."
"I will get you for this," Genma promised.
"I would be more focused on your competition if I were you," Hayate said.
Genma turned to see Hinata charging at him. "Well if that's how you want to play," Genma said. He moved to a defensive stance or tried to.
"Kage Mane success," Shikamaru said from directly behind Genma. Genma surged his chakra to his arm and forced it forward, breaking Shikamaru's hold. "That's fine, I was only a distraction anyway."
Genma's eyes widened as he turned forward to see Hinata almost on him. He held his arms up as Hinata launched Jyuuken strikes at the Jounin. A sharp jolt of electricity caused Genma's entire body to twitch.
"You're within range of my divination," Hinata smirked.
"Oh shit," Genma said.
"Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou!" Hinata yelled out, before launching at the jounin.
"Ni shou!" she yelled as she hit him twice.
"Yon shou!"She hit him twice more.
"Hachi shou!" She hit him with four strikes.
"Juuroku shou!" Eight strikes.
"Sanjuuni shou!" Sixteen hits.
"Rokujuuyon shou!" She cried out as she hit him thirty two final times.
Genma fell over limp. "Can someone help me up?"
"Team four is victorious!" Hayate yelled out. "There will now be a ten minute break before we continue the matches.