A/N Thanks for your reviews and support.

bebepantheon: thanks for your reviews and support. I'm so glad you enjoy it!

TigrezzTail: thanks for your review, my friend. Flanders is going to be in for a surprise. But Yu Hao can't go any higher until he gets his second spirit ring.

DarkRavie: thanks for your review, my friend.

Naruto's POV

Wearing the school's uniform to fight in was uncomfortable. He would rather be wearing his usual clothes. Given that people from all over the country were coming to watch the first years take their tests it was required. It did make him thankful that Fan required them to be in uniform except when in the forge. It didnt make it any easier for him to want to fight in it.

At least Xaiogang was there. After dinner the night before he was glad to have his mentor back. Hayate and Xaiogang both treated him to dinner. They were happy to hear about how he was fitting in.

Hayate had not forgotten it was his birthday any more than Xaiogang had. The man had gotten him a necklace of the Gekko clan forged in stainless steel. It was the first gift he had ever received.

Naruto hugged Hayate before he could really think about what he was doing. When he did his face went bright red.

Instead of pushing him away, Hayate drew him closer into a hug. It was warm and welcoming. A lot better than he ever dreamed a hug could be.

They wished him luck on his matches and promised to be watching. The first half of the matches would take place in the courtyard instead of the arena. It was more spacious and would allow for teams to go more than one at a time.

Their examiner was a plain-looking man by the name of Wang Yan. He didnt look like much but Naruto knew better than to judge on appearance alone.

A voice called out, "Team Yu Hao of class 1-C and Team Ling Tao of class 1-D come to area 12 for your match."

The testing area wasnt far from where they were at. It only took a few moments to reach it with his team. They already had a plan in place for the first fight. With any luck, it would be over before they knew what hit them.

A quick introduction and a quick sneer towards Yu Hao later and the fight began. Then it was over with the three from class D on the ground groaning.

Naruto's control over his ki had improved immensely. He could call it up in an instant and have it dissipate before anyone knew that it was activated.

It took the judge a long moment to declare, "Team Yu Hao from class C wins!"

The three kids grinned at each other at their win. They went through four more matches that day. During the day he could feel the eyes on the examiner on them.

Wang Yan like everyone else was curious about his team. In the beginning, only Hayate, Xaiogang, and the Hokage were the only ones watching. By their last match over a dozen, adults were watching along with four or five teams.

Each of their winds had been a landslide victory. Using the 3000 Lightning Movement technique so far no one had been able to surpass it. He wouldn't continue to use it tomorrow.

It was too dangerous to risk continual use. At the same time though using the same tricks over and over again wouldn't help anything.

The next day they used Wang Dong to attack and Naruto defended. They avoided using any of their second ring skills. Better to hold those off until the second part of the exams.

In the end, it was four days of battles before the top 64 teams were announced. Naruto's was on the list is only one of two teams that won all their matches. They were the only team that refused to use their second spirit skills.

They were the only team from class 1-C to make it into the top 64 teams. The rest were mostly 1-A&B. The sneers on the other teams were clear on their faces. Hatred for his team being one to win every match.

Many of them also thought of Naruto as a liar. That his second soul ring was a fake thousand-year ring. They thought that was why he didnt use his second skill.

If they bothered to look they would realize that his spirit essence was not one that used illusions. He did, in fact, use elemental ki to fight with.

His team was going to be the first fight in the tournament knock out style battles. Their goal was to reach the top. They would be champions no matter what.

Champions were guaranteed a soul bone. With any luck, it would be one compatible with his spiritual essence.

The first step would be class 1-A's team, Ling Tao. They had won all but three of their matches. In terms of ranks, they were at the bottom. Barely able to make the cut for the top 64.

The team was made up of the two-level 27 Grandmasters with wolf spirit essence and a level 23 staff essence. From Ling Tao, he could sense the lightning ki that went through his veins.

One of the downsides of elemental ki is that someone who used the same element could sense it. Unlucky for Ling Tao he was adept at reading the charge of lightning. If it was positive he could use negatively charged Thunder Break to dissipate the attack.

Wang Yan announced as the two teams entered the arena, "Welcome to the first match of the knockout tournament. Regardless of how well students did in the previous part if you are defeated that's the end of the line. There will be no second chances from here on. The winners of each match will move on. Losers will have to step back and wait until they can enter the arena to earn back honor. There will only be one match per day for every team. This will prevent unnecessary exhaustion. Now I invite both teams to the center to unleash their spirit essences."

With Yu Hao in the front, they walked to the middle. Ling Tao and his team followed with sneers on their faces. Unleashing their spirit essences the air around the six competitors grew heavy. The crowd became silent with anticipation.

Hayate's POV

Part of him wanted to strangle the old men he was having to play babysitter for. As a retainer, he was supposed to keep them out of trouble within the Spirit Master Countries. This was a difficult task considering that with every other word they picked fights.

Many of the old men had weak spirit essences. None of them had awakened at a spirit level. This made them bias against those that did.

They saw the ninjas as superior to the spirit masters. Something that had been proven false in the last war. Spirit Masters had chosen sides just as ninjas had. The strongest of which gave advantages to whatever country they supported.

That was how the treaties between the two countries came to be. At the time both sides had seen the strength of the other. Time however made memories weak. If this kept up war would break out once more. This time between the Spirit Masters and the ninjas.

People like him and Naruto would have to make a choice in that case. They had ties to both sides of the war and would have to choose. Who would they fight behind?

Somehow he didnt think Naruto would fight for the Hidden Villages. A grin of pure joy crossed his face every time he spoke of the spirit masters. He loved this group and had strong ties. They were the first people to ever show him kindness. As such, they had earned a strong bond of loyalty.

Naruto would hesitate to fight him just as Hayate would. The boy was the closest he would have to a child of his own. It was why he had given Naruto the necklace.

The necklace was the mark of the Gekko family heir. Only a handful of people in the world knew of its importance. As Head of the Family, he was expected to have a bride and heir of his own. While he did love his fellow ninja Yugao Uzuki they weren't ready for thoughts on marriage.

Naruto in the three years that he spent in Nuoding had wormed his way into Hayate's heart. They had similar backgrounds being orphans with a thirst to prove themselves. To be acknowledged by someone even if it was for a fleeting moment.

Hayate realized when he returned to the village that he truly cared for the blond. His life was dull without him and that was what made him get the heir necklace from storage.

When the air filled with energy the voices in the stadium became silent. Raw power was coming off of one of the students. It was only slightly refined telling Hayate that someone had been teaching the boy a second cultivation technique. A powerful one at that.

As soon as the proctor declared the start of the match both sides lunged at each other. Naruto tried using the foot technique he used during the preliminary battles but was followed by the other's leader. Two different colored flashes of lightning coursed over both of their bodies. Lighting up the arena in an eerie blue and black light.

For the first year exams, students were not allowed to use weapons beyond their spirit essence. When they returned for their second year they would be for other examinations. Anyone who studied under the Weapon's Facility would have an advantage.

If they expected to get in easily however they would be surprised. Fan Yu only took the best and those with the most potential. He watched closely over those in the first year exams. It was how he chose those who join his facility.

An explosion rocked the arena once more drawing him from his thoughts. The arena itself was covered in dust obscuring the view of the teams. Hayate could sense the ki lashing out within the dust, however. Instead of growing weaker with each attack, it seemed as if it was only growing strong.

As the dust began to settle two of Naruto's team were seen laying on the ground unconscious. Naruto was far outnumbered.

:Alright kid,: he thought, " What are you going to do now?:

The lightning coming off the boy was harsher and less controlled than before. His anger at losing his two companions was fueling his ki. Ling Tao's group must have made for Yu Hao and Wang Dong. With the dust, Naruto wouldn't be able to see to protect them.

Though he did have a few more tricks up his sleeve than anyone else. Most spirit masters from the Hidden Villages didnt know many jutsu's if any at this point.

Naruto was an exception to this. He learned from Hayate basic jutsus and he even mastered shadow clones. Unlike weapons, jutsus were allowed in first-year exams. He had to wonder if Naruto knew that.

The proctor off the side was picking up the two injured kids. He helped them up over to where the medics were waiting to check on him.

Naruto snarled out, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Wait... WHAT?! He knew that Naruto had a lot of chakra and ki but he shouldn't be able to use multi shadow clones. Not yet at least.

Smoke covered the arena. Beside him, the old men's attention was completely on the arena. They had ignored the match right up until then.

When the smoke cleared there were at least twenty Narutos in the arena. Their ki were still going over them in angry bouts. The three opponents belonging to Ling Tao's team stepped back in fear.

The Narutos attacked. Half of them went attacked the two teammates. The original Naruto and the second half of his clones attacked Ling Tao.

They overwhelmed the enemy team with their sheer numbers. A flash lightning sent the two extras into the wall unconscious. Then Naruto slammed his fist into Ling Tao's jaw sending him flying.

The boy didn't get back up and the proctor announced, "Team Yu Hao of class 1-C wins."