Hey everyone! Chapter 10 of Born Again is officially on its way starting now!
Before I get into the story stuff, I wanted to say thank you to all of you for your show of support for my story! In only a week it's picked up 57 followers and 39 favourites. If I'm honest, I'm very proud of that fact. You guys showing your support for my writing makes me eager to produce more. Thanks, you guys are the best.
Clarification time! I got a few reviews on the previous chapter as I am typing this, and most of them were positive reception! You guys seemed to enjoy what I did with the Zabuza Arc. You'll be happy to know that I intend to have my spin on the Chūnin Exams. It won't be all new content, but I'll be spicing things up as best I can. Want to make sure you guys aren't bored out of your mind reading the canon plot word for word.
Believe me when I say that I will be utilizing Wave later in the story. I didn't change the entire conclusion to the Zabuza Arc only to discard what I could do with the situation that would occur in the country after it. It'll return at a later date most likely because at this point in the story I have one of the most massive Arcs in the original series to write out. It's safe to say that you will see the area again eventually.
We won't be jumping into the Chūnin Exams right away. I will be dedicating this chapter to the character and power development of Naruto. I understand that some of you guys may want to see the action right away as well, which is why this chapter is going to be a long one. I want to get the development out of the way so I can get back to progressing the plot as quickly as possible.
For now, though, enjoy the next chapter of Born Again! See you at the bottom of the page!
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Mid-Chapter Note. As I was writing this, an anonymous reviewer explained to me why he believed that Naruto was unrealistic. First of all, thank you for your feedback! It was the first negative review of my story I've gotten, and I appreciate the sentiment. You mentioned that Naruto shouldn't just forgive the ones that killed him, and I fully agree! That's actually what a part of this chapter is dedicated too. I probably should have been more clear about it, but Naruto didn't withhold the information on their names from Hiruzen because he forgave them. He did it because he intended to get them back later on when he was stronger. Sorry for the mix-up! Though honestly, if you only got to chapter 2 and didn't bother reading past that point, I'm sure you won't see this.
Also. Very distasteful use of the concept of rape. I accept criticism but using such a disgusting word as a point to bash a story that has nothing to do with it seems a bit far. I won't be turning off guest reviews, but be more considerate should you review a chapter again at a later date.
And just one final clarification for you all. Naruto is not the forgiving type in this story. The chapter ahead will make that abundantly clear.
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Chapter 10: Developments
Third Training Ground, 2 Days After Returning To The Village
Block left. Right. Duck. Stop, swing upward. Miss, lose balance, defeat.
'Another loss.' Naruto thought in mild irritation as he visualized a fight inside his head to a particular ice user. He and the rest of the Konoha shinobi had returned to the village days ago, still beaten up by their humiliating loss. Telling the Hokage what had transpired hadn't been left to the Genin, but the Uzumaki felt responsible. 'If I had been stronger, I could have beaten Haku. If I had trained harder and learnt more before we took on the mission, I could have won.' The blonde had been astounded by Haku's abilities when they had fought. The boy looked to only be a few years older than himself, yet he wiped the floor with him. 'Does a few years experience make that much difference?'
No, it wasn't just that. Naruto had trained both by himself and with Sasuke for the last five years. He had taken his Taijutsu and Ninjutsu and refined them. Even with years of experience, there was more to it than just time. 'Think, what did Haku have that you lacked?' Seriously considering the question he posed to himself, Naruto cycled through possibilities in his head. 'Speed? Or maybe knowledge? His Kekkei Genkai?' As the last thought crossed his mind, Naruto suddenly stopped. That was it.
Haku had bested him not just due to experience. He had defeated him because he had taken his unique talents as a shinobi and focused solely on building his style around that. He took advantage of his lithe build and ice Jutsu and used them to create a fighting technique that put him in control. Naruto had been unable to touch the boy because he had been using techniques that weren't unique to him. They were things you could learn. Abilities you could predict. All that the blonde knew was perfectly capable of being studied and countered. Haku had nearly taken his life because he had yet to make a fighting style of his own.
'What are my unique capabilities?' Naruto wondered. His Kekkei Genkai was one of a kind from what he could tell, so there were no researching notes on it. He had to go off what he had learned and could learn. 'What is useful in a fight?' He couldn't feel pain, that was a start. Naruto knew that humans are bound to the fact that the more damage they sustained, the sloppier their movements become. He had no such issues. His body was not affected by pain. Until he collapsed, he was in perfect fighting form. 'But even without the pain, my body can only take so much of a beating.'
Thinking deeper, Naruto considered what other abilities his Kekkei Genkai possessed. 'I have a healing factor that surpasses normal humans.' Though the Kyuubi had left his body long ago, his bloodline limit granted him almost identical healing prowess. The only catch was that it required red meat to activate it. He hadn't fully explored the boundaries of the ability as of yet, a naive move in his personal opinion. 'If I can somehow improve the convenience of the technique, I would be immune to physical damage so long as I had red meat available to me.' Believing he was off to a good start, Naruto explored his memory further.
'I don't require food or drink to survive. I don't need to rest like humans do either. Taking those factors into account, I could outlast my opponents if the battle lasted long enough, and I had resources with me. It also means that I have more time than anyone else to improve myself with no adverse side effects.' Slowly building up a list of what he had that others didn't, Naruto registered that he had been neglecting one of his greatest strengths. 'I can bring the dead back to life and control them.'
The ability of resurrection was versatile. Not only could Naruto bring back anyone from what he could tell, but he could also control them with ease. Naruto had trained in manipulating dead rabbits in secret for the past five years, so he was very good at it. And if the blonde's theory was correct, he had also managed to resurrect an actual human. He wished he could find his first kill's body. If the creature had somehow remained alive, he'd be able to experiment endlessly with it.
As if in response to Naruto's thoughts, the Uzumaki's crimson eyes began to pulse with chakra. Confusion washing over him, Naruto suddenly had various hand signs appear in his mind. Weaving through them as if it were natural, Naruto's hand slammed onto the ground instinctually. Feeling a layer of his palm's skin tear open, the former Jinchūriki paid close attention as a blood coloured circle appeared around him. Words entering his mind without his consent, Naruto spoke them aloud.
"Undead Release: Summoning Jutsu!"
A small wave of smoke filled the immediate area. Squinting for a moment, Naruto could make out the figure of another individual standing in the middle of his summoning circle. Deciding to wait until the smoke cleared to act, Naruto's eyes widened at what was before his eyes. The first human he had ever murdered, the bandit from the camp, was standing there. Only he wasn't at all how Naruto remembered him. His skin appeared rotten, with chunks of flesh torn from his body as if animals had gotten to him. His eyes were crimson red without visible pupils. His posture was unstable as if he was having trouble standing upright. If Naruto were to choose a word to describe the creature before him, it would be beautiful.
Cautiously approaching the walking corpse, Naruto began to examine every inch of its body. The bandit looked to be in decent condition despite the factors he had noticed on his first glance. It didn't seem to be aware of where it was. 'So even humans don't remember their past life. They're just zombies at this point.' Looking upward at the taller figure of the once-living male, Naruto grinned in excitement. 'Zombies that I can control, and if what just happened remains consistent, summon.' It was quite the development if Naruto was honest. There were infinite possibilities when it came to exploiting his creations, but he could now experiment with this one as well.
Suddenly, a thought struck the blonde's mind. 'If I can regenerate when I eat red meat, would my resurrected be able to do the same?' Deciding it was a worthy theory to test, Naruto stared up into the zombie's eyes. Raising his hand to the face of the undead creature, the Uzumaki commanded it in a clear voice. "Stay here." Seemingly understanding what he meant, the bandit's body became motionless, staying stock still where its last position had been. Excitement growing at the idea that the zombie could potentially understand complex commands, Naruto decided to get to work.
'Now, where to find a rabbit...'
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(Timeskip)
Training Ground 3, 2 Hours Later, 2:44 PM
Naruto was sure he had significantly decreased the rabbit population in the training ground by the time he had finished hunting. With a total of over twenty rabbits corpses in a pile, the blonde was confident he'd see some results from this testing by the time they ran out of bodies. Turning his attention back to the zombie bandit, Naruto smiled at the fact that it was still standing where it had been two hours ago. 'That's good. Not only does it follow commands, but it doesn't disobey them either.' Deciding to try something new, the former Jinchūriki called out with his mind to the resurrected man. 'Come here!'
To his delight, the zombie responded immediately, lumbering its way over with a distinct lack of grace. Taking note of the way the injuries affected the capabilities of the resurrected male, Naruto made sure he would remember to avoid damaging bodies as much as possible when it came to bringing people back. There was no sense in intentionally harming someone more than necessary. It would be a waste of a healthy body. 'Funny, not even two weeks ago I hadn't even considered murdering cleanly. Look at me now.' Deciding to put the topic of how incredibly fucked up this was in the corner of his mind, Naruto got to work. Tossing a rabbit corpse high into the air, the blonde mentally commanded his first kill's body. 'Catch that rabbit!'
To his shock, the bandit responded by jumping upward, catching the corpse in its mouth as it fell to the ground shortly after. Not waiting for Naruto's orders, the zombie immediately began to chew into the flesh of the rabbit. Disgusted yet also fascinated by what he was seeing, the Uzumaki made sure to remember every detail for later. After a couple more seconds of mauling the animal, the resurrected male finished, dropping the bloodied body onto the ground. Next, something incredible happened that Naruto would remember fondly later down the road.
The rabbit got up.
He wasn't sure if what he saw now was real or not, but either way, the blonde was over the moon. He had just made several massive discoveries in terms of his Kekkei Genkai's abilities. Not only could he summon the creatures he resurrected, but they could also follow orders and turn other dead things into zombies. That would be useful to him. 'Wait, my creations can turn bodies into undead as I can. Are they capable of doing so to the living?' He had only just considered the possibility, but it seemed that they transformed stuff into one of their own via biting into them. 'There's only one way to test.' Naruto grimaced as he got to his feet again.
He hoped rabbits didn't feel much pain.
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Carrying an unconscious rabbit in his arms gently, Naruto wasn't sure he could go through with this idea. He had killed hundreds of rabbits before, but he always dealt with them swiftly and humanly. This one was still alive, and he was about to feed it to a horrific zombie that would show no mercy. 'I have to do this. If I want to come into my own as a shinobi, I need to develop a fighting style. Without experiments and sacrifices, I'll never improve.' As much as he tried justifying his actions in his mind, the blonde was still having second thoughts on the matter. Reaching the location of his resurrected human, Naruto clamped up. 'If I walk out there, this animal's life is forfeit. Am I ready to offer up my humanity in return for power?'
Memories flashed through Naruto's mind. Villagers, beating him and sending him to his death. The battle with Haku. Haku, defeating him. Him being one moment from dying for a second time. Remembering the feeling of helplessness he had felt at every instance, he stepped forward.
Making his way into the clearing, Naruto made his way to the front of his creation. Not willing to look the zombie in the eyes, he placed the sleeping rabbit onto the ground. Stepping backward, Naruto closed his eyes, waiting for the horror to begin. After a few moments of a lack of sound, he opened his eyes, only to find his first kill staring back at him, waiting. Heart dropping as he registered what he had to do, the Uzumaki pointed downward, directly at the animal. Forcing the words out of his mouth, Naruto spoke.
"Eat."
Hearing its masters order, the zombie lunged onto the ground, teeth sinking into the meat of the rabbit. The small animal woke up almost immediately, letting out sounds of distress while frantically trying to escape. Lock-jawing into the mammal, the resurrected male tore it open in one brutal pull, the guts spilling out onto the dirt below. Forcing himself to watch the horrifying scene, Naruto kept his eyes on the rabbit. 'You did this. You have to live with yourself.' Naruto's expression quickly changed to confusion as the undead man suddenly stopped. The rabbit was still alive. He could see it breathing. The next few seconds greatly disturbed the blonde's psyche.
The mammal's eyes slowly began to change in appearance, the pupils disappearing, being replaced with a full crimson sclera. Skin began to peel off the furry creature rapidly, leaving patches of exposed flesh. Eventually, the rabbit stilled, seemingly dead. A few moments afterwards, it rose to its feet as if nothing had happened. Naruto was in total disbelief at what he had just seen. There had to be some mistake, a trick of the light perhaps. But assuming it wasn't a trick, he was able to turn living beings into zombies before they died. All it took was one bite by the looks of it. The target seemed to turn rapidly after the fact. Naruto did not doubt that it was due to the size of the rabbit that it was so swift, but that didn't matter.
If his assumption turned out to be correct, any living being that suffered a bite from one of his resurrected would turn. It was just a matter of when.
'I can use this.' Naruto thought to himself, grinning happily. 'My Kekkei Genkai, if used correctly, is unstoppable. All it would take is one bite from my creations, and I would win any fight. Their techniques wouldn't matter. Even the strongest shinobi can't combat a Kekkei Genkai if they don't have information on it.' Naruto couldn't believe how convenient his power was. Sure he'd have to get his undead to bite the target, but it was game over after that. 'Wait, bite?' Thinking back to Wave Country, Naruto registered something. 'I bit into Haku's neck! He didn't turn.' So there was no way for him to turn people himself. He guessed he'd have to be smart about his battles if he wanted to lure shinobi into his creatures bites. 'Still, I'm not limited to just humans. Any being can be turned by the looks of it, meaning I could control a dog and use that to bite them. The possibilities are endless!'
He couldn't let his teammates know about this. The more people knew, the riskier it was. Enemy shinobi could capture those close to him and torture them for the information. It was safer to keep the limitations and specifics of his ability to himself for now. Maybe even forever. 'You never know when a friend could turn enemy after all. It's easier if I reveal nothing.' Having made up his mind, Naruto turned his attention to the two zombies waiting patiently for him. "I want both of you to find a secluded area to hide. It can be anywhere so long as you won't get caught." Staring into their eyes for a long moment, the two seemed to get the message. Turning away from the blonde, the bandit and the rabbit raced off into the forest. Eventually, they were both out of view.
'I've made significant progress today. So long as I keep experimenting and building up my reserve of zombies, I should eventually be unbeatable.' He couldn't just rely on animal zombies. Animals were useful, but they didn't have the same capabilities and versatility that human bodies did. It was clear to him that human subjects were the path to go down, but that presented another issue. He had to find a way to secure more bodies. 'I can't just go around murdering innocents. I may have forsaken my humanity, but I'm not that far gone.' He couldn't sit there and do nothing, that would hinder him in the long run. Then suddenly, a dark train of thought came into Naruto's mind. 'Who do I know that no one would miss? People that don't deserve to live?' Digging into his memories, the former Jinchūriki immediately knew who to pick.
'The man who killed me, Atsushi.'
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Konoha Shopping District Streets
As it turned out, there were a lot of people named Atsushi in the village hidden in the leaves. As much as Naruto wished he could, he couldn't seem to remember what Atsushi's appearance was. He could recall his voice, but he had been too disoriented to have a clarity driven view of his face. There had to be another way to get to his killer. He just had to think of it.
'Come on. There had to be something else that night that can help me.' Naruto began to shift through his memory, searching for anything that could aid him. Suddenly, his mind lit up in recognition. 'The man that was holding me down! I bit him!' He was sure that the bite had been a deep one too. If he was lucky, the older male still had the marks on his arm. It was a long shot, but he only had names and voices otherwise.
'Alright, let's ask around about a guy named Zankoku with a mark on his arm.'
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(Timeskip)
Konoha Rooves, Red Light District, Night-Time
It had taken a substantial amount of time, but Naruto had done it. He had found someone who knew about the Zankoku he was looking to find. Supposedly the mark on his arm had faded, but at the time he had gotten it he made a big deal of the matter. The man was a drunk and frequented the red light district of the village. Naruto knew the area well, having scavenged there in his younger years. If he got lucky, he'd find Zankoku tonight, and he could lead him to Hitomi and Atsushi. The most he had to go off for physical appearance was a bulky build and shaggy black hair. 'Come on, come out of your hidey-hole Zankoku.'
Staking out for hours on end, Naruto eventually found a match for his mark. The man was rather tall, with light brown skin and a muscular physique. His hair was black and was tied up, in a man-bun. He looked bruised as if he'd just gotten into a fight and lost. 'It's not perfect, but it's the best match I've had. I'll interrogate him first before committing the act.' Nodding to himself at his decision, Naruto dropped from the roof, landing in front of the older male.
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" The bulky villager asked Naruto with an angry tone. "If you're a whore I haven't got all night. Drop your pants, and I'll make it quick!"
Listening to the voice, Naruto thought this guy was irrefutably the one he was looking to find. But he couldn't be sure until he knew his name. Moving forward and standing up straight, the blonde took advantage of the cover of darkness and his shorter frame. Trying to sound as girly as possible, Naruto went to question the man. "Only if you tell me your name first, I'd enjoy calling it out for you~."
Naruto thanked whatever deity was smiling upon him at that moment because the older male seemed to buy it. Grinning at the former Jinchūriki, the bulky individual began to remove his belt while he spoke. "The name's Zankoku. I'll make you scream like a bitch in heat!"
Now sure that the man in front of him had aided in his murder, Naruto acted. Dashing forward by pushing chakra into his feet, the tween aimed a kick right at Zankoku's head. Unable to react, the older man took the blonde's boot directly to his face. Falling backwards with a loud thump, Zankoku seemed to be out cold. Mentally praising himself for his swift success, Naruto quickly moved on to the matter at hand. 'I can carry him, but it'll be impossible to bring him to the training ground. My apartment will have to do.'
Having made up his mind and seeing no other alternative at that moment, Naruto lifted the man with all his strength, beginning the trek to his apartment.
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Naruto's Apartment
Waking up slowly, Zankoku winced as bright light assaulted his eyes. Wanting to know where he was, the man attempted to get up, only for his limbs to meet resistance. Looking downward, he registered that his body had been, for lack of a better word, chained up. Exerting his muscles to escape, Zankoku found that he was bound, incredibly tightly as well. "What the hell is this!?" He went to shout, only to find his mouth had tape firmly placed over the top of it.
"Oh, you're awake," Naruto spoke dully, putting down a vase he had been inspecting. "Sorry for the abrupt change of scenery, I couldn't exactly do this out on the street." Making his way over to the older man, Naruto squatted down to stare into his eyes. They were blue, like his used to be. Somehow that made the blonde angry. He'd had those eyes, before this man and his friends robbed him of his life. His hair used to be bright, like a sunflower in summer. The skin on his body used to be a healthy shade of tan. Now he couldn't feel pain. He didn't need food or water. He wasn't human anymore, far from it. And the worst part was that there was no way to go back.
But that didn't mean he couldn't get revenge.
"You're probably wondering why you're here. No doubt, you remember me, don't you?" Seeing the confusion in Zankoku's eyes, Naruto reacted violently, slamming his boot against the man's head. Disorienting Zankoku from the strike, the former Jinchūriki grasped the male by the hair, pulling him up to his eye level. "Your friend Atsushi bludgeoned me with a plank. You held me down while it happened." Grabbing his arm, Naruto pointed towards the general area he had attacked Zankoku all those years ago. "I gave you a nice bite mark on this arm of yours. Ringing any bells yet?"
Zankoku's eyes widened as he registered who was in front of him. The knowledge gave him no comfort. Struggling fiercely against his bindings, the muscular individual felt a way of dread wash over his being. Looking upward, the older male saw the expression on the boy's face had changed. He was smiling, and it wasn't a warm smile. It was a smile that radiated pure anger. The eyes gave it away. The way the crimson raged against its confines, ready to tear him apart. At that moment, Zankoku knew.
He was going to die tonight.
Closing his eyes as if accepting his fate, the black-haired man was suddenly in immense pain. It took a moment to register why. Something was stabbing into his thigh. Zankoku's eyes widened as he looked down to see what was causing the pain. There was a kunai, rusted and cracked, jammed firmly into his skin. "That's my favourite kunai, you know," the voice of Naruto spoke from behind him. "I've been taking good care of it in preparation for this moment. Now there are two ways we can go about this. You tell me the full name of Atsushi and Hitomi, and I kill you quick. You don't tell me their names, and I'll keep you alive until you do. Rest assured Zankoku. There is no way you will be escaping this alive. The only factor is how much you want to suffer before dying." Coming back around to Zankoku's head, Naruto leaned down to his ear. "I'm going to take the tape off your mouth in ten seconds. If you scream, I'll hurt you. If you cry for help, I'll hurt you. The only words I want to come out of your mouth are the names of your friends." Pulling himself back up, Naruto peeled off the tape violently.
"I'll kill you, you fucking demon-" Before Zankoku could finish his sentence, Naruto twisted the kunai lodged into him sharply. About to scream, Naruto swiftly placed his hand over the male's mouth, glaring at him. "I told you Zankoku. There is no way out of this. I promise you that I am just getting started. So I'll ask again. What are your friend's names?" Waiting until the older individual stopped his muffled screams, Naruto removed his hand from his mouth. "H-Hitomi Nakagawa," Zankoku began, still in unbearable pain from the wound he'd suffered. "That's good Zankoku. What about Atsushi?" Seeing the man tense and not respond, Naruto sighed. "In any other situation, your loyalty would be admirable, but you're only prolonging the inevitable." Placing the tape over the man's mouth again, Naruto pulled the kunai out of his leg, before slamming it right into the other one. Screaming and shaking against the chains, Zankoku was crying now. Waiting until the sound settled, Naruto once again peeled the tape off. "Atsushi's name. Give it to me now." Placing his hand on the kunai's hilt, Naruto gave Zankoku a pleasant smile. "I won't ask again."
"A-Atsushi I-Ishikawa." Wanting the pain to end, Zankoku stared up into the blonde boy's eyes. "P-Please let me go. I-I'm sorry for what w-we put you through. I-I'll never do it again, I swear!"
Gently sliding the tape back into place on the male's face, Naruto patted Zankoku on the head. "It's ok. You won't be getting killed by me tonight." Eyes lighting up in hope at the Uzumaki's words, Zankoku began to relax. "That job belongs to my friend over there." Naruto pointed across the room, and the muscular man's eyes followed the boy's finger. Standing in the corner was a shadowy figure. He couldn't make out much of it, only that it had glowing red eyes. "Don't worry. I'll be putting your body to good use." Moving away from Zankoku, Naruto turned to the zombie he had recently summoned to his apartment. "Make sure you avoid his face. I don't want his screams to wake my neighbours up." With that said, the blonde left the room. All was still for a moment as Zankoku, and the creature stared into each other's eyes. Then, the zombie lunged.
No one would ever see Zankoku again. At least not among the living.
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Training Ground 3, The Next Day, 11 AM
"You seem more energetic than normal Naruto, what's up?" Sasuke questioned as the two went about a light training session together.
"I've been working on me for the last couple of days Sasuke, and I finally made some progress that I'm happy with now." Tossing a kunai at one of the wooden posts, Naruto hit the wood with precision. "Not only that, but I've been cleaning up loose ends in my life that have gone unchecked for a very long time. Frankly, it feels great to relieve yourself of your troubles."
"So you're not bothered by what happened in Wave Country anymore?" Sasuke wondered aloud, readying his kunai. "It's the first time any of us have failed a mission, and it was probably the biggest one we've ever had. Sakura is still beating herself up about not being there, and Kakashi is most likely in pain too at having been fooled." Tossing the kunai into the same post that Naruto had, Sasuke's connected right next to the other metal. "I'm still regretting it too. If I were there with you on the bridge, we could have beaten that Haku guy." Sasuke didn't express it, but Naruto knew what he meant. If Sasuke had followed his instincts instead of listening to Kakashi, things could have been different.
"Kakashi-sensei is a great teacher, but he's only human Sasuke," Naruto replied, reaching into his pouch for another kunai. "He couldn't have predicted that Zabuza would hire the Nokizaru Group to help him. It was a move entirely out of the left field. Even then, Kakashi held his own against Zabuza throughout the whole fight. Sensei knows that if he had been stronger, he would have beaten Momochi and our mission would have succeeded. He's just like us, and he's using this time to bring himself up to a standard he is happy with, also like us." Swiftly throwing his kunai into the wood ahead, it lodged itself between his first kunai and Sasuke's own. "We all need to improve if only so we never fail again."
Nodding in agreement with the blonde, Sasuke once again readied his kunai. They'd been at this for at least an hour, and neither had missed a throw yet. The Uchiha wasn't about to lose.
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(Timeskip)
Training Ground 3, 4 Days Later
Naruto was smiling proudly at his line of creations. Over the past couple of days, the blonde had looked for dead and living animals alike. As of this moment, he had quite the haul.
He had his first kill, the bandit that he had finally given a name, Itsuki. Along with Itsuki, there was Zankoku. The muscular man looked a little worse for wear in comparison to his alive self, but he didn't appear that different. He had a total of twenty rabbits. Their swiftness would be useful in the future. 'Though they were a bitch to hunt,' Naruto added mentally. He had also acquired two dogs and a cat. It was honestly disgusting what humans left around Konoha, but it was to his benefit, in the end. So he couldn't complain.
'Did I just refer to humans as separate from myself?' Naruto questioned suddenly. Sure he wasn't a human anymore, but he used to be. Taking a look at the small zombie group he had created for himself, the blonde smiled gently at them. 'I guess being a zombie isn't that bad, once you get the hang of it.'
E.N.D Chapter 10
Hey everyone! This chapter took the longest for me to produce. That was mainly due to me being lazy and writer's block. It's out of the way now, and we can move onto the Chūnin Exams Arc next chapter.
I hope this release was mildly satisfying for some of you guys. As I addressed at the top of the badge, one of my readers wasn't happy that Naruto was so 'Forgiving.' I intended to write out the revenge for Naruto's murder sooner. I got caught up in writing the introduction Arcs and have only just gotten around to it. But yeah, that was Zankoku's chapter, and I'll be moving on to Hitomi and Atsushi in time.
This chapter is only around 5000 words long, a bit of a shorter one I know. That's because I'll be putting in a lot of time for the Chūnin Exams Arc, and by consequence, the chapters will probably be very long. Think of this as a filler of sorts, a smaller chapter for development between the main story.
As always, feel free to drop a review whenever you feel like it. I accept all forms of criticism (So long as they are respectful or have substance to them) and always respond to private messages. Should you have any questions for me, feel free to ask them.
That's enough from me. I'll see you all in the next chapter.
- Raime