Author's Review Response:
To redlox2: Amen to that, man. We don't need the Uchiha killed, nor do we need to worry about other shit like Root (or Foundation). We'll see about Jiraiya and Tsunade later.
To Wendel Santana: I'll keep on going, man. Just let me know what you like about these chapters.
To darkangelflame: Thanks a lot man! Keep on reading if you enjoy the story.
To zero fullbuster: Same as always, I see. Nice to know you're enjoying the progression, pal. It gets more exciting next chapter.
Last thing before we begin, please note that some parts of the Chunin Exams Prelims are the same. Also, it's an Alternate Universe, so some things will be changed as well. So please do not get all up tight, you've been warned ahead of time.
Enough of that, on with the show!
Training Ground 44 Tower, Konohagakure, 91 N.E.
A day passed since Ventos' run-in with the Hokage and things after that turned left an impression on both sides.
Ventos' hatred for his biological father increased to at point where aspects of his draconic behaviors such as growling and turning his eyes slit had began surfacing. To combat his partial dragonization, the pastel blond would hold the Ændring blade, for its magical properties repels the properties of the Ryū no Hane.
That ability alone is why Ventos calls the Ændring blade, the "Sword of Humanity".
Right before four of the five mages (excluding Ventos) headed to the next part of the Chunin Exams, they have been paid a surprise visit by their godfather/guild master and godmother.
Yes, Magius and Galeen appeared in the ninja world to secretly analyze the progress of their B-Class job by attending the combat-oriented part of the Chunin Exams unannounced. Understanding the meaning behind the elder's logic, Animus, accept the reasoning, going along with their plan.
Meanwhile, Minato, post emotional breakdown, brought himself back together after listening to Kushina and Ruki about their personal experiences with the mage, comparing his own encounter with others. Acknowledge that they see eye to eye, they all decided to agree that the Kiri representative was possibly their missing family member. That only led to one problem...
Physical proof.
Solid evidence is required to claim and retrieve a missing person who was apart of a clan. And from a technical standpoint, because of Minato's suspicion about Naruto's possible survival, he'd never filed the boy's death certificate. Meaning, Minato could get back his son legally in that way. He just had to prove his identity with multiple reliable sources and uncanny evidence. Tsunade and Jiraiya purposed to take a piece of Ventos' DNA and perform a test with their own to give to the Shinobi council for validation since at least one of them owned copy of Naruto's old medical records.
Ruki, fuelled by determination and rising suspicion one hand, vowed to her parents and godparents to face Ventos to see if he really was Naruto. On the other hand, his attitude and thick foreign accent on the other hand, was what kept her from fully believing her parents' theory.
Alas, she just had to bank on her twin detector and gut feeling and hoped that this was her long lost brother.
Unbeknownst to them, little Bara was listening to the other five on the stairs. Her little blue eyes widened when she discovered that her 'dead brother' was not only alive but was the famous 'Ranryū of Kiri'. Her soul fluttered in excitement after the realization dawned in her mind.
She just couldn't wait to tell her best friends, Hanabi and Sasuke.
Speaking of the Uchiha, Squad 7 managed to make it through the Forest of Death in one piece, albeit some reluctant aid from Squad 8. Itachi took twelve-hour rest in the hospital after Orochimaru poisoned him in a attempt to steal his eyes. Ruki felt relieved that the love of her life and best friend, Sakura, recovered sage and soundly.
She'll have to thank the blond wizard when they meet again.
Going back to her parents theory, it started to make more sense due to the way he showed mercy to her beloved Itachi. After all, despite her envious bias toward her (one-sided) relationship with the Uchiha, she did know that Itachi and Naruto were best friends, practically brothers. It only made her personal mission to uncover the truth that more important.
Once the remaining teams made it through the forest, the genin took the remaining time they had to rejuvenate themselves. Some ate until they were stuffed (Choji), some had to catch up on their beauty sleep (Ino and hilariously Shikamaru), and others took that time to reconnect with their loved ones (Itachi, Ruki, Hinata, and etc.)
By the passing day, all participants were instructed to be attending the preliminary round must be at the multipurpose room. With that being said, here they were, all of the surviving teams of the Konoha, Suna, Kiri, and Iwa.
Kumo...didn't make the cut, much to the Yondaime Raikage's ire.
Joint in a large room, with elevated platforms on both sides secured with railings, a large pair of arms with their hands in the shape of the ram seal, the remaining examinees stood in front of the Hokage, their jōnin sensei, a few other jōnin and chūnin as they waited for him to speak.
As Minato was about to begin, the ever so pleasant silence of the room was shattered by the soft sound of slow footsteps approaching. Everyone shifted their heads to the direction of the noise, varying expressions appeared on the faces of the people present.
From the entrance of the hall came Ventos, who had to do some last minute training before entering. He was now standing along with several teams that have passed the test. The teen glanced about and saw most of the all the genin teams had passed. With that being said, Ventos also saw the Iwa genin team that he ambushed during the second stage of exams.
Young Drakkenborne sensed the glare coming from a livid Kurotsuchi. He disregarded her and directed his attention to Minato standing in front of them with Kushina, who had little Bara in her arms, Jiraiya, Tsunade and several other ninja on his side.
The Hokage began his speech by congratulating the teams that passed the second stage. He then told everyone that there will be a tournament, which many of them protested. Easing the young genin, Minato explained that there are too many participants for the final exam, therefore, this was the compromise.
Realizing that the elder blond was right, the genin stayed quiet out of respect. When Minato offered for anyone who wanted to leave the preliminaries, Animus and Kai turned to their fearless leader, who nodded. Much to the Iwa kunoichi's irritation, both of her numbskull teammates chicken out.
-Timeskip, Moments Later At The Training Ground 44 Tower Stadium-
A large stadium was filled with mostly Konoha citizens as the majority. In the small box were the five Kage and the advisory. Left to them was the select row of seats which was for the participants. Meanwhile. opposite to them was the audience. The proctors stood at the far side of the field until the Hokage explained the rules of the preliminaries. Once that was addressed, Minato began the round. The electronic brackets began to shuffle through a series of names. The end result for each match set up went as follows...
-Itachi Uchiha vs. Yoroi Akadō-
This battle was an interesting one, to say the least. The Uchiha was about to approach the fight with an assault like any usual spar. However, from the moment Yoroi laid his hand on Itachi, the Uchiha heir realized that his opponent could drain his chakra.
Because of this, Itachi tried to approach his target differently, keeping away from engaging Yoroi while avoiding using genjutsu of his Sharingan so earlier.
From the stands, Mikoto and Fugaku watched as their eldest child struggled to shake off Yoroi. But all hope didn't seem lost as a little raven duck-haired boy shouted towards the squirming teen.
"YOU CAN DO IT ITACHI-NII!"
Just as the voice carried out to Itachi, the boy activated his Sharingan. Itachi used Shunshin no Jutsu to get out of Yoroi's grasp, appeared in front of him to deliver a punch to his midsection. He disappeared yet again and reappeared to place an explosive tag on the Akadō's back. The glasses-wearing genin couldn't even move as Itachi secretly wrapped Yoroi in wiring strings, rendering him unable to move.
Once the explosion sent Yoroi skywards, Itachi sprang up towards his body and performed the Hayabusa Otoshi (Peregrine Falcon Drop), ending the fight. The coughing proctor checked on Yoroi and then declared him knocked out, giving the win to Itachi.
A round of cheers encircled the prodigy, congratulating him on a great victory. He could hear Sakura, Ino, and Ruki scream his name, though, Itachi rather paid attention to his little brother, who had a delightful expression. His parents were also filled with content as his father smirked with pride and his mother smiled at him. Itachi waved at them while he retreated to his thoughts.
'Thank you for believing in me, Otouto.'
-Winner: Itachi Uchiha-
-Kage Box-
"Well, that certainly was an amazing display of skill and strength. Your ninja are being well-groomed, my rival." Ay admitted, with Mei nodding in agreement.
"I have to give you credit when it needs to be given, Hokage-dono." Praised Rasa, the Yondaime Kazekage, who let out a slight hiss.
Nobody noticed that little detail, however. Despite the other's impression on the altercation, Onoki, the Sandaime Tsuchikage, simply folded his arms with a scowl on his face. The old man couldn't stand hearing the brown-nosing regardless of a peace treaty, so he gave out a snide remark.
"Hmph! I'm surprised you're still giving the Uchiha special treatment after the last sixteen years, Minato."
"With all due respect, Tsuchikage-dono, Itachi and his family had nothing to do with the Kyūbi attack. As I said before, he was Minato reasoned, keeping his composure
"Put a sock in it, you two! The second match is about to start!" Shouted Mei hushed.
-Zaku Abumi vs. Shino Aburame-
The battle was really short due to Zaku's arrogance being the determining factor for Shino's victory.
First and foremost, Zaku's arm was broken by Kai (unbeknownst to Ventos), so one arm was wrapped up in a cast. Though, the Abumi was able to smack Shino around a bit using his Zankuha (Decapitating Airwaves), which only allowed Shino to set up with his insects by crawling on one side of the battlefield with the Aburame on the other. With desperation, Zaku yanked the cast and held up both hands in opposite directions to use the wind holes in his palms. But much to Zaku's horror, Shino's insects were flooding them, leaving Zaku helpless. Shino finished Zaku off with one good swing to the face, sending Zaku packing. Hayate Gekko gave the victory to Shino.
The other members of Squad 8 cheered for Shino. Kiba howled with Akamaru, Hinata gave him a round of applause, and Kurenai did the same thing. The genjutsu mistress couldn't help but feel that sweet sensation of pride in her victorious student.
'Excellent work, Shino-kun.' Thought the Yuhi.
-Winner: Shino Aburame-
-Kage Box-
"Ugh! That looked horrifying!" Jiraiya exclaimed with others, aside from Rasa quickly acknowledged.
"No kidding, having all those bugs crawling up inside you. Just makes your skin crawl." Added Tsunade.
"Preaching to the choir on that one." Mei chimed.
The others voiced their similar comments until they heard the Kazekage chuckle. Grew a smirk that felt almost sinister as he gave out his response.
"On the contrary, I say was that was a fine way to subdue an opponent. Having your enemy defenseless while being at your absolute mercy is a grand way to instill fear."
Silence filled the box for a little while. Everybody just stared at Rasa, who frowned before questioning about the stares he was receiving.
"What?"
-Misumi Tsurugi vs. Subaku no Kankurō-
To say that this fight was played by Kankuro's hand would be a great way to word things. But don't think about digesting that sentence as a metaphor, I mean Kankuro literally won the match by revealing that what Misumi was crushing using his Nan no Kaizō (Soft Technique Modification), a puppet. The elastic-like genin became nothing more than a nearly broken young fool. Not to say that Misumi was a pushover, in fact, his technique through Kankuro out of the loop, but Kankuro's cunningness overcame that issue. Hayate had called that match once the Tsurugi was rendered unconscious.
-Winner: Kankurō-
-Kage Box-
"I didn't recall your son being a puppeteer, Kazekage-dono." Minato commented, having his eyes raised at this realization.
"But of course, I pay attention to all of my children's progress. And I must say that Kankuro's results are much more creative in an innovative fashion. It's times like these that I am proud to call him my son." 'Rasa' preached, rubbing salt to Minato's emotional wound.
'Ooh...' The other four Kage instigated mentally while keeping the face of professionalism.
Minato also held a stoic exterior, but on the inside, the blonde Hokage was seething at the underhanded jab. Fortunately for Minato, Jiraiya came to support his surrogate son.
"Now hold on for just a minute there, Kazekage-sama. That assumption was uncalled for. My student has been grooming his eldest daughter into a fine kunoichi for the last eleven years. After Ruki-chan is promoted to chunin, he'll focus on his youngest daughter with me and Ruki's godmother. "
'Rasa' only shook his head as he stared the super pervert in the eye. The auburn-haired Kazekage shrugged with that sinister smile still in place.
"The girls were not who I was referring to, Jiraiya-san. But whatever helps you both sleep at night. Now, shall we continue on with the fights?"
Minato only nodded bitterly as he directed his attention to the next fight with everybody else. There was something odd about the Kazekage's behavior and he was going to get to the bottom of it.
-Dosu Kinuta vs Chōji Akimichi-
The fight between the Oto-nin and the chubby was a fast one at that. Though, Chōji knew that the bandaged shinobi can transmit sound waves and used his Bubun Baika no Jutsu (Partial Multi-Size Technique) and Nikudan Sensha (Human Body Tank) to counter the sound waves for a little bit, Dosu capitalized on the Akimichi's lack of control. That resulted in Choji getting himself stuck within the wall. Seizing upon the golden opportunity for solidifying his victory, Dosu used the his sound waves to incapacitate Chōji, claiming his victory.
-Winner: Dosu Kinuta-
-Kage Box-
"Damn, that was fast." Whistled the Yondaime Raikage, astonished about the speed of the match.
"Yeah, I'll say." Mei Terumi agreed. "That was a little more over two minutes."
"Honestly, youngsters these days," Onoki muttered. "They'll squabble over anything so petty."
"Agreed. After all, what good is a shinobi if the enemy could manipulate them by exploiting their personal insecurities? Isn't that right, Minato-dono?" 'Rasa' commented with a slight hiss again.
All Minato could do was laugh warily. He knew from experience not to put 'fat' and '*insert Akimichi name here*' in a sentence unless you want all of hell to break loose. That's the equivalent of asking for death via calling Kushina a tomato, or calling Tsunade old. Still, the Hokage couldn't help but commend Chōji for his strategy.
Both Sannin, on the other hand, kept quiet as they waited for the next contestants.
-Sakura Haruno vs. Ino Yamanaka-
It was a cat fight over Itachi, much to the prodigy's ire. It began with a snide remark from Ino, which Sakura retaliated with a mature response, and by that, I meant an obscene and crude retort.
Ino's rage resulted in a barrage of shuriken being tossed, and it would have hit its target if it weren't for Sakura's nimble reflexes. The fangirls then threw fists at each other, giving and receiving blows.
Finally having enough of her, Ino speed through hand seals before activating her Shintenshin no Jutsu.
Unfortunately for Ino, the platinum blonde fell right into the Haruno's trap as her inner conscious knocked the Yamanaka back into her own physical body. With both nearly their last legs, Sakura and Ino gave one last punch to each other's face, ending the fight in a draw. Not even bothering to check on them, the Gekko called the match.
-No Contest-
The audience remained silent, processing the reasoning behind the fight. The quietness was later quelled by Bara of all people who began to boo at the two girls. Little Sasuke followed her, and soon the audience all booed at the pathetic excuse for a fight.
-Kage Box-
'...Like I said, petty.' Thought a certain Iwa village leader with a smug face.
"Hahaha! Oh, oh, oh sweet Kami! That's the best fucking thing I saw since my brother's Genin Exam! Hehehe!HA! Heckled Ay, who burst out laughing at the travesty he had seen.
Tsunade and Mei couldn't stop glaring at the fangirls for such shameful disgrace they showed during their match. That isn't how kunoichi are supposed to act! They were warrioresses of their village, not boy-hungry fanatic fighting over a hunk of meat! Such a disgrace they were today.
"If that is what your kunoichi is capable of, then your daughter's match must be a sight to behold, right Hokage-dono?" Onoki said, gaining a bigger head than the famous Kīroi Senkō.
"Don't underestimate my daughter, Tsuchikage-dono! She may be an adolescent with hormones, but she came far on her own in the ranks as a kunoichi. Like her mother, she's as deadly as she is beautiful. And like our past heroes, the Will of Fire burns lively in her!" Minato replied, having faith in Ruki.
"We'll see about that, Hokage-dono." Rasa said as all of them waited for the next match.
-Subaku no Temari vs. Tenten-
Right from the get-go, Tenten didn't stand a chance. She had access to various weapons using scrolls, Temari had a giant fan. Tenten spun around while throwing weapons using scroll after scroll. Temari blew her fan, knocking all the weapons down. The blonde girl did that tactic two more times as three stars appear. Once that happened, Temari unfolded her fan to use the Kamaitachi no Jutsu (Sickle Weasel), effectively taking Tenten out of the preliminary much to Gai and Lee's displeasure. Hayate gave the Suna-nin a rightfully earned victory.
"NO, TENTEN! YOU MUST GET UP!" cried Rock Lee, gripping the rails of the stands. His sensei patted his back as a way of comforting his student.
"Tenten's youthful flames were strong, but the might of the Suna kunoichi's winds were too much for even Tenten to match, let alone defeat her." Gai answered.
Neji only scoffed as he turned away from the sight of his female teammate being carried off by medics.
'Her fate was sealed the moment she was matched with that kunoichi. The weak shall perish at the hands of those with power, for that is their destiny.' The stoic Hyūga ranted internally.
-Winner: Subaku no Temari-
-Kage Box-
"Huh, one-sided much?" Started Mei, mildly amused at the anticlimactic match.
"But that only goes to show how far that weapon kunoichi is in at her training." Ay analyzed.
"Yes, not very far at all." Onoki concluded, feeling no sympathy for Tenten's loss at all.
"Aren't you being a little bit harsh on the girl? Her persistence is an admirable trait. She never gave into defeat when the battle was in her favor. I'd say that she has the heart of a true kunoichi." Minato said with pure optimism.
"Now that may be true, Hokage-dono, that doesn't excuse the fact that she was ridden of nearly as fast as those other two 'kunoichi' from the last round by my daughter." Rasa shot back with no emotion emanating from his voice.
Nobody made a single sound after the Kazekage's comeback. Awkwardness replaced the dead silence before they resumed with another match.
-Shikamaru Nara vs. Kin Tsuchi-
Easily one of the more thoughtful and interesting encounters. Though Kin's sound-based genjutsu through bells worked outstandingly, Shikamaru's intellect and tactical uses of his Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technique) gave the Nara the absolute edge to adapt with his genjutsu situation. To sum up his win, he really knew how to use his head. When Kin slumped from a self-inflicted head bash, the proctor called the match.
The cheering of Choji rang through the usual notion of applause coming from the villagers. Shikamaru panted as he stood up and look towards his sensei who gave the Nara a simple nod and a thumbs up. He couldn't help but smile at Asuma.
-Winner: Shikamaru Nara-
-Kage Box-
All the Kage were satisfied by the way the match turned out. Mei and Minato both acknowledged how Shikamaru wisely handled his situation with the Tsuchi girl. Ay, while agreeing how great the Nara boy managed, felt the lack of proactivity in combat made the match a huge letdown.
"Oi, gaki! Your daughter's fight is about to start." Tsunade said.
All the Kages and Jiraiya drew their attention to the battlefield. Onoki snorted at the mere sight of the girl. Mei looked interested at the girl, feeling a sense of nostalgia since she recalled partaking in these events when she was Ruki's age. Ay had his eyes set on the kunoichi, studying Ruki's every movement. Minato's face formed a great big smile when he saw his daughter take to the field. Even though he failed as a father, his faith in his children never left the elder blond, and Ruki was no exception.
-Ruki Uzumaki-Namikaze vs. Kiba Inuzuka-
The audience went crazy after they heard the blonde girl's name. But of course they'd do that, she was the Princess of Konoha, the daughter of the Yondaime and the last Uzumaki. Everybody watched carefully; with Shino, Kurenai and a worried Hinata looking down towards the stadium, the rest of the Rookie 12 wondering what kind of new techniques their teammates have, the jonin instructors who were on the same boat, and Ventos, who was watching over his old friend.
As the blonde kunoichi walked towards the center, she came face to face with the heir of the Inuzuka clan. The brown-haired male and his now huge nin-ken growled at Ruki when they made eye contact with the blue-eyed blonde. Ruki only showed a killer whisker-clad poker face at the snarling dog-boy.
"I'm only going to say this once, so listen up. Give up, you're outclassed and you know it, mutt!" Ruki threatened menacingly.
The Inuzuka gritted his teeth in anger at the arrogance the girl was giving out. Kiba shook his head in truancy. Then Kiba retorted at Ruki by saying something that caught Ventos, Ruki, and Squad 8 off guard.
"Me, give up? Like hell I'm listening to your frigid ass! I swore on this hitai-ate on my forehead that I'm gonna beat you down on my dead friend's grave. And by Kami's name, that's what Igonna do! So bring it, bitch! Shout the Inuzuka, with Akamaru growling at their opponent beside him.
Ruki's eyes widen in sheer rage before she took a deep breath. Now, this just became personal.
"...So be it." Was all she said as she steeled herself for the fight.
When both ninja ran towards each other, Bara cheered on her older sister with "GO ONEE-CHAN!" along with "YOU CAN DO IT SWEETY!" from Kushina.
Said blonde utilized Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Technique) to throw Kiba off, which it did for a short time. However, Kiba's Shikyaku no Jutsu (Four-Legged Technique) and Tsūga combo to take out the dozen of clones. But due to Kiba's brash way of thinking, he couldn't predict Ruki being underneath the ground. She sent Kiba flying upwards with a rising fist.
With that happened, the whisker-faced blonde took the opportunity to jump and brought her leg to the back of the boy's head, bringing Kiba sprawling down to the ground hard.
The shouts of his teammates, teacher, and family fell deaf through his ears as the only thing he could hear was the percussion that is his rapidly beating heart. Akamaru wasn't getting up anytime soon as he was out of commission. Blood ran from the wound on Kiba's upper head, creating a little pool for it. Kiba coughed haggardly, spitting out more crimson fluids while he struggled to get back up his feet. Ruki, not wasting any time, disappeared using Shunshin no Jutsu and reappear in front of Kiba and hoisted him up from his collar.
"I've warned you, dog breath! I've told you to give, and like the idiot you are, you've got beaten and kicked to the dirt. ...Sereves you right, motor mouth. I hope this lesson taught you how to watch that disgusting thing you call a tongue." Ruki spat coldly.
Despite the blows he took on his body and pride, the Inuzuka only cackled bitterly.
"And here I thought after Naruto's death, you've learned some compassion. But in the end, you haven't never changed a single bit! Same old Ruki, rotten to the core. You're no more than a manipulative, bitter, condescending, egotistical, cold-blooded little bitch! Just the way your daddy raised you." He breathed roughly.
With anger getting the best of her, Ruki socked the dog boy clean in his jaw, knocking him next to his nin-ken partner.
'Naruto, I couldn't beat her for ya, she's too strong for me...I'm sorry buddy.I wasn't...strong enough.' Kiba apologized as his vision faded to black. From the side of his head, you could see tears filling his eyes.
The whole crowd went silent before they exploded in applause and shouting. The Konoha civilians ate that up like a treat.
Meanwhile, the other four mages with Galeen and Magius were outraged, sickened, and displeased with the match.
However, Squad 8 was reduced in shock and horrified at Ruki's savagery. Shino's hive in his coat was buzzing in anger, signifying Shino's emotional state. Kurenai was gripping the rails as tears fell down her eyes. Hinata's hands kept themselves on her mouth in shock. She watched one of her good friends take a brutal beating from Ruki. It was disturbing to her, an ugly skirmish. Tears cascaded down from her perfect skin as she bawled in her hands.
From Ventos' perspective, rage rushed through his veins like adrenaline. Flashbacks of him and Kiba running around play ninja tag ran played as children in his mind. Then it cut to him eating food while he, Kiba Shino, and Hinata ate at the Hyūga compound with Hitomi passing snacks out. After that, it cut to him and Kiba sparring with each other while Hinata and Shino watch. Coming back to reality, Ventos' fist clenched so hard that blood poured out from his skin.
'...Kiba, you didn't deserve that. You and Akamaru didn't deserve none of that! Ruki... I'll pay you back ten fold for what you did to Kiba. You will not escape ...my wrath!' Vowed the mage, with yellow electricity surging from his body for five seconds.
Hayate deemed the match in Ruki's favor as medic-nin took Kiba and Akamaru to the hospital and vet respectively.
Ruki turned to the crowd to turn towards her mother and sister who gave her cheers and love, which she waved back. After, she awaited Ventos' acknowledgment, but to her surprise and ire, she was given a death stare.
Even from their difference of attitude Ruki can feeling Ventos' oozing killing intent beaming towards her. Nervousness crept up on her as she started to think that ruthlessly beatening Kiba wasn't a great idea. But she knew one thing though, she was one step closer to bringing her finding out who he was and nobody was gonna stand in Ruki Uzumaki-Namikaze's way in achieving that goal, Ttebano!
To Be Continued...
Author's Note: I did not really feel like revising much in this chapter outside a few pieces of dialogue and thoughts. It's not the best or perfect chapter, but I feel like it's good enough on its own.
No, the real fun starts in the following chapter.
But let me know how you think about this chapter and the story is so far! And don't be shy, try and tell me what you like specifically and what do you think I should improve on.
And no, I will not remove the original characters. They are too important to the story and Naruto's development as a character here.
I'll see you guys later, have a blessed day! Shadow, out!
-DarkShadowGames451