===Chapter 17: Ambition===

Following the genin's dismissal from the exams, Iruka helped Naruto find a class that would help him develop his skills more appropriately. I took the first two days of the bi-weekly class to find his footing. Naruto had trouble curbing his determination and enthusiasm at first, and the teacher had a way of speaking that got under his skin. The fact that he taunted the students so regularly and put the blond on the spot.

Naruto didn't waver, but was a tough push to get through that first week. By the end of the second week however, he was beginning to count the days between one class and the next. His determination catches along the fundamentals like a stream of accelerants, as above all, he didn't have to hold back one bit in classes, and he could *feel* what he was learning.

Naruto was attending a self defense class, made to further more thresholds than he knew he had, and above all, he was being critiqued on his physical body. In the forest, he'd used his tails to compensate, and simply gone for the closest route he could find to try and keep up. While they lacked the bar of trying to match a chunin, he couldn't slack of. Be it his footing, the set of his torso, kata or timing. If he mistook or overlooked part of the lesson, there was always someone to call him out on it, and their sensei found a number of reasons to make him into an example.

Before he knew it, the Tournament for the final exam was on the following day, and had it not been for Iruka's prompting, he might have missed it. The genin had taken to grinding missions with his team, and in addition to the favor he called in to secure the blond spot, Naruto dearly hoped he could make it worth his friend's while.

A daunting ten meter concrete wall bordered a circular arena. A clear swath of stone flanked by shrubs, other foliage and the occasional tree, but for the most part, the competing shinobi would be completely exposed. To the stands, and each other. The various stairwells and hallways in the structure struck Naruto as a maze. He was intimidated by the various groups that came by to enter one section or another, but held firm to his guide. Thankfully, Iruka explained how the stands were arranged, so he could find his way if he got lost somehow.

There were groups who bore the leaf headband, and some that bore markings he didn't recognize. Every time he saw one though, it was clear ninja came in all shapes and sizes. He came way too close to getting underfoot to some burly giant, and caught off guard by a lanky fellow who oozed creepy.

These people were on a whole other level. The duo found their way to their seats. They weren't near the front, but fortunately, Iruka had taken his difference in height into account. It also helped that a lot of his graduating class were occupying the same section of the stands, so the rise of heads wasn't as bad as it could have been.

The first few minutes extended to almost torment for the blond. He felt so out of place amongst the larger kids, unfamiliar with everyone, and more than once he felt himself become the topic of some uncertainty. He bit back one retort after another as Iruka kept the air clear. That sense of isolation grew, but fortunately it didn't stand out much among their other topics.

A voice boomed overhead, and an excited whisper passed of the crowds. The shift from wild din disarmed the blond, but as he's got his wits about him, he heard the part of announcement calling to begin. Naruto jumped up in his seat to get a clear view of the stadium.

"Hey, down in front brat."

"Oh?! Sorry." He sat down on the booster, folding his ankles below him to keep the row of contestants in view. Distantly he heard someone explaining all of the village affiliations, but Naruto was focused on trying to memorize each of the genin's faces.

From the colors and styles they wore, Naruto could see similarities between them and some of the groups that came in. All at once, the contestants bowed and broke from the line. A few looks were exchanged but two in particular stayed behind.

A silence hollowed out the stands, as though all the life had been sucked out, that a pin dropping was causing the remaining waves. There were spots of converse, then the names and a shout echoed across the stadium.

Naruto's eyes widened when the air *bent*. The two contestants leaping back with so little warning, the dust at their feet seemed to snap like a bowstring. From that point on his attention was riveted to the spot between them.

It lasted only less than a minute, but in the child's eyes, it couldn't last long enough. Every other second, it seemed like the fight changed from what it had been, and the lead up Naruto thought he might figure out would deviate abruptly.

The fight was already over, but his mind was working furiously to piece together what had happened.

A flicker of blue caught Iruka's eye as he appraised the fight. His attention was found on the whiskered blond, but he couldn't place it. He did notice however something shifting around the blond. Brushing his shoulder, Iruka asked, "Hey, how are you holding up?"

Naruto glanced briefly and shook his head, "I'm fine, Iruka." Facing the arena, "It was so fast, I almost missed it."

The wreath of light faded out, and Iruka resolved to keep an eye out for it.

Beneath the surface, a warmth built beneath the boys skin, twitching apprehensively before melting down. The orange energy shifting briefly before thinning out and gaining an otherworldly blue shine to it. The braced tunnel spread its influence, releasing the built up energy even as more tired to fill its place.

'Was there a sharpness to his eyes just then?' Iruka shook his head and turned to the field. The first match had been between a genin from Iwa, their brown gear and red highlights standing her out from the rest, and one of the genin from the mist team.

Looking back on it, Iruka was rather surprised to discover that the mist team had made it past the second stage. Whatever their matchup had been, it may very well have been a substandard matchup.

Then again, it looked like the team got in with a bye. The other two members turned up in succession, and following that, the brackets were staged four at a time. An earth barrier was raised to keep the fights contained.

During the first official match, Naruto pointed to one of the sections and asked, "What's that one doing with her hands?"

Iruka glanced up to follow the gesture, 'Does he mean hand seals? ...Oh.' "If I had to guess, she's using a summon of some kind. They're rare for a ninja to have, but it's not all that uncommon to see someone pulling something out of their sleeves like that." Iruka pointed to the furthest arena, "If you look carefully, that genin from the cloud keeps countering with a hidden blade."

One of the other genin scoffed, and Naruto furrowed his brow, "You mean that sweeping thing he does to defend? But… isn't that the- the thing to hold his sword?"

Iruka furrowed his brow, 'His scabbard?' He'd not gotten a good look at the thing just yet, but as he caught the movement again, the protrusion extended, and a side facing handle hooked the other genin's guard. The scabbard doubled as a tonfa, and with the deft movement that unhooked it from the sash, Iruka hadn't caught on to the nature of the sweep.

Apparently, the other genin had only been getting used to the idea, because with that surprise extension the cloud nin hammered through his guard. Three good swings later, the other nin went down to a solid blow to the jaw, and didn't manage to get back up.

Naruto winced, "Ooh, those snakes got him all over!" He gestured to the corner where the waterfall ninja braced a now useless arm. And turned his attention to another match when the boy surrendered, falling to one knee.

As the fights ended, and the proctors called for the next quarter, Iruka pondered, 'Did he notice the switch? Maybe he never noticed it elsewhere. There's so much going on… I guess he's a quick study.' Iruka glanced up as Naruto cheered for yet another quick start, and a smile reached his eyes, 'At least he's having a good time.'

Naruto howled in wonder when the last two suddenly bolted from their starting position. Another from the snakes team clashing with another genin from the cloud.

'They sure made a strong showing this year. Almost a quarter of the fighters here are cloud ninja.'

It was a tough exchange. Normally, most cloud ninjas fought with a blade. It wasn't gospel, as it was in mist, but it was novel to see one pressed so hard in direct conflict. Three resounding strikes between the two, and the cloud leapt back to regain her bearings. Their opponent's weapons hit hard, and from the din of their clashes, Iruka began to suspect they were affecting the sound somehow. In the next exchange, the cloud nin's stance was much more controlled, but still they slid to one side, and with one deliberate push, they were routed. Anko's rogue teammate landed two solid hits on the way down, and one more after she broke her fall.

It was hours later when the exam came to an end, and Naruto's enthusiasm shined in his eyes. He'd managed to impress a few of the genin with his opinions on the matchups, although his sympathies drew a few strange looks.

As the two set out from the stand Naruto beamed and turned to face him, "Iruka?"

"What's up? Did you enjoy the tournament?"

Naruto nodded, "I've decided. I'm going to become the strongest ninja ever. I'm gonna train all the time until I become a ninja like you, and then, I'm gonna be someone you can be proud of. Believe it!"

Iruka was expecting something along those lines, but he didn't expect Naruto to be so wholeheartedly determined, "It'll be a long time before you can graduate."

Naruto nodded, "I know, and I'll keep up with everything until then. I won't give up until it happens."

Iruka chuckled and ruffled the blond's hair, "I look forward to seeing that, so long as you don't overdo it."

Naruto huffed at the gesture, and nodded, bounding to the stairs, "Just you wait."

They made their way down the stairs. Naruto turned to gauge how far along Iruka was when he felt something ruffle his collar. He stumbled toward the wall and something slammed into him, holding him there.

"You arrogant fool. Playing ignorant after all these years, you dare to show your face and mock all of their hard work?" The guy recoiled as though he'd grabbed a rotting fruit, "You showed your true colors. Maybe other's didn't notice, but you can't hide it from us sensors."

"Naruto!" Iruka caught sight of them as he came down the well. Sensing the dark turn the talk was about to take he swore, "Don't you dare!" and fought his way through those gathered on the stairs.

Naruto gripped the arm that held him there, grunting as he struggled for breath even as the older man's billowed over him. The guy was bigger even than Iruka, and a green vest covered his outfit. Held off the ground he was struggling against his weight. Iruka was slowly getting closer, but the big guy knew it, both edging to break it off, and make a point.

Something built in his throat, and Naruto's instincts reacted to it. Frantic and furious, their chakra collided and something pressed between him and the wall.

'You need to calm down. Fighting is not going to be the solution to any of this. If you bear through it, he will back down.' 'What if he doesn't? I can't… I can't…' 'You'll be fine Naruto.'

Naruto shifted nervously, but finally, he stilled. His tails withdrew and he settled against the wall. The strain against his chin began to lessen as what felt like standing water along his back.

A crowd began to gather around the spot, and at long last, Iruka made it out of the stairwell, dashing into the line, "This will be far worse for you if he's hurt. Stand down, else it'll be worse than reports of misconduct."

The Giant snarled at Iruka, "Don't let this freak deceive you. He'll be the death of us all." With one last look, he fixed the boy on the spot.

Naruto wept inwardly, cursing should that be his last, but then he slid down the wall. The Chunin turned to pass through the crowd. He nursed his neck, sore spots shifting around his jaw and a dull ringing in his ears.

Iruka stepped forward as the crowd broke, "Are you alright?"

Naruto nodded slowly, "Yeah, I am. That guy. He really let me go."

"What was he on about?" "A sensor? What did he see?" "Careful Iruka. You're playing with fire."

'He must have seen… seen that aura too. Even If I'm not the only one to file the report, this could cause problems if it comes through the wrong people. I need to talk to sensei about this.' "You're sure? No trouble breathing, muscle pain?" Iruka held a hand out, "Can you move freely?"

Naruto rolled his shoulder tentatively, small twinges in his back seemed to fizzle out like sparks on the road. He barely felt as much pain as his first day of class, "I'm fine." Furrowing his brow, "What did he mean when he called me a monster?"

Iruka sighed and hedged carefully, "You're a little different than other people. Some of the things you do aren't normal, and for a kid your age, that upsets people. That doesn't mean they get to pick on you though. If someone tries to do that again, use everything you learned to get away safely and get to as many people as you can find until someone steps in."

Naruto nodded and huffed to his defeat, "I'm going to get stronger, Iruka. Strong enough to reach you on my own, and someday, It'll be my turn to help you."

"Believe it."

Naruto looked up and shook before tackling the genin, "I will!"

I ended up splitting this chapter in two. I kinda felt the scenes belonged together.