Flashing Light
Naruto fanfiction
A/N:POV will change during chapters, to ease transition I will point that out should it happen. We begin with an OC.
Also, be aware that this is going to be a bit AU. For one Naruto comes more after his mother in terms of appearance and is more like his father in behaviot while still obviously Naruto. So he wont be too OOC. I hope...
XxxxX
"When fighting an enemy with your sword, he will never catch a glimpse of it. Your blade will be too fast to see, strike to quick to be stopped and return to it's sheath before the enemy has realized his demise. Accomplish this and you will have conquered my legacy, son."
Yeah, because that was sooo easy to do. Father had always been a harsh teacher but how in the world was I supposed to master his way of the sword without him teaching it to me?
Sighing I sheathed my blade - a training sword until I shall wield my father's - and looked at the result of my training. Fruitless, as always. About 3 meters in front of me stood a standard training log about as tall as your average human male. Hundreds of shallow cuts and some newer deep gashes covered every inch of the log's surface. Surely the issue wasn't power. I mean, my blade is like 57 cm in length and I can cut the log 3 meters from where I stand deep enough to go halfway into it. But I am too slow. I cannot use that much power and sheath my sword fast enough so no one could see it. A civilian might just miss it when I go full speed and no power but even us academy students can see it.
"Ren! Come on, breaks over!"
Yes, yes of course. Not to be rude I turned to the girl that had called out to me, Ino what's-her-name-again, and simply nodded. She squealed, something I loathed to no end, and hurried away. I adjusted my grey vest and pushed the blade that had rested at my hip up onto my back. It was still too long for me to carry it at my side. I was after all barely eleven years old.
And if anyone hadn't heard Ino what's-her-face shout all over the academy yard, my name is Ren. Just Ren. My family name died with my father and until I have mastered the way of his blade it will stay dead. And judging by my progress through the three years since he passed I doubt I'll ever carry my family name again.
I brushed a lock of my, as Kurenai (my guardian) always told me, far too long black hair out of my green eyes. Reaching for the leather cord that was supposed to keep my hair in a small ponytail, I quickly gathered them in one once again. Somewhere in the distance I heard someone squeal and suppressed the urge to shiver. Still, I was better of than Sasuke. I had only one fangirl stalking me.
I heard the academy bell chime and cursed inwardly. Iruka, our teacher, was gonna have a fit if I arrived late again. So I sprinted into the academy as fast as I could, which was quite fast for a student but simple standard for the usual genin.
After nearly tripping on the stairs I actually made it into the classroom and my seat before the lesson was about to begin.
As always, Iruka bored everyone save the pink haired one to death. To my right sat the only person in this academy I've ever really talked to.
Naruto Uzumaki.
While as quiet as me at times, when people approached him he starts grinning like an idiot and becomes loud enough to make my ears hurt.
Aside from that, I trained with him. The violet eyed redhead was terrible in taijutsu, I actually blamed the teachers for that, but his kenjutsu was quite decent. Ever since he caught me training my father's techniques, he bugged me and challenged me until I agreed to show him standard sword stances.
He's a ridiculously fast learner.
Anyhow, he was dozing off. Not that I was surprised. It was pretty boring to listen to this stuff.
Oh great, he's drooling...
"Oi, Uzumaki!" I hissed lowly and jabbed him lightly in the ribs, "You're making a mess!"
With a long moan he straightens his back an wearily lifts his face of the desk. The girl next to him turned bright red at the noise. Hinata, the Hyuuga heiress, always did that around him. She fainted when he sat down besides her at the beginning of the year. Strange.
"Mmmh.. whazzup?" he mumbles before flinching and deftly avoiding a piece of chalk aimed at his head.
Yeah, that reflex he definitely got from my training. I just loved my shuriken training. Good ol' moving target.
Naruto didn't look proud at all. In fact, he seemed horrified. I was confused for a second before I remember him telling me something, about a year back.
"An act?" I questioned.
He nodded, a sad smile on his face."People don't like me. Some even are afraid of me. I figured... I mean, what would happen if they know I'm not as bad as they think? I don't want them to be afraid of me. I don't even know why they are. But for now, seeming weak is going to do me a lot of good..."
Remembering that, I figured I should help him out. So I stood up and said as bored as possible:
"Now I get why you aren't teaching us Shurikenjutsu, Sensei Iruka. Your aim is terrible."
And with that I sat down again.
The students laughed, of course, but Iruka didn't react like I thought he would. He seemed grateful. Damn, that guy was more insightful than I gave credit for.
The day dwindled on and eventually, we were released. After avoiding Ino, as I always did, me and Naruto headed for Training ground three. As we always did since we met.
"So?" Naruto asked me, "What's on today?"
Walking up to the small pond in the middle of the clearing I took of my shoes.
"I dare say it's water walking again." I smirked when I heard Naruto sigh. He wasn't any good controlling all that chakra of his.
We were at this exercise for about three months now and I finally got it down. While we practiced I realized that Naruto had so much more chakra than me, it was ridiculous. At first, when he couldn't even stand on the water for more than a second, I asked Naruto to pump out as much chakra as possible from his feet.
And hot damn he did. It became actually visible! And he was launched out of the damn pond more than 10 meters into the air. Since then we came to the conclusion that Naruto must have so much chakra, he simply couldn't control it. That also explained his problems with the clone jutsu. It was virtually impossible for him to use so little chakra so he constantly overloaded the technique.
"I'm gonna make it this time, you better believe it!" A classic exclamation of his.
Then again, he had the walking on water part down since last week. It was the fighting on water while staying atop it that he had trouble with. My problem was that I ran out of chakra way before him so if I didn't beat him before that happened, I automatically lost.
We both walked onto the pond, I drew my blade and Naruto unsealed his, which was the exact same as mine, from a scroll of his. Sealing Arts really got to the boy that refused to read books on a daily basis but as soon as seals were involved, he devoured it like a black hole.
"Ready?" I asked my friend, allowing a smirk to crawl into my features.
"Always, Ren! Come on!" Naruto shouted as he dashed forward to meet my blade.
But he slipped, his right foot vanished beneath the water's surface, and tumbled into the pond.
Classic.
"Naruto, concentrate," I scolded and eased out of my stance. "A ninja must always be calm and collected in any given situation."
Struggling a little Naruto climbed onto the surface once again. When he met my eyes, his had a hard glint to them and I knew our real spar was about to start.
XxxxX(this indicates a POV change)
It had been real boring years in the academy but finally the graduation exam was up. Me and Ren had never left out even one day of our training and I dare say it shows. Though Ren is still pissed that he isn't fast enough to use his father's moves. Hell, we aren't even genin yet! He shouldn't expect to be a master swordsman already!
But that's Ren for ya... Always so focused.
Anyways, it was too damn boring. Sitting in the classroom and waiting for the teachers and students to arrive... Why the hell was I even there that early? Oh right, so me and Ren could rig the exam.
Yeah, we were gonna pull that of alright.
Even with all the training I couldn't make one of those stupid clones and I just knew they wouldn't pass me without it. So we came up with a plan. Ren was going to do my clone.
Easy.
We hoped.
At least we knew it was possible. Ren's chakra control was the best in all of the academy. We found out that if he henged into me and then made a clone, the clone would also appear as me. And with his control over the techniques he was able to project the clone a fair distance away from him.
So we hoped that Ren could get close enough to me so that he could henge and then project a clone to my side when required.
That was a master plan!
Now we just needed to figure out how to get him that close without anyone noticing.
"Any idea yet, Ren?" I asked, standing in front of the door that lead to the exam room.
"None" was all I got. Then he shook his head, his even longer hair and ponytail swishing around.
Somewhere Ino squealed. I just hoped that me having nearly the same hairstyle but a bit shorter wasn't going to bite me like it did with Ren. I shuddered at the thought of fan girls chasing me... Urgh! Thank kami my fake ass attitude kept them away.
"Don't worry, I'll make it. You just don't mess up the rest," Ren told me with a somewhat evil smirk and walked up the aisle to his seat.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" I shouted and also walked up to my seat.
And so I went through the whole test. Went of without a hitch. Until we got to that point where it could all go wrong.
"Now Naruto, the last test" Iruka's voice was so unnaturally grave, it made me wonder if he was wearing a mask just as I did.
"Perform the clone jutsu."
The command was given and now it counted. I just prayed to kami that Ren made it.
Going through the necessary hand seals I shouted "Clone Jutsu!" which wasn't needed at all but I needed to give Ren a heads up.
For the longest second in all my live nothing happened. Just as I was about to drop my head in defeat, a perfect copy of myself shimmered into existence at my side.
It looked at its hands and flexed it's arms in exactly the same why I did then. It was something we studied countless times until we moved in perfect unison. A clone was supposed to be a mirror image of the user, confusing the enemy as to who the real one was.
Iruka stared and stared, studying me and the clone. Please don't see it... Please don't see it... Please don't-
"You passed!" he told me with a smile and instantly the clone dispelled.
"Of course I did! You ever doubted me?" My cheering would have been far more excessive but I was just so damn glad that we managed to pull this of. I accepted the headband with the usual grin that made my face hurt and dropped it as soon as I got through the door into the hall.
As soon as I was outside, Ren came flying out of the door next to the exam room.
The woman's bathroom.
Oh hell.
He smacked into the wall and slumped to the floor.
I carefully approached him. "Ren?... You... alright there?"
Slowly and deliberately he pushed himself up, the hand print was still glaring red in his face.
"You owe me." he growled, "Big time!"
I could feel myself starting to sweat. Oh no, that sounded like target practice! Ren was damn good with his sword but his shurikenjutsu was also only second to Sasuke's, the Uchiha prodigy, and his clan was already known for their prowess in that area!
Well... they were, before they were all massacred.
For now me and Ren left the academy for training. I was a pincushion afterwards. How I regreted to have ever told him of my fast healing...
The next morning...
I just hated waiting! Again we were stuck waiting in the classroom. This time for our assignments to a genin team.
Me and Ren made sure to be assigned to the same team. How? Well we discreetly showed off to old man Hokage of course!
Yeah, we figured that if the old man knew we would work well together he would place us on the same team. Ren an me made a point in creating collaboration techniques with our sword styles and even our very own 'blade without a blade' taijutsu style.
After watching the old man for a few days I figured his route for his daily walks and the two of is always pulled of some complicated stuff when the old man walked by.
Sure enough, when he visited me once again in my apartment, he asked me about Ren. How I knew him and if he was a good friend of me. I boasted a whole lot about our training and how he taught me kenjutsu and brought me onto the whole sealing thing.
Now it was just a matter of time until we were on the same team. I just hoped Ino wasn't on it as well...
XxxxX
It was so fucking dank in this room. Did they really expect me to sleep here!? Fucking losers... I fought my way through 37 other faggots only to land here? Freedom my ass!
"Fuck you Orochimaru!" I screamed at the dank ceiling.
I was gonna escape one day, one mother-fucking day!
But for now, that was bloody impossible. Orochimaru would just kill my ass when i tried to flee. With that stupid mark on my neck I would die faster than I could blink...
Everything, absolutely everything was her fault! She sold me to those fucking bastards!
I will get out of here! I will have my life back!
"Just you fucking wait. Tayuya is coming for your ugly ass!"
A/N: Fresh out of the hospital, that's what I do. Well, there you have it. Sad news everyone, I'll have to abandon a few stories. Mind that the most followed and reviewed stories will be continued. Life changed a lot and time's kinda lacking now.