A/N: So, I think I should answer some questions before they are asked.
1) Danzo won't be a part of the main plot. Rather, He won't be ROOT Danzo or evil Danzo. He'll have a minor roll, something like a strategist or advisor when it comes to the 4th Great Shinobi War Arc
Oops, spoiler alert
2) No, Sakura won't be a part of the story. She's a civilian.
3)The Uchiha Massacre will have happened under different circumstances and reasons.
In other news, I enjoyed writing the fight scenes in this chapter. I also tried adding more character development to some of ones featured here. I changed Sai's background since he isn't a ROOT operative. I wanted to explain Sai's lack of emotion as a result of severe trauma.
I apologize if there are any grammatical errors. I hadn't gotten a chance to fully proofread it and I wanted to finish the Genin Exams Arc. Next chapter will be team placements and first missions.
I hope everyone enjoys the time and effort put into these chapters. My goal is to tell a story that is both exciting, unique, and well written. Too many times have I come across a story with a good concept but poorly executed or written.
Another warning is that creative liberties will be taken with my story. A lot of people alter the abilities of characters from the designs of Kishimoto. I am no different. But I try to alter them to a reasonable extent. In this particular story, Naruto is very conscious of his godlike power, as are those around him.
In regards to that, Naruto's godlike abilities aren't simply there for the sake of self gratification. His powers themselves are a plot focus. I cannot stress enough that I am trying to make everything in my story have a purpose.
With that said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. and please, LEAVE A COMMENT AND SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS. I love having feedback from my readers. If you have any questions or concerns, I'll do my best to answer them in the following chapters.
WARNING: Implications of rape and psychological trauma. If you feel uncomfortable, I apologize greatly.
••• Origin•••
Chapter 3: Genin Exams Conclusion
Sasuke makes his way to the competitor's box with a slight but noticeable limp. Kiba notices and goes over to check on him. "Yo, Uchiha, you ok?" he asks.
Sasuke just looks at him. Scoffing, he turns away. "I told you not to pity me, dog boy." Kiba smirks and sits next to the beaten Uchiha.
He says to him, "And I told you that it isn't pity, Uchiha. Look, you don't have your Sharingan, right? Don't beat yourself up over it."
Sasuke growls and turns to Kiba. "Just what do you know, Inuzuka?! I need my Sharingan to avenge my clan! And look at her! That so-called sister of mine isn't even concerned with avenging our clan! And my mother tries to convince me to let it go! It's just me! I'm the only one who gives a damned about my slaughtered family members!"
Realizing his outburst, he turns to see that the other contestants were staring at him. He's ashamed he let his anger get to him. Not wanting to bear another moment under their stares, he gets up and turns to leave. "Sorry." he says quietly.
Satsuki frowns as she watches him leave. She worries over her brother. She knows that the Massacre affected everyone, not just the survivors themselves, but it seems that the scars reached deeper than she realized. Years later, Sasuke's psyche is still in pieces.
Kiba just sits in his seat with his gaze downward. Naruto sees his friend's dilemma and walks over to him, sitting down beside him. He asks, "What's going on with you and Sasuke, Kiba? First you help him pass the second exam and now this?"
Kiba frowns for a moment and sighs. "I can't help but feel for the guy, you know. I always pegged him for an uptight asshole but... I realized there was more to him than that." This grabbed Naruto's attention, along with the rest of the soon-to-be rookies. Satsuki was listening closely to Kiba's explanation.
Naruto says, "What brought this on, Kiba?"
He goes on to explain, "He was having trouble finding a totem. I was heading to the outpost when I saw him and figured I'd mess with him. I... realized that he and I had more in common than I figured." Naruto nods in understanding. Kiba continues. "We both worked extremely hard to get to where we are. No offense to Satsuki, but he works twice as hard as the rest of his family. From what I know, Itachi was a prodigy, Satsuki is a genius, but Sasuke didn't have the same advantages that came naturally to his siblings." Unknown to Kiba, his words brought a lot of understanding to Sasuke's situation that the other rookies hadn't thought of. Especially to Satsuki. It occurred to her that it only made sense, Sasuke is a product of hard work and determination. The jutsu that she mastered, the katas that she practiced, the lessons that she learned, they all simply clicked into place for her, if not the first time than only after a few repetitions. For Sasuke, it was different. She would find him grinding himself into the ground with training but never thought much of it. But Kiba shed some light onto it. Sasuke was trying to keep up. Maybe next time she could-
"Don't pity him." Kiba says. Satsuki looks at him and sees that he was talking to her.
"What do you-" he stops her.
"That's the worst thing you could do for people like us. He got to where he is on his own. If you tried to help him now, it's a mark against his pride. He'll figure it out on his own. But don't pity him. You'll only push him further away." Kiba warns her. Naruto, though, realizes why Kiba understands Sasuke so well. He related more to Satsuki since he didn't need to train himself into the ground. Naruto's power came from his bloodlines, a product of chance that had his path laid out in front of him at birth. That's the reason Sasuke despised him, Naruto is too far ahead for him to catch. Too far ahead for even Itachi.
In the Kage box, Mikoto frowns as she watched the scene play out. Ever since the night of the Massacre, her son had been falling deeper and deeper into darkness, going down a path of no return. She watches as her daughter, Satsuki, struggles with the worry that plagues her. Soon, she'll need to reveal to her all the details of that night and the events leading up to it.
•••
After clearing his thoughts, Kiba heads down to the stadium along with Choji. Before taking position, Kiba turns to Choji with a feral grin. "Good luck, buddy." He offers a fist bump.
Choji bumps his fist with Kiba. "Good luck!" he says.
The crowd cheers at the signs of respect they offered. Iruka smiles along with the Sandaime, Godaime, and Sannin in the Kage box. The show of sportsmanship was truly a representation of their lauded Will of Fire.
Iruka glances at each contestant and they offer him a nod each. The smiles were gone, replaced by shear determination. Kiba also knew that he'd get an earful from his mother if he lost in the first round. "Troublesome woman..." he mutters.
In the stands, two particular Naras sneeze and a beautiful woman with spiky hair and a slightly feral appearance grows a tick mark over her head. "I HEARD THAT, RUNT!!!! I KNOW YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ME!!!!" she shouts at her son, who whimpers slightly. Inuzuka's learn from an early age to never piss off their mothers.
Iruka sweat drops at the comedy act. "Ok... BEGIN!"
Surprisingly, Choji bites his thumb, drawing blood, and flashes through some hand seals, causing his attending clan members to raise their eyebrows in surprise. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A plume of smoke appears, revealing a massive 12ft grizzly bear with long sharp claws, battle armor, and a scar over it's left eye.
Kiba looks visibly shaken. It's not surprising considering that Choji has taken to wearing his family's battle armor and is noticeably more muscular while also maintaining his family's large frame. So, basically, Kiba is facing a man who is as large as bear dressed in battle armor and an actual bear dressed in battle armor. Fun day at the office.
Shaking off his initial nerves, Kiba lowers into a battle stance. He tosses a pill into Akamaru's mouth and flashes through some hand seals. "Ninpou! Man-Beast Clone!" Akamaru transforms into an identical clone of Kiba. In the stands, Tsume nods her head at her son's use of her family's jutsu.
The two teams charge against one another. Choji's taijutsu consists of heavy blows and standing grappling. He incorporates his family's jutsu to expand his body on the fly, making it a very difficult style to counter, as Kiba is having trouble dodging and evading even with his superior speed.
Akamaru is having less trouble. The bear is slow and lumbering compared to Akamaru's natural canine speed. He's able to evade the bear and land claw slash counters. What attacks the bear does land, however, feel like a tree fell on him. Akamaru keeps from dispelling by blocking and gritting his teeth through the pain. The bear is slow, but what attacks he does land hit like a ton of bricks.
"Wow! Look at Choji go! He's giving Kiba a hard time!" Ino exclaims.
Shikamaru watches with an analytical eye. He's hoping for his best friend to win. "Kiba and Akamaru are doing well with their speed. It's obvious with their size and strength that each attack Choji and the bear land does way more damage. But Kiba and Akamaru are the ones with the advantage in this situation. They are hitting far more often than they are getting hit. Choji is gonna have to use some strategy to win."
Shikamaru used to be more silent and talk less because it was too 'troublesome.' But the academy had done well to alleviate that mentality. Shikamaru is a strategist with far more motivation than before. While he still doesn't like to waste energy, he has a lot more of it before. Rumors are that he is being scouted for ANBU. But that will have to wait for after he makes chunin.
Separating, Kiba flashes through several seals. Akamaru tosses several smoke grenades that cover the field with smoke. Choji grits his teeth but leaps out of the cloud with the bear since neither use wind jutsu.
Suddenly he hears, "Fang over fang!" Two whirlwinds of teeth and claws shoot out at Choji and his summon. The bear stops Akamaru with it's claws and slams him into the ground. Choji expands his fists and smashes Kiba into the ground. Both go wide eyed when the two poof into smoke.
A pair of hands erupt from the ground beneath both Kiba and his summon. "Doton! Double Suicide Decapitation!" Kiba pulled a fast one on Choji! Thinking quickly, Choji pulls a kawarimi but the bear gets pulled under. Choji retreats back into the cloud of smoke still lingering in the arena.
Kiba grits his teeth. 'Dammit! Choji is stronger than I thought!'
Suddenly, Choji jumps out from the cloud of smoke with an expanded fist and attacks Kiba. Kiba dodges the attack and engages Choji in a taijutsu exchange. Akamaru goes to help Kiba. The pair quickly overwhelm Choji and Akamaru lands a Rotating Fang. Unfortunately, this Choji turned out to be an Earth Clone.
From the cloud of smoke, Kiba and Akamaru hear Choji call out, "Doton! Rockslide Shift!"
Followed by the bear, "Doton! Stone Pillar Eruption!"
Choji's jutsu shatters the ground apart beneath Kiba and Akamaru. The technique catches them off guard and causes them to lose their balance. As they struggle to regain their footing, the bear summoning's jutsu sends massive stone columns erupting from the ground beneath them. Both Kiba and Akamaru take direct hits from the pillars, sending them flying.
The attack leaves Kiba stunned as he comes falling back down to the ground. Choji takes advantage of Kiba's vulnerability and leaps into action. Expanding his right arm, Choji hammer fists Kiba, sending him crashing into the ground below. Choji lands beside him and gives Kiba one last crushing fist for good measure.
As Choji was finishing off Kiba, his bear summons was handling Akamaru. The bear leaps into the air and delivers a brutal claw slash to Akamaru. The attack incapacitates Akamaru, sending him crashing into the ground and reverting back to his normal form, leaving him blooded and beaten.
The crowd erupts into cheers as Choji, the underdog in the match, defeated Kiba in convincing fashion. Choji smiles and waves at the crowd.
In the Kage box, the Sannin and Hokages give Choji and Kiba a standing ovation. They applauded a high level match between two talented prospects. "That was a fantastic match!" Tsunade exclaims.
Hiruzen nods in agreement. "Indeed. Such use of elemental jutsu and strategy is unbelievable. They fight with a great degree of intelligence and skill far beyond their years."
Jiraiya nods as well. "The use of clones to mask both of their attacks was well played. For the Akamichi kid to use his clan summons to even the odds was smart too. He also took advantage of the smoke that his own opponent introduced into the match. If this was the chunin exams, I'd say they both passed."
Mikoto adds, "My thoughts exactly. I wouldn't call either of them a loser in this match. Neither prospect relied too heavily on their clan jutsu and played a strategic chess match with one another. A fine performance, one worthy of a grander stage."
In the competitors box, the rookies were stunned at the finish to the match.
"Holy shit! That match was way more exciting than my match!" Tayuya exclaims. The other rookies nod in agreement.
Shikamaru speaks up. "Absolutely. I liked seeing Choji and Kiba trying to outsmart one another. They didn't even lean on their clan skills too much and actually used other jutsu."
Naruto adds. "That finish was pretty wild too. Choji was smart when he started the match by summoning a companion right away. He didn't let himself get dragged into a 2 on 1 fight like we though he would."
Hinata then speaks up. "I just hope Kiba-kun is ok... He got hurt pretty badly."
Naruto smiles at his pale eyed friend. "Why don't you go check on him, Hina-chan? Choji hit him really hard and his pride is damaged too."
Hinata nods and goes down to the infirmary to check on Kiba. After a few more minutes of small talk, Naruto heads down to the arena with Sai. The two contestants exchange no banter or pleasantries. Iruka can feel the slight tension between the two. He sweats slightly as he sees the expressions on the two.
Sai wears his normal fake smile. His soft, almost feminine features are twisted in a forced expression. Naruto's face is near the opposite. Icy, cold, devoid of emotion. His eyes are haunting, his Tenseigan unwavering and uncaring, as Iruka has never seen Naruto's combat face. They show a fierceness no child should have. Naruto's eyes have seen life or death combat. And he's always come out with the former as the result.
In the past 6 years, he has faced more Iwa and Kumo death squads until Hiruzen forced them to come to peace talks. Naruto has torn through the enemy jounin that came for him, never sparing anyone. His reputation for killing Iwa and Kumo elites earned him the historical feat as the first S class entry in the Bingo Book as a civilian and only the second SS class entry in history, the first being his father. Of course, had the bingo book existed during the times of Hashirama and Madara, they would have obviously been SS class, but that's besides the point. Iwa and Kumo wanted him dead at any cost. It wasn't until Hiruzen damned them and threatened a declaration of war that the Tsuchikage and Raikage saw reason and decided to agree to a peace treaty 3 years ago. Regardless, his Bingo Book entry still exists to this day.
•••
Name: Naruto Namikaze
Alias: Naruto of the Phantom Eyes; Konoha no Kami
Bloodline: Unknown dojutsu; Yoton, Hyoton, Mokuton
Rank: SS-class; Civilian
Ninjutsu: S
Taijutsu: Unknown
Genjutsu: Unknown
Other Documented Abilities: Unknown
Notes: Unranked as a shinobi; has yet to graduate the Konoha Shinobi Academy. Known to have ruthlessly attacked and mercilessly slaughtered unsuspecting jounin squads from Iwa and Kumo. Has been seen using the Hyoton, Yoton, and Mokuton kekkei genkai. Also possesses unknown dojutsu that allows him to conjure up and invisible force against enemies. He is the son of the Yellow Flash of Konoha, Minato Namikaze, and the Red Death, Kushina Uzumaki.
Threat Level: Kage; Approach with extreme caution
Bounties:
Iwagakure- 60,000,000 Dead; 100,000,000 Alive
Kumogakure- 30,000,000 Dead; 70,000,000 Alive
•••
And for that, Sai felt fear for the first time. It is the first time he's ever felt true emotion. It was an alien experience for him. Or perhaps it wasn't. Sai grew up in a small village outside of Konoha, somewhere in the land of fire. He loved nature, he loved art, and he has faint memories of a time where he felt... lighter.
Sai remembers a boy he used to play with named Shin. He was a few years older than Sai and they always hung out together. He remembers faintly the faces of his parents, their smiles. True smiles. Shin asked him one day, in a distant memory of his, what he dreamed of doing when he became older.
Sai replied with a smile, "I want to be a famous painter when and travel the Elemental Nations!"
He remembered seeing Shin smile. "That's cool, Sai! When I grow up, I'm gonna be a powerful shinobi!"
That's the last memory Sai has before they came. The bandits. That night, Sai remembers eating dinner with Shin at his family's home. The bandits came and broke down their door. His father tried to fight them off, only to be killed. They dragged his mother upstairs. He remembers her screams and the twisted grins on their faces. He remembers shaking, a heavy weight over his shoulders, clutching onto Shin with tears in his eyes. Was that fear?
They grabbed Shin and stabbed him, Sai remembers screaming. Out the corner of his eye, he sees a man carrying the naked form of a woman outside, his mother. Why was she naked? The bandit who stabbed Shin goes to grab Sai next.
That's when he remembers hearing the bandits scream. The shinobi who came to save him. He remembers seeing the angry looks on their faces as they killed the bandits. One noticed Sai, but Sai didn't move. He just kept staring at the shinobi with his eyes widened. He remembers their hand glowing green and falling asleep. When he woke up, he was in Konoha.
Sai remembers now. 'This feeling, it's the same as back then. It must be fear.' he thinks to himself. He looks down, his hand is shaking slightly. His breathing has increased and there is a tightness in his chest. His eyes are wider and focused, his pulse quickened. Sweat rolls down his forehead. Yes, this is fear.
Iruka looks at both competitors. He doesn't ask anything. "BEGIN!"
Sai leaps back and pulls out a scroll. "Super Beast Scroll!" He quickly draws an animal and it comes to life from the scroll. It rushes at Naruto to attack him. Naruto makes no attempt to move, he only stares at Sai with his cold gaze.
The ink monsters close in on Naruto and pounce but are suddenly dispersed by an unseen force. Sai's eyes widen in surprise momentarily before he draws another creature, this one larger than the first. He summons it and it goes to attack Naruto again, only to be destroyed by the invisible force. Naruto hasn't moved a muscle.
Sai's gaze hardens slightly. He stores his scroll away and flashes through several hand seals. "Katon! Grand Fireball!" He blasts a fireball of impressive size at Naruto. This causes Naruto to show some emotion. A smirk.
Naruto responds by holding up a single seal. "Suiton! Raging Torrent!" Water seemingly appears from thin air and gathers to form a powerful geyser that blasts forward, colliding with the fireball and overpowering it. Sai dodges out the way of the water attack.
Sai becomes frustrated, another strange feeling he's never felt before. He flashes through more hand seals. "Doton! Stone Fissure!" The ground in front of Sai ruptures as stones begin to emerge upwards, creating a wave of rocks that blast towards Naruto. Naruto smirks again and raises his foot.
Tsunade's eyes widen. "GET DOWN!!!!" she shouts as loud as she can. Jiraiya ducks behind the seats as Tsunade and Mikoto huddle up and cover their heads. Hiruzen doesn't move. In the competitors box, Tayuya and Satsuki hide behind the barricade but still peak over to watch.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain."
Naruto brings his foot down. The entire arena ground compresses. Sai's jutsu was completely negated. The resounding shockwave blasts Sai from the center of the arena grounds and sends him crashing into the wall behind him. Cracks form in the stadium infrastructure. Chunks of stone fall from the roofing but are deflected by ANBU before they injure the spectators. In the area surrounding the stadium, building walls crack and windows shatter. Several civilians lose their balance and fall, and carts collapse. "Earthquake!" one civilian yells.
As the tremors stop, Tsunade looks down in the arena. The area looks like a decaying bowl. Naruto stands in the epicenter and looks back up at his surrogate mother and smiles. The buxom blonde returns it and shakes her head.
"I think he made the whole stadium sink a few feet." she says. She looks back at Mikoto, who is shaking the cobwebs out of her head.
"Sheesh," she says. "You really taught him that move?"
Tsunade laughs. "Yeah, but I didn't think he'd use it in a place like this."
Jiraiya stirs but has to shake off some rubble that fell on his head. "Ugh. He's definitely your grandson, Tsunade. More like your son, to be honest."
In the stands, Anko makes it to her feet, albeit wobbly. She helps up Kurenai. "Fucking hell, that kid gets scarier each time he fights."
Kurenai, visibly shaken, nods. "Reminds me of when he went overboard in the west area 4 years ago. They still haven't finished rebuilding."
Kakashi shakes his head. "In the interest of fairness, Naruto shouldn't be participating in these exams."
Kurenai looks at Kakashi questioningly. "What do you mean, Kakashi?"
He closes his visible eye to explain. "Not many shinobi can fight against him anyways. If he went rogue, he could turn Konoha into a smoldering crater and nobody could stop him." Kurenai widens her eyes and Anko nods in agreement.
She adds, "I love the gaki but he even scares me sometimes." She shivers slightly. "I won't ever forget that time when he actually got angry."
Kakashi looks down. "Yeah... it was terrifying for everybody."
Kurenai shivers more obviously. "Right... that killing intent... it was worse than Kyuubi's..." That night gave her a particularly bad memory of actually pissing her pants.
Anko asks Kakashi, "By the way, is it actually true that people really died from the killing intent alone?" Kakashi nods. Anko widens her eyes. "Wow, shit... I gotta learn how to do that..." Kurenai frowns and slaps her friend's shoulder.
Kakashi sighs. "He also drove two chunin insane. One pulled his own ears off and gouged out his left eye. The other... was pulling his own hair out of his head and chewed off his own fingertips. The last I heard... he bit his own tongue off." The two women shudder at the grotesque details. They all silently thank God that Naruto is friendly.
In the competitors box, Choji used his expansion jutsu to protect the class from the falling debris. Shikamaru mutters, "Troublesome whiteheads." that causes his classmates to laugh.
Iruka looks over at Sai. The pale boy is unconscious with blood running down his forehead. He announces, "Winner by knockout: Naruto Namikaze! Medics!"
Satsuki sighs. "I know Naru-kun is strong and all but that was overkill." She furrows her brow but smiles at her childhood friend.
Tayuya coughs at the dust from the debris. "Yeah, *cough, feel bad for the other guy, though. He got his ass handed to him."
Shikamaru stands and walks over next to Satsuki and Tayuya. He sighs. "If it were anyone else, It would have been a good match. Sai is strong. But compared to Naruto, anyone would look weak." He then looks toward the Kage box. "If those four were to fight Naruto right here and now, I'd put my money on Naruto."
The other rookies look at Shikamaru stunned. Ino says, "You... you're joking, right Shika?" He shakes his head.
"I'm completely serious, Ino. Naruto is my friend, our friend... but..." Shikamaru frowns. "Sometimes he makes me think that he isn't human."
What Shikamaru doesn't know is that Naruto faces that very dilemma every day. He searches for his own identity, his own purpose. The only similarity he has with his parents is the shape of his face. Naruto's hair isn't blonde or red, it's white. A brilliant, platinum white that is reminiscent of the most vibrant full moon. His power is unexplainable. His comprehension of shinobi arts defies reason. His eyes... why was he born with them?
For Naruto, the truest separation is in the eyes of his friends. He sees their respect, their admiration. But underneath those lies something darker. Fear. And even worse, envy. Even the citizens, behind all the "Namikaze-samas" and "Naruto-samas" they fear him. It's a painful reality, that the ones you love and care for are also the ones who fear you. He's slowly come to accept it, that you can't have great power without receiving both love and fear from those you swore to protect. But that doesn't make it any less painful.
Shikamaru's words weigh heavily on the other rookies. Naruto walks back up and joins his friends. Tayuya and Satsuki smiles and greet him and he carries on a conversation with them about the match. Shikamaru smiles and joins in, as does the other rookies. They put Shikamaru's words behind them for now. Naruto's humanity is a story for another time.
•••
Shikamaru and Hinata make their way to the repared arena. Shikamaru smiles at Hinata. "Good luck, Hinata." he says.
Hinata nods. "Good luck, as well, Shikamaru-kun."
Iruka gives the signal to begin. But Hinata does something that surprises everyone.
Raising her hand, Hinata announces. "Proctor, Shikamaru-kun is the worst matchup for me. I'd like to forfeit." Iruka raises an eyebrow. Hinata's father frowns, as does her little sister, Hanabi.
"Would you care to explain, Hinata?" Iruka asks.
Hinata answers. "Shikamaru-kun has very strong Shadow Manipulation jutsu. The best option I have is to fight at a distance but I don't have strong enough water jutsu or large chakra reserves to outlast Shikamaru-kun. He have won anyways. I'd rather save my strength for the next round."
Iruka nods. Hinata's explanation was sound and he respected Hinata's choice.
Hinata looks at Shikamaru. "Forgive me, Shikamaru-kun. I just couldn't think of a way for this match to end in my favor."
Shikamaru chuckles. "It's fine, Hinata. Funny you should say that though. I already planned 27 different ways to win. I was actually hoping you would fight."
Hinata laughs. Both at Shikamaru planning out ways to defeat her and also at the idea that Shikamaru WANTED to fight. "I'm sorry, Shikamaru-kun. But next to Naruto-kun, you're probably the worst opponent I could have drawn." Shikamaru nods and the two head up to the stands to watch the next match.
Tsunade, Mikoto, Jiraiya, and Hiruzen agree that it was smart for Hinata to forfeit. There's no shame in backing out when you have no chance to win. They're shinobi, not samurai.
•••
In the infirmary, Kiba lays in his bed mulling over what happened during his fight. He couldn't believe how Choji was able to out maneuver him. He trained so hard for so long and he still lost! It was unbearable! All that time, all that effort! And yet he still lost!
Kiba grits his teeth as the match plays back in his head. The initial exchange, the Double Suicide Decapitation, the finish. Everything. He needs to fix everything. As soon as this is over he's gonna train. He'll get stronger and never lose again. Not to Choji, not to Shikamaru, not to Naruto, not-
"Kiba."
The voice breaks Kiba from his thoughts. He looks up to see who it is. His eyes widen.
"Sasuke?"
•••
The match between Ino and Satsuki was relatively underwhelming. Ino was strong, her fire affinity was great and she's shaping up to be the most well rounded Yamanaka in her clan, but Satsuki is on another level. Trying to use fire against her is like trying to kill a bear with a toothpick. She definitely takes after her mother in that regard. Satsuki finished her without much fanfare.
The surprising ending was that Yakumo managed to defeat Shino. Shino is considered a prodigy in the Aburame clan and was the overwhelming favorite to win the match. Yakumo came from a lesser clan, even if she is considered a genjutsu prodigy herself. The two exchanged several jutsu throughout the relatively short match but when Shino decided to release a swarm against Yakumo, thinking she was wounded enough to finish her, the insects attacked him, trapping him in a Bug Binding Restraint.
Shino asked how, as did everyone else. Yakumo revealed that during the match, she had been silently casting genjutsu barrier around his body that had no effect on him but instead on his insects, controlling the flow of chakra that they have their small bodies. When Shino finally attacked with him, she activated the genjutsu to make them turn on their host. An ingenious strategy that made Kurenai, once again, shake her head at her students once again surpassing her.
With the first matches coming to a close, Mikoto announced a 1 hour interlude for the prospects to rest and relax in preparation for the second phase.
•••
Sasuke smirks at the surprise evident on Kiba's face. "Yeah it's me. I caught your match by the way, dog boy."
Kiba scoffs. "And what? Come to rub it in my face?"
Sasuke shakes his head. "...you did good, Kiba. Honestly, better than I think I would have done against the Akamichi." Say what?
Kiba blinks, at a total loss for words at what he had just heard. "... come again?" he says, dumbfounded.
Sasuke frowns. "The Akamichi. He's really strong. At my current skill level... I don't think I could have won. In fact, I know I would have lost."
Kiba must be going crazy. The Sasuke Uchiha admits that someone is stronger than him?! Must be a cold day in Hell...
Sasuke sighs. "Look. I know I'm not the easiest guy to get along with. Hell, most of the others probably hate me. But for what it's worth... I'm sorry for lashing out at you." Kiba really must be losing his shit.
Not knowing what he should say, Kiba responds, "Umm... I don't really blame you, Sasuke. If anything, you handle the situation you're in better than anyone else would have."
Sasuke looks at Kiba questioningly. "What do you mean?"
Kiba groans and sits up, wincing in pain. He sighs. "Most people are born with everything or nothing, Sasuke. You had everything but then it was all taken from you in one night. That alone would have broken me." He then looks at Sasuke. "But it didn't break you. You pushed forward. Your sister started getting stronger than you. You pushed even harder. You keep moving on, Sasuke. You keep working towards your dreams. Most would have given up and put a kunai in their own guts. You're strong, man. I respect that."
Sasuke widens his eyes. It begins to dawn on him that Kiba actually does understand him. He clenches his fists. Kiba is right, everything up to this point was painful. Living in the compound, the memories of everything that used to be there. The harsh training in the efforts of getting stronger. Only to see everyone else around him surpass him. Everything was beginning to seem pointless. How could he ever hope to kill Itachi if he can't even beat his classmates. And then Kiba's words tear those concerns away. He just had to keep doing what he was before. Push forward, never give up, never look back. He realized what it was about Kiba. He shared a similar burden with him. Sasuke understands now, he understands what Kiba is. A friend...
Sasuke smiles. Kiba sees this and his eyes grow to the size of saucers. Sasuke frowns. "...what?"
Kiba stutters. "D-d-d-dude... you're s-smiling?"
Confused, Sasuke asks, "So?"
"But... you never smile. You're Sasuke the Brooding Prince." Kiba says, terrified that the person in front of him is an imposter after his life.
Sasuke growls and smacks Kiba over the head.
"Ow! What the hell, dickhead! Can't you see I'm injured here?!"
Sasuke snaps back, "So?! I'm human, I have a right to smile, you know!"
The two lock eyes and growl at each other. Sasuke straightens up and just looks at Kiba. He smiles again. He chuckles and that chuckle grows into a laugh. Kiba is officially fearing for his own safety now.
Sasuke composes himself. "Ah, man. I'm sorry, Kiba. It's just, I can't thank you enough."
"Huh? Thank me for what?"
Sasuke sighs. "You talked me straight, Kiba. You're right, everything did start to seem meaningless. But I can't give up now. I'll catch up eventually. I'll catch up and pass everyone."
Kiba smiles and nods. "Definitely, man."
Sasuke holds out his hand. "Friends?"
And Kiba takes it. "Friends."
The two friends continue to talk as the matches continue in the arena. Kiba and Sasuke share stories of their experiences and talk about different training methods and possibly trying out new training techniques. The trainer comes in and clears Kiba to continue the tournament. The two friends head out back to the competitors box, talking and laughing as they do.
•••
The crowd is tired. The matches were filled with action packed excitement that drove their viewers to edge of their seats, leading to an eruption of cheering for a climactic finish. The talent filled brackets progressed further and further, the day drew on, the graduates proved their strength and skill against one another. By evening, everyone is eager to see the tournament finale. It boiled down to a match that had been long overdo. Two of the strongest shinobi in the village, competing for, not only titles and bragging rights, but to settle a long standing grudge several years old. Two crowd favorites ready to settle the score. The final match of the series...
Satsuki vs Tayuya?
Yup, Satsuki vs Tayuya is the last match of the exam. What happened to Naruto? It's actually quite simple.
It came time for Naruto to face Tayuya in the semifinals. As the two took center stage, the exchanged a few words.
"Damn. Sure wasn't looking forward to this, Naruto-kun." Tayuya says.
Naruto raises an eyebrow. "Why is that, Tayu-chan?"
She sighs. "You know why. I don't like fighting people I'm close to. Plus, I know you're gonna kick my ass. Just make sure you don't kill me, ok?"
Naruto laughs and Iruka shakes his head at the exchange. He gives the signal to begin but Naruto raises his hand.
"I forfeit."
The stadium is silent for a moment. "WHAT?!!!"
Naruto chuckles but Tayuya scowls at him. "The fuck is going on, Shithead? You too good to fight me or somethin'?!"
Naruto holds his hands up in surrender. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Tayu-chan! That's not it at all!" he exclaims.
Tayuya growls. "Then why'd you quit without fighting, dickhead?!"
Naruto sighs and rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Cuz I swore I'd never hurt you or Satsuki ever. Remember?"
Tayuya looks at him in confusion until she remembers a memory from long ago. VERY long ago. "Wait, you mean when we were kids at the playground?!" Naruto nods. "You dumbass! That and this is different!"
He shakes his head. "Not to me, Tayu-chan. I'm not fighting either of you. Ever. I love the both of you too much to fight, even as friends. Why do you think I avoid sparring either of you?"
He walks off, waving back at her over his shoulder. "Good luck in the next round, my Benihime." Naruto leaves a blushing Tayuya standing in the middle of the arena. She mutters to herself.
"...baka."
This interaction caused the kage booth occupants to chuckle.
"Quite the charmer, wouldn't you say Tsunade-sensei?" Mikoto asks.
Tsunade chuckles. "Mhm. Just like his father."
Mikoto laughs. "Oh, definitely! I just hope he isn't as dense as Minato-kun. Kushi-chan basically had to jump his bones to get her point across!"
The others laugh. Hiruzen speaks up. "I doubt Naruto-kun is that dense. That boy is sharper than a kunai." They all nod.
Jiraiya, though, scribbles furiously in his notepad, giggling perversely. "Hehehehehe... The Godly Warrior and the Red and Black Princesses? Oooh! I can make it a whole series! Icha Icha: Godly Hero's Harem Sexcapades! Perfect! Hah! My godson is a goldmine!"
Presently, Tayuya and Satsuki are having an intense staredown. Iruka, being the veteran shinobi that he is, wisely lets the two vixens settle their business. The tension is suffocating between the two. Iruka can't help but sweat at the amount of hostility in the air.
For Tayuya, Satsuki almost represents a phyisical manifestation of her insecurities. Beautiful, powerful, dignified, practically royalty due to her clan, kind, gentle, refined. She can go on and on. Tayuya was the opposite. She's brash, crass, violent, brutally honest and lacking subtlety, totally unrefined and unladylike, and she's an orphan. Why do these things bother her so much? Because she loves Naruto.
The fiery redhead was alone when she first came to Konoha. Naruto was the first person her age to approach her. She was, naturally, apprehensive and hostile but it didn't bother Naruto. He stayed with her, helped her, introduced her to his family, never left her alone. He made her feel loved after she lost everything. Tayuya refused to lose that. He was kind, gentle, caring, fiercely protective and ruthless to anyone who threatened her. He killed for her. Just as Naruto vowed to never let harm come to her, she vowed to remain loyal to Naruto for her life.
Satsuki shared a similar situation to Tayuya. She and Naruto are childhood friends. He came over and played in their compound together with her and Sasuke when they were young. But after the massacre, Satsuki was fearful and fragile. But Naruto vowed to her that he'd never let her get hurt. He was her support when her brother grew distant and her mother was coping with the loss as well. He stayed strong in her time of weakness, gave her the will to move on and protect those she still had. He refused to let her fall to hatred and revenge. Naruto's companionship saved her and kept her true to herself. She'd happily spend a lifetime returning the love and care he gave to her.
Which leads to the present situation. Both girls love the same man. Both have true reasons to love him. Both refuse to let him go. So here they stand, swords ready to clash. One of them must lose. Konoha no Benihime vs Konoha no Kurohime. The battle begins without a signal.
Their swords flash as the sound of clashing steel echoes throughout the coliseum. Satsuki's fully matured Sharingan blazes but Tayuya doesn't allow their eyes to meet. The Sharingan sees through most genjutsu and Tayuya doesn't allow Satsuki to cast hers on her so they lose a major weapon in their respective arsenals.
Tayuya delivers a hard kick to Satsuki's abdomen, giving herself some time to fly through some hand seals. "Fuuton! Piercing Wind Bullet!" Satsuki dodges the attack. Tayuya creates a shadow clone to engage Satsuki and buy herself some time.
Satsuki flashes through some seals of her own, though. "Katon! Great Fire Annihilation!" Satsuki spews out a torrent of fire that engulfs the majority of the field. When the flames cease, Tayuya is nowhere to be found.
Satsuki catches on too late. Tayuya bursts from the ground beneath her. "Rasengan!" The rotating orb of chakra smashes into Satsuki's back... only to tear through a splintering log. Satsuki managed to kawarimi with a nearby log. She bores a hole in Tayuya with her scowl.
"How the hell do you know Naru-kun's jutsu?! Did you steal that too?!" she demands.
Tayuya returns the scowl with her own venomous gaze. "I didn't steal shit, bitch! Naruto-kun taught it to me himself! So before you go accusing me of shit, get your facts straight first, Plunderpuss!"
In the stands, Anko laughs at the toxic banter between the two girls. "Hahahahaha!!!! These girls got spunk! Naruto-kun's got himself a catfight on his hands!"
Kurenai frowns. "Anko-chan, I don't think we should cheer for these two girls fighting over the same guy."
Anko smirks. "Oh, come on, Nai-chan. You gotta admit, it makes the match more interesting right? It's like a real life soap opera!"
Meanwhile, Satsuki gets to her feat, a hardened scowl adorning her beautiful features. "Fine. You wanna play that way, bitch?" Her right arm is suddenly engulfed in lightning. "Let's play."
Tayuya smirks. Holding out her own right hand, she forms a Rasengan. "Bring it on, Thundercunt. I'm gonna shove this Rasengan so far up your ass, you'll taste the chakra in it."
The two lock eyes. And they charge. The fierce warriors never turn their gazes from each other. And when Rasengan meets Chidori, neither of them gives an inch. They clash, both techniques pushing against one another. The resounding clash creates a deep crater beneath the two fighters. Finally, the Rasengan overpowers Satsuki's refined Chidori, the dense, compressed sphere of rotating chakra overwhelms the sporadic chakra blade.
The chakra sphere pushes through Satsuki's attack and is headed straight for Satsuki's chest. Suddenly, the Rasengan explodes. The two girls are launched backwards, away from each other. Dust and debris cover the arena, obscuring the vision of the crowd. When the smoke finally clears, Satsuki and Tayuya can be seen standing, their gazes still piercing one another. Satsuki standing with her shoulders slumped, right arm dangling and clutching her shoulder with her left. Blood trickles down her hand.
Tayuya fares no better. Her right arm is visibly damaged but she makes no effort to acknowledge it. Both girls are winded and breathing heavily. Suddenly, they get a second wind. Gritting their teeth, they rush forward, both girls throwing punches with their good arms and kicks with what strength they have.
Tayuya parries an overhead punch from Satsuki and headbutts her, sending her reeling. She grabs a handful of Satsuki's hair and brings her face down to deliver a knee. Her nose shatters and the grisly crack echose through the stadium. Satsuki recoils from the pain and Tayuya takes advantage of that and delivers a punch to her jaw. Satsuki goes down and Tayuya gets to mount and starts raining punches down with both hands, ignoring the pain. Iruka rushes over and tackles Tayuya off of Satsuki, seeing the ravenette unable to defend herself.
"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Iruka waves off the match. He goes to check on Satsuki. She wasn't conscious to remember her opponent's ruthless ground and pound. Calling over the medics, Iruka raises Tayuya's hand. "Winner by knockout and this year's Champion of the Stage: Tayuya!"
The crowd stands to their feet and applauds the performance of the redhead. In the kage box, they all applaud the girl. Hiruzen chuckles. "Quite the fight between those girls. They definitely remind me of you and Kushina-chan, Mikoto-chan."
Mikoto laughs nervously. She turns to Hiruzen uncomfortably. "We weren't that bad, Sandaime-sama..." Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Hiruzen deadpan.
Hiruzen speaks up, "Oh really? I specifically recall having to step in before the two of you killed each other on several occasions."
Mikoto blushes. "Oh, ha ha ha... I'm sure you-"
"I lost count of how many times I have to heal either of you from life threatening injuries." Tsunade adds.
The Godaime's blush deepens. "Th-that was..."
"And poor Minato got hurt several times trying to break it up between the two of you." Jiraiya finishes.
Mikoto hangs her head in embarrassment. Rough first day as Hokage. Hokage...
Mikoto laugh slightly at a sudden memory that surfaces. Tsunade sees and raises an eyebrow. "What is it?" she asks.
Mikoto shakes her head. She wipes a stray teat from falling. "It's just... Kushi-chan's dream was to be Hokage. She shouted it as loud as she could her first day in the academy." Mikoto sobs lightly at the memory of her best friend and most bitter rival. "Honestly... I wish it was her who got to stand here today and take this hat."
Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Jiraiya frown in sadness. Tsunade asks her former student, "Her death... hit you a lot harder than you let on, didn't it?"
Mikoto sniffles and wipes a few more tears from her face. "Wasn't it obvious? I might have hated the tomato tomboy but she was still my best friend... she deserved to be here for Naruto-kun. I remember how happy she was when she found out she was pregnant." Mikoto laughs lightly. "She was so vibrant, so excited. That was the happiest I've ever seen her..." Mikoto is visibly crying at this point. She turns to leave and compose herself. "I'm sorry. Excuse me."
Tsunade goes to comfort her. "Tsunade-chan." She turns and sees that Hiruzen called her. He shakes his head.
The elderly man sighs. "She's finally letting out those bottles up emotions she held back for her best friend."
Jiraiya nods. "Seeing her daughter and Tayuya fight must have brought back the memories." He turns to Tsunade. "Why don't you go help heal the two of them? Aren't you supposed to be the greatest medic in the Elemental Nations?" That earned him a fist to the skull.
With the rookies, Shikamaru approaches Naruto. "Naruto."
He turns to face his friend. "Yeah, Shika?"
"You interfered, didn't you?"
Naruto chuckles. "Nothing escapes your eyes, does it Shika?"
He shakes his head. "I didn't see it happen, but I figured it out. Tayuya should have killed Satsuki with that Rasengan. Instead it exploded. That explosion should have killed them both. Instead, they flew backwards away from the blast and they were back to their feat with small injuries." Naruto chuckles but nods his head. "It's obvious that the only one with that kind of power, to save them both the way it happened, is you."
Naruto lowers his head and raises his hands in surrender. "I got it, I got it. Guilty as charged. You caught me redhanded."
Shikamaru smirks. Shaking his head, he says. "Troublesome whitehead."
With the matches concluded, the Genin Exams ended. Mikoto proudly announces that all 12 entrants earned the rank of Genin of Konoha. Everyone in attendance welcomes the new generation of shinobi to their ranks. This day, many events set forth a timeline that will shake the very core of the shinobi world. Fates were decided, destinies have been sealed, and the course of history forever changed.
••• TBC•••