Chapter 3

Forest and True Fear

Naruto and his team were dashing through the tree lines and trying to find people they could hunt down or take out. For him, seeing was not something he was concerned about at this point. More so, thanks to the Kyubi and her chakra he is able to see things more in the sense of a shady outline and able to follow their chakra pathways. Thus meaning he is incapable of being tricked by illusions to his other senses or fooled by fake clones. But for him that is not what he is worrying about as he could sense something in the forest that was out of place.

A dark twisted form of chakra that he saw was quickly rushing at something but it was alone meaning that this was a single individual effort. Either they abandoned their team or they were not meant to be in the forest at this time. More so, Naruto knew that this chakra felt familiar in terms of something he sensed before while he was traveling as someone that was not really among the living or somewhere between the realms of living. His master had told him about this ritual that was started a couple of years ago and that someone had given the notes of this to one other person and since his master killed the original it left the other as the only suspect. More so since this is someone that was rumored being willing to transfer their soul into other people and control them for their own personal gain.

Naruto turned to Karasuba and Yuki and said,

"I'm going to check out this chakra signature that is attracting me, I want the both of you to go ahead and find the scroll we need. My clone shall go with you." With a single nod a second clone appeared next to him, no smoke or anything. This was a special cloning technique he learned that makes the best thing next to yourself in the form of a clone that if killed will vanish on the spot. While most would take about all their chakra reserves to create something so complex and powerful, it only took a small amount of Yuki's chakra to make it and harden it to be more efficient if necessary. He doubted that he had to worry about the clone dying but it was better to keep it ready when needed.

"Alright Naruto-kun Yuki wishes she can go with you though."

"Same, I mean we are supposed to be a team in this." Naruto smiled at both girls but countered,

"You do have me in the form of this clone, but I have to find this chakra and see if it is who I think it is. If so then the exams are about to become much more interesting for everyone." The two nodded their head while he turned to his clone, "Make sure you take the scroll from your opponents, dead or alive I don't care just make sure it gets done."

Naruto saw the three take off and seeing this as his cue he dashed to the dark chakra that he sensed and saw that it was heading to another group that was a little farther away from them at this point. But from the chakra he could guess it was the Uchiha and his team and honestly he wanted to cut this off before he got there. That was until he felt something approaching him and quickly reacted to the snake that was aiming to devour him. With a small glint of his katana he sliced the monster into pieces with a single strike. A puff of smoke alerted him to the disappearance of the summoning so he landed on a large root in the forest high above the ground and smiled,

"Don't think that trick would work on me. I have seen tricks like this before where someone would send a summon to distract while they appear behind them or below them to strike while they are focused on their surroundings." Turning his head Naruto saw the faint outline of a man with black hair and pale skin with golden eyes and sinister chakra coming out of the ground.

"Well aren't you the ever observant one Naruto-kun." The man snickered a little bit with a slithering noise coming from him. Naruto shook his head,

"Please this is basic tactics for those that rather win a fight and kill their opponent quickly while others would charge in head first against an opponent to prove their strength. I'm no fool knowing that there a several kinds of people like that in this world."

"Interesting and how did you learn these tactics then without your precious eyes? I mean I would understand if you were an Uchiha that had the sharingan but your nothing more than a dirty-," he found a cut appear on his cheek causing blood to explode out of the wound. Orochimaru howled from the pain and saw that Naruto had his sword on his shoulder.

"Quite honestly, you talk too much for a so called shinobi." More slashes appear on the root they were standing on and were coming at an alarming rate to Orochimaru who quickly leapt to a nearby tree and stood there on the side of it. The root collapsed and this made Naruto jump off the root base he was standing on and dash at the tree where Orochimaru was.

"Well now isn't this interesting old fool you seem shocked about something?" Orochimaru grunted at his comment,

"Yes how are you able to see me last I checked blind people can't see the world around them."

"That is true for most people but the fact is that I can see you perfectly. I can see where your chakra is, the clone is, and even how much energy you are using to keep the snakes in your sleeves hidden." Naruto felt another Orochimaru leap from the tree but he quickly cut it down with one long range cut that made it pop. "Now then, shall we continue this match?" Orochimaru's smugness returned,

"Please we both know you can't beat me boy. After all I'm an S-class Shinobi with a high reputation of being one of the legendary Sanin while you are nothing more than a child that ran away after one too many beatings he couldn't handle." Naruto laughed lightly at this and then appeared with his sword in his gut, Orochimaru turned into a log and was now going through hand signs of his own, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Naruto leapt away from the tree and appeared beneath the snake which he then charged his sword with lightning,

"Sword Art: Lighting Strike." He swung his blade up pointing the tip at the Sanin coming down and pierced him with the lightning bolt from his blade. Orochimaru was pierced through the shoulder and collapsed to the ground and grunted from the pain he was in.

"What the hell?"

"You didn't really expect me to not see that trick coming did you? I mean while I'm not a shinobi I had to live most of my life running from them. You have to be pretty dumb to think I'm the same as I was when I was eight."

The sannin growled, how dare this brat mock him! He pushed more chakra into his sleeves and out came some snakes, "Hidden Snake Jutsu!" Naruto sighed before sheathing his sword again and covering himself in chakra,

"Sword art 5: Vanishing Strike." With one chakra covered sword strike the snake's disintegrated from the snake Sanin's sleeves leaving him immobile at this time. He was growing more annoyed before deciding to bring out his own ace in the hole, he choked up the Kusanagi Sword.

"Well since we are going blade to kunai why don't I change things up and fight you like the samurai you are." He charged and swung his blade at Naruto who appeared behind him this time. 'What the hell how is he so fast it shouldn't be possi-Gah!'

Naruto buried his left hand into his back sending him flying off into a tree causing it to shatter the wood and be buried inside.

"Well isn't this disappointing, you thought I was a samurai give me a break. I might look like one and carry a sword in my hand and prefer to use it in real combat but I'm not one to follow their code of honor. For me the only rule that matters is: Survival or Death."

A blade pierced Naruto's shoulder but he proved to be an afterimage causing the snake to grunt at the sight. He looked around and finally landed his eyes on the man he was aiming for. The cocky teen was hanging upside down from a nearby tree branch causing him to realize that this brat was toying with him. No matter what he did the kid was going to dodge his attacks or make him pay for trying to attack him and nothing he did would matter in the end. More in the sense he was able to tell where he was at all times given what he told him earlier about being able to read his movements and actions with ease thanks to his chakra enhanced sight. So getting a flash tag he threw it at the teen who cut the tag causing it to erupt in a blinding light. Naruto felt his chakra being unable to see through the light but he sensed the snake appearing behind him so he put his blade back there and blocked his swing.

"You think I didn't learn to use my other senses? How much are you underestimating me?"

"Damn brat!" He jumped back and went through another set of hand signs but before he could finish Naruto cut off one of his hands. He then placed his palm into his stomach before turning it into a knuckle based strike.

"Gah!"

Orochimaru felt his insides being turned into mush and was sent flying into a nearby tree. He fell to the ground with a massive thud and he was bleeding heavily from the attack. Looking up he saw the boy smiling down at him with his eye sockets open for him to see. This boy, something was off about his fighting style and his posture.

'It's like looking at a monster, no it is like looking at the devil himself.' For one of the few times in his life he felt fear, fear of the boy in front of him that was now walking up to him on the ground. He had a black and red aura flowing around him but he saw it was not the Kyubi that was behind him but some kind of demonic presence, a being that was only black in body, black horns that sprouted out of his head, and red eyes. Orochimaru knew it, this monster was stronger than him and he was showing it with the greatest of ease. If he wanted to accomplish his goals he had to leave now or he was going to be cut down while that meant he would have to find a different time to infect Sasuke with his seal. Probably sometime around the final's month more than likely.

"Well it has been fun Naruto-kun but I'm afraid I must be going now." Naruto looked at the snake and with one swing he sent a wind blade at the man. He quickly ducked into the ground and tried to leave the area. But Naruto was right on top of him and slammed his sword into the ground sending lighting out in the ground forcing him back to the surface. The man tried to summon more snakes to distract the boy but he just slashed at them and they vanished in a puff of smoke.

"We are not done here snake." Naruto charged him and with his sword sheathed but ready to be unleashed he quickly casted a small smoke pellet and disappeared again but this time he was high in the trees again but this failed to trick Naruto. He just looked up and one move he said,

"Sword Art 7: Heavenly Cut." Soon the trees around him were cut down in single massive slashes but the one that he was hiding in was turned into multiple wooden cubes.

"Damn brat!" He fired a set of fireballs at Naruto but he just cut them to pieces as well with his chakra now flaring around his body. He smiled at the snake while landing on a still standing branch.

"You should know Orochimaru the protectors probably detected your chakra and given one of them is your former student I wouldn't be surprised if she is on her way here."

"What are you getting at brat?" He smiled while unsheathing his sword and flicking it at the ground. The blade slashed the ground with a great gust and before the man could react, four cuts appeared on his back and chest.

"Nothing really just wanted to distract you long enough with the comment to injure you."

"Fucking brat! When I'm done with you I'll have your body dissected just for shits and giggles!" Naruto laughed at the threat,

"But if you try then my teammates know to kill your little spy." Orochimaru quickly flinched at this but tried to hide his shock at the information,

"What spy?"

"Oh you know the one that you have masquerading as a Genin one that stands out too much given how often he took the exam. I mean it be a shame that his identity got leaked if you die here. That would really screw your plans up wouldn't it?" Orochimaru growled,

"Damn you brat." Naruto laughed,

"Many have already done that and none have succeeded in sending me to hell yet. But if you want to save your man you better leave now, I think the protector is coming."

"Next time we meet I'll kill you brat." Naruto waved off his threat while having one more cut appear next to him,

"Next time, you will be the one that dies, not me. After all you were barely able to survive in the land of the immortal." This comment shocked Orochimaru, was that where the boy was hiding all these years? If so that means he met the man that was the legend among the world, someone he wanted to study to know how it was possible for him to live as long as he did. But he needed to get to his spy so he would worry about that later.

Seeing the Snake Sanin gone, Naruto sighed before sheathing his sword at the boring match. Honestly he was not worthy of his S-rank status, it was more of a formality at this point and something that was unwarranted. He got it from losing a three on one fight against someone that was just as strong as them. If he was them he would have been ashamed of this accomplishment and at the same time not eager to talk about the incident. Well, he was the weakest of the sannin due to him becoming too paranoid in research and seeking to gain more power through any means possible. Oh well, his power was nothing and he would continue to be nothing until the day he decides his time is no longer worth continuing and he would then end his cursed existence in this world.

Out of the brush line Naruto saw the outline for the snake student that was trying to intimidate him earlier, her name escaped him but he was not worried about it. So using his substitution he quickly changed places with his clone who quickly popped leaving him with everything that happened at this point. They got their scroll, the girls brutalized the poor bastards that dared to attack them, and once more they slaughtered the parties involved. Finally, he got word that they were ready to enter the tower so that is why they were walking to the entrance. Surprisingly they were here first as he could not sense the power or presence of anyone else in the tower of the genin team. Some were closing in on them but they were still first and that is what mattered in the scheme of things.

Walking into the main room they opened the scrolls and tossed them to the floor where out of the smoke Naruto saw the chakra of the man that became family to him. He stood there in his hokage robe and hat and smiled down at him and he could sense the warmth coming off him.

Hiruzen was happy, finally he got to see Naruto for the first time since he was a little child and honestly it bothered him. While he did think he looked the part of a samurai he could tell his aura was that of someone that was not following the honor code they created. More he was someone fighting for survival while looking for something to give him purpose. He sighed, this reminded him of how much he failed and how those close to Naruto and his parents failed to keep him safe. Now he was a broken child with nothing more than simple bloodlust feeding him.

"It is good to see you passed Naruto-kun." He smiled,

"Was there any doubt Jiji?" The man laughed, it was good to hear he was still the old man to him.

"Yes if anyone was going to pass at this point it had to be you and your teammates. Which reminds I got to meet Karasuba but not the other one what is your name dear?" The small blond girl puffed her chest out,

"My name is Yuki and I'm Naruto's everything!" Karasuba glared and flared her aura at her,

"Oh really and why would he be interested in your child like body when he can have all of this?" She rubbed her breasts making them bounce and her curves.

Hiruzen blushed and was having thoughts of jealousy that Naruto got to have this around him most times and by the sounds of it she wanted him to perve on her. Why couldn't there be more women like this during his time in youth?

Yuki growled, how dare this silver hair bitch. She was the Kyuubi, the strongest Bijuu and the person that was only worthy of being Naruto's mate!

"How dare you Yuki sees nothing special about you! After all I can have a body like that myself but Yuki finds no reason to lower herself to someone like you whore!"

"What the fuck did you call me brat!"

"A whore what are you going to do about it?" The two stared each other down before a clashing of steel was heard. Karasuba had her dark black Katana at hands that shared a similar characteristic to Naruto's sword Kitetsu while Yuki had a pink sword in hand. This one was hanging on by a string instead of the handle strap. She slammed her weapon on Karasuba's and their auras erupted to life.

Naruto sighed and bowed to Hiruzen,

"Sorry about them Jiji sometimes I feel like I'm surrounded by children instead of women." The old man laughed,

"There are times like this that I'm reminded of my own office half the time. I swear some people just have to act so childish when it comes to getting their way."

"Amen on that." Naruto sighed and looked at the girls as they started slashing at each other, "While they are sparring with each other how about we go to your office to catch up a bit?"

"I would like that Naruto." Soon the two of them left Karasuba and Yuki who both clashed with great ferocity but at the same time scaring the shit out of everyone that would enter the front door to see the two of them clashing at tremendous speed and power.

In the Hokage's temporary office Hiruzen took a seat behind his chair and Naruto sat in one in front of him with his sword on his lap.

"So Jiji I'm guessing your main questions stem to my sight, training, and where I've been all these years yes?"

"That is mostly what I wanted to talk about yes Naruto."

"Well the truth is that I can only tell you so much as I'm sure you might have guessed I was in the Land of Blades for the past few years."

"I see," Hiruzen sighed, figured that the one place they couldn't enter and Naruto was hiding out there learning under a powerful teacher.

"Yes, I was trained there for the previous years and learned from some people how to move around without my eyes but learned a trick with my chakra that allows me to see in hazy images."

"So does this come with any benefits?"

"Well I can't be tricked by illusions as I can't see them and at the same time I can tell a clone from a real person due to the flow of the chakra in their body."

"Interesting so you can see the people in the room then?" Naruto nodded his head before pulling his sword out of the sheath. Aiming it to the right side he then said,

"Sword Art: Lightning Strike." Naruto's attack pierced the fool that was sitting there revealing a man wearing a blank mask and having the sign of death written on his face. More in the sense that the attack pierced his chest and was causing blood to pour out of his chest heavily. "As you can see I picked up our little eavesdropper, someone that you might recognize?"

"Yes sadly this is Danzo's little troop."

"Indeed, quite honestly more and more of his people have come looking for me when I left the village and it has driven me up a wall at this point."

"I bet so what do you plan to do?" Naruto smiled walking up to the mask man he removed it revealing an Inuzuka and without warning opened his mouth. He removed the cynide pill he had hidden in his mouth ready for when he needed to die but he also pulled out his tongue. He tried to bite it but found his body was not reating like he wanted it to.

"Your body is mine to control now," Naruto did two hand signs before removing the seal on his tongue.

"What do you mean?" The man coughed blood when the sword was removed from his body.

"Simply put that power allowed me to stop you from biting your tongue or trying to use the pill in your mouth or talking. But now you are free to talk but moving is not a question as your nerves are fried now. Welcome to the life of someone that might never walk again." Naruto turned to Hiruzen, "You might want to have him locked in a special space that only you and people you trust can reach." Hiruzen nodded his head and had a purple hair woman with a cat mask take him away while he continued to talk to Naruto about the past few years. Naruto learned more about what happened to the village and also told him of some of his adventures. He begged Naruto to join the village again but he said he wouldn't as he made a goal and must achieve it even if that means doing it without having someone at his back. The old man understood but asked him to at least write to him as he missed him badly and he wanted to give him what is his from his parents Naruto agreed that after the tournament he would take what is his.

They then talked about the spy and Orochimaru, Naruto telling him to act like nothing was wrong but to keep an eye on a teen that was out of place among the combatants. He agreed to this and Naruto was allowed to retreat to his room where he saw Yuki and Karasuba settled in but covered in bruises and cuts from their fight in the main hall. He sighed, these two never changed no matter what was going on. Naruto told them to get some sleep so they can heal up.

Naruto laid down as well and fell asleep. The minute he did the two knew something was wrong. He was sweating badly, the memories of the past were haunting him again and the two of them frowned at this. Yuki quickly cuddled to him with her tail wrapped around his waist and her ears flat thinking,

'Don't worry Naruto Yuki-chan will take away those memories.' Using some of her chakra she blocked the dark memories off while cuddling to him.

Karasuba frowned and stood up, grabbed her sword and walked to the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Yuki asked sternly, as she held Naruto.

"I'm going out." Karasuba replied angrily. "I'm going to kill those bastards that did this to him!"

"You will not."

"What was that?"

Yuki opened her eyes and glared tearfully at Karasuba. Her face was contorted in rage and her eyes were burning with vengeance.

"Because Naruto wants to do it his way." Yuki stated.

"I don't care." Karasuba snapped as a second sword appeared at her hip, Via seal on her body at the area, and drew it, revealing the same flame pattern as Naruto's Kitetsu I. "Kitetsu II wants the blood of those who wronged him. I will quench its thirst, even if… Even if he hates me for it."

Yuki, unafraid of the cursed sword pointed at her by her angered teammate, sighed.

"Why do we always have to do this?" She stated. "Every time we talk we talk we yell and argue. Why can't we just agree this one time that what he wants is more important than what we selfishly desire?"

Karasuba tensed.

She took deep breathes before sheathing her sword and returned to bed, removing the normal katana.

"Fine." She stated before laying down, her back to Yuki.

Prelims

Today was the day, the final day of the second part was over and from what Naruto could see there was a fair good amount of people in the exam. No one had dropped out so they had even sets for the whole exam and it was exciting, as his team, Akame's team, and the Suna team were the first ones to arrive on the first day of the exam. Then they heard teams from Konoha arrived: team 8, Team 9, Team 10, Kabuto's Team, A rain team, and finally Team 7. From what he could see they were the last to arrive and were suffering the most from their trip in the forest with them all exhausted and drained. No doubt he saw them given special treatment thanks to Sasuke and his stupid bloodline.

Naruto had nothing against the Uchiha when they earned their arrogance: Itachi, Mikoto, Obito, Shisui, Madara, and Izuna were the only one's that he was willing to let be arrogant. More so since they all earned their stripes in this world and fought for their own ideals instead of the clan's ideals. But Sasuke was the exact opposite, he was someone that wanted the village to wait on him but he found it disgusting so he tried to distance himself from him and wait for the day he could cut him down permanently ending him and his line.

Soon the third examiner for the prelims stepped forward and said the first matches were about to begin and the rotations began and he was waiting to see who he would fight in the exam and how the rest of the exam would go for him and his team.

Chapter End

Hope you all enjoyed because of this moment I'm updating Destiny of the Green Dragon God (DGDG), Saiyan of the Underworld, and Ghoul King for a little while that way I can kinda focus in on specific stuff I want to get done with them while I still have the chance.