Fire. Red. Fangs. These were the only images the boy saw. And he felt fear. Along with hate. Not from him, but rather…being projected onto him, if that was possible, from the images.
Then, the red fur gave way to yellow eyes. "Naruto…"
"Ahh!" A blond-haired boy with whisker marks on his cheeks and blue eyes woke up in a cold sweat as he sat straight up in his bed. "That dream again..." he muttered as he wiped his face clean. The nightmares, though infrequent, were always the same.
His name was Naruto. If he had a last name or family, he couldn't tell you. He never knew either. All he had was his one-room apartment, littered with posters of famous ninja warriors along with ninja tools and teaching manuals. For the most part, his life was pretty mundane. Hence why he hoped to become a ninja someday. Not just a ninja...but the greatest one to ever live.
Unfortunately, he had to live in the present and not his [probably unlikely] future. When he looked at his clock, he came to a horrifying realization. "OH NO!" He screamed. "I'm late for work again!" Quickly, he scrambled for work and hoped he would make it in time...
"NARUTO!" Tenchu shouted. "You're late again!"
Naruto scratched his head. "Sorry, boss!"
Tenchu was an average, middle-aged man, and the owner of a local ramen shop. "Honestly, why do I put up with you..." he muttered.
"Oh, go easy on him today, papa." his daughter, Ayame said as she prepared the ingredients. "We haven't gotten a call for deliveries yet. He may as well be on time today."
"Aw, thanks Ayame-chan." Naruto chuckled, scratching his head. Since he was 9, Naruto worked as the delivery boy for Tenchu's business. He really wasn't sure why he got the job in the first place, but Tenchu appreciated him being a regular customer whenever his stipend came in, and offered him the job. Still, he dreamed of more...
"Fine, fine." Tenchu sighed in defeat. "Why don't you go practice for now? We haven't got any calls yet-" Suddenly, the phone rang. "Hold that thought." He walked over to the phone and picked it up. "Ichiraku's Ramen Bar! How may I help you." He then made small talk as he wrote down the details. "Okay! Got it! Thank you very much!" He hung up and began cooking. "Hold on for five minutes, Naruto! We've got a delivery ready for you!"
Naruto sighed. "Sure thing, boss." "Aw, man. The entrance exams are coming soon..."
"Thank you very much!" Naruto bowed as he collected the cash from the customer.
Quickly, he got back on his bike to ride back to the ramen shop. He quickly pulled down his goggles as he rode down the road to keep debris out of his eyes. As he did, he looked around the village of Konohagakure; it was a lovely village, with colorful buildings and beautiful oak trees. You'd never guess that it was primarily a village for ninjas. But what got to him the most was the Hokage Mountain; the heads of the village leaders were carved into the mountain facing the village, so that enemies may not easily find their location. Naruto smiled as he observed each of them, especially the 3rd and the 4th. The 3rd was still living today, while the 4th died 12 years ago. Despite never knowing the later, he felt drawn to him. The 3rd could be something of a grump, but when he did smile, it was one of the kindest Naruto had ever known.
Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly ran into a rock in the path and flipped over, knocking himself off the bike and tumbling across the road! "OW!" Naruto yelled, rubbing his aching tush. "Well, at least I wasn't carrying a customer's food. That would've been bad!"
"Hey, look!" A rather large, ugly kid with his two friends said as they approached him. "It's Klutzomoto-san! Here to greet us with his delicious ramen!" the three laughed.
Naruto scowled, and brushed his shirt off. "Uh, no. You didn't order. And even if you did, I'd have to get back to the shop to get it. I'll make sure you get charged extra; you'll probably eat us out of business anyway."
Toru and his 2 goons (Naruto refused to think of them as his friends) were bullies that tormented Naruto regularly. Though Toru's brow twitched, he said nothing at Naruto's insult, spitting on the ground. "So, how's the training going, Nardo?"
"Hmph. It'd be a first; someone like you actually getting into the academy." one of them jibbed.
In the trees across the way, a boy sat on a branch and ate lunch. He very much preferred the silence and the solitude. "It'd be a first; someone like you actually getting into the academy." he heard an all too familiar voice say.
Turning his head, he groaned at what he saw. This wasn't an unusual oocurance. This kid normally never gave him trouble. Rather, someone else regularly troubled him, and he would be forced to step in. He told himself he should ignore it, but something tugged at him. He sighed, setting his lunch down, and deciding to see how this would play out before he had to interfere. Again.
Naruto yelped in pain as he received a hard right to the face. The bullies were on him as he was attacked on all sides. Naruto managed to fight back against Toru and punch him in the nose. He felt proud of himself for a moment, but the bully only growled. "Hold him down!" His friends pinned Naruto's arms, and the blonde boy struggled valiantly but in vain as he was thrown to the ground. "Hn. If you had actual training, you'd know how to get out of that." Toru sneered, cracking his knuckles.
"I'm going to get out of this!" Naruto yelled, kicking his legs. "And when I do, one day you'll be working for me!"
"Oh?"
"I can't wait for the day you call me 'Hokage-sama'!"
Toru just stared at him and smirked. "Oh, I see. You want to be Hokage, huh? Well, the first thing you need to learn...is how to take a hit!" Toru suddenly punched him square in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. "Hmm...it seems you haven't learned your lesson. Let's try again!"
Toru tried punching, but someone else jumped between him and Naruto. A kid about their age with spiky black hair and dark eyes stood between them. "U-Uchiha!?" he yelped.
Naruto looked on in shock as one of the top contenders for the academy, Sasuke Uchiha, stood before them. He was very handsome for his age, with hair dark as night and spiky like a flame. His dark eyes were rare to many, and to Naruto it made him look dangerous. "Hn. You like to act tough. It's pretty easy when your lackeys are holding your opponent down. Want to see how well you do when they're standing?"
Toru trembled. "Out of the way, Uchiha! I'm dealing with this loser, not-"
"You are now. And I'm not giving you a choice." he said coldly.
Toru clenched his fists...and suddenly kicked dirt in his eyes. Toru then tried to punch him...which only resulted in Sasuke catching the fist and punching him square in the face. "That would have been dirty..." Sasuke turned to address him. "...had that sand actually got in." Sasuke and shut his eyes at the last possible moment, the dirt only getting his eyelids.
"What are you idiots waiting for!? Get him!" Toru shouted as he held his bloody nose.
The other two bullies let Naruto go and attacked Sasuke. He ducked under one punch, kicking the attacker in the stomach. Another tried a haymaker, but Sasuke caught his wrist and flipped him into the air. Toru, flat on his ass, began trembling. "Not so fun when you're the one on your ass, now, is it?" Sasuke taunted him.
Toru said nothing, as he suddenly got up and ran, his two friends following him. "I didn't need your help, teme!" Naruto shouted.
Sasuke turned to look at him. "If you say so, dobe. I can just let them hit you another 10 times, if you'd like. I doubt you'd last that long though." Naruto huffed as he smacked the dirt off of him. "Next time, when you're grabbed by the arms, grab your opponent's wrist and pull him in. You can even use the person as a shield." He demonstrated, while Naruto just snorted.
"Hmph. Whatever; I've got to get back to work." Naruto righted his bike, and rode off.
Sasuke and Naruto had a...complicated relationship. They weren't quite friends, they weren't quite enemies. They themselves didn't understand why they were so antagonistic to one another, yet somehow close.
"Naruto!" Tenchu yelled as he observed the boy, hands on his hips as if he were scolding his own son. "You look like hell! What happened!?"
Naruto was covered in cuts and dirt, and his clothes were bunched up. "Uh...I tripped over a rock?" he laughed, scratching the back of his head.
Tenchu sighed. "Well, it don't matter right now. Here!" He suddenly shoved another delivery bag into his hands. "We got another order! And if you don't make it nine minutes, we'll have to give the meal away for free!"
Naruto panicked. "Uh, right away boss!" Naruto hastily fastened it to his bike, nearly spilling it several times before he took off again, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Tenchu sighed at the sight. "He got into another fight, didn't he?" Ayame asked her father as she sliced onion into another soup.
"He's too proud to admit he got beat up again. He feels like he's alone out there."
"But he's got us!" she insisted.
"You know that's not enough for a boy in his position, Ayame-chan." he said as he cracked eggs into a frying pan. "And if he knew of his legacy, and his curse...he would just shut everything away."
In another part of the village, a room was littered with practice kunai and ninjutsu books for children. However, this was not Naruto's room. For a girl's grunts were echoing throughout the room. She was trying to get into the ninja academy, just like Naruto was, and had just finished her push-ups. Finally, she leaned against her bed as she wiped the sweat off her brow. She also realized she was hungry; she called a ramen shop a few minutes ago, and they were sure taking their time! It would ruin her diet, but she didn't care at the moment.
Finally, the doorbell rang. "That must be it!" She bolted up and ran out her room.
Naruto hunched over as he tried to catch his breath; he had made it with only a minute to spare! "I hadn't made a delivery run that fast in a while!"
Suddenly, the door opened, and suddenly Naruto felt steam blowing from his ears as he observed the customer in front of him. It was a girl about his age, with pink hair and green eyes; it was the most beautiful sight he had seen! Her red shirt and black pants complemented her colors quite well, and he couldn't help but feel that her forehead was quite charming as well for some odd reason. "Well!?" she suddenly shouted, quickly turning irritated. "You going to hand it to me or what!?"
Naruto snapped out of his daze as he stuttered uncontrollably. "Wha-? Oh, yeah! That'll be 900 yen!" he said as he shoved it in front of him. Still not registering her foul mood, Naruto tried to begin a conversation. "So, uh...what's your name..."
"Here!" she said as she took the box and replaced it with money, slamming the door.
Naruto only looked up and stared in confusion. "My name's Naruto?"
Around late afternoon, the day had really picked up. Naruto was forced back and fourth between deliveries and helping out in the kitchen; before he knew it, Naruto was exhausted. Finally, during the final hour, the traffic went dead and everyone caught a break. Naruto moaned as he leaned against the chair. "Oh man..."
"You're not going to make the academy like that." Tenchu said as he wiped down a pan.
Naruto immediately straightened up. "I just needed a break! This is nothing!"
Tenchu chuckled. "Come on, you can make it. Looks like the final hour is going to be slow, so this shouldn't be a problem."
"Well, don't be too sure about that!" Ayame said as she eyed a customer taking a seat at the stand. Naruto's jaw dropped at the sight. It was an old man in white robes, wearing a large ceremonial hat with cloth hanging down the sides, and with the kanji for "Fire" on the front. This man was Sarutobi Hiruzen, the 3rd Hokage, leader of the village and the strongest warrior in all of Fire country. Living today.
"Hokage-sama!" Tenchu bowed along with Ayame. "Welcome back!"
"It's nice to see you too, Tenchu." He chuckled. He then turned to Naruto, who was still staring at him agape. He only smirked at the sight. "I may not mind your poor manners, Naruto. But with everyone else, you're not going too far if you forget to bow."
"YOU IDIOT!" Tenchu yelled as he smacked Naruto over the head. "Get a meal ready for the Hokage!"
"HOLD ON A MINUTE!" Naruto shouted as he clutched his skull. "He didn't even place an order yet!"
"How about the Shiyo with chicken and egg, then?" the third asked. "I haven't had a very satisfying day today, so I feel like spoiling myself a little bit tonight." he sighed.
"You heard him!" Tenchu ordered.
"R-right!" Naruto squeaked.
The three got to work on his order. Since it was a slow night tonight, it was finished in no time. "Smells delicious..." The Hokage smiled as he took his first bite. "It is!"
"We appreciate the compliments, Hokage-sama." Tenchu bowed. As the Hokage took a few more bites, the Hokage smiled at Naruto. "I hear Iruka has been giving you private lessons. Have they been going well?" Chunin, or mid-ranked ninja, of the village would often be assigned to give private lessons to a ninja academy hopefuls. Naruto had started two months ago.
"Uh...uh...yeah! They're coming along great! Just you wait! I'll impress you on the entrance exam!" he said, pumping his fist.
Hiruzen sighed. Most of the applicants' parents were ninja, and supplemented their basic training (which these days was more a formality for qualification). He didn't know how Naruto could pull this off from scratch in such little time"There's no need to push yourself. If you feel you're not ready, there's always next year..."
"Uh-uh! I'm going to be a ninja THIS YEAR, and before you know it, I'll be taking your job!" he said, pointing a finger at him.
"Naruto!" Tenchu yelled, smacking him again. "How dare you!"
The Sandaime only chuckled, waving his hand. "It's quite alright. In fact, I admire young Naruto's enthusiasm. It's important for children his age to have goals and dreams." Naruto looked at him stunned, and smiled. "The exam is this Friday. Best of luck to you." he told the boy.
Tenchu sighed, and lightly tapped his shoulder. "Go ahead and clean the rest of the dishes; then go home." Naruto nodded, and headed off into the kitchen.
When Naruto tuned the radio to his favorite station, Tenchu leaned over the counter and talked to the Sandaime as low as possible. "You sure this is okay?"
The Hokage sighed, clearly unsure himself. "It's what his parents would have wanted. I owe it to them to at least give their son a chance."
"But is it a good idea? Most of the other candidates have their parents teach them the basics. Naruto's only had a few lessons during the week." the chef asked.
"If he can't pass, I won't admit him. Simple as that." Sarutobi said plainly.
"Plus, what about...that?"
The Hokage's lips fought to stop themselves from turning into a scowl. "There is no reason to be concerned at this time., and we will not discuss it." With that, he stood up, and put his money down. "Thank you for the meal, Tenchu-san. Until next time."
As the Hokage walked away, Tenchu rubbed his head. "Damned if you do, damned if you do."
Iruka Enkai was a chunin of the Leaf Village. For the most part, he appeared to be a gentle man, save for the scar running across his nose. As with most working ninja, Iruka was dressed in a black suit, wearing a green vest over it that kept many of his tools. He kept his long hair in a pony-tail and wore the hiate (headband) of Konoha, symbolized by the spiral with the triangle pointing at 7 'o clock. He was a capable enough fighter and spy, but didn't particularly stand out from the rest of his peers. His missions were routine spying, guarding and the occasional fighting on the front lines. He was also a teacher. Usually, he simply stopped by the houses of ninja families to evaluate the students and give them some pointers. Rarely did he have to teach the basics from scratch.
Finally, he heard a familiar panting sound. "Sorry I'm late!" Naruto said, running over and panting. He hunched over as he reached his teacher.
"Stand up, Naruto!" Iruka ordered him. "If you allow your opponents to see your weakness, they'll exploit it!"
"But you're not an opponent!" Naruto exclaimed.
Iruka growled in irritation. "Let's just get on with it."
He began to warm up Naruto; the kid was good enough with his bike, but his upper body needed serious conditioning. "Alright then. Let's work on your taijutsu."
"Alright!" Naruto shouted. "Can't wait to show you my new moves!"
"I hope by new moves, he means the moves I've shown him done right..." Some of the basics Naruto did fine enough. However, he began getting over confident, and began making his moves flashier and flashier. Like what was happening now, Naruto focusing on making the moves pretty rather than practical. "NARUTO! STOP THAT AND DO AS YOUR TOLD!" Iruka yelled.
"What!?" Naruto protested. "They're special attacks! I've just improved upon everything you gave me!"
"This isn't the movies, Naruto! Most of those actors don't even know proper martial arts!"
"Really?" Naruto asked. "But those interviews..."
Iruka groaned. "Okay. Let me show you..." Iruka pulled out a scroll, and released several balls and chains. Ninjas were able to use scrolls to seal tangible objects in a different dimension, and summon them back when needed. Quickly, he fastened them to his wrists and ankles.
"I-Iruka-sensei. What are you doing?" Naruto asked.
"This way, you can't complain about me being faster than you." Iruka replied. "Now, try that kick you were doing." Naruto nervously got ready, and began twisting around. He took into the air to kick...and suddenly felt himself knocked down. "See?" Iruka asked.
"Ooh...how did you do that?" he groaned, rubbing his back.
"Simple: you had your back turned on me." the chunin replied.
Naruto slowly sat up. "But it was only for a second..."
"That's all it takes, Naruto." Iruka said, helping him up. "To be fair, I've seen my peers manage to do similar techniques, but they make sure to do it as quickly as possible, and usually when they're certain their opponent can't fight back and won't fight back after." Iruka felt satisfied with that lesson. "Now, shurkenjutsu!"
Naruto threw his kunai and shuriken at a bullseye propped up on a tree. None hit their mark. Iruka sighed. "Naruto, calm down."
"But I've got to hit him first!" Naruto shouted.
Iruka came up behind Naruto, clasping his shoulders. "Relax your shoulders." Naruto did so. "Now, don't frantically wave your arms and hope you hit something. Look at the target, and send your hand in that direction. Once you hit the top of your swing, let the weapon go." Naruto breathed, and did as he was told. His kunai hit the outer edge of the target circle. "Well, you at least hit the thing. Don't worry; it takes practice." Naruto sighed sadly.
"Now, let's take a look at some ninjutsu."
Naruto gulped. "B-but, I only know one..."
"Come on, Naruto. It could be your most important tool in a fight. Show me your Bushin no Jutsu."
Naruto gulped. The actual ninjutsu part of his training involved using an energy called...catra? It sounded weird. Nonetheless, Naruto put his hands together, pressing his index fingers up next to each other. He focused...and felt something happen. But it didn't feel right. "So...?"
"Uh...you want to know?"
"Give it to me straight."
Iruka sighed. "Well, the good news is that you made a bushin."
"WHAT!?" Naruto smiled excitedly. "REALLY!?" He looked to his right, and blanched. The clone was white all over, deflated like a balloon, and overall, pathetic.
"That's the gist of the bad news." Iruka sighed. Looking at his watch, Iruka dug into his pack. "Why don't we break for lunch?" he said, handing him a bento.
Naruto smiled slightly, taking the sushi. "Thanks, sensei. I'd have liked some ramen though..."
"You work in a ramen shop." Iruka groaned. "Don't you get tired of that stuff?"
"Nope. Not ever!" Naruto nodded, though his disappointment was not very apparent as he helped himself to the cucumbers. Iruka broke his chopsticks and had some of his own. "So...what is the exam like?" the ninja-hopeful asked.
Iruka swallowed one piece. "Well, first we look at your taijutsu." Okay. Naruto was okay enough at that. "Your weapons..." It needed some work, but he could polish it up a bit, especially with Iruka helping him. "...Special skills..." The transformation technique counted, didn't it? "And ninjutsu..."
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?"
"Sorry, it's just how it is." Iruka sighed. "Look, Naruto. I know you want this badly. And I think with hard work, you can become a good ninja. Maybe even a great one." He sat his box down on a stump. "But, I think it's too soon for you to enter. You've only just started, and you don't have parents to help you." Iruka scratched his chin. "Then again, neither does Uchiha. I heard another from a civilian family is applying too..." he mumbled in thought.
"But I've gotta make it!" Naruto shouted.
Iruka sighed. "Well, you're determined, I'll give you that." He stood up. "I'll teach you the best I can. Just know, I'll still be here next year. Now, meditate for 15 minutes and we'll resume."
"Aww, meditation is bull!"
Iruka sighed. "Well, don't hold it against me if you throw up during the lesson..."
Night had fallen over the village. A few active ninjas were on night duty, patrolling the village across the rooftops. But as good as guards ninjas were, better thieves and spies they were still.
One such individual expertly maneuvered the streets and rooftops, managing to stay out of sight of the guards, covered in head to toe in midnight blue (which worked better than black) and never stayed in one place for more than a moment. Finally, his target was in his view: The Hokage's office, the building directly underneath the monument. Even without the Hokage inside, getting in would still be risky. Such an important building would of course have guards. "It'll be worth it." He reminded himself. Silently, he ran up the wall and hopped onto the balcony. Tiptoeing towards the door, he pulled out his tools. Silently, he picked out the locks. Hoping no one heard the lock break, he went inside. Eyeing the desk, he noticed the scrolls, probably confidential information. He was interested, but now was not the time! He wanted something else...something that would make him more powerful, and anyone else who was in the mood to learning secret techniques. And according to his information, what he was looking for was further down the hall.
Peeking past the doorway, he chanced taking a right. He pressed himself against the wall when he spotted one of the security guards walking past him. Quickly, he ran behind him, grabbed him and silently stabbed him in the heart. He died instantly, not making a sound. Using his ninjutsu, he heated his kunai to cauterize the wound and leave no blood trail; the man would die of internal hemorrhaging within seconds still. Gently laying him down on the floor, he stuffed him into the custodian room. After a moment of going down the hall All it said was "No Trespassing." The thief smiled underneath his mask, and placed a tags with kanji saying "Melt" on the locks. The metal boiled, and the door began to fall over. Catching it, he went inside and propped the door in place.
This room was stored with scrolls of high-class techniques unique to the village. "Excellent. Just what I was looking for." He pulled out a sack, and gathered as much as he could. He then saw one in particular, the ends embroidered with a fine red carving, almost like dragon scales, and ended in spirals, similar to the village's symbol. "Interesting...I wonder what you might be..."
He grabbed hold of it...and then heard the door being kicked down. In this situation, a ninja would not demand his opponent to surrender; the thief turned and hurled his shuriken. The guard parried them with his kunai, but one went off in a puff of smoke, which he used to jump over the man and escape. "THIEF!" the guard yelled. "SOUND THE ALARM!"
Mizuki leaped across the rooftops as he desperately tried to escape the village. His head start was good enough to not worry about the ninjas coming right from the Hokage Mansion; unless he was like the Yellow Flash, there was no way even the old man could catch up with him! But he didn't have time to account for a surprise attack, as kunai came flying at him from down below. Despite his initial surprise, he easily deflected them with his own. "I suggest you call it quits now!" Iruka called from below. When Mizuki landed on the building across, Iruka quickly followed him. "We'll let you live at least!" he offered.
Mizuki chuckled. "A life in a dungeon is no way to live at all! I'll just mow you down right here!" He leaped towards him, trying to stab the man, but Iruka blocked and landed a kick on him.
Mizuki twirled, landing a kick of his own across Iruka's face. Though the chunin fell over on his face, he kicked his feet back up and landed a double kick on him. Quickly, he formed two bushins next to him. He charged, but Mizuki grinned. Quickly, he made several hand signs, landing on the sign of the tiger., signified by bringing his two index fingers together, pointing straight up. "Fire!" Iruka realized; in ninjutsu, the practitioner would make signs to activate their chakra, the final one signifying the type of technique. The tiger sign was used to combust the chakra, creating fire if released.
"Katon! Edan!" Mizuki blew a small stream of fire out of his mouth, destroying the two bushins, but the real Iruka managed to roll under and land a smoke bomb in front of him. Mizuki felt his eyes water, struggling to keep them open as he tried to anticipate his next move.
"HAH!" Sensing movement to his right, he leaned forward as Iruka tried to stab him. However, he managed to slightly tear open his sack. Mizuki turned and roundhouse-kicked him off the roof. "Finally!" Iruka suddenly attached himself to the wall, but that brief second was all Mizuki needed to escape. The criminal leaped across the other rooftops, not realizing the scroll with the spirals was about to pop out. He jumped, and the force was enough to release the scroll...
"Come on..." Naruto concentrated, trying to make another bushin...and all he could make was a corpse like imitation of him, with deathly pale and sagging skin. The only notable difference from his previous attempts was that this one could at least stand. Naruto sighed, sitting back on the bed. "This is hopeless. I'm never going to get it..." He was on the verge of tears; he wanted to be a ninja! And what was holding him back was this stupid technique! He needed a miracle...
Just then, something crashed through his bedroom window. "WHAT THE-!?" Naruto jumped onto one foot, thinking he was under attack. Seeing it was only a scroll, he slowly relaxed. Nervously, he looked out his window, wondering where it came from. "Um...hello?" No one was there. Cautiously, Naruto unraveled the scroll, reading it. His eyes widened at what he saw. "THIS IS...!" Naruto looked through it; surely, it would be impossible for him if he couldn't get the basic bushin down! And yet...he was compelled to try...
"It's gone?" Hiruzen sighed, eyeing everything the thief had stole. While all the scrolls were important, none more so than the Whirlpool scroll. It contained secrets too dangerous for outsiders to learn! Not even many of the ninja in the village were trusted with it!
"We're doing our best to search for him." one of the ninja in black bowed.
Hiruzen nodded. "Keep on his trail. I have other matters to attend to at the moment." The other ninja nodded, and vanished as if teleporting. "Even if he reads the scroll, performing the technique is nearly impossible for most ninja. It should be fine...unless HE gets his hand on it..." With that, he exited the room.
Morning had come. Iruka sighed as he took his seat at the desk. "Rough night?" a friend of his asked.
"You could say that." Iruka said. Night emergencies were the worst, especially when he would be conducting tests the following morning! At least coffee would help him maintain sound judgement.
"Look at them." the other one said as several children, most not even 13, lined up. "So many candidates. Most won't make it."
"If they don't, it's for their own good." Iruka sighed. Looking through the crowd, among them, he saw Naruto. Seeing him yawn, Iruka sighed. The poor kid must have been trying to do the bushin technique all night. "This isn't going to end well." Oh well. He warned him. He figured he would counsel him later. Then, he saw a familiar white-robbed figure approach the grounds. "Attention!" Iruka shouted, standing up at attention. All the candidates followed suit. Naruto did too, though it took him a moment to follow through with his peers.
Hiruzen stood before all the young candidates. "Hello, and welcome to the Genin entrance exams! Today is the day we see what you are made of! Some of you...will not make it!" Naruto gulped at the blunt honesty of the Hokage. "Others shall rise to greatness! Which one will you be!? That is up to you! I see splendid warriors in each and every one of you! Is it their time to shine today!? That, is in your hands! Now, let the genin exams...begin!" He announced spreading his arms.
"Line up!" a chunin shouted. "There are 100 candidates today, so we'll be dividing you in groups of 10! Pick up a random ball in the machine here, and join your respective group!"
Naruto got in line, briefly catching a glance of pink hair in front of him. Naruto's heart raced as he recognized the girl. "It's HER! Is...is she trying to be a ninja too!?"
Someone then lightly bumped him from behind. "So, you're going through with it after all."
Naruto turned to see Sasuke behind him, looking quite bored. Naruto immediately tried to save face. "Hey, you better watch out!" he declared. "I've got a special technique mastered, and I'm going to use it to mop the floor with you!"
"That so?" Sasuke said dryly. "Well, good luck with that."
"Next!"
Naruto snapped back at attention, and picked a number. "Nine." Naruto went to join his group...
"Taijutsu is the most important basic skill of a shinobi!" The examiner said. "Although ninja use tools and abilities many consider super-human, when you are left with no other option, this could save your life! Now, let us see how good you are! Begin!"
Two kids would get into the ring, taking up guard stances and assault each other with punches and kicks, the examiner making sure no one got out of control or used deadly moves. Soon, it was Naruto's turn. "Okay...I got this..." He then saw Toru was his sparring partner. He gave him a menacing grin, while Naruto only gulped. "I don't got this!"
"BEGIN!"
Naruto charged...and suddenly saw himself spinning, hitting the ground with a thud, and staring straight at the sun, which seemed to be spinning. "Oh...how pretty..." the blonde mumbled deliriously.
Sasuke squared off against his opponent. He recognized him as another bully; the thought caused Sasuke to smirk. He really HATED bullies. The examiner threw his hand down, and the boy attacked. Sasuke blocked, swept him off his feet and threw an open-palm strike to his stomach, sending him out the ring and ending the fight.
As Sasuke relaxed, satisfied with his performance, some of his peers shouted their approval. Well, more like fan girls; Sasuke was barely in puberty, but was already considered a chick magnet. "Did you see that!?" one asked as she brought her hands close.
"I know! Sasuke-kun is so cool!" Another shouted.
A certain girl in particular looked over what happened, one with pink hair. As she observed Sasuke wipe his hair down, she practically saw sparkling lights all over him. In fact, he was the reason she was here in the first place. "Sakura! Sakura!" A friend of hers grabbed her shoulder. "You're up next." she said.
"EH!? Already!?" Sakura rushed over to the ring, hunching over to catch her breath. The examiner looked on, displeased.
"Eh, look. The freak with the giant head is going to give this a go."
Sakura looked up to see a particularly large and mean-looking girl crack her knuckles. They had quite a history. One that started out as calling her names and then eventually lead to violence. "Begin!"
Sakura didn't remember how it went down. All she felt was the punch, and the match was over. Sakura cried while her friend placed an icepack against her face. "Don't worry; you'll pass the other two no problem." she assured her. "And besides, your face is not that bad."
"Really?" Sakura asked.
Her friend did her best to fake her smile, looking at Sakura's black eye and missing tooth.
The next part of the exam involved shuriken. "Begin!"
The genin-hopefuls hurled the dangerous weapons at their targets. Most were quite proficient; this was considered the easiest for the children to accomplish. Two, however, got their attention. One hit the bulls eye perfectly with each kunai, his precision by many would have been considered impossible. "Whoa." one examiner exclaimed. "The dark haired kid is good. Better than most of us even."
"Of course he would be." his friend said, looking at the list. "It's expected of an Uchiha."
"Really!?" the other nearly shouted. "That's him!?"
"And of course...one has to be exceptionally bad as well."
The two observed a blonde kid throw all his weapons like crazy, getting more frustrated with each miss. The kids only laughed hysterically at him. Naruto growled, and kicked at the ground. "Aw, come on! I was nervous!" he shouted.
Sakura only looked on in shock. "Wow. Someone worse than me is actually here." she thought.
Iruka stretched his arms as the various contestants lined up. "I'm gonna need another cup of coffee..." Looking among the crowd, he saw Naruto's blond hair in the crowd. Iruka sighed; he didn't have high hopes for this kid. "Oh well...I'll do my best to prepare him for next year..."
Another examiner stepped forward. "Now, you will demonstrate the mystical art of ninjutsu! You may choose any type: the elements, bushins, genjutsu. I will only give you fair warning; this is not merely a show. You must demonstrate techniques with a practical application in combat! Good luck!"
Everyone demonstrated what they had. Some bowed out, having nothing to show. Some showed their ability to manipulate the elements, though most of those only demonstrated moving them.
"Next!" one examiner called. "State your name."
"Uchiha Sasuke." the black haired teen replied.
Some of the examiners looked up, then concealed their surprise with neutral faces. One scribbled his name down on a clipboard. "You may begin."
Sasuke made two hand signs: he started with the horse, bringing his thumbs and index fingers together in a reverse triangle, and ended with the tiger, signifying a fire jutsu. "Katon!" he cried as his belly expanded. "Goukakyu no Jutsu!" A fire ball erupted from his mouth, as it sailed over the examiners' heads.
Everyone looked at him stunned...then broke out into thunderous applause. Naruto growled. "Stupid Uchiha, with his stupid fireballs..."
Another's face, however, was turning as red as her clothes and practically blowing steam out of her ears as she swayed and clutched her cheeks. "Oh gosh! Not only is Sasuke-kun so handsome, he's totally awesome as well!"
"NEXT!" Sakura eeped, noticing the examiners calling for her. Hesitantly, she stepped forward. "State your name."
"H-H...HARUNO SAKURA!" she shouted. "Ugh, SMOOTH GOING SAKURA!" she scolded herself.
"Begin."
Sakura brought her fists together upside down, the seal of the boar and then placed an open palm over her fist, the sign of the dog. "Bushin no Jutsu!" Two perfect replicates of her appeared at her side. They were corporal, though; if they were touched, they'd vanish. But they were good as a distraction. The examiners wrote it down, and nodded, seemingly satisfied with her performance. She dispelled them, bowed off, and once out of sight, pumped her arm. "Yes!"
Iruka excused the previous contestant for the next. Iruka forced himself to keep a neutral expression as he prompted the next one onto the mat. "State your name."
"Uh...you know who I am..." Naruto scratched his head.
"STATE YOUR NAME!" Iruka shouted.
Everyone looked to him, laughing out loud, and causing him to look down at his shoes, chuckling in embarrassment. "Uh...I'm Naruto."
"Your last name..." another said.
"Naruto doesn't have a last name." Iruka corrected his partner. "You may begin."
Naruto made one seal. One most of the other examiners had never seen before, where Naruto held up two fingers while crossing the ones on his other hand across. Iruka's eyes widened. "What is he..."
"KAGE BUSHIN NO JUTSU!" Suddenly, a huge explosion of smoke enveloped the field. When in cleared, everyone's jaws DROPPED. Before, there was only one Naruto. Now, there were enough duplicates to line the entire field, cutting off the other groups entirely.
Even the normally expressionless Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. "WHAT!?"
Sakura's jaw dropped. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO COMPETE AGAINST THAT!?"
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Iruka thought. "Only jonin know the Kage Bushin...! And to make this many!"
Naruto, seeing the look on their faces, failed to see the gravity of the situation. He began to chuckle...then it turned into a chorus of full blown laughter, the clones following his lead. "Well, whaddya think!?" they all said. "I only made a couple in the apartment...but I felt I could always do more once I started!"
Iruka's hand trembled. Then..."SEIZE HIM!" Out of nowhere, several chunin ninja appeared and apprehended each and every clone.
"Wha-What's going on!?" Naruto yelled in fright.
Another came to grab him, but he made one of his clones tackle him. "It's solid!" he cried as he destroyed it with an elbow. "He has the scroll!"
Naruto made a break for it, but several shuriken landed in front of his feet, forcing him to a halt. Someone grabbed his wrist, and locked up his arm as his head was pressed towards the ground. With a slight twist, the pain broke Naruto's concentration and caused him to dispel the clones. "Iruka, give me the boy's address!"
Iruka stood up and shouted "Now hold on here! There must be some kind of mistake...!"
"He knows the Kage Bushin! There is only one source to learning the technique..." he turned to another ninja. "Search the boy's residence!"
"Yes sir!" he saluted before disappearing.
The door to Naruto's apartment was kicked down as several ninja rushed in. They didn't have to look long; they found the whirlpool scroll rolled out on his bed. Knowing it was forbidden for him to look, he rolled it up and held it up. "GOT IT!"
Hiruzen sighed as he looked at the official report, and the evidence on his desk. "How could it come to this?" he massaged his temple, disheartened with what he saw.
In a moment, the door was opened, two ninja dragging Naruto in handcuffs before him. "Was it something I said!?" Naruto asked, scared out of his mind. "Whatever it is, I'm sorry! I didn't know!" The ninja said nothing as they forced him down in the seat in front of the Hokage.
Giving a sullen look, he ordered the two jonin "Leave us. Everything will be fine." They bowed, and closed the door to his office.
Confident they were alone, Naruto burst out his pent-up anger. "WHAT GIVES, YA OLD GEEZER!? I SAY I WANT YOUR JOB, YOU SAY GO FOR IT, AND NOW YOU ARREST ME!? WHAT IS THIS, YOU AFRAID THAT I'LL BE BETTER THAN YOU!?"
Hiruzen sighed, as he rose from his chair. "Do you know what this is, boy?" he asked, taping the scroll.
"It's a scroll. Any idiot can see that."
Hiruzen said nothing at his remark. "And what did you see?"
"It's a manual. For the Kage Bushin technique."
Hiruzen nodded. "And you realize Kage Bushin, the ability to make solid duplicates of yourself, is a high-class technique only our most advanced and trusted ninja have learned?"
Naruto's eyes lit up. "You mean...I'M THAT GOOD!?" His eyes were practically sparkling as stars surrounded him.
"THIS ISN'T A PRIVATE CONGRATULATIONS!" Hiruzen snapped, shutting Naruto up. "The Kage Bushin is a technique only the Hokage can pass on to those whom he deems worthy!" Hiruzen sat back in his chair, poking at the scroll. "The other night, a thief broke in and took it. Then, we see you able to use it's contents. Now, how did you get this!?"
Naruto stuttered. "Uh...it flew through my window. No one came to pick it up. Once I read it...I thought it could help. With the entrance exam."
Hiruzen sighed. "I believe you." Closing his eyes, he continued "But until we complete this investigation, I cannot allow you to go free."
"WHAT DO YOU-!?"
"Don't worry. You will be treated well; I'll see to that. Guards!" The guards entered. "Take Naruto down to the dungeons. Make sure to place a proper bed in his cell, and feed him decent food until we get to the bottom of this."
They nodded, and picked him up by the arms. "HEY HEY! WAIT A MINUTE! WE CAN DISCUSS THIS-!" he yelled, kicking his legs.
Mizuki tossed out one scroll after another, searching for that special one he picked up. "Where is it!? I could've sworn I packed it in before I had to run..." When his hand suddenly went through the sack with no effort, he held it up, seeing the hole. "Shit!" he hissed. A shuriken must have ripped it open and sent it falling out! All the scrolls he collected were valuable...but that one could have very well led him to retirement! There was no way he could leave it behind now! Mizuki knew they would be ready for him this time, they probably even found the scroll... "Well..." He took a vial of a blue liquid from a pouch. "...never thought I would have to use this. Never did trust that snake bastard..."
It was untested; he didn't know if it would work. But if he wanted to get the scroll, he would have to take on several armed ninja, several of which might be more powerful than him. And this was the only way he could overcome that obstacle. He popped the core, and drank. Immediately, he fell to his knees and clutched his stomach. "HNNN!" Soon, his body enlarged to the point where his clothes ripped, and white fur began to grow on his skin...
As Hiruzen quickly filled out some paperwork, a guard creaked open the door. "Apologies, Hokage-sama. Enkai Iruka says he would like to have a word with you."
"Iruka..." Hiruzen muttered. "Isn't that Naruto's private instructor?"
"Yes sir."
Hiruzen put his pen down as he massaged his temples; he had a feeling this was not going to be an easy discussion. "Send him in."
Iruka helped himself inside, briefly bowing. "Forgive the intrusion, Hokage-sama. This may not be the time, but I saw the thief the other night for myself! Naruto didn't physically break into the mansion, and he certainly didn't hire the thief! Not while working for minimum wage!"
"I believe you, Iruka." Hiruzen sighed.
"Then why is he rotting in a jail cell!?"
"For his protection."
"Protection from what!?" Iruka shouted incredulously.
"From our enemies, both outside, and within." Hiruzen answered. "He knows a powerful technique. A number of people would have him tortured to learn it. Or influence him to their side." Hiruzen took a deep breath. "And then...he would be seen as a monster by those who know." He looked to Iruka. "We must complete the investigation first. We will find the real culprit, and I will figure out what to do with Naruto."
"You mean as much as the council will allow you."
Hiruzen sighed. "Will that be all, Iruka-san?"
Iruka reluctantly bowed. "That will be all...Hokage-sama." He helped himself outside, determined to help Naruto anyway he could.
One of the ninjas stood guard at the forest border, late at night. It seemed it would be a routine day, until he heard a growl. Turning, he brandished a kunai. It came again, from below. He prepared to attack, but a white, furry arm burst out of the tree and grabbed his face. He was pulled in, and gave out a muffled scream. A bloodied corpse fell to the bottom a second later.
"He's here." Hiruzen realized, as he heard the alarm bells echo across the village. If he was being this brazen, something must have changed. Quickly, he exited his office as his guards followed after him. "Get ready, the thief is here. No doubt back for the whirlpool scroll. If he is too strong to take down, let him come here! I will deal with him myself!"
"Surely you didn't hide the scroll back where he found it!?" one of his guards asked.
Hiruzen turned and smirked at him. "Well, let's make sure he keeps thinking that."
The chunin cowered at what they saw before them. What seemed to be a humanoid white tiger approached them. The only clue to his former humanity were his ripped clothes, and the white hair atop his head. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he taunted them, beckoning them over.
The ninja fired more shuriken. While Mizuki caught a few, none were able to pierce his thick hide, and he dodged everything else with ease. Rushing forward faster than any of them were prepared for, he sliced one to ribbons with his claws. Another tried punching him, but he bit down and crushed the man's fist. With animalistic fury, he dispatched each attacker one by one leaving each in a pool of their blood to die. Eying the Hokage mansion, he smiled slightly. "I sneaked in because I couldn't have taken on a kage...I wonder now...?"
As he prepared to lunge forward, a familiar voice yelled "Hold it right there!" Mizuki turned to see Iruka leap into the air and ensnare him in a kusarigama. "You're not going anywhere!"
Mizuki only smirked. "Really?" He pulled, and sent Iruka off his feet, sending him towards the tiger. Mizuki kicked him down, and ran away, forgetting to unchain himself and dragging Iruka with him. Iruka, enduring the beating being dragged across the rooftops were giving him, reached into a scroll and unleashed a giant shuriken. Quickly, he threw it into the tiger-man's back, causing him to howl. "WRETCH!" Mizuki used his momentum to slam Iruka into a chimney, seemingly knocking him out.
Mizuki growled, feeling he should kill the man but did not have time to waste. Pulling the shuriken out, he brandished it as a melee weapon and continued the climb into the mansion...
Mizuki burst through the door to the secret scrolls, looking for the red one. Even with his enhanced vision, he could not find it. "Ah. I would say you lost something, but you can't lose what you never rightfully owned." Suddenly, Hiruzen materialized in front of him, his camouflage good enough to foil even his animal senses. "Splicing, right? I've seen it before. Looks like he perfected the formula." Hiruzen opened up his hand, a thick red stick dropping into his hand. "Unfortunately for you, it won't be enough to save you...from me."
Mizuki growled in frustration. "Where is it!?"
"Now, why in the world would I tell you that?" the Hokage smirked.
Mizuki snarled more. "Good thing I marked every scroll I touched!" He made his hand signs, ending with putting two fingers inside his fist, the sign of the rat, signifying a non-combative ninjutsu. His pupils then turned green.
"What's that!?" Hiruzen thought.
"Wherever you put it, I'll find it!" The jutsu in question involved him using a marker he placed on what he touched. With this, he could trace a trail to wherever the object in question went. He saw a green blob to his left, his office. It was faint, meaning it wasn't there anymore. "Too obvious." He looked everywhere, going mad. He looked down...and saw a faint green dot, probably deep in the mountainside. "There!" Mizuki got an explosive tag out of his pants pocket, an incendiary piece of paper that was activated through it's link to the person's chakra, and slapped it onto the floor. Quickly, it exploded, causing Hiruzen to look away as smoke filled the room. Mizuki wasted no time, using an earth jutsu to open up the exposed earth and dive underground.
"No!" Hiruzen shouted, as he looked down.
Naruto sighed as he sat on the bed. "This is being treated well!?" he huffed. The jail was carved into the mountain, where breaking out by conventional means was impossible. All he had for light was a torch, and the mattress, though appreciated, was worse than even his own bed. "Aw man..." he sighed. "...this sucks." Suddenly, he felt some small pebbles fall on his head. "Hey!" The wall behind him began to shake, causing more dust to fall. Sensing something was coming, Naruto quickly got out of the way.
Mizuki broke through, shredding the mattress the boy was on only a few minutes ago. "Hmm..." The tiger-man said. "Where is it?" He turned to see Naruto, who had backed up against the wall and was shaking his legs like crazy.
"E-easy there, kitty..." Naruto stuttered. "G-good kitty, just stay there..." he emphasized, holding up his hand.
Mizuki snarled and walked over, grabbing the boy's wrist. Inspecting his hand, he saw green all over it. "You had it..." he snarled.
He then picked up the boy, and smashed him against the wall. "Umph!"
"WHERE IS IT!?" Mizuki roared.
"Wha-? Where..."
"WHERE IS THE SCROLL!" he yelled again.
Naruto gulped. "I...I don't know. The old man took it from me..." Mizuki snarled, and not bothering to let him go, kicked down the metal door.
Other ninjas ran down the hall to rush him, but in the narrow corridors, they could not use much in the way of tactics other than charging straight at him. With a swipe of his claws, Mizuki took down every one of them until he reached the outside. Scooping him up, he jumped onto the rooftops. "Hey!" Naruto shouted, kicking and flailing his arms. "Let me go!"
"Do as he says!" Mizuki looked to see Iruka, bruised but standing, brandishing his weapons.
Mizuki smirked. "Perhaps I shouldn't!" He tightened his hold on Naruto's neck. Iruka backed away, grimacing. "Ah." Mizuki smiled. "You like this one, don't you?" He began to step away, pressing a claw against Naruto's chin. "The Hokage has done a fine job of hiding that exotic looking scroll. Tell you what; you go and get it for me, and I'll give you the kid..."
"You bastard!" Iruka shouted.
Mizuki only said "I'll be waiting for you, in that forest there!" he said, pointing to the base of the Hokage mountain. He threw down a smoke bomb, and he was gone.
"No! Naruto!" Iruka shouted, slamming his fist on the roof.
Hiruzen also arrived, saddened and what he saw. "It seems we may not have a choice..." Hiruzen growled.
Within the forest, Mizuki paced around while Naruto was tied to a tree, desperately trying to break free of the ropes. "Hey...let me go!"
"You don't understand the concept of hostages, don't you?" Mizuki sighed.
"When I get out of here, I'll..."
Mizuki suddenly rushed him, and pressed a claw against his chin. "...don't. I just might kill you anyway. If you don't want to die, shut up. It will increase your chances of living..." He removed his claw, and went back to his watch.
Naruto stared at his back, before looking down at the ground. "You're not going to win." Naruto growled. "You know that, right?" Mizuki said nothing as he continued to stare. "Cause you made the mistake of kidnapping the future Hokage!"
Mizuki growled, and turned again, extending his claws. "You..."
Naruto suddenly looked him in the eye and shouted "I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!"
Mizuki stopped, as he saw Naruto's blue eyes turn into red eyes with slit-llike pupils. He paused; when Naruto turned back to normal, he pointed his finger at him. "I won't warn you a third time." He turned around, dropping his cold demeanor in exchange for fear, as he wiped his brow. "What...what was that?"
Koharu and Homura were two of Konoha's most respected elders, as shown by their white robes. Koharu was now an old woman, her gray hair tied in a traditional bun. Homura was the same age, mostly bald with sideburns similar to the Hokage, wearing small glasses to make up for his failing vision. They were once the teammates of Hiruzen when they were younger. It was said they were close, but they had grown distant when Hiruzen ascended to Hokage. That friendship in the past might have been handy in this situation as they argued with him. "It is not worth it, Hiruzen!" Homura shouted as they walked down the catacombs.
"I am the Hokage; my duty is to all the villagers, especially our civilians..."
"You're letting your emotions cloud your judgement." Koharu warned him. "Just like you did..."
"DON'T. YOU. DARE." Hiruzen turned to growl at them. He walked to the safe, and performed the necessary hand signs to open it. There, the whirlpool scroll was inside. He picked it up, and stuffed it in his sleeve. "I've made preparations. Besides, if that boy dies...it will be a catastrophe..."
He then walked out of the hillside, approaching the direction of the area known as the Forest of Death, having a bird's eye view of the vast wilderness. A bunch of chunin and some jonin were there as well, awaiting his command. "He left a list of demands." one said as he approached him. "He wants the scroll. He'll know if it's a fake. And should anything happen, he'll kill the boy. He is willing to trade him over, so long as you're not the one making the trade."
"Coward." Hiruzen huffed. "Then one of you must volunteer. Is anyone here willing to risk their life for one boy?"
Iruka then approached him. "I'll do it." Hiruzen stared at him. "I have a responsibility to Naruto."
"You're injured." Hiruzen sighed. "Your parents wouldn't want you to throw your life away like this."
Iruka, slowly but strongly responded "If he dies...then my parents' sacrifice will have been for nothing..."
Hiruzen breathed deep, and handed him the scroll. "...be careful." Iruka nodded, and bowed. The next instant, he ran to the cliff side and dived off. Not a sound could be heard as he disappeared from view.
Later, Mizuki twitched his ears. From the canopy, Iruka leaped down in front of him. "Iruka-sensei!?" Naruto exclaimed.
"You again?" Mizuki snickered. "Back for more?" he said as he extended his claws.
"That was not part of the deal." Iruka growled, holding the whirlpool scroll in front of him.
"Ah." Mizuki took it from him, inspecting it. Indeed, it was the real thing. "He really cares about this kid, doesn't he?" He backed away, grabbing the kid's chin. "I think I'll hold onto him."
Iruka sighed. "This is why hostage negotiations suck!" Iruka then put his fingers up. "Kai!"
Using his chakra to send a signal, the scroll suddenly exploded in Mizuki's face. Mizuki roared in rage, and stumbled when he felt his eyes sting and water; apparently the explosives were filled with peppers and mace. As he clutched his face, Iruka immediately ran to slice open Naruto's ropes. "Come on, Naruto; run!" Iruka took Naruto's hand as he took him into the trees.
Mizuki, having recovered, snarled and followed after them.
"I thought that scroll was very important!" Naruto exclaimed.
"We can always make another one; I'm sure Hokage-sama has it committed to memory!" Iruka shouted as they ran across the tree branches. Iruka had to do most of the work, Naruto being completely uncoordinated up here. "Come on! We've got to get..."
Iruka cried as he was suddenly dragged down by the ankle. He dropped Naruto, though the boy managed to grab hold of the branches. Mizuki had caught up quickly, his jaws locked on Iruka's foot. "Iruka-sensei!" Naruto cried as he reached out.
Iruka only shouted "Just run!" Mizuki then dragged him down.
The two hit the forest floor, Mizuki pressing his weight against Iruka. "I'll be doing a little species reversal here; I'm going to peel off your skin, and hang it on the Hokage's window! Then...the boy..."
"I won't let you!" Iruka tried to push his paw off, but Mizuki in his current form, was just too strong.
Naruto heard it all, and turned to run. But something in him wouldn't let him. His heart sunk at seeing his mentor being tortured by someone stronger than him. And all to save him. Not even a ninja, just a ramen delivery boy! And he was dying for him! "I've been nothing my entire life..." Naruto thought. His eyes squinted, bringing his hands together in the seal the scroll showed him. "...and I refuse to let Iruka-sensei die over nothing!" "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
Mizuki prepared to rip off Iruka's face off, when something fell on his head. "Ow!" He turned to see Naruto, standing before him and giving him the most irritating, comical smile. "You..." Before he could slice him, he was pelted by rocks. "OW! Who dares-!?"
His eyes widened as he saw an army of Narutos standing in the trees all around him. "Heh. What do you think of us now, pussy cat!?" they all said at once.
He growled. "He must have read the scroll! So, THIS is the secret! This must be the Kage Bushin!"
"So, whaddya gonna do!? You can't take us all on at once!" they teased him.
Mizuki then sneered. "Is that so?" He suddenly leaped into the trees and swiped down five Narutos. The clones froze at his display of power for a second. Then, they tried dog-piling him, but he destroyed one after the other with ease. Soon, Naruto's army of him and himself was down to a mere fraction of what it was before. The remaining ones gulped. "Let's see, now..." Mizuki grinned as he jabbed his finger at each Naruto. "I'm counting...about...twelve of you. I smell three more around here somewhere." He crouched down, preparing to pounce. "Don't think those clones of yours have been doing much good for you, have they now? I think a swarm of ants would be harder to kill than you."
He pounced up further, kicking another into the tree trunk. One jumped on top of him and pulled at his whiskers. "AH!" He walked back, as another ran up and kicked him between the legs. Though Mizuki stumbled, he fought through the sharp but small pain. He looked around to see one of the clones run off. "There you are!" Clones were extensions of the real thing; the only one who would have cause to run away would be the original! He grabbed the one on his back and slammed him down on the other, dispelling both. He jumped further up, in a mad dash to capture his prey.
Naruto panicked and hyperventilated as he forced himself to run like never before. "If only I had my bike!" He lost his footing, and suddenly fell to the forest floor. Thank goodness he wasn't so far up! He scrambled up as he heard Mizuki roar, getting closer. He stopped when he came up against a pegged fence about 5 meters in height. "I heard of this! This must be the Chunin Exam Obstacle Course!" He looked back, getting an idea...
Another clone managed to wrap a vine around Mizuki's neck from behind. Though the tiger-man coughed, he tore through it and grabbed his head. He squeezed until the clone popped out of existence. "Finally." He panted; that was a lot of clones. "I heard that Kage Bushins require a large amount of chakra. How could he make so many?" He ran forward, following the scent until he came upon the same pegged fence. "An obstacle course?" He smiled. "He's just sealed his doom!"
He crashed through the door...and felt a bucket of nails, bolts, and other tools fall down on him. "OWW!"
"HAHAHA!" Naruto from above a small construction tower laughed. "I gotcha good!" Mizuki kicked the legs of the tower, but Naruto ran off onto the upper planks. No matter, since Mizuki easily leaped up to his level. "CRAP!"
Naruto hurried up as Mizuki pursued him. Naruto suddenly snapped a wire, the sensation throwing him off and causing him to trip. Kunai came flying through the spaces. However, because Naruto tripped, he was practically plastered to the floor and avoided a fatal blow. Mizuki, meanwhile, was pelted by the sharp objects. "AHH!" Naruto scrambled on all fours, severing more wires and launching more kunai. Though none landed a fatal blow, Mizuki was a [figurative] human pin-cushion. "YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" he yelled as he pulled the weapons off.
Naruto finally found strength in his legs to run upright and back onto the ground level. Mizuki jumped up, intending to pounce on Naruto. As Naruto ran across a flimsy surface, he jumped across to avoid the cat. Mizuki missed by a hair, and fell into a pit of spikes. "AHH!" Again, the spikes could not pierce his hide, but that didn't make him immune to the pain of sharp objects.
"Wow." Naruto commented as he looked down on him from over the edge. "Guess that's what they mean by the saying 'look before you leap'."
Mizuki jumped back up to surface level, scarring the daylights out of Naruto. He sprinted away like no tomorrow, but Mizuki had finally caught him. He pinned him to the floor, bearing his fangs. "I think it's time for us to end this, little boy! Teach me the Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
"Ugh...sorry. Heard tigers are stupid." Naruto coughed. "Don't think you have the mental capacity for it."
"Boys that don't blink in the face of danger are even dumber." Mizuki growled as he extended his claws. "I'll rip your skin if you don't."
Naruto smirked. "Do it."
Enraged, Mizuki did so...and he disappeared. "Another bushin!?"
"AHHH!" The real Naruto hung for dear life as he finally got the swinging spike log from above to move. However, he forgot to let go, and went along for the ride. The spiked end hit Mizuki hard, and sent him flying into a weapon shack on the other side. "SOMEONE GET ME OFF THIS CRAZY THING!" he cried as he continued swinging back and fourth.
Finally, he began to slow down, and he took a chance and touched down. "Whew..." Naruto panted, hunching on his knees as he caught his breath. He then began to chuckle, which turned into full-blown laughter. "I did it! I won!" As Naruto calmed down, he said "I..."
Suddenly, a large hand grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him clear off the ground. "Tell me." Mizuki asked, now covered in tar. "What brilliant plan do you have now?" He began to squeeze, and Naruto's face was turning blue. "Shall I just end your misery now and sever your head?"
Naruto suddenly looked at him, bearing red eyes and fangs. "What!?" A red energy erupted from Naruto's body. It was hot...and it ignited the tar on Mizuki's body. "AHHH!" Mizuki howeld in agony as his entire body was engulfed in flames. He dropped Naruto and ran all over, forgetting to roll in his panic.
Naruto watched as his vision faded, lasting long enough to see Mizuki fall down...
"Naruto...Naruto...NARUTO!"
Naruto's eyes blinked, and the vision of Iruka in front of him focused. Though he was covered in cuts and bruises, it seemed he would be fine. Plus, the sun seemed to be rising, judging by how bright it was; looked like he was out of it for a while. "I...Iruka-sensei?"
"Hey." he smiled, touching his shoulder. "You doing okay?"
Naruto huffed. "...you're alive?"
"Yes. And I guess that means by default that you are too." Iruka picked up the kid, putting him on his back.
"Where's the Tiger?" Naruto asked.
Iruka nodded towards a corner by the wall. Naruto saw a big pile of charred remains there. "I don't think he'll be causing us anymore problems." Iruka smiled. Then, he turned serious. "Naruto...do you have any idea what happened to him?"
Naruto leaned on his shoulder. "...no." He fell asleep.
Iruka sighed, and smiled. "Take it easy." he said as he began walking out of the fortress. "I'll take it from here..."
A day had passed since the incident. Naruto was taken to a new cell, much to his disappoint. Meanwhile, Hiruzen held council with his two advisers and another, one who was very important to the village's political system. Iruka gave his testimony; despite being covered in casts and bandages, he was quite lucid. After it was done, Hiruzen nodded. "I think I've heard enough."
"We should kill the boy now." the man in the shadows demanded.
"You know what would happen if we did that!" Homura protested.
"We've prepared twelve years for such an event-!"
"NO!" Hiruzen demanded. "No one will die!" Hiruzen pinched his nose, and sighed. "I've sacrificed too many...it's time I did the job I dreamed of, and helped people instead..."
"We can't contain him." Koharu said. "He knows the Kage Bushin now. We can't return him to his normal life!"
"You're right." Hiruzen said. "We can't." He then opened a drawer. "So we won't."
Seeing what was inside, Homura protested "The Yodaime ordered..."
"...the Yodaime ordered us not to FORCE him to be a ninja!" Hiruzen shut him down. "...but the least I can do for him...is to give him a choice." He then looked back to the chunin. "Iruka. I know you've endured a lot, but I feel I should ask you: would you like to accompany me for this?
Iruka smiled, and nodded. "It would be my honor, Hokage-sama." he smiled.
The two left the council room, while the man in the shadows grimaced. "Weak as ever..." he thought.
Naruto sighed as he kicked his legs up in the air, lying on his mattress. He figured he could use his new technique to escape...but then he'd really be in trouble. Finally, he heard footsteps coming down the hall. He sat up, seeing the Sandaime and Iruka-sensei, clad in bandages, approach him. "Iruka-sensei!"
"Good afternoon, Naruto." Hiruzen said, kneeling down to his level. "I take it you're finding these accommodations acceptable?"
"Acceptable!?" Naruto shouted. "It's a darn jail cell! You could have dropped off some manga or a a tv in here at least!"
Iruka sighed. "Naruto..." He'd slap him across the head if he could...
"Well, it's called prison for a reason." Hiruzen shrugged. "And it's not even the worst place we have." Naruto remained silent. "Iruka told me about your use of that technique."
"Naruto grew nervous. "Yeah...well, about that..."
"You saved his life." Hiruzen interrupted. "It may have not been the most heroic, but you got the job done." He collected himself. "You were not meant to learn that technique. Not only did you learn it...you have used it on a level very few in our village's history has been able to master."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes." Hiruzen said. "I don't think it would be wise to let such a talent go to waste..."
"TALENT!?" Now that was new. Naruto, despite his bravado, never thought of himself as having any KIND of talent. Even cooking ramen took him more hard work than expected!
"...and thought it is a top-secret technique, there's nothing we can do to put the proverbial genie back in the bottle. So..."
Hiruzen nodded to Iruka, and the chunin himself kneeled. He smiled at Naruto and reached behind him. He then held up the Konoha headband in front of Naruto. The blonde could not believe his eyes, blinking, and looking back and fourth between Iruka and the hiate. "Congratulations, Naruto." Iruka smiled. "Your journey begins now."
Placing it in his hands, Naruto began to cry. "It happened...it finally happened..." he muttered as he gripped it tighter. He suddenly leaped forward, and tackled Iruka. "THANK YOU, SENSEI!"
"OW! OW! NARUTO!" Iruka shouted, the new ninja's hug sending him into a world of hurt.
Hiruzen only sighed. "...just like his mother..."
So, here's the first chapter of my reboot.
As you may have noticed, I changed the...academic settings of the Naruto verse. In the original, Naruto was trying to GRADUATE from the academy. Here, I've changed it so he's trying to get IN. The very beginning of the original series very much started out like Harry Potter in the sense that the kids were learning how to be like their teachers. Looking back, it would have made more sense for Naruto and friends to learn while they're still in school.
I've also gone into more detail about the hand seals. They were briefly touched upon in the very beginning, only to be forgotten about later. Rules were really never given to them. I think the only time when it was signified they even meant anything was when Sakura mistook Kakashi's One Thousand Years of Death technique for a fire jutsu (because it looked like the sign of the tiger). In this version, generally speaking, a high level-technique will require three hand signs: one to gather chakra, another to determine it's function, and a final one to determine what kind of element, if any, it will be.
Then there is Naruto himself, who in this story starts out as a delivery boy. Yeah, I bet many are making comparisons to Fry from Futurama (and I can't blame you entirely). But it has some basis; in the pilot, that was how Naruto started. Kishimoto changed it because his editor told him story wise it wasn't very good. So, since I was changing the nature of the academic aspect of Naruto's life, I thought it would make sense to have him start out this way.
I've also already introduced Sasuke and Sakura. Sasuke of course takes priority, sense for better or worse, the original series became a bromance. I'm hoping to make it a bit more natural, showing that Naruto and Sasuke have known each other for a long time and giving Naruto a reason to care about him as the series goes on. Kishimoto really made the plot up as he went along (mostly from suggestions from his editor). While I haven't figured out every detail, I do have an overall plan where I want to take this story.
Another thing worth talking about is Mizuki. Mizuki is very much an expendable antagonist. Still, I find it hard to believe a seasoned chunin would go down just because of the amount of clones Naruto made. I think that would have made him a chunin by default (then again, in the original, he reached god-like status and seemingly remained a genin forever...). I thought it would be fun to amp him up a bit, and give Iruka a decent fight as well (even if he wouldn't win). From what I understand, in one of the anime fillers, Mizuki indeed does turn himself into a tiger. Granted, I haven't seen the episode (and it probably sucked balls anyway, if it's consistent with the rest of the fillers). Hopefully, it was fun for you. It also helped to alter how the Kage Bushin played out. With Naruto stumbling upon it by accident and being imprisoned (and debating if they should even let him go), it created more of a conflict, and in this battle Naruto had to use his wits (a loose definition of it anyway) instead of pummeling him with numbers.
Finally, there's the matter of Kyuubi. Since this part of the original mythos was in our face the most (next to NaruSasu anyway), you probably have a very good idea about what's up. For now, I'm keeping Naruto's jinchuriki status a mystery. Granted, I suppose most of you will roll your eyes at how long I'll drag it out since fans have known since the beginning...but I'm hoping it will lead to interesting developments.
You may also notice that Naruto has no surname...at least, not yet...and that the scroll he learned his signature technique from is called the Whirlpool scroll. All I'll say is that it's a pretty strong clue to his true heritage.
And that's all for now. Whenever I get to the next chapter, I'll get to it. Expect more changes to come.
