Annnnd we're back! In this chapter we go through the graduation exam and Naruko meets a new shinobi. I'm so happy you guys are loving the story, I love reading the reviews you leave. Oh and before you read the chapter I should let you know that I don't own Naruto. Leik seriously guise, I'm bein cerial here... I just thought I'd let you know that...for the eighth time xD Okay, I'll shut up now. Just enjoy, review, do whatever pleases you!~
Rin Shirosake: Thank you for the review! :) I'm glad you love the story!
PrincessAnime08: Maaaaybe. Or maybe its just puberty just working its magic. I'm not spoiling anything xD
Benji. : No your not weird! The romance is going to build up as the story progresses. Since Naruko read Make Out Paradise, she has a...somewhat better understanding of what romance is like. Plus shes a girl and girls overthink stuff like this sometimes (trust me, I'm a girl) haha xD
TheOneMagic: Thank you for the review! :D
TheBeauty: Arigatou gozaimasu! Gracias! Salamat! Xie xie! Thank you! (I'm trying to change it up because I feel like I say thank you waay to much lol)
Naruko-ナルコ-
Chapter 8
Naruto's True Identity
"What?!" The sun had just risen and already something was wrong "What do you mean I have to go and clean up?!"
"Until you clean off all the paint you put on the Hokage's faces you are not taking the Graduation Exam!" Iruka told Naruto. Immediately he started stuttering excuses "No buts!"
"Ow! Sensei that hurts! Naruko! Naruko!" Without moving a muscle, Naruko just watched Iruka drag her brother away. She knew it was for a good reason, but mostly she was still half asleep when she even got out of bed. She didn't even pay much attention to the racket. She still had to finish unpacking, after returning to her room for the first time in years the first thing she noticed as that it was exactly the same way she left it. Only more dustier and filled with cobwebs. Second, she would have to buy a new wardrobe since most of her clothes were old (and too small) for her to fit in. She already knew it was going to be a long day.
"Guess this is my last day at the academy," Naruko realized, as she fixed her ponytails "Time sure does fly by..."
Her eyes then drifted to the mark near her collar bone. Though the curse mark never gave her too much problems since her travels with Jiraiya began, the memory was still there.
"The curse-mark will begin to corrode from the inside out. And the more you use it, the faster the process will be."
The Toad Sage's words still rang in her head as if he had said it yesterday. Despite her efforts to avoid using it, the curse mark was still latched onto her skin.
"This seal will last for as long as you have the willpower to hold it."
Naruko began to wonder, what exactly would happen if the seal were to break? Would she die? Fall into a coma? She recalled Orochimaru saying the curse mark had powerful properties, but she couldn't fully trust his words. There was always more to what he said.
She shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought. Before she knew it, it was time to head out.
"Well this is a surprise," Naruko said "I didn't expect to see you here on time."
Naruto laid his head on the desk, no words could describe just how tired he was "Ugh..."
"Alright class, today is the day you take the Graduation Test," stated Iruka "It'll be short and only consists of one jutsu. The clone jutsu." Immediately Naruto's head snapped up, with bug eyes.
"What?!" he shouted in a low whisper.
...No I can't. She told herself, with the thought of helping him pass. He has to be able to do this on his own...
"Hey," she began "Good Luck."
Naruto gulped "Thanks..." He may have been a knuckle head, but Naruko held hope for her brother.
"Next. Naruko Uzumaki," Naruko flinched at her name. She didn't expect Iruka to test most of the class so quickly. Then again, the clone jutsu only required a few hand signs. Walking up to Iruka and Mizuki she waits for the signal for her to begin.
"You may begin when your ready," Iruka told her.
"How many are we required to make?" she asked.
"As long as you can perform the jutsu you pass." Within seconds several pops were heard, following clouds that quickly cleared "Ah!"
So fast, I couldn't even see a hand sign! Iruka was baffled by the six clones that stood in front of him.
So this is Nauko Uzumaki... Mizuki was amused.
"Amazing," Mizuki said in awe.
"Congratulations, you pass." Iruka smiled, handing Naruko a Leaf headband.
"Thank you," she replied. Before walking out of the class she winks at Naruto.
Good luck brother.
While waiting for Naruto, Naruko fiddled with her headband. Reflecting the sunlight off the metal part onto the wall.
"Having fun?" asked a familiar voice.
"It helps the time pass by," she admitted "What are you still doing here?" She expected the Uchiha to be long gone. Turning her head, she noticed him wearing the leaf headband on his forehead. She had to admit, he looked good with it on. It matched his dark blue shirt.
"How many clones did you make?" he asked, taking a seat besides her.
"Just six, you?"
"Five," he began "I didn't feel like wasting any chakra."
Naruko just chuckled. She knew how competitive he could be. Even when it came to minuscule things such as kunai practice.
"Guess you're not a crybaby anymore."
Suddenly her heart skipped a beat. She mentally cursed her hormones for her sudden awkward changes.
"What?" he asked.
"Its nothing," Sasuke just looked at her in disbelief.
"Tell me."
Naruko then changed the subject "How do you think I should wear my headband?"
"Naruko-"
"You fail!" shouted a loud, booming voice. Then, silence swept the nearby hallways.
"Oh no..." she whispered, as she got up from the floor. As the door slid open, Naruto came out with a gloom look. "Naruto...are you okay?"
He just ignored her and continued walking.
"You're surprised he failed?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.
The comment annoyed Naruko "You know just because your an avenger now, doesn't mean you have to be a jerk."
"Why do you hold such high expectations of him? Naruto is an idiot."
"Because he never gives up. No matter what the odds are, he'll keep trying until he finds a way to succeed," she waited for a moment to give Sasuke time to reply. But when he didn't answer she just continued "Anyways, I'll see you later. I'm going to go check on Naruto."
"Tch."
"Hm?" she turned around to see an annoyed Sasuke.
"You're an idiot," he said with a pissed tone.
"And why is that?" she was curious about his reasons for insulting her. Unlike his usual, insults which were merely jokes, this one was serious. He meant it.
"All your stupid bother did was neglect you and you still go crawling back to him."
"Well hes my brother so..."she stopped midway. Losing the right words to say. How could she hope for Sasuke to understand? Unlike her, his brother was an entirely different situation. She still had her brother, but Sasuke didn't have his. "I..."
Before she could recover, he walked away. Angry at her actions.
I don't get it...she felt so confused over something so trivial. Hes the one who threw the insults and yet I'm the one who feels guilty.
Was she in the wrong? She thought about it for a moment, then shook her head gently. She didn't like arguing, especially if it was with someone close to her. One thing was certain to her though, she wasn't going to apologize. He had insulted her and her brother, and she wasn't going let him get away with that scot-free...But she would find a way to make peace soon. Right now, she had to go and check up on her brother.
"Naruto!" she called out, hoping he didn't go too far. Naruko ran outside of the academy, almost dancing her way through the crowd of families just so she wouldn't knock into anyone. After escaping the crowd she found him under the shade sitting on a lone swing.
"...I failed," he whispered, while latching onto the rope that held the swing up. Naruko could tell the test crushed him.
"..." she remained silent, trying to find the right words to console her brother "Theres always next time you know?"
"..." Naruto stayed quiet.
"I know you can do this," Naruko told him "Come on, don't let one little defeat knock you down."
"..."
"...If there is one thing I learned from you, its to never give up," Naruko recalled, thinking of the past "Thinking back, if I did I'd probably be dead by now..." she laughed lightly.
"But I didn't," she smiled, while looking at her twin in the eye "And because I didn't, I was able to find my way back home."
Before she could continue Naruto finally spoke "Naruko..."
"My offer still stands from yesterday you know," she told him "I'll help you with your training."
Naruto began to think. His sister's words held meaning to them. But when he looked at the families in front of the academy it made him feel left behind. All of his classmates would be graduating except for him, and he didn't like it one bit "Would you really?" his voice started to lighten up.
"Of course. After all, your dream is to become Hokage right?"
The fire then returned in Naruto's eyes "...Right...Right! Oh man, I can't believe I got upset over that stupid test!" shaking his head, Naruto realizes just how thankful he is to have his sibling back.
"Thats the spirit!"
"Excuse me?" spoke an older voice "Sorry to interrupt. But may I have a word with Naruto in private?"
Naruto and Naruko looked at Mizuki, the other shinobi who helped Iruka grade the exams.
"Oh of course," Naruko spoke "I'll see you at home later okay?"
"Okay!" Naruto said as his sister walked away. He began to think, maybe Mizuki wanted to talk about the test earlier. He could only hope that they would give him another chance.
I wonder what Mizuki would want with him, Naruko began to think Hmm...
"Something isn't right," Naruko murmured. After finishing unpacking and cleaning the house Naruto wasn't back home. And it was getting late too. She thought earlier Mizuki might have been up to something but she brushed it off, thinking she was over thinking the situation. However...now it seemed likely that, that could be the case now "Maybe I should go looking for him."
Naruko left the house, and ran through the crowds of adults that swamped the streets at night. She headed straight to the most obvious place to look for the knuckle-headed boy which was Ichiraku Ramen. When she got there she came to see most of the seats occupied, with no sight of her brother.
"Oh Naruko, what brings you here late at night?" asked Teuchi, while mixing a large broth of ramen.
"I'm looking for Naruto," she told him "Did he happen to stop by earlier?"
"I'm surprised he didn't stop by today," he laughed "Say you guys had your Graduation Exam today no? Maybe hes still at the academy?" It was a far-fetched idea, it didn't hurt to go and look. Teuchi could practically sense how worried Naruko was, and he wasn't even a shinobi "But if I see him, I'll let him know you passed by."
"Thank you," Naruko was beginning to feel paranoid. She knew if she didn't find him she wouldn't be able to sleep. She then went to the Ninja Academy, just so she could clear the place off her list.
Naruko wasn't surprised. Not a single soul was to be found inside the building. She thought she was hallucinating when she first heard the sound of someone pounding on wood, but as she continued her search the noise continued. Though it was faint, the noise kept coming constantly. Naruko found herself getting side-tracked, focusing her attention on where the noise was coming form than her missing brother.
"So there is someone here," looking out from the second floor window of the academy she could see somebody getting some late-night practice far out in the field. She couldn't tell whether the person was a male or female but curiosity drove her to find out. Jumping down from the window she walks up to the person to get a better view. One thing was certain to her, it was not Naruto. Or to be exact, she was eighty percent sure it wasn't. The style of taijutsu the person was using didn't seem to fit with Naruto. But she couldn't say for sure, since she had never actually seen Naruto train yet.
"You're fast," she told the person. Being far away from lights made it difficult to see, but as Naruko's eyes adjusted to the darkness she could tell the person was male.
"Who...are...you?" he asked, trying to catch his breath.
"Naruko Uzumaki."
"Naruko...Uzumaki," he repeats while getting back on his feet, getting a better look at who was watching him "I've never heard of that name before. Are you new here?"
"You could say that," In a way it was true, but she wasn't about to explain her whole life story to a stranger "Whats your name?"
"Rock Lee," he replied, finally catching his breath. He observed the new, foreign girl who had been watching him from afar. Judging from her appearance, and from no headband he assumed she was either not a ninja or soon to become one. She looked to be around his age "Tell me, what is a beautiful girl like you doing out here alone late at night?"
Naruko blushed at the comment, she was thankful that it was too dark for him to notice "I was looking for my brother. Naruto Uzumaki, I don't know if you have heard of him before or not."
"Naruto Uzumaki...Are you two twins?"
"Yes," she was slightly surprised by his accurate guess "How did you know that?"
"Well," he laughed, as he scratched the back of his head "Your names are so similar I just guessed." Naruko began to think, why had her parents given them names so similar?
She pushed the questions aside for another time "Well you hit the mark...Anyways, I should get going. I need to find Naruto."
"Wait!" he called out, before she started walking "Let me help you!"
Naruko immediately refused "I appreciate it, but no." Even in the dark, Naruko could tell Lee was exhausted from the training. She could only imagine how long he had been out here "Besides, you should get some rest. If you work yourself too hard you'll end up straining your muscles."
Rock Lee shook his head "You are new to the village no? It would be impolite of me to help you out. Please let me help."
She thought about it for a moment, then smiled at his kindness. Since his determination intrigued her, she changed her mind "Alright then."
Naruko then used the transformation jutsu "My brother looks like this." Rock Lee squinted his eyes to get a good look of the missing twin. Just like his sister, he wore the same orange jacket, except his was zipped up. He made a mental note about the green googles he wore on his head too, studying all the small details that would aid him in the search.
"Alright! Lets begin our search!" Lee shouted with a fiery passion look. Canceling the transformation jutsu, Naruko nods her head and the two head off into the woods.
"Do you come here a lot?" Naruko asked as they ran down the path. His agility had caught her attention as they sprinted. He ran with experience, as if hes been down this path many times.
"Yes I do," he says "I come here often with my team to train. I must say, for someone who has yet to become a genin you have good speed." If he was running with Tenten, she would have complained by now about his speed.
"Thank you," she said as the two continued. After running for some time they advanced up into the trees to get a better view "Wait!"
Lee nearly fell to the floor when she suddenly stopped "Whats wrong?"
"Listen," she whispered, closing her eyes so she could concentrate. Though it was faint, she could hear the sound of branches breaking in a violent, sudden matter. Almost like a struggle "Do you hear that?"
"...Yes!" he shouted in a whisper "It is coming from the east side!"
"Lets go," the two immediately made a run for it and headed directly east. As they got closer, the sounds became much clearer.
"Mizuki no!" she recognized that voice. It belonged to the sensei, Iruka. As her and Rock Lee got a close enough view they stopped to see what the situation was before jumping in.
Iruka stood five feet from Naruto with blood dripping from his thigh. Just as Naruko thought, a struggle had happened some time earlier between Iruka and Mizuki. She couldn't say she was surprised when she saw him down below on a lower branch near the ground.
"They've been lying to you your whole life Naruto," Mizuki began with a cold, amused tone "Since the decree twelve and a half years ago."
"What...decree?" Naruto asked.
"What does he mean?" Lee whispered. Naruko didn't answer.
Decree huh... She had an idea of what it could mean. But she insisted on listening.
"Only the elite ninja of this village knows the truth," Mizuki smirked "Heck, Iruka might not even know the truth of the decree and yet he would do anything to keep my mouth closed."
"The truth?" Naruto repeated "What do you mean?"
"The decree is that no one speaks of the identity of the Nine Tailed Fox's host."
"Mizuki no! It is forbidden!" Iruka pleaded.
"The Third Hokage himself went as far as to using your beloved sister as a decoy to even cover the truth. But the truth is, its you. You are Nine Tailed Fox. The demon that destroyed the village twelve years ago, and killed Iruka's parents."
"Mizuki stop!" Iruka shouted.
"Why do you think the villagers treated you and your sister with disrespect, like dirt? Like your existence was just a nuisance."
So it was true...Naruko recalled the leader of the Akatsuki saying something similar like that years ago But I can't imagine the Hokage doing that... Unlike the rest of the village, the Hokage was one of the few who acknowledged Naruto and her.
"That scroll on his back," Lee whispered, pointing to Naruto "What is it?"
"I'm not sure," she replied "But lets wait and see what happens."
"Now die Naruto!" Mizuki shouted, twirling a large shuriken before throwing it directly at Naruto.
"Naruko we have to do something!"
"No!" she grabbed Lee's arm to prevent him from interfering "He can do this!"
"Why do you hold such high expectations of him? Naruto is an idiot."
He can do this! I know he can! She was determined to prove Sasuke wrong.
"Naruto get down!" within the blink of an eye, Iruka appeared on top of Naruto. Using his body to shield him from the shuriken.
Naruko's grip on Lee's arm tightened unconsciously.
"We have to do something!" Lee said.
"No!" she shouted in a whisper "Please. Just wait a few more minuets."
As she turned her head, Naruto crawled from underneath Iruka and ran away. Holding onto Lee's arm, she drags him along and follows her brother from the shadows. Keeping a close eye on him in case he needs her help.
"We need to go back!" Lee stated "Iruka-sensei is in danger!"
"The wound he got isn't fatal," if it was she would've jumped in sooner "Besides, this isn't our fight. And your in no condition to fight either." She could see his speed had decreased a bit. Not to mention the fact that he had used most of his strength during his training earlier.
"Lets wait here," she told Lee as they stopped onto another branch high up above Naruto "Iruka and Mizuki should be here any minuet."
"...No your wrong. Hes not a demon," Naruko heard Iruka said, carrying on the conversation he had "Hes Naruto Uzumaki. Of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."
"Hes almost as cool as Gai-sensei," Lee said in awe.
"Hmph, you really believe that?" Mizuki asked "You know Iruka. I was going to save you for last, but I changed my mind. Your first!"
"No!"
Naruko smiled "I told you Lee. Wait." From the shadows, Naruto appeared and knocked Mizuki onto the dirt floor. Just saving Iruka in the nick of time.
"Not bad for a little punk," Mizuki murmured, wiping the dirt from his face.
"If you ever lay a hand on my sensei, I'll kill you!" Naruto stated with venom in his words.
"Such big words. Show me what you got Nine Tailed Fox!"
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Suddenly, several pops were heard followed by smoke clouds creating a fog in the forest that quickly cleared. Within seconds, tens, hundreds of Naruto's swarmed around Mizuki. And not just clones, solid clones.
"Amazing! He has that much chakra?" Lee gasped.
I knew you could do it! Naruko shouted in her exclaimed mentally. Letting go of Lee's arm she held her fists up, silently cheering from the shadows.
"Ready or not, here we come!" shouted the clones as they toppled onto Mizuki. Naruto and his clones showed no mercy and beat him into a pulp, not even giving him any time to recover or attack back. After several minuets of punches and kicks, the battle died down and the clones disappeared. Leaving Mizuki unconscious and Naruto grinning.
"Hehe sorry, I guess I got carried away," he chuckled, while rubbing his nose "Are you okay Iruka-sensei?"
"Yeah," Iruka smiled "Naruto. Come over here. I've got something I want to give you." Once Naruto walked to Iruka, he was told to close his eyes. Getting up, Iruka then unties his headband and then removes Naruto's goggles.
"This is such a beautiful scene! Between a student and his sensei!" Lee was practically crying a waterfall of tears "I think I'm going to cry!"
"Lee you're already crying," Naruko couldn't stop smiling.
"Can I open my eyes now?" Naruto asked Iruka for the fifth time.
"Okay...Open your eyes," Iruka began while grinning "Congratulations. You graduate." Naruto started at him with awe and disbelief. It took him a second to register what had just happened. But after coming back to reality, it began to sink in. He was a ninja now, and one step closer to his dream.
"Iruka sensei!" he chanted, tackling the chunin to the ground.
"Whoa hey!" Iruka laughed.
"Come on, lets get out of here." she told Lee. She didn't want to spoil the moment or have Iruka or Naruto catch them. When he didn't respond she called out his name again only to see him flickering his eyes "Lee?"
She began to wonder it he was becoming sleep deprived. They had been up all night after all. Naruko waved her hand in front of his face "Lee, are you okay?"
Before he could fall, Naruko caught him just as he fell asleep "Guess I'll have to drop you off at your house..." she then found herself yawning.
"But wait...where does he live?" turns out, she was going to be up a lot longer than she thought.
Next Time:
Naruko-ナルコ-
Chapter 9
Team 7