Author's Notes: Well then, this is going to be interesting. My holidays are coming up, so do expect more frequent updates for this story and my other one. As the content of this chapter will be a little more action-orientated(There will still be non-action moments), it may or may not be slightly longer. Do bear with that.
Important Note: I will be changing a portion of lore regarding the Final Selection in this chapter, so feel free to skip it if you do not desire to read that.
Q&A Section(As well as other responses)
Ayo: Well, I'm not disagreeing that Chunin Exams Naruto can beat all the Hashira, but then again, Minato cemented into Naruto the meaning of responsibility. Since Kyojuro had told Naruto not to, he wouldn't lash out and would instead show restraint.
SolSparda369: All very interesting ideas, I won't say much to not spoil it, but I will confirm that last statement.
xXwolfsterXx644: Well, here I am.
Clown Exorcist: Thanks! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!
Artemis Lannister: Eh, I'll give you the first statement. But think about it, if someone held a sword to your neck, and demanded you tell him who you are and where you came from, wouldn't you?
WhateverPlus: I'm here, and continuing now!
Nicholas: You're in luck! Naruto will be kicking ass in this chapter. As for your suggestion... I think it's amazing! As for if I will use it... Well, I won't spoil it now, will I?
BBWulf: Again, restraint and responsibility.
DCosmicSage38: Thank you for the feedback, and you're welcome for the chapter. As for his potential, I won't spoil it, as with other things.
I apologize for the large response section, but with that now out of the way, the tale goes on.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"'Kyuubi or Naruto(berserk) talking or thinking'"
-Rengoku Household(Weeks into Naruto's Training)-
"Alright, Naruto," Kyojuro stated, holding his bokken with his leading hand with his other hand placed behind his back. "Show me how much you've learned."
"I'll do my best!" Naruto declared, gripping his bokken with two hands. 'I've never fought Rengoku-sensei before...'
"That's not the answer we were hoping for..." Mitsuri said from the sidelines.
"I mean..." Naruto began to correct himself, scratching the back of his head before immediately gripping his bokken once again with both hands. "I'll beat you, Rengoku-sensei!"
"Now that's more like it!" Kyojuro remarked.
Immediately, two clones appeared next to Naruto, before the two of them ran towards Kyojuro. With a single movement, Kyojuro dispersed both clones at once, only for him to realize the absence of the real Naruto. Suddenly, soft footsteps could be heard behind Kyojuro. Reacting with utmost urgency, the Flame Hashira turned himself back, before smacking Naruto on the head with blinding speeds.
"Nice try, but it's over now," Kyojuro stated.
Strangely, Naruto smirked, before he disappeared in a cloud of white smoke, surprising both Hashira present.
'A clone?!' Mitsuri asked herself.
'So... Where is he now?' Kyojuro thought to himself, 'Up? Left? Right? Behind?' Kyojuro closed his eyes for a second before they widened in realization.
Changing his method of grip, Kyojuro slashed in the form of a wheel, dispersing several clones that had attempted to swarm him.
'Incredible...' Mitsuri thought.
'Good...' Kyojuro thought, 'He's adapted the style well...'
Suddenly, the actual Naruto appeared in front of Kyojuro, before engaging the Flame Hashira. Slashing repeatedly with his bokken, Naruto quickly became wise to the fact that he had yet to land a single blow, while Kyojuro had managed to land several. Noticing an opening, Naruto plunged his bokken forward, only for Kyojuro to easily block the attack.
"Too slow!" Kyojuro taunted, before kicking Naruto in the stomach, knocking him to the ground.
Before Naruto was able to continue the fight, Kyojuro offered him a hand.
"That was good, Naruto," Kyojuro acknowledged as he helped Naruto to his feet, "But there were a few glaring issues. First, you weren't aiming for the neck. As we've established before, one of the few ways to kill a demon is to behead them with a Nichirin Blade. Second, you were not utilizing your breathing efficiently. To put it simply, you should not breathe out when striking, and should instead attempt to maintain a constant breathing rate throughout your movements."
"I see... My bad!" Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
"It's no big issue," Kyojuro assured, "You still have more than ten months, you'll get it down by then."
"If you don't mind me asking, Mitsuri-chan..." Naruto began to ask, "How long did it take you to train for the Final Selection?"
"Well, about six months," Mitsuri replied.
"So, Naruto, you mentioned that you had something that you wanted me to see?" Kyojuro asked.
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot! Thanks for reminding me!" Naruto replied.
"No worries," Kyojuro assured.
"If you don't mind, Naruto-Kun, could I also stay to watch?" Mitsuri asked.
"Of course!" Naruto stated as he pulled out three kunai and switched his grip over his bokken into a one-handed reverse grip. Before he acted further, he went back into a standing position. "Actually... The forest might be better for this demonstration."
-Vast Forest-
Naruto placed three wooden dummies in front of each other, as Kyojuro and Mitsuri stood a safe distance back.
"Kyojuro-san, do you know what is Naruto-kun doing?" Mitsuri asked.
"Frankly, I have no idea..." Kyojuro admitted. "Saying that I'm not intrigued, however, would be a blatant lie."
Naruto held Kyojuro's sword in a reverse grip, before pulling out three kunai, each with paper tags tied to their ends. Naruto placed his right leg back, as the familiar orange spark of chakra began to emerge around him, coursing through his veins.
"Can I start?" Naruto asked.
"Of course!" Kyojuro replied, "Show us what you came up with!"
"Do your best, Naruto-Kun!" Mitsuri remarked.
Naruto took a deep breath, causing his lungs to be filled with air. Without further preparations, Naruto dashed forwards, slashing all three dummies' left arms from the shoulder-down, with traces of blue flames being able to be seen upon the slashed body parts. His demonstration yet to be completed, Naruto backflipped over all three dummies, before throwing a kunai into the waists of each dummy.
'Impressive... He's mixing both breathing techniques and his abilities...' Kyojuro analyzed.
'Wow... This form... It's beautiful...' Mitsuri thought, as the traces of blue flames gradually vanished.
Before long, the paper tags tied onto the kunai began to combust, before exploding entirely, causing the lower bodies of the dummies to be destroyed. Naruto landed back onto the ground, reassuming his reverse grip over Kyojuro's sword, before dashing forwards and beheading all three of the dummies, with only a long trace of blue flames left in his path. Kyojuro and Naruto walked towards Naruto, the orange chakra that had coursed through his veins dispersing, just as the traces of blue flames vanished from view.
"That was amazing, Naruto!" Kyojuro congratulated, "I assume this is the first form of your breathing form?"
"Well, I can't say I'm entirely original..." Naruto admitted, "I based some of this off your techniques, Rengoku-sensei."
"And there's nothing wrong with that," Kyojuro assured. "What do you intend to call this form?"
"I was thinking..." Naruto began to say, placing a finger on his chin, "Based on how the flames behave after I slash, how about... First Form: Lingering Blaze?"
"Brilliant!" Kyojuro remarked.
"Eh? What about the name of the Breathing Form?" Mitsuri brought up.
"Um," Naruto stammered, 'Shit, didn't think about that part...'
"Kit, how about Fox Flame Breathing?" Kurama suggested. "Considering you used my chakra to assist you in the performance of that technique...'
'Thanks,' Naruto mentally replied, before speaking up in real life. "I got it! Fox Fire Breathing!"
"Interesting name," Kyojuro stated, "That's enough physical training for today, but we still need to teach you about the conditions of the Final Selection, let's get back to my place."
-Rengoku Household(Hours Later)-
"Finally, the test will be held on Mount Fujikasane, a mountain filled with Wisteria Flowers, which are poisonous to humans and demons alike," Kyojuro stated, as Naruto scribbled away into a notebook. "It's also infested with demons, but I assume you already knew that."
"So, I have to do it alone?" Naruto asked to confirm.
"Yup," Kyojuro confirmed, "You are allowed any forms to tools, but you are not allowed to restock in the seven days of the test."
"You got this, Naruto-Kun," Mitsuri assured, "I had six months to train, and I came out just fine... You, on the other hand, have an entire year."
"Let's hope," Naruto stated with a sense of gloom.
"Kit, need to talk to you for a bit," Kurama stated.
'Gotcha,' Naruto replied mentally, before turning to Kyojuro. "Rengoku-san, can I have a moment?"
"Of course," Kyojuro replied, "Don't take too long, though."
"No problem," Naruto stated, before falling unconscious in front of Kyojuro and Mitsuri.
-Mindscape-
"Alright, what's up?" Naruto asked.
"Make a clone, and let me control it," Kurama ordered.
Naruto was confused but did as he was told, subconsciously forming a seal in real life, before a clone formed next to him, one bearing all of Naruto's physical traits except for one glaring difference, it bore the eyes of Kurama.
-Real World-
"Are you?" Kyojuro began to ask, noticing the difference in the clone's eyes.
"Yes, I am the Kyuubi," The clone declared, to which Kyojuro silently nodded. "Give me a second, this boy's father has left behind quite a few gifts..."
Moving immediately, Kurama turned to Naruto's notebook, before writing information about various techniques with remarkable speed, most of which appeared as complete gibberish to both Kyojuro and Mitsuri. A mere minute later, the clone set down the pencil, before turning to Kyojuro.
"Thank you, Kyojuro-san, for looking over Naruto," Kurama voiced before the clone dispersed.
-Mindscape-
"Is that all of it?" Naruto asked.
"That was all your father left behind for you..." Kurama stated, "Although, I did add one..."
"Which one?" Naruto asked once more.
"The Mystical Palm Technique," Kurama revealed, before explaining his choice upon noticing Naruto's confused face. "Let me explain... Do you wish to help others?"
"Eh?" Naruto asked in confusion.
"Do you, Naruto Uzumaki, truly want to dedicate the rest of your life, to ensure that as many people as possible survive from demon attacks?" Kurama posed.
"I- I do," Naruto stated firmly.
"This technique heals injuries on a cellular level..." Kurama explained, "You may have suffered from poor chakra control before... But I could easily just help you control it throughout the usage of the technique. Be warned, however, that this technique cannot bring the dead back to life, nor can it heal fatal wounds."
"Gotcha," Naruto stated, "I think I need to go now, Rengoku-sensei and Mitsuri-chan must be getting quite worried..."
"Oh? 'Mitsuri-chan' is it?" Kurama teased, causing Naruto to slightly blush. "You can go now... Just be sure to read your notebook later on..."
"You got it!" Naruto remarked, before leaving his mindscape.
-Real World-
Naruto awoke in a jolt, smacking the back of his head into the wall he had once been leaning on.
"Your friend seems quite nice..." Kyojuro stated.
"To you, maybe..." Naruto replied, "To me... He's like a strict father who thinks his son can sustain all types of damage..."
"I wonder if he's a cute fox..." Mitsuri pondered.
"Now then... Let's get back to work," Naruto stated, looking into his notebook.
-Fujikasane Mountain(One Year Later)-
'So... Here I am...' Naruto thought, looking towards the gate of the vast forest atop a mountain, taking account of twenty other participants. 'Now then...' Naruto thought as he checked his belongings, 'Kunai, check, explosive tags, check, Nichirin tanto, check, tri-pronged kunai, check... And chakra ink... check.'
Just as Naruto finished looking through his belongings, two short figures with pale skins and wide, open eyes approached the participants, one with blonde hair while the other bore raven-black hair, with both having matching lanterns in their hands.
"Thank you all for joining the Final Selection tonight," The figure with black hair began to say, "There are thousands of demons trapped on this mountain by many senior members of the Demon Slayer Corps."
"That would be due to the presence of demon-repelling Wisteria Flowers that bloom all-year-round from the mountain foot to halfway up," The blonde figure continued.
"However... From this point on, there are no more Wisteria Flowers, only demons inhabit this place," Both figures said in unison, "This mountain is said to have magical qualities, it is said that those on the mountain experience eight hour days... With all those hours spent in the complete darkness... If you can survive here for seven days, according to the time of the mountain... Then you have passed the Final Selection. Now then... The Final Selection begins."
The two figures stayed behind, as Naruto and the other twenty participants entered the forest.
'Freaks me the fuck out...' Naruto thought, commenting on the appearance of the two figures from earlier. 'Also, might as well have called it seven nights...'
-Night One-
Naruto walked into the darkness of the forest for a few minutes, before tapping into the Kyuubi's chakra. As he felt the fox's chakra course through his veins once again, the vast forestry lit up before his eyes.
'Okay, this place still freaks me out,' Naruto thought, as a rustling could be heard in the bushes next to him. Solely on instinct, Naruto flung a kunai into the bushes, before a rabbit came running out seconds later. 'I'm getting a strange sense of Deja Vu...'
Before Naruto was able to proceed further, two grotesque and towering demons burst out of the bushes, one of them biting a severed arm.
"That one's mine!" One of the demons yelled, pointing at Naruto.
Realizing the situation immediately, Naruto unsheathed his tanto, before assuming his usual reverse grip. Without further warning, the demons rushed towards Naruto, who placed his right leg behind his left one.
"Hold it!" A voice suddenly called out, as the demons stopped in their tracks. Naruto turned his head, only to see a boy with one arm point a katana towards the demons. "You two will pay for my arm-"
Before the boy was able to finish, the demon dashed forwards, before crushing the boy's head under the weight of his hand. Naruto's eyes widened as blood dripped down the demon's fingers.
"Don't worry..." The demon stated, "You're next..."
Naruto took a deep breath, before dashing towards the front demon, before slashing upwards in an arc, lighting up the area with golden flames left in his path, slicing the demon straight up the middle before he slashed at the remnants of the demon's neck. Now decapitated, the demon crumbled into dust, before being blown into the night air.
'Fox Flame Breathing, Third Form: Ancient Flames,' Naruto thought as he stared at the remaining demon.
The last demon fell to the ground, before Naruto swiftly beheaded it, causing it to crumble into dust. As the ashes of the defeated demon slowly blew into the air, Naruto turned towards the corpse of his fellow participant. Naruto walked over, before plunging the dead participant's katana into the ground in front of the boy's corpse.
'May you rest in peace...' Naruto thought, before walking away.
-Night Four-
Naruto tore his right sleeve off of his kimono, before holding up his tanto against six demons.
'This is starting to get exhausting...' Naruto thought, 'With or without Kurama...'
"Don't worry, boy..." One of the demons mocked, "We'll make sure you'll be divided equally..."
"That won't be a problem..." Naruto stated, gritting his teeth. 'Time to invent my fourth form!'
Suddenly, three clones of Naruto appeared next to the original. The three clones held up their tantos, before rushing towards the demons. As the demons were distracted, Naruto pulled out four tri-pronged kunai, before flinging all of them into the surrounding area, all of them embedding themselves into the trees and the ground. As the final clone was dispersed, the demons turned towards Naruto, only to realize the blonde's disappearance.
Suddenly, Naruto appeared behind one of the demons, before beheading it with a diagonal slash, leaving behind a trace of orange flames in its path. As the demons turned towards their fallen brethren, Naruto vanished once more. Suddenly, Naruto appeared behind another one of the demons, before imposing upon it the same fate as the first demon. As the fifth demon dispersed into ash, Naruto appeared in front of the final demon.
"Don't get cocky, kid!" The demon roared, lunging forwards only for Naruto to vanish before his eyes.
"I'm not getting cocky," Naruto stated seriously, before beheading the demon, leaving behind a large trail of orange flames.
As the ashes from the defeated demons began to blow into the air, Naruto sheathed his tanto, before beginning to pick up all the tri-pronged kunai.
'I couldn't perform it perfectly... Nor did I manage to do what I was intending to...' Naruto thought, 'I guess I'll call it... Fox Flame Breathing, Fourth Form: Imperfect Sparks... Yes, that'll do."
-Final Night-
Naruto held a tri-pronged kunai in his teeth, as he perched atop a tree branch, staring down at an abnormal demon, one larger than the ones he had faced prior, with it chewing on a severed leg of a fellow participant.
'This one's a large one...' Naruto thought as he felt Kurama's chakra pulse through his veins, pumping more energy into his blood. 'How many hours has it been, Kurama?'
"Don't you know yourself?" Kurama asked.
'I lost count,' Naruto replied mentally, scratching the back of his head in real life.
"It's been fifty-five hours..." Kurama stated, "According to the weird rules of this forest... You need to only survive one hour more... If I were you, I would skip this demon... He might cause unnecessary hassle..."
'I know...' Naruto stated mentally, 'But I can't just leave it be, I need to ensure that as many people as possible survive.'
"Suit yourself... I'd better not have to save your ass if you lose..." Kurama stated, disappearing once again into Naruto's mindscape. 'Ah, who am I kidding, I'll save him if need be...'
Without further delay, Naruto lept down next to the demon, noticing its six arms behind its back.
"And another one delivers himself..." The demon stated, "Tell me... What year is it? 1880?"
"It's currently 1921," Naruto stated.
The demon's eyes widened, before uprooting a tree in its uncontrollable rage. Naruto readied himself, before backflipping out of the way of an oncoming tree. Landing on his feet, Naruto unsheathed his tanto, once again assuming his reverse grip.
"Damn you Demon Slayers..." The demon grumbled, "Trapping me here for over four decades... And you call us evil?!"
"You eat humans!" Naruto yelled back.
"The ends justify the means..." The demon muttered, "And for you... I am your end."
The demon rushed towards Naruto, grabbing the blonde by the neck before slamming him into a tree. Not wanting a repeat of the blow, Naruto formed a spiraling sphere of blue chakra in his palm.
'Rasengan!' Naruto thought, as he slammed the sphere into the demon's wrist, completely obliterating it.
Seconds after Naruto got free from the demon's grasp, the demon regrew his arm. Naruto lept into the air, before slashing several times, cutting off all of the demon's arms, leaving behind several red flames in his path.
'Fox Flame Breathing, Second Form: Hellfire,' Naruto chanted to himself, only to see the demon regrow all of his arms. 'That didn't work... What was I thinking again? I need to find a way to decapitate it.'
"Kit, I have an idea..." Kurama whispered.
The demon began to rush towards Naruto, as Naruto stabbed himself in the hand, causing the demon to stop dead in his tracks. Naruto dangled his bloodied arm in front of the demon.
"You like blood, don't you?" Naruto asked rhetorically, "Here, have a taste of mine."
Naruto flicked his wrist forward, causing several drops of his Kurama-Chakra-infused blood to fall into the demon's mouth. The demon licked his lips, only for his eyes to widen, before he fell to the ground, with his arms falling off and crumbling into dust.
"What... What are you?" The demon demanded to know, as his torso detached itself from his lower body.
Naruto didn't answer, and walked away, just as the rest of the demon's body crumbled into dust.
'What was that, Kurama?' Naruto asked.
"I... Don't know..." Kurama stated, "I just thought it was worth a shot... From what I saw... The demon's tissues and bones melted from the inside out... Causing him to die... Very painfully..."
-An Hour Later(Gate to the Forest)-
Naruto emerged from the forest, alone, as the two figures went to greet him.
"Congratulations..." The blonde figure stated, "You, out of twenty-one participants... Have survived the seven days..."
"What do I do now?" Naruto asked, "Do I just start killing demons?"
"Not so fast..." The black-haired figure replied, "You must first pay for the cost of your uniform... Of which you will need to get your body measured... Before your rank can be engraved on the back of the uniform..."
"There are ten tanks in total..." The blonde figure continued, "From 10th to 1st... You are now at the lowest level, 10th. Now... You will have to choose a chunk of Nichirin Alloy... The type of which will be used to forge your blade... To your desired design specifications... It will be delivered to you in ten days..."
"Finally, you will now have a Kasugaigarasu Crow following you..." The black-haired figure stated as a crow perched itself on Naruto's shoulder, "These crows serve as the most basic form of communication between members of the Demon Slayer Corps... Now, if you don't mind, please select your desired alloy..."
-Rengoku Household(Ten Days Later)-
"I still can't believe that time has gone by this fast, Naruto," Kyojuro stated, as Naruto tried on his new uniform. "I'm proud of you, and of your accomplishments, Naruto."
"Thank you, Rengoku-sensei," Naruto replied, as Mitsuri walked over.
"Have you received your first mission yet, Naruto-Kun?" Mitsuri asked.
"Not yet, Mitsuri-chan... But I assume I will be getting it in a few hours..." Naruto stated as he unraveled the sheet over his Nichirin Sword, revealing a long blade of a ninjato, with a circular-shaped guard with 4 slight indentations, a black center, a golden border, and a golden handle.
"Wow... That's one beautiful sword..." Mitsuri acknowledged.
"Wait, Naruto," Kyojuro stated, "Hold up your sword, see if it changes color..."
Naruto gripped the handle of his sword tightly, as the slightly grey coloration of the blade slowly morphed into one of deep orange with hints of gold within it.
"Wait... That color's not in the book-" Naruto exclaimed.
"Don't worry, that's usually what happens when new Breathing Forms are invented," Mitsuri explained, "Mine turned pink."
Before Naruto could carry on the conversation, his assigned crow perched on his shoulder, with a note tied to its leg.
"Seems like it's the time!" Naruto acknowledged, "Alright guys, I'll see you when I get back!"
Naruto ran out of the household, leaving behind Mitsuri and Kyojuro.
"He's energetic, isn't he?" Kyojuro asked.
"I just hope he'll be fine..." Mitsuri stated, "Beginners as excited as him usually end up dead..."
"He'll be fine..." Kyojuro assured.
On the balcony of the house, Shinjuro Rengoku watched on as Naruto ran off into the distance. He grunted, before taking a sip of his sake.
"What a shame..." Shinjuro murmured, "Another good man wasted..."
Author's Notes 2: So, I would like to give a massive thank you to Nicholas, for the idea of making demons react negatively with Kurama's chakra. Also, a large thank you to Nobodyufgs for the blade design. Besides that, I hope you all have a nice day or night, I'm out.