Author Note: Hey everyone, I am back and posting once more. Hopefully I will be able to keep it up and my university work doesn't get too stressful just yet. Read and Review! Tell me about any typos you find as well, so that I can correct them.
"Human Speech"
'Human Thoughts'
"Bijuu/Jutsu Speech"
'Bijuu/Jutsu Thoughts'
Chapter 10: Chuunin Exams Part 2
Sakura and Sasuke opened their eyes to find themselves in their lab, with Naruto writing furiously in a notebook.
"W-What happened?" Sakura asked hoarsely.
"Orochimaru infected you both with his Juinjutsu (Curse Seal)," Naruto said. "I am analyzing them to see if I can remove them…or even better – remove the corrupting influence."
"What is this Juinjutsu?" Sasuke asked.
"It is basically something Orochimaru uses on his minions to increase their loyalty to him and empower them. According to some of the notes I found here about the early stages of Orochimaru's research into the Juinjutsu, there are two types – the Ten no Juin (Curse Seal of Heaven) and the Chi no Juin (Curse Seal of Earth)," Naruto said. "Sasuke seems to have the Ten no Juin while Sakura seems to have the Chi no Juin."
"What are the differences?" Sakura asked.
"Ten No Juin increases one's Chakra reserves and Ninjutsu potency, while the Chi no Juin increases one's physical strength, speed, and durability. Both Juinjutsu act as multipliers of pre-existing ability, increasing it by an approximate exponent of two. The Juinjutsu also contain enslavement seals that strengthen each time the Juinjutsu are used," Naruto said. "However, they do have something extra in them besides the multiplier ability and the enslavement thing. I must consult with the foxes about this."
"Can you remove them? I don't want any power from Orochimaru," Sasuke said with a shudder.
"Not quite yet. I found serum containing someone's DNA, as well as addictive drugs in both of your Juinjutsu. I need to consult with Ino about this soon. She should be on her way, as I did call her through our communicator seals," Naruto said. He put communicator seals on the members of Kasei (including himself), as well as locator seals so that they would be able to find each other. The communicator seals were quite primitive – they would simply warm up slightly when activated – but that was enough for now.
"In the meantime, let's consult Inarihime-sama," Naruto said, as he Gyaku Kuchiyosed away with Sasuke and Sakura.
"Inarihime-sama, could you identify the component seals on these two please?" Naruto asked.
"What happened to them, Naruto?" Inarihime asked.
"They were attacked by Orochimaru," Naruto said.
"Did he mark them with his Juinjutsu?" Inarihime asked.
"He did," Naruto said. "I identified the multiplier seals, the serum, and the enslavement seals, but there is something I cannot figure out."
"Hmm…let me take a look," Inarihime said. "I normally would not do such a favor, but this is serious enough to warrant my attention."
Inarihime poked around the seals and whispered to herself quietly, much to the discomfort of Sasuke and Sakura, before her face scrunched up in a frown.
"Naruto, what do you know about Senjutsu?" Inarihime asked.
"Not too much, but I have heard about it, yes," Naruto said. "Is that what's powering the multipliers?"
"To put it simply, yes. The DNA serum that you mentioned seems to be capable of passively collecting Nature Chakra and converting the marked Shinobi's Chakra to Senjutsu Chakra once the Juinjutsu is activated. That seems to be what's increasing the Juinjutsu user's power." Inarihime said.
"Wow…that's pretty amazing," Naruto said.
"Right. I suppose that's all you needed then," Inarihime said.
"Yes, thank you, Inarihime-sama," Naruto said, before he Gyaku Kuchiyosed back to the lab with Sasuke and Sakura in a tow. Just as he set Sasuke and Sakura back down on their beds, Ino walked into the room.
"What have you called me for, Naruto? I told my teammates that I went scouting for teams that we can attack, but they will worry if I remain away for two long," Ino said.
"What scroll do you need?" Naruto asked.
"The heaven scroll," Ino said.
"Oh, perfect, we have an extra," Naruto said.
"I normally wouldn't accept this as I haven't worked for it, but the exam has been disappointingly easy so far. I want to get back to training as quickly as possible," Ino said, taking the scroll.
"Right, so anyways I need your help," Naruto said, as he explained about the Juinjutsu that Orochimaru had applied to Sasuke and Sakura.
"Ah, good that you waited to call me," Ino said, as she sanitized her hands and began examining the Juinjutsu. She extracted small samples of the serums used in each Juinjutsu and studied the DNA. Seeing her confused expression, Naruto explained to her about what Inarihime said about Senjutsu.
"This is amazing, Naruto," Ino said with wide eyes, before turning to Sakura and Sasuke. "I know you wouldn't like some random person's DNA floating around your systems, but this Juinjutsu will be an excellent place holder for the ability to draw in Nature Energy until we figure out how to do it without its aid. Naruto and I will modify it first, of course, to remove the negative side effects of using it, as well as the enslavement stuff."
The pair got to work as Sakura and Sasuke watched in wonder. Naruto and Ino would truly be great someday. Naruto designed an experimental seal and Ino replicated the DNA in the serum and created cleaner, drug-free serum that still contained some of Orochimaru's soul in it, as this was what catalyzed the creation of Snake Senjutsu Chakra.
However, Naruto had corrupted Orochimaru's soul (or improved it, as he would say) by mixing it with demonic Chakra of the Kyuubi until it was tortured so much that it only retained its primary function of converting Nature Energy. This was the part that was the most imprecise and needed to be tweaked the most.
They then brought in some Shinobi who had been stupid enough to attack them. They had first tested the new Juinjutsu on some crazy civilians, but they had too little Chakra and were instantly overwhelmed by the new formula.
After several tests and modifications, Naruto and Ino created a formula that successfully bounded to nine out of ten Shinobi. Even the one failed case did not die but was in severe pain until the Juinjutsu was removed. Naruto also added an invisibility and concealment array to the formula to make it undetectable, even when in use.
Ino and Naruto injected this formula into both Sakura and Sasuke, after carefully removing the ones that Orochimaru put on them. It was far riskier to edit the Juinjutsu while it was still on the person than to replace it, which was why Naruto chose to do the latter. Satisfied with the results on Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto and Ino injected the formula into themselves as well, with very favorable results.
The four tried activating their Juinjutsu and felt a surge of power. However, this power did not feel foreign – it felt as if it was their own. They were also not impulsive, as they would have been if they used the original Juinjutsu. Calling the project a success, Naruto simply painted a small seal on Sasuke's and Sakura's necks that contained some of Orochimaru's Chakra mixed with the Kyuubi's to amplify its malignant aura. He and Ino had injected the new Juinjutsu into all of their abdomens, so that they would be more concealed, and so that he could create decoy seals on Sakura and Sasuke to avoid Orochimaru's suspicion.
"There, all done. Let's get to the tower now," Naruto said.
"Thank you, Naruto, Ino," Sasuke said. "I don't know how to repay you both."
"Well you both do have your uses – your own specializations," Naruto said, earning a slap to the back of the head by Ino.
"Baka! What did I tell you about seeing your friends as resources?" she rebuked.
"I'm sorry," Naruto said, causing Sakura and Sasuke to look at him weirdly. Naruto never apologized to anyone – unless it was to get something from them, or he absolutely had to.
Seeing their expressions, Naruto sighed as he turned to them. "I recently realized that even though we have been through so much together, I only considered you all to be a means to an end – the end being to become very powerful and point the middle finger in the faces of those who look down on civilian-born Shinobi. Our relationship in my eyes was an alliance – not a friendship. However, what you both did for me, Sasuke and Ino, while I was unable to come to the academy because of my ailment, got me thinking," Naruto said, looking at the two he referred to.
"Why would you two take care of me and fill in for me at the academy with no guarantee of me recovering successfully? It would have been so much easier to forget about me and use the lab to your benefit. I figured out a short while ago that you two did that because you actually care for me. I then tried to put myself in your shoes and think if I would do the same for you both, and I felt extremely guilty in the scenarios where I pictured myself abandoning you in your time of need. It was then that I realized that I no longer considered you all as expendable – even you, Sakura, even though you haven't been part of our group for long. I realized that you were all invaluable comrades and amazing friends. I had a long conversation with Ino about this not too long ago. Even before that, my feelings towards you all slipped out when I squeezed information out of Haku," Naruto said, bringing tears to the eyes of his friends, who were touched by his words.
The three glomped him at the same time to hug him. "OOF!" he exclaimed, as he was knocked back a little from the impact. "Alright, alright, I get it – bring it in guys," Naruto said as he hugged them, as he himself teared up a little.
'I wonder…is this what it's like to have a family?' he thought fondly.
A few hours later, Team Seven parted ways with Ino, who ran back to where her team was camping out. Team Seven then continued on a leisurely pace as they made their way to the tower. They got into a few more scuffles on the way, but nothing too serious – although they did keep the scrolls.
Once Team Seven got to the tower, they opened their scrolls and summoned Iruka. Iruka, while not very close with Naruto, started to sympathize with the boy over time – although there was something off about him besides the Kyuubi. Iruka could never put a finger on it though.
"Ah, I see you three have made it. Excellent job, Team Seven," he said, as he directed them to the rooms in which they would be staying until the next stage.
"Iruka-sensei, could you please call Hokage-sama? We have something important to tell him," Naruto said. Iruka nodded and called the Hokage, who arrived after a minute or so.
"What is it, Naruto-kun? Iruka-kun said that you needed to tell me something?" the Sandaime asked.
"We were attacked by Orochimaru in the forest. He bit Sasuke and Sakura and left some weird markings on them," Naruto said.
"I see. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Naruto-kun. Was there anything else you three found that seemed suspicious? Ibiki has already informed me about Kabuto," the Sandaime said.
"The unstable Jinchuriki of the Ichibi is a participant in the Chuunin Exams. He seems ready to snap and unleash the fury of the Ichibi at any moment. I think that Suna may be planning something," Naruto said. "Also, did you capture Kabuto?"
"No, that might make Orochimaru hasten his plans and strike us when we are unprepared," the Hokage said.
"But in his haste, he wouldn't be able to mobilize as many forces as he normally would. You can also look into capturing any Oto Shinobi and Konoha Shinobi with suspicious records. This way, his forces will be cut at the legs," Naruto suggested.
"You do make a fair point, Naruto-kun, perhaps I should make you Hokage," the Sandaime joked. "But in all seriousness your idea does have merit. I shall also send a letter to the Kazekage that I will have his son's seal assessed. If it fails to meet our standards, we don't get permission, or I don't get a response, I will have the boy sent back to Suna," the Sandaime said.
Naruto nodded and got on with the day. Sometime later, Ino entered the room as she wanted to stay with them. When Sakura explained that there were only three beds, Ino winked at Naruto and suggested that she sleeps with him.
Naruto was only too happy with this suggestion and scooted to make room for Ino, who pouted at not being able to fluster him. Sasuke, who by now had gotten over his crush on Ino (there was some moral incompatibility), winked at Naruto, who winked back as he slung an arm around Ino's shoulders.
After a few days, the Sandaime said that the Ichibi Jinchuriki had been collected and taken back to Suna, although the Kazekage didn't seem to like what the Hokage forced him to do. He did, however, insist that his other two children continue to participate in the exams – which obviously was to ensure that he was allowed to spectate in the final round.
Finally, it was the day of the preliminary stage of the finals of the Chuunin Exams. The number of remaining teams was quite below half of the number of teams that were there to start with. This was because several teams were either from the Oto village or had suspicious records and were interrogated, only to be found guilty of being spies and promptly executed – even Kabuto.
With Orochimaru
"Hmm…are they on to me and my plan? I suppose it was unwise of me to show myself in this village to those Genin so long before my invasion plans. I didn't expect dear old sensei to be so proactive in neutralizing my forces. He is even having his ANBU rigorously search and question anyone who enters or exits the village. No matter. If sending my forces directly to Konoha and planting them among the audience isn't an option, I'll figure out another way," Orochimaru said to himself.
He hoped that Kabuto would have the sense not to get caught as a spy, but this was unfortunately not the case. Orochimaru was disappointed – he had high hopes on the budding combat-medic. He headed to one of his many bases to strengthen his forces. Perhaps he would have to use some of his marked test subjects. And he would need that idiot Kazekage to stay alive as well.
Back With the Assembled Genin
The Hokage addressed the Genin who made it past the first two stages of the exam. "Welcome, Genin, to the third and final stage of the Chuunin Exams. Unfortunately, we have too many participants currently and want to cut down the numbers. Hence, we have decided on having you all participate in a preliminary stage which will eliminate half of you. With that being said, however, if myself and the other judges feel as if you performed admirably despite your loss in the preliminaries, we will consider moving you up to the final round regardless," the Sandaime announced.
"May I take it from here, Hokage-sama?" a man asked hoarsely. After the Hokage nodded in assent, this man introduced himself as Hayate Gekkou, before he explained the rules of the preliminaries – amidst copious amounts of coughing.
As Naruto checked out the competition, he saw that besides the Konoha and Suna teams, there was only one other team – the Ame team. One of its members seemed to have dropped out after the second stage, however.
Soon, Hayate had started the preliminaries by announcing the first match. "Temari and Oboro Arashi, please come to the arena," he said.
Temari vs Oboro Arashi
Once the Genin in question had arrived, the match had started. "Oboro Bunshin no Jutsu (Haze Clone Technique)!" Oboro shouted, as several copies of him burst out all over the arena.
Temari had a tough time deciding who was the real one, so she simply growled and swung her fan in a circle and eliminated everything, including the Ame Genin, who crashed into the wall of the arena with a sickening crunch. Needless to say, he was carted off the arena by medics and Temari was announced the winner.
Shino Aburame vs Kasumi Kasa
Once the battle started, Shino unleashed a few of the smallest kikaichu in his hives to latch on to the Ame Genin and deplete her Chakra. He then launched an offensive with many of his bugs, attacking the girl in a pincer formation.
The Kasumi opened her umbrella and channeled Fuuton Chakra into it to levitate in the air, as she spun it, throwing senbon at the bugs with deadly accuracy. Fortunately for Shino, she didn't notice the smaller kikaichu that he snuck in.
"As you can see, your bugs are useless here. Want to give up?" Kasumi said arrogantly.
"It would be illogical to give up now. Why, because I haven't demonstrated my full abilities," Shino said, as he released another swarm of kikaichu. Unknown to Kasumi, some of the kikaichu remained in her umbrella.
This led to her being confused when she couldn't take all the bugs out this time. Some of them attacked her, causing her to use a small Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Fireball Technique) to burn up the remaining. However, a few more stayed behind in her umbrella, as they slowly made their way onto her skin.
As the battle progressed, Kasumi grew very tired very quickly. "Ah, it seems my kikaichu have taken effect. It would be most illogical for you to proceed, Shino said, as he dissolved into a massive swarm of bugs that rushed Kasumi, who barely had the energy to stand.
"That was my Mushi Bunshin (Bug Clone). Forfeit, or I start cutting," Shino said, as he held a kunai to the girl's neck.
"I forfeit," Kasumi said bitterly.
Sakura Haruno vs Shikamaru Nara
"Stay focused – even if it seems like you're winning – Shikamaru will be a difficult opponent," Naruto told Sakura, as she nodded and went to the arena.
"I have to fight a girl…how troublesome," Shikamaru said, as he stretched out lazily.
'He's trying to rile me up…or those are his real feelings,' Sakura thought as she sweat-dropped. 'Either way it's best to not let him get to me.'
"Hajime!" Hayate said, as Sakura Shunshinned to Shikamaru to punch him and avoid giving him a chance to think. The longer Shikamaru remained on the battlefield, the more dangerous he became.
Shikamaru, though he didn't anticipate Sakura's proactivity, was able to move slightly so that the impact was on his shoulder rather than his head.
"Kage Mane no Jutsu (Shadow Possession Technique)!" he said as his hands made a Ne (Rat) seal. His shadow rapidly approached Sakura, who jumped away and Shunshinned back to him, with Chakra Scalpels covering her hands.
Shikamaru's eyes widened. He didn't know what those things on Sakura's hands were, but he was smart enough to know that any contact with them was a bad idea.
'What's with this girl always getting up in my face. I really need to learn how to think on my feet better, and probably some Taijutsu…troublesome,' Shikamaru thought as he groaned. He tried to make a Ne seal but he was too slow. Sakura hit his wrist with a Chakra Scalpel, causing him to be unable to use it anymore.
As Shikamaru was distracted by the pain, Sakura quickly hit both of his ankles, severing his Achilles tendons.
"Do you forfeit?" Sakura asked, holding a kunai to Shikamaru's throat. Shikamaru grumbled that it would be troublesome to continue anyway and forfeited.
(A/N: I realize that some of you will be disappointed with how I handled Shikamaru in this story, but unfortunately for him, Shinobi don't wait around for their opponent to finish thinking up a strategy. While he is very smart and a cut above his peers, he doesn't have much versatility – which would normally be his undoing. Any fights he won in the anime were won either because he had a lot of preparation time or because his opponent was not the type to fight close range. I feel that this way he will get some better character development.)
Kiba Inuzuka vs Chouji Akimichi
After the proctor announced the start of the match, Chouji quickly transformed into a Nikudan Sensha (Human Boulder) and charged at Kiba, who used the Shikyaku no Jutsu (Beast Imitation Technique) for better maneuverability.
Kiba hoped that Chouji would tire himself out and become dizzy. However, Kiba was starting to tire out as Chouji continued to chase him. He then remembered to use his smoke bombs to impair Chouji's vision of him…however he managed to see him. He would then simply smell Chouji if he ever managed to approach him and escape.
Kiba's plan worked, and Chouji, seeing no point in continuing to waste energy, got back to his feet and enlarged his whole body until it was several times larger than Kiba.
Kiba was shit scared at this point. Sure he was strong (or so he believed) against regular Shinobi – not fucking giants.
Chouji took a massive breath of air and blew it in all directions around him, clearing the smoke.
In this time, Kiba mustered up the courage to continue and used the Jujin Bunshin no Jutsu (Man-Beast Clone Technique) to turn himself and Akamaru into feral versions of himself.
"Gatsuuga!" he yelled, as he and Akamaru torpedoed towards Chouji, who batted them away with his hands. Kiba and Akamaru went crashing into the arena walls, as the proctor announced Chouji's win.
When Chouji saw how strong Ino was, he had also upped his training, not wanting to be dead weight. Shikamaru was satisfied with the level he was already at and preferred to laze around and play shogi, but Chouji was inspired by Ino and worked hard to try and catch up with her.
Ino was a little strange, as she skipped all team training sessions and only joined them on missions, yet she was the strongest in the Genin cell. However, this didn't deter Chouji from trying to better himself. He also stopped wearing his headband like a thong over his head – that was ridiculous.
Sasuke Uchiha vs Kankurou
'This will be pretty easy,' Sasuke and Kankurou thought simultaneously, although only one of them was right.
Before Kankurou could even do anything, Sasuke blurred through hand seals and shouted "Katon: Karyuu Endan (Fire Release: Dragon Flame Projectile)!"
A massive torrent of white-hot flames exited his mouth and burned both the puppet and Kankurou, who managed to Kawarimi just in time before there were no remains of him left.
Kankurou struggled to even stay conscious. His skin was charred in several places and blistered in others. The proctor quickly announced Sasuke as the winner and had Kankurou carted off to the hospital.
Temari, who was in the crowd, looked furious at Sasuke, as tears rolled down her cheek. She was about to kill the little motherfucker, before it kicked in that she wouldn't be allowed to try anything as it was not her match. She couldn't wait for the invasion so that she could get some payback from the raven-haired boy.
Sasuke smirked at her as he walked back up to his team. "Real Shinobi don't play with dolls," he taunted. Temari barely restrained herself from reacting – the invasion will happen soon, she reminded herself.
"Nice, you didn't even need the Sharingan," Naruto congratulated his teammate, who let out an arrogant "Hn".
Hinata Hyuuga vs Neji Hyuuga
(A/N: Same as Canon)
Ino Yamanaka vs Tenten Kajiya
"Do you guys know anything about her?" Ino asked the other Kasei members.
"I met her when I met up with Gai-sensei to check out what team he got. She is proficient in weapon use, but she tends to be a little…wasteful with them," Naruto said, as Ino walked to the stage slightly confused.
The proctor started the match and Tenten threw a volley of kunai from a scroll at Ino, who managed to dodge with mild effort.
'I see…that's what Naruto meant when he said she was wasteful. Well, weapons don't travel as fast under water, now do they?' Ino thought, as she used Suiton to channel ground water to the surface.
"Take this!" Tenten shouted, as she unleashed a siege of weapons that covered an even wider area than before.
"Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall)," Ino said, as streams of water from underground converged in front of her to create a wall.
Tenten grunted angrily as she quickly ran around Ino to get a better angle.
'Now!' Ino thought, as she channeled massive amounts of water to the surface.
"Suiton: Suishouha (Water Release: Water Colliding Waves)!" Ino yelled as enough water to fill a pond emerged from the ground rapidly and explosively.
Tenten tried to dodge, but the violent waves approached too fast and washed her into the arena walls, knocking her out and drowning her slightly. Ino then directed most of the water back into the ground.
The people of the audience were gob smacked. How were these kids Genin. The Hokage was also amazed. It seemed like Naruto and his friends were going to outperform everyone in these exams.
'I certainly wasn't that strong as a Genin…or even as a Chuunin,' Orochimaru, who was secretly spectating, thought sourly.
Naruto Kazama vs Rock Lee
"Fuck!" Naruto exclaimed.
"What's the matter Naruto?" Ino asked.
"Gai-sensei said that Lee had an even steeper learning curve than I did when it comes to Taijutsu. I have to remove my resistance seals for this match," Naruto said, as he discreetly deactivated his resistance seals. These were what Naruto used to be able to reach Jounin-level speed and skill in Taijutsu in such a short amount of time.
"I can't detect a lot of Chakra from him with my Sharingan," Sasuke frowned. There was not a lot of blue in Lee.
"That's because he can't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, so he only trains his Taijutsu," Naruto said anxiously, before he noticed something. "Hey Sasuke, when did you get your third tomoes?" Naruto asked.
"I did? Things were going so fast that I didn't notice. It was probably during my fight with Orochimaru," Sasuke said.
"Anyways you better get going, Naruto. You have a match to win," Sakura said.
Naruto quickly made his way to the stage and greeted Lee.
"I normally would offer you a strict Taijutsu match out of good faith, but I know my limits," Naruto said, holding out a hand for Lee to shake.
"Yosh! That is not a problem, my eternal rival! Your youth still shines as brightly as mine!" Lee said, giving Naruto a thumbs up.
'Such positivity – no one can dislike this guy,' Naruto thought, although he personally felt that the behavior was a little excessive.
As the proctor started the match, Lee rushed Naruto with Chuunin-level speeds as Naruto blocked all his maneuvers.
"You should have taken your weights off, Lee," Naruto said, as he knocked Lee back. Lee simply smirked and blurred in front of Naruto with high Jounin level speeds – faster than Naruto.
This caught Naruto off-guard as Lee did a Konoha Senpuu and kicked Naruto hard in the torso – or he thought he did. He was surprised when his foot passed straight through. 'Genjutsu,' he thought, as he tried to dispel it. Once he did, he was shocked to feel Naruto's foot smash against his head.
Naruto then grabbed Lee's wrist and bound him with a Fuinjutsu array.
"Do you forfeit, Lee?" Naruto asked, but Lee started to grow redder and redder as a green aura encapsulated him.
"AARGH!" Lee yelled as he broke free from the Fuinjutsu's hold on him with pure brute force, much to Naruto's surprise.
'Is he a Jinchuriki?' Naruto thought, unaware of the Hachimon (Eight Gates). Naruto tried a Genjutsu again – the Magen: Kokuangyo no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Bringer of Darkness) – Lee immediately broke out and sped towards Naruto faster than he could detect and kicked him into the arena walls.
'I think one of my ribs is broken,' Naruto thought. He suddenly had an idea. He used the Doton: Dochuu Eigyou no Jutsu (Earth Release: Underground Fish Projection Technique) to move himself underground.
'He has to tire out at some point," Naruto thought nervously. He projected himself to another point underground as he sensed Lee above him. He decided that moving was a good decision once he heard the loud boom where he once was and felt the ground shake.
Lee kept punching the ground around the arena and Naruto kept avoiding him – much like a game of whack-a-mole.
Soon, Naruto proved to be right, and Lee had tired himself out until he reverted to his usual state. He froze as he felt the cold blade of a kunai on his throat.
"Do you forfeit?" Naruto asked. Lee looked devastated as he admitted defeat. Naruto almost felt bad for beating him…almost.
Finally, the preliminaries were over and the Hokage called all the winners to a room wherein they drew lots to decide the next matches.
"Here are the matches for the final stage of the Chuunin Exams," the Sandaime started to announce. "Ino Yamanaka vs Sasuke Uchiha, Shino Aburame vs Sakura Haruno, Naruto Kazama vs Neji Hyuuga, and Temari vs Chouji Akimichi."
Ino and Sasuke looked at each other challengingly. Sakura glanced at Shino, who stared at her impassively (or he was just staring into blank space – no one could really tell with the glasses). Chouji looked at Temari, who scoffed. Naruto, who had healed his rib by now, nodded at Neji, who scowled. Today was a very rude awakening for Naruto. No matter how strong he got, people faster than him were very dangerous. He decided to ask Gai-sensei about the Hachimon that he found out Lee was using.
"Alright – you all now have a month-long break to train in preparation for your matches. Dismissed," the Sandaime said, as they all filed out.
"Team Seven and Ino please stay behind," the Hokage ordered.
"Can we do something for you, Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked.
"You have all demonstrated some skills that I didn't expect you to know. Neither Kakashi nor Asuma informed me that you are all so skilled," the Sandaime commented. Seeing that they seemed a little uncomfortable, he reassured them.
"Oh no, no, don't get me wrong – I am proud of your progress. But why haven't you told me about your skills?" the Sandaime asked.
"Hokage-sama, you remember how Naruto is the Kyuubi Jinchuriki, right?" Sasuke said, causing the Hokage to nod. "Imagine how the village would have felt if they knew that he was strong?"
"Then why did you all reveal your strength today?" the Hokage asked.
"There is more where that came from, Hokage-sama. I admit, Lee had caught me off-guard, but I have several more ways to protect myself up my sleeve," Naruto said.
"I am happy that you are so resourceful, Naruto-kun, but I am curious as to where your little group learned some techniques you demonstrated," the Hokage said, more curiosity in his voice than accusation. "In particular, Ino used an S-Rank Suiton Ninjutsu today. Sasuke used a Katon: Karyuu Endan that's comparable to my own. And Naruto, you used Fuinjutsu."
Naruto made a conflicted-looking expression. The rest of Kasei had to hand it to him – he was a good actor. "Hokage-sama…when the Yondaime and Kushina Uzumaki sealed the Kyuubi in me, they also sealed a large amount of their Chakras. They wanted me to be strong and able to control the fox if he ever caused any mischief – that's why they taught me Fuinjutsu in my mindscape. As for Ino's jutsu, I had Zabuza give us the steps to perform the strongest ninjutsu he was capable of. I used Fuinjutsu to make him incapable of lying to us and threatened to kill him if he didn't give the jutsu," Naruto said. "And Sasuke learned his Katon: Karyuu Endan from the Uchiha Clan Library."
The Hokage took a moment to absorb all this information. It must have been difficult for a civilian-born boy like Naruto to control himself from giving in to the Kyuubi's manipulations. However, he was worried about the lengths Naruto was willing to go to for power. Even if Zabuza was an enemy, the fact that Naruto was willing to kill him for power was worrisome.
Also, he was getting reports about the odd behaviors of Naruto and his group of friends from ANBU. They disappeared many times for several hours on end. Even the best sensors were unable to detect them.
"Before I dismiss you all, is there anything else you want to let me know?" the Hokage asked.
Naruto thought, and decided it was best to tell the old man about the Fox Contract as well. He had a feeling it was going to come out during the invasion, and in case the Hokage didn't die, he didn't want to give him reason to suspect him more than he might already.
"I have one more thing to say…I need you to promise not to judge me for it. Don't worry – it's nothing illegal, at least as far as I know," Naruto said tentatively.
"What is it, Naruto-kun. Don't worry – if you're not doing anything wrong, I won't say or think anything of it," the Hokage promised. Naruto proceeded to tell him about the Fox Contract and how he got it, leaving out pieces of the story that he didn't want to get out – like the whole Kyuubi situation.
After the group was dismissed and they made it back to the lab, Sakura turned to Naruto. "He seems to care a lot for you," she said.
"He does, but as soon as he figures out that the Kyuubi is no longer within me, I will become expendable in his eyes – like the Uzumaki Clan and Hizashi Hyuuga. If my sacrifice is necessary to avoid war, he will take it. e may be morally good, but he is not a good Hokage. He is also onto us. He needs to die, and I am counting on Orochimaru for that," Naruto said.
"Why did you give the Sandaime ideas on how to neutralize him then?" Sasuke asked. He also didn't like the Sandaime much and had an inkling that he had a hand in the Uchiha massacre. If he could off one clan, why not another?
"It would make Orochimaru more unpredictable this way. Think about it – with all his spies and forces in Konoha gone, He wouldn't stick to his usual methods," Naruto said.
"While that idea has some semblance of merit, it's a flimsy excuse. You can admit that you didn't think about having the Sandaime killed earlier in the tower, Naruto. You decided for that to happen only after the last meeting with him," Ino said.
"I guess so," Naruto scowled, slightly embarrassed. "Anyways, we cannot go through with this idea if we don't have a good idea as to who the next Hokage should be. If they are someone who we don't have much of a hold on, we can't allow the Sandaime to be killed."
"Am I the only one here somewhat disturbed by the idea of you guys trying to arrange the Hokage's death?" Sakura asked.
"He is on to us, Sakura – if he finds out what we have been doing, simple words from our mouths won't be enough to convince him to not execute us. Perhaps Sasuke and I can avoid that fate, as he is the village's last Uchiha and I am the Kyuubi Jinchuriki, but we won't let you and Ino die," Naruto said. "And whether I'll be spared is also questionable, as they may find out about how I removed the Kyuubi from my seal."
"I feel like we are being a little paranoid," Sakura said unsurely.
"Paranoia is the way of the Shinobi, Sakura," Sasuke said in what he thought was a wise way, at least until Naruto and Ino started laughing at the expression on his face.
"I guess I can see the point, but this is making me a little uncomfortable," Sakura said.
"Don't worry, I think we have reached the end of this discussion for now. Now, about training – do we all want to do it in secret and on our own, or do we want to continue training as a group.
"We need to have some aces in our sleeves that the others don't know about, as the finals will have us face each other," Sasuke said. The others agreed with the sentiment.
"Alright then, take everything you need from the lab. Once we leave it today, I will place a seal on it that only opens if all four of us channel Chakra into it at the same time," Naruto said, as all of them Shunshinned to the places in the lab that contained the stuff they needed.
Naruto took the scrolls on the Uzumaki Hijutsu – Kongo Fuusa (Adamantine Chains). He also knew he needed to be faster – his battle with Lee was proof of that. He also had to ask Gai about the Hachimon – but that was after the Chuunin Exams, as Gai would want his own Genin to win the match, no matter how much he liked Naruto. Naruto supposed that until then, he could work on the Hiraishin. He didn't need the notes of the Yondaime on the jutsu, as it was first invented by the Nidaime Hokage – Tobirama Senju, meaning that it was on the Scroll of Sealing, which he took with him. Naruto was also planning on learning some techniques from the Fox Clan when he went to Kitsune Kouchi to renew his contract. This might overpack his schedule, but Naruto also wanted to get to work on learning some auditory Genjutsu.
Ino wanted to improve her Taijutsu and her mind techniques. She also wanted to learn some more Katon Ninjutsu, for which she took jutsu scrolls from the ones they collected all over the lab. She was already quite good with Suiton, but she needed some more versatility – especially since Sasuke was a Raiton user. Another thing she had planned was to experiment with Chakra-assisted strength. While her physical strength was already immense – Gai-sensei's training was no joke – it was no match for those who used Chakra to increase their strength. However, like in many cases, Chakra was a multiplier, meaning that the benefits of her natural strength would be increased by a factor of the amount of Chakra she used to Augment herself.
Sasuke planned to train his body to match the kinetic acuity of his three-tomoe Sharingan. He also wanted to train his Raiton affinity to give himself an edge over Ino, who predominantly used Suiton. He took the Raiton jutsu scrolls, as well as some scrolls for Sharingan-based Genjutsu. The Genjutsu was more of an extra thing he would do if he had the time, as Ino had several years of experience on him when it came to Genjutsu.
Sakura planned to start practicing her Ninjutsu now. After channeling some Chakra into a piece of Chakra affinity paper, she saw that the paper crumbled and broke in half as it crumbled. It seemed she had a Doton affinity with a very minor Fuuton affinity. She already knew the elemental manipulation exercises for Doton, so she just took a few scrolls for Doton Ninjutsu. Naruto seemed to have a favorite one – Doton: Dochuu Eigyou no Jutsu – and with good reason. That technique could be used to escape even a Bijuu-dama. Taking note of this fact, Sakura also took the scroll for that jutsu.
They all went to their respective residences outside the lab and began their training.
With Naruto
As Naruto was about to start training for the day, Senshi, his fox familiar, appeared in a poof beside him. She had grown quite a bit, with lithe, wiry muscles and soft fur that seemed charged with static electricity.
"It's time, Nii-san," Senshi said happily. Naruto smiled back at her and held out a hand, which Senshi took as she Gyaku Kuchiyosed back to Kitsune Kouchi with Naruto.
"Here to renew the contract, I take it?" Inarihime asked, as Naruto nodded.
Once the renewal was finished, Inarihime addressed Naruto. "Alright, Naruto. Now that you are officially our summoner, you may start learning our techniques. I normally would have given you several tests to deem you worthy, but your will to live and loyalty to the Fox Clan already tell me that about you."
"I am honored to be allowed to learn the Fox Clan techniques, Inarihime-sama," Naruto said. "Who will be teaching me and what will I learn first?" Naruto asked.
"Since you have already trained your Doton and Fuuton abilities, I think it's best to first teach you a collaboration jutsu – Musei Idou (Silent Step). This is not a Jiton (Magnet Release) technique, but you simply use Doton for the purpose of lightening your steps and Fuuton for negating any movement of the surroundings caused by your movement. It takes extremely precise Chakra control to do, but with the way you trained, I am sure you can master it. As for who is teaching you, say hello to Zannin," Inarihime said, pointing at a hulking crimson fox with several battle scars donning his fur. A massive double-bladed axe that was probably bigger than Naruto on his wide back. Naruto was a little nervous. However, the fox was surprisingly mild-mannered, bowing slightly to acknowledge his summoner.
"Contrary to the meaning of his name (brutal), Zannin prefers to take a more laidback approach to training his students, preferring them to be self-motivated. If you need help, you must ask him, although he will correct you if you do something wrong," Inarihime said, as Naruto let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding.
Everyday, Naruto trained at Kitsune Kouchi, until one day he was approached by a…toad.
"Are you Naruto Kazama?" the toad asked.
"Who wants to know?" Naruto asked. "Is it Jiraiya of the Densetsu no Sannin?"
"You got me, brat," a man said, as he climbed out of the toad's mouth. He had a large mane of spiky white hair, two red lines running down from his lower eyelids, and a large wart on his nose. He wore a large red sleeveless coat around a green Shinobi outfit, and red geta-style sandals.
"While it is an honor to meet you, Jiraiya-san, why are you here – and how are you allowed to be here?" Naruto asked.
"Listen, Naruto. I only have five minutes to talk to you before the guards of Kitsune Kouchi kick me out. I know about you being a Jinchuriki and pretty much everything you told the Sandaime. I would like to teach you to use the Kyuubi's Chakra," Jiraiya said.
"Have you ever used the Kyuubi's Chakra?" Naruto asked.
"What do you mean, Naruto? Of course I haven't," Jiraiya said.
"Then how do you plan to teach me to use it?" Naruto asked.
"Nice catch," Jiraiya chuckled. "But in all seriousness, what I meant was I would be there to restrain you in case the Kyuubi overwhelms you," Jiraiya said.
"No thank you," Naruto said. "I don't plan on using the Kyuubi's Chakra. I did once and I got very sick. I did get better eventually, but since then, I have made a non-interference pact with the Kyuubi – I don't bother him and he doesn't bother me," Naruto said, of course neglecting to mention how he got better.
"That's a shame. Are you in contact with the Kyuubi?" Jiraiya asked.
"I haven't been since the pact," Naruto said. "People see him as this creature of overwhelming malice, but he only wants to be left alone."
"Why did he attack the village that day then?" Jiraiya asked.
"Beats me – he didn't tell me. Although if you find your one chance at being free in several decades, take it, and people immediately start attacking you would you respond well?" Naruto asked.
"I suppose not. I never really saw it that way," Jiraiya said sheepishly. "Regardless, I still would like to train you normally so that in any case that what the Kyuubi said was a lie, you can still protect yourself somewhat."
"I have a better idea – I am obviously not in the best position to learn from you – especially since I signed the Fox Contract. Why don't you train Sasuke Uchiha? His Sharingan is already in its three-tomoe state, and I trust him with my life. He can use his eyes to subdue the Kyuubi in me if he ever becomes a problem. You can also give him the Toad Contract. It would also be better this way, as Orochimaru intends to lure Sasuke to him. Imagine what his reaction would be when he sees Sasuke summon toads?" Naruto said.
Jiraiya smirked at the thought, before his expression grew serious. "Is Sasuke completely trustworthy?" he asked.
"I promise you he is. I can't give you proof, but he was there for me when I needed him and it would have been far easier for him to forget about me. He is one of the people I trust the most," Naruto said fondly.
Jiraiya's eyes widened. "You both are not…together, are you?" Jiraiya asked anxiously.
"What the fuck! No!" Naruto exclaimed. "Relationships don't always have to be romantic, you know?" Naruto said indignantly.
"Right…I'm sorry. I have no issue with gay people, but I cannot have the legacy of my student not experience the sinful bodies of beautiful women," Jiraiya said poetically, although any poeticism was ruined by the perverse expression on his face and the trickles of blood running down his nose.
"You are…very creepy. On second thought, I think it would be better if you just stay in whatever hole you crawled out of and remain there without making contact with Sasuke," Naruto said, suppressing a shudder. "And what is this about me being the Yondaime's legacy? You know that's not true."
"I do know that, but I just prefer to think of you that way – what happened to their true legacy…I can never accept that," Jiraiya said solemnly.
"Five minutes is up – get the fuck out," one of the guards said to Jiraiya, who nodded and threw a scroll to Naruto, before disappearing in a poof.
"No fucking way," Naruto said in surprise as he read the contents of the scroll.
END of Chapter 10