Chapter 8
"You did it!"
"I did?" I looked at my brother who was jumping up and down, which was impressive because he was jumping and down while standing horizontal on a tree. I looked to either side of me. I had done it. There were two clones of myself on either side. And I didn't feel any worse for wear.
"I told you tree climbing would help you. I guess your only problem was control too."
"It looks like your right, Naruto. You think everyone will call us the Kage Bunshin twins now?" Naruto laughed so hard he forgot to channel his chakra in his feat and feel four feet to the ground.
"Come on, brother. Get up." My bunshins vanished as I walked over to help my brother up. He brushed himself off and grinned. I shook my head. "So, what do you want to do with the rest of the day," Naruto was about to say something but I interrupted him. "Besides more training. We've been training ever free day we've had sense you got back from Wave Country and you still haven't told me what happened there."
"Well, you haven't told me what happened in Sand Village either. You've been unusually happy when I came back," I blushed slightly, hoping he wouldn't notice. "And what's that blush for?" Busted.
"Ok, fine, lets go to a hot spring or something then. We haven't gone to the local spring in what, four years? And when we get there, we can tell stories about our missions. Can you do that?"
"Yeah sure, let's go." So, after a quick stop at home, we quickly found ourselves relaxing in a empty spring.
"We have got to remember to do this more often. And in the middle of the afternoon too is a perfect time for it. We have the entire building to ourselves!"
"Yeah, that's true. So, which one of us tell our stories first?" Our eyes met as we glared at each other. We quickly assumed our favorite opening combat stances.
"Jun...Ken...Po..." We both revealed our 'attacks' at the same time. He put out scissors and I put our paper. I sat back into the water.
"I guess I go first. The mission was to escort an ambassador to Hidden Sand for some trade treaty or something. We had an incursion with some bandits on the way to Sand. It wasn't to much of a fight. But I did kill for the first time." I hung my head.
"I think I can understand what you're going through. I almost killed for the first time during my mission too." I looked up at my brother. I've never seen him that solemn before.
"Come on now, let me finish then you can have your turn. Anyways, after that we had an easy time getting to Hidden Sand. I was having a difficult time dealing with killing that guy. I took a walk around the town and I accidentally got stuck in a sandstorm. Luckily a local was kinda enough to get me out of the storm before it got to bad." I bushed. "After talking her for who knows how many hours I kind think I've developed feelings for her. We've been mailing each other once a week since. The trip back was kinda uneventful, but that's alright. I would probably have been to distracted to fight properly anyways." I looked over at Naruto to see an evil grin appear on his face. He stood up and started running around singing.
"My brother has a girlfriend. My...." I threw a piece of soap at his head.
"If you going to run around like that, at least cover your self." He turned to glare at me.
"Henge!" He turned into a beautiful blond vixen, nude. I shook my head. "Janus-chan......."
"Naruto, Naruto, Naruto. If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. The Sexy no Jutsu won't work on me." He glared at me harder then before, changing back. He jumped back in the spring. "Now, its your turn."
"Well, on the trip about a day out of Konoha we had an encounter with a couple of missing-nin chuunins. They stood no chance to my might."
"So, you were ambushed by ninjas and Sasuke saved your ass, right?" I laughed as Naruto glared at me. "Naruto, don't lie to me. Just tell me what happened, not what you wished happened."
"Fine, fine. So, we found out that the ninjas were after the guy we needed to protect, upgrading the rank to B. So we continued on. A day later we encountered Zabuza, an missing jounin form Hidden Mist. Kakashi was awesome as he revealed his Sharingan."
"I thought that only the Uchiha clan can use the Sharingan?"
"Yes, but Kakashi has one in his left eye. But Kakashi was captured by a water prison jutsu so Sasuke and I worked together to get Zabuza to release Kakashi. After we did, he defeated him easily. But he was taken away buy a hunter nin." Naruto frowned.. "Anyways, lets we spent the rest of the week waiting for Kakashi to recover and reencountered Zabuza and his companion, Haku on the bridge and long story short, Sasuke awoke his Sharingan, nearly got killed, I defeated Haku, nearly killed him but instead got killed by Kakashi. Zabuza was killed by the minions of the guy he was employed by. That's it." Naruto sunk his head into the water.
"Naruto..." He looked up.
"Janus, I need to tell you something."
"Sure, bro, anything." He stood up. He formed the ram seal and started to channel chakra. I watched as a unusual spiral seal appeared in his belly.
"Do you know what this is?" He asked, fear in his eyes. I looked at him and realized why.
"It's the seal on the Kyubi." He looked at me in awe.
"How...."
"Sorry, I can't tell you. Hokage-sama made me promise. But trust me, it doesn't change anything between us. But it does explain how you can always beat me when we spar, cheater." He pointed at me.
"I never used it against you! I challenge you to a dual, brother. Right here, right now."
"I decline. I don't fight nude. Tomorrow, how 'bout that?" He nodded and started laughing. I soon joined in.
I walked down the road. Today's mission had been easy. Our job was to paint a house. I showed off my newly mastered Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to everyone and we finished the m house in record time, thanks to four more assistants. I was watching the birds. It was the middle of the afternoon and most of the populous was working or in class at the academy. Best time of day in my opinion. Then I heard a familiar yell. Naruto. I quickly followed the voice and appeared right beside him.
"You know, you could be a little quieter brother."
"Quiet you, I need to train." Shuffle shuffle shuffle. We both turned around. There was a box on the ground with two eyeholes painted like a rock. We turned back to each other and sighed.
Naruto started walking. The rock followed him. I sighed and leaned up against the fence. I've heard stories of this kid from Naruto, but I kind want to meet him. After eight consecutively faster runs up and down the ally way, Naruto turned around to catch the box in the air chasing him. He pointed at the 'rock.'
"What kind of rock is square with two holes? I see right through that!" He said annoyed.
"Now that's the man I view as my rival!" The rock said just before it exploded in a flash of light and multicolored smoke. When the smoke cleared it revealed three coughing five-year-olds. "Too...many explosives." They looked between Naruto and me. With one quick nod of their heads the started into a callout. I started banging my head against the fence to stop the pain. Naruto looked at me enviously.
"I thought so...It's you guys, Konohamaru..." He pointed to me. "That's my brother, Janus over there." I nodded.
"The pleasure is mine, K.H. Squad." Naruto was looking at the goggles on the youngster's foreheads.
I looked away. All I heard was something about Naruto training, forgetting some promise he made to the three of them. I noticed Sakura approaching, clouds of depression everywhere. Scary...
"Why would a ninja 'play' ninja?" Sakura asked. Hmm, what got her panties in a twist? She glared at Naruto. Well, I thought she did considering her back was to me. I really feel like Shikamaru sometimes. To bad he has such a hard time blending into his shadows. Maybe I should give him lessons. I heard Sakura scream and punch Naruto. Probably made some perverted comment or something. I'm so glad Hinata rarely does that to me when I do. But, when she does I can't move a limb for a day or so. I moved slightly to the left to avoid getting my legs knocked from under me by my brother.
"Gee, Naruto. I didn't know you were into that thing." Opps, Sakura heard me. I soon found myself right beside him, clutching my head.
"You ugly bitch!" Konohamaru shouted as I was slowly standing up. All you heard was a scream.
"Come on man, do you have a death wish or something?" I walked over to my brother and Konohamaru. "You really need to find a way for her to start doing that on missions or something; that punch really hurt." Konohamaru and Naruto stood up, announcing how much their pummeling hurt. Konohamaru made some comment about Sakura not being a girl. Alarms flashed in my head. I quickly took a very large step back and pointed towards Konohamaru. I don't to die, I don't want to die. Sakura turned around very slowly. We were all in shock. Uh oh. We all bolted the other way down the ally, running from her. Who cares where we are going, it's got to be better than here.
We turned a corner. Well, everyone but me. I tried but slid on thought the cross street. Luckily, Sakura followed them instead of me. So I was able to stop and turn around. I peered around the corner expecting to see the bodies of Konohamaru and Naruto but what I saw was two ninjas. Their headbands announced them as being from Hidden Sand. What attracted my attention is the one wearing all black was holding Konohamaru by his cape.
"Crap," I whispered to myself, opening the note holder in my right back leg, which held smoke notes.
"You there, around the corner," my eyes opened. "Come out now and I won't hurt him." Grrr, he sensed me. I held my hands up and walked around the corner. Lets see, Sand Nin...all black, so as to be easily hidden, large wrapped pack, fingerless gloves...wait, fingerless gloves, wrapped pack. A puppeteer! He looked back at Konohamaru
"That hurt, you little piece of shit!" Crap, think, do something...
"Don't," a familiar voice said, coming from the other side of Konohamaru. Where had I heard it before? "We'll get yelled at later." I looked around him and quickly replaced him between us. Temari! What was she doing here! As long as I keep Konohamaru between us she won't see me. I heard Sakura spout an apology. No, Naruto! She knows what I look like and that we're twins! Uh oh, I should have told Naruto about her. Don't attract attention, Naruto...
"Hey you!" Crap. "Let go of him." Oh yeah, we need to save Konohamaru, I slowly reached my hand for my notes.
"Let's play a little before the boss comes." Temari's brother said. Which one is he? Was he the scary strong one I was warned about or her other brother. Konohamaru started kicking him. "Little brat." I started to pull a note out. Five, four, three...Naruto charged. I sighed. Naruto is the one ninja who you can always depend on to mess up tight situations. Suddenly, Naruto tripped and fell on his back. How can someone running in one direction fall the other?
"What was that?" He questioned, looking up.
"Oh, Leaf genins...are weak." Uh oh. Konohamaru desperately pleaded. I then noticed Temari looking at me from around him. I've been discovered. I'm dead. What can I do? I slowly finished pulling out the note, attaching chakra to the upper lip to make it sticky.
"Hey!" Naruto stood up. "If you don't let him go I'll make you pay, idiot!" Sakura immediately put him into a choke-hold. Now's my chance! I slowly lifted up the note to a throwing position. Aim, I know I'm not that good but Konohamaru depends on it... The guy said something about breaking midgets.
"Oh well..." Temari said, refocused on the conflict at hand. "I'm not involved." Her eyes are closed and he's not looking at me, my chance!
"Well, after this one, I'll take care of that loud midget over there." I threw my note. Naruto charged. It went off. Smoke poured everywhere. I rushed in and to free Konohamaru only to find him not being held anymore. I quickly picked him off the ground and placed him behind me as I stood a couple of feet ahead of Sakura. Here goes... The smoke cleared. Naruto was in shock and the puppeteer was holding his hand in pain. What? A small stone landed on the ground. I looked up in a nearby tree. Sasuke?!
"What are you bastards doing in our village?" Did he time his throw to correspond with mine? He might have used his Sharingan Naruto told me about. I heard Sakura scream. I sighed, even now.
"Damn, another annoying brat..." The puppeteer said. Sasuke just closed his hand around a rock he had been tossing around and crushed it.
"Get lost." Sakura and Konohamaru's team squealed. Konohamaru pointed it Naruto and me.
"Naruto, you and your brother suck!" I dropped my head into my right hand. Naruto got on a knee and responded that he could easily defeat him. However, the attention of Temari and her brother were up at Sasuke.
"Hey, punk, get down here! I hate show-off brats like you the most." I looked and saw Temari was look at me very annoyed. I'll say it again, I'm in trouble. I heard a large heavy object hit the ground. No! I quickly opened my left note pouch, which contained explosive notes. Temari heard it to.
"Hey, you're even going to use Karasu?"
"Kankuro, stop it." I looked up into the tree behind Sasuke. I opened my eyes in fear. "You're an embarrassment to our village."
"Ga...Gaara..." So that was her powerful brother. Even Sasuke looked surprised. He must not have felt his arrival.
"What do you think we came to Leaf Village to do?"
"L...listen, Gaara..." So he is afraid of his own brother. Could someone really be that bad? He spitted out some lame excuse that it was our fault.
"Shut up. I'll kill you." I chill went down my spine. Oh no, he meant it. Temari and Kankuro started to spit out apologies. He glanced over my way then looked at Sasuke. Suddenly, he became sand and flowed down to the ground where he reappeared.
"Let's go. We didn't come here to play around." They started to walk away. Suddenly, Sakura asked them to wait. Stupid girl! There are only two reasons they could legally be in here! I took that as my cue to leave. I could feel Temari drilling holes into my back as I ran off, but I had to find Kurenai and ask her if what I think is happening.
I landed in front of the Hokage's offices only to be stopped by two chuunin guards.
"Is Kurenai-sensei inside?"
"Yes, but you are not. Please leave." Please leave, yeah right. I'll just wait. I jumped away to hide on a nearby building. I knew that the guards knew I was here, I didn't care. Better they did and not attack me then find me and attack. After about an hour of waiting, the jounins started to file out of the Hokage's office. I jumped down next to Kurenai.
"Kurenai-sensei..."
"Yes, you assumption is correct. Kakashi and Asuma now owe me five hundred yen."
"Why is that?"
"A team member of mine was the first to mention it." We started walking. "So, how did you find out?"
"I was kinda involved in a run-in with a team of Sand genin with Naruto." She raised an eyebrow. I waved my hands. "Oh, don't worry, Sasuke and one of their team members came and diffused the situation. I left as soon as I saw the situation resolved."
"That's good. Listen, Janus. I have something I need to do, so why don't you round up Kiba and Hinata and meet wait at Field 8, ok?" I nodded and left. I jumped away. The Chuunin Exam. I wonder which Village is going to win this year. It will be quite a show. I quickly rounded up Hinata and Kiba. When we arrived at Field 8, Kurenai was there waiting for us.
"Kurenai-sensei, what's going on? I thought you gave us the rest of the day off?" Hinata asked, concerned.
"Actually, I have some thing to tell you. I've nominated the three of you to participate in this years Chuunin Exam." The three of use dropped our jaws in shock. She nominated us!
"Kurenai-sensei," I said, being the first to recover. "Do you really think we're ready for this? I mean, when I found out about it I was more than ready to just watch the Finals as a member of the audience."
"Don't second guess me. I nominated you because I thought you'd be ready. Here," she held out three notes. "These are your applications. If you feel that you are ready for it, take the applications to room 301 in the academy by 3:00 PM in seven days. Until that time, everyone is on break, alright?" We nodded and slowly departed. I looked at the sky. The sun was almost setting and there was somewhere I needed to be.
I landed on the same building I did my first real day as a genin. I always returned her for the sunset, if I could, which it was. I looked out and sighed.
"I can tell why you like it here." I looked up.
"Yeah, I know." I turned around. "Listen, Temar..." She placed a finger on my lips.
"Don't, just enjoy the sunset." I turned back around, Temari standing beside me. She leaned her head on my shoulder. I instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist. We watched the sun go down in silence. After the sun had set, we stayed there next to each other in silence.
"Janus-kun, I'm a little mad at you for not telling me, but thinking back on it, your stories make more sense now. You're training with your brother, your funny stories about Kiba and Hinata. You were on a mission when you came to Sand, weren't you?" I couldn't speak, so I just nodded. "I understand. Listen, I have to go, I'll talk to you some other time, ok?" I felt a slight rush of wind and a cold absence. I jumped down to the street and walked home.
Opening the door I heard Naruto throwing shrunkens at something. I entered the living room to see him trying to hit a poorly drawn picture of Kankuro.
"Naruto, if you draw something like that, at least draw the head correctly. It looks like a lima bean." Naruto turned and glared at me.
"Well than, Mr. Perfect, you draw one." I shook my head.
"Nope, I know I can't. I use this." I tapped my finger to my head. Naruto stuck his tongue at me as I laughed my way upstairs. I closed my door and laid down on my bed looking at my application. Am I ready? Could I be ready? I'm not going to tell Naruto, even though he's going to tell me. I don't want him to influence my decision.
Three days had passed. Naruto had already got his application the next day, as I thought he might. He was so happy about it he completely forgot to ask me. Not that I had a problem with it or anything. I didn't go home after training. I didn't want to have to make Naruto stop bouncing off the walls again. After watching the sunset with Temari again, I left to Field 8. I sat down next to the stump I had beaten on only a few hours earlier.
I heard a scream nearby. It was coming from Field 7. I ran as fast as I could. When I got there I was shocked. The ground was covered with a good dozen bodies. I looked at a few of them. I saw Hinata, Kiba, Hiashi, Kakashi, and even the Third Hokage in various forms of disfigurement. On the other side of the field was someone hunched over what I could only describe as a mutilated body and it appeared to be eating it.
"How dare you!" I yelled, attracting the creature's attention. It slowly stood up with a dismembered head in its hands.
"It's good for you to have come, dear brother." It turned around and my eyes widened in shock.
"Naruto! What is the meaning of this?" He looked around, grinning evilly the whole time.
"This? This is just a celebration for me defeating the cursed seal the 4th put on me. What sweet irony. He seals me in his eldest son to contain me and instead he gives me a human body! Oh how perfect. In this form I and use jutsus that I've learned over my thousands of years of life! You might even say this form makes me even more powerful than before!"
"Kyubi! Why were you eating that body?" He grinned and tilted his head so that the moon reflected off his blood red eyes.
"It's the appetizer. Don't you care who?" He tossed the head over. Before it even landed I recognized the blood stained blond hair.
"How dare you! How dare you do this to people I care about!"
"Because, you have to properly prepare the main course!" The creature lunged at me. I barely dodged. The trees that were behind me were flattened. "The creature turned, licking its lips. Show me your fear!" I jumped behind me and bounced off a tree in a new direction as the demon destroyed the tree.
"Damn it!" I whispered to myself. "What can I do, what can I do! Think, Janus, Think!" At that moment I passed over the body of the 3rd. I remembered our blood oath. "I have to try." I quickly dodged another of the fox's lunges and landed on an upper branch of a tree. I franticly started doing hand seals: Serpent, Boar, Ram, Hare, Dog, Rat, Bird, Horse, Serpent.
"Come on, I need more chakra. Everyone lend it to me!" I felt chakra start to flow around my body; I felt it protecting me. I've never felt this much chakra in me before! And it's enough! I opened my eyes. The demon was looking at me shocked.
"Oh, you know what comes next, don't you? You've seen this jutsu before! Just you wait, I won't be as kind as the 4th, and I'll take you with me!" Final seal...What! I can't remember! No, no, no! Remember, damn it remember! Avenge everyone! Take the demon with me to hell! I felt my chakra fade. The moment had passed. I've failed. I let my hands down as the last of my chakra left me. The ground and death I knew was coming fast. I was prepared for the end.
I opened my eyes. I was home, in my bed. I sat up and ran downstairs. There was Naruto, sitting eating his morning ramen like nothing happened. Had I dreamed the whole thing? I walked upstairs and sat down in my room. I looked at my hands. It felt so real though. And the chakra, I could feel the increased chakra flowing through my body. I glanced over at my desk and saw a note on it. I picked it up. It was from the Hokage telling me to report to his office as soon as I woke up. Not wanting to disappoint, I complied.
As I approached the complex, I noticed an unusual amount of jounin around, including Kakashi and Kurenai. Why were they here? When they noticed me, everyone turned and gave me what almost appeared to be a path to the door. Still being a little wary from my dream, it had to be a dream, I slowly opened the door and walked in. When I got to the Hokage's door I knocked.
"Come in, Janus." I opened the door and walked in. It was the first time I've ever been in his office. It was mostly furnished with only pictures, tons of them. Most of the people in the pictures I didn't recognize. But the one I recognized the most was a picture of the 4th directly above the Hokage's head.
"You summoned me, Hokage-sama?"
"Aye, I did. What do you remember from last night?"
"Umm," I looked around curiously. "Not much, other than a really weird nightmare. The, ummm, Kyubi took over Naruto's body and he killed everyone in the village, calling me his main dish. I tried to use the Fuuinjutsu Shikifuujin but I couldn't remember the last seal but for some reason, I just couldn't. I had access to the necessary chakra and everything. I just couldn't remember... After that, I think I woke up." I fell to my knees. "I know you had me swear not to ever use that jutsu, but I saw no other way to stop him. The dream just felt so real and..."
"Enough!" I looked up at the Hokage who had a stern look on his face. "That was the reason I summoned you here. What you experienced last night was not a dream." My jaw dropped. "You were correct; you nearly completed the Fuuinjutsu Shikifuujin. I had to forcibly make you forget how to complete it because you would have killed us both."
"Hokage-sama, what do you mean?"
"Last night was a test, to see if you were actually capable to take the Chuunin Exam. If you failed Kurenai wouldn't have allowed you to take it. I simply expected you to try to fight me off, as I was impersonating the Kyubi. However, you caught me off guard when you attempted to perform the Fuuinjutsu Shikifuujin. It took everything I had to make you forget that last sign. Luckily for us both, you really didn't want to so it was possible."
"So you're saying that wasn't a dream? So that's the reason I feel more chakra in my body then before." The Hokage nodded. "And that's why all the jounin are outside?" The Hokage nodded again.
"Yes, only kages and the legendary nins have the chakra to perform that jutsu, yet, a mere genin nearly used it to kill me. They have all sworn never to speak of this again to you or anyone else, even me. You won't even be able to speak of it to me after you leave this room. This scroll," He held up a well sealed scroll, "Is the going to be the only record of what you did, and it will only be opened by my successor, understand?" I nodded. "Good, dismissed." I stood up and walked for the door. I was about to walk out when I turned around.
"Hokage-sama? Did I pass?" The Hokage smiled.
"Yes, Janus, you passed." I nodded and left. The jounin had left by the time I had walked out of the Hokage's office. I went back to my apartment. Naruto had already left. Smiling, I walked up to my room and fell on my bed and fell back asleep.
Fuuinjutsu Shikifuujin - Sealing Technique: Dead Demon Imprisonment It's the jutsu the 4th Hokage used to seal the Kyubi, the 3rd used to attempt to seal Orochimaru, and it's the Forbidden Jutsu on the Scroll of Seals. Just if you wanted to know.
"You did it!"
"I did?" I looked at my brother who was jumping up and down, which was impressive because he was jumping and down while standing horizontal on a tree. I looked to either side of me. I had done it. There were two clones of myself on either side. And I didn't feel any worse for wear.
"I told you tree climbing would help you. I guess your only problem was control too."
"It looks like your right, Naruto. You think everyone will call us the Kage Bunshin twins now?" Naruto laughed so hard he forgot to channel his chakra in his feat and feel four feet to the ground.
"Come on, brother. Get up." My bunshins vanished as I walked over to help my brother up. He brushed himself off and grinned. I shook my head. "So, what do you want to do with the rest of the day," Naruto was about to say something but I interrupted him. "Besides more training. We've been training ever free day we've had sense you got back from Wave Country and you still haven't told me what happened there."
"Well, you haven't told me what happened in Sand Village either. You've been unusually happy when I came back," I blushed slightly, hoping he wouldn't notice. "And what's that blush for?" Busted.
"Ok, fine, lets go to a hot spring or something then. We haven't gone to the local spring in what, four years? And when we get there, we can tell stories about our missions. Can you do that?"
"Yeah sure, let's go." So, after a quick stop at home, we quickly found ourselves relaxing in a empty spring.
"We have got to remember to do this more often. And in the middle of the afternoon too is a perfect time for it. We have the entire building to ourselves!"
"Yeah, that's true. So, which one of us tell our stories first?" Our eyes met as we glared at each other. We quickly assumed our favorite opening combat stances.
"Jun...Ken...Po..." We both revealed our 'attacks' at the same time. He put out scissors and I put our paper. I sat back into the water.
"I guess I go first. The mission was to escort an ambassador to Hidden Sand for some trade treaty or something. We had an incursion with some bandits on the way to Sand. It wasn't to much of a fight. But I did kill for the first time." I hung my head.
"I think I can understand what you're going through. I almost killed for the first time during my mission too." I looked up at my brother. I've never seen him that solemn before.
"Come on now, let me finish then you can have your turn. Anyways, after that we had an easy time getting to Hidden Sand. I was having a difficult time dealing with killing that guy. I took a walk around the town and I accidentally got stuck in a sandstorm. Luckily a local was kinda enough to get me out of the storm before it got to bad." I bushed. "After talking her for who knows how many hours I kind think I've developed feelings for her. We've been mailing each other once a week since. The trip back was kinda uneventful, but that's alright. I would probably have been to distracted to fight properly anyways." I looked over at Naruto to see an evil grin appear on his face. He stood up and started running around singing.
"My brother has a girlfriend. My...." I threw a piece of soap at his head.
"If you going to run around like that, at least cover your self." He turned to glare at me.
"Henge!" He turned into a beautiful blond vixen, nude. I shook my head. "Janus-chan......."
"Naruto, Naruto, Naruto. If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. The Sexy no Jutsu won't work on me." He glared at me harder then before, changing back. He jumped back in the spring. "Now, its your turn."
"Well, on the trip about a day out of Konoha we had an encounter with a couple of missing-nin chuunins. They stood no chance to my might."
"So, you were ambushed by ninjas and Sasuke saved your ass, right?" I laughed as Naruto glared at me. "Naruto, don't lie to me. Just tell me what happened, not what you wished happened."
"Fine, fine. So, we found out that the ninjas were after the guy we needed to protect, upgrading the rank to B. So we continued on. A day later we encountered Zabuza, an missing jounin form Hidden Mist. Kakashi was awesome as he revealed his Sharingan."
"I thought that only the Uchiha clan can use the Sharingan?"
"Yes, but Kakashi has one in his left eye. But Kakashi was captured by a water prison jutsu so Sasuke and I worked together to get Zabuza to release Kakashi. After we did, he defeated him easily. But he was taken away buy a hunter nin." Naruto frowned.. "Anyways, lets we spent the rest of the week waiting for Kakashi to recover and reencountered Zabuza and his companion, Haku on the bridge and long story short, Sasuke awoke his Sharingan, nearly got killed, I defeated Haku, nearly killed him but instead got killed by Kakashi. Zabuza was killed by the minions of the guy he was employed by. That's it." Naruto sunk his head into the water.
"Naruto..." He looked up.
"Janus, I need to tell you something."
"Sure, bro, anything." He stood up. He formed the ram seal and started to channel chakra. I watched as a unusual spiral seal appeared in his belly.
"Do you know what this is?" He asked, fear in his eyes. I looked at him and realized why.
"It's the seal on the Kyubi." He looked at me in awe.
"How...."
"Sorry, I can't tell you. Hokage-sama made me promise. But trust me, it doesn't change anything between us. But it does explain how you can always beat me when we spar, cheater." He pointed at me.
"I never used it against you! I challenge you to a dual, brother. Right here, right now."
"I decline. I don't fight nude. Tomorrow, how 'bout that?" He nodded and started laughing. I soon joined in.
I walked down the road. Today's mission had been easy. Our job was to paint a house. I showed off my newly mastered Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to everyone and we finished the m house in record time, thanks to four more assistants. I was watching the birds. It was the middle of the afternoon and most of the populous was working or in class at the academy. Best time of day in my opinion. Then I heard a familiar yell. Naruto. I quickly followed the voice and appeared right beside him.
"You know, you could be a little quieter brother."
"Quiet you, I need to train." Shuffle shuffle shuffle. We both turned around. There was a box on the ground with two eyeholes painted like a rock. We turned back to each other and sighed.
Naruto started walking. The rock followed him. I sighed and leaned up against the fence. I've heard stories of this kid from Naruto, but I kind want to meet him. After eight consecutively faster runs up and down the ally way, Naruto turned around to catch the box in the air chasing him. He pointed at the 'rock.'
"What kind of rock is square with two holes? I see right through that!" He said annoyed.
"Now that's the man I view as my rival!" The rock said just before it exploded in a flash of light and multicolored smoke. When the smoke cleared it revealed three coughing five-year-olds. "Too...many explosives." They looked between Naruto and me. With one quick nod of their heads the started into a callout. I started banging my head against the fence to stop the pain. Naruto looked at me enviously.
"I thought so...It's you guys, Konohamaru..." He pointed to me. "That's my brother, Janus over there." I nodded.
"The pleasure is mine, K.H. Squad." Naruto was looking at the goggles on the youngster's foreheads.
I looked away. All I heard was something about Naruto training, forgetting some promise he made to the three of them. I noticed Sakura approaching, clouds of depression everywhere. Scary...
"Why would a ninja 'play' ninja?" Sakura asked. Hmm, what got her panties in a twist? She glared at Naruto. Well, I thought she did considering her back was to me. I really feel like Shikamaru sometimes. To bad he has such a hard time blending into his shadows. Maybe I should give him lessons. I heard Sakura scream and punch Naruto. Probably made some perverted comment or something. I'm so glad Hinata rarely does that to me when I do. But, when she does I can't move a limb for a day or so. I moved slightly to the left to avoid getting my legs knocked from under me by my brother.
"Gee, Naruto. I didn't know you were into that thing." Opps, Sakura heard me. I soon found myself right beside him, clutching my head.
"You ugly bitch!" Konohamaru shouted as I was slowly standing up. All you heard was a scream.
"Come on man, do you have a death wish or something?" I walked over to my brother and Konohamaru. "You really need to find a way for her to start doing that on missions or something; that punch really hurt." Konohamaru and Naruto stood up, announcing how much their pummeling hurt. Konohamaru made some comment about Sakura not being a girl. Alarms flashed in my head. I quickly took a very large step back and pointed towards Konohamaru. I don't to die, I don't want to die. Sakura turned around very slowly. We were all in shock. Uh oh. We all bolted the other way down the ally, running from her. Who cares where we are going, it's got to be better than here.
We turned a corner. Well, everyone but me. I tried but slid on thought the cross street. Luckily, Sakura followed them instead of me. So I was able to stop and turn around. I peered around the corner expecting to see the bodies of Konohamaru and Naruto but what I saw was two ninjas. Their headbands announced them as being from Hidden Sand. What attracted my attention is the one wearing all black was holding Konohamaru by his cape.
"Crap," I whispered to myself, opening the note holder in my right back leg, which held smoke notes.
"You there, around the corner," my eyes opened. "Come out now and I won't hurt him." Grrr, he sensed me. I held my hands up and walked around the corner. Lets see, Sand Nin...all black, so as to be easily hidden, large wrapped pack, fingerless gloves...wait, fingerless gloves, wrapped pack. A puppeteer! He looked back at Konohamaru
"That hurt, you little piece of shit!" Crap, think, do something...
"Don't," a familiar voice said, coming from the other side of Konohamaru. Where had I heard it before? "We'll get yelled at later." I looked around him and quickly replaced him between us. Temari! What was she doing here! As long as I keep Konohamaru between us she won't see me. I heard Sakura spout an apology. No, Naruto! She knows what I look like and that we're twins! Uh oh, I should have told Naruto about her. Don't attract attention, Naruto...
"Hey you!" Crap. "Let go of him." Oh yeah, we need to save Konohamaru, I slowly reached my hand for my notes.
"Let's play a little before the boss comes." Temari's brother said. Which one is he? Was he the scary strong one I was warned about or her other brother. Konohamaru started kicking him. "Little brat." I started to pull a note out. Five, four, three...Naruto charged. I sighed. Naruto is the one ninja who you can always depend on to mess up tight situations. Suddenly, Naruto tripped and fell on his back. How can someone running in one direction fall the other?
"What was that?" He questioned, looking up.
"Oh, Leaf genins...are weak." Uh oh. Konohamaru desperately pleaded. I then noticed Temari looking at me from around him. I've been discovered. I'm dead. What can I do? I slowly finished pulling out the note, attaching chakra to the upper lip to make it sticky.
"Hey!" Naruto stood up. "If you don't let him go I'll make you pay, idiot!" Sakura immediately put him into a choke-hold. Now's my chance! I slowly lifted up the note to a throwing position. Aim, I know I'm not that good but Konohamaru depends on it... The guy said something about breaking midgets.
"Oh well..." Temari said, refocused on the conflict at hand. "I'm not involved." Her eyes are closed and he's not looking at me, my chance!
"Well, after this one, I'll take care of that loud midget over there." I threw my note. Naruto charged. It went off. Smoke poured everywhere. I rushed in and to free Konohamaru only to find him not being held anymore. I quickly picked him off the ground and placed him behind me as I stood a couple of feet ahead of Sakura. Here goes... The smoke cleared. Naruto was in shock and the puppeteer was holding his hand in pain. What? A small stone landed on the ground. I looked up in a nearby tree. Sasuke?!
"What are you bastards doing in our village?" Did he time his throw to correspond with mine? He might have used his Sharingan Naruto told me about. I heard Sakura scream. I sighed, even now.
"Damn, another annoying brat..." The puppeteer said. Sasuke just closed his hand around a rock he had been tossing around and crushed it.
"Get lost." Sakura and Konohamaru's team squealed. Konohamaru pointed it Naruto and me.
"Naruto, you and your brother suck!" I dropped my head into my right hand. Naruto got on a knee and responded that he could easily defeat him. However, the attention of Temari and her brother were up at Sasuke.
"Hey, punk, get down here! I hate show-off brats like you the most." I looked and saw Temari was look at me very annoyed. I'll say it again, I'm in trouble. I heard a large heavy object hit the ground. No! I quickly opened my left note pouch, which contained explosive notes. Temari heard it to.
"Hey, you're even going to use Karasu?"
"Kankuro, stop it." I looked up into the tree behind Sasuke. I opened my eyes in fear. "You're an embarrassment to our village."
"Ga...Gaara..." So that was her powerful brother. Even Sasuke looked surprised. He must not have felt his arrival.
"What do you think we came to Leaf Village to do?"
"L...listen, Gaara..." So he is afraid of his own brother. Could someone really be that bad? He spitted out some lame excuse that it was our fault.
"Shut up. I'll kill you." I chill went down my spine. Oh no, he meant it. Temari and Kankuro started to spit out apologies. He glanced over my way then looked at Sasuke. Suddenly, he became sand and flowed down to the ground where he reappeared.
"Let's go. We didn't come here to play around." They started to walk away. Suddenly, Sakura asked them to wait. Stupid girl! There are only two reasons they could legally be in here! I took that as my cue to leave. I could feel Temari drilling holes into my back as I ran off, but I had to find Kurenai and ask her if what I think is happening.
I landed in front of the Hokage's offices only to be stopped by two chuunin guards.
"Is Kurenai-sensei inside?"
"Yes, but you are not. Please leave." Please leave, yeah right. I'll just wait. I jumped away to hide on a nearby building. I knew that the guards knew I was here, I didn't care. Better they did and not attack me then find me and attack. After about an hour of waiting, the jounins started to file out of the Hokage's office. I jumped down next to Kurenai.
"Kurenai-sensei..."
"Yes, you assumption is correct. Kakashi and Asuma now owe me five hundred yen."
"Why is that?"
"A team member of mine was the first to mention it." We started walking. "So, how did you find out?"
"I was kinda involved in a run-in with a team of Sand genin with Naruto." She raised an eyebrow. I waved my hands. "Oh, don't worry, Sasuke and one of their team members came and diffused the situation. I left as soon as I saw the situation resolved."
"That's good. Listen, Janus. I have something I need to do, so why don't you round up Kiba and Hinata and meet wait at Field 8, ok?" I nodded and left. I jumped away. The Chuunin Exam. I wonder which Village is going to win this year. It will be quite a show. I quickly rounded up Hinata and Kiba. When we arrived at Field 8, Kurenai was there waiting for us.
"Kurenai-sensei, what's going on? I thought you gave us the rest of the day off?" Hinata asked, concerned.
"Actually, I have some thing to tell you. I've nominated the three of you to participate in this years Chuunin Exam." The three of use dropped our jaws in shock. She nominated us!
"Kurenai-sensei," I said, being the first to recover. "Do you really think we're ready for this? I mean, when I found out about it I was more than ready to just watch the Finals as a member of the audience."
"Don't second guess me. I nominated you because I thought you'd be ready. Here," she held out three notes. "These are your applications. If you feel that you are ready for it, take the applications to room 301 in the academy by 3:00 PM in seven days. Until that time, everyone is on break, alright?" We nodded and slowly departed. I looked at the sky. The sun was almost setting and there was somewhere I needed to be.
I landed on the same building I did my first real day as a genin. I always returned her for the sunset, if I could, which it was. I looked out and sighed.
"I can tell why you like it here." I looked up.
"Yeah, I know." I turned around. "Listen, Temar..." She placed a finger on my lips.
"Don't, just enjoy the sunset." I turned back around, Temari standing beside me. She leaned her head on my shoulder. I instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist. We watched the sun go down in silence. After the sun had set, we stayed there next to each other in silence.
"Janus-kun, I'm a little mad at you for not telling me, but thinking back on it, your stories make more sense now. You're training with your brother, your funny stories about Kiba and Hinata. You were on a mission when you came to Sand, weren't you?" I couldn't speak, so I just nodded. "I understand. Listen, I have to go, I'll talk to you some other time, ok?" I felt a slight rush of wind and a cold absence. I jumped down to the street and walked home.
Opening the door I heard Naruto throwing shrunkens at something. I entered the living room to see him trying to hit a poorly drawn picture of Kankuro.
"Naruto, if you draw something like that, at least draw the head correctly. It looks like a lima bean." Naruto turned and glared at me.
"Well than, Mr. Perfect, you draw one." I shook my head.
"Nope, I know I can't. I use this." I tapped my finger to my head. Naruto stuck his tongue at me as I laughed my way upstairs. I closed my door and laid down on my bed looking at my application. Am I ready? Could I be ready? I'm not going to tell Naruto, even though he's going to tell me. I don't want him to influence my decision.
Three days had passed. Naruto had already got his application the next day, as I thought he might. He was so happy about it he completely forgot to ask me. Not that I had a problem with it or anything. I didn't go home after training. I didn't want to have to make Naruto stop bouncing off the walls again. After watching the sunset with Temari again, I left to Field 8. I sat down next to the stump I had beaten on only a few hours earlier.
I heard a scream nearby. It was coming from Field 7. I ran as fast as I could. When I got there I was shocked. The ground was covered with a good dozen bodies. I looked at a few of them. I saw Hinata, Kiba, Hiashi, Kakashi, and even the Third Hokage in various forms of disfigurement. On the other side of the field was someone hunched over what I could only describe as a mutilated body and it appeared to be eating it.
"How dare you!" I yelled, attracting the creature's attention. It slowly stood up with a dismembered head in its hands.
"It's good for you to have come, dear brother." It turned around and my eyes widened in shock.
"Naruto! What is the meaning of this?" He looked around, grinning evilly the whole time.
"This? This is just a celebration for me defeating the cursed seal the 4th put on me. What sweet irony. He seals me in his eldest son to contain me and instead he gives me a human body! Oh how perfect. In this form I and use jutsus that I've learned over my thousands of years of life! You might even say this form makes me even more powerful than before!"
"Kyubi! Why were you eating that body?" He grinned and tilted his head so that the moon reflected off his blood red eyes.
"It's the appetizer. Don't you care who?" He tossed the head over. Before it even landed I recognized the blood stained blond hair.
"How dare you! How dare you do this to people I care about!"
"Because, you have to properly prepare the main course!" The creature lunged at me. I barely dodged. The trees that were behind me were flattened. "The creature turned, licking its lips. Show me your fear!" I jumped behind me and bounced off a tree in a new direction as the demon destroyed the tree.
"Damn it!" I whispered to myself. "What can I do, what can I do! Think, Janus, Think!" At that moment I passed over the body of the 3rd. I remembered our blood oath. "I have to try." I quickly dodged another of the fox's lunges and landed on an upper branch of a tree. I franticly started doing hand seals: Serpent, Boar, Ram, Hare, Dog, Rat, Bird, Horse, Serpent.
"Come on, I need more chakra. Everyone lend it to me!" I felt chakra start to flow around my body; I felt it protecting me. I've never felt this much chakra in me before! And it's enough! I opened my eyes. The demon was looking at me shocked.
"Oh, you know what comes next, don't you? You've seen this jutsu before! Just you wait, I won't be as kind as the 4th, and I'll take you with me!" Final seal...What! I can't remember! No, no, no! Remember, damn it remember! Avenge everyone! Take the demon with me to hell! I felt my chakra fade. The moment had passed. I've failed. I let my hands down as the last of my chakra left me. The ground and death I knew was coming fast. I was prepared for the end.
I opened my eyes. I was home, in my bed. I sat up and ran downstairs. There was Naruto, sitting eating his morning ramen like nothing happened. Had I dreamed the whole thing? I walked upstairs and sat down in my room. I looked at my hands. It felt so real though. And the chakra, I could feel the increased chakra flowing through my body. I glanced over at my desk and saw a note on it. I picked it up. It was from the Hokage telling me to report to his office as soon as I woke up. Not wanting to disappoint, I complied.
As I approached the complex, I noticed an unusual amount of jounin around, including Kakashi and Kurenai. Why were they here? When they noticed me, everyone turned and gave me what almost appeared to be a path to the door. Still being a little wary from my dream, it had to be a dream, I slowly opened the door and walked in. When I got to the Hokage's door I knocked.
"Come in, Janus." I opened the door and walked in. It was the first time I've ever been in his office. It was mostly furnished with only pictures, tons of them. Most of the people in the pictures I didn't recognize. But the one I recognized the most was a picture of the 4th directly above the Hokage's head.
"You summoned me, Hokage-sama?"
"Aye, I did. What do you remember from last night?"
"Umm," I looked around curiously. "Not much, other than a really weird nightmare. The, ummm, Kyubi took over Naruto's body and he killed everyone in the village, calling me his main dish. I tried to use the Fuuinjutsu Shikifuujin but I couldn't remember the last seal but for some reason, I just couldn't. I had access to the necessary chakra and everything. I just couldn't remember... After that, I think I woke up." I fell to my knees. "I know you had me swear not to ever use that jutsu, but I saw no other way to stop him. The dream just felt so real and..."
"Enough!" I looked up at the Hokage who had a stern look on his face. "That was the reason I summoned you here. What you experienced last night was not a dream." My jaw dropped. "You were correct; you nearly completed the Fuuinjutsu Shikifuujin. I had to forcibly make you forget how to complete it because you would have killed us both."
"Hokage-sama, what do you mean?"
"Last night was a test, to see if you were actually capable to take the Chuunin Exam. If you failed Kurenai wouldn't have allowed you to take it. I simply expected you to try to fight me off, as I was impersonating the Kyubi. However, you caught me off guard when you attempted to perform the Fuuinjutsu Shikifuujin. It took everything I had to make you forget that last sign. Luckily for us both, you really didn't want to so it was possible."
"So you're saying that wasn't a dream? So that's the reason I feel more chakra in my body then before." The Hokage nodded. "And that's why all the jounin are outside?" The Hokage nodded again.
"Yes, only kages and the legendary nins have the chakra to perform that jutsu, yet, a mere genin nearly used it to kill me. They have all sworn never to speak of this again to you or anyone else, even me. You won't even be able to speak of it to me after you leave this room. This scroll," He held up a well sealed scroll, "Is the going to be the only record of what you did, and it will only be opened by my successor, understand?" I nodded. "Good, dismissed." I stood up and walked for the door. I was about to walk out when I turned around.
"Hokage-sama? Did I pass?" The Hokage smiled.
"Yes, Janus, you passed." I nodded and left. The jounin had left by the time I had walked out of the Hokage's office. I went back to my apartment. Naruto had already left. Smiling, I walked up to my room and fell on my bed and fell back asleep.
Fuuinjutsu Shikifuujin - Sealing Technique: Dead Demon Imprisonment It's the jutsu the 4th Hokage used to seal the Kyubi, the 3rd used to attempt to seal Orochimaru, and it's the Forbidden Jutsu on the Scroll of Seals. Just if you wanted to know.