::You're all so beautiful! ;; You didn't give up on me. For this I humbly thank-you. Well, now that I have completed my groveling duties we can get on with the fun part::
Naruto stared at the crumbling wall next to the village's huge gates. The door to his right, bereft of its support, groaned and fell over. The dust kicked up by the debris turned the shape of whatever was coming towards him into that of a monster. Then a giant head covered in scaly skin stuck out of the dust and a forked tongue licked the air, tasting it for prey. Naruto's hands at his sides clenched into fists tight enough to break the skin. He recognized that snake. This also meant the snake would recognize him. He knew he should wait for the village's counter attack, but as the huge creature plowed into town his patience snapped. Bringing a hand to his mouth he noticed there was already some blood on it from tiny cuts in his palms.
As he brought his hand down someone grabbed his wrist and covered his mouth. He looked up in fury to gaze into Tsunade's brown orbs. The hand over his mouth was too big to belong to any woman, so he guessed it was Jiraiya's. Naruto shook his head free to glare up at his sensei. "What are you doing, Pervy Hermit?" he asked, not moving his hand in case he got a chance to make it to the roof they were standing on.
Jiraiya stood back and gave Naruto a serious look. "I'll take care of that, you wait for the Hokage's orders." Then he and Tsunade were gone. Naruto fell over and swore as dirt got into his cuts. Too bad Hinako isn't around with that special balm of hers… Then his eyes lit up. He knew where she was, and the exam area was far enough from the front lines here to keep his blood cool. As he took off towards the forest he thought about his near loss of control back at the gate. If he'd succeeded in summoning a sizable toad, it would have instantaneously destroyed the houses around him and the fight would have made even more of a mess than the snake on its own. Grimly he admitted Jiraiya had been right to stop him.
He didn't have to actually tell the perverted old man as much, though.
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Naruto paused at the edge of the forest and vanished. He appeared a moment later in front of Iruka's desk. His old teacher looked up from his papers. "Naruto. New orders?"
The blond shook his head. "I came to ask Hinata for some of her medicine." Iruka felt somewhat annoyed at first. His test had been a touchy business anyway, maybe his key to achieving a raise, but the plans lay in a shambles. Those teams that had already passed had been shown to temporary rooms in the tower instead of guided out. Three teams had just arrived on top of each other—two literally—and he had only just begun to go through their forms when Naruto showed up with perhaps another message to give him stress.
Now he saw an opportunity. Iruka grabbed a small pile of papers and set to scribbling on them . "Naruto, in light of this attack, please escort Hinata's team out of the forest along with these two other leaf teams. They've all passed this part of the exam and I feel they are capable of at least helping without getting in the way." He handed the papers in a file to Naruto who blinked and took them slowly. Iruka smiled encouragingly. "Go get 'em! Through that door…" Naruto frowned and scratched his head.
"I don't know about using genin…"
"Don't send them to the front, but they can help protect the evacuees and free up those capable of fighting the attack." He made a shooing motion and Naruto sighed, turning to the office's door. Closing it behind him, he paused to open the file. Eight genin, six of which were taking the exam for the first time. He sighed and closed the file, then turned down the hall. Five doors. Which ones to try first? Going on instinct, he opened the first door.
"ore… EEEEEEK!" Naruto closed the door as a wastebasket slammed into it.
"Girls' room…" he muttered, and he skipped the next door and tried the next. Relief swept over him as he spotted three young teens from the file lounging around the room looking bored. They turned to look at him. Letting the gravity of the situation settle into his expression and tone, he said, "Pick up whatever may be lying around, we're going." The genin traded looks and then moved to comply. Naruto left the door ajar and tried the next.
Hinata sat by the window looking outside. Her teammates were lounging around on the beds looking bored. They all sat up straight and looked at Naruto. He held up the papers. "Gather your stuff, we're going." Then he closed the door and swore to himself. He couldn't just walk in during the exam to ask for a genin's help! What had he been thinking? Well, once he had them all posted doing something he'd ask. Then he pondered where he'd try to put the teams. His feet guided him past two doors and picked one on the left. The final team looked up. One boy had a thick bandage on his wrist, but otherwise looked to be in good health.
Rounding them up in the hallway, Naruto looked them over and felt himself swell with authority. Them his eyes met Hinata's and some of the elation died. He couldn't quite make himself be a grand and important chuunin in front of her. Letting out a breath he started down the hall and waited until they had reached the outer doors before saying what was happening. The students all looked suitably terrified and excited. Naruto held up a hand. "Don't think you're going to fight. You are still genin, and labeled for protection. Stay where I put you unless ordered otherwise by someone of higher rank directly. You got it?" Heads nodded, Hinata was studying the ground and worrying her lip. Naruto grunted and threw open the doors.
"Follow me closely and keep up. Hinata, will you take the back?" he asked. She nodded and hung back as they took off through the forest. Naruto got them out without mishap and headed to the cliff. He nodded to the chuunin guarding the entrance and in a low voice explained what he was doing. The chuunin ran a hand through his hair and eyed the genin warily. The kids did their best to look tough.
"I guess," the guy said eventually. Naruto nodded and gestured for the genin to follow him. They entered the bunker and Naruto went into night-sight mode, as he liked to call it. He found that if he called up a little chakra and applied it to his senses things became clearer. Doing this now he managed to avoid stumbling on the uneven floor and maintaining a degree of finesse compared to the genin behind him. He looked back once or twice out of concern, because while he could hear eight pairs of feet stumbling around, Hinata's sandals barely whispered against the floor. Gotta love that Hyuuga style. I guess this job will work out really well for her.
A ways in they encountered the nins that were preparing to make a second wave attack once the enemy had come in close. The genin did their best not to stare at the grim-faced jounin and chuunin. Kiba chuckled as he leaned against the wall, Akamaru on his head. "Look who got stuck with baby-sitting," he said.
Naruto stopped and turned towards Kiba and said in a mocking voice, "'Look who got stuck waiting!' Just bringing in some chuunin candidates to replace nins holding down the fort in the caves. Nothing they'd trust you with, Dog Breath." Kiba snarled and let Naruto walk away. He held back only on account that he was going to be fighting soon anyway. "Next time, Naruto. I'll pay you back."
Ah, isn't rivalry a beautiful thing?
The first team he'd gathered took the place of the first chuunin they encountered after leaving the group behind. The other younger team stayed where the second one—in charge of the mountain's emergency supplies—had been on watch. Then Naruto told Hinata's two teammates to take the third's, and continued to the deeper and safer regions where the families waited.
"Naruto-kun, will I be replacing Sakura with the academy students?" she asked. Naruto glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
"You can handle it, Hinata-chan! With the exception of Konohamaru and his friends they don't get into much trouble… I think. Actually, I don't know." He could see he wasn't reassuring her any. "I'm sure you'll do fine. You're the Hyuuga heir, they'll respect you." He stopped and turned towards her. "I meant to ask earlier, but do you have any of that super-medicine with you? I kinda need it."
She blinked up at him, then looked down at her pouch and brought out a small, carved box. Naruto recognized it instantly because it was so similar to the one she'd given him all those years ago. Not able to look up at his face, she held it out. He reached out and took it slowly. Why had his heart suddenly started to beat harder? Or was it just the sound of his pulsing blood bouncing off the stone walls? Clearing his throat, Naruto headed on down the tunnel.
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Hinata had managed to beat her blush, but knew she wouldn't be able to keep it down if she looked up at him. Oh Naruto, I wish I could tell you! I wish I could just run up to you and— And what? Her mind stumbled on what action she'd take. A hug seemed fully acceptable, and adding a kiss on the cheek wouldn't be too weird for a sister, but she didn't want him to feel brotherly towards her. The main problem was she knew she didn't have the nerve to run up and really kiss him. Just like Neji-niisan said, I can't do it, I'll never change… She sighed.
Narutostopped and she looked up. The cavern with the students was right in front of them, and someone she didn't recognize was standing watch over the kids. "Where's Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, suspicion in his voice.
The stranger smiled. "She's off taking care of other matters and left me as substitute." There were a few other adults around caring for younger children and those not enrolled in the academy. Everything looked to be in good order. Naruto nodded.
"I brought in a few teams of testing genin to cover for the chuunin down here. You can head to the front and join the group waiting for the Hokage's signal. Hinata-chan, here will take over for ya." Naruto studied the replacement instructor's face, finding it familiar, yet very new. So odd…
The substitute shrugged. "Sounds good to me. Just give me a few minutes to brief my replacement and I'll head down." Naruto nodded and turned to Hinata.
"I'll be back for you once this is over. Don't worry about it—" He broke off as Hinata wrapped him up in a hug. "U-um, Hinako…"
She gave him a last squeeze and let him go. Tilting her face up to him she treated Naruto with a small smile and said, "Good luck, Naruto-kun." He spun around and walked out of the room.
Hinata felt the urge to blush at hearing Naruto's little nickname. Feeling almost floaty she turned around and noticed while everyone else in the room had been blind to the exchange, the chuunin was grinning. "I'm taking it you're close?" She blushed pink and nodded. He looked over the whispering and giggling students and headed past her to the door. "I helped Naruto-kun out at his first and second chuunin exam attempts. For his sake, I'll make this fast." Her eyes went wide as she felt a prick in the side of her neck. Then she fell to the floor.
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Naruto was following the path of destruction caused by Jiraiya's battle with Orochimaru's snake when a team of jounin caught up with him. "Naruto! The senin are up this way?" the leader asked. Naruto nodded and sped up. The jounin kept pace even thought they could have pulled ahead. The trail was pretty obvious. A few broken trees here, a huge swampy mess there. Then Naruto stopped dead. The jounin captain was so surprised he also stopped. "What is it?"
Naruto looked at him. "Why are you looking for Jiraiya-sensei and Tsunade-sama anyway? They're busy with that snake monster." Only now had it occurred to him.
The jounin turned and took off again, shouting over his shoulder, "Orochimaru has gotten into the evacuation bunker and taken hold of the deepest caverns." Naruto didn't follow, he couldn't move. Generally he'd be willing to believe that anyone trapped with Orochimaru was already dead. He'd led Hinata right in, though. Why? I was just down there and there was nothing to suggest— He stiffened. The suspicious chuunin in charge of the students. Familiar yet not, of few words, and fairly friendly. Cursing, Naruto turned to head back to the village. He'd been duped by a very clever genjutsu. It must have been particularly good if Hinata hadn't suspected anything. Of course, judging from that hug before he fled, she'd had other concerns.
He knew the substitute had either been Orochimaru himself or a spy for Orochimaru. Someone obviously capable of overpowering many people at once—including Hinata. He immediately shook away dark thoughts. I can feel it, she's alive. I'd know if she was dead. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he nearly collided with the Sand nin running towards him. Naruto dodged the clumsy kunai attack, and froze just before putting his own kunai through the nin's throat. With a flick of the wrist the cloth mask that covered the nin's lower face fell away and Naruto's eyes turned hard. This ninja was barely a woman! She looked about twelve, and her eyes were wide with fear even though her mouth was in a determined line. Naruto lashed out with a foot and she jumped back over it. He moved behind her to her landing spot and gave her a quick knock on the head with the handle of his kunai. She dropped like a stone and he shook his head as he continued towards the village.
If the Sand village was desperate enough to use children, then what kind of attack was this? How were they planning to benefit from risking their future? His mind balked at trying to figure out the answers for such questions. It was so much easier when Sakura or Shikamaru or someone was around and ready to give answers before he even knew the questions.
Naruto paused on the top of the wall near the destroyed gate and felt his heart tug in his chest. The fighting was definitely concentrated near the cliffs. A huge crack had even formed in the Third's face. He could tell it would be stupid to run in and try to blindly attack. What were his options? Visit Kakashi and ask for orders? No! Part of being a good ninja was being able to accommodate any attack with a suitable counter or defense strategy.
His blue eyes glittered and he turned towards the Hyuuga compound. While every nin in the village had gone to fight and the townsfolk had been evacuated, the Hyuuga tended to do their own thing. He was willing to bet his mother was still at home.
She never had gotten to teach him any of those special seals…
::Prompt enough for you? The end is within sight for our friends in Konoha, maybe one or two more chapters left. We shall see::
