= As Time Passed in The Leaf =
Disclaimer: Naruto is not owned by me. This story is purely fictional Anime fanatics/other aspiring author like me create to fill our (and other anime fanatics) desire.
Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction. Please read and review my fiction. To those who reviewed my work, thank you very much for such wonderful reviews. Also I'd like to ask for forgiveness if I disappiont you, fellow Anime-fanficReaders. This is one long and boring chapter for me. I got so worked up trying to make this a very good chapter for you guys. But I just realized in the end, that I ruined it instead. I guess have this problem that everytime I hear good comments, I turn out worse than before... So I'm really sorry. Please review this chapter again. I'll just do my best with the next chapter. For the corrections, thank you very much for noticing it. I'll be looking forward for your help again, next time.
Notes: (1) "talking" -means the character is speaking. (2) 'thinking' - means the character is thinking. (3) "talking" or 'thinking' - means important conversation/thoughts. (4) (words/phrase) - authors thoughts, notes or ideas.
CHAPTER 1
MEETING AGAIN!
"Hmmn, so this is the hidden wood village... It's good!" Naruto said, while he was walking with Jiraiya-sama beside him.
"Woww, so great! There's so many foods and snacks all over! Good thing I did not let Ero-sennin get a hold of gama-chan!" Naruto exclaimed happily while squeezing his fat gama-chan on his face with a fox-like grin.
"Come on Gama-chan! Let's tear this place down!" But even before he could step he was met with a slam in the head "Ouch! Oi, Ero-sennin! What was that for?" he asked while scratching his head.
"Baka, we did not come here to have fun. Don't you even read the banners written all over the place? Look!" Jiraiya answered him. That was when Naruto started to look at the banners and read it slowly.
"CHUU...NIN...SELECTION...EXAM..." Naruto's fox-eyes widened "CHUNIN EXAM!? yes! yes! Yes! Now I can become a chuunin!"
Jiraiya looked at Naruto, he was also smiling. He already considered Naruto his son more or less and he knows how glad Naruto is at this moment, it's not bad to give him something he can be happy about from time to time, aside from training and defending himself from the members of Akatsuki.
"Nee Nee, how did you know about the chuunin exam anyway?" Naruto asked him.
"Well, that is...Tsunade, the Hokage, sent me a message. She indicated that this is where the chuunin exam will be held and instructed me to bring you here so you could participate. She also sent your passport with the message." Jiraiya explained as he saw Naruto's face lit up hearing Tsunade's name "Also, she have a message for you".
"Eh? What is it?" He asked curiously.
"She said that the slot for the 6th Hokage is still waiting for you, you've got to show her how you've improved and you must not disappoint her. She's said she's going to watch the final match" Jiraiya explained. 'Really, that Tsunade's gonna be surprised. She's worried over nothing at all'.
"Hehe! are you kidding? Of course I won't, I've been waiting my whole life for this!" He answered. 'and wait 'til Sasuke and Sakura see my new Jutsu!'
Jiraiya himself was confident of Naruto's abilities. He saw how he trained non-stop to prepare himself for his battle with the Akatsuki. Although his stupidity gets in the way sometimes he still manages to get over the things he teaches him.
"Listen, Naruto do your best in the Exam ok? Remember we'll leave right after the Exam ends and I know you'll be a Chuunin by then"
"Yeah sure, by the way, who will be my teammates?"
"Sakura and Sasuke. It's all been arranged. All the 11 Genins will be there to participate too. Your teammates are going to meet up with you tomorrow."
"Alright!" Naruto looked more lively that ever hearing this "I'm going now Ero-sennin!"
"Where are you going?"
"There's more reason for me to celebrate with gama-chan now! Afterwards, I'll train in the forest" Naruto answered while running towards the stalls.
'What a kid' Jiraiya thought while looking at the running Naruto "Oi, buy me some foods too!"
"Sure!"
He went to almost every stalls in there filling his hands and pocket, and ate them all up! after what seemed like a hour and a stomach full of foods, he decided to start training in the forest of the hidden wood village.
He trained for the whole afternoon with his Shurikens and Kunais. All of it hit the tree where he threw it. After completely filling a tree with Kunais and Shurikens in a grid-like manner. He moved to another open field where he trained in controlling his blue chakra.
Sitting on the tree in a meditative state, he talked to the Kyuubi inside of him. 'Oi Kyuubi, I'm training now, lend me your power!' then, a red chakra emitted out of his body and just like what he did with the blue one he limited its power, focusing it on the different parts of his body. He's now learning how to control the red chakra in its full potential. He's been inventing a new Jutsu, that is almost similar to the Rasengan but it needed the special red chakra. (Sorry can't tell you what it is yet, I need a cool name close to Rasengan, this is a fire property... can you help me name it?)
After what seemed like an hour of controlling the red chakra, he combined both the blue and red one creating a Violet colored chakra. After focusing it on his hand and the last Shuriken he is holding for ten minutes, he threw the Shuriken towards the tree, hit it and bored a hole in the tree and other 5 trees in line behind it. Then, he fell on the ground smiling happily saying, "Training Finished..." it was more like a whisper now as he fell fast asleep due to tiredness from the training.
THE AIR was still misty in the morning, the sun wasn't even shining yet. But on the boundary of the Hidden Wood Territory Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura and 12 more ninjas can be seen walking towards the direction of the village. They were here to participate for the Chuunin exam, yet they went here a week earlier to see Naruto. Well, everybody was curious on how he looked or improved now that's why everybody came.
Hinata was a bit nervous to see him. Rock Lee was excited, he considered him his rival and a special friend that inspired him beside Gai-sensei, especially when he defeated Neji. Shino didn't bother much, he's got no grudge against him nor is he close to him, he was still his usual quiet self. Kiba on the other hand was smiling, surely thinking of something. He still hasn't seen how Naruto improved since they couldn't show-off their powers when they tried to save Sasuke. For Neji, he certainly had no doubt in his mind that Naruto did improve, after all he considered him as the man who can change destiny.
"Hey Kakashi-sensei, do you think Naruto will be here?" Sakura asked him as they continued leaping from branches to branches.
"That's what we're here to find out right?" Kakashi answered. "And knowing Naruto, surely he'll be here."
"I guess your right. He said so himself before he left." Sakura said answering her own question. 'I wonder how he is...'
Sasuke on the other hand was thinking of different things. 'I'm going to pay back what I owe you for sure'. Sasuke have also been training hard in Konoha under Kakashi's guidance. Well he had no choice anyway, Kakashi is the only person beside him who has Sharingan. He had also completed the Mangenkyo Sharingan during his battle with Naruto.
Sakura had also prepared for the upcoming Chuunin Exam. She doesn't want to be left out anyway. Deep within her, a desire to fight them in the battle made her train hard for this moment. She also doesn't want to be the cause if ever they get defeated.
Just before they came upon an open field, Kakashi saw a number of ninjas going in one direction, towards the East Field. They were from different Hidden Villages but their Forehead Protector had a slash on the symbols indicating that they are missing-nins. They were also wearing a long coat that covers their mouth. He stopped on his track, alerting others to their environment. He looked back at Sakura and smiled...
"Sakura, looks like your question have just been answered." Kakashi said.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Sakura inquired she can't get what kakashi has just told her. Well, none of the Genins knew anything about the Akatsuki Organization anyway except for Sasuke.
"Huh, They've got guts to take Naruto here don't they?" Gai answered back. "They're surely gonna get it! Everybody, keep yourselves well hidden"
"What are you talking about Gai-sensei?" Lee asked, but Gai did not answer him.
Although they still didn't know what to do, they did as the Jounins told them. They tracked the Nins and when they already caught up with them they hid in the surrounding trees and bushes. They watched as one of the 8 nins come close to the sleeping Naruto and making him smell the bottle with gas.
'A paralyzing-sleeping gas!' Kurenai-sensei thought. During this moment Shino sent his insects around the Nins for back-up. Kakashi sent his Kagebunshin towards the man, throwing Kunais and Shurikens between him and Naruto. During this moment Gai-sensei jumped of the bush and with his super- speed took Naruto even before the rest of the Akatsuki members could react.
"Do you think you could take him that easily?" Genma-sensei commented. As he came out of his hiding place, all the other genins with Kurenai and the real Kakashi followed.
"Shit! How did they knew about this?" The leader of the group said.
"We didn't, you were just not good enough in keeping yourselves concealed." Kakashi answered.
"Hah, do you think it would be that easy?" said one of the members "there's only 4 Jounins among you and the rest are easy prey!"
"Get the Kyuubi!" the leader ordered.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. My insects are everywhere, they can easily attack you at my command." Shino said.
"How... Everybody retreat!" The leader commanded.
When they already left, Gai placed Naruto down. Kurenai went to Naruto and let him smell the antidote for the paralyzing-sleeping Gas. Kakashi's eyes moved around to study the place that was when he saw the holes on 5 consecutive trees. 'Did he do that? Impossible!' Then looked back to Naruto.
Naruto was now mumbling "Ramen! So delicious!"
Sakura sat beside Naruto shaking him to wake up "Naruto, wake up." while the others were standing around him including Sasuke.
Naruto seems to be getting awake. When he opened his eyes he saw a blurred vision of a girl with pink hair in ponytail. Around her were some familiar and unfamiliar faces.
"Sa-Sakura-chan? Is that really you?" Naruto wondered as he started to get up."Everybody! what are you all doing here!?"
"Silly, you didn't even knew that you were almost taken by those men?" Ino answered "Who are they anyway?"
Naruto realized that the Akatsuki's had just been here from what he heard from Ino. 'Darn, why wasn't I careful enough? It's a good thing they were here.' He tought followed by a grumbling stomach. "It's none of everybody's concern, really."
"Well, are we gonna stay here all afternoon or are we gonna head for the village? It seems his stomach is already grumbling" Kurenai asked them.
"Everybody let's go!" Gai said. Then they ran towards the village gat racing with each oher.
"Oi, what took you people so long? Did you walk?" Naruto asked them smiling, as they reached the gate where he was now resting for almost 2 minutes.
'So fast' Everybody thought but nobody said it aloud.
'Now that I think of it Naruto seems to be taller than the other Genins now. What caused this anyway?' Kakashi thought 'Oh Well, Jiraiya will tell us soon anyway'
One week later, all the Leaf Genins were now in a room filled with other ninjas from different villages. There were about 200 of them in there, more or less. What surprised them was the 3 genins from the sand, Gaara, Temari and Kankurou. Who would have thought they were still interested to be Chuunins. Then a Ninja from the wood came in to give the rules and a few announcements.
However Sasuke, Neji, Shino, Naruto, Gaara, Temari and Kankuruo were given the special privilege not to take the 1st, 2nd exams and the one on one preliminary match due to the Orochimaru incident. It was a compensation for those that got through the final match this includes. Because of this, they made up a few adjustments in the team.
Team 1: Sakura, Tsukiko (wondering who he is?) and Ten-ten
Team 2: Kiba, Hinata and Shino
Team 3: Ino, Chouji and Lee
"Good Luck then everybody!" it was Naruto's last words before they left the building.ON ONE of the buildings Jiraiya and Kakashi was having their own conversation.
"Naruto seems to have improved greatly, what happened?" Kakashi inquired.
"Well, I have nothing much to say about that matter. I just found out after I left him in my friends' care that he's already tapped into the Kyuubi." Jiraiya said.
"What do you mean you left him to your friend?"
"Well, you know how my job goes and Naruto never liked it. He's not a pervert like some of us you know. After 2 months we had this agreement that I'll leave him in my friends house for a month, to train there as I 'GATHER INFORMATION'. Wasn't that a good plan?" He giggled.
"What if the Akatsuki came to him?"
"They did and as you can see, nothing happened right? I left him in the best care. My friends are no ordinary Ninjas and they did taught a lot to him."
"Ah, that's why he was almost kidnapped by them while he was asleep in the forest? I see..."
"What do you mean? Naruto never told me about this."
"It was good that we got there in time."
"No. It was good they did not took him while he was awake." Jiraiya said with pride "Half of them would have been dead by now."
'Now I wonder how good did Naruto become...' was Kakashi's last thought.
P.S. Can you help me with a name for the fireball in Japanese? I'd like a cool one please. Also, I'll introduce the new character next chapter. TSUKIKO. Don't forget my review ok? I love it very much and you guys and gals too! PEACE OUT!
The next chapter (2nd) starts of in the Final Match. I'll just focus on each of the genins fight and who will be Chuunins and who will fail. I'll focus on the next part of Naruto's life in CHAPTER 3 or 4 (if I can't cover the whole match in one chapter)
