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. Other unknown characters were just invented by me.

Author's Note: It's not my fault that I couldn't finish this arc, I was in a pinch and there is school, I asked for help but ..., though I don't mind. It's not anybody's fault really. I had the entire month trying to see what to write and finally, I'M DONE WITH THE FIRST ARC!

Pairing: I still don't know but there is definitely gonna be one. You can tell me who you want to be paired up.


CHAPTER 5

PART 2

Rock Lee vs. Naruto

"Gyaahhh!"

The two genins shouted at the top of their lungs as they approach each other at their fullest speed only leaving a trail of orange and green behind. In a matter of seconds the clenched fist of the two proud genins met leaving behind a loud crashing sound of fists under heaps of dust. The two tumbled backwards but landed gracefully at both ends of the circular stadium.

The people watching were all awestricken not knowing what in the world happened and in the instant that they saw the two genins land gracefully in a split second they were already gone. Then they heard bodies crushing each other in mid-air then saw blurred trails of green and orange covering the sun. After another eight seconds or so of floating in the mid-air, they next saw something falling towards the ground like a top in full spin crashing through the earth creating an earthquake as it made an impact. Rubbles, dusts and trees were sent upwards due to the impact and cracks were created in the stadium wall. The people panicked, not knowing what to do that some of them ran out of the stadium.

However before things went out of hand, ten high-leveled ninjas from different villages aligned themselves on top of the stadium walls with perfect distance from each other. All of them formed seals at an eerily accurate speed and with synchronicity they all shouted "Heaven Barrier technique!"

Transparent white light encircled the inside of the stadium just in front of the ninjas and it continued heaven-wards and through the ground calming the after effect of the spinning movements the two genins caused. It acted like a shield to prevent further damage on the stadium.

During this time, the two fighting genins have already thrown thousands of Taijutsus, kicks and punches at each other. Naruto, without the kyuubi's chakra that he could easily convert into stamina in normal circumstances, was already breaking sweats due to the battle.

"Damnit! Have I been relying on the kyuubi's chakra even when I was wearing those special gears?" Naruto thought. "I have to finish this soon while I'm at my top speed and form or else I might lose."

He tried to surround Lee using speed sending random kicks to him. Lee blocked most of it while others that got through gave him critical blows.

"Heh, Naruto, I see that you are already losing your breath!" He said as he saw how Naruto was taking in deeper breath that earlier.

Naruto just kept silent, calming his breathing and just stood steadily with his eyes closed. He concentrated in keeping his breathing steady and calm. He willed his body to relax and prepared himself for his next move. Stretching twice and went on a running stance.

"Five minutes top. I'll finish this fight in five minutes." Naruto said clearly, silencing most of the people who heard it.

'Damn, The brat started boasting again' Jiraiya noted and smirked.

It was visually impossible for a fight to finish it in five minutes and people knew that. Again, people ended up whispering at the boy's boasting. The other shinobis that were watching on the stand were looking up to each other in confusion at what could Naruto have meant. Those declaration only meant that he was sure he would win for one reason or another. They became more focused on the battle. Nobody blinked nor looked away. Only one person amongst the whole crowd smirked. Definitely knowing what the boy meant when he said those 'boastful' words. Right now, he was beside the Godaime and couldn't help but mutter some indistinguishable words ending it with, "…, Stupid Brat."

"We will see about that, Naruto-kun." Lee answered.

Both party instantaneously lunged towards each other with their fists closed. The fists definitely connected sending them both back stumbling to where they came from, slowly building up dusts as they went. Within the dust that covered the two genins the bystanders could only barely see two swift shadows lunging towards each other again and again. Knowing that they cannot see the fight, they just started timing it, trying to see how true the blond ninja's words were. The dust just keeps getting bigger and bigger until it covered the entire field. Even Gai and the others are having a harder time observing the match.

One minute.

'Perfect!' Naruto thought. This was definitely the right time to use his personally mastered taijutsu technique.

Rock Lee lunged again forward but before he could even hit Naruto squarely in the face, he just vanished from his sight. He looked around the growing dusts and then above him.

"Asshou!" Naruto was shouting at the top of his voice.

This was the only time people saw Naruto, he just appeared from above away from the clouds of dust and hurled himself into it again like a diving falcon. He was too swift that what they saw was more like a flash of lightning.

When Lee saw him hurling towards him, he immediately jumped backwards just in time making Naruto hit the ground with a loud crashing sound. He created a hole on the ground that had a diameter more than three meter and it was so deep that Naruto could barely be seen when he stood up.

The people were all gagging at the crashing sound they heard but never knew what was going on. One of the irritated audience exclaimed "Hey! What's happening? We can't even see a thing here!"

Two minutes.

Gai and the others on the other hand were all so surprised with the blow that Naruto used. Then as they saw him stand up from the barely visible crater they watched as another shadow hurled towards Naruto. Naruto easily dodged it too and this created another hole within the hole that Naruto just created making it deeper and bigger.

The two genins then continued on their swift moves never giving each other any opening at all. Naruto kicked Lee on his ribs but Lee was very quick-witted and easily dodged it by flipping backwards. Naruto was one step ahead, he saw this move coming and had quickly moved until he was behind Lee and gave him a 135 degree kick sending Rock Lee towards the air.

"Senpuu!" he shouted as he jumped just underneath Lee and was about to give him the sets for this technique. Rock Lee used this moment and released the band on his hand immediately wrapping it around Naruto's right hands. Turning the table to Lee's advantage.

'Shit!' Naruto thought. He tried to remove the white band in his wrist but instead it just got tighter. By now, the two of them were almost falling to the ground, Lee twisted himself around the air throwing the surprised Naruto higher up above him with the help of the band like a yoyo. He trapped him with the band making Naruto immobile then pushed him back down towards him and as Naruto came down he met Rock Lee's open palm, which sent him towards the walls on the stadium. The stadium's wall created a crack with Naruto in it. The audiences were all struck to silence and almost everybody though that the match was over.

"Naruto!" Sakura could not believe it, her eyes were wide trying to understand what had just happened. 'Goddamnit! What's with this fight anyway? I can't see a thing at all and I'm getting pissed!'

Lee knew that the blow he gave was not enough to render Naruto unconscious. Being taught by Kumimaro-sensei gave him a different view from the others that was watching, the same way that the rock-hard blow Naruto just gave him earlier did not affect him also.

Indeed, Naruto was only scratched and his clothes were tattered but physically, he was more than conditioned to continue the battle. But Naruto did not see that one coming and his head was spinning.

He tried to keep himself steady as he jumped out of the crack dug into the wall. As his feet reached the ground, he took out some shurikens and kunais in his pocket and started to run again at top speed around the stadium creating clouds of dusts as he passed.

"Thousand Shurikens!" He shouted after his first circle. Suddenly shurikens went flying towards Lee who was in the center of the field. There were too many of them and all of them seems to come from different directions.

Lee used his band to counter attack. Some of it had hit him in randomly. He was so focused on the shurikens that he did not notice Naruto who was already behind him. Naruto spun around and kicked his foot. Lee lost his balance and the last shurikens flying towards him hit his back and before he fell to the ground. Naruto did not stop there, he slammed his foot on Lee's back with all his might.

'What the hell?' it was all that the inner Sakura could mutter in surprise. Seeing how Lee flew through the air and into the wall only being stopped by the heavenly barrier technique.

The impact was definitely obvious especially with the fact on how the jounin situated just above him wobbled and barely kept his part in the barrier seal. All trained and good shinobis knew how ninjutsus works. If a person cannot handle the pressure of the impact from the ninjutsus, it takes a toll to the physical body itself.

Now, knowing how a trained and experienced Jounin was affected by the impact of Rock Lee's tumble. All the educated people in the shinobi ways knew how powerful that strike was and with the dusts blocking their view, they definitely thought the fight was over in Naruto's favor. But everybody's head turned around seeing an undamaged Rock Lee crouching like a tiger on the ground perfectly ready to launch an unsuspected attack to Naruto.

Among the onlookers, there was one visibly blushing pale-faced girl. Not only was she astonished by Naruto's changes but she was beginning to admire him more and more as seconds passed. 'Naruto-kun'

Three minutes.

If Naruto was almost perfectly groomed in using weapons for Taijutsu purposes as one of his chosen expertise, then, Rock Lee's expertise were based on the bandages that was warped around his body. Changing its composition from soft to a damagingly hard and pointed weapon just by the use of sheer speed from the parts of his body required to move it.

"Hidden Konoha's Lifeline Technique!" He stretched out his hands and if seen under a very slow motioned camera people could have seen how his hands vibrated causing the bandages to react and look as if it was swirling. The bandages stretched out with great precision towards the out-of-breath blonde. Rock Lee's eyes thinned a little from its usual bulging ones with the keenness of an eagle. With a loud crash he slammed the bandages to were the target was previously standing and seeing him jump up as if doing some acrobatics in a fast pace. Everybody was shocked. Not because Naruto evaded the attack but more on the precision and sharpness of the object not including its super human speed which reached up to Naruto in the air in no time.

Naruto countered it with shurikens but the shurikens were just thrown away easily. He then pulled out a kunai since, at his current position in the air, there was no leverage and he was falling directly towards Rock Lee's weird-named technique. He decides to counter it heads on, taking the chance praying to be thrown off to a safer place from the impact.

Four Minutes.

Grinding objects were heard as the two clashed. Lee's Taijutsu followed Naruto as he fell on his back first to the ground. Naruto did not spend even a millisecond rest and twisted his body around to avoid Lee's next attack. Finally, he took out his last set of giant shurikens and tumbled backwards and high up to the wall, in no time, he hurled the first shuriken towards his opponent. Then followed it with the other two, with another swift move towards the other end of the wall, he hurled the final shuriken. The first one was easily blocked and thrown back as it flew back, the second shuriken hit it, then the third one hit the last shuriken. Lee stopped the fourth but did not knew that the third was thrown back at an angle where it hit the second shuriken. Launching it back unknowingly towards Lee.

Sasuke and almost everyone of the shinobis who were experts at handling with shurikens was surprised at Naruto's knowledge of trajectories. They never thought that within these six months he would learn it that fast, especially considering that he was the dead last of the group.

On that passing milliseconds, Rock Lee's bandage was cut into half by the very sharp shuriken. Earning Naruto the final upper hand of the battle. Lee was momentarily shocked by this.

"Gyahhh!" Naruto shrieked at the top of his lungs preparing for the last attack.

The tension was in the air. Everybody was silent. Half the people were looking at their watches as it continued ticking for the last ten seconds left of the battle.

Rock Lee analyzed Naruto's next movement. He thought that there was something wrong with it. The Naruto running towards him seems to be different. He prepared for the final blow and waited as Naruto was within his reach. He shifted his legs to prepare for his final and ultimate blow.

Suddenly Naruto froze on his track for some unknown reason.

Rock Lee knew how to take advantage of it and pursued his ultimate blow. Everybody was already at the height of excitement when from out of no where, Jiraiya suddenly appeared in between the two contestants and blocked the blow for Naruto. He lifted Naruto by the waist as he held himself intact and in a whole piece by chakra.

The Kage (Shadow) leaders stood up, angered by the sudden intrusion. Almost all the people followed up and started shouting, cursing and insulting the intruder.

Five Minutes.

"Naruto! What happened?" Sakura shrieked worriedly at the sudden turn of event.

"Goddamnit! What the hell was that about!" One spectator screamed, followed by another, "Get out, Old Man!"

"Ouch ouch! That hurts!." Jiraiya complained.

Rock Lee who was also surprised by the sudden event stood there dumbfounded as he looked at Naruto's unconscious form beside the Sannin.

From above the stage were the Kage Leaders sat, Tsunade questioned Jiraiya in a loud voice, "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS JIRAIYA?"

"Ahh… ahhh… Sorry, sorry. About this…Can you get some medic-nins down here first?" Jiraiya said as he placed the unconscious Naruto on the ground.

Immediately, medic-nins came in and conducted a check-up on the blond boy. One of them paled and looked up at the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, it's an emergency! The boy's heart pulse has stopped and he has oxygen depriviation."

"What?" Tsunade jumped down sat beside Naruto preparing to mold chakra on her hands. She started the healing process and reactivated Naruto pulse by sending electric currents towards his heart. A few minutes passed before Tsunade declared the boy safe. A groan escaped Naruto's lips as he was carried through a stretcher inside the medicine room. With her brows together he looked over at Jiraiya waiting for an explanation.

"That's what I mean. The five minutes that the brat was talking about earlier was not about ultimately defeating Rock Lee but rather about how long he will last in the battle. When he 'started' that technique, he also 'started' to stop breathing."

"Why? Is this a suicide Taijutsu?"

"Apparently…" Jiraiya stopped. 'Ahh. Sorry Naruto but I have to tell them.'

"Well?"

"Apparently… No…"

"Then, why did this happened?"

"You know the situation right? How this Taijutsu techniques was passed on to him abruptly?"

"Yes, and what about it?"

"Apparently, he learned almost all the moves and was given the inheritance for temporary use… but it seems that my friend forgot to teach the basics of breathing when they are at top speed. Of course, Rock Lee knows due to his years of intensive training but in Naruto's case, the old man just assumed he know. Therefore, He can only last using his ultimate moves for four minutes tops but the brat decided to be stubborn and decided to challenge Rock Lee for five minutes."

"I see, that explains it. You do know that by doing this, Naruto looses the final exam by default. Right?"

"I know."

"Then, you're dismissed." Tsunade teleported back to her spot and talked to the Kages about the situation a few major decisions were made.

The Kage from the Hidden Wood Village stood up and declared the final decision. "Upon unanimous consent, Rock Lee is declared as this year's Chuunin exam's Champion and will immediately be given the "Chuunin" rank. For the Succession Match Ceremony, we have received a message from the representatives of the Hidden Village of Steel."

Everybody were silent waiting for the outcome. Hinata pressed her hands together praying for Naruto's victory while the others were equally anticipating any kinds of result. Naruto who had already recovered quite a bit was at the entrance to the inner stadium waiting to hear the announcement.

"It was deemed that you, Rock Lee, is worthy of being the Successor of the Silver Iron. You are therefore asked to go back to the village to pursue the techniques for three years. We congratulate you. As for the temporary successor, Uzumaki Naruto, the Hidden Village of Steel bid you their thanks for the burden you took for them."

The entire stadium resounded in cheers and congratulations at the result and the end of the Chuunin exam. Naruto who was listening grinned widely at all the things that happened. Suddenly, two people appeared in front of him. He instantly noticed them as they came into his view. "Ohh! Ichi-nisan and Aiko-chan! When did you come here?"

"Ahh, Naruto-san! Jiraiya told us about you entering the Chuunin exam here and asked for a representaive from the hidden Steel to judge your Succession Match." Ichi answered.

"Ahh, I see…" Naruto answered. "So, when are you going back?"

"We won't. At least not yet until Lee-san is already with us. We'll head to Konoha together with them."

"Ohh, I see."

"Uhm." Aiko interrupted and smiled her brightest smile. "Naruto-kun, we also have a message for you from the Village Leader."

"Really? Well, what was it?" Naruto's fox eyes showed curiosity. Aiko then gave him a scroll that Naruto opened silently.

In the letter the following were written:

To Uzumaki Naruto;

For the assistance you have given to one of our major divisions. I therefore deem it right to pledge allegiance and assistance to your name. Do count on us when you are in great need. Sealed within this letter is a little gift of appreciation from us.

The 2nd Kage of Steel

"WHAAT?" Naruto's eyes bulged that startled the two shinobi.

"What's the matter?" Aiko asked as she peaked at the letter. "I don't see anything wrong with it…"

"Did that old man really thought that I would be defeated?" Naruto asked as he pouted cutely. "Hmph, tell the old man, that I was just defeated by chance!"

Ichi sighed at the shallowness of Naruto's reasons but Aiko blushed and grinned. She happily pinched Naruto's cheeks that earned her a groan.

"You really really are stupid, ain't yah?" She told him.

"WHAT? Even Aiko-chan is telling me that? I don't believe it!"

"Silly, the content of the letter changes depending on the situation. Have you forgotten?" Ichi asked.

"Ahh! Oh yeah, I remembered." Naruto grinned and scratched his head. He then formed the Kai seal to release the jutsu on the scroll and in there popped a very beautiful dagger with the intricate design of the Steel and his Uzumaki symbol. It was definitely made solely for him. "It's so beautiful! Thank you! Tell that to the old man too, and sorry about earlier.

This earned him another pinch in the cheeks by Aiko, "Don't worry, since you look so cute when you look and act stupid, you're forgiven."

Naruto sighed and gave up, of all his female acquaintances, he gives up on Aiko the easiest. "All right already, I give up… Come on, I'll introduce you to my friends!"

He placed his hands happily around the two shinobi's neck and hummed happily as he walked to where the others were.


-----First Arc-----Finished----First Arc----


AUTHOR'S NOTE:

1> Did you like the OC? Especially Aiko? No physical description yet co'z I'm trying to see if you'll like the two.

2>Would you like me to level this fanfiction to the Manga? meaning Naruto Remains a genin and all and continues to train? Sakura with Tsunade? Sasuke with Kakashi? we have no choice don't we?

3>Jiraiya's Jiraiya, so he could easily break through the heavenly barrier jutsu.

4>Overall, though I did not had this beta-ed'd co'z I never do. I love the ending for my first arc! hope you did too... atleast...

5>I'm looking for a beta-reader for this first arc. So i could revamp it... can anybody help?

6>Finally, I'm so sorry for the grammar and spelling errors, I was already on the last few pages so before the idea could fly away I started writing it without bothering with anything... which is what I always do...