Hello, everybody! Didn't expect to see it so soon:)
Well, anyway, here's the next chapter. My warmest and greatest thanks to my beta-reader Phillipa Engels who helped me a lot with correcting the grammar and simply words of encouragement!
Thank you, all reviewers! There are a lot of reviews for this chapter; it's really great to see you liked it!
Now answers for the questions…
IncandescentOne – of course you can borrow this idea. After all I began to write this story because there were nothing like this to read. It would be great if I can read other story in such a direction myself – writing is great, of course, but reading my own story isn't too good for me – I already know what happens next :)
the leviathan – no SasuNaru in this story (sigh). I promised it would be general and I'll keep my word :)
MasterFranny – I've read Kakashi gaiden and even some chapters from the second part but finally decided to stop. Otherwise it wouldn't be interesting fro me to watch anime. I did this mistake with Bleach and spent half of Soul Society season knowing what happens next. That wasn't good. Thank you for your review, the thought of father doing anything for his son, you sounded it perfectly!
Whirlpool Fishcake, sorry, couldn't resist but put in "belive it". I won't do it often, I promise:)
Not much of this story is left…soon you'll know how the mission finished. But…there will be the second part!
I'm waiting for your reviews and really hope you'll like this chapter.
Chapter 9. Fights here and there.
"We'd better get going," Arashi suggested a few minutes later after Shinjiru finally coped with his feelings and returned to his normal self. "The exam has already begun. When does he plan his attack, Shinjiru?"
"Sometime after father's speech," Sora's son answered his voice shaking. "We must stop him."
"Yes," Yondaime nodded. "I see. I'll use body flicker to get there in time. Naruto, Sakura, take care of the villagers and move to the exit."
"But you are wounded," Sakura said. "You are bleeding."
"That's a scratch," he answered. "It won't stop me," and moved his hands to make a familiar jutsu again.
"Yondaime," Naruto called him.
Arashi turned around in surprise even forgetting that he was under cover of being simple jounin for this mission. It was the first time the boy didn't call him names. Yes, it was just a title but it didn't sound as bad as usual anyway.
"Don't let them do something awful," Naruto asked in serious tone. "Otherwise Sora-san and Shinjiru won't be able to forgive each other. If it happens I swear I'll kick your ass."
"Just trust me," Arashi's look was so sad that Naruto felt he had said something terribly wrong; like Naruto's lack of belief in him being able to handle his enemies caused him pain. Yondaime turned around completing his jutsu, obviously not wanting to continue this conversation.
"I trust…" Naruto began to say but Arashi never heard his words. Like wind he disappeared in a second.
"Dammit," Naruto cursed. It was one of these moments when he hated his long tongue.
"Let the exam begin!" Sora declaimed raising his hands.
"Not so fast," group of masked shinobies appeared in the middle of the arena while all the people around them fell asleep.
"So you finally appeared," Sora sighed. "You like drama, I haven't known anything like it, to make such a show at the arena with thousands of people…"
"It's not because of me liking drama or anything, old man," leader exclaimed interrupting him.
"So you wanna take as many lives as you need to become the most powerful shinobi," Sora shook his head in disgust. "Really I didn't expect such a dirty rat to grow up in our village, Tetsu. Take off your mask already; don't put more shame on yourself fighting incognito. "
Sharp laughter sounded terrible echoing around the arena.
"You have guts, old man, to stay calm in such a situation," Tetsu smiled taking off his mask. "How long have you known?"
"Long enough to be prepared in case of your attack," Sora smiled back commanding. "Take them!" and a squad of 30 shinobies appeared behind the backs of Tetsu's team.
The ANBU man continued smiling.
"So you think you can stop me with just that, old man?" he asked angrily. "Then you are more foolish than I thought," he jumped to the guest's sector and walked to the sleeping spectators. "You're old, Sora. You should have given up your chief seat long ago but you are still holding it. You haven't even made me ANBU captain, were you so afraid of me taking your seat one day? Now what can you do to stop me? In my hands," he put out kunai which flashed under the sun's rays. "Is an ultimate weapon. It can make me the strongest person in the world. No one can stop me now."
He made several hand seals activating the jutsu and moving the kunai to the nearest man's neck.
Sora's men moved preparing to fight but Tetsu's hand stopped a millimeter from his prey's body.
"What is this?" he asked aloud.
"Something wrong, Tetsu?" Sora's question was full of irony.
The ANBU was looking at his hand in shock.
"It doesn't work. It is… it is another kunai," he whispered.
"Give up, Tetsu," a new voice offered.
The dark haired man turned around finding a smiling Arashi standing near Sora.
"What have you done with it!" he shouted in despair.
"What are you talking about?" Yondaime asked in surprise glancing at Sora.
Tetsu's face filled with emotion. He tried to analyze the situation quickly. Something happened with this perfect jutsu. Was it him…could he have taken another kunai before the operation? Why didn't he check it? Anyway, there were 32 well-armed men and without the kunai he really didn't have a reason to fight them.
"Attack them," he ordered calmly to his men watching as the fight began. He really taught them well. Not a question, they were ready to die for their leader. Perfect soldiers…but he wasn't going to die now anyway. There was another way.
A single moment – and he disappeared.
Arashi and Sora joined the battle. Yondaime, using his speed caught several ninjas while Sora landed them the final blow. Then all they had to do was to watch their people finish the remains of Tetsu's army, helping when it was needed.
"Like the old times," the village chief smiled to his friend.
"Yeah," Arashi smiled back. "I already told you it looks like our waterfalls mission."
"Yes, a lot," Sora nodded. "There is even a traitor ANBU here. It was a nice move to tell me without him knowing I would have to tell you."
"Well, that's the end for him," Arashi turned to Sora. "He'll get out of the village and I don't think we'll hear about him again. ANBU'll take care of that."
"I'm afraid you're wrong, my friend," Sora sighed. "I know him too well and he won't give up. I think he'll head to his base trying to find the kunai."
Arashi's face became darker.
"I wonder if Shinjiru has such a kunai too," he thought. "If he has…if Tetsu meets Naruto's group. Oh my…I'd better get going."
Another blow of wind – and Yondaime disappeared too.
"What have I said that was so important?" Sora shuddered looking at the arena. "Anyway, we have a lot of work," he said to his team. "Release the jutsu. Wake everybody up."
Finally after an eternity, as Naruto thought, they got out of the caves. Thanks to Shinjiru, this way was shorter than the one they came here.
"If I only had that technique," Uzumaki sighed to himself. "That body flicker. I could be there helping Sora. It's awful to be useless."
A lone silhouette appeared on their way and at first moment Naruto was happy to see Tetsu – if he was here that meant everything was ok in the exam arena. But by the shaken look of Shinjiru he suddenly realized something was really wrong.
"Give me the kunai, Shinjiru," Tetsu began in menacing tone.
"He's alright, Tetsu!" Naruto shouted. "Everything is under control, Sora-san sent you, didn't he?"
"Naruto-kun," Shinjiru whispered. "Tetsu is the boss of the band."
"It can't be," the blond genin was shocked.
"Give it to me," the ANBU moved closer to them.
"No," Shinjiru shook his head. "It was a mistake. We must give up, Tetsu and then everything will be alright."
"I can't believe it," Tetsu looked like he's going to kill everybody in a second. "You are a coward. They captured you and here you are already crying happy to return to your father who made you a monster."
"Stop it already!" Naruto shouted taking a step forward.
Shinjiru's hand appeared in his way.
"No," Sora's son simply told him. "It's my fight." In a second there wasn't a teenager anymore. A roaring monster appeared in the place where Shinjiru had stood.
"You think can you stop me using this?" Tetsu laughed. "You are weak, Shinjiru, because you lack it. You lack power to kill somebody. You are too soft for it. I don't understand why I took you in my band."
Shinjiru roared and tried to catch him but the ANBU was too quick.
Naruto watched the fight with wide eyes. This Tetsu, his speed was even greater than Yondaime's himself!
It lasted a few moments, then kunai flashed in the air catching monster's tail and gasping Shinjiru fell onto the ground holding his leg.
Chakra was flying through the air connecting with Tetsu's body.
"Bastard," Sora's son cursed.
"I told you, you can't match me, baka," Tetsu smiled holding kunai tightly.
"Dammit," Shinjiru tried to pull kunai out of his hands but failed miserably.
Tetsu kicked him away but Shinjiru laughed back.
"Maybe you took my chakra but you took the monster's chakra too," he warned.
"I'm not as weak as you," Tetsu answered. "I can control it perfectly," he turned around facing Naruto. "So who is the next in line?"
The blond genin stepped ahead.
"You won't take me so easily," he warned activating rasengan.
Flash – and Tetsu disappeared. Naruto just couldn't match his speed. The next moment he felt pain in his arm and chakra left his body. He tried to hit Tetsu with rasengan but it just disappeared in his hands.
"You are powerful," Tetsu whistled. "I didn't think you'd have so much chakra in you. I'd like to take it permanently." He moved to Naruto's side. Sakura ran trying to stop him but failed miserably – he kicked her away, not even paying enough attention to turn around.
"Think…think!" something into Naruto's mind shouted watching Tetsu coming closer. "Otherwise he'll kill you!" But he couldn't even move – he was too weak, this damned ANBU took all chakra he had. So he had to call Kyuubi's chakra it was obvious to him but he didn't have time. The kunai moved to his side and Naruto couldn't help but close his eyes being afraid of what was going to happen next.
He felt wind blowing, messing up his hair and then a shadow fell on his face blocking the sun's rays.
A familiar bloody jounin's back was in front of him. If Arashi turned around Naruto would see a very angry Yondaime breaking the kunai with his bare hand.
"It has gone too far," Arashi's eyes were like flashes themselves. Even a thought that this traitor could do something to his boy brought him even more anger.
"I have more chakra than you, blond jounin," Tetsu laughed trying to look brave though this figure scared him a lot. "I'll kill you easily."
Even in his worn out state Naruto felt that Yondaime gathered a great amount of chakra. He wasn't sure that even in his kyuubified state he could gather that much.
Tetsu backed away while hearing Arashi's answer spoken in a stern voice.
"Don't underestimate me, traitor. I'll show you what it means to mess with the Hokage!"
Chakra almost visibly flew in his body while he landed blow after blow at monstrous speed. All Tetsu could do was block them.
"The Hokage?" he asked with smile, trying to calm down. "I knew from the beginning something's wrong with you. Jounins aren't that strong."
Arashi turned around landing another blow. Tetsu caught his arm trying to kick him but Yondaime just moved out of his grip.
The ANBU backed out throwing his kunai with all his speed trying to catch Arashi off guard but the blond Hokage just threw his kunai which met in the air with Tetsu's throwing it back to the attacker. The dark haired man avoided it with visible effort.
Naruto gasped watching this move. It was just like Sasuke's. No…it was even better!
"We'll see how you deal with this," Tetsu smiled. "Tsuki no heijin jutsu!" and blade looked like it was made of moon itself appeared in his hand.
Arashi shook his head.
"The highest level of tsuki no heijin. That's beautiful," he acknowledged. "You are a talented shinobi. What a shame you are spoiled. You really could become the village's chief one day."
"Shut up!" Tetsu shouted. "I'll become the chief one way or another! I'll kill you, kill this boy and I will receive as much power as I need to become the chief!"
Just mentioning Naruto being hurt made Arashi's anger boil again.
"So be it," he nodded trying not to show it. "With all this trying you deserved to know why I'm really called the Yellow flash."
Saying this he gathered all the chakra he had. Naruto and Sakura watching this scene, gasped in surprise.
Yellow chakra became visible now. It gathered all around Yondaime's body making the impression that the figure in front of them was living lightning, not a man. Finally it dissipated making a half-transparent shield all around his body.
At this moment, Tetsu, afraid of what was going to happen next, ran to the Hokage raising his blade. In a moment Arashi disappeared from his position only to appear behind him. Tetsu roared trying to catch his elusive opponent while he disappeared again.
"How is he doing that?" Naruto wondered.
"It's only a theory," Sakura answered back. "But it looks like he concentrates a great amount of chakra all around his body and it allows him to move really fast. Maybe five or even ten times faster than the speed of his body flicker jutsu."
Uzumaki didn't answer her; he just continued watching the Hokage handling easily with the opponent he thought it was impossible to win against. So…in the caves…the power of Yondaime, it was just a small hint of it. How strong was he really?
Tetsu was breathing heavily while Arashi's moves became faster and faster.
"Here," the ANBU rushed here and there trying to find an opening. "No, here!" he tried to stab Yondaime but the blond man simply caught his blade with his bare hand.
"Oh my," was only Tetsu could manage. The blade just melted in his hands like it fell in lava lake.
"Give up," Arashi offered one last time.
"Never!" Tetsu shouted attacking him.
Yondaime moved with grace of dancer catching him in mid-air. From Natuto's side it looked like he only touched his opponent a little but for Tetsu it didn't look like it. He felt like the lightning itself hit him and hit the ground already unconscious.
For a moment Arashi just stood calming down after the fight. Wind flew to play with his messed up hair but he didn't care. Slowly he released the chakra he gathered for the attack.
Naruto just watched him in awe. So that's what the real Hokage looked like. He saw many shinobies in his life – weak and strong. But among all of them – he had to confess to himself – he had never known such a person. He was like Ero-Sennin had said. A genius. The strongest Hokage in Konoha's history.
"He is…incredible," he whispered. "I wanna…really want to become like him one day."
Arashi exhaled and tried to sleek his hair.
"Well, that's the end of the infamous band," he smiled.