Author Notes: The plot should start to pick up at this point. I should also begin to diverge more from the mainline plot.
The Memoirs of Uzumaki Naruto.
Book the First: Dead Last
Chapter 3: Second Chance
It wasn't until later that I realized how close I was to dying that day. I had no idea how kill-happy the ANBU were, and being an intruder in the Hokage's house, I was very close to being dismembered, with my limbless torso sent to Morino Ibiki for interrogation. It was probably my infamous nature that saved me, making the ANBU recognize who I was. I was merely smacked on the head and dragged to an interrogation room, where I was yelled at for two hours straight. I told them most of the truth, that I was there because Mizuki was going to pass me if I learned a technique from the scroll of seals, that I had found the scroll of seals, but hadn't learned a technique from them, and that I had run once I heard the Hokage coming. Somewhere in the middle of the second hour, I thought I heard Mizuki screaming somewhere in the distance, but that was probably my imagination. The interrogation rooms are soundproofed better than that.
After apparently being satisfied by my answers, the ANBU departed, leaving me along in the room. There was nothing for me to do but sit in the interrogation chair, fidgeting and staring at the cracks in the plaster wall. I didn't really know what was going to happen to me, but I didn't want to do anything that would give them an excuse to kill me. The seconds turned into minuets, which turned into hours, and all the while I was getting more and more nervous. I was just beginning to contemplate making a break for it when the door opened and in walked, not the ANBU from before, but the Hokage himself.
"My goodness, you must have had a busy night, Naruto," the Hokage said as he took the seat opposite the table. He didn't seem angry at all, but was rather amused instead. "I know that the one of the prerogatives of youth is to do stupid and daring things, but not many people would even attempt what you have done. However, there is one thing I am curious about." Leaning forward, his face took a slightly more serious look "Even with the Genjutsus that were in place, it takes significant skill to sneak into my house like that. Yet when going over your records, I noticed that you had failed your graduation exam. Surely someone of your ability could easily pass the basic test. Is there any . . . peculiar reason you were left behind? Perhaps some conflict with a teacher?"
I hesitated, unsure of what to say. Most of the teachers would teach me, but they didn't pay much attention beyond what was necessary. However, Iruka and Mizuki never did that, so I couldn't say the test was rigged. I wanted to complain that the test was the one thing that I was bad at, but I didn't think I would be believed. "Sure, I could have passed every OTHER test, just not the one I was given," sounded lame even to me. Then again, if there was just the faintest possibility that I could become a ninja, I really REALLY wanted to take it. Seeing my hesitation, the Hokage pressed on. "Don't worry, anything you say to me I will keep completely confidential."
Finally deciding that I had nothing to lose, I decided to tell him about my in ability to do the Bunshin. "I keep on having the Bunshin as the graduation test, and I keep failing it," I said, half staring at the ground. "I can't control it right. It . . . doesn't use enough chakra." At that time, it was the best way I had to explain the problem.
Usually when I told someone else the same thing, they would react with incredulity and demand why NOT using a lot of chakra was a problem, since most children my age had the exact opposite problem. The Hokage didn't seem taken aback or angry though. He just nodded sagely as if I was merely confirming what he already knew. He instead got out of his seat and began to walk outside, motioning me to follow him. We were halfway outside before we ran into Umino Iruka.
Iruka Sensei is usually a very nice person. However, when angered by misbehaving students he becomes really REALLY scary. His eyes bulge out, his face turns red, and he launches into a massive angry rant which can strike fear into any academy student. Even Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuja Neji could not survive unscathed. Seeing Iruka-sensei causing an upperclassman to wither under the tirade reinforced my desire to not get on his bad side, so when I saw him charging at me with his eyes almost glowing red, I knew I was in for it. Seeing the Hokage slowed him down long enough to give a brief greeting, but didn't deter him from giving one of the largest Iruka-rants I've had the misfortune of enduring. It took the Hokage clearing his throat twice before Iruka stopped screaming on how stupid and reckless I was, and just how close I had gotten killed or blown up trying out a random jutsu.
"Actually Iruka, I was just looking for you," the Hokage continued, walking along as if nothing had happened. "I was just discussing Naruto's ninja exam and why he did not graduate." This got Iruka's attention in a hurry. Evidently, he was anticipating something like this.
"Naruto is competent in all of his other ninja skills, and well exceeds the minimum requirement for all of them." Iruka explained, fidgeting slightly as if he was being tested "However, you know how important Bunshins are in a fight. If his skills are incomplete, he could be seriously injured in a mission, and become a liability to the rest of the team."
"I completely agree with you," the Hokage said, once again as if he had already anticipated what Iruka was going to say "However, I feel it is unreasonable to hold all students to the exact same requirements. After all, just last year a student named Rock Lee passed when he could avoid attacks better than some Chuunin, in lieu of the normal requirements. While the standard Bunshin may be the easiest for most students, some might have unique conditions which may not make Bunshin the best jutsu for them," I was tempted to ask what sort of condition I had, but didn't want to interrupt the most powerful person in Konoha. By this time, we had made it out of the ANBU office and into one of the many training grounds that are dotted across Konoha. This one was nothing more than a piece of dirt, with a few weatherbeaten practice dummies set up on one end. At this time, it was around four in the morning, so it was currently unoccupied.
Making a few quick seals (quick for me, actually much slower than what a high level ninja would use) the Hokage gestured at the ground, where three bulges rose from the earth to becomes three exact duplicates of the Third Hokage.
"Normally the bunshin is best for academy students, since it uses the least amount of chakra," the Hokage explained. "However, for someone who instinctively uses a lot of chakra, the manipulating small amounts is clumsy and awkward. This new technique uses a lot more chakra, but it anchors it to the earth, making the chakra more stable," Turning to me, he said "Do you think you can learn this instead of the Bunshin?" while holding out a small scroll he seemingly pulled out of thin air.
YES! Finally, opportunity had knocked! This was the one break that I had been dreaming about, but never expected to actually happen. Barely able to contain my excitement, I hurriedly agreed and snatched the scroll from his fingers. I bid both of them goodbye as fast as I could and ran at a dead sprint all the way from the training grounds to my house. After depositing the scroll on my dining table/desk, I finally undid my Henge, and placed all the papers I had copied from the Scroll of Seals on the table as well.
After a quick nap and a breakfast of leftover bread and Ramen, I began to look over the scrolls that I had. The first and most important was the one given to me by the Hokage. If I could just learn that one, then I could graduate with my class and stay a ninja. Just being a ninja of Konoha would be enough to discourage most of the lowlifes and bullies that seemed set to making my life miserable. After all, no one would dare attack or overtly bully a ninja of Konoha.
Yes, I really was that naive. I know I mentioned before that I wasn't sure how I survived my childhood. It bears repeating.
While normal Bunshin are simple chakra constructs, to create one out of earth, you had to latch your chakra onto the earth and literally drag it up before you could anchor chakra to it. The first few times I tried it, I wound up either not using enough chakra, causing the dirt pile to slump over before it reached full size, or too much, causing the dirt to explode. Even after I learned to use the correct amount of chakra, there was still the matter of anchoring my chakra to the mass of dirt (filled with rocks, earthworms, half rotten bark and other goodies) and then mold it into the shape of a Bunshin. It sounds hard, but compared to trying to do regular Bunshin, it was actually quite fun. Having to use my chakra to move the dirt around was like molding very lumpy clay, whereas trying to make a regular Bunshin was like knitting a sweater out of wet ramen noodles. Within an hour I had gotten something that looked vaguely human, in two hours I had a passable copy of me created out of dirt, and by lunchtime I could create three perfectly working Earth Bunshins.
At that moment in time, you couldn't have found a happier kid in all of Konoha. Not only had I created a Bunshin, but I had done it better than anyone else, creating the superior Earth Bunshin. To make things even better, I had done it in mere hours instead of the weeks it normally took to learn a technique. As soon as I showed the Hokage this, I could become a ninja like my classmates.
Pausing only to gulp down some more Ramen, I began skipping to town, dreams of being a ninja spinning through my excited brain. I was even creating Earth Bunshin as I went, letting them collapse, then creating them again just for the hell of it. It was creating holes in the dirt path, but I didn't care. The meeting to assign Jounin instructors was tomorrow morning, so I had plenty of time to pop down to the Hokage's office, demonstrate the technique, and then I'd join the ranks of new Konoha shinobi. At that time, I didn't consider the fact that people would not be happy that I had learned a new skill, and would be angry at my success.
That was probably why I didn't notice the Chuunin sneaking from behind me. I DID notice the blow to the back of head, but it was only for a moment before I slumped into unconsciousness.