Note: Thanks for the reviews! I never thought people will read my very FIRST fanfiction so quickly. Thanks again!
PS: Flashbacks of Naruto's ten tender early years will be written in the future chapters. From Orochimaru and Naruto's perspective.
In a vast and rich forest, four mere shadows dashing and crossing expertly towards their goal, boarder of the Cloud Country. In the lead were the team's best chunin tracker Inuzuka Kiba, riding on his beloved partner and companion Akamaru, and an overly large bred dog. Their role was to detect enemies within his vision, smell and hearing sensor.
Fifteen feet behind him follows their team leader jounin genjustsu specialist, Kurenai, ascertaining physical and, of course, genjutsu traps. Twelve feet behind the team leader was the heir of Konoha's bug manipulating chunnin, Aburame Shino. His calm and ordered mind, great reflex and prowess on a par with Uchiha Sasuke, Konoha's second largest and powerful clan's second prodigy. His clan ability made him a useful informant in a natural area such as this, millions of insects under his authority.
Last but not least, eighteen feet behind Aburame Clan's heir was the heiress of Konohagakure's most influential and powerful Clan, Hyuga Hinata. Her fame doujustsu Byakugan, blazing and viewing three hundred and sixty degrees of her area, extending to two mile radius, and a blessed x-ray vision that on lookers will turn green with envy.
They had been assigned by old Sarutobi, Third Hokage of Konohagakure an A-rank mission. Of course, completion of this mission will mark them the last requirement to be nominated to participate the coming jounnin exam.
It does notrank in such a high class assignment as simple as delivering a message. That noted in their heads, they kept their cool and on their toes throughout the whole journey, a total of one week and two days.
To their surprise, they only encountered a band of puny bandits near the Wind Country, which lasted a total of thirty seconds, courtesy to Shino's flesh eating bugs.
A unique smell suddenly caught by Kiba's sensitive nostrils, he immediately landed and halted on a tree branch and raised his left arm indicating his team that enemies are nearby. With that in mind, the other two chunnins in their team use their exceptional ability to search for adversaries.
"I f-found one, ten o'clock posit-tion, three and an h-half miles on a rocky p-patch clearing," informed the Byukugan user.
"Shino?" questioned the team leader.
He only shakes his head indicating that the one the heiress mentioned was the only enemy.
Hearing a sudden gasp from Hinata, they all turn their heads for the source indicating for an explanation.
"Th….that figure… w-waved at me!"
That said they knew that confrontation is inevitable, escaping was not an option. To be able to detect them from at least three miles away, this figure must a ninja, a strong ninja.
"We'll go there and kick his ass!" declared Kiba.
"Be patient, Kiba," scolded the instructor. "We still do not know if he or she's an enemy or not. Be patient." Going through series of long hand seals, Kurenai stated, "Ninja art: Technique of Illusion Detection Field Searcher!"
Green chakra sipping out from her, it started to spread around her lazily, snaking slowly around the area; determine to look for booby traps and genjutsus. Since nothing triggered, it confirmed the team that they are safe to engage the stranger.
"Move one everyone," the instructor told them.
Without the slightest hesitation, they blurred to engage their opponent.
Five minutes later, the five of them landed thirty feet from their opponent's back.
"Nice weather isn't it?" questioned the stranger with a rich tone to no one in particular.
"What!" shouted Kiba, his right fist rose, shaking. "Who are you? Why did you stop our mission?"
The blonde raised his left eyebrow and sighed, "I asked a simple question. You replied with a question," He turned to the instructor, "Quite rude, don't you think, Kurenai-san?"
The woman's eyes narrowed, "Yes…nice weather especially in the Cloud continent. I'm surprised it is not raining right now. And I apologise for my subordinate. He…has a certain temper." In her mind, thinking how the stranger knows her name.
The blonde figure waved off, "No matter. Now, the golden question of the moment…why am I here stopping your mission…"
Kurenai stiffened, cautiously reaching for her shurinkens in her backpack, Kiba and Akamaru ready for a fighting stance, Shino calmly stood in place, hands in his pocket but commanding his allies telepathically to strike any at any moment and Hinata in her jyuken stance.
The figure smiled charmingly, "To stop you, of course."
Team eight sprang to action, Kurenai aiming several shurinken from her backpack at their enemy, only to be evaded easily by crouching on the ground.
"Piercing Fang!"
Two torpedoes at high speed charging head on at the enemy from his left. The figure calmly side-stepped and jumped backward in the air while the Inuzuka duo passed him and started making lighting fast hand seals.
"Earth Element: Grand Earth Pyramid Prison" the blonde muttered.
Large mud walls sprang from the ground enclosed trapping Kiba and Akamaru in a large pyramid-shape statue making them useless in battle. Noises of shouting, barking and pounding could be heard from inside.
When the blonde landed on the ground gracefully, he found his feet and arms trapped with unidentifiedgrey nsects, crawling on him, making him unmovable. He eyes the mysterious heir of Abarume Clan with interest.
Footsteps made him snapped his head to his right only to face the prowess of the heiress of Hyuga Clan. Seeing her charging head on, byakugan activated. Seeing the Blondie encased, Hinata was sure she can hit his vital points ending his life and freeing her comrade.
With several hits aiming at his forehead, lungs and heart, she jumped back near her team-mate.
On the other hand, Kurenai was trying to break free of the prison in any means possible. She cursed. Only if she was Hatake Kakashi, she will have at least a couple of hundred more jutsus to counter the prison. Nothing seems to work against it.
"Well done, Hyuga-san, Aburame-san, to be able to land a couple of hits on me…ku ku ku…but too bad for you…" The enemy said and burst into a puff of smoke.
"What!" the leaf nins shouted with wide eyes.
They franticly search for their opponent but to no avail until too late.
Seeing him emerging from the ground behind her teacher, the Hyuga heiress yelled, "Kurenai-sensei! Behind you!"
The instructor turned over her shoulder only to meet a heavily chakra encase fist toward her and shattering her nose and knocking her out instantly.
"….weak," he blonde ninja whispered softly.
He made a shadow clone and instruct it to bring him back to the cottage.
"I will not let you take her without a fight! Eight Way Wind Palm!" Hinata cried out fiercely.
Invisible chakra waves landed on her opponent bursting through her palm blowing him several feet away only to be met by a Shino Bug Clone pounding him senseless behind his back.
Seeing his opponent collapse on ground, he commanded his clone to restrain him. As the clone was approaching the fallen enemy, the real Shino fell down to his knees screamed in pain which results in canceling his bug clone.
"What's wrong Shino?" With her Byakugan still blazing examining the inner coils of her bug friend, she saw black substances inside his veins and muscles. "My God, he's poisoned! How?"
"You should never let your guard down, Hyuga-san..."
She abruptly swirled around to face his opponent in a battle stance. He…he's not injured at all! She thought to herself. The place where he were suppose to be only turned into a puddle of water.
"To answer your question…" he replied.
With a fierce battle cry, she charged at him with the Jyuken moves only to be expertly batted away or skilfully evaded her fatal moves. This one way battle continued for ten or sominutes until he leaped backward and he continue to speak, "Your bug user friend's Stone Flies absorb my Shadow Clone's chakra. He then absorb my chakra through his bugs."
She was in fighting stance again, inhaling and exhaling softly, listening intently to her power foe.
"My chakra…is poisonous if absorbed inside a body," He explained.
Her eyes widen, eyes showing fear. But moments' later, she calmed down and her angelic face showed more determination than ever.
"Then I'll kill you." She proclaimed.
"You can always try….if you can, that is. But you better worry about your other two comrades. The one inside my mud barrier is lacking oxygen. The other one is poisoned. Oh, and time…is running," he smiled callously.
Biting her lower lips, her mind was in turmoil. On one hand, she must face her adversary, on the other hand, she must cure and save her friends. Not to mention her teacher was abducted. How can someone be so powerful?
"If you surrender…. Give me the message you were suppose to deliver and I will let you and your…friends live. Even leave you unarmed and cured," offered the blonde ninja.
"Missions are important, but letting your Leaf comrades to death is inexcusable."
Kurenai-sensei…remembering the words spoken from her teacher at her first genin exam three years ago in training field # ten, Hinata made a conclusion.
She relaxed her posture. She bowed and said, "I surrender. Please heal Shino and let Kiba and Akamaru free. I only know one third of the message. Shino and Kiba know the other two parts."
"Hnn…." With a relaxed posture, hands on his hips, an amused tone escaped the male ninja's throat. "Ku ku ku...you passed your first exam...but barely, Hyuga Hinata-san,"
Eyes widen and a gapped mouth, "W-what are you talking about?" she shouted.
"I will explain it to you after treating your friends," several complicated hand seals later, the pyramid crumbled to nil. He turned around and lifted his palm towards Aburame murmuring something under his breath. Crimson chakra leaked from the Insect user's body in a rapid pace, eager to return back to its master's body.
When finally done, two unconscious humans and a dog laid on the ground. The male ninja smirked. "Your teacher Kurenai…nominated you to take the Jounnin exam. I am your first examiner, Uzumaki Naruto, Jounnin of Konohagarure, Son and Apprentice of Konoha's Snake Sannin Orochimaru," he introduced himself lightly. "Oh, and pleasure is all mine."