Disclaimer: - I, SSG-Goku3397, do not own Naruto and any related matter. It all belongs to Kishimoto, the original brain behind the character Naruto. The only thing that I do own is the plot of this story and any original jutsu, seals, concepts and OC's that are present within the story.
A/N: Answer to a Review: -
Kurama38, Review for Chapter 3, September 14: - Another great chapter and I'm looking foward to the next chapter. But I do have one question why doesn't Naruto and Sakura just tell the truth to Hiruzen and Jiraiya? I'm sure if those two knew Naruto and Sakura would be able to get more done. Also if they knew Hiruzen and Jiraiya would be able to avoid their untimely fates. AndI hope that Naruto is able to save Karin and bring her to the village where they could finally live as a family.
No one who hasn't lived through a war can truly understand the horrors. This Hiruzen and Jiriaya may be war veterans, but they didn't participate in the Fourth Shinobi World War. They do not know the level of danger the rest of the Shinobi Alliance faced. They didn't witness the horrific power of the Juubi. The power of a Edo Tensei Madara and Obito. So I decided that it is best that Naruto and Sakura don't alert anyone else to the future that they are here to change. Also, Hiruzen would start meddling into the plans that Naruto, Sakura and Kurama is coming up with.
As for Karin, we will see!
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews everyone! I really appreciate them, especially yours Satoru Ryoma! Also thanks for all the encouragements you all are giving me. It really brightens up my day! :)
"Thoughts / Telepathic Speech"
"Speech"
Letters / Jutsu notes
Chapter 4 – Team 7 Rebirth
Naruto and Sakura walked into their former Ninja Academy Classroom to see Sasuke was already there, sitting by himself beside the large window. Around the room, the other graduates were sitting with their friends. Ino was sitting with her civilian friends in the middle of the room. Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba were sitting in the back of the room. Shikamarun sleeping like usual, Choji eating chips, and Kiba was boasting that he would be the best ninja along with Akamaru as his partner to anyone who would listen. Shino, and Hinata were sitting on the other side of the room from Sasuke looking forward with stoic expressions, though in Hinata's case, her eyes showed her nervousness. Around the room, the civilian born graduates were excitedly whispering about what teams they would end up as members of.
"Should we sit with Sasuke?" Sakura asked in a whisper only for Naruto to shake his head.
"I will sit with him, we don't know what would happen if the rest saw you suddenly becoming friendly with him. It is best not to anger the fangirls!" Sakura nodded her head as she walked towards the empty seat beside Hinata. When Naruto sat down beside Sasuke, everyone turned to look at him in surprise. None of them had even sensed him come into the room, let alone how he made it across the room without anyone sensing him.
"Dobe, you ready for Team Assignments?" Sasuke said quietly, but everyone heard him causing a gasp to escape most of the civilian born. The Clan heirs, on the other hand, watched with a curious gaze.
"Teme, you know I am always ready. How far have you gotten in the Tree Walking Exercise?" Naruto asked getting a shocked look from everyone. Shikamaru raised his head and watched the exchange with a suspicious gaze.
"I finally made it to the top and can consistently do that now, so according to you, I have mastered the exercise, right?" Naruto shook his head.
"No you haven't, the only way to truly master it is to be able to fight while hanging upside down for an hour without losing control for even a moment. We can test how far you are along after Team Assignments." Sasuke nodded as he said, "Thanks for training me Naruto and for your help in awakening my Sharingan!"
"Don't mention it Sasuke." Naruto said when Kiba jumped out of his seat and slammed his hands into the desk in front of him.
"Why are you helping the teme train Naruto? He gets everything handed to him on a silver plate! Moreover, he is a loner, someone who could easily betray us for more power! He is always going on about killing that treacherous brother of his, and you the great Uchiha Elite, how low you have fallen to ask help from the one you considered a dobe!" Kiba exclaimed in anger causing Sasuke's eyebrow to twitch in annoyance. He just grunted and looked out of the widow. Naruto on the other hand was glaring at the boy with annoyance.
"Kiba, you are a ninja, learn to keep you thoughts to yourself. Now why I am training him is simple. The day after the exams, I met Sasuke atop my father's head and told him the reason why I am strong. Sasuke asked me for training. If you asked, I would help you train as well. Next, you have no right to call him a traitor for him wanting to kill his brother. What would you do if a relative of yours slaughtered you clan? As for calling him treacherous, everyone has the capability to become a traitor. It is what you do with the impulse that makes you, you. Don't call someone a traitor before they have done something to warrant such an accusation."
A clapping sound caught everyone's attention as Naruto finished his speech. "Good speech Naruto and you Kiba, mind your tongue. What you said could be considered a slight against a fellow Konoha Clan. That carries a hefty price, either monetary or capital depending on who you are insulting. As Sasuke is the last of his clan, he is the clan heir. So insulting Sasuke will lead to you receiving ten lashes. It is in the Konoha Charter to prevent hostilities between clans. Do not test it. You are considered an adult as soon as you put the Hitai-ate on your forehead. You shall be punished as such."
Kiba nodded, stunned at what Iruka had said as the scar faced Chunin walked into the room and sat down at the Teachers desk. "Now I have a something to tell all of you. As I said to Kiba, all of you are considered an adult from now on. As such, you are now entitled to all the rights given to an adult citizen of Konoha. As a member of the Shinobi Forces, all of you are expected to behave with a certain degree of discretion. Insubordination carries a heavy price. Depending on the damage done due to insubordination, you may suffer punishments that may include suspension from the forces, dishonorable discharge, imprisonment, or even execution. I hope that you keep that in mind as you go about your daily duties. Never overstep your authority or question your superiors without proper reason. As Shinobi, you now carry the honor of our great village. I hope that all of you shall work hard in keeping the image of the village."
Everyone nodded in agreement, even Sasuke, who normally ignores such speeches. Seeing that Iruka stood up with a piece of paper in his hands, "This right here are the Team Assignments that Hokage-sama has sent to the Academy. Now I shall give you all your Team Assignments, so please keep quiet until I am done."
After that, Iruka started reading out the assignments. Naruto ignored most of the assignments until he heard Iruka call out, "Team 7 will be Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto."
Ino stood up with a confused expression on her face and asked, "Shouldn't it be Namikaze?"
Iruka was about to answer when Naruto beat him to it, "Not really. Father was a civilian while mom was from the Uzumaki Clan, the last known member of the clan to be exact. Mom and dad decided that I should carry the name Uzumaki instead of Namikaze both to honor my fallen clan. It would also protect me from my dad's enemies, as most would expect his son to carry his name instead of his wife's maiden name."
"Ah, now I see!" Ino said with a satisfied nod causing Iruka to shake his head at Ino's habit of gathering gossip before he continued, "Team 8 will be Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyūga Hinata. Team 9 is still in circulation so Team 10 will be Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, and Yamanaka Ino."
Iruka placed the sheet of paper on his desk before looking at his class. It seems that his previous speech had a good effect on his former students. "Now I wish you all luck in your careers. I hope that all of you shall make a name for yourself. Now you may leave for lunch. Remember to be back in an hour to meet your Jonin Sensei."
Iruka was about to leave the classroom when Shikamaru stopped him, "Iruka-sensei, I have a question!"
"Go ahead Shikamaru!"
"Isn't Team 7 overpowered? I mean, Naruto may be the dobe as he always kept his marks low throughout the Academy, but we all know the power he has. Then Sasuke is the Rookie of the Year and the second best shinobi in the class right after Naruto. Finally is Sakura who was the Top Kunoichi even before her own power was revealed. Don't you think it is unfair to the rest of us?"
Iruka nodded in understanding before he said with a smile, "I understand you concerns Shikamaru, but you have to realize that unlike the first six teams, the last three are specialized ones. Take your own for example. Team 10 is created with the goal of capture, intelligence gathering, and interrogation in mind. Similarly, Team 8 is a team specializing in tracking, capture, and reconnaissance. Team 7 is going to be front line fighters, heavy support, and asset retrieval from behind enemy lines. That is why they are this powerful. They will not be the ones getting support; they will be the ones providing it."
"Troublesome, I didn't know that any Genin team could have three such difficult and dangerous specializations at the same time!" Shikamaru said with a groan getting a chuckle from Iruka.
"They wouldn't have had those specializations if Naruto and Sakura weren't as strong as they are. Naruto is probably strong enough to defeat his Jonin Sensei, depending on who his sensei is. Let me tell you something I overheard, Hokage-sama and Jiraiya-sama talking that on his good day, Naruto should be able to defeat either one of them." Gasps filled the room as everyone realized what that meant. At the same time, Naruto and Sakura suppressed a smirk. It seems that Jiraiya had already started his information control with Konoha as the source.
"Troublesome blonde, couldn't you have kept your abilities hidden for longer?" Shikamaru said only for Naruto to send a mischievous grin at the Nara heir causing him to shiver in fright. He really did not want to know what was going through Naruto's head at this very moment. Every time he had seen that grin, someone had ended up humiliated. He just hoped that it was not directed at him.
"Now that Shikamaru's curiosity is settled, I wish you luck and behave for your new Sensei. I am proud to call you all my students!" Iruka said before walking out of the room. Soon after, the rest of the class ran out of the room to have a quick lunch before returning to meet their Jonin Sensei.
Everyone having returned from lunch was sitting with his or her teammates. Naruto and Sakura had forced Sasuke to accompany them to Ichiraku Ramen for a quick lunch before returning to the classroom and commandeering seats in the front of the room in the middle row. After waiting for a couple of minutes, the Jonin Sensei started arriving in the classroom, and leaving with their teams. Naruto and Sakura did not recognize the Jonin Sensei for the first six teams but the final three they recognized quite well.
Yūhi Kurenai was the first to enter. She was wearing her usual red uniform of with bandages wrapped around her torso and thighs. Her hitai-ate proudly sitting on her forehead. After her entered Sarutobi Asuma, wearing the standard Konoha Jonin uniform along with his orange scarf, from his time in the Twelve Ninja Guardians, wrapped around his waist. He was, as expected, smoking a cigarette with his eyes glinting with mischief. Finally, Hatake Kakashi entered the room startling the duo of time travelling ninja. Kakashi was wearing his usual ANBU like uniform with his hitai-ate blocking the Sharingan in his right eye.
Kurenai walked forward and called out, "Follow me at Training Ground 27 Team 8!" Shino, Kiba, Akamaru, and Hinata stood up and followed the woman out of the room.
"Meet me at Training Ground 36 in an hour Team 10!" Asuma said before he left in a shunshin. The members of Team 10 looked at each other before sighing and running out of the room.
Team 7 and Kakashi stared at each other for a few minutes causing Sasuke to fidget under the scrutinizing gaze of the Elite Jonin. Naruto and Sakura stared at the silver haired Jonin with suspicion before Naruto stood up and asked, "I heard that you have a chronic problem with lateness. How come you are here, and on time?"
Kakashi turned his scrutinizing gaze upon Naruto before he sighed, "Normally I am, but I didn't think it wise to irritate you, not with how you have humiliated ANBU before. As a former ANBU captain, I always found it funny that you were able to sneak into ANBU HQ and set up your pranks, no matter how they changed the security patrols. Besides, I think I would be doing Sensei a disservice if I didn't teach his son correctly!"
Naruto nodded in understanding while Sakura had to stifle a giggle at Kakashi's reasons, though she could see where he was coming from. Before, everyone thought that Naruto was an idiot with exceptional luck, now everyone thinks that the pranks were the byproduct of skill. She could see why Kakashi was cautious. Beside her, Sasuke stared at the Jonin with an arched eyebrow. He could not see why he was so afraid of Naruto's pranks.
"Alright, meet me on the roof in ten…" Kakashi said just before another Naruto appeared behind him and slammed a Rasengan into his head causing Kakashi to go up in smoke.
"He was a Kage Bunshin?" Sakura asked in surprise. Naruto nodded as the one beside her puffed away in smoke. Sasuke looked up startled at that but decided against saying anything. Sakura just sighed before she stood up and placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, surprising him, before both puffed away in a cloud of smoke, Naruto following behind his teammates.
"Did he have to ram a Rasengan into my clones head?" Kakashi said to himself when a voice startled him from behind him.
"Not really, but where's the fun in poking a clone with a kunai?" Kakashi jumped up, a kunai appearing in his hand, and turned around only to come face-to-face with a grinning Naruto.
"How long have you been here?" Kakashi asked as he thought of how Naruto was able to sneak up on him before dismissing the though as he realized that when Naruto could easily infiltrate ANBU HQ, then sneaking up on a relaxed Ex-ANBU Captain should be easy.
Naruto shrugged noncommittally before he said, "Long enough to have killed you at least twelve times in seventeen different ways." Kakashi shuddered in realization of what Naruto implied as his other two Genin appeared in a shunshin.
"Ah, it seems that your teammates are here. Why don't you all sit down and introduce yourselves?" Kakashi said, as he kept alert so that Naruto would not catch him off guard again. He really did not want to fall under the crosshair of a bored Naruto.
After the three Genin were seated, Sakura asked the obvious question, "Why don't you go first Sensei? We already know each other; you are the one who is a stranger!"
Kakashi thought for a moment before he shrugged, "Alright, the names Hatake Kakashi. I like many things. Dislikes, I have not many things I dislike, but traitors and those who leave behind their teammates are at the top of that list. My hobbies are not your concern. As for my dream, I don't feel like telling you!" The trio of new Genin blinked at Kakashi's unique introduction before Kakashi pointed at Sakura and said, "You first pinky!"
Sakura glared at the scarecrow looking Jonin before she began her introduction. "I am Haruno Sakura. I like my teammates, training, and helping in the hospital. I dislike perverts, traitors, and those who put the mission above their comrades. My hobbies are reading new medical discoveries and learning or creating new Iryōjutsu. I dream to become the best Iryōnin, even greater than Tsunade-sama!"
Kakashi looked startled at the revelation. He did not think that girl would have such high ambitions, surpassing Tsunade of the Sannin now that was one heck of a dream and not an easy one to achieve as well. With a nod, he turned his attention to Naruto, "Now you Naruto!"
"The name is Uzumaki Naruto, the future Hokage! I like ramen, training, and protecting those precious to me! I dislike the five minutes it takes to cook instant ramen, perverts, traitors, arrogant asses, people who judge without someone getting to know them, and those who harm my precious ones. My hobbies are training, eating ramen, and studying fuinjutsu. My dream is to break the cycle of hatred in the shinobi world and become the greatest Hokage ever!"
Kakashi nodded before he asked, "Who are precious to you Naruto, your friends, comrades, or the villagers?"
"Friends, comrades, and all those who are too weak to protect themselves, even all the animals in the world!" Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke stared at the blonde jinchūriki with surprise and awe. They never thought that Naruto could be this selfless. Then again, Sakura and Kakashi justified his statement with the belief that it came from his position as a sage.
"That's good of you Naruto, never let the world darken your golden heart, now you duckbutt!" Kakashi said with an eye smile causing Sasuke to glare at the Jonin with his newly awakened Sharingan. Kakashi looked up in surprise but waited for Sasuke to introduce himself.
"Uchiha Sasuke. I have very few things I like. I dislike many things with traitors being at the top of the list. My hobby is training. My dreams are to become the most reliable teammate, revive my clan, and if possible, avenge them by killing Itachi!" Sasuke said but not with the usual venom and anger. Kakashi watched the boy with his single eye only to see that instead of the usual tense posture, the Uchiha survivor was relaxed for once. Even the arrogance that usually permeates the air around the boy was thinner. Then there was the boy's declaration of dreaming to become a reliable teammate.
Kakashi did not know if Sasuke still had the same avenger mentality his profile warned about, but made a mental note to watch the boy as his present presence was different to that of an avenger. Nodding to himself, Kakashi smiled and said, "When did you activate your Sharingan? Your profile didn't say anything about it!"
Sasuke looked up in surprise before he looked at Naruto and said with a hint of gratitude, "Naruto helped me activate it a couple of days back." Kakashi sat up straighter and looked at his team with surprise. He did not think that Naruto would be able to get through to the Uchiha enough make him rethink his ways. He expected Sasuke to be an avenger with a very high flight risk. Now he was not so sure.
"Alright then, you three meet me at Training Ground 7 in an hour for your final test. You will be sparring against an older Genin team in a Team vs. Team matchup. I will meet you there with the team and their sensei. If you fail the test, I will have to disband your team and end you back to the Academy. If any of you fail, only you will be sent back. The actual objective of the exam will be hidden, so you will have to figure out how to pass on your own." Kakashi said and waited for the expected outburst. When the outburst did not come, he stared at his team to see all three staring right back at him with determination. "Anyway, tomorrow Naruto will be tested by a team of four Jonin that includes me at the Chunin Exams Stadium, both of you have to be present, whether you pass or fail, attendance is compulsory!"
"Alright sensei!" Sakura said as Sasuke just nodded with a grunt. Kakashi nodded before he vanished in a shunshin. His team stared at the place previously occupied by the Jonin before they all stood.
"I think the hidden objective will be team work. Do not try to do things on your own. That means you Sasuke!" Naruto said only for Sasuke to give an irritated grunt but nodded all the same. Naruto placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder before the two of them vanished in a puff of smoke with Sakura following.
"COME MY YOUTHFUL STUDENTS, SHOW MORE ENTHUSIASM! LOOK AT LEE-KUN!" A green spandex clan Jonin exclaimed to his two other students as his final student, also clad in similar green spandex, ran around the clearing at extreme speeds. The other two just glared at their sensei as they jogged around training ground, heavily panting. Unlike their crazy teammate and sensei, they did not have the stamina to complete such insane training as easily as the other two do.
As the three Genin went about their stamina training, Kakashi appeared beside their sensei in a puff of smoke. Without even turning around, Gai said, "Good morning Kakashi! What are you doing here? Don't you have a youthful team to test?"
Kakashi nodded as he took out an orange book and started skimming through it for a couple of moments before replying, "I do, but instead of giving them the Bell Test, I decided to see if you and your team would be willing to help in testing them. So, will you?"
Gai hummed before he asked, "This is most unusual of you Kakashi. Is it wise to test the teamwork of green Genin with seasoned ones?"
"Normally I wouldn't, but my team contains Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto. From their introductions, I can easily see Sakura and Naruto working together. They may even convince Sasuke to work with them. All of know that Sasuke only respects strength, so the bell test would be moot against them. They are assured to pass."
Gai nodded in understanding before he asked, "So, why not still give them the Bell Test? I do not see why you want to put them up against seasoned Genin. My team may have great teamwork, but Naruto-kun would easily destroy all of them in a moment! Then there is Haruno Sakura, the youngest person to gain full Iryōnin certification, not to mention Battlefield Certification. We do not know what skills she is hiding, especially after training with Naruto-kun. Then there is the last Uchiha, we all know that after Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan, he is probably the strongest Genin of their year. I would not be surprised if he already has the Sharingan. So tell me, what use is this exam?"
Kakashi hummed as he turned a page before he said, "I want to see how well they work against another team. Together, I am sure that they can take down Jonin already. I want to see how they fare against another team."
Gai nodded in understanding before he jumped down from the tree branch he was observing his team from, landing in the middle of the clearing, he shouted out, "ALRIGHT MY YOUTHFUL GENIN, THAT IS ENOUGH FOR NOW! A FELLOW JONIN HAS REQUESTED OUR HELP TO TEST HIS NEW GENIN TEAM! SO PLEASE REST UP. YOU WILL BE PITTED AGAINST THE OTHER TEAM IN A TEAM DEATHMATCH. WE WILL MEET THE NEW TEAM IN… AH… KAKASHI, WHERE AND WHEN ARE WE TO MEET THE TEAM?"
"Huh… Didn't I tell you? Oh well, meet my team and me at Training Ground 7 in an hour. Ja ne!" Kakashi said as he vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Huh… A Kage Bunshin, he did not even have the decency to come to me in person! Curse you and your hip attitude Kakashi!" Gai exclaimed quietly when Neji approached him.
"Why do we have to test a green Genin team? They don't stand a chance, fate has declared it!" Neji asked with a frown causing his female teammate Tenten and Lee to frown in return.
Gai adopted a serious expression as he said, "Don't underestimate anyone Neji. That may be the last thing you will do. I again advise that you curb your arrogance. Now as to why we are helping test this team, as the usual test is ineffective for this team. Two of its members are close friends and have good teamwork. They alone took down a Chunin level Traitor last week, the very night they graduated, in the process saving another Chunin's life. Then each member's individual skills are higher than most seasoned Genin have. If the pass, I can assure you that they will be taking the next Chunin Exams that is scheduled to happen in Konoha. The one I am planning to nominate you for if you show that you have matured more. Got it?"
"Yes Gai-sensei!" Neji said with confusion, he had not ever seen his sensei this serious before.
"Now I must warn you, each member of this team is dangerous in their own right. The first member to be wary of is Uchiha Sasuke. If he has the Sharingan, then it is imperative that you Neji quickly take him down. Next, the girl, Haruno Sakura, is the youngest fully certified Iryōnin. Do not let her get too close. She can easily disable any of you with a single swipe of her hands and the Chakura no Mesu technique. Tenten, you will make sure that she cannot get too close to Lee or Neji. Finally, there is Uzumaki Naruto. Do not let his age fool you. He is the most dangerous in the team. There are rumors flying about that he should be able to defeat Jiraiya-sama no densetsu no Sannin or even Hokage-sama." Gai said as his Genin's eyes widened in shock.
"Don't let him stand around for too long. From what I heard, if he gets enough time to activate Sennin Mōdō or even tap into the Kyūbi's chakra, then all of you are finished. Neji, I want you and Lee to concentrate on him as much as you can while Tenten keeps his teammates off your backs. Lee, I order you to leave behind your weights behind and if required, you have my permission to use that!" Lee's eyes widened in shock but nodded in realization of what kind of opponent Naruto was.
"YOSH! I never though you would give me permission to use that! Naruto-kun must be very youthful if you are asking us to take such precautions. If I fail, then I shall run around Konoha a hundred times, on my hands carrying a massive bolder. If I can't do that, then I shall climb the Hokage Mountain using my teeth… and if I can't do…" Lee was cut off as a massive mace crashed into his head.
"Alright already, we get it! Just rest and save you energy for the match!" Tenten said with an angry frown with Neji glaring at his teammate.
Team 7 was waiting in Training Ground 7 for their Sensei and the other Genin team he was bringing with him. As they waited, Naruto was reading his book on beginners Fūinjutsu. Beside him, Sakura was leaning against a tree pursuing through an advanced medical scroll detailing the theory behind using suiton chakra affinity in healing. Sasuke was sitting on the ground reading one of his clan scrolls on the Sharingan.
As they waited, Naruto suddenly perked up and said, "So where's the other team Sensei?"
"Maa maa, don't be a spoil sport. Just because you are, the best sensor in Konoha does not mean that you should ruin my fun! Here I was hoping to test the others skills in observation, and you ruin it!" Kakashi whined only for Sakura to snort and say, "No, you were just going to stay there and wait until Sasuke asked where you are before revealing yourself while also scaring the pants off him."
"I see that you didn't include yourself in there. May I ask why?" Kakashi asked his a curious gleam in his lone visible eye getting a giggle from Sakura.
"I sense you the moment you enter the clearing, Naruto sensed you the moment you decided to head here. The only one with weaker sensory abilities now is Sasuke, but that will be quickly remedied with a bit of experience under his belt." Sasuke looked surprised at how clinically she stated that without even looking at him.
"They are here!" Naruto said surprising the rest before they a team rushed into the clearing behind Gai.
"Yo… looks like you made it!" Kakashi said with a grin as he jumped down from the tree and landed beside his team. "Team, this is Team Gai under Elite Jonin Maito Gai. They shall be your opponents during this exam. Gai and I will be observing you. If I am not mistaken, Gai has given them information on you. You will be going in blind, with no knowledge of their abilities. The objective of the test is do as well as you can against the seasoned team. Understand!"
"Hai Sensei!" His team chorused before the put away the scroll and book in Naruto's case before walking forward to greet the team.
"Know this; you are fated to lose to us!" Neji said before anyone could even say something causing his teammates and sensei to frown. Sasuke seethed in anger while Naruto and Sakura stared at the Hyūga boy with cold eyes causing a shiver to run down his spine.
"Fate isn't predetermined! We make our own fate!" Naruto gritted out in anger. He did not remember Neji being this arrogant before. Last time Neji did not know his heritage and status, so he could let Neji's arrogance slide at the time. This time, Neji should have reacted more cautiously to his very presence. Neji glared at Naruto and was about to say something when Kakashi intervened.
"Alright, let me explain the exam. Team 9 your job is to try and defeat Team 7. Use every skill you have as long as it is non-lethal. Team 7, you do the same. There is a hidden portion to the test, let us see if you can discover what it is. You have two hours to complete the test. If Gai or I see that any of you are in danger, we will intervene, now hajime!" Kakashi said as he and Gai vanished form the clearing and reappeared on a tree branch near the edge of the clearing.
Team 7 and Team 9 watched each other carefully for a few minutes before Sasuke finally lost his patience and charged at Neji with his Sharingan blazing. Seeing this, Neji ran forward to intercept the Uchiha only to jump away from Sakura who smashed her fist into the ground where he was previously. A booming sound filled the training ground before a crater five feet wide formed under Sakura's fist. Gai, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Team Gai watched in shock at the power the slender girl displayed.
Team Gai regrouped and cautiously observed Team 7, who had regrouped as well. "I didn't think that the girl would be this dangerous. I know that an accomplished Iryōnin is someone to be wary off, but this monstrous strength. It reminds me of the stories of Tsunade-sama!" Tenten said with an uncertain tone Neji and Lee nodded in understanding.
"Lee, you go after the blonde. Gai-sensei said not to give him time to prepare anything. I will quickly handle the Uchiha while Tenten keeps the girl busy!" Neji said and without even waiting for confirmation, Neji charged at Sasuke knowing that his team would back him up.
Lee did not waste any time and charged at Naruto, who was standing with his eyes closed. Sakura was about to intervene when she jumped away from the kunai Tenten threw with pinpoint accuracy. Seeing that she would be unable to help her teammates until Tenten was defeated, Sakura charged at the bun haired girl with surprising grace and speed, dodging any kunai and shuriken she could while batting away others with the kunai in her hands.
Meanwhile, Neji engaged Sasuke in a one-on-one taijutsu spar, trying to seal off Sasuke's tenketsu, only for the Uchiha to dodge at the last moment and counter attack that Neji barely dodged due to his Byakugan. "I must say, for a greenhorn, you are good, as expected of one from such an exalted clan!"
Sasuke did not show any reaction. Instead, he jumped back and formed a couple of hand seals before bringing his hands to his mouth calling out, "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" Neji watched as a massive ball of fire flew out of Sasuke's mouth and rushed towards him. Seeing that he would not be able to dodge in time, he sighed before spinning in place causing a dome of blue chakra to form around him. As the fireball collided with the swirling dome of chakra, it dissipated into nothing causing Sasuke to stare in shock.
At the same time, Lee tried to kick Naruto, who had his eyes closed, only for the blonde jinchūriki to dodge without effort. Seeing his initial attack had been thwarted, Lee started a quick combo of heavy kicks and punches with a couple of feints thrown in. To the spandex clad boy's frustration, Naruto seemed to be able to easily dodge or redirect everything he threw at him.
"I must say, I didn't think that Sakura-chan was this skilled. Most Iryōnin are usually dead weight, only useful in healing teammates and distractions." Kakashi hummed in response as he watched Neji surround himself in a dome of swirling chakra to protect himself from the fireball Sasuke threw at him.
"So are you students, it is nearly unheard of, of a branch member of the Hyūga clan to use learn Hakkeshō Katien. Then the Kunoichi is a great markswoman. Such accuracy is hard to come by outside Elite ANBU units. Then there is your apprentice. Lee, was it? He is far ahead in taijutsu in comparison to his peers. You have trained them well Gai!" Gai nodded appreciatively as he carefully observed Naruto dodging everything Lee threw at him with his eyes closed. It was a bit disconcerting for the Taijutsu Master to see someone that good.
"Well, Naruto-kun is living up to expectations and surpassing them. I can see why he is the face of Konoha for this generation. Sasuke-kun isn't that bad either." Gai observed as he watched Sasuke use a quick Kawarimi to dodge a strike to his heart before retaliating with a Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu! Multiple small ball of fire fired out erratically from Sasuke's mouth and flew towards Neji who just smashed forward a palm calling out, "Hakke Kūshō!"
Neji smirked as the wave of vacuum left his palm and easily snuffed out the flames only to be shocked when he saw that shuriken were hidden in the fireballs. Barely dodging the shuriken, he was unable to react when Sasuke bound him in ninja wire. Grinning, Sasuke placed the wires in his mouth as he formed hand seals for his next jutsu.
Neji watched with frustration as Sasuke called out, "Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!" A wave of fire ran down the wire and collided the Hyūga prodigy before exploding. Sasuke grinned for a moment before he saw that only charred remains of a log instead of Neji. Before he could react, Neji appeared in front of him with a foul expression on his face.
"We Hyūga don't like using jutsu that aren't clan ones. You have force me to use one to save myself, so you must pay for sullying my clan honor! You are in my field of divination, Hakke Sanjūni Shō!" Sasuke watched helplessly as Neji proceeded to ram his chakra coated fingers on his tenketsu without remorse.
"Ni shō!" Neji called out striking two times. "Yon shō… Hachi shō… Jūroku shō… Sanjūni shō!"
As Neji landed the final set of strikes, Sasuke was thrown back catching Naruto and Sakura's attention. Neji was heavily panting from the exertion and the amount of chakra he had already used up.
"You alright Neji!" Tenten asked only for the Hyūga prodigy to ignore his teammates concern. Turning his attention to the downed Uchiha, he said arrogantly, "Give you! As I said, fate had already declared my team the winner. I have sealed your tenketsu. Now you are as powerless as a civilian is! Without you, your team will lose. All of you should just give up now!"
Neji expected the other two give up right there, but he gaped when Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke started laughing. Lee and Tenten appeared beside the tired Neji with confused looks in their faces. Neji started getting angry when Sasuke spoke up, "You think temporarily disabling me has put my team in a disadvantageous position! You are more blind than I thought! You call yourself a member of the clan with the All-Seeing eyes, but I say that your clan is blind. If he wanted, Naruto could have finished the fight in the first few moments."
"The dead last, don't kid yourself. The only reason he is so highly thought of is for who his father is! Konoha is known for favoritism. The main branch is always shown favoritism!" Neji spat in anger, everyone to frown at Neji's anger but decided to let Sasuke handle it.
Sasuke sighed before he said, "Until recently I was obsessed with power for revenge. I can see you walking down the same path I recently left. If you let that anger fester, I will not be surprised if you end up a Nukenin! As for Naruto being respected for his father's accomplishments, I cannot refute that claim among the civilian populace, but amongst the shinobi, I can guarantee that most respect him for his prowess. Let me tell you, when Naruto first started training me, I used all of my power and then some to try to defeat him. I failed. He was faster, stronger, and most of all brutal. He did not let up even when I was on my last legs, forcing me to activate my Sharingan to save myself. Even then, if he did not stop at the right moment, I can guarantee that I would be in the hospital still recovering. The sad thing was that I know he did not even use a quarter of his true power. Now do you still think you would win if he was serious?"
Tenten, Lee, Gai, and Kakashi gaped in shock at the revelation while Neji just sneered, "Your words won't affect me, for all I know this must be a plan your team came up with to psych us!"
Sasuke just shrugged and shakily stood up. Neji was about to attack Sasuke again when Naruto appeared in front the Uchiha along with Sakura, a frown marring his face. "Sasuke is right; you are blind if you can't tell the difference in chakra levels between my team and your's. Sasuke has just as much chakra as you. Sakura has enough to put most Jonin to shame. Me, even without Kurama, I have more chakra than Jiraiya and the Sandaime combined. I do not know how good your Byakugan is, but I believe that it can see the flow of chakra within us. The smoothness of the flow is directly dependent upon our control. Sakura has the smoothest flow in the whole of Konoha. I can even dare to say that she has perfect control!"
"How do you know that?" Neji sneered as he concentrated in observing what Naruto said. To his surprise, he found the word of the blonde jinchūriki was true, though he would not admit that.
"My senjutsu allows me unparalleled sensory abilities to the point I can even sense the chakra affinities, health, and emotions of someone. If you do not believe me, you can ask Hiashi-dono!" Naruto said with a smirk before he nodded to Sakura who grinned in response.
Naruto was engulfed into a cloak of yellow chakra with black lines flowing throughout the cloak. Neji, Lee, Tenten, Gai, and Kakashi watched in awe at the power radiating from Naruto. Naruto placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder causing a tail less cloak of bubbling red chakra to engulf the girl. Both grinned as Naruto said, "Have fun Sakura, make sure to not accidentally kill them!"
Before Team 9 could react, Sakura charged forward at greater speeds than before, catching them by surprise. At the same time, Naruto placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, causing a pulse of chakra to flow through the Uchiha's body, forcefully reopening the closed tenketsu before a bubbling cloak of red chakra formed around him.
"Please don't tell me he did what I think he did?" Kakashi whined causing Gai to smirk.
"If you mean sharing the Kyūbi's chakra with his team, then he did! I wonder what that will change." Gai said as he watched the wounds on Sasuke's body give off steam before sealing up without leaving behind a single scar. Kakashi and Gai watched in shock at that revelation. Everyone speculated that the Kyūbi used to increase Naruto's healing ability, now they had proof.
"My god, look how powerful Sakura-chan has become now!" Kakashi said as he watched with a wide-open eye at the massacre Sakura was performing. All around the field, there were craters as large as twelve feet wide. Tenten and Neji were panting while Lee had sweat dripping down his face.
"Lee, use it! If you don't, you will lose!" Gai said with a serious expression causing Kakashi to look at him in shock.
"You didn't teach him ten Hachimon Tonkō no Jin, did you?" Kakashi asked only for Gai to nod. "How many can he open?"
"Three, but they should be enough to change the tides a bit!" Gai exclaimed as he watched Lee scream out before a massive wave of invisible chakra caught everyone's attention. Lee's hair had risen into the air, flowing in an unseen breeze.
"Lee, are you alright?" Tenten asked as Neji watched with curiosity as their teammate screamed in what seemed pain before a massive wave of invisible chakra erupted from him.
"Kaimon Kai!" Lee intoned before he vanished from beside his teammates and reappeared behind Sakura, catching her off guard. She did not expect Lee to be able to open the inner gates this soon. Before she could dodge, Lee called out, "Konoha Kage Buyō," and kicked her into the air. Jumping after her, Lee flipped himself as he unwrapped the medical bindings around his arms and quickly wrapped them Saukra before started rapidly spinning with the girl in his grasp.
"Omote Renge!" Lee called out just before he and Sakura was about to hit the ground as he let go and jumped back. Sakura crashed into the ground, head first. Massive booming sound filled the clearing as a large cloud of smoke covered the area Sakura crash-landed.
"Lee you weren't supposed to gravely injure the girl! I wanted you to attack Naruto-kun! A normal human will be gravely injured from this!" Gai scolded as Lee looked down when a clapping sound emerged from the cloud of dust. Everyone intently started into the cloud of dust, waiting to see who was making the sound, though Gai suspected that Sakura was not as injured, as he feared.
"That was very good Lee. If the chakra cloak did not protect me, I would have suffered grave injuries. You truly are a great Taijutsu specialist." Everyone, other than Naruto watched with shock as a small shockwave of chakra blew away the dust cloud revealing Sakura, completely unharmed, the bubbling cloak of chakra floating about around her.
Lee gaped at the sight. He could not believe that someone could come out of the Omote Renge unharmed, "How?"
"How what? How did the flimsy looking cloak protect me?" Lee nodded causing Naruto to chuckle.
"The potency of the chakra is so high that it can act as a solid barrier against a finite amount of force. Your technique does not have the strength to pierce it." Naruto said causing Lee to nod in realization.
"Yosh that is truly a youthful defense that you share with your teammates Naruto-kun, now I will show you the power to pierce that cloak," Lee said as he screamed out again. A green aura formed around him as two strands of smoky blue swirled around him. His skin turned red as his hair flew up. "Kyuumon Kai! Seimon Kai!"
"Sasuke, get up on that tree and rest. Let me and Sakura finish it!" Naruto exclaimed before he vanished from his place and reappeared in front of Lee, intercepting the taijutsu specialists kick with one of his own. A shockwave erupted from the contact causing strong winds to blow about the field. Soon, the field was filled with shockwaves as Naruto kept intercepting all of Lee's strikes with his own.
Sasuke appeared beside Gai and Kakashi, as the two Sensei observed the battle going on below. Kakashi did not divert his eye from the battle below, but asked, "What are you doing here Sasuke?"
"Naruto asked me to climb a tree and rest. That is what I am doing. I have already used a lot of chakra. This chakra cloak has not replenished my stores." Kakashi nodded as he patted his student on the shoulder. "Besides, if I go down there now, I would only hinder them."
Tenten and Neji were trying to take down Sakura, but whatever they tried, Sakura easily countered; Kunai and Shuriken, the cloak intercepted them. Jūken strikes, none of the chakra needles were able to pierce the cloak. On the other hand, Sakura was easily able to strike at them, though she did not use the monstrous strength directly against them, for which they were grateful.
"Lee and Naruto are ripping up the field!" Neji said as he tried to observe the fight, only to catch only glimpses of the fight. Both fighters were moving at a speed he was not fully able to perceive. At that very moment, he realized that even Lee was stronger than he was. That realization shook him to the core. The dobe who could not use chakra was stronger than he was. That was a bitter pill to swallow.
Sakura saw that Neji was distracted and capitalized on it. Ramming her leg into the ground, she lifted out a large chunk of earth into the air. Neji and Tenten watched in shock as Sakura then proceeded to kick the chunk of earth towards them, the kick shattering the chunk into smaller, sharper shards that peppered them.
Before they could react, Lee crashed into them with Naruto appearing beside his teammate and nodded at her. The pink haired medic grinned before black sealing lines formed around her face and down her neck. Jumping up, a massive amount of chakra gathered in her fist.
Naruto did not waste any time and rushed out of there, reappearing beside Sasuke and watched as Team 9 groaned as they tried to stand up. Neji was the first one up. Using his Byakugan, he saw Sakura in the air with a massive amount of chakra gathered in her fist. His eyes widened in horror as Sakura landed and crashed her fist into the ground. A massive booming sound and a shockwave erupted from point of impact before the whole field broke up. Chunk of earth and rock flew into the air, taking Team 9 with them. Crash landing on the now broken ground, Team 9 groaned out in pain.
Lee tried to stand up before he collapsed, spasms running down his body as his skin returned to their original tone. Beside him, Tenten did not even try to stand up, grumbling about a monster Genin who was as strong as a Sannin. Neji just stared into the sky with a disheartened look. He could not believe that he and his team lost.
"Alright everyone, exam finished. First, let Gai and I congratulate you on officially becoming Genin Team, even if you three have shown qualities and powers reminiscent of a Chunin at least and Jonin in case of Naruto. Now we will give you six a performance report."
Gai walked forward and said, "Neji, you let your arrogance blind you to the truth, again. You need to get that under control. Tenten, you start panicking whenever your opponent dodges your weapons or comes in too close for ranged combat. You need to practice your hand-to-hand combat skills more. Lee, you have out done yourself. Now you just need to train harder and get used to the strain of the initial three gates. Just keep up the good work."
"YOSH THANK YOU GAI-SENSEI!"Lee exclaimed in excitement with Tenten nodding. Neji just kept staring at the sky.
"Now Team 7, Sasuke, you need to work on your stamina and increase your jutsu arsenal. Other than that, I saw that you did not use the Sharingan's intrinsic genjutsu abilities. I will help you in training that. In addition, you need to increase your speed and reaction time. Sakura, you have thrown all my expectations out of the window, then set them alight with an S-Rank Fire Jutsu. I must ask, what is that seal you used?"
Sakura stumbled at that, but before she could say anything, Naruto interjected, "That is a simple Uzumaki Clan Fūinjutsu that allows the storage of large amounts chakra to be stored and used later. I gave it to her a couple of day back and helped her charge it up with a tail worth of my and Kurama's chakra." Kakashi just gaped at the revelation, while Tenten had stars in her eyes.
"Why do you do this to me Naruto?" Kakashi whined while Naruto grinned. "I don't know what you mean sensei! Anyway, Tenten, I saw that you use quite a bit of fūinjutsu. How about you help me understand the books my mother and father wrote and I will allow you access to the Uzumaki Clan Fūinjutsu style."
"It would be my honor! Thank you for offering to share your clan techniques with me Naruto-sama!" Tenten said with formal bow.
"Then meet me at Ichiraku Ramen a week from now during lunch. I need to catalog all the Fūinjutsu scrolls I have in the library before we start." Tenten nodded again in gratitude.
"Anyways, Naruto… What am I going to do with you? I cannot even get a proper read on you yet. So I will wait till your evaluation tomorrow before I decide on what to teach you!" Kakashi exclaimed with annoyance.
"Yosh, before Kakashi has a mental breakdown, Team 9 you will meet me at the Chunin Exams Stadium at ten in the morning tomorrow without fail." His team nodded before Neji finally broke through his depressing thoughts and asked, "But why Gai-sensei?"
"Naruto-kun is to be evaluated by a team of Jonin and ANBU. Hokage-sama has ordered all free Shinobi to attend. I heard that even a few of the Daimyo's of the neighboring countries would attend along with our own Daimyo.
Team 9 looked at the blonde jinchūriki in shock. They could not believe that a team of Jonin and ANBU will evaluate a fresh Genin. "Yosh, I can't wait for the youthful show Naruto-kun will put on for us! Naruto-kun know this, I will be rooting for you!"
"Ah… Thank you Lee!"
"Now my youthful genin, head to the hospital and have medical checkups. I do not want any of you suffering from undetectable internal injuries." Gai's team nodded and made to leave the field when Naruto commented, "See Neji, there is no such thing as fate. We make our own fates! Just look at Lee and Sakura, two civilians, yet they are both very strong!"
Neji huffed before he led his team away from Training Ground 7 and Team 7. Team 7, Kakashi, and Gai watched them leave with Naruto and Gai frowning at Neji's behavior. "You need to pull that stick out of his ass Gai-sensei, or he will end up in a very sticky situation."
Gai nodded with a sigh, "I have been trying for a year now Naruto-kun, but I think that now I have a better chance now. You and your team along with Lee-kun have shaken him. I just hope that he listens to us instead of turning deaf."
"Don't worry Gai-sensei, if he gets out of line, just call me. I will pull that stick out of his ass!" Naruto said with a fox like grin causing a smile to form on Gai's face.
"Thank you for the offer Naruto-kun."
Kakashi smiled behind his mask and said, "You three have the day off now. As you know, meet me at the Chunin Exams Stadium at ten tomorrow. Before you leave, I have one last thing to say; those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum. Remember that; engrave it in your hearts. It shall guide you down the right path. Now you can leave."
Team 7 nodded before Sakura made the Tiger hand seal and absorbed the chakra cloak into the diamond seal on her forehead. Kakashi and Gai looked surprised but ignored it as Naruto placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder causing the chakra cloak to dissipate before both the boys vanished in a swirl of leaves with Sakura following behind.
"They are some Genin Kakashi. I have no doubt that they will become legends just like the Sannin!" Kakashi nodded in pleasure before he looked around the field. After a moment of silence, Kakashi turned to Gai.
"Ah… Gai, I will leave you to explain the situation with the field to Hokage-sama!" Before Gai could even react, Kakashi vanished in a swirl of leaves leaving behind a gaping Gai.
"THAT IS SO UNYOUTHFUL OF YOU KAKASHI! WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION TO HOKAGE-SAMA WHEN IT WAS YOUR TEAM THAT DID THE DESTRUCTION?"
A/N:
Japanese Translations
Jiraiya-sama no densetsu no Sannin = Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin
Fūinjutsu = Sealing Arts
A/N:
Japanese Jutsu, Style and Weapon Name Translations
Kage Bunshin = Shadow Clone
Chakura no Mesu = Chakra Scalple
Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu = Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
Hakkeshō Katien = Eight Trigrams Palms Rotation
Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu = Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique
Hakke Kūshō = Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm
Kawarimi = Substitution
Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu = Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique
Hakke Sanjūni Shō = Eight Trigrams Thirty Two Palms
Hachimon Tonkō no Jin = Eight Inner Gates Formation
Kaimon Kai = Gate of Opening Open
Konoha Kage Buyō = Leaf Shadow Dance
Omote Renge = Front Lotus
Kyūmon Kai = Gate of Healing Open
Seimon Kai = Gate of Life Open
A/N: Hey Everyone! I hope you like this new chapter. Please remember to leave Reviews. The more Reviews I get, the faster I will publish another chapter, though I will try and keep it on a monthly schedule.
SSG.
