I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Genin
The Graduation Exam had been decided. Transformation Jutsu and Clone Jutsu. Ryuu was worried. Not for himself. He knew he'd be fine. But Naruto still couldn't produce a functional clone. It had been four years already since Ryuu had woken up, and yet he still hadn't managed to teach Naruto the Clone Jutsu. Naruto had excelled at learning any and all Sealing Jutsus he was taught, and he could turn into a very realistic nude female version of himself, enough to pass the exam at least, but the Clone Jutsu remained his Achilles Heel. Ryuu had used his Sharingan to watch Naruto do it once. It seemed like his problem was that he couldn't restrict his chakra enough. He ended up using too much.
"Alright, everyone out in the hallway to wait," Iruka announced. "I'll call you in one at a time."
Everyone went outside, lining up with Sasuke, Ryuu, Naruto, and Hinata being the last four. One by one, everyone walked inside. Then, a few minutes later, they all walked back out, leaving with a massive grin and a headband bearing a forehead protector with a Konoha leaf symbol. Finally, Sasuke stepped out, nodding to Ryuu and tying his headband on.
"Wait for me," Ryuu said, walking inside.
Outside the door, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Choji were all waiting still already. Once inside, Ryuu stopped in front of Iruka, instantly transforming into his brother.
"Perfect, as always," Iruka said. "Can you do anyone else?"
Ryuu transformed into Iruka and Iruka nodded. Then, Ryuu released his transformation, creating a clone instead.
"Alright," Iruka nodded. "As expected, you pass with flying colors."
Ryuu bowed, accepting his headband before stopping, staring at it. Naruto wouldn't be getting one. Maybe ever.
"Sensei, Naruto can't perform the Clone Jutsu," Ryuu said.
Iruka sighed, nodding. "I figured. If that's the case, he'll fail."
"Sensei, Naruto's amazing at Fuinjutsu," Ryuu said. "If you test him on that, he'll pass. As anything above a new genin, the Clone Jutsu isn't even that useful so...please test him on a Sealing Jutsu."
"You really want him to pass, don't you?" Iruka asked.
"Yes," Ryuu nodded. "He's worked very hard the last few years. You had to have noticed. He is ready to be a shinobi. He just can't perform the Clone Jutsu."
Iruka was silent for a while before sighing and nodding. "Alright, which would you recommend?"
"The Paralysis Seal we learned first," Ryuu said.
Iruka nodded. "Very well. For Naruto's sake, I will."
Ryuu nodded and Ryuu left the room, nodding to Hinata to go. She did so and after a couple of minutes, she walked back out with her own headband around her neck. Naruto walked in and she turned to Ryuu.
"He can't do the Clone Jutsu," Hinata said.
"He'll be okay," Ryuu said. "I talked to Iruka Sensei. He's going to test Naruto on a Fuinjutsu instead since Naruto's excellent at them."
Hinata's face lit up instantly before she quickly forced her face neutral again. "I should go and meet my father."
"Wait," Ryuu said, Hinata stopping. "You're going to wait for Naruto. He may be completely oblivious, but the rest of us aren't. We know how you feel. And if I can help it, Naruto's going to smarten up. But for that, you have to stop being too shy to talk to him."
Hinata's face was the color of a tomato by now, but she nodded. Sasuke grinned at Ryuu who rolled his eyes.
"Shut up Duck Butt," Ryuu said. "I'm going to smarten you up too."
"To what?" Sasuke snorted. "Sakura or Ino?"
"Just in general idiot," Ryuu grinned.
Sasuke rolled his eyes just as they heard the window bang open inside the classroom.
"Naruto! Naruto get back here!" Iruka shouted.
Ryuu threw the door open, seeing Iruka leaning out the window.
"What happened?" Ryuu asked.
"I had him try the Clone Jutsu first, to give him one more chance, but when he failed he left before I could tell him that he could pass with a Fuinjutsu!" Iruka explained.
"Dammit Naruto," Ryuu growled. "Sasuke, let's go."
Sasuke nodded, both leaping out the window and spreading out to try and find Naruto. Ryuu checked the field where he and Naruto usually trained first, followed by all of Naruto's usual hang out spots. Sasuke checked the places Naruto usually went to hide. Finally, they met up back at the Academy, both shaking their heads.
"Where'd that idiot go?" Sasuke growled.
"Where'd it go!?" a voice shouted.
"Don't tell me that idiot actually managed to steal the Scroll of Sealing!" another shouted.
"No way," Ryuu said. "Really?"
"Why would he?" Sasuke asked.
Ryuu and Sasuke stared at each other for a moment as both realized where he'd take a scroll filled with high-level jutsus that he probably wanted to learn. Both turned, hurrying to the forest on top of the Hokage Monument using a wooden pathway off to one side. Once up top, Ryuu and Sasuke spread out again, hurrying into the forest. Ryuu moved quickly, using his natural speed to his advantage, looking around quickly as he ran. Naruto was an idiot, but he wasn't a thief. He also couldn't have known what the Scroll of Sealing was without having been told. Ryuu knew because his brother had told him about it. Naruto didn't have Shisui as a brother. But if Naruto was told, it wouldn't have been out of the goodness of someone's heart. Stealing the scroll was considered treason.
Ryuu stopped as he heard a shout of pain off to the side and sprinted in that direction. As he ran, smoke suddenly filled the trees ahead of him and he stopped in a tree, staring at the sea of Narutos now filling the trees ahead of him. Below them, Iruka and Naruto were on the ground, Iruka with a gigantic shuriken sticking out of his back and Naruto over him, glaring up into a tree in the center of the sea of Narutos. Ryuu looked up, seeing Mizuki, one of their instructors, standing there, a second massive shuriken on his back, looking around at the Narutos in fear and shock.
"Clone Jutsu?" Sasuke asked, landing beside Ryuu.
Ryuu activated his Sharingan, staring at the clones. "Shadow Clone Jutsu. I see."
"What?" Sasuke asked.
"Naruto's problem with the basic Clone Jutsu was that he uses too much chakra," Ryuu said. "With this one, you have to use a lot of chakra, so it would be perfect for Naruto. He's got enormous chakra reserves."
Sasuke nodded as the clones all leapt at Mizuki, beginning to beat him senseless rapidly. Ryuu actually felt bad for Mizuki, even though Mizuki was clearly a traitor, given Iruka's condition. Finally, the beating ended, Naruto placing the same paralysis seal he was supposed to be tested on on Mizuki, leaving him unable to move as Naruto helped Iruka up, Sasuke and Ryuu also helping.
"Naruto," Iruka said, Naruto looking up at him as Iruka took his headband off, giving it to Naruto. "Earlier, I was going to pass you if you could use a Sealing Jutsu. But learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu on your own, that's much more impressive. You've more than earned this."
Naruto smiled, putting the headband on and grinning widely.
"Today, as long as no one decides to cause any trouble," Iruka's eyes settled on Naruto for a moment before a smile spread over his face and he shook his head, continuing, "you'll all be assigned to teams. Those teams will then meet with a preassigned Jonin captain. Now, I'm going to say this in advance. All teams have be prearranged. There will be no switching or trading."
Ryuu waited patiently for his name. However, as the names continued, he found himself still waiting, although most of the others in the class that he liked best hadn't been called yet either.
"Squad Seven, Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki," Iruka stopped as Naruto stood up cheering, Sakura hanging her head in despair, "and Sasuke Uchiha."
Naruto and Sakura reversed roles.
"Next, Squad Eight," Iruka continued. "Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame."
Ryuu swallowed, doing some quick math. There were four of them left. Himself, Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino.
"I hope I get Ryuu on my team," Ino said. "And I suppose Choji would do. Anything would be better than being with you." She glared at Shikamaru who rolled his eyes.
"Team Ten, Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara-"
"Hah! Did you say something about not being in my squad?" Shikamaru laughed, grinning at her wickedly.
"-and Choji Akimichi," Iruka finished, Ryuu's gut dropping. "Ryuu, stay after. I need to speak with you."
His gut dropped further as he felt everyone's eyes on him. He nodded and Iruka passed out slips of paper with the Jonin captains' names on them along with where to meet them. Then, the others all filed out of the room and Ryuu walked down to stand in front of Iruka.
"You're not being kept off of a team as a punishment," Iruka said. "We had too many for even teams. In addition to that, your brother left a will that had a specific request for how you should be trained once you graduated. He wanted you trained by an ANBU member."
Ryuu's eyes widened and he looked up at him in surprise.
"You're teacher has already been selected, well, actually they volunteered, but you will be training with them in place of a Jonin captain. For missions, no you're not accompanying them on ANBU missions. you're going to be going as...let's call it an attachment, to other teams. Not necessarily all of the time, and not any specific group. But you will be going on missions. You just don't have any one specific team."
Ryuu nodded and Iruka handed him a piece of paper.
"Meet your ANBU master here at the time it says," Iruka said. "Oh, and I'd be prepared for a ridiculously painful training routine. ANBU tend to be...merciless."
Ryuu nodded, bowing. "Thank you Sensei."
He turned, walking out of the room and to his and Sasuke's house to get his ninja tools and tanto, then to the field the paper described. It was a small one not far from where the Uchiha District had been. Once there, he drew the tanto, passing the time by practicing with it. Over the years, he had become extremely proficient with it, though nowhere near the level his brother had been.
"You've got some excellent moves," a voice said, Ryuu turning to see a female ANBU with long violet hair and a cat mask. "Especially for a genin who just graduated the academy. I suppose your brother is probably responsible for that as well, isn't he?"
Ryuu nodded, sheathing the tanto and bowing. "Are you my master?"
"I am," she nodded. "By special request of your brother."
He looked up at her in confusion.
"You brother was brilliant," she said. "At times, it seemed like he knew he'd be gone by the time you graduated. So before he died, he asked me to train you, and wrote into his will that he wanted you trained by an ANBU so that I could. He also left me a few scrolls with a bunch of jutsus, information about using the Sharingan, and even a summoning contract. We'll start with the Summoning Jutsu."
She pulled out a scroll, setting it down and unrolling it, revealing several boxes with names written in blood with fingerprints below it. He walked over, scanning the names. Both Itachi and Shisui had their names on it. Ryuu knelt, understanding what to do, and drew his tanto a couple inches, cutting his thumb with the blade before wiping the blood off with another finger before writing his name and then putting blood on all of his fingers, placing the fingertips on the page below his name. He stood and the ANBU rolled the scroll back up, the scroll bursting into smoke.
"Alright, the jutsu itself is relatively easy," she said, going through the hand signs slowly. "Once you've performed the signs, use the hand you signed with and push chakra out through your palm. At least, normally. You would also need to have blood on that hand. However, the summoning animal you just signed a contract with is a bit...special."
"What animal?" Ryuu asked.
"The crows," she said, Ryuu's eyebrows rising as he thought of Yomo, who was currently in its cage in his and Sasuke's house. "They don't require hand seals or blood to summon, after the first time. Your brother has more than a dozen techniques and jutsus involving crow summons in the scrolls. They're very helpful."
Ryuu nodded and took a breath before wiping a little blood on his palm, going through he hand seals and setting his hand down, pushing chakra out through it. A cloud of smoke instantly shot out from under him, leaving a giant crow under him, Ryuu now crouching on its back.
"Wow," Ryuu breathed. "It's huge."
"Maybe you're just small," the crow said, looking back at him.
Ryuu blinked in surprise as the crow stared at him. "Did you just speak?"
"Of course," the crow said. "I better be able to, I'm the leader of the Crow clan."
"Oh," Ryuu said before smiling. "So, what's your name?"
"Name?" the crow asked. "I don't have a name. Who names a crow? That's just weird. Just call me boss."
Ryuu blinked before nodding. "Um...sure."
The crow nodded. "You'll do." Then, the crow exploded into smoke.
"Um...was that normal?" Ryuu asked.
"He's like that. Anyway, I'm going to train you in kenjutsu next. I'll give you the scrolls when you're done."
Ryuu nodded, drawing his tanto as the ANBU drew her katana. Then, she shot forward, slashing at him. He blocked it, redirecting her sword to the side and she spun, slashing at him again. He blocked it again, shoving the blade upward, then stepped around her as she slashed downward at him. He caught her wrist at the bottom of her slash, pulling it behind her and twisting, making her sword drop before spinning and making her stagger away. She spun, stopping herself and staring at him.
"So the rumors are true," she said. "You really don't attack anyone, do you?"
"I hate fighting at all," Ryuu said. "It's why I like Genjutsu and Fuinjutsu so much. I don't have to hurt anyone that way."
"That's...admirable," she said. "But...if that's true, why would you want to become a Shinobi in the first place?"
"...It was...expected," Ryuu said. "I had to be a shinobi to honor my family."
"I see," she nodded. "You probably won't be following in your brother's footsteps then. He was ANBU. One of the best I ever met."
"My brother was ANBU?" Ryuu blinked. "I didn't know that."
"No one did, except a handful of other ANBU," Yugao said. "He was careful about it. He wanted you safe, so he made sure no one knew. Even you."
Ryuu smiled slightly. "What's it like to be an ANBU?"
She stared at the ground for a long while. "It's awful. ANBU get dangerous missions. And ones that...push the limits of what's morally right. Spying on friends, assassinations, killing friends sometimes. Aside from that, you watch your friends die. A lot. As an ANBU, you have to watch your friends die, one by one until you find that you have no friends left. You find that you are utterly and completely alone. If you're lucky, you can save maybe one. And then you cling to them for all your worth, trying desperately to keep them alive. But in the end, you know that you're going to lose them too. Death is inevitable."
"I'm sorry," Ryuu mumbled.
"It's alright," she said. "I still have the love of my life. Nothing will take him from me. At least...not yet."
"Yet?" Ryuu asked.
"It doesn't matter," she said. "We're supposed to be training you, not talking about me. Now, attack me. Like you mean it. I need to make sure you're capable of it."
Ryuu nodded, swallowing hard before charging, slashing at her rapidly. She blocked and deflected each strike, the pair slowly ending up moving around and around the field until she finally tripped him, placing the edge of her sword to his throat, the hand holding his tanto pinned under her foot.
"Impressive," she said. "You're very good. Better than I gave you credit for."
Ryuu nodded silently. She watched him thoughtfully for a moment.
"You know, one of your brother's best techniques was his Body Flicker Technique," she said. "He was so fast, he could make afterimage clones."
Ryuu's eyes widened as he tried to imagine it.
"All of them were as real as an actual clone. But without needing the chakra of one," she said. "But if attacked, they would be just an afterimage. It was amazing."
"It sounds it," Ryuu agreed.
She smiled, drawing a kunai in reverse grip. "Draw your knife. I'm going to teach you a more advanced fighting style. Just in case you need it."
Ryuu nodded, drawing his trench knife, Yugao whistling.
"I like it," she smiled. "Alright, it's pretty common sense. Let's see how fast you pick it up."
She shot forward, her sword meeting his tanto in a shower of sparks.
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