Chapter One
A Chance To Pass
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Naruto stared dejectedly at the pair of dead-looking clones flanking him. Despite all his hard work, his attempt to push as much chakra into the clones as possible to stop them collapsing the instant that they formed, he had once again failed.
"Naruto…" Iruka said, his voice commiserating yet firm, "You fail."
Naruto sagged in dismay, then the second Chunin behind the teacher's desk spoke.
"Iruka, it's obvious that he's tried really hard. Perhaps we should let him pass…"
"No, Mizuki, we can't." Iruka sighed. "Naruto, the Bunshin is one of the most basic techniques used in the field. If you can't perform it, all of the other techniques will be out of your reach and that would mean that when you go on your first true mission, you won't be able to defend yourself and you'll end up putting not only yourself but your entire team in danger. I can't allow you to become a shinobi until I know that you have the ability to perform as one. I'm sorry."
The clones finally expired in a large cloud of smoke and Naruto trudged out of the room. Turning away from the classroom where the others had been waiting for their turns and had returned to with their Hitai-ates that proclaimed them to be Genin, he made his way down the stairs and out into the practice field where he sat on the tree swing.
How had he failed? He had pushed as much chakra as he could into the Bunshin. There was no way that it should have failed like that, but it had and, for the fourth time, he had failed the test.
"How can I become Hokage if I can't even pass the first test?" He whispered to himself, then he glanced at the nearby gate where the parents of the other students were entering to collect their offspring and congratulate those who had passed. Several of them glanced at him and even though they were quite a distance away, Naruto could hear their comments.
"It's a good thing they didn't let it graduate."
"What were they thinking of, letting a thing like that try to become a ninja?"
"I don't even know why they let it stay in Konoha."
Closing his eyes, Naruto concentrated on blocking out the hurtful comments, then he heard rustling above his head. Opening his eyes, Naruto looked up to see a very familiar figure perched in the tree branches above him.
"Mizuki-Sensei?"
"Naruto, listen carefully." The silver-haired chunin whispered. "I've talked to Iruka and he's agreed that you can try the other test, the practical skills one."
"What test?" Naruto asked, confused but with rising joy. He was going to become a Shinobi!
"It's a test that shows that you have the skills that Shinobi need. It's harder than the classroom test, but Iruka and I think you'll be able to do it. After all, you can be very sneaky when you want to be."
Naruto grinned at the compliment.
"The test is one of infiltration. We've replaced the large scroll in the Hokage's office with the scroll that you need to collect. Simply take the scroll to the wooden cabin near training ground twenty-seven where Iruka or myself will meet with you. If you want extra credit and a chance to show up Sasuke, learn one of the techniques from the scroll as well, but you'll only have a few hours at best. The test begins at dusk and finishes at midnight. Interested?"
"Yeah!" Naruto exulted. "I'll do it!"
"Remember, it starts at dusk and you need to set off from your apartment at that point." Mizuki said. "And Naruto? Good luck."
Mizuki vanished in a small spiral of leaves and chakra smoke as Naruto grinned.
"Gotta get home and prepare!" He muttered to himself as he rolled off the swing, coming to his feet in a smooth motion. "I'm gonna pass this with flying colors!"
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The window to the Hokage's office was plastered with fuuinjutsu. Any attempt to use chakra to open it would be rewarded with a blast of raiton, causing the intruder to fall. The area around the window had special seals to reverse the effect of any attempt to use the tree-walking technique. When tested, it launched the shinobi in question straight through the bedroom window of a kunoichi who was in the middle of getting changed, resulting in a brief, albeit not-quite-PG-rated sword-fight.
As a side note, the two quickly made up and then bonded over their shared love of kenjutsu.
What the designer overlooked was the possibility of someone breaking in without the use of chakra.
A simple rope and a knife to unhook the latch were all that Naruto required to enter the office where he often talked to his grandfather-figure (and even wore the Hat on special occasions).
"Scroll." He whispered to himself. "Scroll… ah-ha! Up there, but how do I… the chair!"
Picking up the chair, Naruto placed it by the shelving unit and scrambled up, reaching out and flipping open the latch that held the glass display case closed. Rolling the scroll out of its holding brackets, he carefully stepped down, then glanced at the window.
"No way am I going to be able to climb back up with this." He muttered to himself. "And the rope was only just long enough to get to the window… gonna have to go go through the tower to get out… I think the back stairs would be best."
Using the cord attached to the ends of the scroll to sling it over his back, Naruto sidled to the door. Opening it a crack, he peeped out and then slid into the corridor, closing the door silently behind him.
"Naruto?"
Naruto cursed as he heard the familiar voice. He was so close, he couldn't get caught now!
"Sorry, Jiji, but I gotta do this. Orioke no Jutsu!"
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Iruka blearily staggered to the door of his flat. Opening it, it took him several seconds to recognize Mizuki.
"Hu? Wadizzi?"
"Iruka, Naruto took failing harder than we expected! He's stolen the Forbidden Scroll and fled!" Mizuki snapped and Iruka stared in shock at him, eyes wide and adrenaline flooding his body.
"What?"
"One of the ANBU said they spotted him briefly, heading north-east!" Mizuki continued. "He thinks he may be trying to defect to Kumo!"
"Dammit!" Iruka cursed. "That would be the logical place for him to flee to, they're still in our bad books from the Hyuuga incident and their Jinchuuriki is their Raikage's adopted brother!"
"I'll get after him, you rouse the others!" Mizuki ordered, then he vanished in a swirl of leaves. Iruka dashed back into his flat and started pulling on his uniform.
"Dammit, Naruto." He growled as he hopped on one foot, jamming his sandal on. "What the hell were you thinking? Wait, I can still track him…"
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'That's the distraction set in motion.' Mizuki smirked as he sprinted across the rooftops. 'They'll search one way while I go the other with the scroll, then when they do figure out that I've tricked them, they'll follow my trail to the coast and think I'm heading to Suna while Orochimaru-sama's boat takes me round to the North so I can cut through the Land of Hot Springs and join him in Otogakure. All is proceeding according to plan. Now to set the final few parts in motion, then I can collect the scroll.'
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Naruto sat slumped against the wooden shack, a tired but triumphant grin on his face as he slowly rolled the scroll back up and re-fastened it.
"Hah." He whispered to himself. "No more worrying about the damned Bunshin when I've got the Kage Bunshin instead! Who needs illusions when you can get solid clones? This'll get me to Rookie of the Year once I show Iruka and Mizuki."
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Concentrating hard, Iruka let his senses reach out and after a long moment, his eyes snapped open.
"There you are." He whispered. "All right, time to find out what you're playing at, Naruto!"
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'And that's the last of Konoha's Hunter-nin heading in the wrong direction.' Mizuki thought triumphantly. 'All I need do now is kill the demon brat and escape with the scroll and I'll finally be elevated to Jonin by Orochimaru-sama.'
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"Naruto! What are you doing?"
"Ah!" Naruto jolted from almost-asleep to fully-awake. "Wha…? Ah, Iruka-Sensei! I did it! See, here's the Scroll you and Mizuki-Sensei asked me to fetch and I've managed to learn the first technique on it… you're early… It's not even eleven yet… hey, do I get extra points for finishing the mission with an hour to spare?"
Iruka blinked as he frantically re-thought his assumptions, comparing what Naruto was babbling about with the statement Mizuki had made earlier. No matter how he twisted the latter, it didn't fit with Naruto's excited outburst and he knew that Naruto was almost constitutionally incapable of lying…
Which meant…
"Naruto…" Iruka started to say, then his ears picked up the familiar sound of a Fuuma Shuriken being hurled through the air. "Watch out!"
Naruto yelped as Iruke grabbed him into a protective hold, then Iruka bit back a scream of pain as his back was pierced by the giant throwing weapon.
"Wha… Mizuki?" Naruto half-whispered, his eyes wide and Iruka looked round to see his teaching assistant perched on one of the branches overlooking the small clearing, his second Fuuma Shuriken held ready to throw.
"You had ti interfere, Iruka." Mizuki growled. "Of course, this makes things even better. I'll kill you both, then take the demon brat's body with me to make everyone think that he killed you because you tried to stop him leaving with the scroll."
"You… traitor…" Iruka ground out even as he channeled chakra to close the blood vessels that the Shuriken had pierced.
"Why?" Naruto gasped and Mizuki sneered.
"Why? Why am I doing this? Why does everyone in Konoha hate you? Well, you may as well find out before you die. You see, twelve years ago, Konoha was attacked by a giant monster…"
"Mizuki! It's forbidden to talk about that!" Iruka shouted despite the pain he was in.
"So what?" Mizuki shot back. "Anyway, the Kyuubi attacked Konoha and was defeated by the Fourth Hokage, who sealed it into the form of a small child.
"You!
"You are the Nine-tails!"
"You're lying!" Naruto shouted. "You're lying!"
"You're not the fox, you're its prison!" Iruka managed, then he lurched to one side as Mizuki hurled the second Shuriken at him. "You protect Konoha by holding it prisoner!"
"Shut up!" Mizuki yelled as he pulled out a kunai and dropped from the tree. "You've said too much and now you will die and Orochimaru will reward me for my actions!"
"You hurt Iruka-Sensei." Naruto stated and both Shinobi looked at him. Narotu straightened up, his eyes closed. "You hurt Iruka-Sensei!"
"So?" Mizuki laughed. "What do you think you're going to… do… your eyes…"
Iruka gasped as Naruto opened his eyes. Instead of being blue as they normally were, his eyes had turned into a green so intense that they were almost glowing.
"You. Hurt. Iruka. Sensei."
Mizuki lunged forwards, only to have his fist caught by Naruto. For a moment, Naruto glared into Mizuki's eyes, then he flexed his arm and hurled Mizuki into a tree, embedding the traitorous shinobi into the trunk.
"You! Hurt! Iruka! Sensei!"
Fabric ripped as Naruto stalked forwards, his muscles flexing and expanding. His trousers tore as Naruto grew and Iruka blinked several times to check that he wasn't imagining the boy's skin darkening into a green coloration.
Mizuki managed to pries himself out of the dent he had made and pulled out another kunai before pausing at the sight of his victim looming over him.
"…demon…" He managed, then Naruto swung a fist that sent Mizuki back into the depression he had created and out the other side in a blizzard of splinters. The second tree offered only a little more resistance but the boulder behind that stopped his unplanned flight.
"No hurt Iruka-Sensei!" Naruto growled as he stomped forwards towards the unconscious traitor. "Smash you!"
"Naruto!" Iruka called as he managed to lever the shuriken out of his back. "Naruto… I need help…"
Naruto paused, then turned. "Help Iruka? How?"
"I need to get to the hospital." Iruka gasped as the injury sent another spike of agony through him.
"Iruka to hospital?" Naruto repeated, then he bent and grabbed Mizuki by one leg before half-running to Iruka, bouncing Mizuki's head across the ground. "Iruka needs hospital!"
"Careful!" Iruka hissed as Naruto picked him up carefully, holding him in one arm. "Okay, now put Mizuki over your shoulder and grab that scroll, then we can get moving…"