Alrighty ladies and gents. Sorry about the initial delay, but I had a few things to go over that I wanted to make SURE was what I wanted…mainly the teams and the sensei's that I wanted to make in this iteration. So far everything has turned out to be about what I expected it to be, and some things may even turn out to be a surprise for some people.
I'll be taking care of the concerns and comments some people sent me at the authors' notes at the end of the chapter. So enjoy!
Previously…
Moving his hands upwards, he settled into an odd stance. His left hand was flat, palm facing upwards towards his face, as it settled in front of his stomach. His right was flat as well, palm facing his chest as it hovered above his left hand. Moving his left leg forward, he settled into a wide stance with the weight slightly on his forefoot…indicating a mainly offensive style.
Arashi watched all this with curiosity, before smiling and assuming his own stance…one that no one recognized. His left foot was pointed towards Naruto, the left leg extended. He was crouched down slightly on his right leg, his body lowered a bit as he moved his left arm downwards. It was stretched towards the ground, fist open with the open palm facing in front of him. His right arm extended directly in front of him, palm facing forward as well…with the ring finger and pinky finger folded down, leaving the thumb and forefinger/middle finger facing upwards toward the sky (It's the same hand style as when they gather chakra if that helps any).
"My main taijutsu style has no stances or katas, so I'll use a modified style I picked up on my training."
Both fighters stood there, looking at each other silently as a single leaf slowly drifted down in the middle of them from an overhead branch. Slowly it wafted, before it gently set down on the grassy floor beneath them.
And then they struck…..
Both boys sped towards each other, hands held in their respective poses before a poof of smoke appeared between them, halting their advance. Before a word could escape them, a cry rang out. A cry that would spell doom and bring about utter apocalypse in the most horrible of ways!
"Oiroke no Jutsu!"
Two sets of eyes widened as the smoke cleared, the first signs of the new visitor being the long silky red hair that swayed slightly in the wind. Long, slender pale legs were next…leading up to a pair of slim curvy hips and a small waist. Violet eyes peeked out of the cloud of smoke, a coy smile wrapped on full pink lips as a small kiss was blown to both boys…a well-endowed yet perky chest, neither too big nor too small, hidden by some strategically placed clouds.
"Arrraaa-kkuuunnnnn"
WHAM
Naruto, one hand over his mouth and nose to hide the rosy blush (as well as the telltale signs of a nosebleed) snickered as his "aniki" (along with most of the male portion of the class) slammed into the ground, twitching slightly before a low growl came from where the poor boy was plastered to the ground. Kyuu giggled, the light musical sound filling the clearing as she poofed back into her normal form. She skipped over to the prostrate form of Arashi, bending over before lightly prodding him with a toe.
"Awwww, I think I broke him." The soft pout, the teasing light in the violet eyes almost made her look sorry for what she did.
Almost.
"Goddamnit Kyuu, MUST you do that whenever I'm in the middle of something?" Arashi growled, situating himself after getting to his feet…brushing his clothes off as he glared at his still snickering brother. Glowering, a sudden wicked grin curled his lips before he poofed into smoke himself. Naruto, too busy laughing at his brother, didn't quite pay attention like he should.
"Narrruuuu-kkuunnnn."
Naruto stopped and whipped around, blue eyes widening to the size of dinner plates at the blue haired goddess before him…the pale violet eyes giving away who it was almost instantly before said eyes batted lightly at him, the vision of loveliness draping itself across him as soft pink lips kissed his cheek. Naruto was ALL too aware of certain, ummm, "assets" pressed into his back as well…before his eyes rolled up into his head and he fainted, a trickle of blood dripping from his nose.
Arashi smirked as he transformed back, hands triumphantly on his hips. "HAH! That's what you GET Otou…to?" Shivering at a sudden spike of killing intent, he turned around to spot a wrathful Hinata (who was sporting a rosy blush of her own) glowering at him, Byakugan pulsing around her eyes.
"Ehehehehe….oops? EEK!"
Turning tail, he fled with a very very angry Hyuuga Hinata chasing after him...kunai and shuriken whipping along behind him as he hightailed it away from her.
"Come on now Hinata! IT WAS A JOKE!"
"BAKA! I DON'T CARE IF YOU ARE NARU-KUNS BROTHER, I'LL KILL YOU!"
"Just think of it like Naruto getting used to your future sel- OW!"
The rest of the class laughed (the boys had regained consciousness after Hinata had started to chase him), before Iruka clapped his hands. "Alright class, that's enough. It's time to go back inside." A loud chorus of 'awwwww' rang through the air before they trudged back to the academy. Hinata, panting as
she glowered at a certain brother who was currently pinned to a tree with kunai, turned and huffed as she walked back to her Naru-kun who after regaining conscious fainted again at the sight of her approaching. Sighing, he picked him up and walked back into the academy doors…muttering about pervert brothers.
"……Ummmm, a little help?"
Arashi muttered, having been helped by Kyuu-chan as he walked into the class, eeping as he hid behind her as the patented 'Hyuuga Death Glare' was leveled on him full force by a certain kunoichi. They made their way back towards their seats, careful to avoid the irked girl…a dazed Naruto sitting beside her.
"Alright class, now that we have everyone I'd like to announce that we'll be having the graduation exam in one month. I suggest you practice up on your techniques and get ready for the exam. Class dismissed except for Naruto, Arashi and …erhm…Kyuu?" Iruka sighed before setting down his papers.
The distinct chatter of the class slowly died away, with Shikamaru, Chouji and Shino saying goodbye to Naruto and Hinata. Sakura just hmphed along with Ino, while Sasuke just sighed and shook his head…nodding to his best friend before heading out as well. Kiba was just ignored.
The few remaining chatted amongst themselves, Hinata having calmed down enough not to murder a certain brother who was always sure to keep at least one person between them at all times. You never could be too careful after all. Naruto finally woke up out of his daze, just in time to hear a loud cough from down near the front of the classroom. Four pairs of eyes all turned towards the noise, blinking at the smoking form of the Hokage as well as Kakashi.
"Yo!"
Sarutobi chuckled, before he motioned the four youths down.
"Naruto, Arashi…I need to talk to you all in regards to certain things that will be happening in the near future. I'm sorry Hinata-chan, but you won't be able to join us."
Hinata pouted but nodded all the same, before turning and lightly kissing her boyfriend on the cheek and skipping out…not noticing the puddle of goo he melted into after the fact.
"……ewwww."
Arashi and Kyuu snickered a bit, before looking towards the assembled adults. Kakashi, taking his cue from the Hokage, made a few hand symbols, before sounding out "Ninpou: Fugen no Ankoku"! The assembled students blinked in awe as they watched lines of blue trace along the walls…before a bright flash of blue illuminated them then disappeared. Nodding to the Hokage, Kakashi leaned against a desk.
Sarutobi smiled down to the youths, motioning for them to take a seat. Once they did, he folded his hands behind his back.
"I came to talk to you three on certain specifics regarding Arashi as well as, erhm, Kyuu. Naruto, before I begin, is there anything you wish to ask?" Naruto quickly shook his head, azure eyes widening slightly. If the old man was here, this definitely had to be something big. "Very well then, first things first. Arashi, I've talked to Kyuu and agreed with her on specific matters. However, you are going to have to give her another name. Certain ….factions….inside Konoha would most likely put two and two together and that would create undue problems." Arashi nodded, leaning back…incidentally right against Kyuu who was more than happy to idly slide her fingers through his hair.
Coughing, the Hokage continued. "That is up to your discretion, and we'll go from there after that. Naruto, I know this is going to be hard for you, but I have some information for you that may trouble you." Waiting on a reaction, and seeing none, he continued. "You were told that no one knew who your parents were, but that's not necessarily the truth. Arashi, if you could?"
Fidgeting a bit, Arashi sighed before slipping to his feet. Making a ram seal, he closed his eyes (not that anyone could see anyway).
"Hijutsu: Ai no Mokou!"
Two large poofs of smoke exploded in front of him. Arashi sat back down, wincing slightly as he settled back against his Kyuu-chan who purrrrred softly. Snickering, the smile left his face as he looked forward…a startled gasp from his side causing him to wince again. Kami knew how his brother was going to take it.
Two shapes slowly materialized, before the smoke dispersed. The shorter one slowly stepped out of the remaining wisps that curled in the air. Long fiery red hair swayed to her hips, bright blue eyes twinkling with mirth. She was dressed in the attire of an ANBU Captain, though her headband wasn't one Naruto immediately recognized. Turning, he looked towards the taller one…the immediate thing sticking out being the mob of bright yellow hair that spiked in every direction. Piercing azure eyes seemed to smile down at him, the white coat flapping around him for a brief moment…the flames almost alive on its edge.
The two parties stared at each other for a brief minute, before Naruto was startled from his daze by a hand gently settling on his shoulder. Turning towards his brother, he received a nod and a gentle push towards the two figures…his azure eyes wide and misty as he gazed up at them.
"Hello Naru-chan."
Konoha – Main Street
Sakura huffed as she left the academy, arms crossed over her chest. Finally seeing her chance to convince Sasuke-kun of her love without that troublesome Naruto around, she had asked him on a date only to be shot down horribly.
"Stupid Naruto, poisoning my Sasuke-kuns mind! CHA!"
Continuing her muttering, she slammed the front door open to her house and stomped her way into the living room…only to look blankly at her mother and the man sitting next to her. The man nodded to her mother, before he smiled at her and walked out the door. Sakura watched him go, before turning a curious eye to her mother. Thanks to the …."chat"….Sori had with Anko, she was no longer able to be a kunoichi let alone a civilian most times.
"Kaa-san, who was that man?"
Sori smiled before she struggled to her feet, taking her time walking over towards her "darling" daughter.
"His name is Danzo sweetheart, but don't worry about that. Tell me, what do you know about Uzumaki Naruto?"
Sori watched the expression on her daughters face sour, an evil grin forming in her mind. Perfect.
"He's so stupid! He's always getting in the way of me and Sasuke-kun! Stupid dobe, he needs to just…just….DIE or something!" If she hadn't turned away in a huff, she might have been a little scared at the expression that spread across her mother's face.
"Well dear, what if I told you Danzo-sama had a perfect way for you to be with Sasuke-kun?"
Sakura whirled around, sparkling stars hovering around her eyes as she gazed lovingly up at her mother. "REALLY?!" Sakura squealed, happy something was finally going her way. Sori just coughed, wrapping her daughter up in a hug.
"But first, let me tell you about a demon named Kyuubi…."
Kiba was angry, no….BEYOND angry. He was pissed. How the hell the dobe got HIS girl never ceased to be a mystery to him. HE was the alpha male, the top dog. HE was supposed to get all the girls. Growling, he stalked his way home with Akamaru trotting behind…a soft whimper of worry escaping the little ninken. Pushing the door open, Kiba huffed and threw himself on the living room couch…alerting his sister and mother to his presence.
"Kiba-kun! How was your day at school?" Tsume walked out of the kitchen, her dog Kuromaru not far behind. Hana flopped down beside her little bro, smirking down at him. Kiba huffed, and turned his head away, a mumble of 'fine' escaping his throat. He really didn't want to talk about it.
"Well, dinner will be ready shortly. Go clean up."
Turning around, Tsume walked back in the kitchen….leaving the two siblings alone (along with one other). Hana, eyeing her mother, grinned and leaned over her little brother….prodding him in the side.
"So otouto, did you get your little girl yet?" She laughed as her finger got swatted away, the scowl evident on his face.
"Shut up sis! I don't want to hear it. I hate that stupid Uzumaki. He always seems to get things his way, stupid dobe."
Hana grinned ferally at this, before she leaned down and whispered in her little brothers ear…her meeting with a certain man still fresh in her mind. "Neh, Otouto….want to know a secret?" Seeing Kiba's curiosity, she grinned. This is gonna be fun. All is going according to plan.
"Let me tell you a little secret about our little Uzumaki friend. It all goes back to October 10th, 11 years ago….."
Kiba listened with rapt attention, eyes growing wider and wider by the second. Both siblings unaware of the single golden eye watching them from the shadows before it slowly disappeared.
Konoha – The Underneath
A shadow shifted in the darkness, accompanied by two others. Turning, the moved into a room and seated themselves, a single candle casting its flickering light in the dismal room.
"I take it everything is going according to plan?"
One shadow shifted, before a flash of white marked a wide smile. "Both have 'seen the light' and will be joining us soon. Everything is going smoothly. I still can't believe you have an interest in that boy as well."
The last shadow shifted, though there seemed something off. It was almost TOO lithe, too sinuous.
"The boy is a side project, nothing more. Just a little….experiment."
Nodding, the three shadows grinning to each other….before the candle was snuffed out by an unseen wind, their voices echoing in the still air.
To the death of the boy, and the fall of the Leaf…..
Konoha – Academy
Naruto stood stock still. He didn't know what to make of this, and he was utterly confused. Of course, this wasn't a novel concept to him, as it happened often. But still! The mist in his eyes turned to tears as the woman kneeled down in front of him, smiling sadly up into his shocked face.
"We missed you so much Naru-chan."
His mind was still rebooting before he staggered, one hand resting on the desk. He looked pleadingly towards the old man, hoping for something….anything!...that would give him some sort of clue. Sarutobi merely smiled sadly, before taking pity on the boy.
"Naruto, meet Namikaze Minato….and Uzumaki Kushina. They are your parents."
THUD
Five sets of eyes watched the blonde haired boy smack into the ground again in a dead faint, before a slight chuckle left Arashi's lips.
"He realllllyyyyy likes them stairs."
Smack.
"OW! Kyuu-chan that was mean!"
The adults snickered at the scene, before Kakashi walked over to Naruto and leaned down…pulling out a small vial. Never thought I'd use this on Naruto. I always kept it around for Hinata. Uncapping the bottle, he waved it under his nose…the sudden thrashing from Naruto all the signs he needed that it was working. Sitting up bleary eyed, Naruto peered around before looking straight up…tears suddenly coming unbidden to his eyes again.
"O-otou-san? Kaa-san?"
Both nodded, and he finally broke down…streams of tears trickling down his cheeks as he launched himself at the two, clinging to their legs like a lost child. Everyone else watched sadly, a soft smile on their lips. It took some minutes before his crying settled down, but everyone soon formed a little circle
together…Naruto not leaving his parents arms for a second. He gazed with a dazed expression on his face at his father, who beamed happily at him.
"But…h-how? Kakashi-nii-san told me you died while fighting the Kyuubi. How can you be alive?"
Minato and Kushina glanced at each other, before launching into a short description of their fight, along with their deal with the Shinigami. Naruto just stared, mouth agape as he listened with rapt attention until they finally stopped. "In the end, the Shinigami agreed to give us eight years…but later extended it to ten years to better help you two." They kept to themselves how they got the two year extension, a meaningful glance shooting towards Arashi.
"So, you're like ghosts or something?," Naruto scratched the back of his head in confusion, before shrugging. Whatever, it didn't matter. His parents were here! That's all he ever wanted in life. Minato and Kushina smiled, gently hugging their son to them.
"Now, there is something that has to be done. We already trained Arashi as much as we were able in the five years we were able in these bodies. Now we want to train you Naru-chan." Both parents laughed at the look of pure happiness on the blonde face. Ah he was easy to please.
"REALLY?! THAT'S SOOOOO COOOL!"
Leaping to his feet, Naruto danced around a bit, ignoring the chuckling of everyone around him. Stopping for a moment, he pouted at them all, sticking his tongue out at them with a quiet 'nyah'. Minato quickly caught him and gave him a noogie, a loud 'ACK' heard as Naruto tried to squirm away. Kyuu cleared her throat, before glancing meaningfully at the Hokage. Coughing, Sarutobi turned towards the happy family, smiling. "Naruto, there is something else. The red head you see there is someone special as well." Naruto turned and squinted at Kyuu, he winked saucily at him…giggling at the pink tint that tickled his cheeks at the gesture.
"Ne ne, who is she then Jiji? I don't remember her from anywhere." The adults glanced at each other, before smiling down to Naruto. "Naruto, her name is Kyuu…but her full name is Kyuubi no Youko."
Naruto stood stock still, slowly turning to stare at the redhead who gazed sadly at him…nodding. He gaped like a fish, before he squinted at her. He was silent, merely gazing at her…which seemed to cause he no amount of apprehension. It's not like she could blame him if he blamed her for killing her parents, since technically she DID. Both of their thoughts were broken by the gentle jostling of his parents.
"Naruto, me and your mother want you to know it WASN'T her fault we died. Well it was, but I mean it wasn't. Wait…..GAH!" Kushina giggled at her husband's inability with words, before smiling down at her Naru-chan. "What your otou-san is trying to say is, while Kyuu did kill us…she was not herself when she did it. So please don't blame her for something that was done in the past. Try to know her for the present."
Naruto sat quietly for a moment, before nodding once. He didn't know what to think. First his parents come back to…well not life…but they were here. Then the Kyuubi itself was in a human body, and girlfriend to his brother even! What next? They were all secretly foxes or something?!
"Ano, Naruto-kun, there is something else we need to discuss. Or rather, we should just show you." Kyuu looked down at Arashi, who sighed and nodded as he slid to his feet. Naruto eyed them warily before he faced them fully, only to hear "Kai!". He stared for a few moments, before his eyes rolled up into his head and he fainted….again.
"I told you he likes those stairs!"
SMACK
"OW DAMNIT STOP HITTING ME!"
Naruto slowly awoke, AGAIN, to peer directly into the worried faces of both his brother as well as Kyuu. Blinking at the closeness, he squinted at them before flopping around in an attempt to get to his feet. Both snickered before backing away, giving him some room.
"Ok, can you explain to me WHY you two have fox tails and ears?"
Arashi grinned sheepishly, seven red tails waving slowly behind him…brushing up against the three tails of Kyuu. "Weeeellllll, while Kyuu-chan is technically in her own body, the majority of her chakra from when she was a Bijuu was split evenly between me and you. I fused with mine, which gave me tails and ears…while also allowing her to get a body. The same thing will happen to you when you fuse as well."
Naruto blinked, and then pouted. "But….what if I don't WANT tails and ears?!" Both kitsune sweat dropped, before sighing. "Well, you COULD stay as you are as long as you remember that in your state Kyuu-chans chakra is technically not harmonized with your own. That's why your chakra control is so bad, you have half your chakra wanting one thing and the other half wanting another. Besides, when you fuse you gain quite a few benefits." Naruto perked up at this, before sitting down at a desk. He glanced to the side, both his parents and his nii-san talking to the Hokage off to the side.
"So how would it happen? Is it painful?" He grimaced, remembering a memory from before…missing the four adults slowly walking back up to them.
"No Naruto-kun, it's not painful. And we already have the perfect place to do it. That's where we're going to be going now, if you wish to go through with it." Naruto hesitated for a moment, before nodding. Arashi and Kyuu smiled, once more hiding their "foxy" features. Minato grinned as he stepped forward, before clearing his throat. "Well, the sooner it's done…the better. Everyone grab a hold of my arm."
Once everyone touched his arm, Minato winked to his sons…almost as if he had an inside joke.
"Hiraishin no Jutsu"
Konoha Outskirts – Mansion
A yellow flash lit up the area briefly, before it died down…revealing a small group of people…two of which fell down.
"Damnit otou-san, warn us before you do that. Makes me dizzy."
Minato chuckled sheepishly, before dragging both boys over to the seal painted in the middle of the courtyard.
"Now Naruto, this is where Arashi fused and brought out the Kyuubi. You're going to use the same thing, except there won't be a millennia old demon coming out of your head." He pointedly ignored the two glares shot at him by the two in question. "Now, stand in the middle of the seal son." Naruto gulped, before slowly stepping forward and standing in the middle of the seal…watching as his otou-san and kaa-san took up residence on either side of the seal. Running through a long set of hand seals, some thirty or so, they slammed their hands down on the edge of the seal.
"Fuuinjutsu: Nyuukai no Joukai Tsuchi!"
The gigantic seal slowly pulsed, before a bright blue glow suffused the courtyard. Naruto squirmed uncomfortably in the seal, before his eyes slowly started to droop. Blue slowly started to shift into red, before a tower of crimson chakra exploded upwards…in much the same way as before. Everything was going well, the red chakra suffusing well before a loud cry of pain echoed through the clearing.
"ARA-KUN!"
Heads turned, shocked, towards the boy as he squirmed on the ground…holding his stomach. The kitsune illusion faded, both tails and ears writhing and twitching. 'PAIN!' Kyuu winced at the mental assault as she knelt down, hands fluttering nervously over the squirming boy as he cried out again. Sarutobi and Kakashi ran over, since Minato and Kushina had to keep the seal working or risk losing Naruto as well.
"What the hell is going on?!" Kakashi stared down at the boy, unknowing as to what he should do. Sarutobi was not better. Tsunade was the medical expert, and he had forgotten to inform both her and Jirayia that they were doing this now.
"I….I don't know. It seems something from the seal is messing with him, but that doesn't make any sense since it's gone. Unless…." Kyuu turned to stare at Naruto, before her eyes widened. Minato and Kushina both understood instantly. 'The bond!'
"I don't know what we can do. Arashi and Naruto share a special mental connection, a bond. It's how Arashi knew that Naruto was attacked. He even felt his pain. I didn't think it would carry over to the fusion."
They watched as Arashi slowly stilled, his breath erratic with pain as they wrung their hands.
"I don't know."
Unknown
Naruto slowly opened his eyes, finding himself hanging in a white void. Blinking slowly, he slowly felt something solid form under his feet…allowing him to stand. Shaking himself, he looked around…before spotting a black spot in the distance. Shrugging, he made his way towards it….only to be interrupted by a voice.
"Goddamnit, I never wanted to go through that again. Stupid otouto-chan." Grinning, Naruto dashed towards the black spot as it stirred, slowly standing up.
"Neh nii-san, you ok? You look like you got beat by an Akimichi!"
Arashi scowled, before glancing around…startled at the sheer, well, whiteness of the place.
"Where the hell did you bring us? I never saw this place when I fused."
Naruto shrugged, and was about to reply when a series of loud slams echoed in the empty space. Doors of different colors slammed into the ground around them, forming a complete circle around them. Both boys stared at them, reading the inscriptions on the doors face.
Void…
Celestial…
Quicksilver…
The names continued on and on, each seeming to detail something.
"Well, this is odd." They both scratched their heads, before turning back to the doors.
"You have no idea."
Spinning around, they got into a fighting stance…before just staring. Before them was a….girl? Or was it a boy? They had a hard time finding out. The person wore loose white robes trimmed in gold, with ten white tails flitting back and forth behind….it.
"Before you ask, neither my name nor who I am is important, at least for now. I am sure you are wondering why you are here."
Eyeing the two boys, and seeing no interruption, he continued. "Kitsune are divided in both their elements and their domains. The doors you see before you contain an element, and the smaller symbols on each door represent a domain."
"You both were brought here because you are a very special case. Not only are you two linked together, but linked to the only other nine tailed kitsune in existence. As such, your element along with your domain was and is a blank slate…enabling you to choose."
Naruto and Arashi listened in quiet awe, gazing around at the doors…before a cough brought their attention back to the robed kitsune.
"Before you make your choice, remember this. Kitsune rule their domain, but their domain also rules them. If you turn to the domain of the Chaos Kitsune, as the Kyuubi did, you will be granted untold powers of destruction. However, while having the Chaos coat…if you were NOT to cause destruction and instead helped others…you would lose your tails. It is a double edged sword, one which you must choose wisely."
With that said, the white kitsune slowly faded from reality, leaving the brothers to make their choices. Glancing towards each other, they spread out…examining the doors. There seemed to be an endless amount of combinations, but ironically they both seemed to come back to the exact same door.
Guardian.
Sort of funny in a way, but it fit them to a tee. Smiling, they both reached out….
Konoha Outskirts – Mansion
The massive tower of red chakra slowly flickered, then started to die out….before disappearing completely, Narutos' limp body slowly flopping to the ground. Sweating, Minato and Kushina slowly stood up before faltering…their bodies phasing slightly. Nodding to Sarutobi, they disappeared in a poof of smoke…leaving the remaining five in the clearing.
Kyuu was beside herself with worry. Two of them had left from consuming too much energy running the seal, and Naruto and Arashi still hadn't moved. Biting her lower lip, she reached down and gently touched Arashi's face…before gasping as his own hand reached up to grab her own. Grunting, he slowly got to his feet, noticing his brother doing the same not too far away.
"You know, that did NOT feel good. At all."
Of course, having a girl squeal and tackle you didn't help matters either way…but he wasn't going to complain too much. Grinning, he nudged Kyuu-chan…before nodding towards his brother.
Naruto was, well he wasn't sure how he was feeling to be honest. Though having furry things sticking out above your ass tended to change ones outlook on life. Reaching behind him, he stared at the seven golden tails tipped with red…before reaching up and gently poking his ears. Turning to his brother, he was about to make a comment when he squinted…eyeing his brother.
"Ne, nii-san….I thought your tails, ears and hair were red?"
Arashi blinked, before peeking behind him…shocked to see his formally red tails were now gold as well tipped with silver. Kyuu-chan, sensing his unsaid question, nodded. "Your ears are gold tipped with silver too Ara-kun, the same with your hair." She didn't mention that she was curious as hell to know WHY his coat changed, but she wasn't going to press for answers. He'd tell her in due time.
Sarutobi cleared his throat, nudging the dozing Kakashi away…who blinked his one eye sleepily.
"Now that this is handled, you two will have to conceal your features for a small bit longer…at least until we deem the village ready to handle your new appearances. Since it's late, you four should stay in the mansion tonight…and come into Konoha at your earliest convenience." Lowering the edge of his hat to hide his smile, the old man poofed away to leave the four tired ningen to sleep their worries away.
Konoha – Hokage Tower
Naruto and Arashi stood at attention in front of the old man's' desk, Kakashi and Kyuu standing off to the side watching quietly.
Naruto had significantly changed his wardrobe overnight, and it was easily seen who had influenced him. His previous clothes were gone, to be replaced with an almost exact replica of his brothers except for the fact his trench coat was outlined in orange and not silver…with his unruly blonde hair hanging slightly in his eyes.
"Good, now that you are both here…I have some other news to impart. I have recently given Kakashi a set of keys to your parents' old house and estate. Your belongings were moved their earlier this morning before you came in. It's close to the Hyuuga Estate, so I doubt you will have any problems."
"Arashi, I trust you and Kyuu have come up with a believable name and cover story?" Seeing their nods, he continued," You both will live with Kakashi and Naruto on the Namikaze grounds of course, so that takes care of lodgings. Kakashi, I'm giving you two days paid leave. This way you all will have plenty of time to get adjusted."
Getting a loud 'Hhhhaaaiiiii' in response, he chuckled and waved them away…watching as they filed out the door.
I wonder Naruto-kun, Arashi-kun….just how far you two will go.
Ninja Academy – One month later….
The long month after that fateful evening was full of different surprises. The estate was huge, with a compound easily able to fit over one hundred members without strain. It even included a hot spring and dojo, and the library containing the family scrolls was incredible expansive.
The estate itself was lush, beautiful in its greenery and expansive in its size. A small creek crossed the estate, and beautiful stone bridges spanned the bubbling brook…small silvery fish dancing in its shimmering depths. In short, it was a paradise.
Outside the estate however, things had taken a small turn for the worst. Kiba and Sakura, while never on the best terms with Naruto and now Arashi, seemed to have become colder towards the Uzumaki brothers. They were never violent, instead staying coldly aloof….but a day never passed when either brother didn't feel a glare boring into the back of their skulls.
Shrugging it off mentally, they settled into the gathering class…just as Iruka walked in.
"Good morning class. I'm sorry to say that Mizuki-sensei will be unable to join us today due to extenuating circumstances. Now, when I call your name please come down and go through the door on your left for your graduation exam."
Time seemed to crawl as Arashi and Naruto made a pretty good impression of Shikamaru, which caused Hinata to giggle to no end…unaware of the small smile Shikamaru was also wearing. Shino had joined them as well, deep in conversation (or so they guessed) with the bug perched on one finger…Chouji happily munching chips beside him. Ino was tapping her fingers in boredom, while Kiba and Sakura either stared into space or glared holes into Naruto and/or Arashi.
Arashi was keeping score of who they glared at the most. So far Naruto was ahead by two, damn cheater.
"Uzumaki Naruto"
Grinning to himself, Naruto bounded down the stairs and into side room. A few minutes, and one loud yell later, he sauntered back out with a grin and a headband tied securely around on bicep.
"Uzumaki Arashi"
Yawning, Arashi walked past his brother, sharing an evil grin with him before disappearing into the room below. Hinata grinned at her Naruto-kun, happy he passed…though she wished to everything she was he'd stop using that damnable Oiroke no Jutsu. Her thoughts were cut off as Arashi walked out as well along with Iruka…who was alternating between smiling and scowling, though the pink face paint highlighted his cheekbones nicely.
"Congratulations on passing the Genin Exam. Tomorrow, you will come here at 6am sharp to be put into your teams. I expect you all to be here, and NOT be late." Insert pointed stare at two cheekily grinning Uzumaki.
"Now get out of here, and I'll see you tomorrow."
I WAS going to put the team assignments in this chapter, but it didn't seem to fit quite right with what I have planned, so I left it for the next chapter.
Again I do apologize for the late chapter. Now, to get some shit off my chest.
I write because it is a hobby of mine. I enjoy doing it, and I'm always happy to know people's opinions on my work. I welcome wholeheartedly constructive reviews, as they help me become a better writer. However, there is a difference between constructive and being a pompous person who DEMANDS that "this is what should happen!". Listen, this is my story. I am glad to ask for opinion and plan to even through a few polls up for reader feedback. But I don't HAVE to do shit for anyone. This is my story…if you don't like it then don't read it.
The same applies to people who think Arashi and Naruto are "overpowered" and "Mary Sues". Not only have I not gone into detail regarding their training yet, but it's automatically assumed they are "ZOMG SO POWARFULZ!". Naruto and Arashi are powerful in their own right yes, but nowhere near what some people think. Contrary to what some think, no they don't know the Rasengan yet….nor do they know the Hiraishin. They have extremely large chakra reserves, but then again so does Naruto in canon. And as I have yet to detail exactly WHAT they have learned from their respective sensei's, and the fact I
haven't even written a fight yet, no one has the right to comment on anything in regards to power. This is the very last time I will answer anything in regards to them being overpowered. As I said, don't like it? Stop reading.
That very unpleasant business finished, I would like to say thank you to the readers of mine who have given me constructive criticism and what little praise I have gotten. It's for you people that I write, when I do write for others.
Until next time, Ja ne!
Hijutsu: Ai no Mokou – Secret Technique: Love from Beyond.
This technique was specifically made by the Shinigami to summon Narutos' and Arashi's parents from the temporary seal they both share. It has no other use.
Ninpou: Fugen no Ankoku – Ninja Art: Silence and Darkness
This is a technique used by ANBU to create a soundproof, doujutsu proof barrier around a small enclosure. Its primary use is to keep prying eyes from spying in area they need not be in.
Fuuinjutsu: Nyuukai no Joukai Tsuchi – Sealing Arts: Heaven and Earth Joining
A technique recently created by the deceased Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. Its sole function is to take the chakra of a Bijuu and fuse it with that of its host…bringing the two in harmony with each other.
Edit: It seems my line breaks aren't working for some reason. Sorry for the constant editing.
