I do not own 'Naruto'
Third Exam
It was finally here, the day of the Final Exams.
And Hinata was in complete peace.
She had not seen Naruto since he had dropped her off at the Clan compound that night. That did not mean he had left her empty handed.
When she had awoken, she had found herself surrounded by gifts. Such as a large amounts of home made cinnamon buns of different flavors. She has shown very little restrain in devouring them after the first bite.
The best, though the cini-buns were close, was a small white fox by the name of Coco. The fox talked, which hadn't surprised her half as much as it should have, and was very kind. They had become fast friends. She made Hinata smile when she was down from sheer cuteness and growled fiercely against people who made unwanted advancements towards her. Such as a snobbish Hyuuga elder or a horny Kiba.
Coco seemed to know something about Naruto. Whenever Hinata asked about his locations, all she got was 'He's training' from the fox. Now it was time to see where that training lead.
Hinata made her way to a front row seat that had been reserved for her by an unknown source. It was away from the Hyuuga clan and other 'noble families of the village' that irked her.
Though she was lucky to be seated next to her Sensei, Kurenai. Her team mate Kiba was not around while Shino was participating in the tournament.
The combatants were down there and about to begin. Though a few people were missing, such as the Uchiha and Sound nin, but more importantly Naruto.
"Co-Chan, do you thank that Naruto-Kun will make some kind of grand entrance?" Hinata asked.
"Knowing him, we won't ever expect it." Coco answered before turning to the Sensei. "Is something wrong Kurenai-San?"
"J-just getting use to talking foxes." She stated. Good practice for when Akamaru starts talking like other Inuzuka dogs. The Jounin excused herself for a moment before heading off.
"Lady Hinata." A voice called.
Hinata turned to see that it was a Hyuuga escort. Specifically, it was the one who had taken her from Naruto when they were little. She never did forgive him for that.
"Yes?" She answered.
"I was told to escort you from here towards the Hyuuga section." He took a look at the fox in her lap. "Animals are not permitted."
"No th-thank you." Hinata replied. "I-I'm fi-ine here."
"I must insist you leave that beast and come-" He was cut off by Coco.
"She said she's fine here." The fox growled. "Unless you want me to bite the family jewels, you'll listen."
"Hello." A new voice greeted. "Is there a problem here?"
The fox and Hyuuga's turned to see a man take Hinata's Sensei's place. He was large, with a full foot in height on the escort. He had his hands on a kunai pouch.
"No sir." The Hyuuga sneered before leaving.
The stranger looked at Hinata and gave a kind smile.
"I never liked stuck up people." He stated as he sat down.
"E-escu-se me." She spoke, her stutter returning. "T-that seat i-is t-t-taken."
Much to her shock, Coco had jumped into the stranger's lap!
"Well it seems your friend here doesn't mind." He chuckled.
Hinata was at a loss. She was in the company of a stranger, yet her friend had just abandoned her to his side.
I guess I'll trust her judgement. Hinata thought.
"Looks like the first match is starting." He spoke.
Hinata looked down to see that it was Neji vs Menma.
"Let the first match, Neji Hyuuga vs Menma Namikaze begin!" The Procter shouted before leaving.
Neji and Menma eyed each other before the Hyuuga spoke.
"You should surrender." He advised. "Fate has declared me the winner."
"How so?" Menma asked. "Did fate come and tell you that your win was inevitable?"
"I am a Hyuuga." He spoke arrogantly. "I am prodigy from a clan that has holds great power in this village."
"Wrong." Memna spoke. "You are a slave to a clan that's too stuck in their ways that they're destroying themselves. And power, politics mean nothing in a fight and your eyes do all the work." He smiled at his reasoning. "You should forfeit by all logic."
The Hyuuga clan fumed at having his ideals turned against him. Only Hinata took his words to heart because she understood his words were true.
"What would someone like you know about my clan?!" Neji asked in outrage.
"Plenty." Menma answered. "I understand tradition and respect it, my clan has plenty, but that's no reason to stop progress." A thought struck him. "Now that I think about it, the Uchiha are better at their traditions, all they have to do is master a fireball jutsu, the rest are their own skills." He motioned to the ground. "Hell, all I have to do is keep you away from me and your techniques are useless."
To prove his point, Menma with drew a handful of shuriken. He through them towards the Hyuuga who merely side-stepped them.
"As if-hey!"
Chakra chains burst from the ground, surprising the Hyuuga. He was able to jump back and avoid being bound.
"All seeing eye my butt!" Menma taunted. Get nice and angry.
"As if this will stop your fate!" Neji shouted.
Neji watched as Menma swayed his chains around, like tentacles. This kept the Hyuuga at bay, but he wouldn't be deterred.
Coating his hand in chakra, Neji pushed forward. Each chain that attempted to strike him was knocked away, if only barely. It was obvious he wouldn't be able to keep the chains at bay for too long.
"You talk about fate, yet you've tried to change yours." Menma spoke. "Hinata's heir to a clan, destined to to rule over all Hyuuga, even you. Especially you, Branch member."
"Shut up!"
That one spout of anger. That one moment of distraction. That was all it took to cost Neji the match.
He was quickly bound from head to toe by the Chakra chains.
"With just a twitch, I can tear you to shreds Hyuuga." Menma assured. "Forfeit."
"Never!" Neji shouted as he struggled. "I am fated to win, I am-ahh!
Menma had had enough of the ranting, using a lot of pressure, he began squeezing the Hyuuga with his chains. They crushed a few bones and nearly caused serious internal damage, but it didn't get that far. The sudden bout of great pain was too much for Neji. He collapsed from it.
Menma made his way towards the defeated Hyuuga.
"You should thank me." Menma spoke. And my brother. He thought to himself. "I wouldn't normally step into clan affairs."
The Uzumaki-Namikaze bent down towards the Hyuuga. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a paper with a seal on it.
He placed it onto the Hyuuga's Cage seal.
And they both faded.
"Winner, Menma!"
The crowd went crazy.
"Neji." Hinata whispered.
"He'll be fine." The stranger said. "That seal just removed the one that made him a slave."
"How do you know that?" Hinata asked with no stutter.
"His seal faded, didn't you see?" He answered, making Hinata blush with embarrassment. "It's okay, a lot of people don't seem to understand what's going on."
"But, why would he do that?" Hinata asked. "What does he have to gain?"
"I made a deal with Naruto." A voice from behind answered.
"M-Men-nma-San." Hinata spoke. He's good, I never noticed him get here, and so quickly.
"Hello Hyuuga-Chan." He greeted.
"Menma!" Kushina called harshly.
"You said you made a deal with Naruto-Kun." Coco spoke from the stranger's lap.
Kushina cast the fox a glare which Coco returned with a growl. Hinata began petting her in hopes of calming her down.
"You seem to enjoy the company of those beasts." Kushina spoke. "A word of warning, stay away from their kind. They're nothing but trouble."
"True." Coco agreed. "We are trouble, to those who earn our ire."
"Men-nma." Hinata spoke, hoping to get an answer from him.
"Yes, in exchange for a seal freeing his-and I quote, 'Hinata-Hime's no good, fate thumping cousin', un-quote, I get a private fight." Menma answered, not bothered by a talking fox.
"But you can fight him here!" Kushina stated. "Why isn't that good enough?"
"Because I want no interruptions when I take his head from his shoulders." Menma answered as he turned to sit. Plus, what's will happen today will make it a bad one for vendetta. He thought to himself. "The next match is starting."
"Gaara and Naruto Uzumaki, come down." The proctor spoke.
"Wait, isn't the Nara supposed to fight?" Coco asked.
"He just forfeited." The stranger answered. "So did the Sand Shinobi with the make up."
"If Naruto-Kun were here, he would have gotten Shikamaru to fight." Hinata stated. He'd probably knock him in by accident.
"Who is this Naruto?" He asked. "Is he someone special?"
Hinata didn't take a moment to answer. "He's the most special person in the world to me."
"Oh, sounds like you like him a lot." The man chucked.
Hinata blushed fiercely before speaking. "I do, no-I truly love him."
"Would Naruto and Gaara come down." The referee called. "Your fight is about to begin!"
"Alright Hinata-Chan!" The stranger shouted. "Watch and cheer for me!"
The stranger stood on the railing before jumping down. As he fell, flames engulfed him and began changing him. The falling ball of fire crashed into the ground and formed a small pillar.
Out stepped Naruto.
He wore a large jacket similar to the on his father wore. The difference was that instead of white, it was red with blue flames designed in the bottom and wrist links. On the back was a kanji for Kitsune in black. He wore matching Shinobi pants, his shirt was the only source of orange. Around his neck was a necklace with a small orb that had a three sided star.
The main differences were his features. His eyes where in their feral fox like form with red irises. His nails on both hands and feet where now claws. Lastly was that he now had three tails and showed them openly.
"N-Naruto-Kun!" Hinata shouted in shock.
This whole time he has been beside me! She thought as her blush began reaching a new level of red. I CONFESSED TO HIM AS A STRANGER!
"Yep, tricky as ever." Coco spoke.
"You knew?!" Hinata asked her companion with a small hint of anger. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"He wore a disguise and didn't tell you himself, I wasn't going to blow his cover." Coco answered with a growing smirk. "Besides, you should have known he'd play something sneaky."
"Yes." Hinata agreed. "It is Naruto."
"So, he's showing his true colors." Kushina muttered before turning to Hinata. "Watch and see."
"Yes Hinata-Chan, watch." Coco spoke. "The Tanuki and Kitsune have always been rivals, let's see where our blond stands."
"Mother wants your blood Uzumaki." Gaara spoke.
"Namikaze." The blond corrected. "I renounce the name of my mother and take the one of my father."
"Call yourself what you want." Gaara spoke. "It makes no difference."
"The match Between Naruto Uz-Namikaze and Gaara of the Sand, begin!" The proctor spoke before jumping away.
The name sparked a large murmur in the audience. Even in death, Minato left a name and legacy for all to speak of.
Naruto and Gaara stood before each other, neither making a move.
The Tanuki, as Coco stated, are rivals. Both were tricksters and fierce beasts. Truly, the only difference was the tail. Kitsune earned their tails, it had nothing to do with power, it was all skill and ability. While Naruto possessed three, it meant nothing in front of an average Tanuki.
Though this isn't an average one. Naruto thought. This is Shikaku, one of the Tailed Beasts.
Gaara released the sand from his gourd and allowed it to swarm around him like a pool. Naruto began copying the action with fire and formed a whirlpool around his feet.
Naruto began the fight and struck first.
Fox Style: Fox fire
He released a greenish-blue fire from his palm at Gaara. The sand raised and blocked the fire from the Tanuki host. The fire fought with the wall-wave that protected Gaara before it was consumed by the fire. It didn't stop there. The sand continued on it's way towards the blond like a train.
Naruto jumped back a few yards, but the sand continued on, only growing in size. He continued to jump until he was only a few feet from the arena wall.
Now! Naruto mentally shouted.
Fox Style: Will-O-Wisp
Naruto extended all three of his tails and a ball of fire sparked at the end of them. They each flame took on the form of a burning fox head. Each flew from Naruto's tail before colliding with each other and formed a large, single head.
He began weaving seals.
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough
The wind consumed the fox fire only to feed it. It increased the fox head until it was large enough to match the oncoming bullet-train of sand.
Instead of colliding and struggling for power as it did before, the fire consumed the sand. It traveled down the sand, making it's way towards Gaara.
The sand Shinobi waved his hand and more sand erupted from the base, stopping and extinguishing the fire before it could reach him.
"Is that all?" Gaara asked in monotone.
Naruto began tapping the cooling sand, drawing Gaara's attention to it.
All of it was turned to glass.
"Not much you can do without that sand, is there?!" Naruto asked as he charged forward.
"You're starting to bore me." Gaara spoke, stopping Naruto in his tracks.
The statement both confused Naruto and put him on edge. With most of his sand in glass form, he should be worried about his defenses.
The glass shattered like an eruption, stunning Naruto, as it returned into it's usual sand form.
A stray strand wrapped it's self around Naruto's foot. Raising his leg, and throwing him off balance, he could do little to stop the blow of sand that drove into his stomach like boulder.
Sand Coffin
The began wrapping around Naruto, consuming the blond. Gaara was preparing for his signature attack.
Multi-Shadow clone Jutsu
Naruto began to multiply under the sand prison. The increasing number of blonds began adding pressure against the sand. Gaara added more chakra, crushing some, but Naruto was multiplying too fast. They began clawing their way free before they finally broke loose.
Once out of the sand, they began scattering. There where fourteen Naruto's in total.
He's tougher than I expected. Naruto thought.
"It seems that Naruto is having some trouble." Coco spoke.
"He'll win." Hinata stated, assured in his victory.
"He'd better." Menma muttered. "I've got to be the one to kill him."
Several of Gaara's sand tendrils rushed towards Naruto, intending to impale him. Each of Naruto's clones ran to the side, ignored by the sand and it's user, as the sand searched for the original.
The sand stopped mere inches from Naruto's skin, blocked by the flames that protected the blond.
Naruto smirked as his eyes met with Gaara's.
Fox Style: Burning Fox Wheel
Naruto began coating himself entirely in his flames. The fire began rotating around like a wheel. This Jutsu was similar to the Akamichi 'Human Boulder' technique. But instead of fat, he used fire.
Naruto began charging the Sand Shinobi, protected by his flaming armor. The sand tried to pierce and consumed the burning blond, but would turn to glass and shatter as he plowed through them.
Mix a little Choji attack and Gaara defense and you've got a heck of a defense used as an offense. Naruto thought proudly.
Sand Tsunami
Gaara created a wave of sand, larger than any Naruto has seen him use before. With the amount used, Naruto wasn't sure if his defensive-offense would be able to withstand it.
As Naruto came down, Gaara formed a dome to protect himself.
Naruto began spinning, similar to Lee's 'Leaf Hurricane' kick, only on fire. His foot came in contact with the sand, turning it into glass. With a quick and powerful release of Chakra, he shattered the glass. Using his momentum, he continued on spinning. With the added momentum, he delivered a searing blow towards Gaara's face.
The punch didn't just burn the sand host. On contact, Naruto released his flame to consume Gaara in a powerful explosion.
-In Stands
"YES!" Hinata shouted in joy.
She quickly began blushing when she realized she was the only one cheering for Naruto, everyone else was in an awe of silence. Not only that, she had thrown Coco to the ground when she had jumped to cheer.
-Kage booth
"It's seems that your blond Shinobi is quite resourceful." The Kazekage stated. "An impressive display of power."
"Yes, Naruto has always been full of surprises." Hiruzen spoke.
"Well my son Gaara is powerful as well." The Sand leader spoke. "And just as surprising."
The smoke began clearing, giving everyone a good view of the Sand Shinobi.
He was still standing, if only barely, on shaky legs. Naruto took a look at his fellow host to see that he was covered in glass. A large crack on his face where Naruto had delivered the blow.
Damn, forgot about that Sand armor! Naruto thought.
"Interesting!" Gaara shouted maniacally as the glass fell away. "More, make me feel alive!"
Naruto began another attack, only to stop when he saw a something strange.
White feathers began falling from the sky. Not just in the arena with the contestants, but in the entire Colosseum. A Genjutsu, the non-Shinobi began falling to asleep under it's affects.
He faintly heard an explosion in the background.
The invasion has begun.
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Sorry for the wait.