HM: Hello, my pointy-eared people!
Gin: Is this, like, a thing now?
HM: What?
Rancess: 'Pointy-eared people'
HM: Yup! Anyways, welcome to the second chapter of 'Konoha's Bird of Flame'!
Gin: *claps sarcastically*
HM: AND! Welcome another of my OC's. Heeeeeeeere's Jonathon!
Jonathon: Um... hi?
Gin: *whispers* You better get used to this, he's always like this.
HM: Anyways, there really isn't that much to say, other than the fact that I hope you guys like this chapter. Without further ado, on with the story!
II: Unlock
*Twelve Years Later*
"Naruto, what in Kami's name are you doing?" This question was asked by a twelve year-old redheaded boy. The boy's hair was long and reached his shoulder blades, where he kept it in a ponytail. He stood slightly above average height and had fair skin, as well as piercing emerald green eyes. His lean but muscular frame showed in the green t-shirt and black pants he wore. He was currently looking upon his roommate with a raised eyebrow.
Said roommate was a boy with blond spiky hair, clear blue eyes, tanned skin, and had three whisker marks on each cheek. He turned his head and gave the redhead a giant grin. "I'm practicing for the test tomorrow, what does it look like, Jonathon?" Naruto asked.
Jonathon rolled his eyes and sighed. "It looks like you're doing something other than studying Naruto." He deadpanned. Turning around, he started walking to his own room. "Just so you know, I think they're going to test us on the Bunshin no Jutsu, so I would study and practice for that if I were you." He called out before he closed the door and smirked as he heard Naruto cry out in shock.
The two boys lived in a small apartment in what was technically the slums of Konoha. The landlady was this old, small lady that had a big temper. For an old lady, she had kept up with the upkeep of the complex and treated the two boys fairly, unlike the majority of the citizens of Konoha.
Jonathon's room was small, but comfortable. It had hardwood floor and the walls were painted a sky blue color. A ratty desk was placed in front of the small window that looked out to a view of the street.
Jonathon took a deep breath and placed his hands in the ram seal. "Bunshin no Jutsu!" He called out, and a cloud of white smoke materialized next to him. When the smoke dissipated, a carbon copy of the boy was standing next to him. Jonathon smiled in victory, which quickly turned into a frown as his clone started to smoke. "Oh no." The boy simply said before the clone exploded in a burst of flame.
Jonathon reached behind his desk and pulled out his trusty fire extinguisher. Turning it on, he sprayed the white foam on the flames, which died out quickly. Once the fire was put out, he stared at the scorch mark on the ground. Sighing, he placed his hand on his chin.
"Perhaps too much chakra output? Could be, it stayed solid for a longer amount of time than last time, and I put less chakra in this one. Perhaps, since this is an Academy Jutsu, only the barest minimum amount of chakra is required? Let's try that." He mused to himself aloud. Putting his hands in the ram seal again, he took another deep breath. "Bunshin no Jutsu!" He called out.
Again, a cloud of smoke appeared right next to him, and again, a clone of him stood next to him. Jonathon closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable explosion, but none came. Opening his eyes, he saw his clone standing there impassively. The redhead's mouth widened into a broad grin and he pumped his fist into the air. "Success!" He yelled.
It was then that a sharp pain made itself known in his head. Groaning, he placed a hand on it and sat down heavily on his bed. Closing his eyes, he waited for the throbbing to subside, feeling a weird pulsing sensation in his head. When it only intensified, he lay down on his bed, dispelling the clone in the process.
Unbeknownst to him, a couple objects in the room began to shake slightly, a couple loose papers and pens floating in the air and circling the room. Opening his eyes, he was shocked to see what was going on. His eyes widened and the pulsating in his head intensified, giving him a migraine. Groaning, he held his hands against his head as the pulsating began to go faster and faster until they were blurring into one single beat.
While this was happening, his bed and his desk began to shake more violently and the floating objects drew closer to him as if drawn by threads. Jonathon gritted his teeth as an orange-yellow light began to shine on his forehead. He opened his eyes and they flashed a burning orange for a moment before the energy flared outward in a shockwave and the objects were thrown to various parts of the room, with Jonathon promptly passing out.
¥Yamanaka Flower Shop¥
On the opposite end of Konoha, in a yellow building with a red shingled roof, sat a man. The man had ash blonde hair that was spiky on the top and was tied into a ponytail that reached the middle of his back. He sat on the ground cross-legged and eyes closed, meditating. This was Yamanaka Inoichi, head of the Yamanaka Clan and member of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force.
Inoichi was deep in his meditation, so much so that time was as nothing to him. Suddenly, however, he was hit with an immense mental force, rivaling that of his own. It was so powerful that he was physically pushed and fell on his side. Opening his blue-green pupil-less eyes, he looked around in surprise and alarm. What in Kami's name was that?
Calming himself down, he focused and used his sensing abilities in an effort to try and find the source of this disturbance. Amongst all of the sources of chakra in the village, only a couple stood out to him. One of them was Hokage-sama, while others were the Clan Heads. Two of them, however, garnered his interest.
'The Kyuubi vessel, and the other boy.' The blonde thought to himself. Raising himself, he exited his building and headed towards the slums.
In little time, he reached the residence of Naruto and Jonathon. Using his sensing abilities once more, Inoichi spotted flares of chakra emanating from one of the rooms. Heading towards it, he snuck into the room and was greeted to the sight of an unconscious Jonathon... floating a good five feet above his bed...
Inoichi's eyes widened in shock and his mouth dropped open. Never before had he seen something like this. Slowly approaching the boy, he placed his hand on the boy's head. "Saiko Denshin." He whispered. Immediately, memories from earlier that day came flooding to him, along with memories of instances similar to this. Before he could see anything else, though, he was met with an immense wall of flames and the face of a bird screeching angrily at him. He was then launched into the wall as if he was physically pushed.
Groaning, he peeled himself off of the wall and stared at the boy. The potential he had seen in him was limitless. 'I need to inform Hokage-sama about this. If the wrong people find out about this...' He shuddered at the thought and left the building, heading straight for the Hokage's tower.
¥The Next Day¥
An exhausted Jonathon yawned as he walked down the streets of Konoha, paying no attention the glares and scowls aimed his way, as he was too preoccupied with the pounding headache he was enduring. His eyes were half-lidded as he made his way to the Academy, swaying to the side more than a couple of times. As he walked, his eyes closed and his head lowered, after which he promptly walked into a pole.
"Ow..." He muttered as he rubbed his head, and almost got whiplash as something wrapped around his shoulder and pulled him against something warm.
"Yo! Jonathon!" A familiar obnoxious voice yelled next to his ear, not improving his headache in the slightest.
"Kiba... why do you have to be so loud? And in the morning?" The redhead whined, rubbing his forehead as his friend laughed loudly.
Cracking open an eye, he glared sleepily at the person next to him, causing them to laugh louder. The person in question was a young man with mocha-colored skin, wild brown hair, and sharp dark brown (almost black) eyes with slitted pupils. On each cheek was a red triangular mark, like a claw or fang, further adding to his animalistic appearance. This was Inuzuka Kiba, youngest of Inuzuka Tsume's children and future Clan Head.
Kiba smirked at the redhead, revealing pronounced canines. A small yap was heard and Jonathon looked down to see a small white puppy with long brown ears. Jonathon smiled softly as the puppy raised itself on its hind legs and leant against Jonathon's calf. The redhead bent over and picked up the puppy. "Hey Akamaru." He greeted, earning a lick on the nose.
Jonathon yawned again and sighed. "Pulled another all-nighter?" Kiba asked.
The redhead nodded. "I forgot what happened, but somehow, I knocked out. And when I woke up, it was, like, 3 AM. Naruto had come into my room saying some nonsense about the 'best plan ever'." He said.
"What do you mean you knocked out?" Kiba asked in concern.
Jonathon shrugged. "I dunno, one minute I was fine, and the next I wake up with a headache. I guess knocked out was the incorrect term." He said.
Kiba and Akamaru looked at each other and then at the redhead. They could tell that he wasn't telling them everything, they had known him for years. Kiba was about to make a response when he picked up a familiar scent. Looking behind him, he saw someone running towards them. Grinning, he waved his free arm over his head. "Yo! Hinata-chan!"
Jonathon looked behind him as well and saw the girl run up next to them. She was a slim girl with pale skin and indigo colored hair cut short. Her large eyes were lavender colored and were pupil-less, giving her an appearance of blindness, though she was anything but. This was Hyuuga Hinata, heiress of the Hyuuga clan and user of the Byakugan, one of the three legendary Doujutsu Kekkei Genkai.
When she got to them, she smiled and bowed politely. "Ohayo, Kiba-kun, Jon-kun." She said kindly.
"Ohayo Hinata-chan." Jonathon mumbled sleepily as Kiba gave her a wide grin and Akamaru barked. The three (four if you count Akamaru) continued on their way to the Academy, with Kiba throwing his other arm around Hinata's shoulders, much to the shy girl's embarrassment.
"So," Jonathon said suddenly, catching Kiba and Hinata by surprise. "Today's the day. The day whether we see if we have what it takes to be proper Shinobi." He said, staring straight ahead. His friends nodded in agreement. "I'm thinking about getting a weapon." He said, catching them once more by surprise.
"What kind? Katana? Nodachi?" Kiba questioned. Hinata was curious as well.
"A Kusarigama." Jonathon said simply.
"Really?" Hinata and Kiba chorused.
Jonathon nodded determinedly. "I've been talking to this one girl at the weapon's shop I go to, and we were looking at different weapons that I could use. I was thinking about a few of them, but the Kusarigama really sold me, and I don't want to rely on Ninjutsu or Taijutsu alone." He said with a nod.
Kiba and Hinata glanced at each other and nodded. "Good for you Jon-kun. Have you picked some out yet?" Hinata asked.
Jonathon shook his head. "I wanna get them specially made, but that costs money. Money I don't have. Probably when my team and I finish a few missions, well, if I pass, that is..." Jonathon trailed off and used the arm around his shoulder as a pillow so he could look into the sky.
Kiba and Hinata looked at each other again and nodded, out of their redheaded friend's notice. Soon enough, they reached the Academy building and entered into it. Finding their classroom, they went in and took their usual seats next to each other.
As they had gotten there early, they passed the time in various ways. Jonathon and Hinata were both reading books while Kiba was playing with Akamaru. As Jonathon read, though, his headache got worse, and he had to put his book down as the words seemed to swim on the page. He groaned and rubbed his forehead whilst closing his eyes.
"Are you ok, Jon-kun?" Hinata asked in concern.
Jonathon grunted and nodded in reply. "Yeah, I... just got a headache is all. I'm going to go get some water." He said as he stood up and made his way out of the classroom, his friends looking at his retreating form worriedly.
Jonathon stumbled his way through the hallway towards the bathroom. Once there, he made his way to the sink and turned the cold water on. On his journey there, the headache had increased and there was now a shrill ringing in his ears. He cupped some water in his hands and splashed his face a couple times, placing some on the back of his neck as well.
Raising his head, his eye caught his reflection in the mirror. Was it just him, or did his eyes change color for a moment? He stared at his reflection intently, and yelped as the mirror cracked and shattered as if struck. He backed away hastily and covered his ears as the ringing grew louder. He turned around and ran out of the bathroom, only to run into someone.
Jonathon looked up and stared into the face of the Sandaime Hokage. As soon as he had ran into him, the ringing quieted down some, though it was still there. Jonathon backed up and bowed deeply. "S-Sorry Hokage-sama! I didn't mean to run into you." He said, his cheeks burning in embarrassment.
The Sandaime chuckled and pat the boy on the head. "It's quite alright Jonathon-kun. And you don't need to be so formal with me, Hiruzen or Jiji is fine. Naruto-kun calls me that anyways." The old man laughed.
Jonathon smiled and nodded, then tilted his head. "So, what brings you here, Hokage-sama?" He asked.
Hiruzen sweatdropped at that. 'Didn't I just tell him he didn't have to be so formal?' He frowned when he saw Jonathon flinch and rub his arm.
"Are you alright, Jonathon-kun?" Hiruzen asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Jonathon bit his lip and nodded, giving the Hokage a bright smile. "Hai, I'm fine Ho-er, I mean, Jiji." He said, his cheeks flaring up again.
Jonathon looked at the clock and his eyes widened. "Oh my, I've been gone for a while, they'll be worried. Sorry, Jiji, I have to go!" The redhead called as he bolted from the bathroom and down the hallway, his ponytail flying behind him.
Hiruzen looked after the boy's retreating form and chuckled to himself. "Kids." He muttered to himself. A hardened look then appeared in his eye and his lips formed a tight line.
"Inoichi-san was right, though, his chakra keeps flaring sporadically. And the fact that he behaved oddly... something's going on, and I need to find out what." He said to himself as he entered the bathroom and beheld the broken mirror. "Jonathon-kun... what is happening to you?"
X X
Jonathon's thoughts were running a mile a minute as he headed for his classroom. 'What was THAT? I... I could hear Hokage-sama talking when he didn't open his mouth! This is getting weird, first things start flying around me and now I can hear things I shouldn't? WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!' The redhead skidded to a stop in front of his classroom door. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he opened the door and made his way to his seat.
He sat down in his seat and smiled at Hinata and Kiba, seeing their concerned looks. He closed his eyes and leant his head against his seat. He took deep breaths to calm his racing heart and crossed his arms.
"Kami, why did I forget my lunch?" Jonathon's eyes immediately opened and he scanned the room for the person who said that. 'Please don't let it be another silent speaking thing.' He thought, not knowing what else to call it.
His eyes settled on a boy with brown hair and was obese. 'The Akimichi?' He thought. The boy was currently eating from a bag of chips, a large smile on his face. "Man, I only have this and three other bags of chips to keep me satisfied. It's not enough!" Jonathon heard the boy's voice say.
"Troublesome... why did I have to get up so early and come here? I could've come later when the test was going to start, but no, I just HAD to come here. Troublesome..." Came the voice of someone else. Jonathon didn't even have to look to know that it was Nara Shikamaru's voice.
"Ahhhh, Sasuke-kun... you look so cool sitting over there... If only you would come sit over here one of these days..." Jonathon looked to his right and saw one Yamanaka Ino, daughter of Inoichi.
Ino was a girl with fair skin, blue-green eyes, and pale blonde waist-length hair that she tied in a ponytail and had bangs covering the right side of her face. She had a dreamy look on her face as she looked at the object of her fantasies. Jonathon blushed when he saw her and quickly looked away.
"Itachi... I will kill you. One day, I swear I will..." Came the voice of someone Jonathon really didn't like. Uchiha Sasuke sat by the window, staring out into the distance.
Jonathon huffed and shook his head.
"I hope Jon-kun's alright. He's been acting weird all day today. Has he been getting enough food and sleep? I wish Kiba would actually pay attention. He's supposed to be his best friend. Why isn't he doing anything?" The voice of Hinata came to him and he saw her glaring at Kiba slightly out of the corner of her eye. Jonathon was touched that she cared for him that much.
"Man, I don't know why Hinata's always nagging me about Jonathon. Doesn't she think I know what's going on with him? He won't talk to me, though. He's been really closed off lately, ever since that birthday party went to hell. I feel really bad about what happened, but I wish he would just talk to me." Kiba's voice sounded dejected and sad, making Jonathon feel immensely guilty.
He couldn't dwell on it for long, as more and more voices drifted over to him, all of them increasing in volume and intensity. He laid his head on the desk and groaned. It was beginning to overwhelm him. So many voices, so loud. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of voices.
"Jonathon. Jonathon... hey, Jon!" He raised his head up from the desk suddenly and was met with two pairs of eyes, one lavender and the other a dark brown, looking at him in worry.
"Huh, wha-?" He asked, a bit dazed. The voices quieted down some, though they were still there.
"You looked like you were in pain, you ok?" Kiba asked, a little bluntly, causing Hinata to smack his arm.
Jonathon gave them a strained smile and nodded. Before he could say anything, the door to the classroom opened and their teacher walked in. Their teacher, one Umino Iruka, glanced at the class and smiled broadly. "Ohayo, minna." He said cheerfully.
When no one paid any attention and kept talking, a tic mark grew on his head and his head swelled to a large size. "PAY ATTENTION YOU LOT!" He yelled, and the class immediately went silent.
Iruka sighed and nodded to himself. "That's better. Now then, today is a big day for all of you. Today, you'll see whether or not you have what it takes to be Genin. As your teacher, I hope all of you pass, but at the same time, I want you to know something. Being Shinobi isn't all fun and games, you need to be able to do what needs to be done for the good of Konoha. I pray that all of you have what it takes. Now then, Mizuki, if you would please. We are going to begin with the first part of the exam, a written portion." The Chunin said.
A white haired Chunin passed by the rows of students, stacks of papers in his hands. He took a small stack and handed it to a student, who would take a paper and pass the others down. "Damn it, the demon's not here. He's going to fail anyways for being late, but it would've been nice to see him suffer." Jonathon heard.
The redhead didn't react, trying to calm himself down. When the instructor stopped at their row, he could feel the malice radiating from him, though he had a smile on his face. "Well, well, well. The demon's little friend is here. Maybe this won't be so bad after all." Jonathon heard as Mizuki handed him a stack. Jonathon took a page and passed the rest down.
Right away, he knew something was wrong. A slight pressure was felt inside his head and behind his eyes. The writing on his exam paper shifted from what was written on it previously, to something completely new. Did he... just break a genjustsu... without even meaning to? Well, he wasn't going to complain.
The redhead started on his test, completely silent and focused on it. In all honesty, it was pretty easy, though he did see some people struggling. Once he was done, he put down his pencil and raised his hand. Mizuki came to him, smile still in place. When he picked up his paper though, the smile vanished and a look of shock came to his face.
However, just as fast, the smile came back and he nodded to Jonathon. "Good job, Summers-kun." He said in a polite voice. As he was walking away, Jonathon heard his voice again. "Damn brat, how did he break my genjutsu? It's probably nothing, I probably didn't cast it right." He heard.
After everyone's papers were collected, Iruka clapped his hands. "Well done. Now, we shall have an hour recess so Mizuki and I can grade your papers." The scarred Chunin said. The students cheered and filed outside.
Immediately, Kiba, Hinata, and Jonathon sat together underneath a large tree. Kiba was sitting in the middle and the other two were using him as a pillow. "I wonder what happened to Naruto, he was looking forward to today." Jonathon said with a frown.
Kiba shrugged and sighed. "Who knows? Didn't you say he was planning a prank?" He asked.
Jonathon nodded. "Yeah but he didn't tell me what it was. And I was honestly a little stressed out so I didn't really give it any thought." He said.
Hinata, on the other hand, was looking at the Hokage Monument in confusion. "Umm... Jonathon-kun, did Naruto-kun have any paint involved in his prank?" She asked.
Jonathon looked at her in confusion. "I'm not sure Hinata, why you ask?"
The Hyuuga only pointed at the Hokage Monument. Both boys looked at it and Jonathon let out a loud groan, face palming. "Why Naruto... just... why?" He moaned while Kiba broke down laughing. The Hokage Monument had gotten a 'makeover', in that Naruto had painted all of the faces in a variety of colors.
When an hour had passed, Mizuki came outside to call all of them back in. Kiba, Jonathon, and Hinata sat in their usual seats and Jonathon elbowed Kiba in the ribs to keep him from laughing at the sight before them. In the front, Naruto was tied up next to a ticked-off Iruka and was yelling at him.
Having had enough, Iruka called for a pop quiz in the Henge no Jutsu. The students groaned and Sakura yelled at Naruto for it. The class lined up in front and performed the technique. When it came to Jonathon, he took a deep breath, placed his hands in the correct seal, and attempted to perform it. Instead of smoke appearing, though, orange flames ignited at his feet and swirled around him in a vortex.
The students screamed and backed away while Iruka was already going through the handseals for a Suiton Jutsu. However, the flames vanished, and where Jonathon was standing was a carbon copy of Iruka.
Jonathon, having had his eyes closed, now opened them and sighed in relief. "How's this, Iruka-sensei?" He asked in Iruka's voice.
The entire room was dead-silent. Not even Naruto made a noise, all of them were looking at Jonathon in shock and surprise. A sweatdrop appeared on Jonathon's head and he started to panic. 'Crap! Did I do something weird again? This is not good. Not good at all.' He thought to himself.
"J-Jonathon-kun... what... was that?" Iruka asked, a bit concerned for his student.
"The... Henge?" He asked nervously.
"I've never seen a Henge executed like that." Iruka said with his brows furrowed. "However, that was wonderfully done, Jonathon-kun." He said, smiling now.
Jonathon's face broke out into a wide smile and he turned back into himself, after which, he went back to his seat besides Kiba and Hinata.
The students continued in their demonstrating the Henge, though Jonathon's didn't leave their minds as they went through their handseals.
Iruka continued grading them, though he too was thinking about Jonathon's demonstration. While the end result was perfect, he had to wonder about the execution. Never before had he seen someone do a Henge with fire. Perhaps he could do the chakra test on him?
When it was Naruto's turn, he changed into a voluptuous woman with blonde pigtails and completely naked, the only thing covering her modesty was the wisps of smoke. Jonathon immediately turned red and covered his eyes, while Hinata covered Kiba's.
The other guys in the room weren't as fortunate. They were launched backwards due to the amount of blood that launched from their noses. Naruto grinned and chuckled while the girls in the room loomed behind him, bloody murder in their eyes and an aura of death forming around them.
Naruto stopped laughing, and when he turned around, he screamed in terror as the girls launched themselves at him and started to pummel him mercilessly. "WAIT! WE CAN-OW! TALK ABOUT THIS! AGH!" He was heard yelling.
Sometime later, Naruto was sitting at his desk covered in bruises and lumps. Jonathon sighed and shook his head. Iruka stood at the front of the classroom with two tissues plugged up his nose. "Now." He said, clearing his throat a bit. "We will begin with the second half of the exam, where you will be graded on your use of Ninjutsu, specifically, the Bunshin no Jutsu." He said.
Naruto's face immediately paled and his eyes widened. "Crap! That's my worst one!" He thought.
Jonathon, hearing it, sent him a sympathetic smile, though he was extremely calm. "When we call your name, please got to the room next door, where Mizuki-sensei and I will grade you. First, Akimichi Choji."
And so that's how it went, a student's name would be called, they would go to the room, and they would come out either with a hitai-ate, or an expression of dejection. Both Kiba and Hinata came back to the classroom with shiny hitai-ates. When it came to Jonathon, he took a deep breath and headed to the exam room.
Jonathon entered the exam room and saw Iruka and Mizuki sitting at a table with hitai-ates laid out on the table. "Hello Jonathon-kun. How are you feeling?" Iruka asked.
"Good, Iruka-sensei." He replied.
"That's good. No need to feel nervous Jonathon-kun. Just take a deep breath and do the Jutsu." He said kindly.
The redhead nodded and calmed himself, before taking a deep breath and going through his handseals. "Bunshin no Jutsu." He said. An orange aura formed around him and flames shot from his mouth onto the ground next to him. The fire formed into a humanoid figure and its coloring changed so that it was an identical copy of Jonathon.
Iruka's and Mizuki's mouths were hanging open and their eyes were wide. "Ah...ah... um-guh?" Was the only thing that Mizuki could get out of his mouth, unable to form a coherent sentence.
"J-Jonathon...kun..." Iruka said, still in shock, thoughts racing and words caught in his throat.
Jonathon blushed and fidgeted nervously, the clone mimicking his every move.
"I... I've never seen a Bunshin like that, Jonathon-kun..." Iruka finally said slowly. "How... how did you..."
"I-I-I just...I had tried it the way you taught it to us, Iruka-sensei. But... whenever I tried it, I always got a dud or the clone would always blow up. So, I thought I would only put a little chakra at a time and experiment with it a bit... and then this happened..." He said shyly.
'That's amazing... he taught himself basic chakra control and made an almost entirely new Jutsu! I wonder what else he's capable of. Well, no matter what, I know that him and Naruto-kun are destined for something great.' Iruka thought, a smile growing on his face.
"Well, Jonathon-kun, I must say, I'm impressed. Not only were you able to teach yourself basic chakra control, but you also tweaked an existing jutsu enough to pretty much make your own. So, I do believe that you've earned this." Iruka said, picking up a hitai-ate.
"W-wait, Iruka!" Mizuki interjected. "He didn't do the Bunshin that was taught to him! Can you really pass him?!"
Iruka raised an eyebrow and shot his fellow teacher a look. "Mizuki, I just said that he not only taught himself basic chakra control, but he virtually made his own jutsu. Not only that, but he also got a hundred on his written exam. So yes, Mizuki, I do think he passes." He said in a tone that left no room for argument. He picked up a hitai-ate and gave it to Jonathon with a grin.
Jonathon grinned widely in return and he grabbed the hitai-ate with shaking fingers and he grasped it tightly. Holding it close to his chest, he ran out of the building and towards the tree where Kiba and Hinata were waiting for him, their own hitai-ate's in hand.
"Guys! Look!" The redhead yelled, his hitai-ate in the air and a wide grin on his face as he ran to them.
Kiba smirked while Hinata cheered and the three shared a hug. "We should celebrate! Party at my place!" Kiba yelled. Hinata and Jonathon cheered and all three fist-bumped.
Jonathon then looked back at the Academy building and sighed. "I'll catch up with you guys. I still need to wait for Naruto." He said.
"You sure?" Kiba asked, frowning a bit.
Jonathon nodded and sat down on a small swing not too far away. "I'll be there soon, it shouldn't take too much longer." He said.
Kiba hummed and took Hinata's hand, dragging her away despite her protests. Once they were out of sight, Jonathon sighed and massaged his temples. Today had been a long day, and a confusing and terrifying one at that. To be honest, he was still panicking slightly. Now that he could have a moment to breathe and focus, he thought about what it was exactly that was going on with him.
First off, things started to move when he wasn't even touching them, which was weird in and of itself. Second, he could hear people say things without them speaking, it was like they were talking right next to his ear, yet it hurt only slightly.
The time passed, and yet he still was no closer to figuring it out than when he first started. He was thrown from his thoughts when he heard footsteps approach him. Looking up, he saw the figure of Yamanaka Inoichi walk towards him, hands folded behind his back.
"Ah, Summers-san, I was not expecting you to be here. I see that you've gotten your hitai-ate. Congratulations." He said in a friendly manner.
"Hi, Yamanaka-sama." Jonathon said, standing from the swing and giving him a respectful bow.
Inoichi cracked a smile and inclined his head. "Shouldn't you be celebrating with your friends?" The Yamanaka Head asked.
Jonathon smiled slightly and sat down on the swing again. "I will later. I'm waiting for Naruto to come out." He said.
Inoichi nodded and stood next to the redhead, both of them staring at the Academy building. Inoichi sent him a sidelong glance, and he saw that Jonathon's brows were furrowed in thought, his fingers drumming against his knee. An idea came to the Yamanaka, one that was a bit risky, but the pros outweighed the cons.
Discreetly, he made a Kage Bunshin and sent it into the tree directly above the redhead with a blunt kunai. On the blonde's signal, the clone dropped the kunai, aiming for Jonathon's head.
As for Jonathon, he had no idea what was going on. When the clone dropped the kunai, he just had this, feeling that something was about to happen. Be it instinct or pure coincidence, the redhead looked up and saw the kunai headed straight for him.
His eyes widened, and he felt a slight pressure in his head while he instinctually raised his arms to defend himself. When a few moments passed and nothing happened, he lowered his arms and saw that the kunai was suspended in midair.
"Just as I suspected." Inoichi said, looking a bit impressed and somewhat smug. "It occurs mainly subconsciously, and usually when you are about to be harmed in some way."
"I-I-I..." Jonathon stammered, fidgeting in his seat.
"Don't worry, Summers-san, you aren't in trouble. What you have is a gift, a special one at that. Given time, I'm sure that you'll be able to accomplish more than you know." Inoichi said.
Jonathon bit his lip and looked to the side, not really knowing what or how to feel.
"Hokage-sama has given me permission to guide you if needed, so that your gift may flourish and so that you are a more capable Shinobi. I want you to know that you can always come to me if needed." He said sincerely.
Jonathon was floored by this. Now he was really confused. One thought did cross his mind, though. "Umm, a-actually... Y-Yamanaka-sama, there's... umm... something else that happened." He said softly.
Inoichi raised an eyebrow and knelt down until he was eye-level with the redhead, who started to play with his hair. "What's troubling you, Summers-kun?" He asked softly and kindly.
"Well, umm, you see... the thing is... Icanhearotherpeopletalkwithoutthemsayinganything." He said in one breath, his cheeks matching the color of his hair,
Inoichi blinked, not comprehending at all what he said. "Slow down, Jonathon." He said, using his first name now. "Take a deep breath and slowly tell me what's wrong." He said.
Jonathon inhaled and exhaled deeply, and tried to slow his heart rate. "I can hear other people talk without them saying anything." He said, a tad bit calmer, though his heart was still trying to force its way out of his chest.
If Inoichi was stunned by any of this, he did a great job of not showing it. Well, he WAS a member of the T&I Department. If anything, he was pondering this new information very seriously. "I see. How long has this been going on?" He asked.
"It just started today. I came into class and it just started happening, I have no idea what's going on. To be honest, it scares me a little." He said, drawing his knees up to his chest.
Inoichi was silent for a moment, before he stood and nodded. "Come visit the shop tomorrow, Jonathon-kun. We'll talk more then." He said.
Jonathon nodded and turned his gaze towards the building as he saw a head of blonde hair slowly make its way towards them. Jonathon, a concerned look in his eyes, got off the swing and jogged to the housemate he has built a familial bond with.
The redhead stopped in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder upon seeing the dejected look on his face. "What's wrong Naru?" He asked softly.
The older boy lifted his head to look him in the eye, his azure orbs shining with depression. Jonathon sighed sadly and brought him into a tight hug. He felt the blonde wrap his arms around his waist, returning the embrace. Jonathon saw some of the other parents get their children and he felt Naruto's depression deepen. He also saw the glares that they threw at the pair. Glares of derision and scorn.
"Good thing he didn't pass. Can you imagine if they made that demon a Shinobi?"
"So much for saying he'll be Hokage."
"Hope the demon offs himself."
Jonathon's teeth clenched as he tightened his grip on his blonde friend, feelings of anger and resentment sparking up within him. He leveled a fierce glare at the villagers and they quickly dispersed. He could see Hokage-sama standing at the entrance of the building with Iruka-sensei, and while their features were emotionless masks, Jonathon could see the mirth in their eyes.
Jonathon Guided Naruto over to the oak tree and sat down against it, both of them leaning against each other for support. Naruto saw the hitai-ate clutched in his hand and chuckled. "So you were able to pass, huh?" He asked.
Jonathon, almost forgetting all about it, nodded and tied the headband around his neck, like a choker.
"Why aren't you celebrating with Kiba-baka and Hinata?" The blonde asked in curiosity.
"Because I was waiting for you." Jonathon replied simply. "I wanted to be here when you came out." He said.
Naruto smiled at the redhead before he ruffled his hair, earning him a cry of protest at being manhandled. Naruto stood up and beamed at the redhead. "Who cares about a stinkin' exam anyways? I WILL be a Shinobi, and I WILL be Hokage, dattebayo!" He shouted, making Jonathon smile softly.
Jonathon frowned, though, as he saw Mizuki-sensei walk towards them, a fake smile on his face. "Hello Jonathon-kun, Naruto-kun. Jonathon-kun, congratulations on becoming Genin." He said.
"Thank you, Mizuki-sensei." The redhead replied, his face blank but eyes narrowed.
"Naruto-kun, may I talk to you for a moment? There's something I think you may be interested in." The white-haired chunin said.
Jonathon was about to say something, when Naruto beat him to the punch. "Sure, Mizuki-sensei! Hey Jonathon, go have fun with Kiba-baka and Hinata, I'll be back later, ok?" He asked with a grin.
"I... I guess so, Naruto..." The redhead replied, unsure if it was a good idea or not.
Mizuki chuckled slightly and placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. Alarm bells immediately started going off in his head, something that just screamed 'DANGER!' Mizuki walked away with the blonde, and Jonathon sighed, starting the walk towards Kiba's.
¥Inuzuka Compound¥
Jonathon sipped his drink quietly, leaning against the wall as he stared at the other partygoers. All of the clan heirs were there, save for a certain Uchiha (which the redhead was glad about), along with their classmate Haruno Sakura.
He tried to enjoy himself, he really did, but the fact that he hardly knew anyone there and the worry he felt over Naruto had him a little fidgety. He heard his name being called and snapped his attention to Kiba, who was seated on the floor along with everyone else. "Hey Jonathon, come here, we're gonna play a game!" He shouted.
Raising an eyebrow, he made his way over to his best friend, sitting in between him and the Nara boy. "What kind of game?" He asked.
"Dunno, it was Ino's idea." Kiba replied with a shrug.
"Alright everyone, listen up!" Said blond girl said, holding an empty glass bottle in her hand. "We're gonna play a fun little game of spin-the-bottle, but with a twist!" She said with a smirk. At everyone's interested look, she continued. "Not only is it gonna be spin-the-bottle, but we're also gonna incorporate truth-or-dare! The rules are simple. First, whoever the bottle lands on, has to be kissed by the person who spun it. Then, the person who spun it asks the person it lands on a truth-or-dare question. And it's as simple as that!" She explained.
Everyone looked a little uneasy about it, but in the end, they went for it, if only to be saved from the blonde girl's wrath. They all sat in a circle and did rock-paper-scissors to see who would go first. Sakura was elected to go first and the bottle landed on Choji.
Both of them turned beet red but couldn't back down. They leant in and smooched. Unbeknownst to them, Ino had a camera and was chuckling evilly. After a few moments, both of them parted and retook their places. "So, uh, Choji-san, truth or dare?" The pink-haired girl asked.
"T-truth." The rotund boy said.
"Um... is it true that your clan cooks good?" She asked lamely, causing Ino to boo and Sakura to glare at her.
Choji sighed and nodded. "Yup! We have our own cookbooks and that's what we eat." He said.
Choji grabbed the bottle and spun it, landing on Kiba.
"OH HELL NO!" Kiba immediately shouted, eyes wide in a comical manner. "THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY IN HELL-"
"YES YOU ARE! MAN UP AND DO IT!" Ino roared back, camera rolling out of their sight.
Kiba sat down and was about to retort again, but one look at Ino threw that plan out the window. The Inuzuka just groaned and let his head hang down. "Let's just... get it over with..." He moaned.
Choji and Kiba sat across from each other, both not looking happy at all to be in this situation. They both leant forward while Ino was cackling like a maniac. At the last second, though, Kiba turned his face to the side and Choji ended up kissing him on the cheek, much to his and the Inuzuka's relief.
Ino frowned and made a disappointed noise, Sakura and Hinata looking at the blonde like she grew a second head. Kiba saw Ino's face and smirked. "Hey, you never said it had to be on the mouth." He told her.
The girl just sighed and crossed her arms.
"Kiba, truth or dare?" Choji asked.
"Ha! Dare!" The Inuzuka said cockily.
"I dare you, to eat some of Akamaru's food." Choji said with a grin.
Akamaru and Kiba shared a look, the dog's face clearly showing his displeasure at the idea. 'Bitch, you better not.' His look seemed to say.
Kiba shrugged and went to the kitchen, coming back with a spoon and scooping out a little of Akamaru's food. 'Hoe don't do it.' Akamaru seemed to say in the look he was sending Kiba. The Inuzuka opened his mouth and ate the food. The others gaped and Akamaru put his paw over his eyes as if to say: 'Oh my Kami.'
Kiba swallowed the food and was silent for a moment. "Huh, not bad." He said, much to the surprise of everyone else.
A few minutes later, after Kiba came back from thoroughly cleanin his mouth (Ino's 'suggestion'), the Inuzuka heir smirked at the somewhat disgusted faces of the others. "Kiba... please... for the love... of Kami. PLEASE, don't ever do that again." Jonathon said, looking more than a little green, the others nodding their heads.
"Hey, it was Choji's idea." He retorted, pointing at the Akimichi, who was now looking at Akamaru's bowl with interest, said dog glaring back at the boy, as if daring him to try it. "Anyways, lets keep doing this." He said.
Ino immediately brightened up and grabbed her camera. Not noticing, Kiba grabbed the bottle and spun it. It spun around and around, until it finally stopped... on Jonathon.
Said redhead, who was currently looking out a window, turned his attention back to the others when he saw it had gotten quiet. He looked at the bottle, then to them, eyes widening as realization dawned on him. He held up both hands in a comical manner. "Wait! Waitwaitwaitwait!" He protested.
Ino, who had a leery grin on her face and a gleam in her eyes shook her head. "Gotta follow up with it, Jo-na-thon-kun~!" She sang.
He soon found himself sitting in front of Kiba, who was not happy about this either. "Damn you Ino and your stupid game..." He muttered.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever, just do it already!" She said, clearly the most excited out of the others, who looked at her like she was insane.
Both boys groaned and Jonathon discreetly pointed to his cheek, at which Kiba nodded. Both of them leaned towards each other, Kiba aiming for Jonathon's cheek, when Jonathon suddenly gasped and turned his head, resulting in Kiba kissing him full on the mouth.
The others' jaws dropped and Ino let out a squeal, bringing out her camera and zooming in on them. As Jonathon had his mouth slightly open, it ended up in Kiba pretty much frenching him. Sakura and Hinata grew red, admittedly finding the scene to be a bit hot. The other guys paled and looked away. Ino was cracking up like a maniac, walking all around the frozen duo, taking both pictures and videos.
Kiba, who had his eyes closed, snapped them open and saw that he was not kissing his best friend on the cheek. He made a muffled sound and detached himself from the redhead, who just sat there with his eyes wide and his mouth open, frozen. "WHAT THE HELL JON?!" The Inuzuka yelled, about to throw a fit, when he realized that the redhead wasn't even paying attention to him.
In actuality, Jonathon's eyes were wide in both fear and concern and his somewhat swollen lip was quivering slightly. His lips moved and he simply got up and ran out the door, not looking back. The others shared a confused look while Kiba and Hinata shared a look of their own.
X X
Jonathon ran through the forest, not really knowing where he was going, but at the sime time, knowing full well where he was going. He entered a clearing with Naruto, Iruka, and Mizuki standing there. Iruka was wounded, Naruto was holding a large scroll, and Mizuki was holding a large shuriken, about to throw it.
"It's because you are the Kyuubi no Kitsune!" Mizuki yelled, causing Jonathon to freeze.
The white-haired chunin threw the shuriken and Jonathon's eyes widened. "NARUTO!" He yelled, stretching his hand out. There was a brief flash of light, and Jonathon found himself standing in front of the blond, in the path of the shuriken. He held out his hands, and just as it was about to impale him, it stopped in midair.
All those present looked at Jonathon with shock, awe, and a little bit of hatred on Mizuki's part. Jonathon, however, turned to Naruto and enveloped him in a hug. "Naruto! I'm so glad you're ok!" He said, his eyes tearing up a bit.
Naruto, not knowing what to say, just nodded and returned the hug. "Y...yeah." He said.
Mizuki grew a tic mark on his head and growled. Unsealing another large shurikan, he began to spin it. "Meddling brat. I'll show you." He muttered, tossing the shurikan.
However, Jonathon's eyes opened again, and this time they were glowing a burning orange. The shurikan stopped in midair not far from the other one, and Jonathon turned his head, leveling a deadly glare in Mizuki's direction. Somehow, the shurikan began to spin at a remarkable speed and, as if some invisible person tossed them, sped towards Mizuki. The Chunin dodged them and smirked, only for his eyes to widen as the shurikan turned in the air as if they had a mind of their own and pursue him again.
The chunin growled again and sped towards the boys. Just as he got to them, he jumped in the air, hoping that the shurikan would hit them instead. However, he was further shocked when, just before the boys were skewered, the shurikan stopped, shuddered, and burst apart into dust, said dust then blowing away in the wind.
Jonathon leveled a burning glare at Mizuki and growled. "How DARE you try to hurt Naruto and Iruka-sensei!" The redhead cried in anger, without moving his mouth. It was as if his voice was somehow projected into their very minds, feeling almost as if their brains were being burned.
"Jonathon! Whatever it is you're doing, stop it!" Iruka yelled as he, Mizuki, and Naruto held their hands over their ears in pain.
Jonathon's glare turned to him, and, he gasped. His eyes stopped glowing and he sank to the ground, breathing heavily and eyes wide. What in Kami's name was THAT?!
The sentiment was shared with all those present. However, Naruto quickly recovered and sent his own glare at the floored chunin. "I don't know what you did, Jon, but it was freakin' awesome!" He shouted, a fox-like smirk on his face before it became a feral grin. "But damned if I let you outdo me. Kyuubi or no Kyuubi, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I won't be outdone by anyone! Dattebayo!" He then turned his head towards Iruka. "Ne, Iruka-sensei, watch this!" Placing the middle and index fingers of both hands together in a cross-like shape, he gave a shout of: "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" And the entire clearing was enveloped in a cloud of smoke.
When the smoke cleared Iruka's and Jonathon's eyes bugged out of their sockets when they saw about a hundred Naruto's standing there, smirking and chuckling.
"It can't be..." Iruka said. 'The Kage Bunshin's listed as a jutsu only high-level Shinobi can learn for a reason! Unlike the regular Bunshin, which is just an illusion, the Kage Bunshin creates an actual solid copy of the caster. However, there is a drawback, as the jutsu drains much of the user's chakra. To create these many clones and not even be sweating, Naruto's chakra reserves must be massive, and he's not even a Genin! His chakra levels must be at least high-chunin, if not low-jounin, level.' The Academy instructor thought to himself.
"Now then, Mizuki-san. You tried to kill both Iruka-sensei and my otouto. For that, I'm gonna have to give you a beating you'll never forget! Dattebayo!" All the Narutos said, before launching themselves at Mizuki.
What occurred next couldn't even be described as a fight. A better definition would be ass-whooping, or beat down. In any case, by the time Naruto was done with the white-haired chunin, well, let's just say that Mizuki shared a lot of similarities with a plum.
Naruto grinned with arms crossed, facing the pathetic form of Mizuki. "That'll teach you to mess with my precious people, dattebayo!" He shouted, laughing loudly.
Iruka, with Jonathon's support, hobbled over to the grinning blonde. "Naruto, close your eyes." The chunin said.
Naruto looked at him with a confused expression. "Huh?" He asked.
"Close your eyes." Iruka repeated.
Naruto shrugged but did it anyways. He felt cloth on his forehead, going around and fastened in the back of his head. "Open them." Iruka said.
Naruto did so and found that Iruka didn't have his hitai-ate on anymore. "Iruka-sensei, what happened to your..." His eyes widened as his hands flew up to his head, feeling Iruka's hitai-ate tied to his own head.
"Congrats, Naruto-kun. You pass." He said as Naruto's blue eyes began to water.
Naruto launched himself at Iruka with a cry of: "Thank you sensei!" Causing Iruka to cry out in pain as he was knocked over.
Jonathon stared at them, grinning widely and happy for Naruto, whether he had the Kyuubi sealed within him or not. His eyes suddenly widened as his hand flew to his mouth. "SWEET KAMI!" He suddenly shouted.
Iruka and Naruto turned to him, looks of confusion on their faces.
Jonathon mumbled something under his breath and sank to his knees, shock and absolute horror coming over him.
"Jon, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, immediately coming to his side.
Jonathon again mumbled something under his breath that was too low for Naruto to hear.
"Eh? Didn't catch that." The blonde said.
"I made out with Kiba." The redhead said in a low voice.
"What? I still can't hear you." Naruto said.
"I MADE OUT WITH KIBA!" Jonathon shouted to the heavens.
Naruto's eyes widened and his cheeks got red. "Oh. Didn't know you swung that way." Naruto said, scratching the back of his neck while Iruka looked like he would rather be anywhere but there.
"I don't. It was this stupid game Ino made us play." Jonathon said, standing up and pacing. "Oh Kami, what am I gonna tell him? What is he gonna say? Is he still gonna wanna be my friend?" The redhead fretted.
"Calm down, everything's gonna be fine." Naruto said, trying to calm him down.
While this was going on, the Sandaime Hokage was in his office, staring into his crystal ball. Through it, he could see what happened with Mizuki, Iruka, Naruto, and Jonathon. Witnessing the events, he couldn't help but feel proud of the boys he had come to view as grandchildren. However, he also felt saddened at the fact that he didn't want Naruto to have to bear the burden of knowing that the Kyuubi no Youko, the greatest of the Biju, was sealed within him. This just opened up a whole new can of worms.
He turned his attention to the window as a squad of shinobi entered in. "Hokage-sama, we could not locate the de-suspect." One chunin said, rethinking his words when he saw Hiruzen's eyes narrow dangerously.
"It's alright. I'm calling off the search." He said, to their surprise. "He'll make his way over here soon. Have a room cleared in the hospital for Iruka-kun. And tell Ibiki that he's going to have a visitor soon." He said, dismissing them. The squad of chunin bowed and dispersed.
The Hokage turned back to his crystal and chuckled when he saw Jonathon freaking out. He then sighed sadly as he stared at them. "I'm getting too old for this." He said.
Meanwhile, the boy had yet, another unknown observer. In what looked like a sewer, behind a large cage leading into nothing but blackness, a large pair of eyes opened, revealing blood red irises with black slitted pupils. The eyes reflected amusement, pondering, and malice.
"So, it seems as if those two are finally beginning their journey. Good. All that's left is for the blonde gaki to come here, then I shall finally have my revenge." A voice said from within the cage The voice was deep and rumbling, filled with anger, rage, and anticipation. A large fanged maw was seen, contorted into a wide grin, before booming laughter filled the room.
HM: Aaaaaaaannnnnd, cut! So things are starting off at a decent pace here. Now then, on to some issues I think need to be adressed. First off, no. Naruto will NOT be the same as canon. I have big plans for our blonde jinchuriki (I hope that's how it's spelled? I forgot, ok!), big, big plans. I know that some of you brought to my attention that they were a little disappointed that Naruto was not the vessel of the Phoenix Force and that my OC is, but I have something else in mind for him.
Next up, there will be some changes to canon. Things that were done might not be. People that died might not. People that are alive might not be. As for pairings, I kinda have that figured out, but the thing is, I have two people I want to pair with my OC, but I have to choose between one or the other. I don't really want this to be a harem fic, since I only have two people in mind. I do have a proposition for that which I'll address in a bit.
Third, what did you guys think of the chapter in general? I hope that it seemed realistic with Jonathon's powers surfacing and the interaction between him and Inoichi.
Now, onto my proposition. I don't really want to turn this into a harem fic, but if you give me names of people that you think will go well with Jonathon, let me know! There are requirements, though.
1. They have to be the same age or a couple years younger then Jonathon, which means, no Tsunade or Mei or Guren.
2. While I don't do yaoi, if you give me a good enough reason, I'll consider putting a guy in.
3. There has to be a good reason to add them in. If you want Temari in just because, then that's a no-go. There has to be substantial reason.
4. No more than six, please.
And that just about does it. Other than that, go ham! I mean, if you guys don't want it either, that's fine, I just want to hear your opinions and suggestions. So, tell me how you guys liked it! Send me a review, PM, or somehow find out where I live and ask me face-to-face! Let me know what you guys liked about it and anything you think would be good to push this story onwards!
Until next time, Ja ne!
NEXT STORY TO BE UPDATED: Illustrandis Corda Tenet