Sequence 2: The Chunin Exam

Memory 1: The Coming Storm

"Now, Naruto, can you tell me the three tenants of the Creed," a person asked. One might say that this person was his only friend and mentor. Her name was Minerva, and she came into contact with Naruto when he was being beaten by the mob of villagers during the annual "Fox Hunt" when he was four years old. Ten years later, he was seen in the caves around the Hokage monument.

"Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent," Naruto recited, "Hide in plain sight and be one with the crowd. Finally, never compromise the brotherhood."

"Very good. Now tell me the three great ironies of Altair."

"We are here to seek peace, though murder is our means," Naruto recited again, "We seek to open the minds and hearts of men, but we require a master and a set of rules. Thirdly, we seek to reveal the dangers of blind faith, yet we are practitioners ourselves."

"Very well done. Remember this, nothing is true."

"Everything is permitted, mistress."

"I think that you are ready for your blade, young one. Equip your hidden blade and join me by the cave entrance."

Naruto jumped off the cliff in a leap of faith, his assassin training finally complete.

"Orel, Orel," a voice woke him up from his brief nap, "if you snoozed like that any longer, you could have passed as a Nara. Damn those bastards."

"What has you in a tizzy," Orel responded with a bit of clout.

"These damn Chunin exams. They force me to move my wares from hidden village to hidden village to great expense to me and fatten the wallets of the hidden village that I happen to stay at. Too much trouble, I dare say, but it is for my wife. Say you look young enough to have a wife, are you married?"

"No, but I am betrothed to a pretty Mist girl."

"Ahh are you so benedetta(blessed), to see wedding bells in your future. Though I don't blame you if you want more you see."

"Yosho, stop talking with the help," a woman half his age spoke with fire in her eyes, "You are here to pull the wagon, not to congregate with a known killer."

Naruto then focuses his Eagle Sense to the woman. 'Templar,' he thought with a questioning tone, 'No just an upset woman.' Looking at the now distant gates of Konoha, he resumed his initial thought, 'Three days time, a new personal best. It's time to ruffle up some feathers.'

Entering the gates of the city of Konoha proved to be the easy part. Walking through the city to the tower after escorting the merchant couple through the city was hard. For some odd reason, the couple decided to stay at the only religious area in the city, just a half a mile from the Hokage's tower.

Naruto decided to climb the tower, not just to the Hokage's office, but to his lookout point. The lookout point was a pretty simple porch where the messenger birds were kept. Climbing over the edge, he begins to write a letter.

My Dearest Haku,

I fear that dangerous times are fast approaching Konoha and the Order. The rise of the new Knights Templar after seven hundred years of relative peace may disrupt our future together. I may have to stain my hands in blood like the great Altair and Ezio before me in this conflict that is sure to sweep the world with no end in sight.

I may be forced to pursue the Pieces of Eden that the ancient Assassins fought over to preserve the peace that our forefathers obtained seven hundred years ago.

Be safe my little fiocco di neve (snowflake). Our paths may be apart now, but we will join together soon.

Il tuo amato, (Your beloved)

Naruto Uzumaki

Grabbing a white dove, he sent the messenger bird on its way to Haku wherever she may be. After releasing the bird, he then dropped down to the Hokage's office to give his report.

"Ah, Orel," the Hokage started, "Come to give your report?"

"Aye," Naruto responded, "As you may well know that Gatou had crucified Team 7 for protecting the bridge builder. Unfortunately, the bridge builder himself met a fate worse than death if the expression on the charbroiled man's face was anything to go by."

"Gatou had the man roasted alive?"

"Like a rotisserie, sir. I was assisted by the Assassin Order of Mist when dealing with the hired men that Gatou hired and the enslaved women leaving me with Gatou himself. I managed to sever his head before freeing Team 7, raiding his castle for documents and making my escape from Wave.

On the way back, I managed to serve as protection to a pair of merchants on the way to Konoha for the Chunin exams. It was a lively affair, however once we reached the city; they decided to not exhibit their wares in the designated visiting merchant area of city, but rather in the religious area of the city."

"That does pose a problem. What of the documents that you retrieved from Gatou's castle?"

"They are Order business, but since you asked, they are locations for ancient relics known as the Pieces of Eden. There are nine artifacts scattered throughout the world. I managed to find an apple inside the Hokage Monument, and it appears that Gatou found a piece on the mainland, just west of Wave country, but it drove him insane and made him knock off Wave country's economy in the name of the new Knights Templar."

"Are you sure that ancient enemy of your order is coming back?"

"Not sure. But all signs point to that way. We must remain vigilant in our efforts. A storm is coming, so we must prepare for the bloodshed."

Sequence 2 Memory 1: The Coming Storm END

Author's Notes and Statistics

This chapter accomplishes a couple of things, one it tells some of the back story into Naruto's training, but in another sense, it also bridges Sequence 1 with the upcoming Sequence 2. Please enjoy the coming show.

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