Cookies to XV-Dragon and koolbanana for guessing the ANBU, even if XV misspelled it. It was Yamato. Now, as soon as I work out how to put my hand through your computer screen and give you two a cookie, I will. Damn laws of physics…

Lesson on Shikotsumyaku: The Disease
Tsunade: Welcome, everyone to today's lesson on Kekkai Genkai. Today…
Gaara: Get on with it.
Tsunade: Very well. Today, we will be examining the Shikotsumyaku and its inherent bloodline disease. This disease is chronic, and affects the victim from the moment his bloodline awakens…
Kimimaro: Excuse me, Tsunade-san, but I have a question. Why is Naruto-kun's disease almost as advanced as mine is, when he only just awakened it?
Tsunade: That's a good question. I'll explain in a minute. Now, victims of the disease show some very dangerous symptoms, like vomiting blood and if they act under strain for too long, they can fall unconscious. Unfortunately, due to our lack of knowledge of the Shikotsumyaku, we cannot treat the disease. Now, as Kimimaro said, Naruto has possessed the disease for approximately five days, as opposed to Kimimaro's several years, and already shows advanced signs of the disease. This can be easily explained. Naruto, how often do you eat ramen?
Naruto: Uh… at least once a day. Usually twice…
Hinata: Naruto-kun! Ramen is not healthy.
Tsunade: There is your answer… The Shikotsumyaku awakens at different times for every user. Due to Naruto's malnutrition, he literally has no immune system, and his acquiring of his bloodline was hampered as a result. When it did finally awaken, Naruto suffered injuries that prevented his body from recovering from the strain of fighting Orochimaru, and said strain never got released the next day. Naruto, with what you did to yourself, you may as well have fought enemies six hours straight. If it weren't for the Kyuubi, you'd have died from the common cold by now. Kimimaro's immune system was good enough to fight off the disease for a small period of time, and he does have access to Kabuto, one of the best doctors in the world, to help slow it down.
Naruto: As interesting as this is, Baa-chan, the author is getting impatient. How bout we wrap this up later.

Chapter 3,
Three weeks to Destiny

"Naruto-kun, that's enough." Hinata cried, her left hand stopping Naruto from pulling out his humorous. Naruto glanced at her, as she gently eased the bone out, tossing it aside and watching it crumble to dust.
"I don't get it." Naruto admitted, as Hinata guided him back to where she had set up a small picnic. "Why can't I get any of the dances right? I can't even perform the Teshi Sendan anymore, and I know I used to do it."
"You're trying too hard, Naruto-kun." Hinata replied, wiping her own face with a towel even as she passed one to Naruto, who wiped himself down before slipping his arms back into the sleeves of his kimono. "Ano, maybe you're doing it the wrong way."
"Ah… come again?" Naruto asked, as Hinata opened the two bento's, passing one to Naruto.
"What is your definition of dance, Naruto-kun?" She asked curiously. Naruto shrugged.
"Something gentle… graceful… wait, you mean I'm getting it wrong because I need to dance more?" He retorted. Hinata giggled, popping a rice ball into her mouth.
"No, silly." She replied, still stifling a giggle. "Dancing is graceful and fluid, yes, but it requires flexibility and balance. Before you were relying on instinct, and every single time, the bone came out the same way…"
"I need to be more flexible." Naruto muttered. "Flexible… flexible… acrobatic!" Hinata flinched at his sudden yell.
"Ano…" Suddenly, Naruto was staring at her.
"Hinata, can you teach me that?" He asked, hopeful. Hinata giggled, as she wiped a piece of rice from his chin.
"I'll try, Naruto-kun." She replied, holding up a finger. "But first, you need a break."

The Sandaime let out a sigh as he walked into the council chambers, eyeing the gathered men and women that made up the clan and civilian councils. By his side, Homura and Koharu both let out sighs.
"This is going to be a long meeting, Hiruzen-kun." Koharu muttered, breathing in deeply. "The council won't want to compromise on this."
"Indeed." Homura added. "Your main opponent, however, will be Danzo, as always. Watch what he says carefully, Hiruzen. I have a feeling he will pull out all the guns."
"What he says is irrelevant." Hiruzen replied. "As far as I can tell, gaining the Shikotsumyaku is lethal to the bearer. Naruto-kun only lasted this long because of the Kyuubi."
"You and I both know that's a lie, Hiruzen-kun." Koharu stated, calling his bluff. "Your right, though. We don't know if his non-existent immune system would pass on to his offspring. It's simply too great a risk on the boy's psyche. Be careful, though."
"Danzo won't stop until he has won." Homura quipped. "What if you lose?"
"Then I will have to remind Danzo who rules Konoha." Hiruzen grunted. "I will have to remind him just who is Hokage." Nodding, the two elders moved away and took their seats, as Sarutobai sat down in his place.
"This council meeting is now open." He called. "Our first topic of this afternoon is the budget of accommodation for the Chunin exams."
"The Daimyo of Hi no Kuni has given us a grant of 1,000,000 ryo to ensure the satisfaction of visiting dignitaries." Homura elaborated. "Do we all agree this is enough?"
"Who is coming?" Hiashi asked softly. Komura popped open a scroll, checking the list.
"As of this moment, we have confirmation from the Kazekage, the Mizukage, the Daimyo's of Kaze, Shi, Yuki, Tsu and Rei no Kuni and the emperor, in addition to our own Daimyo." She stated. "We also have unconfirmed bookings from several small nations and the leader of Hoshigakure no Sato. Estimated costs for the current bookings are at 750,000 ryo."
"I believe we should extend the budget by 400,000, just to cover all bases, Hokage-sama." Shikaku spoke up. Hiruzen nodded.
"Very well, all in favour?" There was a resounding sound of 'Hai' in the air. "Very well, motion carried. What is next on the agenda?"
"The hospital is requesting additional funding. Apparently several doctors are interested in case N-7982." Homura spoke up. "For those unaware, case N-7982 relates to the unknown disease possessed by one Uzumaki Naruto. In addition, several sections in the hospital are understaffed and…"
"Pardon me for interrupting…" Hiashi spoke up, interrupting Danzo before he could speak. "But, as my daughter is exposed to Uzumaki on a regular basis under mission NA-X7923, I feel it is prudent to ask. Is the disease contagious?"
"As far as doctors can determine, the disease is not contagious." Hiruzen answered. "The disease, even if it were, seems to seek out blood containing Naruto's Kekkai Genkai. It would be harmless to others."
"As I was saying, several sections of the hospital are understaffed and the ICU is short of beds. What are the councils views?" Homura stated, finishing his statement. Inoichi sighed.
"I think we may need this funding. The doctors are a resource we as a village cannot do without. That leads to the problem, where will the money come from?" He mused. Hiashi nodded.
"I agree. If nothing else, we must research Uzumaki's disease and be sure it is not contagious. We must accept that, if it does spread, there is the chance it could adapt to another bloodline." Hiashi agreed. A civilian scoffed.
"Just treat the brat like you do everyone else." He grunted. Hiashi turned and glared at him.
"And how do you propose we do that?" He asked. "According to my daughters reports, Uzumaki's chakra network is no longer that of a regular human. Combined with the doctor's reports of his changed anatomy, and we are trying to treat a cancer in something we do not even begin to understand. What you ask is like us asking you to perform Ninjutsu, right now." Hiashi retorted. Hiruzen raised a hand, preventing an argument from breaking out.
"Enough. We are not here to discuss Uzumaki's treatment or lack thereof. We are here to discuss the hospitals funding." He called. Hiashi bowed slightly.
"Forgive me, Hokage-sama." He uttered. Tsume sighed.
"That does raise a valid point, though. What if Uzumaki's disease adapts to another bloodline?" She asked. Hiruzen shook his head.
"I do not believe that will be an issue. It is unlikely that the disease is contagious. If it is, then we can at least treat it." He stated. "Unfortunately, Naruto will probably end up dying at the hands of the disease."
"Then we should breed him and preserve the bloodline." Danzo growled. Koharu glared at him.
"And how do you prepose to do that, Danzo?" She growled straight back. "We have no idea what this disease actually is. For all we know, the boy should already be dead, and it's only due to the Kyuubi that he still lives."
"I support Koharu's view on that subject." Homura spoke up. "It's cruel enough that Uzumaki will leave behind friends and loved ones. We do not need to add another burden to his shoulders. Think of how the mother would feel, losing both her child and the father. It is safer for the village if we simply allow the Shikotsumyaku to die out." Danzo gritted his teeth.
"What about the flip side?" He shot back. "What if the disease…"
"I can verify that the disease is genetic to those with the Shikotsumyaku." Hiruzen spoke up. "In the event that his child does not bear the bloodline, it would simply vanish. Naruto is the last with the Kekkai Genkai, unless you think it would be worth the risk breeding him into the Hyuuga, and finding out whether it is dominant or recessive. Mind you, I'm not sure Hiashi would agree to such measures." Hiashi glanced away.
"You are correct, Hokage-sama. I will not subject any in my clan to such heartbreak for no reason." He said solemnly. "To do so would be to risk breaking the Hyuuga clan up even further. The clan is too fragile at this point in time to risk it, even if I did go along with it."
"What is Uzumaki's life expectancy?" Shikaku asked. Homura took over for the Hokage, reading straight from the boy's medical profile.
"If we could somehow miraculously treat the disease, Uzumaki is expected to be able to remain a active ninja until age 28, where he will have to halt being a ninja due to the strain of fast travelling. He would be able to take short distance and non-strenuous missions until age 35, where he would either a) become Hokage like he says he will or b) be forced to retire for health reasons. He would be expected to die at 60 years of age, 20 years lower then the average life expectancy. Untreated, we expect the disease to claim Naruto by age 20, most likely during combat. I don't see Uzumaki halting his ninja career, unfortunately." He explained. "If he were to quit being a ninja tomorrow, Uzumaki is expected to be claimed by the disease at age 28, if no complications occur." Danzo snorted.
"Then we should breed him now." He exclaimed, as Homura continued.
"However, doctors also say that the likelihood of the Shikotsumyaku being passed on to his children is minimal. He also says that, due to the unknown nature of the disease, it is likely that any children of Naruto's will be stillborns. Those that aren't will either a) not have the Kekkai Genkai or b) are expected to die soon after birth due to the inheritance of Uzumaki's bad immune system. The few that pass through the net, so to speak, are expected to die before becoming ninja." He finished. "Under the circumstances, I must advise that Uzumaki not be subjected to the clan restoration act under article 692. To do so would be to erode his faith in Konoha. If Uzumaki were to leave, we would have to risk him finding a country that does know how to treat the illness. Maybe Kiri possesses this knowledge, maybe it doesn't. The point is if he leaves and Kiri does treat him, Kiri will have his undying loyalty."
"Let us settle this once and for all and put it to vote." Danzo cried. Hiruzen sighed.
"All in favour?" Danzo raised his hand. He was the only one. "All opposed." Three quarters of the room raised there hands, the rest abstaining. "Very well, Uzumaki Naruto will not be subjected to article 692. Any attempts of Naruto's to have children will be of his own volition. Back to the issue at hand, how are we to handle the hospitals request?"
"I advise that we supply them with 500,000 ryo from the surplus." Shikaku stated. "As troublesome as it is, we need to understand Uzumaki's disease, even if we can't treat it with him. If it somehow spreads and adapts, the Hyuuga and the Aburame would be devastated, not to mention we would possibly lose Jounin Hatake and the last Uchiha."
"I agree." Shibi stated monotonously.
"All in favour?" Hiruzen asked. Most of the room gave him the patented 'are you joking' look before raising his or her hand. "Thought so. Next is the…"

Several days later…

"Ano, Naruto-kun, you need to relax." Hinata whispered, as she gently guided Naruto through the motions of one of the more fluid Jyuuken Kata. "Let it flow, it's like a river." Naruto gave a soft grunt in reply as he pivoted, slamming his palm in the wooden dummy. Suddenly, to the pair's surprise, a bone spike shot out of Naruto's palm and through the dummy.
"Yanagi no Mai." Naruto whispered, pulling the spike back out of the dummy. "The Dance of the Willow." He blinked, watching the spike turn to dust. Hinata smiled, watching the boy stare at his hand as if it contained the secrets of the world.
"Naruto-kun, do you think you can repeat that?" She asked. Naruto nodded, closing his eyes.
"Yanagi no Mai!" He cried, as a second spike shot from his palm, Naruto lunging past the dummy and impaling a tree. "I did it… My first use of the Shikotsumyaku under my own power."
"Naruto-kun, let's take a break." Hinata called. Naruto nodded, replacing his arms in the sleeves of his kimono.
"Hai… that takes more concentration then I thought." He muttered. Hinata shrugged as she pulled him down against the tree beside her.
"Naruto-kun, who do you think will make it to the finals?" Hinata asked. Naruto frowned, thinking.
"Not Gaara or Sasuke. They'll bugger themselves against each other. Shikamaru will give up after his first round, and, as strong as Kankurou looks, I don't think he can beat Shino. Shino will beat whoever wins out of Sasuke and Gaara's fight easily, and probably lose to Neji, who Shikamaru won't even pretend to try and fight. So I'll probably be fighting Neji in the finals because of his sheer dumb luck." Naruto answered. Hinata nodded.
"That's what Kurenai-sensei said would probably happen, too." She said. "I think you will beat Neji-niisan easily."
"Ano, why?" Naruto asked. Hinata smiled at him, withdrawing the three scrolls containing Shikotsumyaku techniques within them.
"One thing you need to know about Neji-niisan is that he sees ranged weapons as beneath him. He will only use Jyuuken." Hinata explained, a little red. "Against you, Jyuuken is near useless, as your chakra system is so twisted that any sealed Tenketsu simply pop back open a moment later when you alter your bones. So, Neji is probably going to resort to the Hyuuga deathblow. He'll use Hakkeshou, Sanjyuuni Shou to seal thirty-two of your Tenketsu, then he'll finish with Hakkeshou Oiuchi to force those Tenketsu open and implode your heart."
"So, I need to stop him from attacking me." Naruto muttered. "Ano, Hinata, what are you doing?" Hinata began rummaging through the scrolls, until she finally stopped, showing him a technique.
"Karamatsu no Mai." Naruto read. "The Dance of the Larch…" Hinata nodded.
"If Neji-niisan can't strike you, he can't win." Hinata explained. "Jyuuken needs to make contact with your body to work. Neji-niisan can't use your bones as a proxy."
"I see. The problem is, can I learn it in two weeks?" Naruto asked. Hinata smiled, leaning in to his ear.
"Ano, I'm sure we can find some motivation, N-Naruto-kun." She whispered. Naruto blushed a little at her hot breath.
"Hinata, watch it." He whispered right back. "If I didn't know better… I'd say your trying to seduce me!" Suddenly, Naruto rolled onto the heiress, tickling her. She retaliated in kind.
It wasn't until much later they had stopped and decided that they were probably better off leaving their training to the next day.

"Hinata-sama." Neji spat as he walked past. "Hiashi-sama requests your presence." Hinata sighed. Apparently the sight of the girl who had refused to fight him in favour for staying with Naruto was too much.
"Arigatou, Neji-niisan." She replied, as she nimbly made her way through the halls. On the way, she passed her little sister, Hanabi, who was brazenly chasing down a branch family child, the pair laughing as children should. Gently knocking at the door to her father's office, she let herself in and bowed.
"Otou-sama." She whispered. Hiashi stared at her, before amusement spread over his face.
"No stutter this time, Hinata?" He asked. Hinata blushed as the realisation finally dawned on her.
'I've stopped stuttering?' She wondered as she spoke up. "No, Otou-sama."
"I wonder if that's a good or a bad thing." Hiashi muttered, his fingers drumming a small stack of papers. "These papers are copies of the reports you have sent to the Hokage, Hinata. What I have found there, I must say, is rather interesting." Hinata couldn't help the feeling of dread that washed over her.
'Is he going to take me away from Naruto-kun?' She thought. Hiashi seemed to guess what was on her mind.
"Take a seat, Hinata-chan." He stated. "We are alone here. You may speak your mind."
"Are you… reassigning me?" Hinata asked. Hiashi shook his head.
"No, not at all." He replied. "You may be a failure as a Hyuuga, as far as the council is concerned, but your skills as a ninja are impressive. No, what interests me are some of your analysis in these reports. In report 4, paragraph 7 you mention that you believe the Shikotsumyaku is an overriding bloodline trait. I want you to explain."
"Ano… From my examining of the Kaguya history and my guesses of Naruto-kun's parentage, I can only determine that the Shikotsumyaku only appears in Kaguya children that have been exposed to other bloodlines." Hinata explained. "According to the family history, over the last one hundred years only twenty three Kaguya have ever possessed the Shikotsumyaku. Of those twenty-three, not including Naruto-kun, twenty have clearly traceable parents possessing a Kekkai Genkai other then the Shikotsumyaku, whilst the last three have debateable parentage. I have talked to Naruto-kun's doctor, and he believes that my analysis is the only valid explanation. Naruto-kun must come from a clan."
"Hmm… He does not, Hinata-chan. I am aware of Naruto's parentage, and he does not come from a clan. However, his father did possess an ability that could be likened to a Kekkai Genkai. Perhaps that minor genetic deformity was enough to set the overriding trait off." Hiashi mused. "This is troubling information, Hinata-chan. Be careful who you share it with. There are those on the council that would seek to wield Naruto's Kekkai Genkai as a weapon. In report 6, paragraph 11; you mention that Naruto does not have a natural aptitude for using his Kekkai Genkai. Please, explain this as well."
"Otou-sama, t-the Shikotsumyaku's Jutsu are all labelled Dances. For that reason, I determined that the user must need flexibility and balance to use them. This analysis was proven today when Naruto-kun accidentally created a bone spike whilst… performing Jyuuken Kata 6." Hinata finished at a whisper. Hiashi shrugged off the divulging of Hyuuga secrets, though.
"Interesting. Whilst he can create them instinctively, whilst actually learning the techniques he has to learn from scratch, like the Sharingan…" Hiashi muttered to himself. "Perhaps… Hinata, what exactly can this Shikotsumyaku do?"
"Ano… Naruto-kun won't explain it, but from what I can gather, it allows him to manipulate bones." She started.
"That's obvious, Hinata…" Hiashi interrupted. Hinata shrugged, continuing.
"In addition, it seems he has accelerated bone regrowth and cell reproduction, particularly when using the Shikotsumyaku Dances. He never shows sign of injury, even after splitting his palm open. I'm not sure, but I think he may be able to manipulate bone growth within other bodies as well, to the regular human standard. If someone broke a bone, I believe he could fix it without a medical Ninjutsu." She finished. "That's all I know, Otou-sama."
"Very well. Continue your mission watching over Naruto. If any complications arise, see the Hokage or me." Hiashi said. Hinata nodded.
"Hai, Otou-sama." She replied. Hiashi smiled.
"Good luck, Hinata-chan." He whispered as she left the office, returning to the reports she had written.

A week later…

"Karamatsu no Mai!" Naruto cried, watching the bones sprout from his arm, turning it into a miniature porcupine. "I got it, Hinata."
"Ano, it needs to be faster. Maybe you need more chakra?" She asked. Naruto shook his head.
"I'm using more then enough chakra. It's not moving fast enough." He replied. Hinata's eyes went wide as she realised the problem, control.
"Have you mastered the tree climbing exercise?" Hinata asked. Naruto nodded, as the bones returned to their place under his skin.
"Hai." He replied simply.
"Water walking?" Hinata pressed. Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"What's water walking?" He asked. Hinata smiled.
"Meet me at the Hyuuga compound in half an hour." She stated. "And bring something you don't mind getting wet." Before Naruto could say a word, she was gone.
"Jesus, who is she and what happened to the old shy Hinata?" He wondered briefly, as he began to make his way to his apartment. It didn't take long for him to grab an old jumpsuit before heading to the Hyuuga manor. It didn't really surprise him that she was out the front of the compound, waiting for him, when he arrived.
"This way, Naruto-kun." She called, waving for him to follow her. Naruto shook his head and follow, as Hinata led him to the bathhouse.
"Uh, Hinata…" Naruto spoke up, as she walked in. With a sigh, he followed, too.
The bathhouse was empty. He was somewhat thankful for that.
"Ano, Naruto-kun, this one." Hinata called from a small spring across the room. Naruto dutifully walked over, a frown finding its way to his face.
The spring was steaming… Naruto had a feeling this wasn't going to end well. Hinata gave him a small smile as she took off her sandals, before stepping out onto the water. Unlike an ordinary human being, she didn't sink. Instead, she stood on the surface, a small blue light resonating from each of her feet.
"Water walking is similar to tree climbing, Naruto-kun." Hinata explained. "Except the chakra needed to stay afloat changes constantly." Naruto cocked his head to the side, tentatively putting a foot on the water and applying chakra. He slowly put more pressure on it until all of his weight was on it, the blue aura holding him afloat. With a grin, he took another step.
He didn't even make it halfway through the step when he fell face first into the water. With a cry of pain, Naruto shot back out of the water, red as a lobster.
"You knew…" He accused, pointing a finger at Hinata as she giggled. "You knew that water was boiling!"
"Ano, Kurenai-sensei told us when we were learning that hot water was the best incentive to learn." Hinata replied. "The sooner you learn the exercise, the sooner you stop getting burned." With that, Hinata sat down on the waters surface, smiling, as Naruto went for another try. It failed as badly as his first.
"This is going to take a while." She whispered to herself, stifling a giggle with her hand as Naruto shot out of the water. "Ano, try more chakra, Naruto-kun." Naruto obeyed, and didn't even make the first step when the water shot up around him, scolding him anyway.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Naruto howled, jumping back. "Hinata!"
"Not too much, Naruto-kun." She explained. "Too much, and the water will blow up at you. Too little, and you will fall right through. Find the middle." Naruto groaned, trying again. Hinata sighed, a small smile on her face.
This really was going to take a while.

Day of the Chunin exams…

"Okay, Naruto-kun, show me one more time." Hinata called, watching Naruto fly through the few dances he had learned over the month. Naruto sighed as he gracefully spun full circle, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Karamatsu no Mai!" Naruto cried, bone spikes erupting from his entire body, turning him into a living porcupine. He spun twice, allowing the bones to disintegrate as he flexed his fingers, two bone swords popping out of his shoulders.
"Tsubaki no Mai!" Naruto cried again, ripping the swords out easily as he lunged at a tree trunk, piercing it through with several stabs before performing a set of exquisite cuts, finally finishing by impaling the twin bone swords deep into the trunk. Leaping backwards, he landed in a crouch, swinging his arms about in front of him.
"Teshi Sendan!" Each swing sent a barrage of bone bullets at the tree trunk, which was beginning to show signs of wear, the sides splintering and peeling off in strips. Naruto finished with a charge, revelling in what had become his favourite Dance.
"Yanagi no Mai!" He cried for the last time, as a pair of bone blades shot from his hands, as he sliced straight through the tree trunk, reappearing on the other side. To a civilian's eye, it looked like Naruto had teleported, but Hinata was no civilian. Her eyes could pick up movement far better then any Genin in her year, except perhaps Neji, although neither had been inclined to find out.
Most ninja would have assumed Naruto had gone around the tree trunk, slicing deep into it, but in reality, she had seen his two slashes go right through it, before using a quick application of the battle version of the Shunshin, Shunpo, to appear behind it. She also knew that, in a fight, Naruto probably would have followed up with the Karamatsu no Mai.
The tree wavered a little, before falling down to the side, giving Hinata a clear view of the once blond now white haired boy, who turned and looked at her with a small smile on his face. If one didn't know what to look for, they would have thought he hadn't broken a sweat, but Hinata could see the slight squinting of his eyes.
He was slightly winded. Not tired, and certainly not exhausted, but he was slightly winded. The disease was taking a greater effect on him then she thought.
"How was that, Hinata?" He asked. "Think you can let me take on your cousin, now?"
"Don't get cocky, Naruto-kun." She replied, smiling as she tapped his shoulder. "Neji-niisan might not make it to the finals."
"If he doesn't, then my fight will be quick." Naruto replied. "He's the only person who has a chance of getting there remotely fresh." Hinata smiled, holding her hands behind her back as she stared at him.
"Well, Naruto-kun, let's go. The finals start in fifteen minutes." She called. Naruto chuckled in reply, replacing his arms in the sleeves of his kimono.
"Well, then, Hinata lead on." He replied, following the heiress as the pair made their way to the village, and the exams.
'I have a bad feeling about this. Something feels like that snake.' He thought absently. In his cage, the Kyuubi stirred slightly.
'A monkey fighting a snake amongst the leaves, how interesting.' He mused, before closing its eyes again. He would bide his time and wait. He had all the time in the world.
But first, he needed to figure out what the hell that disease was.

Jutsu Glossary

Shunpo no Jutsu (Flash Steps Technique), Original
C-rank Chakra Control/Ninjutsu hybrid, 0-5 metres
The combat variant of Shunshin, allowing someone to literally vanish in a blur of motion. No one truly understands how the technique works anymore, though. All anyone can identify is that it allows someone to more or less teleport to another location, although disappearance and reappearance times vary depending on the chakra control of the user. It is rumoured that the Yondaime Hokage may have succeeded in deconstructing the technique, although, if he did, he didn't go public with it.
Basis: Honestly, the concept of this came from playing too much Ninja STORM, where several Ninja are clearly capable of something to this description (actually, just about every adult in the game uses what I've dubbed this as). Unfortunately, it wouldn't make sense to call this Shunshin, because that would imply a certain mastery over the technique several characters simply do not have (particularly Lee, who can't even use Ninjutsu. He's fast, I know, but he's not THAT much faster then the other characters with his weights on. Kimimaro is another example, since he has never even demonstrated the possibility of knowing Shunshin. Granted, he wasn't around long, but still…). The name came from reading too many other Naruto fanfics that use Shunpo as a descriptor of a technique allowing one to move at a faster speed then usual. I believe Shunpo itself came from Bleach, where the Shinigami displayed something akin to supersonic speed, but that's neither here nor there.

Jyuuken (Gentle Fist)
Un-ranked Taijutsu style
The clan fighting style used by the Hyuuga, it works by delivering palm and finger strikes to the 361 Tenketsu's housed in the human body, sealing them with chakra and preventing the enemy from utilising them in Jutsu. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, a Byakugan that has reached a certain level of maturity is required to use Jyuuken, or the practitioner will not even see the Tenketsu, and will have to fight blind. This style is relatively useless on bearers of the Shikotsumyaku due to their changed body structure, which forces all Tenketsu open the moment they alter the composition of their bones. It is also useless on anyone who knows the In'yu Shometsu, due to the insane speed of which they can force their bodies to heal.

Hakkeshou, Sanjyuuni Shou (Eight Trigrams, Thirty Two Palms)
Un-ranked Taijutsu, 0-5 metres
A Hyuuga clan secret and the watered down version of Hakkeshou, Rokujyuuyon Shou. Using the Byakugan and his own speed, a Hyuuga can strike 32 of the 361 Tenketsu of the human body within seconds. Due to the secret Hakke symbol created by this technique, it is almost impossible for the target to muster enough will to dodge. The whole technique, on average, takes about 4 seconds to complete. Masters can do so in significantly less time.

Hakkeshou Oiuchi (Eight Trigrams Final Blow), Original
Un-ranked Taijutsu, 0-5 metres
One of the Hyuuga's most closely guarded secrets, due to its rather widespread use within the clan. Due to its properties of instantly killing others, it was given the nickname Hyuuga Deathblow. It works by forcing open the Tenketsu's of the target with a large jet of your own chakra, which, instead of bursting out of the opened Tenketsu, would be redirected back into the target. Whilst rather useless if less then ten Tenketsu were sealed, the Jutsu becomes very dangerous when twenty or more are sealed. If too much chakra re-enters the body, it is sourced to the heart, which then implodes. Unlike other technique's, this Jutsu requires the Tenketsu over the targets heart to be open for the strike.
Basis: Based off a similar Jutsu found in Frankto's Naruto D20 Source book, although this one becomes deadlier much faster. It always struck me odd that, for such a dangerous fighting style, there was never an instant kill move. Sealing Tenketsu is all well and good, but nothing to really fear if you're a Taijutsu user, where speed is more important then chakra. This gives Neji a plausible way to defeat Lee every single time they battle, cause, let's face it, Neji has no chance against that sort of skill without some trump card (remembering that he's only just learnt the Kaiten and Rokujyuuyon Shou).

Karamatsu no Mai (Dance of the Larch)
Un-ranked Kekkai Genkai (Shikotsumyaku), 0-5 metres
Quite literally the ultimate defence against Taijutsu, the Karamatsu no Mai causes the user to sprout bone spikes all over their body, like branches of a tree, making it impossible to attack them without being skewered. The user can even spin rapidly after growing the spikes, shredding any that are misfortunate enough to be too close. Personally, this is my second favourite dance.

Yanagi no Mai (Dance of the Willow)
Un-ranked Kekkai Genkai (Shikotsumyaku), 0-5 metres
The Dance of the Willow is unlike both the Dance of the Clematis and the Dance of the Camellia. Instead of removing his bones from his body, Naruto turns them into long blades that extend out past his palms. Similar blades can, with a little practice, protrude from the elbows and knees, as well. Unlike the Dance of the Camellia, this technique forms the basis of all Taijutsu techniques used by a bearer of the Shikotsumyaku. This is my personal favourite. I recon it just looks amazing when Kimimaro uses it. If Lee weren't a freakin' speed nut, he'd probably be dead (although I do believe he was drunk at the time, so that might have something to do with it)

Well, that's a wrap. For the record, before anyone says anything about Naruto being overpowered, here are the Jutsu he can perform with a 100% chance of success and no harmful drawbacks:
Kage Bunshin, Henge, Yanagi no May, Karamatsu no Mai, Tsubaki no Mai, Teshi Sendan, Shunpo, and Kawarimi.
He has by no means mastered anything. In fact, he cannot even consciously use the Tessenka no Mai anymore (nor would he want to, for now). For Naruto, it's literally been one step forward, two steps back…
Heh, even poor little Kyuubi has no idea what the hell the disease in Naruto is. I almost feel sorry for the poor bugger.
… Almost.
… Honestly, I didn't like writing the council scene. It seems… a little stiff… I've always imagined that Hiruzen would simply tell off the council the instant they object to his will, but in the Manga, it seems to be nothing like that. I'm not sure… I think I'll redo it at a later date, when I actually know what a council meeting should look like. Any ideas?
On the other hand, I really liked the scenes between Naruto and Hinata. Honestly, writing a shy Hinata's pretty damn difficult, so I decided to try for a meeker one. Mind you, the last paragraph serves only one purpose; to show off what Naruto spent the last three weeks learning.
You know, it's also occurred to me that people might think I'm positioning Naruto to be cured after fighting Kimimaro and bringing Tsunade to Konoha. Here's a question that I have to ask you, though.
Is the disease curable? Did I ever say it was?
I'll leave you to stew over that…
Now that I look back, as I start chapter 5, it occurs to me that, despite being at similar stages of the disease, Kimimaro and Naruto are capable of different levels of exercise. If nothing else, attribute this to the Kyuubi. The poor bastard is trying everything in his power to stop the disease, but simply has no idea what he's doing. Beyond prolonging Naruto's life, he really can't do anything. Unlike Naruto, Kimimaro really can't do anything without needing rather extensive treatment afterwards.