Author's Note: Here is the second chapter of Konoha's Arctic Fox. Thank you for the reviews so far. I'm quite surprised to get some favorites and alerts already! It makes me a happy writer :) I was able to get this chapter done as fast as I did since I began this story during my Spring Break. I'm about 1/3 of the way finished with the rough draft of chapter 3 right now.
The romantic interest is introduced in this chapter. It is not a common pairing, but I think it will work well with how I want the story to go. I hope you all agree. Also, I have other plans for Tenten later in the story. The comment about her romantic interest is more humor than what will actually occur.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Konoha's Arctic Fox
Chapter Two: Training and Meetings
The trip back to Konoha from their mission was rather tame compared to what Team 7 had dealt with in the last month. Without a civilian to escort they were able to travel much faster, but Sakura did have problems keeping the pace Kakashi set for very long. Sasuke spent most of the trip glaring at Naruto, with Sakura fawning over the last loyal Uchiha. They were even more angry at Naruto after they found out he was going to wear part of Haku's mask during missions. Kakashi had to keep his own team from fighting each other. Naruto spent the evenings working with Kubikiri Houchou and Yukiko, trying to spend as much time away from his teammates as possible. He rarely slept, the nightmares were too horrible. At the moment Naruto was taking a break until Yukiko led him away from camp to talk with him.
"Naruto-kun? It isn't my place but something has made me worried about you." Yukiko told Naruto, concern evident in her voice.
"What is it Yukiko-chan? You know you can tell me anything." Naruto said, wondering what Yukiko was worried about.
"I know you aren't sleeping. I can tell you left something out when you talked with Kakashi that bothered you." Yukiko said, surprising Naruto.
"I... it's just, I don't want to worry anyone. I thought I could deal with it myself, but it seems I can't. Every time I sleep I just see... what I did." whispered Naruto, hoping Yukiko would still stay with him after this.
"Tell me Naruto-kun, what happened?" Yukiko inquired, hoping she could help her companion.
"On... on the bridge, Kyuubi influenced my emotions. There were so many thugs there. I... oh Kami-sama, I killed so many of them. No, I slaughtered them. I... enjoyed it." Naruto explained, ready for Yukiko to say she hated him.
"Oh Naruto-kun, you poor thing. It isn't your fault. You were possessed by the blood lust of the Kyuubi. Do you... do you want me to stay by you when you sleep? It might help with your nightmares." Yukiko asked, now realizing how fragile the boy in front of her was at the moment.
"...thank you Yukiko-chan" Naruto whispered. He still blamed himself, he doubt he ever would not. Yukiko staying his friend meant so much to him though. She would stay by his side, even if he was a monster.
"I know it's hard Naruto-kun, but you will get through this. It just won't be on your own." Yukiko told the boy she was so worried about. She really wanted the best for her companion. The fox knew that her words would not be enough to truly help him. Probably the only thing that would make him realize it was not his fault would be the true love of another.
'I am so thankful I have Yukiko-chan. Sasuke and Sakura don't care about me, but Yukiko-chan truly cares. Before I met her, I never really noticed how many problems our team had. I was the idiot who couldn't form a strategy beforehand and only used mass Kagebunshin to make up for it. Sasuke only cares about himself and the rest of us could die for all he cared. Sakura only cares for Sasuke, and doesn't give a damn about me. It's kind of amazing we lived through that mission actually.' reflected Naruto.
The boy gave a resigned sigh towards his fate of having an almost impossible team to work with. He was pretty sure no matter how many teamwork drills Kakashi-sensei put Team 7 through it would not change anything. His trust in Sasuke was also irreparably shaken.
The next morning after some more traveling, they saw in the distance the massive gates that marked the entrance to Konoha. The group sped up at the sight, eager to get home. Two Chuunin guards were waiting for them at the gates.
"Halt. State your name and business in Konoha." one of the two guards asked of Team 7.
"Hatake Kakashi and Genin Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto returning from an escort mission." Kakashi told the guards whose eyes narrowed at the mention of Naruto.
"Alright. We just need to see your identification and you are free to enter." the other guard ordered.
Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke had no problems with their identification. Naruto however, did not look like he used to, and the guards didn't like the idea of letting that fox into Konoha.
"You are not Uzumaki Naruto, and what are you doing bringing that into Konoha. Have you no respect?" demanded the first guard. He had hated the demon brat for what it did to his family. He thought the brat found another fox demon to help destroy Konoha.
Naruto expected something like this, but he was mad that they were so blind with hate to take it out on an innocent Yukiko.
"I am indeed Uzumaki Naruto. During the mission I activated a bloodline that changed me physically. Also I would appreciate it if you were not hostile towards Yukiko-chan." Naruto told the guard, trying to stay as calm as possible. Yukiko had been working on him keeping a level head in a hostile situation.
"Why you brat..." the Chuunin growled.
Kakashi chose that moment to step in and prevent Naruto from getting into any trouble.
"My student is correct. We will head to the Hokage immediately to give a report on our mission and update Naruto's identification. Also, you will find your hatred very misplaced on Yukiko. Do not make me report of this incident to the Hokage as well." Kakashi warned the two Chuunin. He would not put up with harassment towards one of his subordinates on his watch.
The guards let them in after that. The last thing they wanted was the Hokage to be mad at them. Team 7 traveled by hopping on the roofs of buildings to avoid any civilians for Naruto and Yukiko's sake. In a few minutes they were in the Hokage Tower. The Hokage was obviously expecting them as they were let right in to see the Sandaime Hokage.
If the Hokage was surprised at Naruto's new look he didn't show it.
"Welcome back Team 7. I assume your mission was... interesting?" the aged Hokage asked.
Kakashi stepped forward to give his mission report. He left most of the details out though, such as details about Naruto using the fox's chakra and the berserker state he entered afterwards. The Hokage dismissed Sakura and Sasuke, keeping Kakashi, Naruto, and Yukiko behind.
"Now then. What exactly happened on the bridge?" the Hokage asked again, expecting more answers this time.
Naruto explained his meeting with the fox, his new bloodline, obtaining Zabuza's sword, and meeting Yukiko. The Hokage was worried about the fox gaining temporary control of Naruto but his inspection of the seal proved that it was not damaged in any way.
"Very well then. Obviously these details are an S-class secret that should not be shared Kakashi. Naruto, I forbid you as Hokage from drawing on the Kyuubi's chakra. As for your friend Yukiko here, I will go ahead and register her as an animal companion similar to the dogs of the Inuzuka. I have a spare Konoha hitai-ate for her to wear if she wants to. Hopefully seeing she is a registered animal companion will help prevent any open hostility towards her. Come back tomorrow to update your registration. Also stop by the animal hospital near the Inuzuka compound today, Yukiko will need to have a medical exam before I can register her. Dismissed." the Hokage ordered, although he was very concerned for Naruto. He thought of the jinchuuriki like a grandson.
Naruto and Kakashi bowed and left. Naruto tied the new hitai-ate around Yukiko's neck and went off to complete his many tasks before tomorrow. First, he needed new clothes. He was still wearing the shredded remnants of his old clothes since he could not find any others that fit and his skills at repairing clothes went as far as just minor tears. He also needed to find someone to teach him how to use his new weapon. If he could find some books on seals that would be good too. He had Kubikiri Houchou in a storage scroll that Kakashi let him borrow but he would like to learn how to do his own seals. Then, a trip to the veterinarian for Yukiko-chan.
Hopping from roof to roof with Yukiko the two companions made their way to the shopping district. He motioned for Yukiko to stay up on the roof out of sight. The jinchuuriki felt bad leaving her there, but he did not want to be kicked out of the shop. Planning to take advantage of his new appearance, he covered up his whisker marks with some cloth he kept from the remains of his old clothes. Satisfied that no one could recognize him he jumped down and entered the shop. He was greeted by the owner, who would have thrown him out of the shop had he known who he was greeting.
"Hey there. I just returned from a mission and my clothes were pretty much destroyed. Could you show me where I could find the clothes my size?" Naruto asked of the shop keeper.
"Sure thing sir. Right this way!" the portly man said, glad to have a new customer.
The blue-haired boy browsed through the various clothes on the racks. He wanted a brand new look to match his new physical appearance. The first thing he picked out was several sleeveless fishnet undershirts. To go with those he found a dark blue vest with a white fur collar around the neck. The pockets would be useful to carry the scrolls he planned on learning to make. For pants he found some ANBU style pants that were the same color as the vest. Black shinobi sandals were picked for footwear, with several rolls of white martial arts tape for wrappings. The final item he found were two white weapon pouches to replace his old ones. Happy with his choices, he went to the counter and paid the man. Now he needed weapons.
Next door to the clothing store was a weapons shop that normally would only sell him blunt kunai at ridiculous prices. He quickly grabbed several sets of high quality kunai, shuriken, and senbon. His studies in anatomy and Haku's skill with senbon convinced the jinchuuriki that they could be very useful in disabling opponents with proper aim. All he needed now was practice. After paying normal prices for his new throwing weapons he returned to Yukiko to take his purchases back to his apartment. Hopefully it hadn't been destroyed while he was gone. Luckily it hadn't, receiving only some graffiti and a broken window.
Yukiko was disgusted with how Naruto was treated in his village. He was one of the nicest people she had ever met. Her companion treated her with respect and she could trust him to protect her with his life. She laid down for a nap while Naruto went to take a shower. The boy enjoyed his few moments of relaxation in the shower before drying himself off and changing into his new clothes.
Naruto looked at himself in the mirror and thought he looked like a true shinobi now. He had wrapped the tape around the shins of his blue ANBU pants, as well as over his stomach to hide the fox's seal. Over the tape he wore the fishnet undershirt, and blue vest. Attached to each thigh was one of his new weapon pouches, the left filled with senbon and the right containing kunai and shuriken. In one of the pockets on his vest was the scroll containing Kubikiri Houchou. His hitai-ate was tied loosely around his neck like Yukiko's. On his face was what remained of Haku's mask, his ice blue spiky bangs falling slightly forward from their weight. Satisfied with his new look, he and Yukiko sped off to try and find the girl who he hoped could teach him to use his sword.
Pushing chakra into his nose, he searched for the scent of steel, oil, and strawberries. Nobody else had a scent similar to his only friend from the orphanage. He picked up her scent and found her and her team training. The demon container was rather disturbed by the two ninja wearing green spandex outfits. The boy in white seemed to notice his arrival and turned to face him and Yukiko.
"Who is there? Show yourselves!" the boy with white eyes called out. Naruto noticed he had similar eyes to the weird shy girl in his class. He wondered if they were related.
Naruto and Yukiko jumped down from the tree they were hiding in and walked over to the group training.
"Hey guys. Sorry to interrupt but I was looking for Tenten. I need to talk to her about something." the jinchuuriki told to the group to explain his presence.
The Genin's sensei who Naruto had instantly dubbed Super Fuzzy Eyebrows to match the mini version of him, Fuzzy Eyebrows, walked up to speak with Naruto.
"YOSH! YOU MAY SPEAK TO MY MOST YOUTHFUL STUDENT TENTEN! THE FLAMES OF YOUTH MUST BURN BRIGHTLY WITHIN YOU IF YOU KNOW ONE OF MY YOUTHFUL STUDENTS!" shouted the spandex clad adult, confusing Naruto and Yukiko greatly. They translated his speech to 'Hello. Feel free to speak to Tenten. A friend of hers is a friend of mine.'
After recovering from the deafening noise, the two companions walked over to greet Tenten.
"Hey Ten-chan. Miss me?" the demon container asked his old acquaintance.
"Who the hell are you?! Only one person can call me that and you aren't him!" asked Tenten, two kunai quickly appearing into her hands. They would leave her hands and make their way into this guy in front of her if she didn't like his answer.
"Put the kunai down Ten-chan. It's me, Naruto. I kinda activated a bloodline on my last mission and it made me look a bit different." explained Naruto, trying to calm Tenten down. He remembered Tenten's fiery temper.
"Really? Prove it." the weapons mistress demanded.
Naruto gave her his fox grin and walked over to her.
"Back in the orphanage I caught you kissing a picture of Tsunade-sama." he whispered into her ear.
Tenten blushed a deep red, which no one who had worked with Tenten knew was possible with her. Whatever this Naruto guy said to her must have been extremely embarrassing.
"O-okay it's you. What do you want Naruto-kun?" Tenten inquired, amazed Naruto remembered that incident. Was it really her fault she really really liked her idol?
"Well... uh... I was wondering if you could teach me how to use a sword?" the boy asked, rubbing the back of his head.
"Since when did you have interest in kenjutsu? Anyways, let me see this sword of yours and I will decide if I want to teach you or not. By the way, what's with the fox?" the bun-haired girl told Naruto. She would have taught him anyway, but she was curious.
Grinning, Naruto pulled out the scroll in his vest and unsealed Kubikiri Houchou. Tenten's eyes grew extremely wide and her jaw dropped.
"Is... Is that what I t-think it is? W-where did you get th-that?!" the weapon fanatic stammered.
"This is Kubikiri Houchou. In the mission where I activated my bloodline we fought with Momochi Zabuza, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He died in the final fight and his dying wish was for me to use his sword. After that I met Yukiko-chan here, she liked me enough to come back to Konoha with me as my companion." explained the blue-haired boy.
"Oh Kami-sama! I can't believe I'm standing next to the zanbato of the Momochi Zabuza! I can't believe he gave it to you. That settles it though, I am teaching you. I can't let you embarrass swordsmen everywhere by not knowing how to use the Kubikiri Houchou." shouted Tenten. Only she could get that excited about a sword.
"Thanks so much Ten-chan! I'll work as hard as I can. I know you are a slave driver." Naruto chuckled, remembering when she taught him how to throw kunai. He was lucky he healed fast.
Tenten playfully bopped him on the head, although she had to jump to do so with Naruto's new height. The weapon mistress missed Naruto's antics from before he was kicked out of the orphanage and missed him as well. They didn't talk much after he left the orphanage, but before that they were close.
"Alright then Naruto-kun. I'll work with you every morning from 7:00 to 9:00 barring I am out on a mission. Normally that's when Gai-sensei and Lee do their crazy morning routine that Neji and I skip." Tenten told her old friend. She was happy she now had a legitimate excuse to miss what Gai and Lee called 'extra training'.
Naruto sealed his sword and gave Tenten a quick hug before he and his fox companion left Team Gai to go to the library. After he left Tenten was grilled by her team about who the boy was and how she knew him. Naruto had no problems at the library since the librarian did not recognize him and was actually rather intimidated by his appearance. In the Genin section of the library he found some scrolls on chakra control exercises, seals, and senbon. After checking out the scrolls and dropping them off at his apartment, he and Yukiko arrived at their last stop for the day, the hospital near the Inuzuka compound.
The Inuzuka compound was not elegant and gaudy like the Hyuuga or Uchiha compounds, instead it was a rather humble group of moderately sized homes and large areas for the dogs the family loved so much. The smell of dog assaulted Naruto and Yukiko's noses before they even reached the compound. The animal hospital was right next door to the compound, for the convenience of the hospital's number one group of patients.
The blue-haired jinchuuriki entered the hospital to see a teenage girl sitting at the front desk. She was wearing what looked like a normal medic-nin robe with a high color. Her brown hair was done up in a ponytail, with a few bangs falling over her face. Red fang tattoos below her eyes marked her as an Inuzuka. He was glad that she was an Inuzuka, she would understand more about Yukiko and his relationship better than anyone else.
Inuzuka Hana was rather bored working her shift at the animal hospital. She loved being a veterinarian, but at the moment she had no patients. Kami-sama seemed to answer her prayers in the form of a tall, blue-haired shinobi walking in the front door with what looked like... a Snow Fox?
"Umm... hello?" the mysterious shinobi said, removing her from her musings.
"Wha..? Oh! Hello! My name is Inuzuka Hana, what can I help you with?" she introduced herself, mad she was being rude already.
"According to Hokage-ojiji, Yukiko-chan here needs to have a check up before she can be registered as my companion." the man told her. Now she was interested.
"Companion?" she asked.
"Ya, I met Yukiko-chan here while out on a mission. She told me that she wanted to be a nin-fox, and asked to be my companion. You know, like your family has dog companions." he said, like it was the most normal thing in the world to be able to understand animals. Well to the Inuzuka clan he supposed it was.
"She told you? You can understand her?" Hana asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Yup. She can be pretty chatty when it is just me around, and opinionated. She hates my teammates." he said, rubbing the back of his head and showing a smile that looked like it belonged more on his companion than him.
"This is exciting! I've never met someone other than an Inuzuka who has an animal companion. So she needs a checkup? Do you or her know when she last had her shots?" the Inuzuka heiress asked. She was probably being a little too energetic, but this guy was just full of surprises.
A few yips later and the man answered for the fox, "It seems since her last owner was always on the move in secluded areas he never took her to get a checkup. Also she hates needles, something about being traumatized by when her last owner started learning to use senbon." At this the fox glared at him.
She giggled a bit before responding, "Alright then. Follow me and we will get her all set." the veterinarian said, motioning for the two to follow.
The two ninja and the fox walked through a few hallways before entering an examination room.
"I suppose we should start with your vaccinations. I'm not going to lie Yukiko, this will probably hurt." After she said this the shinobi immediately put his hand in front of Yukiko.
"If you want Yukiko-chan, you can bite down on my hand. Since you hate shots, this way you can get back at me for making you get them! You know how fast I heal so don't worry about me." he offered to his companion.
Hana had never met someone who treated their companion so well. This guy was offering to let a fox bite on his hand! They must have an extremely strong bond, but he said they met on a mission. How long had they known each other?
"That is really nice of you... I just realized I never got your name! I'm sorry. By the way, how long have you two known each other? You seem really close." she asked, not really sure why she kept messing up around him. She had been working at the hospital for over a year now. Things should be routine.
"Oh sorry! I am Uzumaki Naruto. Yukiko-chan and I met about two weeks ago, but she is probably the only real friend I have..." the man said, becoming quiet at the end, so only Yukiko heard, as the Inuzuka heiress was currently busy focusing on what he said before that.
'Two weeks? TWO WEEKS?!' She thought, absolutely stunned.
This was something special, for a bond like that to form in such a ridiculously short amount of time. Naruto just kept surprising her more and more. Naruto... that name sounded familiar. Then it hit her. Naruto was the orphan kid in her little brother Kiba's class at the Academy. Her little brother was always talking about how the orphan prankster Naruto was the dead last of his class, despite Kiba's grades not exactly being something inspiring. This Naruto and Kiba's Naruto seemed like polar opposites. She then realized she was just staring at him.
"Sorry! I guess I was just surprised about how close you are when you haven't known each other long at all. I'll get started then." Hana said, grabbing some syringes to give Yukiko her shots.
Several whimpers and bitten hands later, the examination was finished.
"All done! Yukiko is perfectly healthy. I'll send her paperwork to the Hokage's office when I get off my shift. Come again!" she said bowing.
"Thanks so much Hana-san! Come on Yukiko-chan, lets go catch you a rabbit before we head home." Yukiko yipped in approval, while Inuzuka Hana watched as one of the most interesting men she had ever met leave her sight.
The next day after training with Tenten, Naruto and Yukiko arrived at the Hokage Tower to update their registration. Afterwards the two companions designed a training schedule for the both of them. He would meet Tenten at 7:00 in the morning to train with her for two hours. After that he would study seals, anatomy, and practice senbon throwing at Team 7's training ground waiting for Kakashi-sensei to arrive. They would complete the D-rank mission for the day before eating lunch and then taijutsu and teamwork training with Yukiko for three hours. Following that would be two hours of chakra control training, and then dinner. After dinner Naruto would learn and practice jutsu from Zabuza's scroll and Haku's bloodline scroll. Naruto was only able to maintain this schedule thanks to his massive stamina.
Naruto was rather pleased with how his training was going. He was progressing extremely fast and proved great aptitude with ninjutsu. After three months he was progressing very well in the kenjutsu style Tenten was teaching him. The style was the Nadare style and was based on using the massive weight of Kubikiri Houchou to deal fast, hard to block strikes. His chakra control had improved to water walking levels that he could maintain for the full two hours. With senbon he could pierce pressure points and targets to incapacitate an opponent quickly. Yukiko and the jinchuuriki worked together better than ever. Naruto had learned Suiton: Suijinheki, Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu, Suiton: Suirou no Jutsu, Hyoton: Sensatsu Suishou, and Hyoton: Makyou Hyou Shou adequately, but could only use Suiton: Suijinheki and Hyoton: Sensatsu Suishou repeatedly. He was now working on using the jutsu with one handed hand seals as well as learning Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu, plus mastering the jutsu he had already learned. It was hard to efficiently use his jutsu since the fox made his chakra control so bad, but it was slowly getting better. He didn't really do anything else other than eat, sleep, and train.
The blue-haired jinchuuriki was currently in his apartment working on an idea for a new jutsu involving his bloodline with Yukiko.
"Hmm... My short range potential is rather low except for my sword, any ideas Yuki-chan?" he asked, hoping his companion could come up with something better than he could.
"Well, you could make ice claws to increase your damage with taijutsu." Yukiko suggested, not realizing what bringing claws up would do.
Naruto froze for a moment. The last time he had claws... No, he couldn't dwell on that any more. Those were claws guided by Kyuubi. This would be totally different, and it was actually a good idea.
Before Yukiko would worry about him he spoke up, "Maybe I could make some claws out of ice. I don't feel cold or receive effects of low temperatures anymore so I wouldn't have to worry about frostbite, but my enemies would be hurt by both the claws and the cold. Now to just be able to create the claws with raw elemental manipulation before finding the proper hand signs to mold the chakra. Great idea Yuki-chan!"
While learning to use one handed hand seals Naruto learned the inner workings of hand seals. Hand seals were shortcuts to manipulating chakra in a specific manner. If he could create a new jutsu using manual manipulation he could find what hand seals molded chakra in the same pattern to easily activate the jutsu in the future. Satisfied with his plans for the new jutsu, Naruto gathered the materials to finally replace the scroll containing Kubikiri Houchou.
Naruto's study in seals had advanced quickly as well and was ready to attempt his most advanced project yet, a blood activated storage seal on his left wrist. He cut his wrist with a kunai to get a decent amount of blood into a bowl before the fox closed the wound for him. Ink was mixed in and the aspiring seal maker painted the kanji ring that made up a storage seal onto his wrist. In the middle of the ring he put the kanji for 'Sword'. Once he double-checked his work to make sure everything was perfect, he pushed chakra into the seal to permanently bond it to his skin. Now he just had to test his work. Naruto wiped some blood on both the seal and Kubikiri Houchou before pushing chakra into the seal. With a puff of smoke Kubikiri Houchou disappeared. Pleased with himself, Naruto went to bed smiling.
Over the next few weeks Naruto's progress with the jutsu he was inventing was very good. After three weeks he was able to create slightly curved ice claws that could change in length by putting or taking out some chakra flowing through them. The ice wielder found them extremely sharp and strong enough to not break easily. After a few days of studying how the chakra molded when he made the claws, he had found the proper series of hand seals to activate the jutsu. Uzumaki Naruto's first original jutsu, Hyoton: Tsurara Tsume was finished.
At Yukiko's insistence Naruto began creating a new fighting style to utilize his claws. Always proud of his unpredictability he worked on a fighting style that centered on quick claw swipes before backing away. He depended on dodging more than blocking. Thanks to his kenjutsu training with Tenten his speed had improved enough to make the style viable. Now when Naruto and Yukiko worked together it was like two vicious animals were mauling their enemy. Yukiko named it the Moujuutsume style of fighting.
Naruto and Yukiko's routine continued on strong until one fateful meeting with Kakashi-sensei.
"Yo. Sorry I'm late but I was getting your applications to the Chuunin Exams. Here ya go. If you wish to participate go to Room 301 in the Academy this Friday at 8:00. No one is forcing you to participate but I believe all of you can handle this. I'll see you at the exams!" the lazy Jounin sensei told his students, eager to get back to reading his smut.
After handing the three Genin their applications Kakashi vanished using Shunshin. Naruto and Sasuke were both excited to get to test their skills against the other Genin, but Sakura was rather unsure of herself, but would attend anyway to impress Sasuke-kun. Naruto and Yukiko left to train more while Sakura bothered Sasuke for a date. While heading to his favorite training ground Naruto heard a kid struggling in the grip of a boy wearing a cat-like suit, kabuki makeup, a Suna hitai-ate, and a strange object wrapped in bandages on his back. In a tree near him was a kunoichi also from Suna who was yelling at him to put the boy down. Getting closer Naruto noticed the boy was Konohamaru. Naruto had met the Hokage's grandson a few weeks ago after a mission briefing. The kid insisted on beating Naruto but he mostly just annoyed him. The kid now saw Naruto as a rival for the title of Hokage. Not wanting the kid to get hurt, he interrupted before things got to serious.
"Hey Suna nin, you might want to put the Hokage's grandson down before you inadvertently cause a war between Konoha and Suna. Also the guy in the tree behind you who smells of sand and raccoon doesn't seem to happy with you." said Naruto, his eyes looking at the location of the hidden ninja.
Both Suna ninja turned to see their scary brother staring at the ninja from Konoha.
"Kankuro, you are an embarrassment to Suna. Put the boy down before I kill you. You, Konoha nin. What is your name?" the Suna ninja with a severe lack of sleep said to the Konoha ninja in front of him. His mother kept telling him to get the blood of this boy.
"Uzumaki Naruto. And you are?" Naruto asked curious who this guy was. He was very good at staying hidden. The boy almost didn't notice him except for his scent.
"Subaku no Gaara. I look forward to see you in the exams. Mother finds you... interesting." Gaara said with his ever present monotone. His siblings were afraid for this Konoha ninja's life now. Whoever Gaara's 'mother' thought was interesting never lived very long.
Kankuro released Konohamaru and the young aspiring ninja ran to safety behind Naruto. The Suna nin left and Naruto found Konohamaru's sensei to make sure he was being watched. With that done, he thought about the encounter with the Suna nin. The one called Gaara troubled him. His chakra seemed demonic, like the Kyuubi's. Could this boy have a demon sealed inside of him too? If he did, he didn't seem stable. It would be very bad if he had the power of a demon as unstable as the boy seemed. He would have to tell the Hokage about this.
Finally the day of the exams had arrived. Naruto, Yukiko, Sasuke, and Sakura had met up outside the Academy at 7:30. Team 7 entered the Academy and were at the second floor when they saw a large group of Genin outside of Room 301 being bullied by two older Genin in front of the door. Naruto saw Tenten in the group and went over to say hi.
"Oi, Ten-chan! Ready for the exams?" asked the energetic ice wielder, waving to his friend and part-time sensei.
"Oh hey Naruto-kun, hey Yukiko-chan. I'm surprised to see you here. Gai-sensei made us wait a year before entering the exams. Good luck!" Tenten said, smiling at the boy. He really was a good student, and was hoping to see him use his sword in a real battle.
"You too Ten-chan. We're gonna head upstairs since this is obviously a genjutsu. Nice idea to hide your abilities by the way." whispered Naruto to the girl. He didn't want others to know so there wouldn't be as much competition.
Naruto began moving back to his team to lead them upstairs but Sasuke decided to let his arrogance take control over his mouth again.
"Show us room 301! This is obviously a genjutsu." the Uchiha demanded with a smirk on his face. He wanted everyone to see the Uchiha clan was above a stupid genjutsu.
Naruto slapped his forehead at Sasuke's stupidity. The genjutsu dropped and the two bullies moved to attack Sasuke before being stopped by Rock Lee, who fell in love with Sakura at first sight.
"HELLO MY BEAUTIFUL YOUTHFUL FLOWER! MY NAME IS ROCK LEE AND I WILL PROTECT YOU WITH MY LIFE!" Rock Lee yelled, hoping this girl would love him back. How could she not?
"Ewww. You're weird. I love Sasuke-kun!" Sakura told the boy with the bowl cut, trying to hug her Sasuke-kun to show how in love they were, but he moved out of the way.
"YOSH! SASUKE YOU ARE A GENIUS AND I WISH TO FIGHT AGAINST YOU TO SHOW WHAT MY FLAMES OF YOUTH CAN DO!" the mini-Gai yelled out.
Tenten and Naruto both sighed at this. Lee and Gai were okay once you got used to them, but they never were friendly to your ears. Sasuke and Lee went upstairs for a quick match but were stopped by Gai-sensei's turtle summon. Team 7 finally made it to room 301 and Kakashi appeared in front of them.
"Hey Team 7. Glad you all could make it. If one of you was missing I would have had to not let you enter. Genin work in groups of three, and you need to take this exam in a group of three." the lazy Jounin explained.
Inside the room Sasuke was pounced on by Sakura's co-president of the Sasuke fan club, Yamanaka Ino. The rest of the Rookie 9 were at the exam as well. However, none of them had seen Naruto since they graduated, so they could not find him with Sasuke and Sakura.
Kiba was never one to not speak his mind and just blurted his curiosity out, "Hey, where is that blond idiot Naruto. I wanted to beat him up in the exam."
Naruto decided to have some fun, "Behind you."
The Rookie 9 slowly turned to the source of the voice to see the new and improved Naruto. No one could believe the tall intimidating ninja in front of them could be the same idiot they went to the Academy with. The white fox sitting next to him wearing a Konoha hitai-ate around her neck also confused them. Hinata fainted at the sight of Naruto, a large blush on her face. Before they could say anything a silver-haired Genin wearing glasses interrupted them.
"Hey you rookies. You might want to settle down. The guys here are not happy with you." the older Genin said while pushing up his glasses.
The Rookie 9 looked around to see that they indeed were being stared at by every Genin in the room. Kiba wanted to know who the hell this new guy was.
"Who the hell are you?" Kiba barked out, never really translating his words as they went from brain to mouth.
"My name is Yakushi Kabuto. This will be my seventh time to take the exams. They are very difficult. How about I help you out? These here are my nin-info cards. By pushing chakra into them I can show you info on any ninja in the exams. Is there anyone you would like to see?" the mysterious Genin asked. Yukiko was wary of him. This guy smelled of snakes, and she didn't like snakes.
Sasuke spoke up first, shocking most of the group who were not used to so many words from the brooding ninja.
"Rock Lee and Uzumaki Naruto." the Uchiha asked. Most were curious to what the card said about Naruto.
"Oh you know their names. That makes it easy. I'll start with Rock Lee. Rock Lee: Genin. 54 D-rank missions, and 7 C-rank. Skills are high in taijutsu with no skill at all in ninjutsu and genjutsu. Next is Uzumaki Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto: Genin. 25 D-rank missions, 1 C-rank mission, and 1 A-rank. An A rank as a Genin? Impressive. He has a bloodline he activated while on a mission. Unknown Abilities. Also unknown are skills in taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu. Has a nin-fox partner named Yukiko." the man in glasses read off the cards. Before the Rookie 9 could assault Naruto with questions the object of their curiosity spoke up.
"Subaku no Gaara." the jinchuuriki asked the silver-haired Genin. He wanted to see if maybe his suspicions about Gaara being a jinchuuriki as well could be confirmed, this Kabuto had way to much information to be a Genin.
"Hmm let me see. Subaku no Gaara: Genin. 14 D-rank missions, 8 C-rank, and 1 B-rank. Skills unknown but it says here he has come back from every mission unharmed." read Kabuto. He didn't really give Naruto the information he wanted but it did make him eager to find out for himself. The information this Genin had on him also potentially indicated that he was a spy, since he never told anyone about the C-rank mission pay he received for stopping Mizuki. Only the Hokage, Iruka, and himself knew about it.
"I see. I'll be looking forward to facing him in battle. I always enjoy a good challenge" the blue-haired Genin told the Rookie 9 before glancing up at Gaara, who was giving Naruto a bloodthirsty look.
The group was staring at Naruto now. There was no way this was the Naruto they knew. They were now very curious about what this new Naruto could do. They may actually have to be careful if they encounter him in the exam. Especially if he had a bloodline.
After recovering from their shock Kabuto explained how the counties only sent the best of the best, but not to worry about Oto since it was a new Hidden Village and therefore weak. The three Oto nin in the exam did not like that and attacked Kabuto. They missed, but Kabuto vomited after the attack, his glasses cracked. Before they could attack again a tall man in a black trench coat burst into the room.
"Alright maggots! Let's start the first exam! There will be no attacking during this portion of the exam or you and your team will be disqualified. Got it?!" the Tokubetsu Jounin proctor yelled at his newest victims.
Jutsu List
Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall) - Wall made of water defends user from attacks
Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu (Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique) - Creates a massive blast of water to attack the enemy
Suiton: Suirou no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Prison Technique) - Creates a spherical prison of water to trap an enemy. The user must have one hand in contact with the sphere of water to keep the technique active.
Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Blast Technique) - Creates a dragon made of water to attack the enemy. Can be controlled with chakra.
Hyoton: Sensatsu Suishou (Ice Release: One Thousand Needles of Death) - Creates one thousand needles made of ice that fly toward the target.
Hyoton: Makyou Hyou Shou (Ice Release: Demonic Ice Mirrors) - Creates mirror constructs made of ice the user can step into. The mirrors allow travel at a much faster rate than normal, and are difficult to destroy.
Hyoton: Tsurara Tsume (Ice Release: Icicle Claws) - Creates sharp claws formed of chakra enhanced ice around the fingers of the user. The claws are razor sharp and are cold enough to damage on contact.
Taijutsu: Moujuutsume (Wild Animal Claw) - Fighting style oriented on quick vicious strikes using clawed hands before dodging out of range and moving quickly around the opponent.
Kenjutsu Style: Nadare (Avalanche) - Sword style for a large blade to increase speed and force of swings using momentum built up from fast downward strikes.
Author Note: I am not 100 percent happy with how this chapter turned out, but I wasn't exactly sure what else I could do with it. I may come back to this chapter later, but for now I want to focus more on getting Chapter 3 out. Next time on Konoha's Arctic Fox, the Chuunin Exams begin!