The Legend of Naruto
Chunin Exam arc
Kurama no Kyubi: And it's finally here, the battle between Naruto and Flare. Now who do you think will win? Who do you think will lose? Well, let's get started on the chapter and find out, shall we? But first, the reviews.
Nianque: I think Farore is going to give Naruto Farore's Wind which will let him win at the last possible moment.
Kurama no Kyubi: Could be. So why don't you just read the chapter and find out for yourself?
Nianque: When is Naruto going to get the Master Sword? Shippuden?
Kurama no Kyubi: Sometime after he learns the Kyubi's real name.
Guest: well naruto may not possess a lot of techniques at the moment which could help him subdue and evade flare's flames but he does possess incredible determination and unwavering courage plus he has yet to awaken and recieve the power of his triforce and this fight may very well help him awaken that power which may just very well give him the edge he needs get by this incredible opponent.
Kurama no Kyubi: He doesn't really possess many fighting techniques in general, there's like 2 if you count the Kage Bunshin.
Guest: Here's what I think: Naruto, like Sakura and Sasuke, gains Farore's Wind. Perhaps later on have Naruto learn the Hidden Skills.
Kurama no Kyubi: Thanks for the suggestion. The one about the Hidden Skills that is.
Eternal Dragon Keeper21: Great chapter as always I hope you have a wonderful vacation, I think that naruto is gonna win it will be a close match but he will in the end, plus I'm guessing that during the match he'll get to see Farore and gain a new ability
Kurama no Kyubi: Well, maybe you're right. Or maybe you're totally wrong.
Guest: I will say that ventus's kamikaze technique sure is quite power for if he has used it at level one I'd can only imagine just how devastating it can be when used at full power for if level one usage of that techinque was more than enough to demolish gaara's team in just one blow is any inicator for just how potent that technique is although the more power that ventus puts into that technique the more chakra he'll have to use and longer it that for him to prepare is also he can afford to miss with that technique or it may leave him rather vunerable. also you should have mudura train sakura, naruto and sasuke over the course of the story in the art of magic in terms of how to use it interms of attack and defense along with help them overcome some of their flaws bit by bit.
Kurama no Kyubi: Actually, Ventus only took out Temari with that technique. Kankuro had already been beaten by Flare, and Gaara and Baki were fighting Vaati. Also, the technique goes out in all directions from its caster, so missing isn't as easy as you may think, plus the higher the level of the technique, the longer the range, with the highest level being able to hit an area as big as a small country.
ImagineBreaker7: Awesome chapter I love the differences in the match ups and as for who I think will win well I personally hope for Naruto to win but there is the possibility you will suprise us and have him lose for some future purpose. I would guess he will win though, I look forward to finding out.
Kurama no Kyubi: Just wait and see.
"Triforce." Normal speech
'Triforce.' Normal thought
"Triforce." Biju and God speech
'Triforce.' Biju and God thought
Flare: Kurama no Kyubi doesn't own anything but his OCs, get it?
Chapter 12: A Blazing Battle: Naruto vs Flare!
"Hahahahahahaha! I was hoping that you'd be my opponent, Courage Boy!" Flare said as he and Naruto were facing each other.
"This won't go the way it did the last time." Naruto said.
"Well, he's done for." Shikamaru said.
"Yeah, those Tani-nins are very strong. There's no way someone like Naruto could beat any of them." Ino said.
'Naruto-san…' Aqua thought.
"Heh. Now there's no way we'll lose. The Triforce of Courage is as good as ours." Chilly said.
"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata stuttered.
"That guy's pretty strong. I don't think Naruto can win this." Sakura said as she was holding Dimitri in her arms.
"Hmph. You shouldn't give up on Naruto that easily. Even I have to admit that he's a lot stronger than he used to be." Sasuke said before thinking 'If I am to be totally honest in fact, I'm not entirely sure that I would win if I fought him now.'
"Uhhh… Are you ready?" Hayate asked.
"Yeah." Flare said.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Naruto said.
"Then, begin." Hayate said.
(Boss #6: The walking fire ball, Flare.)
"Now, then. Prepare to die." Flare said as he thrusted his right arm forward, firing of a wave of flames which headed straight for Naruto.
The blond jumped to his left to avoid them, but just then, Flare appeared next to him.
"Hiken!" Naruto was then sent flying by a flaming punch before he crashed into the wall.
"Like I figured…" Shikamaru said.
"He's such a wimp." Kankuro said.
'Poor Naruto-kun.' Hinata thought.
"Really? He was that weak?" Chilly asked.
'No… He's only checking what Flare-san's got. The real fight starts now.' Terra thought.
Almost everyone were surprised, however, when Naruto suddenly rose to his feet.
"Don't… underestimate me." He said.
"Heh. So you want to get beaten up some more, is that it? Well, aren't you a glutton for punishment?" Flare said before Naruto formed the Kage Bunshin hand sign.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Two clones then appeared and charged at Flare, but the red-head just took them out with a wave of fire, however, as his vision was obscured by the flames, Naruto suddenly burst through them.
'NANI?' Flare thought just before Naruto delivered a punch to his face, and it seemed to hit until…
"Just kidding." And Naruto went straight through Flare's body before he rolled on the floor, and as he came to a stop, he through a kunai with and explosive tag attached to it at the floor beneath Flare before leaping away.
The explosive tag then blew up, but Flare just walked out of the smoke like it was nothing while patting his stomach.
"Thanks for the meal." He said.
"N-nani?" Naruto said in surprise.
"Heh. Just like how Aqua-chan needs water to survive, I need fire." Flare said.
"He eats fire?" Sakura exclaimed in shock.
"Well, that's a freak if I ever saw one." Sasuke said.
"There's no way the Courage Boy can win this, for Flare is even stronger than I am." Ventus said as he observed the battle.
"Nin Kagan!" Flare called out as he shot towards Naruto like a fire ball, however, Naruto grabbed his sword before attempting to block Flare's incoming attack. And it worked, Flare was deflected, and ended up crashing into the wall.
"Kaze Kiri!" Naruto said as the green gem in the sword's hilt started glowing, and the blade of wind formed. (Kurama no Kyubi: Kaze Kiri's the name he decided to give that technique. I suppose it's only a coincidence that Ventus has a technique with the same name.)
He then charged towards Flare before swinging his sword, however, the Tani-nin ducked under it before suddenly appearing in Naruto's face as he delivered a punch to the blond's stomach.
"Hiken: Endan!" Naruto was then sent flying backwards before the fire which had started on his clothes blew up.
Naruto was sent flying backwards as Flare came after him, however, the blond managed to regain his balance in mid-air before he landed on the wall and leapt towards Flare, ready to swing his tanto.
"Karyuken!" Flare called out as his entire right arm morphed into the shape of a fiery dragon.
"Kaze Kiri!" Naruto called out as he swung his tanto, and the two attacks collided, but due to the nature of Naruto's attack, he was able to cut clean through both Flare's attack, and his body.
"Did he get him?" Choji asked.
"No way." Shikamaru said before adding "Just look. Flare's entire body's made up of fire. An attack like that shouldn't even face him."
""Made out of fire"? How's that even possible?" Ino asked.
"Beats me. Maybe he was experimented upon as a kid like that Terra guy or something." Shikamaru said.
"Heh heh heh. You fell straight into the trap." Flare said, causing Naruto's eyes to widen as a wall of red flames came up from the floor around him "Fire Prison!"
'"Fire Prison"? What? He's gonna win the battle by holding me locked up here? Heh, I'll just have to wait till he runs out of chakra.' Naruto thought before a burning fist suddenly came out of the wall and punched him.
Afterwards several more limbs came out of different parts of the wall and attempted to punch or kick him, though after some time, he began to easily manage to dodge some of the attacks.
'I've got to get out of here, or I'm toast.' Naruto thought before he got an idea 'Wait a minute.'
Some time later, Flare was standing outside of the Fire Prison as Naruto's screams could be heard.
'Heh. He's been in there for a good few minutes. I guess it's time to let him out.' Flare thought before he raised his arm as the flames suddenly dispersed, and on the floor was an unconscious Naruto.
'N-Naruto-kun…' Hinata thought.
"Ah! Naruto!" Sakura yelled.
'So he lost in the end, after all?' Shikamaru thought.
'Naruto-san…' Aqua thought.
"That's it? It's over already? For a legendary hero, he's pathetic." Chilly said.
"Well, it is to be expected. Flare-san's Fire Prison traps its target in a ring of fire – fire that rises up as high as possible. There's absolutely no escape, and even if you try, you'll be nothing but a burning corpse by the time you get through the flames… if you're lucky." Ray said.
"Just as I thought. All bark and no bite. Pathetic!" Flare said as he walked towards Naruto as his right arm was completely covered in fire "Well, I suppose it's time I finish this."
When Flare was about to punch Naruto, however, said blond suddenly burst into smoke, causing the red-head's eyes to widen as the smoke filled his vision.
'A Kage Bunshin?' He thought before – as if on instinct – he looked up to see Naruto coming down 'Nani?'
Naruto then punched him, sending him bouncing along the floor until he regained his balance and skidded to a stop.
"Wait. He actually hit him?" Navi exclaimed.
"I think I've got that ability of yours all figured out. As to avoid burning stuff all the time, you have the convenient ability to turn it off with a single thought – of course, you can also turn it back on just as easily. But you usually have it turned off whenever you don't feel like you're in danger – like when you think you've already won. This is the reason why Uber-Brows-sensei was able to kick you earlier, as well as why Anko-sensei's kunai left a scratch on your cheek – your reaction-time was too slow. However, it seems like you can still use your ability to attack even with it turned off." Naruto said.
"Whoa. Is that really Naruto?" Ino asked, surprised to see Naruto of all people figuring out something like that, and even managing to explain it.
"He hit the nail straight on the head." Terra said.
'I wonder if he found it out on his own… or if Kyubi's the one who found out.' Vaati thought.
"So what if you've figured it out? I'm not falling for the same trick twice. In fact, I think I'll keep Fire Body on until I'm certain that you're dead." Flare said.
'He's right. At this point, having figured out Flare's ability won't mean a thing.' Kakashi thought.
"Yeah, I suppose you wouldn't. But that's why I've got this." Naruto said as he pulled out a bottle of water.
"What's that?" Flare asked.
"What do you think it is? It's a bottle of water, of course. Ji-san gave it to me back in the forest." Naruto said.
'Ji-san?' Kakashi thought.
'A bottle of water, huh? Good one, Naruto.' Sasuke thought.
"So Naruto had a trick like that up his sleeve, huh?" Shikamaru said.
"But how's a bottle of water gonna help?" Choji asked.
"Don't you know anything? Water is like the natural enemy of fire." Ino said.
"Exactly, and now he only has to pour it on Flare, and…" Shikamaru started, but he stopped talking when Naruto poured the water over himself instead.
"Now, I'm ready to continue the fight." Naruto said as he assumed a battle stance.
'W-w-w-water?' Flare thought as he started to back off from Naruto.
'Water's Flare's greatest weakness. If he keeps this up, Naruto-san'll win for sure!" Aqua thought.
Naruto attempted to punch Flare, but the red-head jumped over him before landing on his hands, and he then bounced to his feet as he twirled around.
"Hi-Dan!" He called out as several bullets of fire shot towards Naruto, though the blond managed to dodge them.
Flare then leapt backwards as Naruto got closer to him, and he continued to leap backwards, getting closer to the door to the room while not stopping his barrage of firing bullets of fire.
"Now he's totally afraid of Naruto." Sakura said.
Eventually, however, Flare reached the door, and he couldn't go any further without forfeiting the match. Though he had a few other options, considering that Naruto was in the middle of the room.
"What's wrong? Scared of mere water?" Naruto asked, causing a tick mark to appear on Flare's forehead "And here I thought you were going to kill me. But if you're gonna act like this, then I guess that won't be happening."
"Why's he trying to provoke him like that?" Chilly asked.
"Who knows. Maybe he's trying to make Flare so mad that he'll do something stupid." Terra said.
"Bad idea…" Ventus said.
"I really hope that not all of the Tani-nins are as big cowards as you, or else these exams will get really boring." Naruto said.
'I get it. Naruto's trying to provoke Flare so much that he'll get so mad that he'll do something stupid. It's a clever idea, but it's also a gamble, cause it's not guaranteed that Flare will do something stupid.' Shikamaru thought before he realized something 'Wait a minute!'
"Naruto, stop right there! Don't provoke him any further!" He yelled.
"Huh? Shikamaru?" Ino said.
"Huh?" Naruto looked over his shoulder towards where Shikamaru was.
"It's already too late." Chilly said.
"So, I'm a coward, eh?" Flare said as his hair was shadowing his eyes before he yelled "I'll show you a coward!" As he looked towards Naruto and red flames burst from his body.
"What's happening?" Ino asked.
"So far, Flare's been acting just like a regular flame – a flame that can walk and talk, but a flame nonetheless. So tell me, what happens when a flame gets mad?" Shikamaru asked.
"I dunno." Ino said.
"It starts burning more intensely." Shikamaru said.
"All right, Courage Boy. I'm gonna give you the pleasure of witnessing my most powerful attack, first-hand!" Flare said before his flames suddenly went from being red to blue. (Kurama no Kyubi: Note that at this point, Flare's pretty much one with the flames, so he changes color with them.)
"Wh-what happened? How'd the fire become blue like that?" Sakura asked.
"I guess he's powering up. Blue flames are hotter – and thereby stronger – than red ones." Kakashi said, causing the pinkette to gulp.
'Naruto…' She thought.
Suddenly, the blue flames rose up, becoming a wall which almost reached the ceiling before spreading out along the walls.
"Hahahahahahaha! There's absolutely no ways to escape this technique!" Flare yelled as the flames spread across the room, blocking everyone's view of the battle as the blue flames came up in front of the railings. This also caused almost everyone to take a few steps back.
"Hahahahahahaha! Everyone that gets trapped within these walls of blue flames, are already dead!" Flare said.
"Oh, yeah? Just because no one's survived this before doesn't mean that I won't." Naruto said.
"Idiot. No one's survived this before because, there are no creatures known to man except for the Gods that can survive these flames." Flare said.
"We'll see. I'm not afraid of these flames." Naruto said as he prepared himself.
"This is the end for you! White Flame Funeral!" Flare called out as he clapped his hands, and the walls of blue flames suddenly collapsed to the floor before shooting towards Naruto. As they reach the blond, they then shot towards the ceiling as a column of white flames.
"Naruto-kun, hear me. There's a great evil approaching, and the world needs a hero, it needs you. Now, proudly step forth with your unwavering Courage."
As Naruto opened his eyes again, he found himself in an unfamiliar place, yet at the same time, it seemed familiar to him, like he'd been there before. He looked around to see a pedestal which was in front of a large door, and he walked towards it.
"Hmm? What's this?" He asked no one in particular before sensing another's presence, and he turned around to see the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on, she was even prettier than Sakura.
"Welcome, Naruto-kun." The girl said.
"Who… are you?" Naruto asked.
"I'm Farore, the Goddess of Courage." Farore replied.
"A-a Goddess? But you're no older than I am!" Naruto said.
"That's because I prefer to look this young. I'm actually billions of years old." Farore said.
"Wow. Really?" Naruto asked, and the Goddess nodded before the blond looked around as he asked "So, where are we anyway."
"This is within your Mindscape." Farore said.
"My Mindscape? Wait, are you sure? Cause, I've been there before and it's a sewer." Naruto said.
"That's only the areas around Kurama-kun's seal. We're in a much deeper place within your psyche. Here, even the most skilled of the Yamanaka clan wouldn't be able to get." Farore said.
"Hmmm… okay. Wait, who's Kurama?" Naruto asked, causing Farore to giggle.
"I figured you'd ask. Kurama's the Kyubi's true name." Farore said.
"Huh? Really? The Kyubi's got a name? Kurama, huh?" Naruto said as he held his hand on his stomach "I never even considered that he's got a name." He then noticed that Farore was walking around, seemingly looking for something. (Kurama no Kyubi: Actually she's checking him out.)
"Umm… What are you doing?" He asked, causing her to jump.
"Ah! N-nothing!" Farore said as she blushed heavily.
'Huh? This girl's kinda weird.' Naruto thought.
"Uh. Say, Naruto-kun…" Farore started as she blushed.
"What is it?" Naruto asked.
"Ummm… How about tomorrow, you and me… ummm… go out for some ramen…?" Farore asked as she closed her eyes as the blush deepened.
"Sure. I'm always up for some ramen. And I know just the place where they make the best ramen in the world." Naruto said with a foxy grin.
'He's totally clueless.' Farore thought before saying "Now then, let's get to the reason why I summoned you here."
"So, why did you summon me here?" Naruto asked.
"See this?" Farore asked as she held out her hand, which had a small green light hovering over it.
"Yeah. What is it?" Naruto asked.
"It's called Farore's Wind, and as the name implies, it's got a piece of my power within it, though it's just a small fraction." Farore said.
"So, do you think that it could help me beat Flare?" Naruto asked.
"Nani? Don't you have any faith in my power?" Farore asked, angrily.
"No, it's not that. I was just asking." Naruto said.
"Yes, it should give you the upper hand in that fight." Farore said as she walked towards Naruto until they were only inches apart.
Farore then put her hand on Naruto's chest, giving him Farore's Wind in the process. However, Naruto's eyes then widened as Farore leaned in before giving him a kiss on the lips. And for some odd reason, he found himself kissing back before he vanished from his psyche, leaving the Goddess alone.
"Kuso! I got carried away!" She said before sitting down on the floor and saying "It felt pretty nice, though. Don't die, Naruto-kun."
Back in the outside world were everyone looking on in shock at what they'd just seen, there's no way Naruto – or anyone else for the matter – could have survived it.
"Naruto!" Sakura yelled.
"Naruto-kun…!" Hinata said.
'Naruto-san…' Aqua thought.
"No. Do you think he…?" Ino asked.
"He must be. I don't see how anyone could survive that." Shikamaru said.
"Hahahahahahahaha! Did you see that? Just "bwoof", and he's gone! Hahahahahahahaha!" Flare laughed as he, himself was burning in white flames. In fact, his whole body and clothes were white.
However, just then he suddenly stopped laughing as he looked towards the column of white flames before a powerful blast of wind came out, and the flames were suddenly dispersed. And standing there – were the fire column had just been – was Naruto, extending his right arm out to his right with his palm facing down as the Triforce mark was glowing brightly.
His eyes were also glowing a green color as the same green color also formed as an aura around him. Though his clothes had mostly been burned off as the only piece of clothes he had left was what was around his crotch. It also seemed as though his Hitai-ate had burned up, seeing as though the forehead protector was lying by his feet.
"NARUTO!" Sakura yelled as her inner self said "Cha! How could you ever doubt him?"
"All right! He did it!" Shikamaru said.
"But what's that light on his hand?" Choji asked.
"I don't know… but I'm getting this warm feeling from it." Ino said.
'Kukukuku. The Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Courage, to think I would run across both of them by chance.' Orochimaru thought.
'Naruto-kun…' Hinata thought.
"Heh. So you got yourself some lame power-up? So what, you still won't be able to…" He wasn't able to finish his sentence as Naruto's left fist buried itself into his stomach.
Just a mere second later, Flare found himself pinned to the wall above the door as Naruto moved in for a roundhouse kick, and it went straight through the concrete before sending the Tani-nin flying across the room as his color and body-flames changed to blue, then to red, and finally to orange as he crashed into the floor.
"Wh-what just happened?" Sakura asked.
"Naruto… he moved even faster than my Sharingan could see." Sasuke said.
'It's a technique similar to Minato-sensei's Hirashin, but still different. How'd he get something like that?' Kakashi thought.
"Wind that can even beat flames… But that's just like Ventus-kun's…" Aqua said before she looked over at Ventus.
"Yeah… It's just like my wind." He said as he looked down on his hands.
"Gouhi-Danryu!" Flare called out as he held out his right arm and fired off a large fire bullet in the shape of a Chinese style dragon which headed towards Naruto… or so he thought.
Naruto suddenly appeared in the air, behind Flare before he kneed the Tani-nin so hard in the back that the floor cracked.
"D-did he do it?" Shikamaru asked.
"I-I don't even know what just happened." Ino said.
'Naruto-kun… you won! Yay!' Hinata thought with a smile.
"Now all of them have received some of their respective Goddess' power." Navi said as Tatl and Tael nodded.
"Yeah." Tael added.
"H-how could I… lose?" Flare managed to say as he was lying face-down on the ground.
"You don't care about others, all you care about is destroying things. There's nothing in your life that you cherish, and you have nothing to fight for." Naruto said as he picked up his forehead protector.
"Then do you… have something you fight for?" Flare asked as he looked towards Naruto.
"Of course I do. I fight for my friends!" Naruto said.
'Friends?' Flare thought, and for some reason memories of Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Ray, and even Chilly flooded through his mind before he recalled the time when they first met.
Flashback
The six of them – who at this time were only 10 years old – had all been called to gather together atop the Tanikage Monument – Tani's equivalent of Konoha's Hokage Monument. They had yet to be acquainted with each other, and when Flare arrived only three of them were present, Terra – who had arrived first – Chilly – who had arrived second – and Aqua.
"Hey, guys! The name's Hi Flare, but can all call me the Rokudaime Tanikage…" Flare said before he was suddenly trapped in a block of ice.
"Chilly-san, knock it off." Terra said.
"Huh? Why? It's fun." Chilly said, but then she noticed that the ice melted and Flare was suddenly covered in fire.
"HEY! What gave you the big idea that you could freeze me like that?" Flare yelled as he pointed an accusing finger at the girl.
"What? You wanna go at it?" Chilly as with a sadistic smile as she licked her lips.
"GLADLY!" Flare yelled.
"Knock it off you two." Terra said as he stepped in-between them "Geez. You guys fights like an old married couple."
"NO, WE DON'T!" The two of them yelled simultaneously as their heads suddenly grew in size.
"Okay. Just calm down, geez." Terra said.
"TERRA!" Terra turned towards the voice to see Ventus running towards him.
"V-Ventus?" Terra said before Ventus jumped into the air and brought his foot down on Terra for a kick, but the earth-user blocked it with his arms before Ventus back-flipped onto the ground and charged at Terra with a palm-strike.
Terra pushed Ventus' arm aside before kneeing the wind-user in the gut and sending him flying with a kick. Ventus quickly regained his balance before landing on the ground.
"You've gotten better." He commented.
"You two." Terra said before the two of them charged at each other.
Just then, however, a bolt of lightning came down in-between them before a burst of electricity shot out in all directions.
"Stop this pointless fight." A voice came as the lightning formed into a person.
'Nani? I-I can't move!' Terra thought.
'What power…' Ventus thought.
"The name's Kaminari Ray, by the way." Ray informed before adding "There's no reason to tell me yours, cause I already know."
"Grrr… Who does he think he is? Acting so high and mighty!" Flare said under his breath before pointing at Ray "Hey, you! Yes, you! How about a fight, just you and me!"
"Fight you? Why should I bother?" Ray said before turning away, causing Chilly to chuckle.
"Kh… I challenged you to a fight, so you better accept!" Flare yelled as he charged towards Ray, but just as he got close, a bolt of lightning came down and knocked Flare out cold, causing Chilly to burst out in laughter at how quickly he was defeated.
Flashback end
'Friends, huh? I don't need those…' Flare thought before falling unconscious as the medical corps was carrying him out.
"The winner is Uzumaki Naruto." Hayate announced as Naruto walked back up to the others.
"Naruto, put on some clothes!" Sakura said as she put her hands on her hips as Dimitri jumped down and ran over to the blond.
"Huh? Hey, where'd Navi, Tatl, and Tael go?" Naruto asked as the three Fairies was indeed gone.
"Huh? But they were here a moment ago." Sakura said.
"Doesn't matter. I'm sure they'll come back." Sasuke said.
Hokage Monument
A person was sitting atop Minato's head on the Hokage Monument, looking down on the village as the three Fairies came flying.
"The three Triforce wielders all have gained some of their respective Goddess' power." Navi said.
"Good. Then it's time I showed myself." The person – who was revealed to be male – said as he rose to his feet.
Forest of Death, tower, arena (Kurama no Kyubi: I'm just gonna skip the next three fights, since the next one, and the last one are more or less canon while the one in-between them is Gaara vs Zaku, and would have a pretty obvious result.)
'Phew… cough, cough… It's finally over…' Hayate thought.
'At last… the finals…' Hiruzen thought.
"Uh… well then, as of this moment, the preliminaries to the third exam… are now complete." Hayate announced and shortly after were all of the Genin that had advanced standing in front of Hiruzen and the exam proctors.
"To those of you who won your bouts and qualified for the finals of the third phase of the Chunin Exams; congratulations." Hayate said.
'… five Konoha… five Tani… two Suna ninja… and one Oto… hmm.' Hiruzen thought before saying "Well then, starting now I shall be explaining the finals…"
'Okay! Finally!' Naruto thought.
Konoha
Somewhere in the village were Orochimaru leaning at a column and Kabuto was kneeling in front of him.
"Now that the preliminaries have safely concluded… they will proceed to the finals." Kabuto said.
"How tranquil… or rather… how naively peaceful this nation has become… while all the other countries are busy with military expansion races…" Orochimaru said.
"So if we strike now…?" Kabuto asked as he rose to his feet.
"Well, yes… although I doubt it would be any fun to kill that feeble old geezer…" Orochimaru said.
"… Are you so sure of yourself…? To me, it still seems like you're faltering. Soon, the powers of each hidden village will collide and enter a fierce, lengthy conflict… Otogakure will be one of those involved… and you're planning to be the trigger of that… and to that end, that boy… he's a bullet, right? Uchiha Sasuke-kun, was it…?" Kabuto said.
"Heh… your insights are disgustingly accurate…" Orochimaru said.
"Well, obviously not… because I didn't know about Dosu, Zaku and Kin. When I was assigned to gather intelligence on Sasuke-kun… I wanted to understand the power of those three Oto ninja. I made a foolish tactical error… I even provoked them into attacking me… and overestimated my own defenses. It seems… you still don't put your full trust in me… isn't that right?" Kabuto said.
"Those three are so inconsequential… is it really necessary for me to tell of such trivialities? You're my right-hand man… that itself is evidence of my trust. That's why I was thinking of entrusting Sasuke-kun to you… the curse mark I put on him… it seems it's power's being held in check by the Triforce of Power… not that it's of much consequence. But before the darkness in his soul is extinguished… I want you to kidnap him right away." Orochimaru said.
"How unlike you… you're worried!" Kabuto said.
"There is something causing a bit of concern…" Orochimaru said.
"You mean… the wielder of the Triforce of Courage, Uzumaki Naruto-kun?" Kabuto asked.
'Heh… a sharp child, indeed…' Orochimaru thought before saying "Sasuke-kun is an embodiment of vengeance… his sole reason for living is the desire to kill his older brother. Until he achieves that goal, he cannot die. And yet… when we fought each other… even though he knew he couldn't prevail against me… he came at me without any fear of death. And I hadn't thought he was a child who would rush so eagerly to his demise… according to your notes, it seems that his contact with Naruto-kun is changing Sasuke-kun's purpose and his soul. Since Naruto-kun possesses so much influence over Sasuke-kun… I must separate them immediately… as soon as I can, I've got to stain him with my colors…" Orochimaru said.
"Well then…" Kabuto said as he turned around and started walking.
"Kabuto-kun… you…" Orochimaru said, catching the Oto spy's attention "If you want to stop me… your only chance is to kill Sasuke-kun now. There's no way you could kill me, eh? Even if you're strong… you're no stronger than Kakashi, so…" As the snake Sannin said this, Kabuto sweated heavily as he got nervous "Heh… I'm joking… now… you may go. I'm putting my trust in you…" Kabuto then smirked slightly before shunshining away as Orochimaru thought 'Heh… that face… I wonder what he's thinking…'
"Orochimaru…" Orochimaru turned towards the voice to see none other than Vaati standing there.
"Hmmm? Well, if it isn't Vaati-kun. What can I do for you?" Orochimaru asked.
"I've got a message from Ganondorf-sama." Vaati said as he pulled out a letter, causing Orochimaru to smile.
Forest of Death, tower, arena
"As I mentioned earlier, you will conduct your final round matches in front of everyone. Each of you represents the battle strengths of your respective lands… so we want you to exhibit and fully showcase your various talents. And thus the finals will commence one month from now." Hiruzen said.
"We're not doing it right here, right now?" Naruto asked.
"We call this the requisite preparation period…" Hiruzen said.
"What do you mean?" Neji asked.
"Well… it's a period of time that allows us to relay the results of the preliminaries to the rulers and shinobi leaders of each land… and to summon them to the finals… and it also serves as a preparation period for you applicants." Hiruzen said.
"I still don't get it. What do you mean?" Aqua asked.
"You must prepare to understand your enemy and understand yourself. During this period, you can analyze the intelligence you have gathered on your foes during the preliminaries… and use it to increase your chances of victory. Even though – up to this point – all the battles have been real battles… you were conducted on the premise that you were fighting an "unknown enemy"…" Hiruzen said.
'… Well, yeah… I never dreamed that those guys were walking pieces of nature…' Shikamaru thought as he stared towards the Tani ninja from the corner of his eyes.
"However, the finals are a different story… some of you probably ended up exposing everything you've got in front of your rivals… and some of you may have gone up against comparatively strong opponents and found yourselves badly injured. In order to make the finals fair and just, we give you this month. Each of you must embrace the opportunity to practice hard, learn some new tricks… and of course get some rest, as well." Hiruzen said before continuing after a short pause "So… those are the basics. I would like to let all go now, but first… there's one last thing we must do for the finals."
"Hey, come on! I need to start training now!" Naruto yelled.
"Now then, don't be so impatient… there are slips of paper inside the box Anko is holding… each of you, take one." Hiruzen said.
"I'll come around, so line up, okay?" Anko said.
She then walked over to Dosu who then put his hand into the box while Anko said "One per person!" After Dosu had taken up one of the paper slips, Anko went over to Sasuke, then Naruto, Sakura, Aqua, Ventus, Terra, Chilly, Ray, Temari, Gaara, Shikamaru, and finally Neji.
"All right… does everybody have one now…? Then… starting at the left, each of you read out the number written on your slip." Hiruzen said as Ibiki prepared to write down their names on a small score-board that he was holding.
"I have 13." Dosu said.
"11" Sasuke said.
"1" Naruto said.
"6" Sakura said.
"4" Aqua said.
"12" Ventus said.
"10" Terra said.
"5" Chilly said.
"3" Ray said.
"7" Temari said.
"9" Gaara said.
"8" Shikamaru said.
"2" Neji said.
"Good. And now I will reveal the match order for the tournament-style finals." Hiruzen said.
"So that's what the drawing was for?" Shikamaru yelled.
"Well, Ibiki, show them the pairings." Hiruzen said.
"Yes sir…" Ibiki said before he showed the Genin the score-board.
In the first battle Naruto would face Neji. In the second one, it would be a battle of Tani with Ray vs Aqua. The third bout would be Chilly vs Sakura. The fourth fight would be Suna vs Konoha with Temari fighting Shikamaru. The fifth match would be a battle of the ultimate weapons with Gaara vs Terra. And the sixth match would be Sasuke vs Ventus with the winner facing Dosu. Also, since there were still so many people, there would be three semi-final battles, meaning that the final battle would be a battle-royale between three people.
'My match comes late in the game…' Dosu thought.
'Nani? The finals are a simple tournament…?' Temari thought.
'Great. I'll be fighting a girl… again.' Shikamaru thought.
'Tsuchi… Terra…' Gaara thought, ever since his first encounter with Terra, He'd wanted to fight him.
'… Perfect.' Neji thought.
'Uchiha Sasuke… I couldn't wish for a better opponent.' Ventus thought.
'Ray-san…' Aqua thought nervously as she stared towards Ray out of the corner of her eyes.
'So I'm up against Aqua-san in the first round… And the second round it'll most likely be against Naruto-san.' Ray thought.
'So I'm against Gaara-san in the first round… Truly a battle of the ultimate weapons.' Terra thought.
'Heh heh heh… Wisdom Girl, I hope you're ready to die. Better say goodbye to all your little friends while you have the chance.' Chilly thought with a sadistic look on her face.
'You got to be kidding! I'm up against her?' Sakura thought as she gulped.
'It's too bad for Sakura, but I've got to focus on my own match. Ventus, huh? Should be fun.' Sasuke thought.
'Hyuga Neji, right of the bat? I never dreamed of a better opponent!' Naruto thought.
"Now then… it's time for you to go plan your strategies, rest up, or whatever you please. We're all finished here… unless any of you have questions?" Hiruzen said and Shikamaru raised his hand.
"May I?" The Nara asked.
"Sure." Hiruzen said.
"You said this is a tournament, so… there's only one winner, right…? Then does that mean only one person gets to become a Chunin?" Shikamaru asked.
"Iie. That's not the case. For the finals, you will be observed by many judges… not only me, but the Kazekage and the rulers and shinobi leaders of countries that will be requesting missions, as well. Based on your performance in the tournament, those judges will assign you an absolute value, and all those who are deemed to have sufficient ability to be a Chunin… even those who may have lost in the first round can become Chunin." Hiruzen explained.
"Do you mean… it's possible that all of us here could become Chunin?" Temari asked.
"Hai. However it is also possible… that none of you will become Chunin. The advantage of fighting in more rounds in the tournament is in having a greater number of opportunities to display your talents for the judges. Does that answer your question, Shikamaru?" Hiruzen said.
'Geez… he didn't have to throw it back in my face…' Shikamaru thought.
"Well then, good work, all. You are dismissed until one month from now." Hiruzen said.
'My second round will be against either Aqua or that Ray…' Naruto thought before he looked towards Ray while thinking 'I know almost nothing about that guy's abilities…'
'I'd better ask Kakashi-sensei for help.' He thought before looking around for Kakashi. It didn't take long to find him, however, as the Jonin in question was walking towards Sasuke.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said as he ran towards the Jonin.
"Oh, hi Naruto. Sorry, but I can't train you right now." Kakashi said.
"What? Why?" Naruto asked before he spotted Sasuke "Oh, I see how it is. You're going to train Sasuke, aren't you? You're just playing favorites." Naruto said.
"No, that's not it Naruto. I'm training Sasuke because I'm the only one in the village who can train him. While on the other hand, there are plenty of skilled shinobi in the village who would be better teachers for you and Sakura." Kakashi said.
"Oh, yeah? Like who?" Naruto asked.
"Well, Asuma for example. He'd be a much better trainer for you since I would guess that you've both got the elemental affinity for wind. And for Sakura, Kurenai would be a much better teacher than me." Kakashi said.
"Tch. Whatever. I'll just go train on my own then." Naruto said as he walked towards the door.
'Did he even understand anything I just said?' Kakashi thought with a heavy sigh.
Training field 3 (Memorial Stone Training Field)
Some time later, Naruto had arrived at training field 3, which is the one that his team regularly went to when training. He was of course still mad about the fact that Kakashi was neglecting him for Sasuke, so mad in fact that he completely forgot to go and buy some new clothes. (Kurama no Kyubi: He's only got one set of clothes.)
"Stupid Kakashi-sensei. Why does he have to be the one to train Sasuke? Can't someone else do it? Or we all could've just trained together." Naruto said.
"That would kinda defeat the purpose of the finals, wouldn't it?" Naruto turned around to see a man he'd never seen before.
He had spiky, black hair, a single black eye seeing as though he had an eye-patch over his left eye. He also wore a dark-blue, borderline black shirt with matching pants, and at his right hip was a katana. He also had what appeared to be a couple wrinkles under his right eye, though despite that he appeared to be around Kakashi's age. And – while Naruto couldn't see it from where he was standing – the man had an image of the Triforce on his back, with the symbols of the 3 Golden Goddesses in their respective Triforce piece. And in the upside-down triangular hole in-between the Triforce pieces was the Uchiha clan crest.
"Who… are you?" Naruto asked.
"The name's Uchiha Obito." The man said.
Chapter preview
Obito "If you're in need of a teacher, Naruto-san. I would be happy to help you with that."…"But first, there is something I need to tell you all."…"This here's the Temple of Time from ages past."
Sakura "Obito-san, why'd you bring us here?"
Obito "So that you could learn more about the legends surrounding the Triforce."
Sasuke "But there's still something I don't understand. If you were supposed to be the chosen wielder of the Triforce of Power. Then how did it come to me?"
Obito "Next time on The Legend of Naruto: The Legend of Zelda."
Senju clan ancestor "You will never get your hands on the Triforce as long as I live, nii-san!"
Uchiha clan ancestor "Ha! I've already gotten 1/3 of it! Din's Fire: Kyukyoku Zenmetsu-en!"
Character status
Naruto: Level: 17
Hearts: 5 3/4
Chakra Level: Divine.
Techniques: Henge, Kawarimi, Oiroke, Harem, Kage Bunshin, Kaze Kiri, Farore's Wind.
Items: Hakko Chakura To, kunai (max 15), shuriken (max 15), explosive tag (max 10), vine-whip, Farore's Wind, bottle (1), wallet (max 999).
Race: Hylian.
Triforce: Courage.
Flare: Level: 20 (Blue Flame Mode) 30 (White Flame Mode) 45
Hearts: 10 ¾
Chakra Level: Divine.
Techniques: Fire Body, Hi-Dan, Gouhi-Danryu, Hiken, Hiken: Endan, Nin Kagan, Karyuken, Fire Prison, White Flame Funeral.
Items: wallet (999).
Race: Hylian.
Kurama no Kyubi: First of all, I'd like to say that all of the first four reviewers nailed it with how Naruto won that match, lol. Now, what'll happen when Obito has appeared before our young hero? Is it good? Is it bad? Find out next chapter which I suppose would be the start of "Season 2" of the story. Also don't forget to review.