Yin and Yang

Chapter 10

Orange?

Sakura looked down into the ring, Naruto still hadn't emerged. Some of the crazier people had decided to hang off the railings to get a better look behind the boulder. Hinata leaned out further, hoping Naruto was okay. Sakura furrowed her brow. How could Naruto's chakra suddenly go from yellow to orange? The increase was at least a little explainable, he could have some soldier pills on him... but she thought it not likely. It wasn't logical...chakra didn't suddenly change colors..ever!

Marou and Atka were stalking the boulder now, and people had begun to climb back into their seats, afraid they might fall if there was another large explosion.

"Like I said... he's screwed." Senji said.

"Don't you DARE say that about Naruto!" Hinata snapped, shocking all in the vicinity that knew her. "Naruto wont let a silly thing like this get him down." She turned back to the arena, Neji sporting a smirk beside her. The loud young man had always seemed to bring the best out in her.

The arena became incredibly quiet just before Atka made to jump. Hearts were in every throat as the wolf crouched carefully, then it vanished, and there was an explosion at the boulder, once clear, it revealed an unconscious Naruto, with a proud looking Atka standing over him. The cloud ninja cheered, Marou's goggles flashed as he looked up, waving. The proctor walked out onto the field, raised a hand as Atka charged towards Marou. He opened his mouth, but another explosion of smoke, and Marou was flying across the field. Sakura grinned as the smoke cleared to reveal Naruto in a fight stance.

But something wasn't right. His left side was facing her, and the spiral circle wasn't there. It was like someone had turned it into a candle flame, with the spiral circle as it's base. There was also something different about his stance, and she could just barely tell that the lines on his cheek were wider.

"This is insane." Yamato's voice brought them all out of their state of shock.

"Yamato, aren't you.."

"Yes Kakashi, I tried. Nothing happened. I felt the foxes Chakra activate, but when I cast the jutsu, the pillars broke." Yamato looked down into the arena, studying Naruto closely. "This is just weird... It's like the fox is working with Naruto now. He's extremely angry, but not at the young man in the goggles there... He's bound, yet he isn't..."

"Yamato san, I don't understand..." Sakura said.

"Neither do I." Yamato said.

"From here on out, we're fighting one on one!" Naruto yelled. There was a poof of smoke from the boulder area, and there was Atka, bound to the wall by orange chakra.

"NO!!" The remaining two cloud ninja screamed.

"Can I say, told you so?" Kiba asked, a smirk on his face. Lee laughed.

"Yep, we warned you about Naruto! He's the very definition of youth, right Gai sensei?"

"Agreed, Lee!" Gai laughed. Naturally, Senji and Saiya inched away from the loud pair.

"Naruto's the strongest out of all of us. He deserves the title of Hokage, he's worked so hard to get even here. No one could ever imagine what he's been through." Sakura said. Naruto had again engaged Marou in a fist fight. Neither one was able to bring out a weapon.

"He's been through a lot." Hinata muttered. "Ridiculed all his life. And he'll continue to be ridiculed, because of what he is... It's...saddening..." Hinata said.

"Yeah, he's earned this." Kiba grinned. The two from cloud exchanged glances, realizing that they'd been forgotten in the exchange of strange words. To them, Naruto had just gotten to be more of a mystery.

He had also become a mystery to the people who knew him as well. Those who could see/sense chakra had all realized by now, that there was something wrong about his sudden chakra increase. Solder pills couldn't even increase chakra this much. It was unnatural. The councils were muttering amongst themselves, keeping one eye on the match.

It was ended abruptly. Naruto caught Marou's arm from behind as the Cloud ninja swung, and Naruto flipped him over his shoulder, sending Marou the rest of the way across the arena, to slam into the wall. Cheering erupted as the Proctor yelled out the verdict, drowning out Senji and Saiya's cries. They joined the rush of medics to Marou's side, Atka soon following as Naruto released him. Naruto was looking up at the stands, that old grin plastered on his face. Sakura and Hinata were the first to him, giving him a huge bear hug, and soon Naruto was under a pile of friends, Laughing and crying.

"We'll be celebrating tonight!!" Lee yelled, his fist in the air. Naruto shoved them all off. his cheeks were hurting from smiling so much. Hinata remained latched to his arm, but he found he enjoyed it. He looked over at Marou, who was being treated.

"I should see if he's okay..." He said, concerned now.

"He's fine. A little sore." Kakashi grinned. "He'll be fine after a little treatment. Though you hurt his bad leg a bit, that's the only thing he's complaining about."

"Bad leg?" Lee asked.

"Jeez Lee! you are SO unobservant! He's been in Konoha for an entire month, and you never noticed?" Ten-Ten smacked her teammate upside the head at his comment.

"He's got a gimpy right leg, it's pretty noticeable limp, but it vanishes when he fights." Neji said. The group looked over the much smaller group about the Clouds, and noticed that, when Marou was allowed to walk, there was a bad limp to his step.

"Hnn, I thought it was odd that they let him fight..." Sakura said. " Until I saw his fighting style."

Naruto nodded in agreement, looking up at the council. They were talking amongst themselves, looking scared. The only ones that seemed to be angry was Tsunande and Gaara. He gulped. "This doesn't look good." He said. The rest looked up to the arguing Kages and councils.

"Don't worry, Naruto! we'll all fight for you! you've worked hard for this!" Lee said, his thumb up and out. Naruto grinned.

"Thanks."

"Naruto, a word?" Yamato asked quietly as the talk went up about them.

"Sure."

The pair walked away from the group, just out of their earshot, then Yamato turned on Naruto.

"Naruto, I felt the Foxes chakra pour out at unbelievable rates. When I tried to suppress it, the pillars cracked. Several people tell me that your chakra increased dramatically during the fight, and those who can SEE chakra, said, that it turned orange.Kakashi has already told me that yours was yellow." Naruto averted his gaze. "Naruto?" he looked back at Yamato, who placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders. "What happened?"

"I-"

"Contestants, this way please!!" Someone yelled from up above. Sai and Naruto left the babbling group, waving. They, Opal, and the clouds walked through the doors that had opened. Senji, Marou, and Saiya were staying as far away from Naruto as possible, their animals lips curled into snarls. Naruto responded only by shifting uncomfortably, and tried to ignore them. Sai was having an equally hard time, he kept glancing at Saiya, who was clutching her arms defensively.

The tiny group made it into a smaller version of the end of the second test, and there was everyone that held their future in their hands. Naruto gulped, but stayed standing tall, ready to voice a loud retort if they refused him.

Slowly, an elderly man stood, the eldest of the Kages. He cleared his throat, coughing a little. He smiled down at the Clouds, who smiled back.

"It is good to see you again, we have missed you in the past year and a half."

"Apologies, Sir, but Marou.." Senji began. Marou cut him off by slapping a gloved hand to his partners mouth.

"Ah yes, I heard about that. Are you feeling better Marou?"

"Much Sir, I thank you for your concern. I am quite well now."

"Yes yes, I suppose you are...Lets see, Well, good news for all three of you.Since you've worked hard and diligently since you were small, you've finally been qualified as Chunnin's and Elite body guards."

"YES! Senji did a fist pump. "Even after... He's still good?" He pointed to Marou, who , again, smacked his comrad. The group of judges laughed.

"Yes, all three of you. Congratulations." Senji picked Saiya up and spun her around. This earned him another whack and a scolding. Once the activity died down, Opal was called forward. She too, passed to be a Chunnin, As did Sai, who acted indifferent, but Naruto caught the glimmer of pride in his eyes. Then,

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Yes sir."

"We wish to know what happened today during your fight." Naruto nodded.

"Stand clear." No one had a problem with that. Naruto stood in the center of the room, eyes closed. He moved suddenly, biting his right thumb, and spreading the blood on his left hand. This he slammed into the floor.

"SUMMONING NO JUTSU!" He yelled.

There was an immediate change in the air pressure, as dust began to swirl around Naruto from the force of the summon. There was an explosion of smoke, which left the majority of the room covering their eyes. Once they could see again, A long, red tail fell from the smoke, followed by eight others. Eyes widened, hearts pounded, panic was barely suppressed.

The Nine-Tailed Fox was once again unleashed into their world.

lolz. enough of a surprise? SEND UR FLAMES!! I SHALL SURVIVE!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! ; )