Chapter 14
Consequences
So it's official, I have got to stop setting a timeline otherwise life will prevent me one way or another from the next chapter. But after much struggle here it is, at the behest of many angry and impatient fans. Which I am happy for because it just shows that people actually care about this story and it makes me thankful. So here it is, the end of the exams at long last… Thank god.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
The door creaked open to the Hokage's office. A lone figure stood in the doorway staring at the desk.
Danzo Shimura stepped into the room and took a deep breath. Everything in the room seemed quiet.
He slowly made his way to the desk that belonged to his one time squad mate.
He still resented Hiruzen for his bravery the day he had received the title of Hokage from Tobirama.
Still, he had been a decent Kage in the years that had passed despite their differences.
Danzo sat in Sarutobi's chair, not caring for the slight moan of protest.
On the desk sat the crystal ball that Hiruzen used frequently to check on the village.
Running his hand along the smooth glass, an image flickered to life in the orb.
Danzo smirked.
'So you were keeping an eye on young Sasuke… A good shinobi, but you've placed you're chips on the wrong Genin Sarutobi…' Closing his one exposed eye, he lay his hand on the glass orb. The image morphed into one of a young blonde boy surrounded by what seemed to be an ANBU guard escorting him somewhere quickly.
He stared at the boy's image for a moment before speaking to himself.
"Sarutobi… This boy not only harbors the Kyubi, but is of the blood of Minato and Kushina, and yet you squandered all that potential. Fool."
He leaned forward. 'Show me young Namikaze… Prove to me that I am correct in my assumptions of you.'
Naruto shot through the village as the ANBU guard Danzo had placed under his command flanked him.
"Remember, once we're there you need to get Kakashi-sensei out of there immediately as well as anyone else nearby!"
The ANBU nodded silently. "Once I start you need to stay out of my way unless I ask otherwise, it'll be hard to beat Gaara with others distracting me. But keep us within sight at all times!"
Naruto's fist clenched. 'The others had better relay my message to Hokage-jiji and Jiraiya-sensei.'
Kakashi cursed as Gaara burst through another building with ease.
A quick Kawarimi gave him enough distance that he could quickly hide.
A few quick handseals for the hidden mist jutsu and a second Shunshin for good measure kept him well hidden for the moment amidst the rubble.
'This Gaara is strong… He's got Naruto's stamina and his healing to a certain degree… Then his control of sand and ferocity are frightening. If I hadn't been quick his last technique would have killed me.'
He winced slightly as he shifted his weight. He had been surprised by Gaara's ability to create sand from the ground beneath their feet and had been temporarily caught in a cocoon of sand.
A powerful lightning current had definitely saved him before the life had been squeezed out of him, but he hadn't gotten away unscathed. Several of his ribs were cracked at the very least.
"THIS GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE IS BEGINNING TO BORE ME!" Gaara's voice yelled out.
Kakashi began to think of a way to keep him occupied longer.
'Naruto needs to get here soon if that technique can really subdue him. ANBU is tied up with trying to free the Hokage and the rest of our forces are spread throughout the village in smaller scrimmages. There's no way I can expect any back up other than Naruto…'
Kakashi heard a wall collapse in the distance, possibly from an attack by Gaara when his heart sank at the sound of voices. What was worse was that they were familiar.
"Choji, can you make out anything in this fog?" Ino Yamanaka's voice echoed.
"I think this is mist Ino" Choji corrected her. Kakashi groaned at this. Gaara had two new targets.
"I've found someone!" Another voice called out.
Kakashi did not recognize this voice but felt the urge to smack his forehead. Three potential targets for Gaara. Things were just getting worse and worse.
"More blood for mother" Gaara's voice seemed to growl.
Kakashi could hear the deafening silence as the two Genin realized what was happening.
"Ch…Choji… I think we may have found Gaara" Ino's voice squeaked.
"Ino, get behind me" Choji's voice seemed to waver slightly. "Kagome, run away as fast as you can."
"But this man needs healing!"
"Forget that run!" Kakashi yelled out as he ended his hidden mist jutsu. He needed to keep Gaara's attention on him at all costs and he wasn't about to let two Genin and a civilian die with him around.
As the mist cleared, Kakashi saw Gaara whirl around to face the new arrivals.
They seemed to be frozen to the spot in fear from what they saw. They hadn't expected Gaara to look this deranged and demonic.
"DIE!" Gaara shot towards the two Genin.
"Damn!" Kakashi cursed as he went to intercept the boy, but something beat him to it.
"Dainamikku Entorī!" Gaara was struck in the side of his head and was sent through the
window of a building nearby.
Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Naruto had finally arrived.
"Sorry about the delay Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled as he stared at Gaara's shifting form in the darkness beyond the shattered window.
"Naruto!" Choji declared in relief.
Naruto grinned. "I'm glad you guys are okay, but this is my fight from here!"
Gaara stepped out of the window and smiled maniacally.
"Naruto Uzumaki! I'm glad you survived!"
Naruto's grin did not falter as he stared at his fellow Jinchuriki.
"That wind jutsu you used on me was pretty strong. I didn't expect it that's for sure. I'm surprised at how far it threw me, it was really disorienting."
Ino interjected at this point. "Naruto! We have to get the hell out of here this guy is too strong!"
Kakashi glanced at the blonde girl, thinking the same as her.
"Not to sound ungrateful, but she is right. I've been fighting him for a while now and I haven't been able to beat him yet. He's just been wearing me down." Kakashi had failed to mention that was also due to the fact that he had been protecting innocents from Gaara's wrath rather than take him out as quickly as possible.
Naruto and Gaara continued to stare at each other in silence.
"Naruto… I know that you and Jiraiya have a plan but I don't think you should take this guy on alone. You need some kind of back up" Kakashi said as he stepped towards his student.
"Who said I don't already have back up?" Naruto asked. At this, a large group of ANBU appeared surrounding the area.
Kakashi was somewhat surprised, but did not show it as he remained stoic. 'These ANBU, they're different… Is this Danzo's work?' He wondered. He looked at the mess of blonde hair in front of him. 'Why would he give his forces to Naruto?'
"What does Danzo want from you?" Kakashi asked quickly.
"Not the time Kakashi-sensei" Naruto said quickly. "Escort the four of them to safety" Naruto ordered. Six of the ANBU nodded and broke from their ranks.
Gaara seemed to shift slightly at this and was about to attack when Naruto yelled at him.
"They're just getting rid of all distractions, that way you and I can fight as freely as we want!"
Gaara hesitated and glanced from the blonde to the four individuals being gathered by the six ANBU.
Gaara growled to himself. 'Uzumaki is the only one I care to kill right now… But once I'm done with him, the silver haired man is next to die.'
Gaara returned his gaze to Naruto. "Why save these insects anyways!? They're nothing but dead weight!"
Naruto frowned at him. "Don't worry, I don't need to explain it to you right this second, cause over the next few minutes I'm going to beat my reason into you!"
Kakashi walked towards the two Genin and the civilian that he could see was using some medical ninjutsu to check on a body of an innocent that Gaara had managed to kill.
"Kagome let's go" Choji said as nudged her shoulder.
"…Yeah… It's too late for this man anyways…" Kagome muttered sadly.
Ino stood her ground, glaring at the blonde boy in the distance angrily.
"Why the hell doesn't he just leave it in the hands of the ANBU?" She snapped at Kakashi as he got closer.
The tall man sighed as he stepped past her. "Because it's his job, he's a shinobi like us and he has the tools to detain Gaara. For now we have to just put out trust in him."
Ino whirled around on Kakashi. "To hell with that! If Naruto is staying then we are to!"
Kakashi turned to look at her and stared deep into her eyes.
Ino stared back defiantly for a moment until her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell backwards. Kakashi moved swiftly and caught her before throwing her over his shoulder. He glanced over at her portly teammate who seemed to be staring back at Naruto.
"So Gaara is a Jinchuriki?" Choji asked Kakashi.
"Looks that way" he sighed.
"But Naruto is going to try and fight that?"
"Yeah…" Kakashi began to walk away as Choji turned to face the Jonin.
"So what does that mean Naruto is?"
Without missing a beat Kakashi answered, "A shinobi willing to lay his life on the line to protect his friends."
Silently Choji followed Kakashi as he took off down what was currently left of the road.
One of the ANBU had slung a protesting Kagome over his shoulder silently and they all followed Kakashi and Choji.
Naruto continued to wait as they left the area, maintaining eye contact with Gaara.
"So… Back to staring each other down" Naruto smirked as his observations made Gaara snarl. "Well then, let's get this st…"
Gaara's arm shot forward, the sand exploding out and racing towards the blonde.
Naruto jumped away as it crashed violently where he had just been standing.
"ENOUGH TALK UZUMAKI! YOUR JOKES ANNOY ME!" Gaara ran towards Naruto, his speed causing Naruto to grunt in frustration.
When Gaara was within five feet of Naruto, the blonde promptly exploded causing Gaara to scream in frustration.
"Calm down already! You want a fight I'll give you a fight, but since you're already using you're Biju give me a second to catch up!" Naruto's voice yelled down to him from atop a pile of rubble.
Gaara wheeled around snarling. "So I WAS right! You are a Jinchuriki as I am!"
Naruto grimaced slightly as his body began to glow red. "Y…yeah… That's right… Now shut up for a minute" Naruto grunted as he fell to the ground as the chakra from the Kyubi began to ooze through the seal.
'Good… The damn fox knows it's time…'
Gaara shuffled slightly, anxious to prove himself against someone just like him, against a fellow monster.
"Naruto Uzumaki! Finally, against you I can ultimately prove my worth! What better way than to kill a monster just like myself!"
Had Gaara not been used to a Biju's power he may have been worse off, however the look that Naruto gave him at this point sent shivers down his spine.
"Monster?" Naruto growled out, his blue eyes slowly turning red, his pupils turning to slits. "That's what you think being a Jinchuriki means?!"
The red chakra that was surrounding Naruto began to take shape of a fox, a single tail waiving behind him.
"You really think that lowly of us!?" Naruto's voice was increasing not only in volume but ferocity. Danzo's ANBU wavered slightly from where they all stood. They had of course been purged of emotions, however being near two Jinchuriki had set them all on edge for reasons they couldn't fully comprehend.
Naruto roared like a wild beast, his chakra amplifying the force, dirt and dust flying up off the street. Gaara had to squint slightly from the force of Naruto's power.
Naruto was on all fours, his eyes boring into Gaara's. "I'll show you what we really are!" Naruto growled.
Gaara began to laugh. "YES NARUTO UZUMAKI SHOW ME! SHOW ME JUST HOW RIGHT I AM!"
Sasuke grunted as he was thrown to the ground none to kindly.
Glancing over he saw Shino was also bound tightly. What irked him the most though, was the fact that their captors appeared to be Konoha ANBU tasked with following Naruto's orders.
The reason he knew this little piece of information? Because when they had been cornered by the ANBU they had informed them that Naruto had ordered that they be taken to a safe zone. Sasuke had of course not believed a single word they had said and responded with… Well it was safe to say there was a reason why he was bound and gagged at the moment.
Shino had been the opposite of Sasuke and had been very compliant with them when he sensed an Aburame amongst them, but because he was associated with Sasuke, he had also been restrained. He had not complained about it one iota.
Sasuke began to once again struggle against his restraints and was only met with silent stares from the three ANBU guards.
'Damn… At this point I don't doubt they're ANBU with how they have us tied up. I can't get out of this!'
As he struggled he heard footsteps approaching them before Choji Akimichi came into his line of sight.
"Sasuke?" Choji asked. Sasuke gave him an odd look and Choji looked past him.
"Kakashi-sensei! Sasuke is here, Shino as well!"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at this. 'Kakashi is here? What the hell?' His bounds suddenly became loose and Sasuke shook them loose and stood up, wrenching the cloth that gagged him away from him before spinning around to meet his sensei's stern look.
"Right now is not the time for questions Sasuke, just keep quiet until later" Kakashi ordered without pause.
Sasuke did not show it, but he was seething on the inside. He had just been bound and dragged across half the village by mysterious ANBU and now his Jonin sensei was telling him to be quiet like he was some academy student. Kakashi would be hearing about this when everything was over with. Turning to Shino, he saw that the Aburame had already been released from his restraints and was on his feet.
"Can you sense Naruto?" Sasuke asked Shino.
The boy did not answer and simply glanced at Kakashi.
"I said be quiet Sasuke" Kakashi snapped.
Sasuke was surprised. He had never heard Kakashi snap since they had first met on the roof of the academy building.
Something was wrong. Looking over at Choji, he saw the portly boy sitting next to an unconscious Ino Yamanaka and Kagome the medic.
'Well… At least Ino's not awake right now…'
Sakura winced as Rock Lee slowly lowered her to the ground. They had successfully made it to the shelter with the civilians and once they had entered the monument Iruka-sensei had spotted them and had a spot with the academy students cleared away. Shikamaru sighed as he saw that a great deal of the civilians had made it here safely.
'Still... At least a tenth of the civilians aren't here' he thought sadly as he surveyed the group. Not many of them had injuries and the few that did were being treated by medics that had gotten there safely.
Iruka walked over to Shikamaru, Rock Lee trailing behind him.
"So Naruto is being told to go after Gaara?" Iruka asked the dark haired Genin quietly.
Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah. Which is why we have to leave and go find him now before Gaara does any damage."
Iruka was about to respond when his eyes widened. He felt a familiar chakra fairly far away, but he was certain that every sensory type ninja knew what it was.
'The Kyubi!' Iruka shook his head. "No Shikamaru, I think you and Lee should stay here and help protect the civilians. We don't have many Shinobi in here and in case something happens, the two of you could really help."
Iruka knew it was a stretch, but he had to try and keep the two of them in there incase Naruto wasn't in control of whatever was happening to him.
He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat when another Shinobi came up to them.
"Iruka do you feel that it must be…"
Iruka shot the man a look that promptly shut him up.
Shikamaru took notice of this and stared at his one time teacher.
'He's nervous about something… They both are. There's something everyone is hiding from us.'
Rock Lee however saluted Iruka. "Absolutely Iruka-san! Shikamaru-kun and I shall stay behind and help protect and aid you in any way you need! If we fail at this I shall move one hundred boulders from the Hokage Monument to the main gates!"
Iruka smiled at Lee, "Thank you, both of you."
He glanced at Shikamaru and faltered at the look he was being given.
"…So troublesome" Shikamaru groaned and scratched his head. He didn't need to deal with all of this right now.
Jiraiya and the ANBU surrounding the purple barrier frowned at the new arrivals. They were clearly not typical ANBU but had quickly dropped Naruto's name in order for the Sannin to listen to them. Very quickly they relayed Naruto's plan to them and Jiraiya had to admit that while it was very risky and destructive, it could actually work to their advantage.
'That kid… He clearly is thinking like his mother, with no regard to his own safety.' The old man thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
Looking over his shoulder he saw that Sarutobi had effectively sealed the second Hokage with a well placed Kage Bunshin, a sealing tag, and the coffin that had initially summoned them.
Orochimaru was not happy that Sarutobi was able to resummon the coffin using his Edo Tensei, but that was why he was considered the professor. He knew of Tobirama's forbidden jutsu and had used it to restrain him.
But the Shodaime Hokage was proving much more difficult to restrain. The same trick would not work twice, not for lack of trying though.
Orochimaru simply stood back and watched as Sarutobi evaded strike after strike from the Konohagakure founder.
'Poor Sarutobi-sensei… And to think that Hashirama is merely toying with him and he still can barely keep up.' His tongue flicked out to taste the despair hanging in the air.
Hiruzen was clipped by an overly large shuriken, blood spewing out of the wound on his shoulder. Growling out a curse, he flipped through two hand seals and unleashed a torrent of fire that seemed to engulf the first Hokage.
Jumping back he got close to the wall of the purple barrier. Glancing back he saw Jiraiya give him a sign. 'So he has a plan… Good. Once this barrier is down with Jiraiya at my side and a platoon of ANBU we can at the very least keep Hashirama busy and then deal with Orochimaru.'
He glared back as the smoke from his technique cleared and revealed Hashirama standing perfectly unscathed.
'If I can survive much longer..' Hiruzen thought bitterly.
Orochimaru chuckled at it all. 'It's too bad I can't let Hashirama let loose, but it is indeed fun to watch sensei squirm.'
Gaara roared in frustration as he was thrown through another building by a red chakra arm.
Ever since Naruto had unleashed the red chakra, he had been dancing about, luring Gaara away from the area and back to the stadium.
To the red head, it didn't matter why he was doing it, but it did frustrate him to no end.
"STOP PRANCING ABOUT AND FACE ME COWARD!" Gaara roared as he unleashed a wave of sand from his arm.
Feeling it latch onto something he pulled it in. Through the remains of the building came a feral looking Naruto, grunting as Gaara's sand began to crush the boy's arm.
Gaara roared again in frustration when his sand blew apart and in Naruto's hand was a partially formed Rasengan.
Flying towards him, there was no escape from the attack for Gaara and he was flung into the air by the technique.
Naruto grinned as Gaara went airborne. 'Good, now I can take care of that barrier!'
Turning around he shot towards the stadium which was now in full view. Jumping up, he cut through air like an arrow. Soaring over the stands, he saw a purple cube surrounded by ANBU and Jiraiya. Grinning, he began to form a Rasengan in his hand when he heard another rush of air.
Unable to turn and face the attack, Naruto was pegged by an air bullet from Gaara who had recovered faster than Naruto had anticipated.
Naruto plummeted into the stadium and into the stands. Naruto groaned as he felt the Kyubi's chakra begin to fade.
'No no no! Damn it what the hell!?' Naruto thought in a panic.
Slowly he lifted himself up and saw that he had not landed on anyone, which gave him some relief, but there were still unconscious shinobi and civilians that had not been able to repel the Genjutsu from earlier and in the middle of the arena stood Gaara his sand beginning to recede from his body.
Within seconds the Jinchuriki looked as he had before his Shukaku transformation.
"What is this?!" Gaara wondered aloud. "WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Gaara screamed at Naruto.
'That wasn't me… What the hell is going on?' Naruto wondered.
And just like that, Naruto was in the sewer facing the demon he contained.
"Was this you?" Naruto asked the fox.
"No it's the Shukaku! He's trying to drag us into a shared level of unconsciousness…"
"What the hell do you mean?!" Naruto yelled.
The Kyubi snarled at the blonde. "It's not working, but Jinchuriki and Biju can converse in a shared mental plane!."
Naruto felt his stomach drop. "So he's trying to kill us there?!"
"No, however it would provide enough of a distraction for his host to kill you! The seal you have is preventing it to some extent as am I, but I had to stop supplying you my chakra!"
Naruto swore. "Well let me back out so I can take care of the Hokage really quickly then we can get back to Gaara! It takes him a moment to transform right?!"
Without an answer, Naruto shot back into reality, the Kyubi's chakra beginning to flood his system again.
'Guess he took care of it…' Naruto thought with a grin.
The Kyubi cloak surrounded him and he jumped away, leaving a confused Gaara to look around the stadium before spotting him retreating.
"UZUMAKI!" the boy yelled after him. His sand beginning to transform him back into a miniature Ichibi.
Naruto wasn't worried though, he had enough time to accomplish what he needed.
"MOVE GUYS!" Naruto yelled as he rocketed towards the barrier jutsu.
Jiraiya and the ANBU quickly scattered away as Naruto formed a Rasengan.
The ball of chakra shone with a purple light as he slammed it into the barrier.
"RASENGAN!" Naruto roared.
Inside of the barrier, the sound four groaned as they felt the force that was being applied against their jutsu.
"What the fuck is happening!?" Tayuya screamed as she felt the jutsu beginning to collapse.
"It's some kid!" Jirobu roared in anger.
"How can a kid do this!?" Kidomaru yelled as the barrier bent and contorted.
Sakon grit his teeth as he tried to maintain the jutsu when it suddenly failed. One of the others had dropped the barrier for some reason.
Then all hell broke loose.
Gaara had arrived on the roof near Kidomaru and quickly tore him into two pieces without him realizing what was happening.
"OROCHIMARU-SAMA!" Sakon yelled.
Jirobu attacked Naruto who was closest to him only for Naruto to ram a Rasengan into him and sending him flying off of the roof into the streets.
Immediately upon seeing two of their own fall before them, Tayuya and Sakon activated their curse seals.
Naruto glanced at Sakon and noticed the markings but was forced to dodge an air bullet from Gaara before jumping away to another building.
'What the hell were those kids?' Tayuya wondered before looking to Sakon who was running to Orochimaru's side.
"We have to leave Orochimaru-sama!" Sakon said as he arrived next to him. "Kidomaru is dead and Jirobu might be as well! Our forces are spread to thinly and reinforcements for the Hokage are coming!"
Orochimaru's eyes followed the two Jinchuriki that were retreating into the distance.
'Interesting boy that Naruto. To think that he could break the barrier using the fourth's technique as well as the Kyubi's chakra. He may hold some value after all.'
He quickly formed a seal and glanced at the two Hokage who were currently engaged.
Grinning he jumped away, his two remaining guards with him.
"You have some surprising Genin Sarutobi!"
The Third Hokage heard this but was unable to reply as the First Hokage suddenly exploded two feet from him.
Naruto ran through the village, Gaara hot on his tail.
'I need to get to a deserted area to use this technique!' He thought to himself as he jumped through some foliage.
'I'm surprised he hasn't transformed all the way yet…'
Feeling he had run enough he skidded to a stop and whirled around to face his oncoming opponent.
Gaara exploded through the brush to face Naruto, breathing heavily as he did.
"I… am sick of this… All of you Konoha Shinobi… Running about…"
Naruto grinned at this. "Maybe you should stop kidding yourself, there's no way you can keep this up as you are."
'Take the bait… Come on…'
Gaara didn't seem to disagree with Naruto as he stared angrily at the boy.
"To think that you would push me this far Uzumaki… You are very interesting!" The ground began to rumble, causing the blonde boy to grin. Finally he would be able to defeat the Jinchuriki.
'Thank god… My body can't take much more of the Kyubi's chakra…' He thought as he glanced at his left arm. Despite all the power he had received and the constant healing, for some reason he was having a hard time feeling anything from his left arm.
Then the ground seemed to explode, tossing Naruto back some way.
Rolling to a stop he jumped to his feet only to feel his heart skip a beat.
Standing before him was the true form of the Ichibi, Shukaku.
"I…it's bigger than Gamaken!" Naruto gaped. "I'm supposed to seal this?" Naruto wondered aloud. 'No wonder Kakashi-sensei was so worried, this thing is massive!'
Slowly the chakra shroud around Naruto faded, leaving him feeling slightly weaker. He staggered forward slightly at the loss of power.
Naruto then heard something from above before realizing that Gaara had just activated a Jutsu.
"I'M FREEEEEEEEEE!" The voice was high pitched and caused Naruto to yelp in pain from being in such close proximity.
'He let the Biju take control!?' Naruto wondered.
"WHERE IS THAT KYUBI BRAT?!" It roared.
Naruto was suddenly very happy that it didn't know where he was and briefly considered hiding before remembering that he had to set up his technique.
"Gotta do something for chakra…" he mumbled as he closed his eyes. Focusing he dug deep, remembering what Gai-sensei had taught him when he was learning some.
"KAIMON… RELEASE!" Chakra flooded Naruto's body as he released the first chakra gate. Biting his thumb, he drew the necessary amount of blood and swiped it on his summoning tattoo before slamming his palm down. An explosion of smoke erupted and caught the Ichibi's attention.
"WHERE THE HELL AM I?" a voice bellowed. The smoke cleared, leaving a frustrated Gamabunta.
"Sorry! I just need you're help is all Gamabunta! I need you to distract Shukaku while I prepare my technique!" Naruto pleaded from a top his head.
"Grr… YOU'RE JUST AS BAD AS THAT PERVERT OF A SENSEI!" Gamabunta yelled at the blonde.
"S…sorry… But we warned you I might have to do this."
The toad grunted as he withdrew his knife.
Naruto jumped off of the toads head and took of running through the forest while the two giants stared at one another.
'Another Biju fight… Takes me back…' Bunta thought to himself as he recalled the last time he had seen the Yondaime.
"DIIIIIEEEE!" The Ichibi screamed with delight.
Naruto swiped blood on his other tattoo and a scroll popped into his hand, the tattoo now gone.
Unfurling the scroll showed that it contained six different kunai all strapped to it.
Five of them looking all the same, each of them gold in color. The sixth one, resembled the Yondaime's famous kunai, but orange.
Running along, Naruto created five clones, giving each of them one of the gold kunai while taking the orange one for himself.
Without a word, the clones jumped off into different directions as Naruto skidded to a stop.
'Just a little bit more time…' With this he sat down and began to meditate.
'Just need to clear my mind… Nothing that can distract me…'
The ground rumbled as he heard Gamabunta shout out painfully in the distance. Naruto winced at the sound of his comrade's pain.
'Just a bit longer…' His eyes snapped open as the memory of one of his clones hit him.
"One in position…" Naruto muttered.
Kakashi stood staring at the ANBU that were guarding him. 'Why would Danzo be helping Naruto of all people? It doesn't really make sense.'
The ANBU were all ignoring Kakashi however. Their attention was on the form of the Ichibi in the far distance. Surely all the ninja in the village could feel it's chakra at this point and were possibly panicking. It didn't help that you could hear its high pitched voice half way across the village with ease.
What surprised Kakashi was seeing the form of Gamabunta engaging the Biju in question.
'So Naruto can summon the chief toad… That's very impressive.' He thought.
Beside him was Sasuke who was gaping at the titanic battle taking place.
'That's Gaara? What's with the toad? What the hell is Naruto going to do to defeat that?!'
Choji sat in a tree watching worriedly. 'The only way Naruto can beat that… is if he's got a monster in him as well… And all the adults are banking on him… Is Naruto the same as that Gaara guy?' The portly Genin wondered. 'But why would he have a monster in him?'
Kagome lay next to Ino on the ground in blissful unconsciousness. When the Ichibi had emerged she had lost her cool and began to ramble on until one of the ANBU had pinched a nerve on her neck and she had slumped to the ground.
Kakashi knew of the technique and did not worry about it she would be up and running soon enough.
Shino looked paler than usual however. His Kikaichu were very sensitive to chakra and had been on edge the closer they had gotten to Gaara's position. Once Gaara had given over control though, they had freaked out and it had taken a lot out of Shino to calm them down as they had not experienced this before. Then again, neither had he.
Naruto grinned when he felt the final clone's memories hit him. 'Seriously, without that technique I'd be lost.'
Getting to his feet he ran towards the two titans fighting each other.
"BUNTA! YOU CAN GET OUT OF HERE!" Naruto yelled as he jumped to the top of a tree.
The toad heard the boy and was able to plant one final kick on the Ichibi when it was distracted by Naruto's yelling. Then, he was gone, leaving Naruto and the Ichibi alone.
The beast turned to look at the tiny speck of a Genin and cackled. "What a puny vessel! To think Kurama was shoved into a brat like you!"
'Who the hell is Kurama?' Naruto wondered. He quickly shook his head, not needing the distraction.
"Game over!" Naruto declared as he dove off the tree. Quickly he drove the kunai into the ground before quickly running through seals that he had been practicing all month before landing on the tiger seal and then slamming his hand on the ring of the kunai that was protruding from the ground.
Immediately five golden chains sprung forth from the orange kunai in different directions, each one heading towards one of the golden kunai spread throughout the forest then heading to another kunai until each chain was connected to each kunai before impaling the Ichibi from five different directions.
The beast screamed in agony and fear, knowing what was about to happen.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!"
Naruto closed his eyes, reaching into his mind. 'Now… I need your help' Naruto said. He felt the Kyubi's chakra surge forward and into the chains, causing them to glow orange.
The Ichibi's screams grew louder when there was a bright flash of light and then what sounded like an implosion. A shockwave shook the trees in the forest as the silhouette of the Biju stood motionless for a few seconds before slowly it began to crumble into sand.
Naruto fell to one knee as he watched grinning. 'One tail doesn't have anything against nine…' Naruto then felt his world shift before meeting blissful unconsciousness.
When he opened his eyes he was greeted with the sterile white that was the ceiling of a hospital room.
"Oh god…" Naruto groaned when he realized where he was.
"Should you be so lucky" a voice said from the corner.
Naruto turned his head to see Iruka and Kakashi sitting playing a game of Go.
"No shogi?" Naruto asked as he tried to sit up.
Kakashi shook his head. "That's Asuma and Shikamaru's thing… I tried it with you guys and couldn't really get into it. Figured I'd try this."
Naruto remembered vaguely when Kakashi had tried that and none of them save for Sakura had enjoyed it. Go looked just as boring to Naruto though.
"So did we win?" Naruto asked. Iruka chuckled at him. "Well Konoha is still here, so yes we won."
Naruto sighed in relief. "That's good."
They all stayed silent for a moment when the door opened and in stepped Jiraiya.
Naruto chuckled, drawing odd looks from all three of them.
"Sorry, just three of my teachers are in here, I'm just glad Gai isn't here right now…"
Jiraiya's laughter boomed throughout the room as Kakashi chuckled lightly. Iruka smiled and shook his head. "Gai isn't that bad" Iruka defended.
"You don't have to train with him" Kakashi and Naruto said in unison.
When the laughter died down Jiraiya walked to Naruto's bedside and ruffled his hair.
"Good work kid, you did well" The Sannin praised.
"So the seal is in place, it didn't kill him?" Naruto asked happily.
Jiraiya paused at this point. "I'm… Not sure."
Naruto was still smiling, clearly not understanding.
Jiraiya sighed and sat on the edge of his bed. "Something else happened when you sealed away the Ichibi…"
Flashback
Jiraiya landed beside an unconscious Naruto, three ANBU behind the Sannin.
Quickly he checked for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief to feel that it was steady.
"Just chakra exhaustion" Jiraiya muttered. One of the ANBU scooped up the ragged boy in his arms gently. "Take him back to Konoha and find a medic to check him over."
The ANBU nodded before taking off into the trees, leaving Jiraiya and the other two behind.
"Let's go find Gaara then…" Jiraiya muttered. They continued forward until the came to an area where the trees had been uprooted from when Gaara was fully transformed.
However before they could continue any further, a large snake burst from the ground and swallowed one of the ANBU. Jiraiya and the last remaining ANBU were able to jump away in time, flying through hand seals and unleashing a torrent of fire on the beast.
Its head was quickly burnt when it suddenly fell off, revealing the second ANBU unharmed, his tanto unsheathed and covered in blood.
"It looks like we both have a mutual interest Jiraiya-kun" a chilling voice called out from the clearing.
Jiraiya felt his fist tighten involuntarily.
"Orochimaru" he growled.
Sure enough, there stood the pale man, two others beside him.
"Come to check on Sunagakure's Jinchuriki?" Orochimaru asked.
Narrowing his eyes, Jiraiya saw that the female was carrying Gaara over her shoulder.
"What interest do you have in him?" Jiraiya asked as he slowly approached the group.
Orochimaru chuckled. "He's such a fascinating specimen what with his ability to transform into the beast without breaking his seal. The only others able to do that are the current Jinchuriki of Kumogakure, not to mention he killed a few of my associates throughout the exams."
Jiraiya stopped a few feet away from his one time friend. "If you do this, Suna will come after you with everything they have."
Orochimaru laughed at Jiraiya. "Such a meek threat, I've already managed to kill their leader and then infiltrate their ranks. I know what kind of military might they have and let me tell you that even with their Jinchuriki, I am not worried. Besides, they won't be the only ones after me if I take a Jinchuriki." Orochimaru gave Jiraiya a knowing smile.
'Looks like he knows about my research into Akatsuki…' Jiriaya thought with a frown.
"Oh don't worry my old friend; I wouldn't dare tell them how much you know. After all, I'm not exactly on the best terms with them as it is and this will only infuriate them more."
"You certainly haven't lost your touch with people" Jiraiya stated.
"There's that classic Jiraiya wit, oh how I've missed it so" Orochimaru taunted.
"You know I can't just let you take the Jinchuriki."
"Oh I know, but I also know that the Kyubi brat is being carried off by one lonely ANBU… So here is your choice, pursue me and maybe get Gaara away from me but lose Naruto. Or you can go after your protégé and save him and let me get away with Gaara. You're choice Jiraiya-kun."
Jiraiya knew that Orochimaru could be bluffing, but he couldn't take that chance, not with Minato's son.
Without a word Jiraiya turned around and ran off in the direction he knew Naruto would be.
"Good choice" Orochimaru growled.
Flashback end
The room was silent as Jiraiya finished retelling what had happened.
"…So he took Gaara?" Naruto said slowly.
Jiraiya simply nodded.
"Did we at least save Hokage-jiji?" Naruto asked.
Jiraiya smiled. "Sarutobi-sensei is alive. He was caught in a blast from a reanimated Shodaime Hokage but escaped with a broken arm."
Naruto sighed in relief. 'At least there is some good news.'
Kakashi glanced at Jiraiya who was staring at the young blond boy.
"Naruto, I have some questions for you though…" Jiraiya's tone had turned serious.
"Iruka, I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave for a few minutes" Kakashi said to the academy teacher.
Iruka nodded, but cast a worried glance at his one time student. Naruto looked confused but bid Iruka goodbye.
Once the door shut Naruto felt fear claw at his heart as Jiraiya's eyes bore into his own.
"Start from when you first met Danzo Shimura" Jiraiya said, killer intent starting to fill the room.
Naruto felt his mouth go dry and his heart rate quicken.
"W…why? What's going on?" Naruto stuttered.
"When did you first meet Danzo?" Jiraiya repeated, his temper starting to show more and more.
"He snuck up on me a month or so before the exams… He said if I needed help he'd offer it, and he knew who my parents were" Naruto ran through the encounter quickly.
"Then when I was looking for Gaara he showed up and told me what was happening with the Hokage and that I needed to choose whether to go after Gaara or go help break that barrier jutsu, then he gave me some ANBU to help out."
Jiraiya sighed as Naruto finished his retelling.
"So Danzo has not asked you for anything?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto shook his head. "Just to help save the Hokage I guess…"
Groaning Jiraiya rubbed his face, looking his age for the first time Naruto had seen him.
"Naruto, be very careful if he approaches you again. Danzo isn't the noblest man around and is considered treacherous even by Shinobi standards. If he has taken notice of you, it's very likely that he will ask you for something at some point in the near future."
"What would he want from a Genin like me?" Naruto asked.
"You're not just any Genin Naruto" Kakashi explained. "You are the Jinchuriki of the Kyubi and the son of the yellow flash. You carry more weight and responsibility than any Genin and even Chunin in the village."
Jiraiya nodded as the two of them stared at Naruto.
"Danzo knows this and will use that to his advantage if need be."
Naruto pursed his lips as his mind began to race. He was important? A few months ago when he had learned of who his father was he felt that he should be honored to be connected to someone important, but to actually be important was something he didn't imagine happening until he was a Hokage.
"I'll be careful if I see him again" Naruto finally muttered.
"Good, and if he does approach you then let myself or the Hokage know immediately" Jiraiya said as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a scroll.
Naruto gave him a questioning look as Jiraiya tossed it to him.
"It's got some more of those leather jackets" Naruto lit up at this before Jiraiya continued.
"Without the seals… When you have time you're going to have to apply the seals so that sensory ninja can't detect you."
Naruto pouted at this point. "I have to do that again!? That's so complicated though!"
Kakashi chuckled as he said to no one in particular, "to think that Naruto Uzumaki is becoming proficient with seals, what an odd thing."
"Well Naruto, I'm off!" Jiraiya said as he began for the door.
"Where are you going, what about my training?" Naruto asked.
"I'm going to try and track where Orochimaru took Gaara. A Biju in his hands is bad enough, but he could glean some information off of that jutsu you used on him given enough time."
Naruto gulped.
"Not that he'd be able to use it" Jiraiya said. "But it's still an important piece of information." Naruto nodded. "Just take it easy and stay safe, and when I get back I can show you a few other techniques."
Naruto grinned at this. "I'll hold you to it pervert!"
Jiraiya scoffed at this. "No respect this new generation!" With that said, Jiraiya left the room leaving Naruto and Kakashi alone.
"What about team seven?" Naruto asked.
Kakashi shook his head. "It may be a bit before we go on missions together Naruto. With the attack on the village we're mobilizing all of our active Shinobi on missions and repair duty. I myself just got back from a mission today and am going back out tonight. Sasuke was sent out with a squad yesterday on some cleanup duty at the edge of the village and Sakura is healing at home now. More than likely you'll be sent out on some missions with other teams."
Naruto groaned. "But we still have all that team work we have to work on!"
Kakashi smiled at the blond. "I'm sure it'll be fine Naruto."
When he first opened his eyes, Gaara noticed how dark the room he was in happened to be.
'I must be in a Konohagakure holding cell' he first thought as the memory of his fight with Naruto Uzumaki came to him.
What he found odd though was the fact that he was not shackled or chained to anything as he sat up.
His gourd lay in a corner of a small room with nothing but a desk and a bed. A candle sat upon the desk illuminating the room.
"Where am I?" Gaara wondered aloud. As he stood up he noticed something was off.
'It's very quiet.' Gaara thought to himself as he listened to the distinct lack of noise. He stood there taking it in, listening for anything at all.
'What did they do to me?' he wondered as he shook his head lightly.
'Mother is silent… Why is… Where did it go?'
Closing his eyes he focused on where he normally would feel the Ichibi's whispers come from. What he found surprised him as he gasped aloud.
"You should thank Naruto Uzumaki for that" a voice crept from the darkness.
The gourd in the corner exploded into sand and shot towards the voice.
Gaara was surprised to hit nothing but a stone wall when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Now now Gaara, you shouldn't just blindly attack an ally."
The voice chilled Gaara's blood. 'Who is this?'
The sand had returned to him and lashed out at the stranger only to stop in its tracks.
"I'm surprised your father never introduced us young Jinchuriki" the voice said from the darkness once again.
"Who are you?" Gaara asked, feeling fear from the situation. So much had changed and he didn't like it, it made him feel vulnerable.
"I am Orochimaru" the voice said. Slowly the pale man walked into the lit room a grin upon his face.
"What did Naruto Uzumaki do to me? Tell me or die" Gaara said as he tried to calm himself, his sand beginning to swirl around him.
"The young Genin resealed the Ichibi into you when you awakened it, quite an interesting Fuinjutsu if you ask me. Over riding the unstable seal that was there since its inception, clearly the boy had help devising it. " the pale man said as he took a few steps towards the red head.
Gaara's sand shot forward only for it to stop an inch from the Sannin's face.
Gaara turned pale and nearly fell to his knees at the amount of malevolence that was radiating off of Orochimaru.
"Foolish boy" Orochimaru growled, his demeanor changing suddenly. "Just because you are a Jinchuriki doesn't mean you can contend with the likes of a sannin."
Gaara looked down at his hand to find it shaking.
Chuckling Orochimaru patted the young boy on his head.
"I must admit though, I enjoy the killer instinct in you boy."
"W…where am I?" Gaara asked.
"Just in one of many of my hideouts, but that doesn't matter right now. Tell me, can you still feel the link with your Biju?"
Slowly Gaara nodded causing the Sannin to smile.
"Excellent. Come with me young Gaara, it is time for you to find a new purpose."
Naruto had been discharged from the hospital not long after Jiraiya and Kakashi had left for his room. He still felt like crap however which surprised him. The fuinjutsu had taken a lot out of him and he was still recovering from the effects.
Walking through the village he saw how much damage had been wrought by the sand and sound shinobi.
'I'm sure it didn't help to have Gamaken running amok not to mention me and Gaara.'
What really hit it home for him though was when he found what was left of his apartment.
The building must have been the battle zone of a summon because there was only a pile of rubble left.
"So… I'm homeless?" Naruto said, somewhat in disbelief. Walking forward slowly he kicked at a loose brick.
He stared at the rubble for a few solid minutes before he sat down and began to chuckle. Quickly that chuckle turned into laughter. He sat there laughing like a maniac for a moment when his tears began to fall.
"I'm homeless… Great." The blue sky was turning orange as the sun was setting.
"I'm a homeless Genin that just happens to be a Jinchuriki… That's… Awesome."
Standing up, tears silently streaming down his face he began to dig through the rubble.
"Maybe… Maybe some of my stuff is still here" he muttered as he dug through everything.
As he kept digging he began to think of his few valuable objects that he had stashed away. His father's coat, some books from the library, his wallet… His money that he stashed in a box, his bed, his clothes. As he kept digging, things began to look more and more bleak.
A few people walked by, whispering and keeping their distance from the boy.
'Guess they didn't hear who helped out during the attack' Naruto thought bitterly.
His hands began to bleed as he clawed through dirt and moved brick and rock around.
By the time he found something, the sun had been gone for a few hours and the night sky shimmered over head. Panting he lifted out the one object he had found from the rubble.
It was his father's coat. Tattered, singed and in shambles.
Falling to his knees, Naruto took a deep breath of cool night air. "I don't even have something to remember him by now…"
Getting to his feet he let the cloth fall from his hand and walked away.
'Well… at least I'm still a shinobi…'
Ino Yamanaka groaned as she flopped into a chair beside her pink haired friend who was lying on a bed.
"You're so lucky you're not on the active duty roster Sakura" Ino choked out.
"What were you doing today?" Sakura asked as she flipped through a book.
"I got teamed up with that Rock Lee and Tenten for clean up at the stadium" Ino said as she undid her pony tail and shook some dust from her hair.
Sakura glared at Ino for getting dirt on her bed which Ino ignored.
"Well at least you're not cooped up in your house going stir crazy. I haven't seen anyone since the attack ended until now!"
"You haven't seen Naruto or Sasuke?" Ino asked.
Sakura shook her head. "I think Sasuke is out on a mission and Naruto is still resting in the hospital."
Ino shrugged her shoulders. "It's so weird to be going on missions with other teams, especially after the exams."
"I can only imagine. It would be awkward to have to readjust to other people in the field."
Ino snorted. "In the field? It's just D ranked missions Sakura."
"Yeah, but eventually it won't be right?" Sakura asked.
"Well, yeah but that's a long ways off I think" Ino said as she picked up a brush on Sakura's dresser and began to brush her hair.
"Thanks for asking" Sakura said, her eyes narrowed.
Again Ino ignored her.
"So any word on when you'll be able to join in a mission or two?"
"A few more weeks from what they've said." Sakura said as she snapped her book shut.
Ino nodded as she set the brush down and inspected her hair in a mirror.
"Well maybe I'll get some alone time with Sasuke-kun in the meantime" Ino snickered.
Sakura didn't rise to the jab but sighed instead. "I just wish I could be training right now."
Ino raised an eyebrow at this. "That's weird."
"What's weird?"
"You just said you wish you were training right now." Ino sat on the edge of Sakura's bed.
"Well… The exams showed just how far everyone has come. You gave Hinata a fight and Hinata really showed her all against Naruto. If I had gone up against any of you I would have lost."
Ino was shocked. "Sakura, are you showing humility?"
A pillow found its way to Ino's face.
"Shut it pig" Sakura growled.
Ino laughed for a moment before speaking. "I know what you mean though Sakura. I didn't think Naruto was much in the academy, but here he was going against the likes of Gaara and winning! I hate to admit it but I feel inadequate compared to him, or even Lee!"
Sakura groaned. "Well at least you can train! I have to sit here and do nothing."
Ino shook her head. "Nope, no time to train lately. Just been doing these missions from the crack of dawn until the sun sets, by the time the day is over with I'm too tired to do anything but sleep."
Sakura huffed. "Well… Still…"
The door closed as the council of Shinobi sat down to discuss what they had been putting of for some time.
At the head of the table sat Hiruzen Sarutobi, his arm in a sling from his fight against two resurrected Hokage. Beside him were his two advisors Koharu and Homura. Amongst the rest of the table were the heads of many clans, some were absent however due to the influx of missions the village was accepting to ensure they would not be seen as weakened nation.
"Thank you all for making time to come here and help us with the task of promotions to Chunin!" The Hokage said from his seated position.
"Now then, I have the list of all the finalists from our village. Sasuke Uchiha, Neji Hyuga, Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga, Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Shino Aburame, Rock Lee and Choji Akimichi. If any of you feel that they should be promoted now would be a good time to speak."
Ibiki was the first to answer. "I like the Uzumaki kid. He has a lot of spunk and ability, not to mention that he's the reason we have one of Orochimaru's lackeys in our custody."
"I agree that he is quite strong but is he Chunin worthy?" Hiashi Hyuga questioned.
Shibi Aburame spoke up at this point. "Strength is not the only aspect of a Chunin, however Naruto Uzumaki did display some interesting tactics even if it was somewhat unconventional and flashy at times. My vote however would go with Shikamaru Nara, he displayed enough intelligence to at least see if his jutsu would be effective against Gaara before realizing it was a futile effort. A Chunin must always be careful when possibly confronting a powerful enemy by taking more of a tactical approach rather than trying to blow it up."
A few people snickered at how Shibi referenced Naruto and Sasuke's tactic of using powerful explosions and fire jutsu against their enemies to win.
Shikaku nodded. "I agree with Shibi to an extent; however I would say that Naruto has displayed a lot of growth since becoming a Genin. I say let the boy promote."
"However being a Chunin doesn't mean that they must have the ability to grow Shikaku, they have to have the mind set for it, which I am unsure of when it comes to the young Uzumaki" Inoichi chimed in. "He is clearly as strong as many Chunin, but I have yet to see anything that proves that he has the mental capacity to be one. I saw many impressive jutsu but a Shinobi with a thousand jutsu can be killed by an enemy with a well devised tactic. I do not believe the boy is ready for such a responsibility."
A loud cough interrupted the debate's, causing everyone to look at the culprit.
"I believe we should promote Naruto Uzumaki" Danzo Shimura stated.
The Hokage was somewhat unsurprised at this; everyone else in the room was the opposite however.
"Come again Danzo?" Koharu asked.
"Naruto Uzumaki should be promoted to Chunin. Hiashi, I am surprised you are against this as you are one of the few people to have notice the seal he had prepared prior to the match to counteract any Doujutsu. That was why young Hinata could not pinpoint his Tenketsu am I correct?"
Hiashi nodded. "I am ashamed to admit that I had forgotten about that detail."
Danzo nodded. "It is understandable considering everything that has happened since then Hiashi. He was also clever enough to compensate for his lack of precise chakra control for the Yondaime's technique by using a clone to help create the jutsu. Something many people would not have thought of doing, another sign of the young man's adaptability."
A murmur ran through the crowd. No one had forgotten about Naruto's ability to use the Rasengan.
"Not many have been able to lay a finger on the boy Gaara, however Uzumaki pulled it off more than once. And then, during the assault from the sand and sound, he managed to help bolster our forces through the use of his clones while fending off a rabid Jinchuriki and also breaking the barrier that held the Sandaime Hokage prisoner while also taking command of my personal guard to help round up anyone that was in Gaara's way. If those aren't qualities of a Chunin then I am sorely mistaken."
The Hokage had to admit that Danzo was correct about all of this as he was thinking the same thing. If it had not been for Naruto's intervention anything could have happened when he was against Orochimaru and his Edo Tensei. What bothered him though was that Danzo wouldn't do something without cause, and he clearly wanted Naruto for something.
"I say we promote Naruto Uzumaki" Danzo said one final time.
'There is no way the council will say no when it is clear he is more than Chunin material.' Danzo thought to himself.
Slowly the room began to agree with Danzo, Naruto Uzumaki had gone above and beyond what it meant to be a Chunin and had out preformed some Jonin already.
"Very well" The Hokage stated. "Naruto Uzumaki is hereby to be offered the position of Chunin. Is there anyone else we shall promote?"
By the end of the deliberations, there were two people that were promoted. Naruto Uzumaki and Shikamaru Nara.
As the Hokage watched everyone leave, Danzo remained seated across from the Hokage.
When the room was empty Danzo spoke. "I know what you are thinking Sarutobi."
"I don't think that you do Danzo" Hiruzen said as he used his good arm to reach into his robes for his tobacco pipe.
"I am not after Naruto for ROOT" Danzo said simply.
"You wouldn't be that foolish" The Hokage stated as he stuck the pipe in his mouth and used his good arm to quickly light it.
"Naruto Uzumaki is the Yondaimes legacy and is therefore a great asset to Konohagakure. We must ensure that he becomes a great Shinobi" Danzo said as he stood up.
"That is unlike you… To believe in someone other than yourself" Sarutobi said as he remained seated.
"I am not saying that I believe in Naruto… However, I am saying that we can make him into a man that can be believed in."
The two men stared at one another, the tension in the room growing thicker.
"Be careful how you tread Danzo, I am not to be trifled with and Naruto is under not only my protection but Jiraiya's as well."
Danzo chuckled. "You would think that I would be up to something nefarious wouldn't you."
"You know me all to well old friend." The Hokage said as he watch Danzo leave the room.
Well there is the newest chapter! The Chunin Exams are finally finished and now it's on to a new story arc! If you can't tell, the search for Tsunade thing will not be happening, but that doesn't mean she won't show up at some point in the future! Also, Orochimaru has Gaara in his clutches, which isn't good news for the rest of the world. I'm making Orochimaru more of a villain in this f than he was in cannon. He's an awesome villain with the strength of Jiraiya, they never utilized that much in my opinion. Akatsuki will also show up at some point albeit in a different manor since Itachi doesn't have to show up to threaten Danzo since the third Hokage lives. So from here on out it's not going to follow cannon very much, here and there events will line up but not much.
So for now I say goodbye until the next chapter but feel free to review or PM me!
PS: As an apology, below is written a preview of something that happens a little further into the new story arc.
Naruto panted as he collapsed in the alleyway. He tore at the black buttoned shirt that was drenched in blood to reveal a deep laceration in his left side.
Gritting his teeth he pulled out the blade slowly, causing him to gasp in pain. He stopped for a moment, the pain too much for him.
"Sneaky bastard…" he panted as he glanced up and down the deserted alley.
Looking away he grasped the hilt of the odd shaped kunai and wrenched it out of the wound.
His breath caught in his throat as he dropped the kunai to the ground. 'Come on Kurama… Just heal it please…' There was no response from the fox.
"Thanks for nothing…" he grunted. Taking his shirt he quickly tore the remains off and wrapped his torso with it, making sure that it was tight enough to put pressure on the wound.
"I have to get back to Kurenai and the others…" Naruto said to himself as he climbed to his feet.
Using the wall as support he slowly made his way down the alley thinking of everything that had happened up to this point.
"…I miss the Chunin exams…" he laughed to himself.
"So you were in Konoha recently?" a voice called out to him.
'Damn it Naruto… You had to open your big mouth… Even Lee was more stealth than you…' Turning around he saw his assailant from earlier.
"I have to say, you don't seem like the type of Shinobi to last very long "Yeah well…" Naruto stopped talking as he tried to make a cross seal only for him to stretch out his wound, causing a wave of pain to crash over him.
He dropped to the ground holding his wound. 'Dammit… This isn't good.'
So there is the preview of what is to come in the next story arc.