A/N: Hello my fellow followers~ I still remember when I just started writing this story… Admittedly, I was not very good… Actually, my first chapter story was in fact a Clamp one, but that was so crap that I took it down. I just wanted to thank all of you for reading my story; it's a new year, so let's celebrate! Wow, it's nearly been two years writing this! ^^
And the Cogs Begin to Turn
(I've skipped a few matches…)
Finally after all that fighting, the preliminaries were over. Many people in the room were tired. Anyone who was worse than that were in the medical wing. They gathered on the ground floor in a line in front of Hayate, Anko, Ibiki and the Hokage.
"To those who have made it to the main matches of the Chunin Exams Third Exam… Congratulations! Your main match fights will be shown in front of everyone. We wish for all of you to show off your abilities as your country's representative power. Therefore, the main matches will begin in one month."
"Wow, a whole month?" Sakura mumbled.
"The month will be used as preparation. Time is needed to gather the attending Kage's from the other lands, as well as other things to ensure the exam goes smoothly. It is also a chance for you all to prepare for this tournament. Gather knowledge about your opponent, and hone your skills. Remember, this is a chance for you to become a Chunin."
Anko held a box and walked to the genin.
"Please take out a piece of paper."
Everyone took one out. Naruto looked at his paper, which had the number 5. Naruto winced. This is probably the line up.
"Now tell me the number you got, starting from the left," Ibiki instructed.
"5," Naruto said.
"4," Temari said.
"8," Kankuro said.
"6," Gaara whispered.
"3," Shikamaru sighed.
"1," Neji said.
"7," Shino said.
The Hokage nodded. "Then Sasuke will be 2. We will now tell you the match-ups for the tournament."
Thought so… wait… that's means I'm fighting Gaara…
Neji would fight Sasuke. Shikamaru would fight Temari. And Kankuro would be fighting Shino.
"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?"
Shikamaru raised his hand, "May I?"
Hokage nodded, "You may."
"You said this is a tournament, so… there's only one winner, right? Then does that mean that only one of us gets to be Chunin?"
"No, that is not the case. For the finals, you will observe 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 journeyman ninja… even those who may have lost in the first round can be Chunin."
"Do you mean that it's possible that all of us here could become Chunin?" Temari asked.
"Yes. However it is also possible that none of you will become Chunin. Well, then good work all! You are dismissed until one month from now!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Naruto sighed and he sauntered down the street. It was one of those days… you know, the one where you just had the biggest urge to head towards the nearest wall and commence the act of head-banging.
So troublesome… that Gaara guy doesn't look evil… okay maybe he does, but that's all Shukaku's fault. Naruto flashed back to when he had commanded Gaara to stop crushing Lee's arm and leg. Technically he didn't command Gaara, rather he commanded Shukaku… which was baaad news for Naruto. A pissed off Bijuu is an extremely dangerous Bijuu.
…I acted too irrationally.
To a 9th class demon such as Shukaku, to be commanded by an inferior 8th class demon such as Naruto was a big blow to his pride. Luckily Shukaku had still been under the effects of the command to attack Naruto… at least he hoped that was it.
Even if Naruto was royalty, being the son of the King of Bijuu, the completely mental Shukaku would likely take offense to being commanded. Demons tended to have that superior complex. Then again, so did humans. Sasuke, for example.
…Gaara is most likely planning to kill me in the Chunin exams. Naruto thought cheerily. Yay…
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kill him! KILL HIM! KILL HIM NOW!
Gaara gritted his teeth together as Shikaku continued to howl within his mind.
I thought we were meant to stay away from him.
No! Kill him! To be commanded by a lesser demon, such DISGRACE!
He is the son of the King of Bijuu… it would be hard to kill him…
I can feel it… he is weak in his pitiful human body… he can not use his full power- HE'S HERE! KILL!
Gaara scanned his surroundings, also feeling the chakra signature of Naruto. He was currently standing on the roof of a tall building. A flash of black and white, and Naruto was now standing a little ways of facing Gaara.
"…Mother wants to kill you."
Naruto winced. "Thought so. How bout we make a deal."
Gaara stayed silent, which Naruto took as a sign to carry on.
"Wait until the Chunin exams. Since we are going to be fighting each other, you can kill me then, but not now… we might injure or kill innocent villagers."
"…I could hardly care for the villagers… so what's to stop me from just killing you now?"
A smile stretched across Naruto's face.
"You know, I'm just a clone."
Sand suddenly shot out from Gaara's gourd and pierced through Naruto's chest.
Poof.
The clone disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Another clone appeared next to where the previous clone was standing.
"I told you so. So do we have a deal?"
The sand wrapped around the new clone's body.
"I could just find you and kill you," Gaara said.
"You could, but I wouldn't put up much of a fight. Don't you want to kill me as I try my hardest to survive? Wouldn't that just make you feel… alive?"
Gaara's eyes widened, and Naruto smirked. Bingo.
Gaara's sand relinquished its hold on Naruto, despite Shukaku's howling protests in his mind.
"Very well, Uzumaki Naruto. I'll wait until the exams. Then I'll kill you. Make me feel alive."
Naruto's eyes softened.
"I'm... sorry."
Gaara narrowed his eyes in confusion." For what?"
"For you having to live with Shukaku… your life must have been hard."
Gaara said nothing.
"You know…" Naruto said as he brought up a kunai to his own neck. "We could always be friends."
Poof.
Gaara was left standing on the rooftop alone.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Naruto paused mid-step as the clone's memories transferred to his mind. His own eyes softened. No child should ever live the life of a Jinchuuriki. None.
Naruto shook his head. I need to focus! I need to find a sensei to teach me…
Flashback~
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Kakashi turned to see Naruto running towards him.
"Oh, are you here to see Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.
"…I suppose, but I also wanted to ask you something."
"Yes?"
"Will you be teaching Sasuke this month?"
Kakashi sighed. "It looks like I will be, since Sasuke has now unlocked the Sharingan. As I am the only person left who has the Sharingan, the village council wishes for me to focus all my attention to Sasuke."
"Then who will be teaching me?"
"I asked, and they said Ebisu would be adequate."
Naruto frowned.
Kakashi's eye crinkled and he lent down to Naruto.
"Being the ninja that I am, I hear lots of things. One of them is that there is a very powerful white-haired ninja currently doing research in Konoha. You should try to get him to teach you."
"I doubt a stranger would want to teach a demon."
"Heh, I think you'll be surprised. Just say your name, and I guarantee he will teach you."
Naruto's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Really? Yay!" he shouted and bounded off.
Kakashi smiled and proceeded to read his orange book.
"Of course. He has been putting it off for 11 years after all."
(I'm so stupid! I was reading back on my story when I realised that in chapter 18, I implied that Naruto was taken to Konoha 12 years ago, but I keep forgetting that Naruto was turned into a one year old! Waah!)
End Flashback~
If what Kakashi had told him was true, there was a powerful ninja somewhere in Konoha, that apparently would be more than willing to teach Naruto. The problem was finding said ninja.
"Hehe, that's right, just turn a little more…"
Naruto stopped in his tracks.
In front of him was… a frog?
"…"
Naruto then noticed there was someone on top of the abnormally large frog. It was a man wearing sandals and read clothing. His long hair was white and spiky and tied up in a low pony tail. He also happened to be peeping over the fence into the girl's bathhouse with a handheld telescope.
"…Oi…"
"Oh yes, this is great research, hehehee…"
"…Excuse m-"
"Perfect material for my next book…"
Naruto twitched, then took a large breath…
"PERVERT! THERE'S A PERVERT!"
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~~~~~!"
"WAH! NO I'M NOT-"
"GET HIM!"
"AHHH!"
"HE'S RUNNING AWAY! GET HIM!"
"I'M INNOCENT! INNOCENT!"
"YOU ARE DEAD!"
"GET US OUTTA HERE ITSUKI!"
"RIBIT!"
Leap!
A few leaps later, Itsuki (the toad) landed on a roof far away from the killer women.
"Phew, that was a close one. I wonder how I was found out…" The man said as he got off the toad.
"Oh I dunno, maybe it was the fact that you were looking over a fence giggling with a large nosebleed."
"Yeah, that could have been- wait- who are you?"
Naruto grinned as he casually sat on the toad's back.
"Who me?"
"Yes you!"
"Couldn't be~"
"…Eh?"
"Haha, nothing~ Anyway-" Naruto started.
"You! You're the one who shouted 'Pervert'!"
"Oh goody, you know your own name!" Naruto laughed in joy.
"Oi brat! Do you know who I am?"
"I have a hunch it starts with P and ends with T…"
"I am the great Sannin Jiraiya the Toad Sage! Shinobi from every land fear my awesome power!"
Naruto thought for a moment.
"White hair, check. A ninja, check. Powerful… debatable…"
"Hey, I am powerful! I'm one of the three great Sannin! Haven't you heard of me?"
"Hmmm, can't say I have."
"Why you-"
"Do you know Kakashi-sensei?"
That stopped him.
"Kakashi? Oh, Minato's little brat! Face covered? Left eye covered?"
"That's him! You must be him then!"
"I must be who?"
"You're gonna get me ready for the Chunin exam final."
"Woah, woah, wait a minute. Why would I teach you?"
"Well Kakashi-sensei said that as soon as you heard my name, you were guaranteed to teach me."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.
"Oh really? Alright brat, what's your name?"
"I'm not a brat! My name is Uzumaki Naruto, genin of Konoha."
Jiraiya stood still.
"…You'll pay for this, Kakashi…"
Far away, a certain jounin sneezed.
Jiraiya sighed and turned back to Naruto.
"To think I'd finally meet the son of the Kyuubi no Kitsune."
Naruto looked surprised.
"Oh, so you know me."
"Indeed I do, Naruto. Very well, I'll train you like I promised."
"Yay! Wait, when did you promise anything?"
"I promised Hiruzen that I'd become your sensei when you were old enough, after I had searched for Minato." Jiraiya said.
"Who's Minato?" Naruto questioned. Jiraiya looked towards the left. Naruto followed, and saw the Hokage mountain, where four Hokage's heads had been carved into the cliff face…
"The Yondaime Hokage?"
"Yup, that's right, brat. At the time when the Kyuubi gave you to us to care for, Minato had been the Hokage, but he had been away on a diplomatic errand. But he never returned. He disappeared, as well as the shinobi accompanying him. Not even a single body was found, so there was always a chance he was still alive." Jiraiya sighed. "I haven't found anything yet…"
"I thought the Yondaime Hokage had been killed outside of Konoha?"
"Yeah, that was the story told to everyone. No-one knows the truth except for the high council, the Hokage and me. It was kept a secret."
"…Wow…"
"Hm, well now I'm stuck with a brat like you."
"I'm not a brat!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Well that was fun!" Kisame said joyfully as he wrapped bandage around his sword.
Itachi sighed as he looked at the eight bodies at their feet.
"There was no need to kill them, Kisame."
"I know, but they attacked us first, what was I supposed to do?"
"They were just bandits, not even ninja."
"Yeah, well they probably should have thought twice before attacking me."
Itachi sighed again before making a few hand signs, then blowing out fire onto the bodies. The super hot flames effectively burned the bodies, and in a matter of minutes, there was nothing but ash.
"Come on, we still have a job to do."
"Yeah, yeah."
A/N: Finished! Please review and tell me your thoughts! I would love to hear them! It's a little shorter than last one, but I'll make it up with this little teaser that will hopefully have you begging me for more! :P
"Everything is going smoothly, and Konoha is none the wiser," Kabuto replied with a smirk.
"Excellent. Soon, Konoha, you will fall. Ahh, what a sight it will be, seeing your precious village burn, isn't that right…"
Orochimaru knelt down and stroked, almost fondly, the face of the body on the floor.
"…my dear Yondaime…"