Alright people this is the next chapter I hope you like it.
I do not own Naruto, never had and never will. By the way what the hell is wrong with you Kishi you named your manga 'Naruto' and not 'Sasuke', so why do you keep forgetting it.
The sun had already set and the stars had come out. Naruto and Sakura charged at each other with the intention of ending the test as quick as possible as they were both low on chakra.
I have enough chakra to make one or two more shadow clones without overexerting myself. Damn my brain for not thinking before using Hyouton. Naruto mentally cursed himself. One punch from Sakura-chan will easily send me to the hospital, I have to avoid them at all costs.
Sakura on the other hand was having similar thoughts. I have rested enough to use my chakra enhanced strength, but I don't have enough to heal myself. I can't let Naruto switch to long range ninjutsu.
Just as they neared each other Naruto skidded and then jumped over Sakura avoiding a punch and landing behind her intending to knock her out. Sakura ducked the chop aimed at her neck and targeted Naruto's legs with her own. Naruto jumped, rolled in mid-air to avoid the follow up kick to the chest and returned with a vengeance. He threw a series of punches and kicks while simultaneously trying to dodge all of her attacks. Sakura on the other hand was dodging Naruto's attacks fluidly and counterattacking whenever she saw an opening.
Damn, I can't even touch her. How is she dodging all my attacks…?
The two of them separated after another burst of attacks, panting heavily. As if reading Naruto's thoughts Sakura smiled before clearing his confusion, "I am a medic Naruto. That means my primary mission in a team is to dodge and save myself from all of the enemy's attacks as well as heal my team mates from any and all injuries, and I learned from the best medi-nin there is."
Tsunade beamed with pride at her apprentice's words from her vantage point. Jiraya too was impressed with the young kunoichi's agility. Kakashi was keenly observing the test from his place before voicing his own thoughts.
"Naruto is trying to knock out Sakura. It is not that he is not giving his all but he is just afraid to hurt her. It seems his crush on her has endured the test of time."
"It's a lot more than a simple crush and you know that too, Kakashi.", Jiraya replied with an unamused face listening to Kakashi's tone.
"Hmm… It seems it's time to up the ante and give the brat a chase for his money.", Tsunade spoke before yelling to her apprentice, "Sakura…! Loose the weights."
Sakura looked to the part of the forest from where she heard the yell. She smiled before jumping back from Naruto to increase the distance and crouched down. She unzipped her boots to reveal a weight attached to each of her legs. She took them off, as well as something that looked like bracelets on her hands. The whole time Naruto watched her with strict attention.
Sakura got up from her position, smiled and then charged at incredible speeds that would make any shinobi jealous. Naruto knew that he would not be able to dodge and he was barely able to raise his left arm to block the devastating punch that sent him tumbling and skidding down the clearing before coming to a halt.
"Give up the scroll Naruto." , Sakura said slightly worried for her friend thinking that she may have gone a 'little' overboard with the punch.
Naruto slowly got up from his position, his left hand broken and he himself covered with dirt and scratches all over.
One punch did this to me. Naruto thought now a little horrified. My arm is broken but I think I can form a seal. She does not know that I hope. Naruto hung his left arm uselessly by his side to complete his deception, the gears in his mind already rotating thinking up a plan.
Sakura looked at the beaten up Naruto who was panting heavily and she spoke again, "I have released my weights Naruto it will be difficult for you to keep up now. Give up the scroll." Naruto briefly glanced at his shuriken pouch on his right thigh and then looked back at Sakura but she had already caught the glance.
So that's where he has kept the scroll.
"It's not that I could not keep up Sakura-chan, it's because my limbs were too heavy to react on time. And you of all people should know that I never give up." , Naruto finished with a smile before lifting his right hand up forming a half ram seal. He then seemed to disappear from sight.
Sakura's eyes widened at Naruto's newfound speed and dodged a sweep to her legs before engaging him in a high speed taijutsu battle.
"What happened Jiraya…?", Tsunade asked surprised.
"He released his gravity seals.", Kakashi answered for the sage," You are teaching him seals already Jiraya-sama?"
Jiraya nodded before smiling," It was hard not to, considering the place I took him to."
Flashback:
A week after learning the Kyuubi's name
"So Kurama tells me that there was this Holy Tree, something called Shin… Shinji, and it bore a single fruit. Now, that fruit is the source of all the chakra in this world, can you believe it, all the chakra in this world. Then a princess or someone comes from a far away land, Kurama has no idea where by the way, and she eats the fruit, gains all the chakra and becomes a goddess. Her name was Kaguya and she was then worshipped as the rabbit goddess by the people. Kurama tells me that she single-handedly ended all the wars and brought peace. Now the awesome part of the story, Shinji then became a monster with ten tails, something Juui… no Juubi, and tries to take back the chakra that was stolen from it. Meanwhile, Kaguya gives birth to two sons again no idea who the father was or who dared to knock up a goddess. The two sons of Kaguya then fought the Juubi when they grew up and defeated it. The elder son became the jhinchuriki of the Juubi and was called the Rikodou Sennin. Alright that's as far as Kurama told me.", Naruto recounted his whole story all the while flailing his arms around in excitement and gesticulating to get his point through.
The blonde and his teacher were leaning on the railing of a ferry headed into the sea to some unknown place. Jiraya attentively listened to the story before voicing his own thoughts to his underling.
"So, one whole week and all you can get from Kurama is some stupid bed time story…?"
"Hey!", Naruto protested," That stupid fox still spends half the time insulting me about my height and brains, and anyway he tells me that it is important for me to know considering who I am, whatever that means."
"Hey, I can hear you stupid twerp.", Kurama inwardly chuckled for managing to insult both of Naruto's weaknesses at the same time," And tell that pervert master of yours that some things are beyond the understanding of stupid humans and to concentrate on your training only."
"Kurama sends his regards and says 'shut up'", Naruto gave a chuckle seeing Jiraya's reaction," So ero-sennin, where are we going? We have been on this boat for two days now."
"I will never get used to that.", Jiraya murmured to himself with a sigh," We are going to a very special place Naruto. The rest of your training will take place out there."
Just then someone standing on watchhigh in the mast shouted," Land…!"
"I guess we are here.", Jiraya said just as an island appeared on the horizon," Welcome back to your roots Naruto."
"Huh?!"
"Welcome to Uzushiogakure."
Flashback Ends
Naruto barely dodged another right hand hook to the head, it was getting difficult with his left arm useless in hand to hand combat and making it difficult to keep balance. He jumped back to increase the distance from his teammate. They were both now tired and Sakura getting more frustrated with every miss.
Taijutsu is getting me nowhere, she is definitely superior. Time for my plan…
Suddenly, Naruto reached for his hip pouch and threw a smoke bomb to cover himself.
Smoke screen again… I am not going to fall for the same trick twice Naruto. Sakura thought to herself.
Sakura sprinted, running around the smoke screen to the back just as Naruto emerged. She smirked and targeted his shuriken pouch where he had put his scroll. Naruto's eyes widened realising her intentions and tried to move out of the way but Sakura was too fast. She ripped the pouch from his thigh and followed up with a kick to Naruto's midsection. He was again sent crashing through the clearing, when he finally stopped he lay face down.
"I win Naruto.", Sakura spoke with a proud smile holding out the scroll from the pouch.
"Heheh… Is that so…?", a voice chuckled speaking from behind her holding a kunai to her throat. For the hundredth time that day Naruto surprised her.
"Wha… How?", Sakura finally asked just as the scroll in her hand and the clone she kicked disappeared with a puff.
"You let your guard down Sakura-chan. I intentionally glanced towards my pouch back then and the moment you saw that you went after it and dropped guard. Inside the smoke screen I created a clone while I myself hid in the ground. After that it was easy I waited for you go after the clone find the scroll and completely relax before I attacked. Now yield.", Naruto explained.
"But your left arm was useless, how did you make the seals…?", Sakura asked.
"That's what I made you think. Although I could not use it in the fight, I had enough control to make a seal.", Naruto spoke while Sakura fumed for getting outsmarted.
Hmm… Forcing your enemy to fight on your own terms by giving them a false sense of victory. You have indeed grown up to be fine Shinobi brat. Tsunade thought to herself as she and her company made to the centre of the clearing.
As soon as they appeared, Naruto dropped down and lay on his back," Someone heal me. Sakura-chan you are so mean. You broke my arm with one punch, one punch! I don't know what else is broken.", Naruto whined as Sakura stood in her place turning away with a huff trying her best to keep up the angry expression. Shizune knelt down as she reached Naruto and started to use her Mystical Palm technique on him.
"Broken left arm, one broken rib on the left side as well and some bruises and cuts. Wow, you beat him up well Sakura.", Shizune said before starting to heal him. Sakura now had a worried look in her eyes, one that Naruto did not miss.
"Don't worry Sakura-chan, Shizune nee-chan will patch me up in no time. Anyway, you really kicked my ass in taijutsu out there.", Naruto assured with his signature grin, succeeding in spreading a smile across Sakura's pale face.
"What did you expect brat? She is my apprentice after all.", Sakura blushed at the rare praise from her master," Anyway, brat you did well in the test today. Not only did you prove your physical prowess but also your intelligence. You used your jutsus efficiently and forced your opponent to fight on your own terms. Therefore, I, the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure, use the powers bestowed upon me to hereby promote you to the rank of Chunnin."
Everyone cheered, Sakura and Shizune hugged and congratulated him (the hug from Sakura however rewarded him with a blush which he desperately tried to cover up), Jiraya did his special sage dance proclaiming his awesomeness as his teacher and Kakashi… well was being Kakashi.
"Alright! Baa-chan you are awesome.", Naruto cheered.
"Okay, I am revoking the order.", Tsunade spoke up with her right eyebrow twitching.
"What?! Why?!", Naruto whined exasperatedly. Everyone present was shocked too at the sudden change of mind.
"Unless you stop calling me 'Baa-chan', you are going to remain Gennin for life.", Tsunade's statement resulted in a few sighs and snickers. Naruto on the other hand laughed straight out before speaking.
"Come on, Baa-chan you know you are like a mother to me. The name just kind of stuck."
Everyone smiled at the rare display of emotion between the two blondes that did not involve yelling, threats, insults and anger.
"Humph…", Tsunade huffed trying to sound aloof but failed to keep the happy tone out," That doesn't mean I have to like it. I will let it pass this once. But you have to obey two conditions."
"Well, what are they?", Naruto asked a little wary.
"First, you will move in with me to the Senju compound." He doesn't need to know that the villagers burned down his apartment after he left…
"But Baa-chan, you know I don't want to cause any problems for you.", Naruto replied a little hesitant.
Sakura knew about the fate of Naruto's apartment, but till date she kept wondering as to why people would hate Naruto so much just for some of the pranks he pulled on the villagers when he was younger. None of it made any sense to her. Since their gennin days and maybe even before she had always seen people throw angry glares, mock him, kick him out of stores and many things that no child should have to face. Whenever she tried to confront her sensei's or parents, they would always avoid the subject as it were a plague. While Sakura was lost in her own thoughts, the others knew and understood all.
"You don't have to worry about others, Naruto. I told you will stay with me in the Senju compound and even you don't have any say.", Tsunade replied sad and angry at the same time. Sad of the misfortunes Naruto had to face his entire life and angry at everyone and even herself who could have made a difference but didn't. But she will be damned if she didn't now, especially after he called her his mother.
"Alright, if you say so.", Naruto spoke with a small smile," Well… what is the second condition?"
Naruto did not like the evil grin nor those mischievous eyes that seemed to appear on Tsunade's face.
"You will, and you have no choice, get rid of that ridiculous come-hit-me orange jumpsuit!"
Naruto seemed scandalized from even from hearing the proposal,"Nooooo…!"
"Alright, then Eternal gennin it is.", Tsunade replied with a smirk while others, except Kakashi who gave only an eye smile, were laughing.
"I will get you back for this Baa-chan.", Naruto replied with eyes gleaming with the fires of revenge burning in it.
"Yeah yeah. We will see.", Tsunade just waved him off," Anyway, since you are healed enough get to my office to pick up your back pack and wait there, Shizune will take you to the compound later. Sakura go with him, I don't want my Naru-chan to get lost.", another round of laughter was heard while Naruto whined and mumbled something like "stupid baa-chan."
As soon as the two teenagers and chunnins left the training grounds headed for the village, Tsunade regained her composure and serious look.
"Alright, Jiraya cough it all up."
A/n: please read and review.