Disclaimer – Kishimoto owns Naruto and the characters therein.
.
Memories Of Others
Chapter 39
A Genin Guard
.
"Lord Hokage." Naruto said, standing at attention.
"You are asking a genin to be your guard for today?" The veiled man asked curiously and Hiruzen smirked.
"I am. Naruto is one of the most skilled genin of his generation, having him as one of my guards will help to overcome any setbacks caused by him not being on a team."
"Why isn't he on a team?" The guest asked. "My apologies, it probably is none of my business, but I admit to curiosity."
"Naruto chose a different path." Hiruzen smiled. "One that uniquely suited his talents. And he will use one of those to help us make an entrance. Naruto, there's a tag in the Hokage Box of the Stadium."
Naruto closed his eyes and let his senses spread out, using his experience to locate all of the tags relative to himself. One of them was in a different place to where it had been and he nodded as he fixed its location in his mind.
"Got it."
"Then leave enough clones to transport the Kazekage, his two guards, myself and one guard outside the office and rejoin us to Jump us to the box when I give the signal."
Naruto bowed and backed out of the office as the Kazekage turned to look at Hiruzen.
"So, what path did…"
The question was cut off by the closing door and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief before creating a score of clones.
"You know what to do." He said, then he pointed at one of them. "You're on messenger duty. Dispel once you get the orders."
"You got it, boss." The clone said, then he smiled. "Going to see Hinata-Hime?"
"Not today." Naruto sighed. "She's going with her family and… why am I telling you this? You should know it too!"
The clone smirked and Naruto shook his head.
"I need some Ramen. I wonder who the other guard is going to be?"
.
"Father." Asuma bowed and the Kazekage glanced at Hiruzen.
"My intelligence may be wrong, but does your son not have his own team to lead?"
Hiruzen nodded for Asuma to respond.
"My students will be watching the matches with their clans and, in the Yamanaka clan's case at least, their guests. As a former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, I have experience in the role my father has asked me to assume for the Finals. May I ask who the other guard will be?"
"Naruto." Hiruzen smirked and Asuma blinked in thought before smiling.
"Very clever, father, and it certainly explains the blond mob in the outer office."
"I thought so." Hiruzen smirked. "And yes, it certainly does."
.
Naruto paused in the middle of eating a bowl of ramen and looked round suspiciously.
"Something wrong with the ramen?" Teuchi asked from behind the counter and Naruto turned his attention back to the steaming bowl of noodley goodness on the counter in front of him.
"The ramen's great, Teuchi-jiji."Naruto grinned, then he looked round again. "It just felt like someone was talking about me…"
"You're famous now." Teuchi grinned. "Of course they'd talk about you."
.
.
"…and I think it's time." Hiruzen commented. "Asuma, if you'll pass the word?"
Asuma nodded and stepped to the office door. Opening it, he leaned through for a moment, then stepped back with a slight smile as a flash of light leaked through. A veritable horde of Naruto's clones followed him in as Hiruzen moved to the middle of the office, the Kazekage and his guards following his example.
"We're ready, sir." Naruto said from his position behind and to the right of Hiruzen even as the clones finished taking up their positions.
"Then, do it." Hiruzen commanded and the office was briefly illuminated by a golden flash.
.
"Wow." Inari whispered as he looked around the large stadium. "This place is… huge!"
"Yep." Ino sighed, looking at the large arena floor.
"Hey, you'll get to fight there next time." Inari said reassuringly, earning a smile from Ino.
"This could be troublesome." Shikamaru sighed as he settled down in front of them and accepted a bag of crisps from Choji. "Nine matches to watch and the fifth… I heard about what Gaara did… going up against a Jinchuuriki… even after all the research I've done, the only way I'd be willing to go up against a Jinchuuriki is if I've learned fuuinjutsu to the level of Jiraiya or the Yondaime."
"You're getting very good with the sealing scrolls and your shadow-explosion is pretty cool... when you can get it to work, that is." Choji commented before taking another bite out of his crisp and Ino frowned.
"Shika?"
"My son is learning to combine fuuinjutsu with our shadow manipulation." Shikaku said from nearby. "Although he has only been studying since the second stage, he has made quite a bit of progress. At long last, we have enough sealing scrolls to meet our needs without having to purchase them."
"It currently takes about an hour do do a scroll." Shikamaru shrugged. "But in exchange, my clan's arranged fuuinjutsu lessons to help me get better."
Choji gave his friend a long look, then he sighed.
"Looks like I need to learn something new if I'm to keep up with you. Just my clan techniques won't really cut it, will they?"
"They worked for me." Chouza shrugged, then he glanced at his son. "But as the new generation Ino-Shika-Cho, you do need something to help you differentiate yourself from… what was that?"
A golden flash of light from the Kage box caused everyone to look at where the Hokage and the Kazekage had appeared.
.
"I am just so pumped!" Kiba exulted as he stood at the edge of the contestants platform, one hand gripping the railing as he looked at the crowd. "Yeah! All these people here to see us prove we're worthy of being Chunin!"
"Calm down." Sasuke commanded as he stepped up and glanced around. "You're not the only one here to prove themself."
From the corner of the box, Tsuchi Kin briefly sneered at them, then looked at the audience, a slight frown on her face.
"Where are they?" She whispered and Temari glanced over.
"Who?"
"My team." Kin snapped. "My idiot team-mates aren't here. They should be over there, but there's no sign of them."
"Probably jealous." Temari shrugged as she returned to polishing her fan. "Kankuro's been grousing over having to forfeit rather than go up against an Aburame for the last month. He even considered sitting it in a sulk out but Baki-Sensei dragged him along."
"Must be nice to have team-mates you can trust." Kin sighed, earning an odd look from Temari.
"He's my brother. As is Gaara… unfortunately…"
Kin glanced across at the red-haired boy in the opposite corner and shuddered.
"I saw what he did in the preliminaries." She half-whispered. "Is he normally like that?"
"Unfortunat… what the?"
Temari's reply was cut short by a flash of light in the Kage Booth, a flash that announced the arrival of the two Kages and their guards.
.
"Neji's going to win." Hanabi declared as she accepted a drink from her older sister.
"I don't know." Hinata mused, earning a curious look from both her father and sister. "His first match is against an ice user and our style relies on having a solid footing…"
"A valid point." Hiashi agreed, causing his youngest daughter to stare at him disbelievingly. "While the Jyuuken is indeed virtually unbeatable in normal circumstances, those who choose to use different techniques that do not allow us to engage in taijutsu may claim victory."
As Hanabi frowned, Hinata fought down the urge to snicker. "You tried out one of Naruto-kun's trap courses, didn't you?"
"I was curious as to why Neji was grumbling and reading that book by Uchiha Madara." Hiashi admitted with a slight wince as he remembered the events in question. "Fortunately, he went easy on me."
"So that's why you started insisting on everyone learning at least the basics of traps." Hinata exclaimed in realization, then she smiled. "You know, if Naruto's not around, Ino's turning into quite a trap-mistress."
Hiashi glanced at the section reserved for the Nara, Akamichi and Yamanaka clans (plus their guests), then his attention was caught by the flash of light from the previously-empty Kage box.
.
"Still can't believe that I was meant to go up against an Aburame!" Kankuro groused, then he flinched as Baki slapped the package on his back.
"You've had a month to get over it." Baki snapped. "Now, stop whinging and remember why we're here."
"Yeah, yeah." Kankuro grumbled. "I'm ready."
"Good." Baki growled, then he turned his attention to the distant platform where the genin competitors were standing.
"The hell?" Kankuro gasped and Baki followed his gaze to the Kage's box. "Where did they come from?"
.
"I thought that you would show up late, my eternal rival." Gai noted as Kakashi sat down near him.
"Meh, maybe in another life where I wasn't forced to confront what I had become." Kakashi admitted. "As much as I hate to admit it, having Naruto walk from my test was probably the best thing that could have happened to me."
"You have regained quite a bit of your youthfulness." Gai admitted. "And I see that you have taken a page from my training techniques."
"What do you mean, Gai-Sensei?" Rock Lee asked curiously, leaning forwards to look around at the white-haired Jonin.
"I mean that Sasuke is wearing weights to increase his speed." Gai explained. "I do not believe that they are anywhere near your youthful aids, but he is wearing them on his wrists and ankles."
"Looks like the Hokage's arrived." Kakashi interjected.
"Go, gramps!" Konohamaru shouted from where he was sat beside Lee and Kakashi stared in horror at the sight of the Hokage's grandson and his two friends clad in green unitards with orange legwarmers.
.
"That was certainly… unusual. And what happened to all the clones?" The Kazekage commented as he made his way to the padded seat set up for him.
"You get used to it." Hiruzen replied as he lowered himself into his own chair. "As for the clones, the way the Hiraishin works means that they dispel as the jump is completed. Using clones to move someone via Hiraishin imposes a chakra cost of three Kage Bunshin for each person moved."
"Ah, so not something that can be used to transport any significant numbers into battle."
"A single Shinobi can be significant in the right circumstances." Hiruzen countered. "And two of them, if unexpected, can easily turn the tide of a confrontation."
"I had heard that you and another had driven off the nukenin Orochimaru." The Kazekage acknowledged and behind them, Naruto briefly smirked before a glance from Asuma quelled him.
.
"Isn't that your Sensei in the Kage Box?" Inari asked curiously and Ino nodded.
"Yep. You remember that I told you he's the Hokage's son?"
At Inari's nod, Ino continued her explanation. "Asuma-Sensei explained that since we were going to sit with our clans for this, he was doing something similar, going with his father. His nephew, Konohamaru, wanted to go with his role-model, Rock Lee. That's them over there, Lee, his Sensei Gai, Konohamaru and his two friends. The line of… unfashionable green."
Inari fought down an incredulous laugh as he spotted the five green-spandex-clad people.
.
"Then it is time to begin." Hiruzen said as he rose from his seat. The crowd went almost silent as he stepped forwards to the edge of the box, where the inlaid seals would pick up and amplify his voice. A glance across the arena showed that the contestants had left the platform and were filing out into the middle of the arena, under the instruction of Shiranui Genma, the Proctor for the fights who had been appointed after Hayate's death.
Once the genin were in a line, Hiruzen began speaking.
"Honored guests, Fellow shinobi, ladies, gentlemen… did I miss anyone out?"
A sussuration of chuckles sounded and Hiruzen waited for silence to fall once more before continuing.
"You see before you ten genin who have made their way through tests, competitions and obstacles that have stopped almost two hundred others in their tracks. These ten are the ones who made it to this stage, who proved their right to try for promotion.
"Here today, before us all, they will show us why they should be promoted. They will demonstrate their skills and abilities. They will each represent their village as well as they can, but the fact that they are here now is already proof that they are the best!"
A roar of cheering erupted from the stands as several of the genin in the arena waved at the crowds and Hiruzen stood back, nodding to his son to take over. Asuma stepped forwards, glancing at the line, then he spoke.
"From left to right we have Gaara of the Desert! Temari of Suna! Tsuchi Kin of Oto! Haruno Sakura of Konoha! Uchiha Sasuke of Konoha! Yuki Haku of Mizu! Higarushi Tenten of Konoha! Inuzuka Kiba of Konoha! Aburame Shino of Konoha! And Hyuuga Neji of Konoha!"
The introductions done, Asuma stepped back and Hiruzen stepped forwards once more.
"Let the finals… begin!"
.
.
.
.
.
Author's Afternote – Yep, I'm stopping this chapter right there.
Wow, I'm totally evil! Not diet evil but despicably so!
…I wonder if I can get some minions…