The operation was a success, which means her research and inventions are one step closer to completion. The metal attachment on her arm was a gateway to attach a new arm made of metal 'bones' and 'nerves'.

Naruto threw her legs over the side of the bed and groaned. She shook her head in an effort to wake up, but it didn't work as she felt her eyes getting heavy. Just as she was dozing off again she was startled by the door opening.

Shino walked in carrying a case. Behind him were Lisa and Shibi with bags.

Shino was subsequently the first to notice she was awake. "Good morning."

"Good morning I guess? What time is it anyway?" Naruto asked.

"It's around noon. You were out for a few hours," Shino answered. He set the case down on the table next to the bed and took a seat.

"Thanks. Was the operation a success?"

"Yes. The doctors actually were surprised, your notes were very thorough." Shibi answered while pushing his glasses up. They sat on the other side of the bed. "Your doctor said he would be here soon to take those bandages off and stand by while you put your first arm on."

Naruto looked towards the case Shino had carried in.

Shino unhooked the latches, unveiling a wiry arm. The joints were cylindrical and could rotate in nearly every direction.

This made the blonde shake in place. A smile graced her features and soon overwhelming excitement.

The doctor came in and did exactly what Shibi said he would. Naruto had to take deep breaths to calm down before she put the arm on. The arm she had made was just a prototype and did not have anything to hide the wires, which were numerous. It would be easy to damage at this point.

Naruto first attached the joints, which locked together and would allow for natural movement. Next, she hooked up the wires which gave her a little shock each time she attached one. Finally she tested the arm by moving the elbow, wrist, and fingers. It was weird at first and she was entirely unused to two arms, but it was easy to remember how to coordinate herself.

The doctor set up a table and placed three cups in a row. He had Naruto flip them all over and scribbled down notes. He then had her stack them in a pyramid shape. Both tries had her at first using her left arm but then she would remember her mechanical arm. Even then it took a few tries before she was moving it naturally.

While moving her arm and testing it's flexibility she remembered how she had come across the seals used to make it. Before that she had asked the hokage to teach her seals and he agreed, after a few months of learning she found a dusty book in the library with complex seals that a child like her couldn't understand at the time.

The hokage could, and he explained that the seals were used to disrupt nerves. Naruto asked if he would teach her.

It took her a while but she had learned it. Then she found a way to use them as conduits for nerves, artificial nerves actually, technically the same thing.

That eventually led to the creation that was connected to her arm right now.

"I want to test it in a spar," Naruto said as she clenched and unclenched her metal fingers.

Lisa looked at her arm with concern. "I don't think your arm would survive a taijutsu fight yet, perhaps we can wait on that for a little while?"

Naruto sighed and nodded. She knew that. The blonde girl just got a little overeager.

Everyone looked to the doctor as he spoke up, "Alright, you're free to go, take it easy though. Your shoulder still needs time to heal despite your fast healing rate."

Naruto nodded and left with her family. The family talked as they walked, eventually deciding on stopping by a restaurant.

Naruto grinned as the armor was fitted onto her arm. Toki laughed and patted her back.

"Kick his ass," she said. Naruto bounced and punched the air once.

She walked into the field standing opposite of Shino.

"Don't hold back, I need to get a feel for this arm as fast as possible."

Shino adjusted his glasses, "Of course not? Why? Because I will not lose to you."

The air shifted and leaves were swayed in the trees. The two students held up the Sign of Confrontation.

"Begin!" Toki yelled.

Naruto was the first to make a move, several shuriken flew from her hands. Shino dodged to the side, where the flying objects hit the tree behind him. With her opponent on the move Naruto dashed into Shino with a full blown metal punch. Her attack connected, not with Shino, but with a log.

Naruto silently cursed as she looked around the area. A soft buzzing alerted her to Shino's attack almost too late. The chakra sucking bugs slammed into her former standing spot. The blond did several back flips before finally landing. She stood up and straightened.

She watched as Shino emerged from the bushes, bugs swarming him. Her left hand shot into the tiger seal. Fire burst from her mouth.

"Fire Style: Fire Stream!" she called. Shino moved out of the way, his bugs following easily. Yet a few still got burned.

Shino split his bugs into two groups that converged on Naruto. The blonde stopped her jutsu and instead used the substitution jutsu.

Shino recalled his bugs as Naruto hid.

Naruto watched Shino look around, his arms in a defensive position.

From her place in the tree she carefully placed her hands into several hand signs, for the first time ever using two hands for a jutsu. Just as she reached the last one she crouched down and got ready to jump.

"Wind Style: Propulsion Fist!" she yelled as she flew from the tree at high speeds. Her body was pushed through the air by her jutsu, and her fist was ready to punch Shino really hard.

Shino turned and saw Naruto flying at him. She was ready to knock his lights out. The only problem was her distance. The bug user backpedaled and shot his bugs in front of him.

Naruto groaned as the bugs crashed into her and stopped her landing. She had greatly misjudged the distance and speed at which she could go. Thus Shino was able to land an easy win.

"Shino wins!" Toki excitedly called. A box of popcorn was laying by her feet nearly empty.

"Dang, I lost," Naruto said as Shino helped her up, "That was great, thanks Shino."

Shino pushed his glasses up, "Any time, why? Because you're my sister."

It's been practically a year since I updated this, sorry. I have come back to this many times and tried to write it but just couldn't. So I just decided to make this a short chapter. Don't expect many updates either, I guess that's what you've come to expect of me though. I'll try.

I think for the next chapter I'll just skip past the academy and go straight into teams and the wave arc, then I can do an original arc and a different chunin exams.