Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
"Naruto" – Talking
'Naruto' – Thoughts
Naruto – Flashback
Naruto – Jutsu
Cracking Gaps: Sins of a Family
Time For The Exams of Death To Begin!
Previously on Cracking Gaps: Sins of a Family,
"No way!" Haku was not understanding any of this. "But why?! Why the twins, why my Ke-kun!?"
"Haku." Naruto said in a stern tone that he had adapted into being a Jonin Teacher that was reserved for the twin children of the Hokage. "The Kyubi is a beast that is made out of pure Chakra, pure energy that is all bounded into a physical form by a conscious. And for the Kyubi as a whole to destroy a village, imagine the power honed by a Shinobi? That was what my father had in mind when he changed the twins, my younger sister and brother, forever. He probably wanted to make sure that the twins will be the prefect heirs by being stronger than me. And that was difficult because he knew that I was a prodigy in the works; I already competed Tree Walking and Water Walking in two weeks, by the time the Kyubi attacked the village."
"B-but how!? No child at the age of five can do such a thing!" Haku shouted, ignoring when Naruto said the title 'father' with much venom.
"I wasn't' the first Haku, prodigies like Itachi Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake and even the Hokage himself had proved to have more talent than myself at a much younger age." Naruto said and Haku said no more, to try and listen to the rest of the story. "Anyways, I was disgusted with my family when they forced the twins from me for another five years as I tried to prove that I can help. But they always ignored me and when I learned that they were going to steal my birthright, using their neglect of my training as an excuse to call me weak. After that, I never even wanted to the see the clan of the Hokage again and instead moved on with my life. With some help of course." Naruto smiled at Hinata who giggled and showed her blush rather than try to hide it like when she was much younger. "But when I became a Jonin at the age of fifteen, I found myself wanting to get involved with the clan again when I first found Yurina; beaten to a pulp, covered by the elements and left to be forgotten in the shadows."
Haku then finally noticed that she had been crying for a short while, starting somewhere in the middle of the story. "When she said that she was abused by the Hokage and his family and treated like a stranger, a mistake, an accident, a punching bag of a children that the Hokage didn't want as one of his children." Naruto said with his free hand in a fist so tight, his knuckles were turning white and there were even some blood around his fingertips. "I didn't want any of that to happen and because I ignored the clan, I didn't see another innocent child forced to live a life a lot like mine, even worse. I couldn't forgive myself for it and that is why I changed my mind when I was told to take my love as a student but the twins as well. And the rest is history."
Silence filled the room as soon as Naruto was done with the story of his life. Hinata shifted so that she will be hugging her boyfriend from behind when it was clear that even holding hands wasn't enough. Hinata tried her entire body as comfort from the touch. Meanwhile, Haku just sat there, crying the whole time. She couldn't decide if she still loves Keiji or resent him.
But all that will be answered when the seals on the walls and door of the room had lowered and in came the very boy that Haku was debating internally on. "Haku-chan." He said, still in his new modest tone. "Now you know more about me, do you still want to try at it. If we need to split then I will be okay too. I will move on just like Sensei. We all move on."
Keiji then got tackled by Haku instead of a slap like he was bracing for. "Ke-kun..." Keiji wasn't the least bit embarrassed at Haku's 'cute' little nickname for the time being. "How can I hate you when it was your father that turned you and Mito-chan into monsters!?" Keiji didn't see that coming but wanted to hear more before responding. "How could a father do that to his own children!? HOW!?"
"Haku-chan…" Keiji started to say, "Let's make a promise." Haku looked up to see what Keiji had in mind and so did Naruto and Hinata who were still sitting on the bed. "Let's promise never to care about anything before family, before people's feelings, before what is truly important to us all. I will give it all to carry it out so will you do the same?"
Keiji's answer was a searing kiss on his lips from an overwhelmed Haku, her face now covered in tears of conflicting and swirling emotions. "Of course! I will promise on my life and blood! I swear!" Keiji just smiled for the rest of the day. He then turned to his teacher and the latter's girlfriend with a look that seemed to say 'thanks for everything'.
"Well Haku-chan…" Keiji said, first thing that morning. "It is that time of year at last. Wish us luck." Keiji said to his girlfriend while the remainder of his team waited patiently with him on that same bridge. Naruto had just gave them big news that was either great or grave; they were admitted into this year's Chunin Exams!
"I know Ke-chan. And I know you and your team will just fine. After all, who gave us all the advice that got us this far?" Haku responded and whispered the last sentence in private and Keiji shivered that his girlfriend was bold enough to breathe literally down his neck. But before Keiji could even respond, Haku seared it all with yet another kiss on the lips.
'Aww, I need to get myself a boyfriend!' Mito thought to herself, 'I a missing on all the action!' Mito took all this like a kid who was watching her big brother work and wanted to do what he does for a living.
"Okay Haku-chan. I think you need to break it up before Keiji faints. That is the last thing I want to happen today." Naruto said sternly and Haku had to suddenly break for a need of oxygen that she was using her willpower to ignore. But a sudden hit of KI had completely shattered it all.
Thankfully, Keiji was still in the conscious world and only sighed in sadness that this intimate moment between him and his girl had to be broken due to duty calls. Keiji just never even imagined that the phrase 'duty calls' will hurt so much. Keiji still wanted something to remember so he just did one of his practiced techniques; a kiss that was brief but didn't hold back. This one had practically stole all the strength Haku had in her legs and Keiji gave her a good boost to get on her way back to work while he joined his team.
"I am proud for you Keiji." The said heir looked up to the blonde Jonin. "Most will try to do this in secret and without their girls knowing, fearing that they will be only be heartbroken if we men died on the field."
"I guess that I am not like most Sensei." Keiji simply said and Naruto nodded.
"And there is nothing wrong with being unique. It helps us become our own people." Naruto answered and placed his hand on Keiji's shoulder. "Come one lets go and make our village proud, of you and your team."
"Yes Sensei!"
"Yes Naruto-kun."
With that said, everything seemed to have fizzled out with only one thing on either of their minds. Of when Team Eight first heard of the Chunin Exams and finally met Genin Team from a foreign village. And how they nearly died on that encounter.
XXXXX
Moments ago,
"I wonder what Sensei wants us to do today." Mito asked as she and her team were walking throughout the village because they were asked to meet up with Naruto in a good full hour. They needed to kill some time waiting.
"I just hope it isn't something big because I am feeling like having yet another date with Haku-chan. Not since our last one was a week ago." Keiji added his own two cents and got an excited girl of snow to grasp his arm.
"I hope not either~! I just can't wait any longer for our next date!" Haku cheered out, still a little acting out of character; after all, she was cold as her ice on the battlefield and tried to kill herself for a rogue Shinobi.
"Whatever. And please tell me you noticed it too." Hinata said and her team flinched a little. For someone that was usually kind and caring, she could have a sharp edge at some times. And the twin heirs looked back to see that they were being followed, followed by someone who needed a lot more work on their disgusting skills. After all, they tried to hide with a cardboard box painted a lot like a rock.
"You can come out now Konohamaru Sarutobi. You need work." Keiji said but didn't wait for anything else to happen and instead kicked the box into a nearby trashcan. That same trashcan fell over to spill its original contents along with the box flipping over to reveal a trio of kids. "So you have made friends with Moegi and Udon from the Academy huh?" Now Keiji recognized them and explained to his girlfriend on how the three kids were attending the Academy and they met during one of their D-rank missions in the past few months.
Konohamaru has short spiky brown hair, black eyes, and a small chip in his tooth. When Team Eight first met him, Konohamaru wore a grey helmet with a hole at the top for his hair to stick out of. Now he is wearing a pair of goggles that Naruto had given him at the time the D-rank ended. On top of all that, it seemed that Konohamaru wore his blue scarf all his life; according to his clan and classmates.
Udon has short brown hair and dark eyes. He is characterized by the drip of snot always seen hanging from his nose and his circular glasses. He wore a simple blue shirt which zipped up the middle, a pair of brown pants, sandals and a pair of goggles to represent his membership in what they call themselves as the 'Konohamaru Ninja Squad'.
And Moegi, like the rest of the members of the 'Konohamaru Ninja Squad', wore goggles just like the ones that Naruto gave to her friends. She has orange hair tied up, with red elastics, into two very large pigtails. She also has a perpetual blush. And finally, she wears a red tank-top over a pink t-shirt layered at the bottom; her pants are grey and she wears the traditional ninja sandals.
"That's amazing! You saw through my brilliant disguise!" Konohamaru forgot about being found out and took it as a sigh of good skill, from Mito. "Nothing too hard for my rival!" Yes, Mito had reluctantly gotten a rivalry with Konohamaru Sarutobi, the direct grandson of Hiruzen Sarutobi aka the Third Hokage of Konoha!
Mito couldn't even find any words to retort and just sighed. But Konohamaru was still filled with excitement and had to vent it out on her brother, "And who is this cutie!? Is she you girlfriend?!" Konohamaru was still a young kid with a blunt and innocent demeanor.
"She is my girlfriend 'Maru." Keiji said with Haku pressed against him. Of course not too much as Haku will only enjoy her man being possessive so much until it reaches the border of overprotectiveness. And no one can stand an overprotective spouse or anyone else related for that matter.
"Sorry big brother." Konohamaru said as he knew that Uzumaki glare anywhere. He just doesn't yet how Naruto and Keiji can have it all the same despite not even being 'related'.
"Excuse me." The entire Team Eight plus Haku and the Konohamaru Ninja Squad turned to see some unfamiliar faces. "My brothers and I are trying to find our way around the village. And we will like to hear anything on Konoha from anyone local."
"Sorry but we don't know your names. I am Hinata Hyuga. This is Haku, the trio of students from the academy following us and my teammates, Keiji and Mito Namikaze." Hinata initiated and started the introduction. And this had caused this strange trio to gasp in disbelief.
"The twin heirs of the Yondaime Hokage!?" Two of them cried out while the third member of the trio just glared at the twins.
"And now we told you our names, how about you?" Keiji said and the team was brief and to the point.
"I am Temari." Temari was a young girl with teal eyes and sandy blonde hair, which is gathered into four consecutive ponytails. Temari's outfit consists of a single light purple-coloured, off-the-shoulders garment that extended to halfway down her thighs, with a scarlet sash tied around her waist. In addition to incorporating fishnet worn over her shoulders and legs, specifically on her right calf and her left thigh, she also wore her black forehead protector around her neck.
"I am Kankurō, Temari's sister." Kankurō wore a black, baggy, full body suit with a red and yellow circle on the front. He also wears a black hood which covered his head completely, and had cat-like ears and his forehead protector on his forehead. And his face was covered in some kind of makeup, "IT'S WAR PAINT!"
"…" The third one said nothing so he was introduced as both Temari's and Kankurō's brother, Gaara. Gaara has fair skin, green eyes, and short red hair. He has no distinctive pupils or eyebrows, the latter of which others sometimes make fun of. He's had tanuki-like black rings around his eyes his whole life.
Gaara wears a black body suit with an open neck, t-shirt-like sleeves, and almost full-length leggings. With this, he wears a white cloth over his right shoulder and the left side of his hips. He has a wide leather band from his left shoulder to his right hip with which he carries around a giant gourd and around which he wraps his forehead protector.
"Not to be rude but how come you are in our village? We were not told that Genin from the other villages were visiting." Keiji said and the trio smirked in their own way. They were indeed Genin from their home village of Sunagakure, within the neighboring Wind Country. It was just going well until Konohamaru had to let his mouth run blunt again.
"What is wrong with your eyes? And what is with that tattoo for 'love' on your forehead? Are you some kind of freak?" That didn't sit well at all with Gaara and when everyone felt like the air had suddenly gotten heavier, they failed to notice Gaara grasping his head and his forehead veins were showing; it was like Gaara had suddenly gotten a massive headache. And thing that everyone missed was the twins glowing blood red and were growling at Gaara.
"That will be enough out of you, Suna Genin." But then the air had gotten normal again when everyone heard that voice just perfectly. It was Naruto and he had somehow settled down the KI within the atmosphere. "I won't be having you three breaking my students before the both of you compete in the Exams. Not even on Hiruzen-sama's only grandson."
The three Suna Genin flinched, including Gaara, at the glace of Naruto's eyes and backed off as the Joni inspected his students and the other children for any damage that was done before he arrived. Thankfully, none of them had anything serious or hindering of their capabilities in the Shinobi practice.
"And another thing." Naruto then sensed that the Genin from Suna had tried to leave before they get into any more trouble with the infamous Twisted Eye of Konoha. But it was not to be. "I managed to stop your brother from killing in our village but if you let this happen again and during the exams, when I can't be there to stop it, I will make sure that you will be punished severely." Naruto then unleashed his own KI that had made the last burst seemed tame, "And that goes double since one of my students happens to be my girlfriend, irreplaceable and precious. Let's just see how well you understand both of them."
And just like that, Team Eight and their fellow Konoha Residents hadn't seen hair or hide of the Suna Team since. But that was going to change once the exams start. And all will see just how the foreign Genin will take Naruto's warning. Also, this will show just who well Team Eight of Konoha will do without Naruto around; after all, he was the sole one responsible for their success and their skill level. Only Fate will tell and only time will tell when it will be revealed.
XXXXX
With that determination in mind and the past at the back of their heads, Team Eight were at the building said on their entry cards. That meant that the start of the exams are somewhere on the third floor, all according to the cards. But once they found the first set of stairs and made up the second, they came across a most curious sight.
"Please, let us in! We are running out of time and we need to be inside to take the Chunin Exams!" It was Tenten! But why is she wasting her time with a bunch of guards on only the second floor. Keiji looked at his sister who nodded back. "Please! MMPH!" Tenten was interrupted when Mito had clasped her on the mouth and pulled her away with the rest of Team Eight following them both.
Later,
"Guys! What was the big idea!? I was just trying to get into the exam room!" Tenten proclaimed when Mito finally released her hand from the former's mouth.
"What we were doing was to return the favor after you helped us in Wave Tenten. You fell for something as a pre-test before the Exams start. To start weeding out those that have the greatest chance of dying." Keiji told Tenten as they all walked up the stairs. "Because if you couldn't even see through a simple disguise and a simple illusion then you won't be able to adapt to the rest of the Exams and surely parish. Try to prove you and your team, wherever they are, that you are our seniors Tenten."
The girl with panda ear shaped and sized hair buns spoke no more and looked down that she almost humiliated her team. What a way to make a first impression to the other teams besides Konoha's Team Eight. And they found Lee and Neji ahead of Tenten because they also saw through the trick but Tenten stayed behind because she didn't want to believe them. Now that was double on Tenten's disgrace; thankfully, it was their own dirty little secret so Tenten wouldn't have to admit it to anyone else.
But now they are on the real third floor and in front of the real door to the first part of the Exams, there was still a lot of time to kill. And it was hard to pick up conversation since the corridor is filled with some thick and heavy KI; it was still slightly weighting down compared to Naruto's of course. But there was this one good thing about it, they finally met their former classmates and from the look of things, they were coming along very well themselves although Team Eight had the rights to brag because they were indeed, slightly ahead then the rest.
Of course, the awkward silence afterwards didn't last long thankfully. It only took a loud 'poof' and a large smoke cloud appearing from within the center of the corridor. Then a massive and intimidating man appeared, with his scars and expression that promised pain. "Hello to you all maggots. I hope you haven't relaxed yet because I will kill you before you will get the chance before the day is over. Now move into the room and take any seat as you please, as long as you are nowhere near your teammates. If you are then I will kill you."
The man said with KI matching that of Naruto's but only Team Eight and Team Nine as well as the Team from Suna, who was also present, knew that. Nevertheless, all the Genin Teams entered the room to find it similar to an academy room only slightly bigger and with Chunin officers facing away from the walls and windows. Following the man's instructions, everyone finally managed to thing out among the crowds. "Good, you might actually pass and survive if you continue this good behavior but make no mistakes because I will know, there is no way out if you make one." The massive man moved to the same positon as an instructor facing his class,
"My name is Ibiki Morino. I am the head of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force. I have been asked by our Hokage to look after you maggots for this, the First Part of the Chunin Exams." The man announced and signaled to one of his Chunin who started to pass a sheet of paper from the pile that he carried into the room. "And this is it, a sheet with nine questions for you to fill out, with an entire hour as your time limit. But there is a tenth question that is no on there, I will be announcing it personally once the hour is up." Ibiki then paused for some dramatic flair.
"But remember as you are filling out your sheets, if you fail the final question then you will automatically fail along with your team even if your teammates passed. You all have the weight of your team on your shoulders so if you take it softly then you will fail." Ibiki glared at them all once again and smirked to see a few were sweating and a few were on the verge of fainting.
"Now then maggots. We will now begin. To try and kill you in order to make any real maggots into Shinobi. And for the rest of your posers, you will die." Ibiki said with a glint in his eye as the doors close, for the rest of the Exams; no way to leave now. "Welcome to the Chunin Exams."
End of Chapter 11.
*Things sure are slow this month so I better pick up the pace before I become one of those three-toed sloths from Zootopia. And I don't even want to be the one named 'Flash' either. You ought to see them yourself on YouTube, under 'Zootopia Sloth Scene'. It's funny. Tell me what you think of it!*
Translations:
Sunagakure – Hidden Sand Village