One week had passed, and it was time for Team Placements. Nicole, Lincoln, Naruto, Sakura, Fu and Juri were in the classroom one last time. Iruka came in.
"All right," Iruka began. "It's now time for team placements. But first, let's announce the Rookie Shinobi and Kunoichi of the Year. We have a tie. This year's Rookie Kunoichi are Hinata Hyuga and Sakura Haruno."
They cheered for them.
"Way to go, girls!" shouted Naruto.
"Thanks Naruto," Sakura replied.
"I agree," Iruka responded. "Now it's time for the Rookie Shinobi of the Year."
"Hey guys," Naruto murmured quietly. Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Sakura, Hinata, Fu, Juri, Ino, Shino, Akiko, Nicole, Lincoln, and Ami all approached him. "I don't know who is going to get the award, but I do know who isn't going to get it."
Nicole responded, quietly, "I have a feeling I know who it is, bro."
Nicole was referencing to Sasuke.
"This year's Rookie Shinobi is..." Iruka announced
Sasuke stood up and walked up to Iruka to accept the award, but Iruka dropped a bombshell.
"Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze!" Iruka shouted.
Everyone but Sasuke's fangirls cheered wildly for Naruto.
"Excuse me?" Sasuke questioned.
"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," Naruto smiled.
Sasuke was enraged. "You'd better have a good reason why that deadbeat loser is Rookie Shinobi of the Year and not me!"
Iruka has had enough. "You really think I would give such a prestigious award to a '''CHEATER!?''
Everyone but Nicole, Lincoln, Naruto, Sakura, Fu and Juri gasped.
"So that's what Naruto was talking about earlier," Kiba understood.
"If he hinted at something earlier, then yes," Iruka confirmed. "That's what he meant Kiba."
Sasuke was given the Dead Last status and dropped out of the Rookie Shinobi of The Year awards. Sasuke was enraged.
"I know you had something to do with it, you wretched loser," Sasuke thought to himself. "You will pay dearly for this humiliation."
Naruto heard his thoughts.
"Your clan bites whale noses, Sasu-gay!" Naruto thought to himself.
"Now it's time for Team placements," Iruka announced.
Teams 1 through 6 are not important.
"Team 7 will consist of Nicole Knudson, Lincoln Loud, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, Sakura Haruno, Fu, Juri, Ami Mitarashi, and Akiko Suzuki, and I'm afraid you won't like this, Sasuke Uchiha," Iruka explained.
"Oh, man!" Nicole cried.
"Why do we have to have that stupid arrogant jerk on our team!?" Naruto complained.
"I know you don't like him, and he wants to make everyone miserable, but you're going to have to put up with it," Iruka added.
"We'll do it, but we won't like it," Nicole warned. "But if he tries anything, it won't be pretty."
"Team 8 will include Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame, and Kiba Inuzukam," Iruka announced. "Team 9 under Might Guy is still in circulation. Team 10 is Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi."
After lunch, they were waiting for their sensei to arrive. One hour has passed.
"I guess Lord Hokage stuck us with Kakashi Hatake," Nicole commented.
"Kakashi Hatake the Copy Ninja?" Fu asked.
"That's him," Ami confirmed. "Sister Anko told me a lot about his achievements."
"He's also one of my father's students and a veteran of the Third Great War," Naruto added.
"He must be really powerful," Juri opined.
"He is Juri," Nicole confirmed. "He was also a former ANBU Captain."
"From what I remember, he has an extremely annoying habit of arriving 2 to 3 hours late to everything except on direct orders from the Hokage," Fu explained.
"Yeah," Nicole nodded. "I'm also willing to bet that those Civilian Council Buttfaces ordered Kakashi to train our stupid Uchiha dirthead and ONLY him, leaving us trailing through the mud."
"Shut up, you stupid losers!" shouted Sasuke.
"Go back to brooding and loathing, Vomitface!" Fu retorted.
"Nice one, Fu," Naruto praised. "And I have a feeling you're right, sis."
"Those dumb idiots!" Ami shouted. "They have taken way too much power from the Hokage, and they are constantly meddling in the ways of the Shinobi, driving us nuts."
"I agree with you, Ami," Akiko responded. "Those fools are abusing their power for their own selfish purposes."
"I agree, Akiko, and we must stop them," Nicole responded. "I plan on sending a message to the Daimyo about this later."
"Yeah," Sakura agreed. "My mom is on the Civilian Council, and she is completely against the ideas that they have been doing the past few years. "I found out after I got home that Mom was protecting me."
"What do you mean, Sakura?" replied Naruto.
"Mom told me of your rough treatment at the hands of the village," Sakura explained. "She was protecting me so that I wouldn't have to endure the same thing."
"I understand, Sakura," Naruto replied.
"Ami, Akiko, do you know about Naruto's problem?" Nicole questioned.
"Yes," Ami answered. "Anko told me. I can't believe these villagers are that stupid, believing anything and hurting a brave and awesome guy like Naruto for something he had no control over."
"I actually figured it out," Akiko confessed. "Shikamaru, Shino, Choji, Tenten, Neji, myself and Hinata figured it out by your rough treatment that we saw 6 years ago and put the pieces of the puzzle together quickly. We don't think of you as the 9-Tailed Fox, and we never did. You're a hero, and I believe you can master its power."
"Thanks guys," Naruto smiled. "That means a lot to me."
"The Civilian Council is nothing more than a bunch of bias-motivated Neanderthals," Lincoln declared.
"Well said, buddy," Nicole commented.
Kakashi appeared. "I'm very proud of you guys."
They noticed him.
"Hey, brother Dog," Naruto called out. "It's been a while."
"That it has Naruto," Kakashi admitted. "It's great to see you again."
"Why did you call him Dog, Naruto?" Juri wondered.
"That's his codename in the ANBU," Naruto explained. "Kakashi was one of the ANBU who was looking out for me before we went on our training trip."
"He's a good brother for you, Naruto," Lincoln added.
"Thanks Lincoln," Naruto replied.
"That's right," Kakashi answered. "Meet me on the roof in 5 minutes."
Nicole vanished in a ball of stars, Lincoln vanished in a ball of lightning, Naruto vanished in a ball of leaves, Sakura vanished as a ball of water, Fu vanished as a ball of fire, Juri vanished as a splash of water, Ami vanished in the traditional body flicker, and Akiko vanished as a Nebula Cloud. Sasuke ran up to the roof.
Five seconds later, they appeared on the roof.
"This is very impressive," Kakashi commented. "You all arrived in 5 seconds. Good work."
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," Nicole replied.
"So what were you late for, brother Kakashi?" questioned Naruto.
"Oh, I got lost on the Road of Life," Kakashi admitted.
"I know how that feels," Naruto responded. "That road has a lot of twists and turns that make it very easy to get lost."
"I know Naruto," Kakashi admitted.
"So, Kakashi-sensei, were you ordered by the Civilian Council to focus solely on Sasuke?" Nicole asked.
Kakashi sighs. "Yes, Nicole I was. I was ordered to pass their precious "Lord" Sasuke no matter what and train only him, leaving you guys in the dust."
"So my suspicions were confirmed," Nicole noted.
"Why can't those imbeciles leave all the Shinobi alone?" Lincoln wondered.
"They're just that stupid," Fu explained.
"Yep," Naruto agreed.
Three minutes later, Sasuke got to the roof.
"Nice of you to join us, Sasuke," Kakashi greeted.
"Whatever," Sasuke muttered.
"Some greeting," Nicole murmured.
"All right," Kakashi replied. "Let us begin by introducing ourselves. I want you all to tell me your likes, dislikes, hobbies and dreams for the future."
"I'll go first," Nicole offered. "My name is Nicole Knudson. I like Rocks, Minerals, Volcanoes, Mountains, Learning about the Earth, Astronomy, Stars, Planets, Comets, Galaxies, Nebulae, and everything in the Universe. I hate everything that's evil like murderers, traitors, thieves, rapists, corruption, oppression, tyranny, and everything evil in general. My hobbies are stargazing and digging for minerals. My dream is to become the leader of my own team of shinobi."
"Interesting dream, Nicole," Kakashi commented.
"My name is Lincoln Loud. I like comic books, manga, video games, my fiancé Lilly, cooking, sports, training, my family, my friends, flying and thunderstorms. My dislikes are the same as Nicole's. I also dislike stupid sibling rivalry protocols. I don't have any hobbies at the moment. My dream is to become strong so I can protect everyone."
"Very interesting dream, Lincoln," Kakashi commented. "I have a feeling you can do it."
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. I like reading, writing, cooking, gardening, stargazing, animals, flying, Sakura, Fu, Hinata and all my future wives. I have the same dislikes as sis and I strongly hate SASUKE! I also hate bias-motivated idiots. My hobbies are playing my banjo and cloudwatching. My dream is to become Hokage in honor of my father, have an awesome family, bring the man that killed my mom and dad to justice and usher in a new era of peace, love, unity and friendship."
Kakashi was floored.
"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto acknowledged. "I know that your sensei was my father. I met him in my subconscious when I was talking to my tenant. Nicole told me about everything that happened the night I was born. Nicole told me about everything that happened the night I was born Dad confirmed everything for me, and I know exactly what happened. On the night I was born, a rogue Uchiha killed my parents and forced Natsumi to go on a rampage. Natsumi is the real name of the 9-Tails, and she was forced to attack the village against her will. I'll find that masked man, bring him to justice, and make him pay for his crimes."
"And we'll help him," Sakura promised. "My name is Sakura Haruno. I like my mom, Naruto, cooking, gardening, swimming, flying, and the beauty of the ocean. I have the same dislikes as Naruto and Nicole. My hobbies are cloud watching and learning about Medical Jutsu. My dream is to have an awesome family with Naruto and become one of the most powerful kunoichi in the world."
"My name is Fu. I'm a transfer from the Hidden Waterfall. I like Naruto, flying, insects, butterflies, fire, and my tenant. I'm actually the 7-Tails Jinchuriki. I agree with Nicole and Naruto's dislikes. My hobbies are stargazing and learning about different butterflies. My dream is the same as Sakura's."
"I'm Juri. I like swimming, cooking, gardening, writing, and reading. I agree with Naruto's dislikes. My hobbies are having fun in the water and talking to fish. My dream is the same."
"I'm Ami Mitarashi. I like my sister Anko, Naruto, torture, being sadistic, ripping my enemies apart, sword jutsu, dango, spicy food and ramen. I agree with Nicole's and Naruto's dislikes but I also dislike Orochimaru. He makes me sick! My hobbies are tea ceremonies and trying different dango. My dream is the same."
"My name is Akiko Suzuki the Maiden of The Nebula. I like Naruto, the stars and the beauty of the Universe. My dislikes are the same as Naruto's. My hobbies are stargazing and learning about the Universe. My dream is the same."
"Wow!" Kakashi exclaimed. "You guys have very powerful dreams and motivations. Now you Mr. Sunshine."
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate everything and I despise everything on this wretched miserable planet. The only thing I like is power. What I have is not a dream because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy three people."
"So he wants to kill me, Naruto, and Itachi," Nicole thought. "We will not allow that to happen."
"He's just pure evil," Naruto thought. "It's almost as though we're in the presence of the Devil himself."
"Sasuke is the ultimate true personification of pure evil," Sakura muttered in her head. "He will get what is coming to him."
"I don't know what these village idiots see in him, but he will die when the time comes," Fu murmured in her head.
"I have an interesting bunch," Kakashi thought to himself. "A star warrior, a Lightning angel, Sensei's son, An Aqua Master, A nature lover, Anko 2.0, A Celestial Maiden and Mr. Evil himself. I got my work cut out for me. When I'm done here, I'm going to have to have a serious talk with Lord Hokage. He spoke aloud, "Alright, meet me at Training Ground 7 at 8:00 tomorrow morning for what I like to call the true Genin test. Oh, and my advice is to skip breakfast, or you'll throw up."
"We'll be there, sensei," Nicole assured him.
Kakashi vanished.
"Just don't get in my way or I'll kill you all," Sasuke threatened.
Sasuke left.
"What a monster," Naruto remarked.
"To be honest, I'm not sure what Itachi was thinking letting him live after he killed the Uchiha," Nicole added. "He should've killed him along with the rest of the trash."
"I agree," Fu replied. "But we'll have to clean up his mess later."
"Yep," Lincoln agreed.
"Well, we have to eat breakfast," Nicole reasoned. "That wasn't an order, and we'll need all the energy we can get to face a shinobi of Kakashi's caliber."
"That's right," Naruto responded.
Later that night, while Nicole and Naruto were stargazing and looking up at the stars, they heard something on the wind.
"Naruto."
"Sis, did you hear that?" Naruto asked.
"I sure did," Nicole replied. "It sounds like someone is trying to contact us."
"Yeah," Naruto nodded.
"Naruto."
"I think the wind wants us to follow it," Naruto theorized.
"Yeah," Nicole agreed.
Nicole and Naruto followed the wind until they arrived at an abandoned training ground.
"The wind is leading us here," Nicole observed.
"Let's find out what's going on," Naruto suggested.
They spread their wings, jumped the fence, and flew over the training ground, where the moonlight revealed a trap door under all the dirt, which they opened, releasing a foul odor.
"Ugh!" Nicole cried. "That is rank!"
"It smells like blood, death, chemicals, and snakes," Naruto noted.
"I think we may have stumbled onto one of Orochimaru's laboratories here," Nicole guessed. "Let's go in."
"Okay," Naruto replied.
They went down and into a dark room at the end of a corridor.
"Now, where's a light switch?" Nicole questioned.
Nicole felt around the walls until she found it and flicked it, causing the lights to turn on. They saw laboratory equipment, a lot of chemicals, and log books.
"Look at all this stuff," Nicole pointed out.
"This is definitely one of Orochimaru's labs," Naruto concluded.
"Dad told me about Orochimaru and how he was the genius of the Legendary Sannin," Nicole explained. "Until he went mad with power and will stop at nothing to destroy the Leaf and rule the world with an iron fist."
"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "Jiraiya-sensei said that Orochimaru was an amazing scientist when he worked in the Leaf."
"That's what I remember," Nicole replied. "Orochimaru should be using his scientific gifts for good and further benefit the Leaf. What a waste of talent and a life."
"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "Let's search through all these books and experiments to see what he's been up to in here."
"Okay," Nicole replied.
They searched the lab and found numerous inhumane experiments that Orochimaru was doing and planned to do. Then they made a major discovery.
Nicole gasped. "Bro look at this. Orochimaru found Rin Nohara and healed her."
"Let me take a look," Naruto responded.
Naruto looked through a log book and read the entry. "Entry 11342345.3: Rin Nohara was stabbed through the chest by a powerful lightning jutsu the likes of which I have never seen. I placed her in a cryogenic state of suspended animation with a powerful Sealing Jutsu that would heal her and restore her. I also have spliced her genetic structure with Phoenix DNA and it gave her the ability to fly and it enhanced her Fire Style Nature to 10,000 times its normal parameters and the experiment was a success."
He then gasped. "Rin Nohara is alive?"
Nicole answered, "It would appear so. I heard from a source that her body was never recovered, and she disappeared after the war was ended."
"We have find her," Naruto urged.
Nicole concentrated till she found her energy signal.
"She's this way," Nicole said, pointing toward a door.
They went to the door and opened it, and the room was freezing.
"It's cold in here," Nicole commented.
"It's like a fridge in here," Naruto added.
Nicole found a light switch and flicked it, and the lights came on, and they saw a huge block of perfectly clear ice, as well as Rin Nohara fully healed and in cryo-sleep.
"It's Rin, and she's still alive," Naruto informed.
They looked at her and saw that she had been restored.
"Let's thaw her out," Nicole proposed.
Nicole looked for a button or a switch and pressed it, and the tank emptied and opened up, and Rin fell out, and Naruto caught her.
"Naruto, form a Shadow Clone and get the Hokage," Nicole ordered.
"Right," Naruto agreed and formed a Shadow Clone.
HOKAGE'S OFFICE.
Lord Third was working late on some paperwork.
Naruto's clone came in. "Grandpa. We have an urgent development at the abandoned training ground."
"What is it, Naruto?" Lord Third inquired.
"I'm a Shadow Clone Grandpa, but we found a laboratory that belongs to Orochimaru," Naruto's Clone explained.
Lord Third gasped. "ANBU! Follow me! Lead us to it," he ordered to Naruto's Clone.
"All right," Naruto's Clone replied.
Naruto's Clone led them to the Abandoned Training Ground using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
LABORATORY.
In an orange flash, Naruto's Clone appeared with the Hokage and the ANBU.
"We're glad you arrived, Lord Hokage," Nicole acknowledged.
"Yes," Lord Third replied. "Well I'll be. It's one of my wayward students labs, all right." He notices Rin. "And Rin is alive."
"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "We found Rin frozen, and Orochimaru experimented on her, and this is what he did to her."
Naruto handed him the Log Book, and what he read shocked him.
"I can't believe Orochimaru did all of this and did it in secret," Lord Third mused.
Nicole added, "I also found a diary that belonged to Orochimaru."
The moment she handed him the book, Lord Third was speechless. One day, Orochimaru was going to return and completely destroy Leaf Village.
"You both did a great job of finding this place," Lord Third observed. "Well done. This will be considered an S-Rank mission for the both of you."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Nicole said.
Rin started waking up. "Wha? What happened?"
"Rin, you're awake," Naruto remarked.
"Minato-sensei?" Rin questioned.
"No," Naruto answered. "I'm Naruto, his son."
Rin commented, "You look so much like Minato-sensei."
"He was my father," Naruto explained.
"We have a lot to explain," Nicole added.
Back in the Namikaze Estate Team 7 minus, Sasuke explained all that had happened over the past 13 years to Rin, who was horrified and broke down crying while Sakura comforted her.
"Minato-sensei!" Rin cried out. "Kushina! Why!?"
"It was a rogue Uchiha who did it," Nicole explained. "We now have a huge mission: find and destroy that Rogue Uchiha."
"Yeah," Ami agreed. "We will not let him get away with everything he has done to our village."
"That's right, Rin," Lincoln added. "He will pay for what he has done, and we will make sure he does."
"Yeah," Nicole agreed. "Anyone who can kill someone's family like that and then destroy the village as collateral damage is PURE EVIL."
"Yeah," Naruto agreed.
"We will find him and make him pay for what he has done to our village," Fu vowed.
"Yeah," Akiko agreed.
"I agree with you all," Lord Third responded. "We had no idea a Rogue Uchiha was responsible for the 9-Tails Attack, and his trail went cold. He could be anywhere in the world."
"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "Natsumi said he had an orange spiral mask with one eyehole and the Sharingan, but that was the best description she could give."
"That's a good description, Naruto," Lord Third replied. "Can any of you draw a picture of the assailant?"
"I can try," Lincoln offered. He drew a picture that looked just like the Masked Uchiha.
As he gave him the picture, Lincoln said, "Here you go, Lord Hokage."
"Thank you, Lincoln," Lord Third said. "I'll send this to my student Jiraiya and have his spy network keep a look out for him."
"Great," Nicole replied. "But we don't know what he's capable of, so we have to train for when we face him."
"That's right," Lord Third confirmed. "You will also receive S-Rank Mission credit for finding one of Orochimaru's labs. After its been searched we will destroy it."
"That's great," Sakura responded.
"Yeah," Juri agreed. "That's one problem we won't have to worry about anymore."
Rin had calmed down and was feeling better. "Yeah, that's good. But, guys, I'm afraid I have a terrible problem. I still have the 3-Tailed Turtle inside of me."
They gasped.
"You're a Jinchuriki like me, Rin?" Naruto asked.
"Yes, but I was made one against my will," Rin admitted. "I was captured by some Mist Shinobi during the end stages of the Third Great War nearly 14 years ago. I was forcibly made into the 3-Tails Jinchuriki, and whenever I entered the Leaf Village, I would release the Tailed Beast into the village, allowing the Mist to destroy the Leaf."
They gasped.
"Why would the Mist do that to you?" Naruto wondered.
"It's a Shock and Awe attack," Nicole explained. "They wanted to use overwhelming force to cripple our village and completely destroy our fighting spirit."
"I am very familiar with that Military Rule," Lord Third replied. "The question is why they wanted to do it in the first place."
"I don't know myself," Rin admitted. "I told Kakashi about it, and he tried to fight the Mist Ninjas and I had no other option than to die. I jumped in front of Kakashi's Chidori, and he could have killed me."
"And we found you in Cryogenic Suspension at one of Orochimaru's labs 13 and a half years later," Nicole continued.
"Yes," Rin confirmed.
"Maybe me and Natsumi can talk to the 3-Tailed Turtle," Naruto suggested. "I have a mark on the back of my left hand that lets Natsumi to talk with me and anyone else."
"That's really cool!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Minato did always had a knack for defying the impossible, and this is a genius method for Jinchuriki to communicate with their tenants," Lord Third noted.
"So that's why you have that Seal on your hand, Naruto?" Fu asked.
"Yep," Naruto nodded. "Natsumi, we have a problem here."
"I heard Naruto," Natsumi replied. "This is a big problem, and we can ask Isobu to work with Rin."
"Okay," Naruto replied.
"Rin, it's great to hear your voice again," Natsumi added. "Kushina and I were very close all those years ago."
"Natsumi, it's great to hear your voice too," answered Rin. "Kushina and you were like sisters."
"I know," Natsumi admitted. "Me and Naruto are going inside your mind to see if we can talk to Isobu."
"Okay," Rin replied.
Naruto placed his hand on Rin's head, and he and Natsumi entered her mind. Her mindscape was an oceanic landscape. They swam till they found Rin and Isobu the 3-Tailed Turtle.
"Isobu," Natsumi greeted him.
"Natsumi, it's great to see you again," Isobu replied.
"Same here," Natsumi answered. "Rin had you forcibly sealed into her against her will, and she was made into a Trojan Horse, so to speak."
"Yes," Isobu confirmed. "I know. It wasn't the Mist Shinobi that did it. It was Madara Uchiha."
Naruto, Rin, and Natsumi all gasped.
"Madara Uchiha!?" cried Naruto. "But that's impossible! He died during his fight with the 1st Hokage."
"No, he didn't die," Isobu clarified. "He survived somehow and he was the one who sealed me into Rin. He had those Mist Ninjas under his control, and it was all because of him that I was sealed into Rin."
"Madara!" shouted Natsumi. "I can't believe this. He's a monster."
"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "Madara is worse than the Devil himself. He is the embodiment of pure evil. The Ultimate Personification of Pure Evil in its entirety."
Rin reacted angrily, saying, "Madara, I can't believe you turned me into a Jinchuriki."
"But Madara should be dead by now," Naruto pointed out. "It's been 50 years since that day. How can he be alive after all these years?"
"He's always been very crafty, Naruto," Natsumi noted. "No, it wasn't Madara who was controlling me when I was forced to attack the Leaf. It was someone impersonating him."
"So we have a fake Madara running amok and causing chaos and destruction to the world," Naruto concluded.
"So it would seem," Natsumi replied. "Isobu, you and Rin must work together."
"Yes, I know," Isobu agreed. "If this fake Madara is out there, we need all the help we can get to stop him. I will gladly help Rin."
"Thank you, brother," Natsumi remarked.
"No problem, sister," Isobu responded.
"Naruto, thank you," Rin smiled.
"I'm glad we could help you, Rin," Naruto responded.
After that, they left Rin's Mindscape.
"It was a success," Naruto revealed. "But, I'm afraid; we have even more troubling news. The Mist did not seal Isobu into Rin. It was Madara Uchiha."
Everyone but Naruto gasped.
"Madara did this?" Nicole questioned.
"But that's impossible!" Sakura protested.
"I've heard about Madara," Fu explained. "He's one of the Leaf's Founding Fathers, and he is Pure Evil."
"Madara was a force to be reckoned with 60 years ago," Lord Third added. "He and my sensei Hashirama Senju, the 1st Hokage, founded the Hidden Leaf Village, and when Madara Uchiha was not made the 1st Hokage, he tried to rally the Uchiha to take the village by force. But the Uchiha refused, and Madara was made a loner. He abandoned the Leaf and Hashirama-sensei and Madara fought at the Final Valley with everything they had, and Hashirama won. We all thought Madara had died, and now that he is alive, the situation has reached cataclysmic proportions."
"My father told me a lot about Madara," Nicole added. "He was a very powerful shinobi and he possessed enormous fighting prowess. His Fire Style Jutsu is incredibly powerful, and he is said to be impervious to all jutsu. He is supposedly immortal, just like I am.
"It's just hard to imagine that one of our village's founding fathers was responsible for turning me into a Jinchuriki and nearly killing me," Rin stated.
"He's dead now, isn't he?" Fu asked.
"Yes, he's dead now, and let's hope he stays dead," Naruto answered.
"I also read in Orochimaru's notes that he can use the Reanimation Jutsu," Nicole added.
"I can't believe he now has that jutsu in his arsenal," Lord Third mused. "Tobirama-sensei created the Reanimation Jutsu, and now it's hard to imagine that Orochimaru is in possession of that technique. If he resurrects Madara, we're in big trouble."
"I don't think he'd be that desperate if he was planning an invasion," Sakura pointed out. "We don't even know how Orochimaru is going to invade the village in the future. But we'll be ready for him."
"Yeah!" shouted Rin.
"We're going to make Orochimaru pay for everything he's done," Juri vowed.
"Yeah," Akiko agreed.
"I'm proud of all of you," Lord Third responded. "Your test is tomorrow morning, and good luck to all of you."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Nicole replied.
"You're welcome," Lord Third said. "Rin, would you like to be reinstated into the Shinobi Program?"
"I'd like that, Lord Hokage," Rin responded.
"That's good," Lord Third noted. "Unfortunately, since everyone thinks you're dead, you have to start over as a genin."
"I understand," Rin acknowledged.
"Okay," Lord Third nodded. "You are on Team 7 with with Nicole, Lincoln, Naruto, Sakura, Fu, Juri, Ami, Akiko and Sasuke."
"Okay," Rin replied.
They arrived at Training Ground 7 at 8:00 a.m. the next morning, as instructed, after eating a hearty breakfast. Sasuke skipped breakfast because he took it as an order. They waited patiently. At 10:00 AM Kakashi arrived.
"Hey guys," Kakashi greeted them. "Sorry I'm late. A black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way around."
Nicole giggles. "I didn't think you were the superstitious kind Kakashi-sensei."
"Kakashi?" questioned Rin.
Kakashi saw Rin and gasped. "R... Rin? Is that really you?"
"It is me, Kakashi," Rin confirmed..
Rin hugged him, and they were reunited for the first time in nearly 14 years.
"But how?" Kakashi wondered. "I thought I killed you."
"Orochimaru found her and healed her by freezing her in ice lined with a Sealing Jutsu," Naruto explained. "Grandpa can explain what happened."
"It doesn't matter," Kakashi replied. "What's important is that Rin is back."
"I'm glad to be back home, Kakashi," Rin responded.
"She has to start as a Genin because, well, you know," Nicole added.
"I understand," Kakashi responded. "Now lets do our test."
"Okay," Nicole replied.
"Now you have until noon," Kakashi said and pulls out 8 bells from his pocket, "to get these bells from me. Come at me with the intent to kill."
"No problem," Nicole responded.
"The test begins when I say go," Kakashi explained. "Ready... Set... Go!"
They hid in the trees, and Naruto decided to face him.
As the Test began, a miracle happened in the Leaf Hospital. A woman with long red hair awoke in a hospital bed.
"What?" She gasped. "Naruto! I have to find him."
She got out of bed and started walking to the Training Ground.
"You know you're supposed to hide, right?" Kakashi asked.
"I know, brother," Naruto admitted. "But you've heard how I've progressed, right?"
"I sure did Naruto," Kakashi confirmed. "You all caused a lot of damage to Training Ground 16."
"I know," Naruto confessed. "Let me show you."
Naruto spread his wings and drew his sword from his sheath. The sword was Dragonstorm, his mother's sword. It had a blue katana blade with a red dragon on it, a gold dragon hilt with green jewels, and the Uzumaki Crest was made of rubies and sapphire.
"That's your mother's sword, Dragonstorm," Kakashi identified.
"That's right," Naruto nodded. "It was my mom's weapon, and the Uzumaki Clan is known for having the world's deadliest sword jutsu users."
"That's right," Kakashi responded.
Naruto stated, "Just a forewarning, Kakashi-sensei, I won't be holding back."
"In that case," Kakashi answered, lifting his headband to reveal a Sharingan in his left eye. "Neither with I."
"So you have a transplanted Sharingan Eye," Naruto noted.
"That's right, Naruto," Kakashi answered.
"All right then," Naruto responded.
Naruto dashed toward Kakashi, who stood ready, and just as Naruto was about to land a blow, he vanished and formed an Afterimage, which Kakashi struck and vanished, and Naruto kicked Kakashi in the back and fired a blade of green energy directly at Kakashi.
Kakashi saw it coming and Substituted.
"Substitution Jutsu," Naruto understood.
Naruto channeled Lightning Style Chakra into his sword and stabbed the ground. "LIGHTNING STYLE NINJA ART: WORM FLUSH!"
The Lightning flushed Kakashi out, leaving him numb from the attack.
"How did you know I was underground, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.
"I sensed your Chakra Signal, underground sensei," Naruto answered. "I invented that technique to counter the Headhunter Jutsu."
"That was genius, Naruto," Kakashi commented. "You definitely have Minato-sensei's knack for inventing new jutsu."
"Like father, like son," Naruto added.
"Indeed," Kakashi agreed. "Let's test out everything you learned. First Taijutsu."
"Okay," replied Naruto as he sheathed his sword.
Naruto and Kakashi engaged in a powerful Taijutsu match. Naruto punched Kakashi in the face, kneed him in the stomach, kicked him in the solar plexus, leg swept and kicked him in the back, jumped high into the air, and kicked him in the stomach with a spinning axe kick. With each impact, leaves were spiraling around his arms and legs, and green lightning blasted out of his attacks.
Kakashi crashed to the ground.
Naruto landed, and Kakashi got up with some nasty bruises.
"I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto apologized. "That was a new Taijutsu Style I invented. I call it the Dance of The Leshy. It's similar to the Dancing Leaf Shadow in style, and it incorporates my Lifewing Powers to enhance my strength and speed."
"That's very clever and amazing," commented Kakashi. "Now let's do Genjutsu."
"Okay," Naruto replied.
Kakashi vanished in a swirl of leaves, and Naruto saw the entire village on fire.
"The Death Mirage Jutsu," Naruto realized. "Nice try sensei. RELEASE!"
The Genjutsu vanished.
"Now it's my turn," Naruto said.
Naruto vanished, and Kakashi found himself in a dense forest, where he saw Minato, Kushina, Obito, and Rin all bleeding profusely, and the Rock Ninjas that killed Obito stood before him, laughing insanely.
"You monsters!" screamed Kakashi, enraged. "I will kill you!"
Kakashi killed the Rock Ninjas, but they resurfaced fully restored.
"What?!" cried Kakashi. "How is that... Wait this is a Genjutsu. RELEASE!"
The Genjutsu vanished.
"I'm amazed you survived my Forest of Madness Genjutsu," Naruto commented. "It's a genjutsu I made."
"That's very clever, Naruto," Kakashi remarked. "Now for Ninjutsu."
"You got it," Naruto said.
Naruto flew at Kakashi, punching him in the face. As Naruto used a jutsu, Kakashi went flying.
"LEAF STYLE: TIGER LEAF WIND!" Naruto yelled.
Naruto swung his arm, and a huge blast of wind with a wave of Leaves flew and became the form of a tiger, roaring ferociously at Kakashi. Kakashi Substituted and Naruto unsheathed his sword.
"WIND STYLE SWORD ART: RAZOR CYCLONE!" shouted Naruto.
Naruto swung his sword, and a tornado enveloped Kakashi, slashing him with little blades. When the tornado passed, Kakashi's clothes were shredded, and he was weak.
"Now, guys!" shouted Naruto.
Nicole, Lincoln, Sakura, Juri, Ami, Akiko, and Rin all arrived and completely overwhelmed Kakashi. He was knocked out, and he and Sasuke were tied to the posts.
When Kakashi awoke 30 minutes later, he noticed them eating the Bento Meals he had brought them.
"All right, guys, you can untie me," Kakashi said. "You all pass. But Sasuke doesn't."
"WHAT!?" screamed Sasuke.
The Woman arrived at the Training Ground 35 minutes ago and was watching the entire fight. When she saw Naruto, she knew he was her son. The woman's name was Kushina Uzumaki, and she had been alive this entire time. She walked toward the Training Posts.
"Naruto?" Kushina questioned.
They turned around and gasped when they saw Kushina.
"M... Mom?" stammered Naruto. "Is that you?"
"Kushina Uzumaki!" yelled Nicole.
"Kushina?" Rin asked.
Kushina?" asked Akiko.
"It is you," Naruto recognized. "MOM!"
Naruto ran over to her, hugged her, and began crying. "Mom! I missed you so much!"
"My sweet baby boy," Kushina sobbed. "You've grown into an amazing Shinobi."
"Kushina," Nicole said. "I'm so glad you're alright."
"Thank you," Kushina replied.
"Sorry, my name is Nicole Knudson, and we've been looking for Naruto since he was seven," Nicole explained. "We have quite a story to tell."
They all told Kushina everything that had happened. She walked up to Nicole, hugged her, and started to cry.
"Nicole, thank you so much for looking out for my baby boy," sobbed Kushina.
"You're so welcome, Kushina," Nicole replied. "Naruto is not just my best friend, but also my little brother. I would never view Naruto as anything with ill will."
Kushina sat down with them.
"I've missed you so much, Kushina," Rin sighed.
"Rin, I thought you were dead," Rin confessed.
"Orochimaru was the one who found me 14 years ago after Kakashi shoved a Chidori through my chest, and I was frozen in ice and healed in a laboratory," Rin explained.
"That's incredible," Kushina replied. "I'm so glad you're okay. Kakashi was devastated when he thought he had killed you."
"That's what I've heard," Rin responded. "But I'm glad to be home."
"Where were you by the way, Kushina?" Lincoln asked.
"Well, Lincoln, I was in a coma," Kushina confessed. "When that masked man ripped Natsumi out of me, I thought I was done for, but thanks to my Uzumaki Blood I survived. I wasn't sure I'd ever wake up. But I did."
"It's been almost 13 years since that night," Nicole added.
"I've got a lot of catching up to do," Kushina admitted.
An ANBU appeared.
"I'm sorry to bo..." Cat began. "Kushina-sensei?" "Is that really you?"
Cat took off her mask and it was Yugao Uzuki.
"Yugao," Kushina replied. "You sure have grown into a beautiful woman."
Yugao hugged her and cried. "I've always trained hard with my sword and never forgot what you taught me, sensei."
"I'm so proud of you, Yugao," Kushina replied. "I was in a coma for 12 and a half years."
"I've missed you, sensei," Yugao admitted.
"I missed you as well, Yugao," Kushina admitted.
"Anyway, Yugao, you were about to say something," Naruto interjected.
"Right, sorry," Yugao apologized. "Lord Hokage has called for all of you."
"We'll be right over," Nicole replied.
Nicole beamed them all to the Administration Building and walked in. Nicole knocked on the door and went in.
"You wanted to see us, Lord Hokage?" Nicole asked.
"Yes," Lord Third answered. "Kakashi never showed up to let us know whether or not he passed his team."
"Sorry, Lord Hokage," Nicole apologized. "We finished our test, and an unexpected development happened."
"It's been a while, grandpa," Kushina commented.
Lord Third gasped. "Kushina."
"I've gotten my mom back," Naruto added.
"I'm so happy for Naruto and Kushina," Sakura expressed her joy.
"Thank you, Sakura," Kushina said. "It's good to be home."
Naruto cooked a big dinner for Kushina at the Namikaze Estate to help her regain her strength, and she loved it. For the first time in almost 13 years, Naruto was reunited with his mom.
Continues in Part 3