~ Way of the Shinobi ~


War.

An event in which mass loss of life and property. An event akin to a grievous wound, something that might heal but would leave a scar. An event caused due to the need of a few yet affecting the many. And now?

It was upon them.

War had come knocking on the doors of Konoha in the form of a messenger. Apparently Iwa hadn't liked it when one of their Shinobis had been killed. As recompense, they demanded Naruto's life. Their demand was refused.

However, they had now formed an alliance with Kumo and Kiri. It seemed rather childish to declare war due to one death but with the tension building at the borders, the question was not 'If' but rather 'When'.

Suna had chosen to remain neutral which wasn't all that surprising. They were still recovering from the last war. The interesting thing however was that some of the minor villages were banding together. While the information wasn't concrete it was almost confirmed.

Konoha tried appeasing Iwa but it didn't work. Therefore, Konoha had no choice but to go into "War Mode".

The civilian council had been dissolved immediately after the war had been confirmed. The power vested in the Shinobi council had increased. Unlike before, now, all of the Hokage's decrees were absolute. There would be no votes during council sessions unless they were directly connected to the ear. An unanimous vote would be needed in order to make a decision.

The previous system of the academy would be dissolved. The curriculum and exams of the academy would be made to be more rigorous. D-rank missions would be eliminated. Only C-rank and above missions would be accepted. No acts of violence or disobedience would be tolerated inside City grounds. There was no more free will. There was only the Law.

And in this situation, -

The Will of the Hokage was Law.

~

Naruto looked down, his gaze on his newly acquired headband. His shinobi headband with the leaf's insignia carved on it.

The exam was extremely easy. It was mostly just a formality. The advance-course, unlike before, was now in full operation with most of the shinobi clans putting their children in it. The normal course was only attended by civilian children who aspired to become shinobis.

This was mostly due to the arrival of the war. Many children were pulled out of the academy and countless others failed. Even the normal course was now harder than the normal course before.

The life of an average shinobi during relatively peaceful times was easy. Serve as a genin for a few years, be promoted to chunin by field promotion and then live out their life till death doing average work. A very average, run of the mill, 'small cog in a big machine' type of job.

However, now, those times were no more. Any and all shinobis were on active duty. There was a reason why Konoha had never been in a losing position in the previous 3 wars. While Konoha didn't produce as many shinobi as Iwa did or have a structured military hierarchy like Kumo did, Konoha was the best of both of them. Konoha was blessed with many talented shinobi, from clans and civilians as well.

Naruto, however, was surprised when he heard that he and Satsuki weren't the only ones graduating. Apparently, when the news of war had come, the clan heirs that were in their second year in the academy and some others had been put into the advanced course. Due to the training they received from their own families they were qualified.

And so, the advance course batch of XX75 had formed.13 individuals, brought together by the bonds of comradery.

Team 7: Satsuki Uchiha, Sarutobi

Konohamaru and Sai Shimura

Sensei : Kakashi Hatake

Team 8: Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame

and Kiba Inuzuka

Sensei : Kurenai Yuhi

Team 9: Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga and Tenten

Higurashi

Sensei : Might Guy

Team 10: Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi

and Ino Yamanaka

Sensei : Asuma Sarutobi

And

Cell #11: Apprentice - Naruto Uzumaki

Sensei - Sannin No Jiraiya

Naruto's thoughts came to a halt as he sensed a person coming towards him. Turning around, he realised it was his sensei, Jiraiya.

"Yo!" Jiraiya greeted, his tone casual. The perverted hermit was dressed in his usual outfit. Jiraiya was a tall and well-built man in adulthood with fair skin. He had waist-length, spiky white hair that was tied back into a pony tail, with two shoulder-length bangs framing his face. There were red lines under his eyes which extended further down his face as he got older, going all the way to the bottom of his face. His usual attire consisted of a green short shirt kimono and matching pants, under which he wore mesh armour that is visible at his wrists and ankles. He also wore hand guards, a black belt, traditional Japanese wooden sandals, and a red haori with two yellow circles on each side. He also carried a large scroll on his back and had a unique headband.

"Good morning, sensei." Naruto said in his usual apathetic tone.

"My, my, the least you can do is show a bit of excitement. Isn't this your dream come true? Didn't you want to train under me since you were a toddler? Nonetheless, I am now your sensei, brat. Maybe."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that.

'Maybe? What are you playing at Jiraiya-sensei?'

"Will there be no introductions? I heard from Kakashi-san that the student and teacher must first introduce themselves."

"Ya see, while you passed the regular test you still need the approval of your sensei to actually become a genin. Why waste time giving introductions when your result isn't guaranteed?" Jiraiya said, with a goofy grin that was always on his face.

"What do you mean? I thought that the advanced course has no such requirements. Are you perhaps lying, sensei?" Naruto asked.

"While that is true, I am your sensei, which means I can give you any and all the tests I want to, in order to ensure you can be shaped into a good Shinobi. And if I feel you can't, well then I can always drop you into the genin reserves."

"Fine. What is this test?"

"All you have to do is make it to the training ground #9, 7 km north of our current location, before the sun sets. Which means you have approximately 8 hours. I have set multiple traps and my clones will be patrolling the area. It doesn't matter if you get caught by the traps as long as you can escape. However, if my clones spot you, you fail. If you pass the test, I will meet you there and we'll start your real training. Ja ne!"

Was all Jiraiya said, before the sage vanished in a small cloud of smoke.

Naruto groaned in dismay. One of the reasons he had chosen the advance-course had been that there was a guarantee that he would remain a Shinobi. However, he knew Jiraiya. The man may have looked like an idiot and even behaved like one, but he was good at what he did.

Dismissing his thoughts, he gathered chakra to his feet and leapt. As soon as he landed on the branch of a tree, multiple kanji glowed brightly on the branch. Fast as he could, Naruto jumped away as the tree exploded with a vicious blast of fire

Naruto scowled visibly at the trap. Traps like those would be a continuous hindrance to him. However, he had noticed that the fuinjutsu used for the trap was quite basic. It was without doubt, done purposefully. So if he had to negate the threats of the traps he would have to design a more complex seal with proper resistance to the traps. Without wasting a second, his mind went into overdrive.

'Seems like Jiraiya-sensei has used a level 2 trap and detection seal with only three interlinking kanji along with basic single layered resistivity. Interesting. What can I do to negate it? Maybe, a level 3 stealth seal with 7 interlinking kanji and a level 2 fortification seal with 13 interlinking kanji. The fortification seal will support the stealth seal and the stealth seal will ensure that I won't be detected. Both will have a triple layered resistivity. Yes! That could work. I could also create a few shadow clones to throw off sensei's sentries. Definitely. Now to actually create the seal ...'

It took Naruto a few hours to design the seal. He still had a little more than 3 hours left to reach the training ground. He had drawn the seal on his own jacket. Putting on the jacket, the seal glowed dimly as once again applied chakra to his feet and leapt. Considering the distance and if no possible interventions happened, then he would reach the place in under an hour.

~

Naruto had arrived exactly as his calculations had dictated. Exactly a few minutes before the end of the second hour. Looking forward, he saw Jiraiya sitting there, grinning like an idiot.

"Look at that you finally came! You know I expected you to arrive earlier considering your abilities but I guess you're just not that good!" Jiraiya said, his tone humourous as usual.

Naruto's face however remained impassive as if he hadn't heard Jiraiya's comments at all.

"What was the purpose of the test, sensei? You purposely used basic seals and your sentries didn't look as if they were even trying."

"Those 'basic seals' and 'lazy sentries' were all at least at the level of a chunin's skill. The purpose was to analyse just how much of an affinity you have for stealth. Now that I know your skills for remaining hidden, I'm going to test your skills for battle. No matter how good you are, there will always be someone better and when that someone confronts you, you must be able to fight. Are you rea-"

Before Jiraiya could finish the sentence, Naruto made two clones and attacked Jiraiya. Jiraiya threw a punch at the clone coming towards him, but the clone dodged and the other clone grabbed onto Jiraiya's arm and twisted it. While his attention was elsewhere, the first clone performed an effortless sweep kick which knocked Jiraiya off his balance. Not wanting to waste a second, the original went in to finish the match with a kunai. If only it was that easy.

Jiraiya swung his arm towards the original, destroying the clone and knocking away the original, then used a swift kick to destroy the second clone.

"Not bad. You rely more on tactics than on your own strength, which can be both an advantage and a liability. Alright, lesson no. 1 : Taijutsu!"

Jiraiya leaped at Naruto, fist cocked back, ready to attack. Naruto tried moving back but was forced to block the incoming attack. Jiraiya's fist connected with Naruto's arms as he blocked the blow to his gut, but his arms had received some damage.

Naruto grimaced as Jiraiya threw a flurry of attacks his way. Naruto blocked as many as he could while dodging a few. Naruto's entire taijutsu relied on blocking and dodging an opponent's attacks, finding flaws in their forms and then counterattacking using the holes in their fighting style. However, his taijutsu style was still incomplete as in order to implement it, he needed a perfect defence. Also, with no experience in the battlefield and with his opponent being a seasoned veteran, there was no chance he could even land a hit.

Though whatever the odds may be, Naruto wasn't ready to give up yet. While he might not have a chance to defeat Jiraiya on a one-on-one, it didn't necessarily have to be a one-on-one.

As soon as Jiraiya's attacks paused, Naruto created 9 clones and went into absolute offense. Jiraiya was swarmed by Naruto's clones as they continuously attacked them. There was only one problem. Jiraiya was dodging and blocking all of Naruto's attacks almost effortlessly. In a matter of a few minutes, Jiraiya had disposed of all of Naruto's clones and had a grip on Naruto, holding a kunai to his neck.

Jiraiya's face adopted a serious look as he spoke.

"Your reactions are too slow and too predictable, your blocks are sloppy and weak and your offense is severely lacking. Your reaction time needs to be honed and while your predictability can be a weapon, it can only be one if your taijutsu form is perfect, which it isn't. Your body has no physical conditioning which makes your blocks weak and while your taijutsu is good, you need to rely more on your skills than just using tactical retreats. Also your offense is practically absent. All you do is throw random punches and kicks in a general direction. Your taijutsu is good for a genin but it is lackluster otherwise."

Jiraiya removed the kunai at Naruto's neck and let him go. As soon as he was a bit far away, Jiraiya once again put a smile on his face.

"Alright, lesson 1 is now done. Time for lesson no. 2 : Ninjutsu!"

Naruto wasn't going to receive much criticism in this test. His ninjutsu was second to none in his batch and his reserves were far larger than even most chunin. Not only was he proficient in the academy taught techniques but he also knew a few more elemental jutsu.

Jiraiya took the first action and attacked.

'Kaaton : Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release : Great Fireball Technique)'

Jiraiya released a large fireball from his mouth as he recited the name mentally. Quickly, Naruto used a Kawarimi (Substitution) to escape the elephant-sized fireball coming his way. With Jiraiya still recuperating from his use of the fireball, Naruto took it as his opportunity to attack.

Naruto threw a few shuriken and kunai, and summoned two clones besides him.

'Fūton : Reppūshō (Wind Release : Gale Palm)

All three Naruto fired off the wind jutsu at the same time, boosting not only the speed but also the offensive power of the projectiles. As the attack neared Jiraiya, the sage used a defense of his own.

'Doton : Doryūheki (Earth release : Earth Wall)'

A wall made out of the earth shot up, blocking the incoming projectiles. However the shurikens and kunais had been boosted by the jutsu and had almost penetrated through the wall. As the wall of earth dissolved, Jiraiya smirked and started taunting Naruto.

"C'mon now where's that dual affinity Minato told me about, huh?! Wait, did your father lie to make you look good? Come on now, show me the boy that his teachers praised! Or are you all that there is? I have to say, I am severely disappointed!"

Naruto scowled. He generally didn't rise to Jiraiya's taunts but no one insulted his family and got away with it. However he already had a plan.

'I'll show you exactly what I know, you perverted hermit!'

Just as he finished his thought, a kunai lying near Jiraiya erupted in a plume of smoke and Naruto jumped out of it, punching Jiraiya in the face. While Jiraiya was snapping out of his bout of dizziness, Naruto ran through several hand signs.

Tiger Monkey Boar Horse Tiger

'Katon : Gōkakyū No Jutsu (Fire Release : Great Fireball Technique)'

Naruto used a large chunk of chakra to produce a large fireball. The fireball fired off at point blank range as it practically formed on Jiraiya's face. The three Naruto standing at a distance poofed and the Naruto who had fired off the jutsu, frowned once again as he heard a poof. Jiraiya had used the Kawarimi (Substitution).

Naruto groaned, as he found a kunai was once again drawn to his neck, restricting any further movement.

"Honestly, your ninjutsu was better than I expected. The dual affinity and your chakra reserves help you to use chunin level techniques at such a young age and other than the fact that you can use two elemental ninjutsu, your proficiency in them is also surprising. Your ninjutsu is flawless, at least at your age. However, your reaction just right now was dangerous. If this was a real battle, you'd have been killed in an instant. Also, you need to learn to resist taunts to your family. Your reaction was actually astonishing. I don't think I've ever once seen you get even a bit riled up. Nonetheless, I know you can work on it."

Jiraiya released Naruto from his grip. However this time, he removed two kunais from his utility pouch.

"Okay, I hope you brought your sword because your third and last lesson is 'Extended Skill'. While most of the time, genjutsu is the chosen method of extended skill, other options are also there. Kenjutsu and Fuinjutsu to name the ones you have chosen. I already have a handle on your skills with a brush. It is now time to see your skills with a sword!"

The only response Naruto had was raising his right arm. As Jiraiya looked to see what Naruto was doing, he saw what looked like... black ink on his palm. A seal! However, before Jiraiya could voice his thoughts, a small flash of light came from Naruto's hand and a sword appeared in his hands.

The sword was simple in its design. It was a Katana. Katanas were single edged, curved swords that generally had a tsuba(guard) and a long grip to accommodate both hands. The sword Naruto held however had a wooden tsuba and was made of a wooden handle and had a 60cm blade. It was clear that the blade had been put to use many times. It had the qualities of a blade that had been resharpened many times.

"I thought you'd have a better sword considering who your father is. Never asked him for a new sword?"

"I have never asked. Otou-san would surely buy me a new sword if I asked. However this sword holds sentimental value in it. Jiji gifted it to me, when I first started training. It isn't meant to be used for battle but it will suffice for now."

Jiraiya gave a small nod to signal the start of the spar.

Letting out a small breath, Naruto remembered his teachings and adjusted his grip on the Katana.

'Hold your right hand approximately 2cm below the tsuba(guard) and your left hand 2cm above the kashira(pommel). Slightly deviate from your left hand, in order to make sure that no damage is caused to the left wrist while attacking. Make sure to keep your dominant hand slightly rigid to generate proper direction and technique and produce force with your non-dominant hand. Use the Katana in proper arc-like motions to deal damage and don't just swing it around like a bat. Never use it to block attacks, but rather parry the attacks or dodge. Most damage can only be inflicted through skill and not through force.'

Naruto held up his sword in a way that made it perpendicular to the ground. Without warning, Jiraiya rushed in, attacking with both of his kunai held in a reverse grip.

As fast as he could, Naruto parried the blow with the blunt edge of the sword. Without a moment's notice, he swung his sword straight into Jiraiya's abdomen, which was blocked by Jiraiya's right kunai while his left attacked Naruto once again. Naruto moved out of the way, raising his sword once again and thrusting it at Jiraiya's throat in a stabbing motion.

Jiraiya, however, easily dodged this attack and responded with his own, nearly stabbing Naruto. The cycle continued.

Parry.

Slash.

Dodge.

Block.

Stab.

Repeat.

After almost an hour of going through the cycle, Naruto knew he needed to do something. His skills were far superior to Jiraiya's, however his smaller size and lack of physical strength made his kenjutsu a liability. Although he was better than Jiraiya in swordplay, it was only that way because Jiraiya was a brawler and not someone who fought with a weapon.

That was when something clicked in his mind.

There was a technique he had been practicing for quite a while. He had never been able to successfully perform it, but it was his best bet in such a situation. He needed to use the Uzumaki sword style.

Preparing himself, Naruto leaped back to create some distance. As soon as he was a respectable distance away, he slowly regulated his breathing and unlike his previous stance which was rigid, settled into a more flexible stance. Jiraiya, wanting to see what exactly Naruto was doing, built up his defences for what could be Naruto's strongest sword based attack.

Shifting his center of balance forward, Naruto channeled chakra through his body and into the sword and recited the words he had learnt.

'Uzumaki No Ken, Ichi No Kata : Gekiryū (Blade of the Whirlpools, First Form : Riptide)'

Cocking back his sword, Naruto let the muscle memory carry him as his sword came down on Jiraiya's kunais. Slowly cracks started appearing on the sword and kunais. Jiraiya quickly noticed this and reinforced the steel of kunais with Doton(Earth Release) chakra, effectively blocking Naruto's attack. On the other hand, Naruto was still inexperienced with the attack and couldn't strengthen the blade of his sword. So, he did the opposite.

Pushing even more chakra into the sword, the cracks became prominent but the sword was slowly breaking through Jiraiya's defence. However, before it could completely penetrate Jiraiya's defence, the blade exploded into shards, surprising Naruto. As a result, Naruto lost his balance and almost fell onto the ground. This small mistake was all Jiraiya needed to once again defeat Naruto by resting his blade on Naruto's neck.

"You win, Jiraiya-sensei. Could you please let me go now?" Naruto said, asking Jiraiya to release him. Jiraiya let him go

"Gaki, this wasn't about winning or losing. Every test you went through was to analyse your own skills and not something for you to compete in. Although, to be fair, if it was then obviously I would be the winner. But this was a test and you passed. So, you are now officially my student. You should be honoured!"

"I am honoured to be taught by you, sensei-"

'Guess the gaki doesn't understand sarcasm.'

"-However, I have to go home now. Rin will be coming home anytime now."

"I'm sorry but you can't go home now. All the fresh genin have to go to Yakiniku Q in order to celebrate!"

"Tell them I'm sorry I couldn't come. I cannot leave Rin alone in the house. Especially after what happened. Oka-sama won't be back until at least a few days and Otou-sama is too busy doing his duties. And I do not trust you to properly take care of her, Sensei."

"C'mon, you really think she wouldn't be safe with me!?"

"It isn't her safety I am concerned about. You may be able to keep her safe but you can't take care of her. She is still a child and she needs almost constant attention. Also, she usually eats after coming home and I don't think you can cook. So, I'll go home while you inform the genin that unfortunately I couldn't make it."

"Stop being so damn serious all the time. Lighten up! I'll take good care of your sister. I'll order her favorite ramen and call your father early. He'll listen to me. And by the way, that Uchiha friend of yours will also be there. You don't want to disappoint her, do you? I mean, a strong friendship is the key to getting together later in life, if you know what I mean!" Jiraiya said, as he wiggled his eyebrows at the last part.

"Fine. Although I don't exactly understand your motive behind the facial expressions you just made, I think I understand your point. Please make sure to call Otou-sama back home."

"I will. Make sure to come here tomorrow morning at 6:00 am sharp. We'll start your training first and then get a mission later. And believe me, you'll know exactly what I mean when you spend enough time with me."

"Hai sensei!" Naruto said, ignoring Jiraiya's latter half of answer, before he turned around and headed to the restaurant.

~

As Naruto approached the door of the restaurant, he stopped for a minute, watching another team come. Paying them no heed, he opened the door and walked in.

Naruto looked at Satsuki, only to find her staring back at him. This was their first meeting in around a month, but Satsuki looked as beautiful as ever. Unblemished porcelain skin, delicate facial features and her striking obsidian eyes. Satsuki's hair was longer than Naruto remembered, a thick band of hair pouring through the sash wrapped around her head and it pooled over her shoulder, reaching about mid chest. She wore her usual attire consisting of a navy blue, short-sleeved shirt with a high collar, white shorts and white arm warmers.

Naruto offered her an acknowledging wave, before settling into his spot on the table where all the graduates were sitting. Unbeknownst to him, all of them were staring at him, because in their group everyone knew everyone except Naruto and Sai.

As the group he had seen outside, also sat down at the table, all of them settled into an awkward silence.

"Let's start by introducing ourselves! My name is ..."

At that point Naruto turned out the conversation in favour of analysing the 9 children in front of him.

'Hmmmm... eight clan heirs, nine if I count myself and the presumable apprentice/grandson of Elder Danzo Shimura. No civilians whatsoever. I should get to know their abilities if I am to consider them as my comrades.'

'Perhaps actually listening would help with that objective.'

'Shut up, fox. I have no interest in hearing them as they babble about the things they like and dislike and their silly dreams which will change every month.'

'Act more like a brat, you fleshbag!'

The damn fox had been hounding him ever since he had used its chakra during the attack. Apparently, using the fox's chakra had caused the seal to loosen, allowing it to hear his thoughts and him to hear it. There hadn't even been a day where his head was silent. Every single day, the fox found something to comment on and troubled him. Honestly it was becoming a hassle to just think about something.

'You know, according to you humans aren't pesky meetings like these considered as "bonding"? I've heard it's somewhat of a popular activity with lesser beings. Perhaps, you should try?'

'Why do you even take the effort to criticize every detail of my life?'

'Come on now, you know the reason. I simply have nothing else to do. I mean your the first person I've talked to in around a century. I didn't talk to my previous Jinchūriki and my siblings and I aren't exactly the most talkative bunch. And even if we were, I have no tolerance for their antics.'

"-ruto...Naruto..."

Naruto just sighed and cursed himself mentally for continuing the pointless conversation.

"Naruto!"

"What?!"

Naruto snapped out of his mental conversation as his body responded on its own with an answer. Looking up he saw that everyone was looking at him. And Satsuki looked positively miffed with his response. That wasn't good. Her being mad never ended well for him.

"Sorry. I was thinking about something." Naruto said, his face and voice both carrying their trademark passive and blank characteristics. Satsuki seemed to not be deterred from her annoyed expression by his response. Well, he tried.

"No problem, just give your introduction."

"Very well. My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like training and spending time with my sister and friend. I dislike certain people. My hobby is training and reading. My dream is..."

"Your dream is?"

Honestly, he couldn't think of an answer to the blond girl's - Ino's - question. When he actually thought about it, he had no dream.

He had no grand ambition or goal he wanted to reach but neither was he happy the way he was. Living in a world like the one he lived in, not having a goal meant asking to be killed. A person with no goal had no ambition, and a person with no ambition could never hope to become powerful. However, power meant everything in this world. The difference between the strong and the weak was power. The difference between life and death was power. The difference between being assigned a fate and choosing your own fate was power. Power meant everything in this world, and someone who lacked it would be swallowed whole by the cruel reality of the world.

"You know, it's fine if you don't have a dream." It was Satsuki who had spoken.

He was glad that she was there. He shot her a thankful look, which only she could notice. Having spent so much time around each other and at such a young age, they had grown used to each other's most minute quirks as they were just starting to show. He was five years old when his sister was born, and while she had been a most welcome addition to his heart, his heart had still lacked the familiar warmth of friendship. So, after a few weeks of Rin's birth, when his family had gone to meet Satsuki's family, he and Satsuki had met.

It wasn't as if they'd instantly become friends. Both of them were unique in their own and it was that uniqueness that made them such good friends. Naruto had always felt out of place with other children, preferring to be quiet and read rather than to play and chat. Satsuki was in a similar position, however she simply liked spending her time doing more productive things than just playing. So, after they had met a few times and gotten to know each other, they started spending more time together. Neither of them forced each other to do something they didn't like and simply focused on things they both liked, only doing things out of their comfort once in a while. Neither had to pretend to be someone they weren't. Also, not to mention the fact that Satsuki was seen as a pariah in her own clan and he was the most hated person in the village. And because of that, they had become good friends over a period of almost 4 years.

However, any further thoughts were interrupted by the husky boy sitting beside him, when he started salivating and panting.

"Is everyone done talking?" Asked a hungry Choji, eyeing the meat in front of him. When he received a nod from everyone, he gave a hungry grin.

"Then let's dig in!"


Okay so that's a wrap!

Sorry for the late update but I had exams till the end of January and it took a while to write this chapter.

I showed the full extent of Naruto's ability which if I had to scale are high genin almost chunin level. But don't be sad, he'll grow stronger, now that he has a proper teacher to teach him and missions to do.

Also, I expanded on Satsuki's and Naruto's relationship, not much but I'll do more in the coming chapters. I hope you liked the small expansion I did on their relationship. I want to flesh out the characters but right now I'm focusing on Naruto as he is the star of this fanfic. I'm unsure exactly which direction Naruto's character should go but I think I have a general direction. Kurama is also a harder character to write because I don't just want him to end up being a catalyst for Naruto receiving more power. I'm thinking of going more of a mix of kurama and Sukuna from jjk.

Jiraiya was hard to write but I tried my best.I think I did well with the action scenes but you can never be sure, so please tell me if you liked them.

The war was honestly a little unexpected but I wanted there to be conflict between the nations on a higher scale than in canon. Hence, the fourth great ninja war has begun. Also, I needed a reason for the whole cast of characters to graduate at the same time.Konohamaru was a decision which I've been thinking about for a while but I decided to include him. I thought he had great potential but wasn't really given much time to focus on it so I thought I'd include him in the roster.

If you've forgotten about Naruto's golden eye, then this is a reminder to not forget about it. I'm thinking about expanding on it as well

Be sure to review and if you have any criticism or question then you can ask me in the review and I'll try my best to answer it without spoiling the story.

Bye!