(Akimizu Park-Present)
This place brought back memories. Akimizu Park was a small enclave not far out of the Konoha proper that doubled as a childs training area. Complete with a few time-worn training logs and a rusty swing. In the past, he, Naruto, and occasionally a few of their other friends would camp or play hide and seek in the area, as there was plenty of fish and foliage for children with nothing but time on their hands. Now, it served as Naruto's last hope…assuming he could even teach his friend.
"Naruto," Shino began, "Your problem is that you overuse your chakra when attempting to use the most basic of jutsu. You're like a grown man trying to catch a falling feather with the full force of his hand. Or a janitor trying to mop a floor by dumping all of his water in a small room. Sometimes, less really is more."
"Yeah yeah, you've said this all bef-"
*Chop!*
"Fool! Don't interrupt me. If you had half as much brains as you had energy to spare, we'd be at Ichiraku's right now!"
Naruto grumbled but accepted the admonishment.
"We're not going to teach someone as dense and uncoordinated as you proper control of their chakra in a day. It's too late for that." Shino continued. "What we can do, is try to bypass this handicap with something that can make use of your energy." It was the moment of truth, "What I'm going to teach you…is called…The Shadow Clone Jutsu." Nothing. No slow paralysis from his mouth. No shaking. Nothing.
"The…Shadow Clone Jutsu?" Naruto repeated quizzically. "Never heard of it."
"It's a forbidden jutsu. You wouldn't have."
"Oh yeah, where'd you learn it, huh?"
Could Shino talk about that? As Shisui had explained so long ago, this cloning technique had been developed by the legendary Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. If Shino's theory was correct, then that history, coupled with the fact that Shisui hadn't been directly affiliated with ROOT, as well as the fact that it wasn't a standard jutsu trained to recruits, made it more than a few degrees removed from anything incriminating toward Danzo or the Foundation itself.
But Shisui himself? Could Shino talk about him?
"I…learned it fro-" A tickling paresthesia spread from Shino's tongue almost immediately, moving like ooze over the rest of his body, slowly turning into a full-blown numbness. It was all Shino could do to catch himself on the ground as he fell to his knees."
"H-Hey Shino! Are you all right!" Naruto said in concern, immediately going to his friend's aid.
Shino raised his hand, breath ragged. "Juth…juth gib me a minu." He ended up needing ten.
Scolding himself for trying, Shino finally stood back up. He was lucky. Talking about Danzo might have stopped his breathing. He was lucky this episode hadn't been too bad. A crawling sensation and exhaustion still remained throughout his skin and muscles, but he could still teach Naruto. Just so long as he didn't talk about his past.
"Where I learned this, doesn't matter. You're gonna learn this from me, and if you can bulldoze your way into mastering it by tonight, we can track down Iruka and maybe convince him it's a regular Clone Jutsu. You'll have to move your hands fast, but I doubt he'll notice. If all else fails. Tomorrow is the day we take pictures for our Ninja Licenses. I'm sure that Old Man Third would be willing to pass you himself if you show him what you've learned. Alright?"
Naruto nodded his head seeing the wisdom of Shino's plan. "You really thought this through, huh?"
"Someone has to do the thinking for you every now and then." Shino joked before beginning the lesson. "Now, the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu may seem like your average Clone Jutsu. But…Sheep-Snake-Tiger!" His words were emphasized by the actual hand signs, and a perfect physical copy of himself poofing into existence. "You'll find there are certain other benefits to this technique. Namely-" The Shadow Clone spun toward Naruto before letting a kick fly.
It was telegraphed openly, and the Prankster had no trouble blocking it with his Forearms, though it forced him to skid back a half-foot.
"Hey, what the he-ooooooooh!?" Naruto exclaimed in realization.
"Yes! As you can imagine, it takes way more chakra to make a clone that can actually touch an opponent. You'll figure out in time, though, that the real value of this jutsu lies in something else completely."
"Really! What is it?"
Shino waved off the question. "It'll become obvious once you've mastered it [1]," Even you can't be that dense [2], for now, let's just focus on teaching you the principles of the jutsu and making sure you can actually use it."
(2 Hours Later)
Naruto was beat, but not as beat Shino. His four-eyed friend never really recovered from that freaky episode he had earlier, and each shadow clone he created took more and more out of him. After around two dozen demonstrations spread out over an hour and a half, Shino had spent the remaining time sitting down, back against an old target practice log.
"Naruto," Shino said, exhaustion permeating his voice. "I'm not feeling so well. Lets…just…go with what I said about tomorrow. We'll meet the Hokage…and… *huff**huff*…I'm sure after you show him this, you'll have no issue passing as a Genin." As Shino rose on unsteady feet, he added. "You coming? We can still get something to eat?"
"Nah, it'll taste better when I'm wearing that," Naruto said pointing at Shino's headband, eyes full of confidence. "I'm gonna train a little more. You get some rest bug-boy. You're gonna need it tomorrow when I blow you and Gramps away! Believe it!"
Shino stared pointedly at Naruto for several seconds before cracking a smile. "…You better." Then he walked off into the distance.
(20 minutes later)
The sky was turning a faint orange hue which meant it would only be an hour or so before dark, but Naruto was happy with his progress. Each time he performed the new Jutsu, it became that much easier on the next attempt. As he sat down to rest, his mind drifted toward his rival, Sasuke.
Hehehe, He thought. Maybe I'm the genius after all. Once Sakura sees this, she'll be all like, "Oh Naruto, I didn't know you were sooo talented. You're much better than—"
Naruto was so enraptured in his pink-haired daydream; he barely noticed the rustling footsteps coming from the forest.
"Who's there!" he yelled, jumping up while brandishing a kunai.
"Hey, hold your horses. I surrender." called out the familiar light-hearted voice of Mizuki-Sensei, arms up in mock surrender. "It took me a while to track you."
"Mizuki-Sensei!" Naruto called out happily. "You were looking for me?"
"I was. I wanted to see how you were holding up after the exam, but I and Iruka had to stay back after the commotion in the field."
"Shino's not in trouble, is he?"
"No no, nothing like that. We promised those ladies we'd send a letter of complaint to the Aburame compound, but we've reason to suspect they weren't completely without fault. It's not worth destroying a young graduate's career before it's even begun."
Relief spread across Naruto's face. "That's good. Oh right, Mizuki-Sensei! I've been training in the sh-" he almost fumbled, "-the Clone Jutsu. If we meet up with Iruka-Sensei, and I show you two that I can do it, you'll let me pass, right?" Shino's plan had to work.
Sadness spread across Mizuki's face, his voice strained with regret. "I'm…afraid that's not how it works, Naruto."
"What? B-But I worked so hard. I-I've been practicing all day, Mizuki-Sensei!" Naruto's voice was etched with panic. "Me and Shino, we planned it all out. We-"
"Shino," Mizuki cut in, "doesn't work in the Academy. Nor does he know the ins and outs of how these things work like I do. Once you fail, Naruto, you have to wait again until the next year."
"G-Gramps!?" Naruto said, voice pleading. "I-We can go to Gramps an-"
Mizuki put a gentle hand on Naruto's shoulder before bringing him into his flak jacket for a comforting embrace. "Naruto…I didn't just come here to see how you were doing. I was sent to tell you gently…that Lord Hokage has officially expelled you from the Academy."
"Tha-That's, but…"
"By midnight tonight, Naruto, you will no longer be eligible to become a ninja."
Naruto's world ended. He felt like he was in a dark cold pit as each word Mizuki said hammered home just how hard he had failed. His dreams of acceptance. His face, carved into the Hokage Monument. The cries of the people, finally acknowledging him. It was all gone.
"But…I can't, I won't accept that, Naruto!" Mizuki said. His voice, resolute. A light in the darkness.
"B-But you said,"
"Until midnight, you're still a student of this Village, Naruto. As an instructor, I shouldn't tell you this, but there does exist a secret way for Students to graduate early. If we use it, no one will be able to deny that you'd truly earned the right to be a ninja."
"I'll do anything, Sensei! Anything!"
"Don't worry, Naruto," Mizuki said. His smile, slightly sharper. His eyes, a shade darker. "I know you will."
(3 Hours later)
It had been dark when Iruka got up to answer the urgent knocking at his door. It was Mizuki, his face etched with fear and panic.
"Iruka! There's been an incident. Naruto, he's stolen the sacred scroll?"
"No, there's no way!" Iruka said in disbelief. "The Sacred Scroll of Sealing? How would he even know where it was hidden."
"My guess is that he's been compromised. There's no telling if some foreign-nin have put him up to this with intel we didn't know they had. The Hokage is summoning all available Chunin and Jonin."
"Let's go!"
Mizuki shot him a determined look. "…I won't be going."
"What?"
"I don't trust what anyone else will do to Naruto if they get to him first. Protocol be damned, Iruka. I'll get to him first and make sure he's safe. I don't believe he'd do anything like this on purpose. There's got to be more going on."
A mix of emotions hit Iruka then. Shame in himself for not thinking of this first. Pride and admiration in his oldest comrade for putting the welfare of an unfairly shunned child above himself. This was why Mizuki was his best friend. The man he admired like a brother. He put his hand on Mizuki's shoulder, reinforcing their bond. "No, you're not…Because I'm coming with you!"
Mizuki smiled, "…Perfect."
(15 minutes later)
They wasted no time sprinting toward the unnamed outpost where the Sacred Scroll had been hidden. As they neared their destination, Mizuki began to slow down.
"Iruka, see if you can find Naruto. While you're doing that, I'm going to quickly scout the area for enemies."
"Right. Good Idea. Meet with us as soon as you can." They nodded to each other before splitting up.
As it happened, Naruto had been sitting calmly by a nearby stream, Scroll on his back. Not far from the outpost at all. As Iruka approached, his student smiled in relief and began to wave ecstatically.
"Took you long enough, Iruka-Sensei."
"You were expecting me? No, never mind…Naruto what the hell were you thinking!"
Naruto gave him a genuinely confused look, "What are you talking about, Sensei? Didn't you come here to tell me I passed the secret graduation test?"
"Secret gradua-," Iruka could barely restrain himself, "Naruto! What you've done is a crime. It's treason!"
"T-Treason? But Mizuki-Sensei said-"
In that second Iruka's mind put the pieces together. The false graduation test. Mizuki wanting to get to Naruto first. Even Naruto somehow knowing the location of the Scroll. It was a setup. A setup by….
But Iruka was interrupted of his thoughts when his honed ears caught the familiar cutting sound of sharpened metal rotating through air. Instinctively diving into Naruto, he nearly blacked out a Fūma Shuriken meant for the pre-teen dug deep into his back, just missing his spine. "Naruto…run."
Naruto could barely process what was going on as shock spread throughout his body. First, he thought he had passed the test. Then Iruka showed up, seething. Now Sensei's body was on top of him.
"Naruto…run." Iruka coughed, as bits of blood flew from his mouth.
Naruto scrambled to get out from underneath his injured teacher and was shocked to see what bloodied the instructor. "Iruka-Sensei! Whats..Wha..W-We need to get you-,"
"Gooot~ Ooone~!" A cold voice sung from the trees. It was chilling because Naruto knew that voice. It was a voice that had always been reasonable, kind, and compassionate. Yet, the cadence was off. It was now cruel, demeaning, sinister…..it was…
"M-Mizuki-Sensei," Naruto said, still not quite believing who had attacked them. Yet realization also brought with it anger. "Where are you?! Why would you do this?" he snarled.
Suddenly, a hazy mist seemed to creep from the darkness, further obscuring any remaining vision. Several kunai and another giant shuriken flew out from the forest. Not missing a second, Naruto grabbed hold of Iruka and hoisted the man onto his shoulder just barely dodging the projectiles.
"Why would I do this? I probably wouldn't have if that fool you're trying to save hadn't insisted you fail. Not that he was wrong. I needed the perfect scapegoat. Having you steal the Sacred Scroll and die trying to escape me, while enemy ninja made off with your handiwork was the perfect plan with the perfect fall guy, you; their collaborator, the village freak, the boy everyone in this village wishes was dead."
"Mi..zu..ki," Iruka said struggling, somehow finding the energy to still speak. "You were going to get married next year. Tsubaki, your career, why would you throw it all away? Why would you become a traitor?"
"Poor, simple-minded Iruka. Always being carried by me. That's why you've never been able to see the big picture. If there's one thing I hate in this village more than that little demon, it's you. But it's no wonder you took to each other. You've both never been more than attention-seeking, pathetic little swine. But if there's one thing that really drives me crazy. It's that you befriended him, Iruka. The kid that killed your parents. How pa-the-tic."
Naruto was stunned into confusion. What was his former teacher talking about?
"Shut your mouth!" Iruka screamed. "That's not true, and-"
"Naruto! You are the Nine-Tailed Fox!" Mizuki yelled manically. "Have you ever wondered just why this village holds a special loathing for you? It's because the 4th didn't finish the job twelve years ago. Instead, the one responsible for all the torment and destruction was turned into a talentless little brat and allowed to roam and be a nuisance to the decent hard-working people of this village. People like me."
Mizuki appeared to them on a tree branch then. Unfurling another large shuriken which he proceeded to spin. "You have no friends, no allies, no parents. Not a soul would care if you disappeared today. Die." He finished simply before launching his weapon.
Naruto grabbed hold of Iruka before once again dodging another projectile. He thought about Mizuki's last words. Maybe he had no parents, but he had Iruka, Teuchi and Ayame. They weren't always on the best of terms, but Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji were his friends. And…and Shino had always been there for him. Even if one day that might change with Mizuki's revelation, they would always be friends, right?
"I'll show you what I can do! Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Dozens of perfectly jumpsuited Shadow Clones smoked into existence, before charging toward Mizuki with the intention of pummeling the would-be murderer.
If the stars had aligned. If Mizuki hadn't already activated the Hazy Genjutsu. Had he not had enough distance to return to advantageous terrain. Maybe, just maybe, the sheer amount of Shadow Clones would have overwhelmed and beaten the turncoat. Instead, as the copies chased their former teacher into the shrubs and bamboo, they were systematically dealt with one after another.
"Where the hell did you learn this? There's no way you had enough time to master a forbidden jutsu of this level?" Mizuki yelled, annoyed.
"It's called having friends," Naruto yelled, resolved. "Something you wouldn't understand!"
"Transform!" "…Transform!" "Transform!"
"Transform!" "TRANSFORM!" "Transform!" "Transform!" "Transform!"
"Transform!"
Half of Naruto's multitude of doppelgangers simultaneously shapeshifted into perfect replicas of the injured Iruka before pairing up with an original copy.
"Maybe I can't beat you while you're hiding like a coward," Naruto yelled. "but I bet you'll have a hell of a time trying to catch us, you bastard!" Immediately the dozens of pairs shot out in different directions. Swirling and kneading their paths together as necessary to throw off their pursuer.
Several minutes passed as Naruto breathlessly continued to carry Iruka toward Konoha. Punishment be damned, he needed to get his Sensei to the hospital.
"Naruto…" Iruka said weakly. "You have to leave me. I'm-"
"I'm not gonna leave you. Believe it! I'll get you to the hospital and-" Naruto didn't finish as a sharp pain shot spread through his foot causing him to stumble and throw Iruka's body." As he looked back he noticed a large gash had sliced his foot and that a hand holding a Katana had materialized from the ground. As he stared at the arm and blade, the rest of Mizuki's body shunted itself from the earth.
*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
"Well done, Naruto." Mizuki mocked. "A+ for planning on your feet, and execution. Unfortunately, you still failed because you were too stupid to remember that only the original Iruka was bleeding. Now… let's end this." he brought up his Katana, ready to strike down when...
"Insect Deception Jutsu…"
Uncle…Shibi?
(Moments earlier)
It was all too convenient and more than a little suspicious when Lord Third called an emergency meeting explaining that Naruto had decided to run away with the Sacred Scroll of Sealing. Shibi hadn't bought it, and from his conversation with the Third, neither had the Hokage. Something else was at play.
While other senior ninjas had flown off anticipating Naruto might already be on the outskirts of the village boundaries. Shibi had instead decided to go straight to the source and look for clues at the Scroll's outpost. The remains of some blood and scattered kunai told him a scuffle took place. And the size of the footprints and their orientation told him Naruto had been one of the combatants, likely with an opponent who had attacked stealthily from the trees. What's more, everything had been fresh. No less than three or four minutes old. He could catch them.
In all of Konoha, there were likely no more than two, possibly three, people who could hold a candle to Shibi Aburame's tracking skills. He had no trouble distinguishing the right clues from dozens of carbon-copied footprints to figure out where the real Naruto, and whomever he was carrying, really were.
When he found his son's blond friend, the boy was wounded and bleeding on the ground. Shibi also recognized the two prominent Academy instructors and deduced a general idea of what had occurred. He stealthily used his Earth Chakra to camouflage his Kikaichū as they scattered unnoticed around the combatants. As the Silver-Haired instructor raised his sword, Shibi, no longer feeling any need to hide, emerged from the grass and unleashed his technique.
"Insect Deception Jutsu…" The hidden beetles unleashed themselves as a black sea. Erupting as a vortex around everyone who wasn't Shibi, before swarming Mishuki or whatever his name was. The instructor didn't even have time to scream as Shibi closed his right fist. Signaling this hive to begin draining the man's chakra until he was near comatose.
He wasted no time directing part of his swarm to pick up the half-dead pony-tailed chunin, several beetles working to stanch the bleeding with their bodies. Then he ordered Naruto to hold on to his back despite the young man's protests.
As Shibi raced toward the Hospital, Naruto asked a question that shook him to his core.
"Am I…Am I really the 9-Tailed-Fox, Uncle Shibi?"
Mizuki! You treacherous dog! Shibi reigned in his emotions. "Let's get Iruka and you to the Hospital and this whole situation sorted out. I'll explain everything later."
"Ok…and, thank you for saving us…I really thought we were gonna-" The boy sounded close to tears.
"It's all right, Naruto. It's all right."
(Konoha General Hospital - 2 Hours Later)
In the last two or so hours, Shibi had admitted Naruto and Iruka into the hospital, dismissed several Chunin, and returned the Sacred Scroll to Lord Third, whilst giving a detailed report of the events (as he saw them) leading up to both Mizuki's betrayal and Naruto's involvement. It wasn't pretty, but it also hadn't been terrible. Both he and the third had agreed that Naruto held little to no blame for the evening's emergency, though it was worrying how easily he had fallen for such an…outlandish lie.
The real question was how they would go about explaining Mizuki's revelation. Claim it was a lie? Naruto deserved better than that, and Shibi had expressed as much to the Sandaime. The Third agreed that clarification should be given, but nothing else, and considering their relationship, it was decided that Shibi would be the one to give it. A situation that brought him to Hospital Room #435.
*Slurp!**Slurp!* *Sluuuuuurp!*
"I'm glad to see you're appetite hasn't diminished. I got several flavors. Do you want another one?" Shibi was in no hurry to start this conversation.
"Mmmm, no. Maybe later. I was hoping you knew if Iruka-Sensei was alright?"
"His condition is stable, though he'll likely be bedridden for the better part of next week. He's expected to make a full recovery. What about yourself?"
Naruto wiggled his bandaged foot to emphasize how little his wound bothered him. Knowing the boy, the cut may not have even been there anymore.
"You probably want to know more about what you told me earlier, about what Mizuki said?"
Naruto nodded but looked troubled. "I do, but…I don't want to cause any more trouble. This all happened because I failed the Graduation Exam. If I hadn't...If I had been better, then Iruka never would have-"
"Naruto!" Shibi nearly shouted. "That is the last time I ever want to hear you blaming yourself for placing your trust in someone else. Trust, gullibility, these are just words to describe the opposing sides of empathy. Never apologize for having what so many people readily throw away."
A silence hung over the air. Neither he nor Naruto seemed to know how to continue.
"I suppose," Shibi began, "we should just get right into it…Naruto, what Mizuki said was false. You are not the Kyuubi. He likely only said this to get under your skin, but he wasn't wrong in that it was a belief that some of the more superstitious and ignorant villagers embrace. Those who lost loved ones, homes, and their livelihoods in that chaotic attack twelve years ago desired an outlet for their anger. Unfortunately, unjustly, you were the target of this anger. The child the Kyuubi was sealed into."
Naruto's eyes seemed to dim as Shibi's words reached his ears. It was to be expected.
"Naruto, now that you know this. I can say the words I've wanted to say to you for the longest time."
Naruto winced. What was the man he thought of as an uncle gonna say? That he was a freak. That he deserved all the crap that had been thrown at him. Was it all a lie, like with Mizuki? Naruto knew his thoughts were erratic, but he was a mess. His whole world was upside down. Maybe he deserved the scorn of the village? Maybe Mizuki was right. No one would care if he just…disappeared.
"Thank you," Shibi finally said, head low in a bow.
Naruto immediately forgot his misery and stumbled out of bed. "U-Uncle Shibi, what are-"
"This Village," Shibi cut in, "can never repay you for your sacrifice…," he paused. "I can never fully express my shame for your treatment, nor my gratitude toward you, Naruto. Thank you, thank you for saving my son."
"Shino?! You don't…but I…-"
"If you don't mind listening to an old man go on, Naruto, there are some things I've wanted to get off my chest for the longest time." Shibi seemed to struggle to find the words to express himself. "….I Knew you're father, as well as you're mother. Or rather, I was acquainted with her."
"You…did?" Even the third had dismissed any questions Naruto had asked in the past pertaining to his parentage.
"I did," Shibi confirmed taking a seat next him on the bed. "I would even hazard to say we were friends. Your father and I had many missions together outside of Konoha. I feel I owed it to him to look after you, but in that regard, I failed him."
"Because I cause so much trouble?"
"No, Naruto. Because I did not reach out sooner…Do you remember, Torune?"
"Of course, how could I forget." The memory was fuzzy, but Naruto did remember Shibi's eldest son, who had passed away years ago from a mysterious sickness.
"Torune was my son through adoption. His father was distant kin, and like a brother to me. The same incident that took him, also took my wife, Shino's mother. It also left Shino with the same…illness...that Torune possessed."
"That's why Shino always wore gloves before, right? Because it was contagious."
"Under the right circumstances, yes. But more importantly, because of this condition they shared, they were very dear to each other, as they were the only people that could touch the other safely. Even I could not safely hold my own son." Shibi grew quiet yet again. "When…the option…for treatment became available. I was apprehensive about sending either but was not in a position to…negotiate. I might have spared Shino the treatment, but at the time, I believed if I stood in his way, I would have become a hypocrite that allowed his own biases to control his conduct. I convinced myself it would have been a cruelty to separate them and allowed them to leave at that time."
"But…It worked out, didn't it? It's sad that Torune died, but Shino came back better."
…..
"Naruto. You will never know the depth of my appreciation for what you did for Shino. You came by every day to ask if he returned. And when he did, were there to carry him out of his darkness. I've said this before, but you'll always have a place with the Aburame. Your father, your mother, the Kyuubi. None of these things define you. It is your empathy and capacity to love which has touched myself, and so many others. I look forward to seeing the Hokage you'll become."
Naruto's mind drifted toward all of the people who had made an impact on his life. It hadn't just been misery. He had the Old Man, his friends at school, Iruka, who had taken a shuriken to the back meant for him, Teuchi and Ayame…and…and Shino and Uncle Shibi. But even if they believed in him, even if there were lights in the darkness… "I…can't become Hokage, Uncle. I-I-"
"Close your eyes Naruto."
He did so and was nearly brought to tears as he felt something being tied around his forehead. Something he had strived toward for so long.
"Naruto," Shibi began, voice full of warmth. "I've already cleared it with the Third and your teacher. Tomorrow, when he's feeling better, you should thank him for his headband, but for now, let me be the first to say this. Congratulations on your graduation. You already are a fine shinobi."
(Stops Car)
(Politely unbuckles your seat)
(Impolitely kicks you out)
This rides over y'all. Ciao! (This is a speedrunning joke on Spacebattles, for all my FF readers.)
Authors Notes:
[1] No it won't
[2] Yes, he is
This chapter kind of got away from me, especially toward the end as I introduced Shibi's perspective. I wanted their conversation to be longer and more profound, but realized I was just rambling It may seem disjointed, but we can chalk that up to emotions being everywhere. There was gonna be whole paragraphs dedicated to Shibi's thoughts on the Village's hypocrisy on peace, Light, and Shadow, the whole 9 yards. Then I realized the chapter was long enough, and that I could easily touch on all that in future flashbacks or context. There was no need to spoil what I was trying to make a tender moment with word sauce. The anime didn't expound too much on Naruto's feelings on Mizuki's revelation until much later, so neither did I. Naruto as a character is more resilient than that, so I'll respect that the reader can imagine the knucklehead is dealing with it as per the canon.
Welp. Academy/Graduation ark is basically over. 'Basically,' because I'm still debating on whether I'll do an orientation chapter, or just get right into having the teams meet their Jonin. Remember that in the anime, these were two separate episodes. I almost misremembered Kakashi meeting Team 7 shortly after Naruto and Sasuke's first kiss. Nope, it was the next day.
Hope this came out all right. If you enjoyed it, please leave a like and review. Stay healthy.
P.S. Obviously I'm not done with this fic. But I will be taking some time to work on my other work.
Shameless Plus 1) Did you know that this fic was heavily inspired by the most recent art of Hunter x Hunter, in which a royal family is using a Kodoku jar to give it's princes jojo stands to kill each other? What's HxH and Jojo? You're crazy. Read my fic JoJo's Bizzare Adventure: Diamond Hunter. I'm told by the three people who read it that its great...
Shameless Plug 2) Si's kinda cringe? I feel you. How about reading about my OC Ken. He's just some isekaied loser who found a Dragon during the Game of Throne's Dance of Dragons era. I wonder what'll happen to him? Read my fic, Take Me home, now. Or I really will take it home...and leave it there... [To be added to FF when I feel like it]
I'm cereal
-Mero
