"Everything Packed?"
"Yeah. I'm ready."
"Alright, Let's go then."
They both took a step in the direction of Konoha but stopped when they heard a sudden noise behind them.
Kakashi tensed and Sasuke had a hand in his kunai pouch.
A swirl appeared out of thin air and soon the swirl grew before it threw out Kakashi's old friend and teammate, Obito Uchiha.
"Obito?" Kakashi confusedly asked. "What are you doing here? It's not time for our usual hang-out time is it?"
"Nope, it's not our usual bro time, just thought about dropping by for a bit and talking."
"Oh, ok then. Well, Obito what's new and bugging you? I know you came here for something."
"Arggghhh! Fine! There's this girl I met and she's really nice to me and into me-"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! She tried grabbing my junk after our fifth date!"
"So you were already going on dates with her?"
"Yeah, since she was the one asking me out every time. You know me, I feel guilty if I hurt a girl's feelings."
"That's how you get taken advantage of Obito."
"Ughhh, you're no help at all. I knew I should've gone to Konan about this."
Kakashi sarcastically rolled his eyes before placing a hand on Obito's shoulder. "Listen, Obito. The reason why you're hesitating is probably because of your guilt for Rin's death." He saw his friend slightly wince. "Obito, it isn't fair to you and you know Rin would agree. It's time to move on. She'd want you to be happy."
"I know... it's just that... I loved Rin."
"I know."
"What!?"
"Obito, even Rin knew. You were not subtle at all."
"..."
"...so Kakashi... who's this?" Sasuke finally asked.
"Hmm? Oh, this is Obito."
"I can't believe she knew..." Obito mumbled as he kicked a pebble away.
"Obito Uchiha."
Sasuke's head snapped back to face his sensei's friend, trying to see if he was actually an Uchiha or not. "Are you really one of my clansmen?"
"Yes," replied Obito, looking proud to represent the Uchiha clan. Even though he knew of his clan's past and dark secrets, he was still proud to be an Uchiha. In his eyes, his parents and grandparents were the way Uchiha should've been. They were skillful, proud, and deadly. But they were also kind, caring, and considerate. Obito wanted to be like them and uphold the values of his clan. He wanted to bring the Uchiha clan back to the way it should be - a clan with honor and respect. He wanted to make his parents and grandparents proud.
"Where have you been?" Sasuke asked in genuine disbelief.
"I've been out of the village since Kakashi was your age." He replied.
He sighed as he knew that the memory was going to replay in his mind.
It was a pain in his ass like that.
"Ughn...!"
He winced as he began coughing suddenly. "Oh-cough... I guess I'm still alive." Obito said grunting.
"Careful now."
Obito snapped his head to face the new voice. He opened his right eye only to be blinded by an intense burst of light, which left him both physically and emotionally overwhelmed. In that brief moment, he felt disoriented. Vulnerable. "Hello?" His voice quivered, tinged with alarm and fear. "How did-!?"
"Easy~" This time a woman responded. "You're alright now. We won't hurt you."
Obito slowly opened his eye again, this time giving it time to slowly adjust, and was met with a graceful woman with gentle curves and a radiant smile. He slowly relaxed his body. "Okay… thank you for saving me."
The woman smiled. She turned to face her husband and gave a nod. Obito watched as she walked back to the kitchen. He could smell the delicious aroma coming from there, causing his stomach to rumble.
But it felt…off.
He looked down at his body and saw the damage that had been done to it. "oh."
"Kid." The man spoke up. Obito turned to face him and finally got a good look at him. Tall and lean frame, his ebony hair neatly swept back. His eyes, the color of deep emerald, glistened with a quiet wisdom. Finally, he was adorned in traditional attire, he wore a simple yet elegant kimono, its shades of earthy green. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. No child deserves this."
"thanks." He softly muttered.
The man sighed before he walked over to him and placed a gentle hand on Obito's shoulder. "Stay with us. We'll try to help you get back to normal."
"haaah… Thanks, sir, but I need to get back to the village." He glanced around. "Where are we anyway?"
Suddenly, the house was encased in a deafening silence.
The air grew tense.
Obito felt his gut churn.
"Kid…" Obito turned to face the man. Placing all his hope on the man's next words. "We're not in the Leaf village."
Obito felt as if reality came to a screeching halt.
"We're in the Hidden Rain Village."
His heart began to race and his breathing became shallow. Panic gripped him with an intensity he had never experienced before. Every sound around him seemed amplified.
"Are you okay?" "Calm down kid, just breath." "Everything is going to be okay."
It all boomed in his head. Over and over again. "I'll be fine." He yelled as he grabbed his head with his left arm. He didn't mean to yell, but it was the only way he could hear himself over all the noise that was bouncing around in his head. "I just- can I just be alone for a bit?"
The man and woman turned to face each other before they nodded and went to another room. With them now gone, Obito was left alone with his thoughts.
'Okay, I'm in the Hidden Rain Village. How far is that from the Leaf Village…? Dammit! I should've paid more attention in class! Okay, I need to get better fast so I can- Wait! I can just ask them to bring me back to the Leaf village or I can ask them to hire Leaf shinobi for… a mission…
And then what?
My clan…' Obito felt disgusted just thinking about the adults of his clan. The constant displays of arrogance, superiority, and the resulting conflicts left a lasting impact on him. 'That's what's waiting for me back home.
Kakashi and Rin too…
But Kakashi lost his left eye because of me.
And Rin was captured because I was too weak and inexperienced to protect her.
Maybe… maybe they'll get a better teammate to replace me. One that's stronger.'
He looked down at his crippled half and internally sighed. 'I can't even protect them as I am now.
But, what if their new teammate is worse?
Or what if they don't get a new teammate?
What if they get in trouble because they were a man short? Or because their new teammate didn't care about them?'
Obito felt his heart pounding in his chest as if it was trying to break through his ribcage. Every breath he took felt shallow and constricted, leaving him gasping for air. His palms turned clammy, drenched in a cold sweat that seemed to seep through every pore of his skin.
He was having a panic attack.
A wave of dizziness washed over Obito, causing the world around him to spin. The room felt suffocating, the walls closing in on him. He desperately searched for an escape, but every exit seemed to be blocked by an invisible force, trapping him in this nightmare.
His thoughts raced like a thousand wild horses, each one more chaotic than the last. Overwhelming fear and unease consumed him as if an abyss had opened up within his mind. Images of possible battles, failures, and the weight of his responsibilities flashed before his eyes, intensifying his panic.
Even if he could go back to Konoha, in the crippled state he was in he'd be of no use.
"Shhhh~. Calm down~."
Obito gasped harshly and erratically as the woman held his head close to her chest. "Shhhh~. You're safe. You're safe right here." She spoke softly. "Just breathe, just breathe."
"I… I can't."
"Yes, you can. Do it with me. Deep breath in… and out."
Obito matched her breathing after a brief struggle. Inhaling… and exhaling. In… and out.
"I know you're scared. But we're here for you."
Obito thought about the gentle and old grandma he used to help back in the Uchiha clan compound. 'She's just like her.'
"After what you've been through, you're so strong."
The tears began to flow. He knew he couldn't stay here forever, but he was starting to consider it. He was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, he could be of use to them. He could protect them with what little strength he had left. It was a thought that filled him with warmth and a sense of purpose. He knew he couldn't replace what he had lost, but he could at least try to do something for this small family that had taken him in. He wiped away the tears and took a deep breath. "Could I stay with you guys?"
The mom looked down at him with surprise. She smiled. "Of course."
"Welcome home."
A few years later, the small family was visited by three teenagers: Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato. They had come seeking shelter one night after the three had been in a massive battle, and the family welcomed them in. Obito was amazed at the power of the young man, Nagato, who was able to heal his injuries and restore him to full health. With his newfound strength, Obito decided to join the three of them on their journey, and together they formed the Akatsuki.
"Do you know about what happened to the Uchiha Clan? About the massacre and its aftermath?" Sasuke hastily questioned.
"Haaaah, yeah. Everyone's heard. The news spread around the whole elemental nation. It would've been hard not to know about it."
"So you want revenge, right? To avenge their deaths and to kill the one responsible right?" Sasuke needed to know. Deep down, he wanted to know if he was walking down the right path. And if Obito wanted revenge on Itachi, then he'd know he went down the right path.
"At first, yes."
"At first?"
"It was better to move on." Obito saw Sasuke's face twist in rage so he cut him off. "Hey hey, listen. Hear me out before you get your attitude and explode on me." A sour expression replaced the rageful one on the boy's face. "Good. Okay, now. At first, I was mad. I was betrayed. I wanted to kill him when I heard the news... but then one night my dad sat down next to me and told me it wasn't good to hold in my anger."
"But your dad was killed in the massacre?"
"No. My birth father was. He was never my dad. My father was cold and mean to me. Constantly belittling me because I wasn't a prodigy like a 'normal' Uchiha should be. My dad was the man that took me in. The one that saved me from the boulder that crushed me. The one who actually cared about me." He let out a sigh before he shook his head. "Sorry. But back on topic, it was better to accept that all the people and relatives I knew were gone and not coming back. Whether you believe in the afterlife or not, they're gone from this reality. Accept it and just live your life how you want to. Don't poison your soul chasing a goal that's not worth it."
"So you're saying that avenging my family, my clan isn't worth it!?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying" He declared. "It's not necessary to forget them or the memories they left behind just because you accept that they are gone and move on from it. You love the memories you shared with them, but you must realize that holding onto revenge and anger would poison the love you had, turning it into something vile. Hatred and love are two sides of the same coin.
Put yourself in the shoes of your family members and think what they would want from you."
Sasuke was silent. He saw Kakashi strike up a new conversation with Obito, but he tuned their voices out. His mind was silent as he contemplated the words Obito spoke.
"Alright Kakashi, I'm gonna get going now."
"Alright, cya Obito."
Obito waved him off but before he left, he had to tell Sasuke one more thing. "Hey, if you want to talk to someone about your grief, Kakashi is the person to go to. I know you are just like him. Stern, aloof, and cold toward others." Obito let out a grunt of pain as Kakashi elbowed him. "But he grew up into a better person. Into a happy person."
"Kakashi didn't go through what I went through," Sasuke replied, desperately clinging to straws that supported his want for vengeance.
"You're right. He arguably had it worse." Obito stated before he vanished and left the two alone.
The two stood still in silence for a few moments before Kakashi began to walk toward Konoha. "C'mon. We need to start heading back for the chunin exams, otherwise, we'll be late."
"Wait."
"Hmm?"
Sasuke closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before exhaling it slowly. "Please tell me your past, sensei."
Soon after, Kakashi walked over to a boulder and sat down. "Sure, but we'll be late for the exams."
"That's fine with me."
Konoha Stadium…
The Konoha Stadium, during the chunin finals, is a sprawling arena that exudes an atmosphere of anticipation and excitement. As one approaches the stadium, the sound of cheering and chatter grows louder, creating a palpable buzz in the air. The stadium itself is an architectural marvel, with its grandstands stretching high into the sky, providing an impressive view of the entire arena.
From the outside, the stadium appears massive, its walls adorned with intricate designs that pay homage to Konoha's rich history. As spectators enter the stadium, they are greeted by a sea of people, all eagerly awaiting the start of the finals. The air is filled with the scent of freshly popped corn and other delectable treats, tempting those passing by.
Inside the stadium, the seating arrangement is meticulously organized, with rows upon rows of seats neatly aligned to offer a clear view of the arena. The seats are filled with fans from all walks of life, each proudly displaying their allegiance to their favorite ninja. Banners and flags, representing different ninja clans and villages, wave proudly in the breeze, adding splashes of color to the surroundings.
The arena floor itself is a sight to behold. The battleground is a circular area, meticulously prepared for the intense battles that are about to take place. The ground is made of finely polished wood, which glistens under the bright lights hanging above. The edges of the arena are adorned with intricate markings, signifying the sacred ground where the chunin finals are fought.
At the center of the arena stands a towering monument, symbolizing the unity and strength of the ninja world. The monument is adorned with the names of previous chunin champions, serving as a reminder of the trials and triumphs that have taken place within these hallowed grounds.
As the competitors enter the arena, the crowd's anticipation reaches a crescendo. The atmosphere becomes electric, crackling with a mix of excitement and nervous energy. The cheers and shouts of the crowd fill the stadium, echoing off the walls and creating an overwhelming sense of camaraderie and support.
The Konoha Stadium during the chunin finals is a place where dreams are made and shattered, where battles of skill and strategy unfold before a captivated audience. It is a testament to the indomitable spirit and determination of the ninja, and a reminder of the bonds that connect them all.
The chatter in the stands was electric, with everyone excitedly discussing the upcoming matches. With some of the senseis even placing secret bets on the contestants. Hinata and Ino, however, were focused on their own conversation, discussing their relationship with Naruto and deciding to keep it a secret for the time being. Finally, the match was about to begin, and the two girls shared a smile before turning their attention to the arena.
Suddenly, a loud announcement echoed throughout the stadium, declaring the start of the Chunin Exams: "Naruto Uzumaki…! vs…! Neji Hyuga!" Ino and Hinata exchanged a knowing glance, and without saying a word, they both silently cheered for Naruto. As the proctor brought his hand down, the audience erupted into a frenzy of excitement and anticipation. The tension was palpable, and the two girls held their breath in anticipation as they prepared themselves to watch the two ninjas battle it out.
"Alright, I'll try and make this quick." Naruto confidently stated. He looked up in the stands and stared directly into Gaara's eyes. 'After all, he's the main one I want to fight. He's a tough opponent and if I beat him, then I know I've gotten stronger. After all, a future Hokage needs to be strong.'
"You'll try to make this quick? I think you stole my line. I really shouldn't waste much effort on you, so I'll make this quick. I want to test myself against opponents actually worth my time.
"Oh, I know he did not just say that," Ino mumbled, full of sass and attitude after hearing her man get insulted like that.
"Please don't hold it against Neji, Ino." Hinata began, making Ino cross her arms, her mouth set in a firm line. "He's just, had a hard life."
"Yeah well, so has others and they didn't turn out as assholes like him."
Hinata let out a defeated sigh. She truly loved her cousin, but Ino was right.
Naruto closed his eyes as he slowly breathed in. His eyes snapped open and he quickly pulled out a kunai and threw it as hard and as fast as he could.
Neji's eyes widened as it was way faster than he had anticipated. He barely had time to lean out of the way, but the kunai still managed to graze a few hair strands, making them slowly fall to the floor. With a scowl on his face, Neji turned around and glared at his opponent. "That won't happen again."
Naruto grew a big cheeky smile on his face. "You're probably right, but now I'll try to use it later on in the fight just so I can prove you wrong again."
Neji lowered down, knees bent, with his left arm outstretched and his right arm bent upwards at a 90-degree angle. He knew that his advantage was close range. That was all Hyuga's advantage. But Neji would show everyone just how strong he really was. Now in the limelight, he was untouchable. The clan elders couldn't place a finger on him while he was down there lest the Hokage, other shinobi clans, or even Konoha's populace see the true side of the Hyuga clan.
"Bring it," Neji muttered, smirking due to the freedom and confidence he felt while down in the arena.
Naruto didn't need to be told twice.
He rushed forward, much to the audience's protest/cheers. Now close enough to throw a punch, Naruto cocked his left arm back but kicked out his left leg instead. Neji hopped over his leg and pivoted his body downward. He grabbed onto Naruto's leg and delivered a powerful kick to Naruto's face, making the boy fly backward a bit.
With a bloody nose and busted lip, Naruto stood up after a bit. 'Damn, this guy's crazy up close.' Neji had shown Naruto just how powerful he was in close-quarters combat, and Naruto was now determined to show him that he could fight just as hard.
He made a cross with his fingers and created dozens of clones. "Alright, my turn."
Naruto and his clones charged at Neji, attacking him from every angle. But the Hyuga was unfazed. He ducked and sidestepped every attack the clones threw at him. He didn't even need his byakugan to keep up with the bombardment of clones. Neji then unleashed his own attack, precise and fast gentle fist strikes that were only fatal to clones. In mere seconds, he dispatched the clones and sent Naruto flying. "Your turn? No. You won't even touch me. We are not in the same league."
poof
"..!?" Neji was sent face-first into the ground by a powerful roundhouse kick to his back.
"I'm sorry what was that? You won't even touch me?" Naruto mocked before laughing. 'I knew transforming into a pebble was genius!'
Neji slowly rose to his feet, brushing dirt off his clothes. Snidely smiling, he said, "It's not over yet."
Naruto's smile slowly faded as he looked at Neji. "You're right. We're just getting started."
Naruto created more clones while this time Neji activated his byakugan. 'No more tricks.'
Ino squinted her eyes as she couldn't see much. "What the heck is happening down there? Neji is taking down Naruto's clones like they're nothing!"
Hinata frowned as she had an inkling that this would happen. "Neji was always talented in the gentle fist." Ino turned to face her friend. "I heard my father once say that, if Neji were a main branch member, he would've probably already mastered most of the main branch techniques. And watching how far he has come on his own, I know that the statement my father said was true."
"He was robbed, and all by happenchance."
Clouds of smoke evaporated with Neji in the epicenter. He was staring directly at a panting Naruto who was holding his left shoulder. "It's fate. Everything that has happened to you was predetermined, and there is nothing you can do to change it. You were destined to lose here. Destined to be weak."
"I don't believe that." He muttered back.
"It doesn't matter what you believe. You were fated to lose to me."
"I don't give a rat's ass what fate wants me to do. I'll live my life how I want to!"
"Words of arrogance."
"We're the ones who decide our fate. We have the power to choose our own paths and create our own destiny."
"But don't you see? Whatever you choose, you will still end up in the same place. The path you take does not matter."
"That's not true. The path I take matters and the choices I make will determine where I end up. I have the power to make my own fate."
Neji scowled as he took off his headband, revealing the Cage Bird Seal his clan elders placed on him after just turning four. "This seal represents the path fate has set for me. A slave to the main branch of the Hyuga clan." Naruto was left in stunned silence. "So don't go spouting nonsense about stuff you don't know about. You don't know what it's like to be branded with a mark that sets you apart, a mark that can never be wiped away!"
Naruto flinched. Neji might not have intended to strike a nerve, but he did.
*Nine-Tails Chakra Mode: Activated*
With red-slitted eyes, he glared at Neji. The chakra points in his arm all burst back open with what seemed like eagerness. And all Naruto could hear pounding through his head was an ominous and echoing laughter.
Without answering his opponent, Naruto blitzed forward almost too quick for Neji to react to. "Rotation!" He yelled out before he began to spin.
As the dome of chakra erupted to life, murmurs could be heard from where the Hyuga members in the audience were seated. Naruto's full-speed charge wasn't hindered after he saw the dome of chakra, no. He instead went faster. Naruto pulled a kunai out of his weapons pouch and held it in a reverse grip.
Fifteen feet.
Ten.
Five.
Naruto pulled back his arm and slammed his kunai against the dome of chakra, sending both boys flying away and creating a massive cloud of smoke. 'Urgh!' Naruto internally grunted before he quickly stood back up. He squinted his eyes, trying to see his opponent through the smoke when suddenly he felt his back go rigidly stiff. "Argh!"
He fell to the floor and turned his head back to see a panting Neji who was holding his right arm. "I told you, pants, a loser is fated to be a loser." Naruto scowled and furrowed his brows before he forced the Nine-tails chakra to burst open the chakra point Neji had struck. "What?! Impossible!" Neji yelled. He thought that the first time was a fluke, but now he knew that his gentle fist was only a mere hindrance to the blonde. "What are you!? The Gentle Fist is supposed to be the most fearsome taijutsu in Konoha! How can you just brush it off so easily!?"
Instead of answering, Naruto reached into his tool pouch and threw a handful of shurikens at the boy. "I'll tell you what I am!" After Neji quickly used a small-scale version of Rotation, he caught all the shurikens and sent them flying back toward Naruto. The blonde flickered out of sight before reappearing behind Neji. Acting fast, the Hyuga began his Rotation again but only got to a halfway spin before Naruto donkey-kicked the boy with all of his strength, sending him flying out of his stance. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! The future Hokage!"
Neji skipped on the ground due to the force of Naruto's kick. Once he stopped, he was left too exhausted and sore to move. "How?"
"Winner of the first match, Naruto Uzumaki!"
Naruto watched as the medics took Neji off on a stretcher. He hoped that his brief talk with Neji would change the boy's mindset. Everyone deserves to live life to the fullest. He let out a sigh and then he heard someone begin to clap. Then five more. Soon everyone was clapping and cheering for him. He looked up and around in shock before it turned into utter bliss.
They were finally acknowledging him as he always wanted.
He smiled so wide that he couldn't keep his eyes open. "Hehehe, thanks! I know, I'm great aren't I? Hehehehehe! Wahoo! Yeah!" He hooped and hollered as he ran around the stadium, soaking up all the praises he got from everyone in the crowd.
"Huuuh, I swear I'm going to get wrinkles on my face from all the worrying I get because of him." Ino sighed causing Hinata to lightly giggle.
While the proctors and audience waited for the second match, Sasuke Uchiha vs Gaara of the Sand Village, Naruto ran all the way back up to the contenders' balcony. "Hey, Shikamaru!" He looked around and couldn't find his teammate. "Hey, where's Sasuke?"
"Hasn't shown up," Shikamaru replied with his usual raspy voice.
"Huh. It's not like him to be late for something as big as this. Wonder what has him all held up."
"Beats me. But I just wish that he'll take his time. The longer I spend not fighting, the better for me."
"The second match will be postponed for a later match as one contestant still hasn't arrived. Will the next match's participants, Shino Aburame and Kankuro of the Sand Village come down?"
"Aw, man! My match is one closer now! Man, what a drag."
Naruto squinted his eyes, making his face look similar to one of a fox with closed eyes. "Ah, c'mon Shikamaru, you can't be this lazy!"
"Oh, but I am. I want nothing more than to just go home, lie down on my favorite bench, and just watch the clouds drift aimlessly. Just riding out the air currents. Is that so much to ask?" Naruto opened his mouth but the pineapple-haired boy cut him off. "Don't answer that. I get enough lectures about that from my mom. Always nagging me."
Naruto could only shake his head in disbelief before he focused on the arena floor, waiting for the two contestants to make their way down.
'Crap. What should I do?'
Kankuro looked around and saw Temari shake her head, silently telling him not to do it. But she didn't know what happened between him and Gaara. His younger brother whom he was meant to protect. 'Tch. I have to earn back what I lost. I pushed Gaara further away with the shit I said earlier. And I'll show him how I truly feel.'
"Gaara."
The redhead turned to face Kankuro with half-lidded eyes, showing his disregard. He gave him a nod and jumped down. He knew he messed up, but now he would protect his siblings. Regardless of what happened to him. He didn't care about himself anymore.
Now on the arena floor, the two contestants stood ten feet from each other. "The third match, Shino Aburame…! Vs…! Kankuro of the Sand Village…! Begin!"
The proctor jumped back to give the two contestants room to battle, but they stood still and silent for a little longer. Kankuro then undid his wrappings that hid his puppet, Karasu and attached his chakra strings to it. "So, Shino was it?"
Shino pushed his glasses back up as they were slipping a bit. "Yes, my name is Shino Aburame. And yours was Kankuro."
"Yeah, you can talk with your bugs right?"
A black cloud slowly poured out of Shino's sleeves before it appeared that he had monster-like tendrils. "Beetles, and yes I can."
"Great. I have something to tell you, so discreetly attach one to my puppet." Shino's body tensed and Kankuro understood why. "I won't kill it. I seriously have an urgent message that needs to be told." He whispered so that only the boy could hear. "I'll start the battle and you can attach one after I send Karasu close to you. I'll retreat and tell the bug everything. Then another fight and you get the bug back, got it?"
Shino was confused by the boy's words but accepted them. The tone and body language his opponent had was one of honesty. He'll be wary, but he'll go along with it in the meantime. "Very well. Let's begin."
While Kankuro was feeding Shino the information about the invasion in hopes that his siblings will be spared, Naruto was impatiently waiting for Sasuke to show up. "Damn! Where the hell are they!?"
"They're probably on their way back you know. Some contestants leave outside the village to train for the month." Shikamaru answered in a detached tone.
"And how do you know that?" Naruto asked snarkily.
"Well, supposedly that's what my dad and grandfather did when he was my age. He went out of the village to a neighboring town to train."
"Why not just stay here?" He asked with genuine curiosity.
Shikamaru just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Now shut up and be quiet. I need as much rest as I can get for my match that's next."
Right after he finished that sentence, a blur and a few leaves later, Sasuke and Kakashi appeared on the contestant's balcony. Sasuke was dawning his new black one-piece version of his regular attire.
"Sasuke! You made it!" Naruto excitedly proclaimed.
"Hmph, of course, I made it. I wouldn't miss a chance to prove to myself how strong I truly am." He turned and faced Naruto in the eye. "After all, we still need to have our fight."
Naruto grinned widely before he held his fist out. "Then we'll see which one of us is truly the stronger one."
Sasuke connected his fist bump. "I don't know why you act like you think you stand a chance against me."
"Hey! I learned a lot of things this month! I even got two-!" Naruto let out a short gasp before he turned to face Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei! I need to ask you something."
"Hmm? Sure Naruto, what is it? Is it about the…" He looked around before whispering in Naruto's ear. "Gamer ability?"
Naruto shook his head. "Nah, it's something else." He leaned close to Kakashi, whispering in his ear. "Can me and you go on a lot more missions? I kinda need the money for it."
"And what do you need the money for? Do you need to pay someone off? Are they threatening my cute little genin?" He whispered in a voice full of determination to end the life of the person threatening Naruto.
"No, I just need the money for dates and everything I need to do for a girlfriend. I accidentally got two girlfriends and now I need to make sure that I have enough money for everything."
Kakashi froze. "I accidentally got two girlfriends… accidentally… got… two… girlfriends…"
"Kakashi-sensei?"
Suddenly Naruto was engulfed in a bear hug from Kakashi. "Oh, I'm so proud of you! You've just become a man! Of course, we can go on more missions."
"Just the two of us?"
"At times sure. Keep in mind, your teammates might also need the money from missions too."
"Well, as long as just the two of us can go on a few missions alone, I don't really mind."
Kakashi's eye smiled and ruffled Naruto's hair. "Good. Alright, I need to head up to the audience stands since I'm technically not supposed to be here."
"There is no technically, it's actually against the rules." A voice spoke before a masked anbu body flickered just behind Kakashi.
"Hmm? Oh, hey Tenzo. How've you been?"
Naruto didn't know how, but he knew that the masked man grew a frown on his face. "You know you can't call me that name while I'm working." He whined.
"Maa maa, the Hokage knows about our friendship and besides, no one cares. We're all just work friends."
"Not really. Hawk, the captain of Squad 42 actually hates your guts."
"Why? Oh is that-"
"The guy whose girlfriend slept with you. Yes."
"I didn't know she was in a relationship. She came onto me." He protested.
"Well, you did wink at her."
"... I only show one eye. I just blinked."
The anbu operator shrugged his shoulders. "Too much rizz man."
Kakashi shook his head before he chuckled. "`Tis a curse."
"Alright, we need to seriously leave the contestant's stand right now. Falcon's going to chew me out later.'
Kakashi chuckled again before he placed a hand on Tenzo's shoulder. "Alright, see you guys after the finals are over." He turned to face his friend. "Just give him five hundred ryo, and you'll be alright." Tenzo chuckled before he molded his chakra to perform the body flicker jutsu again. 'But seriously, that girl was a freak in bed."
The anbu operator burst out laughing before the two men's bodies flickered away.
He fed him info about everything, all while Shino was relaying this info to his father, who told everyone else. All that Kankuro asked, was that he and his siblings would be spared. They were forced into this by their father, the Kazekage.
Shino was empathetic to the boy's predicament, but he knew that he couldn't promise him anything. He was still young and had no power in the village.
"Alright. That's fine. As long as they aren't immediately killed, that's all I can really ask for." Kankuro replied. He dropped all the chakra strings attached to his puppet and raised his hands. "I surrender, this guy is a hard counter to my puppetry."
"Shino Aburame is the winner!" The proctor yelled.
The crowd cheered and clapped for the boy's victory but Shino felt like the win was empty. He hadn't actually earned it but instead played up a charade. He let out a sigh before he walked back to the contestant's balcony, content with thinking of it as a mission to gather intel.
"Alright, can the next match's contestants, Shikamaru Nara and Temari of the Sand Village, make their way down." Genma bellowed from the arena floor.
"Alright! Go on Shikamaru! Go show them what you're made of!" Naruto cheerfully yelled before he slapped Shikamaru on the back, accidentally hitting him too hard and making him fall off the balcony to the arena floor. "Oh, whoops! My bad Shikamaru!"
"Ughhh, that blonde idiot."
"Hey! Get up lazy ass!" Temari yelled as she glided down to the arena floor on her large fan.
"Ughhh."
While the crowd was glued to the match below, something was scratching at the back of Naruto's mind that he just couldn't scratch. His gut knew exactly what was bothering him, but for the life of him, Naruto couldn't figure out why his mind couldn't. Out of desperation, he replayed his match against Neji in his head.
'Yadda yadda yadda, I think it was around the end. It has to be. My gut is swirling so much I think I'm gonna hurl. Okay, yadda yadda yadda, I was Neji was spitting out some bullshit. Then-'
"A mark that could never be wiped away!"
His mind suddenly replayed the powerful yet slightly burning sensation he feels whenever he has the Nine-tails chakra rushing through his chakra system.
And then the ominous laughter.
He felt shivers run through his body. He thought that the fox shouldn't have been able to talk to him. Or rather, he thought he couldn't due to the seal. It should stop that from happening, at least according to Jiraiya. 'Okay. Mental note, ask Jiraiya about it next time I see him.'
"Naruto, Sasuke. I think you need to hear this."
The two boys turn to face the new speaker and see Shino. "What is it?" Sasuke asked.
He looked around, trying to see if anyone else was eavesdropping. "My opponent, Kankuro of the sand, told me that the Sand and Sound village is planning on invading."
The two boys suddenly felt their blood run cold.
"What?" Sasuke asked, full of dread and disbelief.
Naruto was silent in shock. 'What? Why? What did the Leaf Village do to deserve this? Why are they doing this? This isn't right.'
"Calm down, both of you," Shino spoke in a hard tone. "If we let our body language show, the invading force might figure out we know. Keep your normal attitude and posture up. We're shinobi."
"Deception. Got it." Naruto stated. 'Ninja should always see through the deception. Because Ninjas are always shrouded by deception.'
Sasuke nodded and eased into his usual body language. Relaxed yet tense enough for anything. While Naruto decided to go upstairs to the audience seats. He needed to be around his friends. He needed them to know for his mind to be at ease enough to let himself relax. If he stayed put and did nothing, his negligence would lead to a possibility of them not knowing and getting hurt because of the lack of knowledge.
He gulped down the sudden lump in his throat. "I'm going upstairs. I'll relax up there after letting the others know."
Shino stared at him for a few seconds, seeing if he was telling the truth, and saw the resolve in his eyes. "Okay. Be cautious."
Naruto nodded his head and made his way upstairs. With each step he took toward the stairs, dread began to build up at the thought of the impending invasion. He reached upstairs and looked around, spotting Ino and Hinata first so he made his way over to them.
He sat down and ignored their questions.
"What are you doing here?"
"Are you alright?"
"What's wrong?"
"Hey, Naruto, are you good?" Kiba piped up since he was sitting close by.
He sat there for a minute wearing a stone-cold face before he forced it into a cheeky embarrassed face while he rubbed the back of his head. "I have to tell you, guys, something. Don't react too much." He spoke in a low yet severe tone.
Kiba felt the hair on his arms rise. "Hey man, what are you talking about. You're freaking me out, man."
Ino was about to ask another question, but Naruto instead grabbed her and Hinata's hand. "Sorry, but I need you to be quiet." He spoke, still wearing that embarrassed yet empty grin. "We're about to be invaded. Stay quiet and don't show that we know. Be safe, all of you."
He saw the fear strike through their body, but he was glad that they seemed to handle it better than him. A part of him was jealous, but that was drained out by the overwhelming relief he felt. "When," Kiba asked.
"According to Shino, during Sasuke's match."
"Why don't we stop it?"
"We can't," Hinata answered. "Think about it Kiba, they should already be within the village. If we attack now, they'd only launch a full-scale attack back."
"Wouldn't they do that in the first place when they start it?"
"Yes, but if we act clueless, we could evacuate the citizens before they even know what happened. During times like these, it's best to think rationally and quickly."
Kiba let out a sigh, one that contained all the nervousness and jitteriness that he was trying to keep bottled up. "Okay, so just keep cool. I can do that. Just keep cool."
Naruto turned to face Ino since she had not said a word. "You alright?" He asked while he gently brushed his thumb over the back of her hand.
"Yeah, I just need to process this." She replied while returning Naruto's gesture.
He finally relaxed knowing that his friends were aware of the situation and would know how to properly act. "Okay, I have to head back now. I can't stay up here for too long."
"Alright, bye Naruto. Stay safe for me, okay?" Hinata softly said as she gently squeezed Naruto's hand.
"Yeah, we can't afford to lose our future Hokage after all," Ino said with a grin before copying Hinata's action.
Naruto grinned widely at the girls' statements and returned the gentle squeezes. "You guys are the best. Stay safe."
As the blonde boy got up and made his way back down to the contestant's balcony, Kiba was left gobsmacked at what he just saw. "Sooooo… am I actually stupid and seeing things, or are you, guys…" Both girls lightly blushed before looking away. "...both dating…" No refutation coming in front of either of the girls. "...so you guys are both dating him…? At the same time…?"
"Please keep it a secret Kiba. We don't want others knowing." Hinata begged.
"No no, you're secret's safe with me. I'm just shocked that… really? Naruto? I'd understand Sasuke because all the girls in the class were gaga over him… but Naruto?"
"Hey, don't diss my man Kiba. He's actually really sweet and the perfect boyfriend." Ino defended.
"I'm not saying he's a bad choice, he's actually my best friend… I'm just… still shocked he's got two girlfriends… and they're not killing him…"
Ino and Hinata both looked at each other and then looked back at Kiba. They shrugged. "We actually became good friends because we both liked him."
Kiba blankly stared at the two girls before he gave them a slow nod. "Okay… I'm just going to… go buy myself some snacks from the concession shop."
Kiba walked off, mentally broken while the two girls sat there and watched the match down below.
"Temari of the Sand Village is the winner!" The audience let out loud boos as Shikamaru forfeited at the last second due to being low on chakra. After a minute, Genma cleared his voice. "Can Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara of the Sand Village come down to the arena floor?"
Shino and Naruto both turned to face Sasuke before they nodded to him. He nodded back and made his way down the stairs. What Shino told him and Naruto was replaying in his mind, but he had to put up a good fight to be promoted to chunin. The exams were still going on, the invasion was just another thing added to his plate. 'Ugh. Let's hope that this whole thing will be easier than it sounds.'
"Do you think Sasuke will be able to beat him before it starts?" Shino asked Naruto.
Instead of immediately answering, Naruto actually took a second to think about it. "I don't think so. Sasuke's really good, but that Gaara guy is on a different level."
"You don't think he could beat him?"
"I do, but I know that Sasuke will need to set something up."
"Perhaps Sasuke learned a new technique to deal with him during the training month we were given."
Naruto frowned but nodded. "Yeah, that's probably what happened." He sighed.
"Why do you sound disappointed? I thought one should be happy when their teammate gets stronger."
"I'm glad that he's stronger, don't get me wrong. But it's just that… Every time I feel like I close the gap between us, Sasuke goes ahead and pulls far ahead of me. I'm tired of seeming weak."
Shino nodded in understanding. He was silent for a few moments, trying to think how he should adequately word his following sentence. "While rivalry between teammates can be beneficial to the team as a whole, it can also lead to team failure if it is taken too far. The team's suffering will become a monumental disaster if it reaches a point during a mission. I recommend that you reign in your rivalry or speak to Sasuke about it." Naruto stared at Shino for a few seconds before the Aburame let out a sigh. "It's fine that you're competitive, just talk it out with Sasuke or calm down your competitiveness."
"Oh, well why didn't you just say that in the beginning?" Shino closed his eyes and let out a silent, frustrated sigh.
Sasuke huffed as he came to a stop. He had just avoided Gaara's onslaught of sand attacks. He watched Gaara's impassive face morph into one of slight disgust. "Is that all you're going to do? Just run away?"
He smirked before he cracked his knuckles. "I just wanted to get a feel of you. But fine, I'll attack first now."
Gaara's eyes widened as he just saw Sasuke flicker out of place. He felt his sand shoot up right behind his head, blocking a punch that Gaara was too slow to react to. And again, and again. Each time cutting it closer than the previous time.
Wham!
Gaara is sent flying back from a punch that he saw coming last second. And it looked exactly like how Rock Lee fought against him, same stance and all. 'No. Not again.'
Thinking quickly as he saw Sasuke flicker out of place once again, he raised a bit of sand up to his knees. In hopes to react at a moment's notice. He suddenly heard a sharp whistling noise to his left. He quickly turned and stuck his hand out, creating a sand clone of himself that caught the flying shurikens. He quickly saw Sasuke come to a stop so Gaara made the clone throw all of the shuriken, plus some of his sand shuriken, at his opponent.
Sasuke flickered out of place again before he reappeared behind Gaara and delivered a strong kick to the boy's back, sending him flying away from his sand. In retaliation for the kick, the sand tried to immediately grab ahold of Sasuke, but he just flickered out of place yet again. He reappeared just in front of Gaara, grabbed a hold of his shirt, and kneed his stomach before he had to jump back due to the sand catching up.
'I can't keep up like this.' Gaara thought to himself before a sinister grin was plastered on his face. He soon used all his sand and surrounded himself in a dense dome of sand.
While the audience was having their own reactions, Naruto was watching in awe and with a hint of jealousy at Sasuke's sudden boom in growth. 'Calm down your competitiveness. It's great that Sasuke's come this far.' Naruto tightened his fist in determination. 'I'll just need to work harder to catch up and even harder to shoot ahead of Sasuke.'
He saw Sasuke try to get close to the sand dome, but it shot out spikes of sand in an attempt to impale Sasuke. 'Woah, that guy has a crazy strong defense. Wonder what Sasuke's gonna do… Okay, he jumped back and onto the wall… he's holding his hand down and- you got to be shitting me.'
Sasuke moved his hand and ran down the wall, carving out the wall and ground as he ran.
'That's some fucking bullshi-'
"Chidori!" Sasuke yelled just as he pierced the dome.
That's when everything took a turn for the absolute worst.
AN:
Well well, I finally finished the chapter and it only took me, let's see here... a full month... well... my bad 0_0
Anyways, I'll try to type up the next chapter quickly since it's the weekend and I have nothing to do so hopefully I'll finish it soon. Lemme know if you like the chapter or what I should change!
Quick Omake I whipped up for being late.
Omake
Sasuke, Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji, Shino, Neji, and Rock Lee just reached the top of the Hokage monument and were just overlooking the view of the village.
Sasuke looked around the ground the Minato's cliffside statue head provided. His eyes barely jumped up, expressing how happy he was in finding just the perfect spot. He broke away from the group and with all eyes on him, sat down, leaned against one of Minato's stone spikes, and ran through a few hand signs before he let out a long and comfortable sigh.
"Sasuke, what did you just do?" Naruto asked.
"Just making myself comfortable."
"No no, with the hand signs?"
He peeked open an eye before he closed it again. "Casted a genjutsu on myself."
"To?"
"Make it feel like I'm laying on my bed."
Shikamaru's gaze locked on to Sasuke before he spoke up. "Can you make it feel like whatever you want?"
"Yeah. I've made it feel like I was on my bed, couch, clouds-"
"Teach me that jutsu please!" Shikamaru begged as he raced over and got to his knees. "Please teach me that jutsu!"
"What!? Let go of me!" Sasuke yelled as he quickly dispelled his jutsu and was trying to shake off Shikamaru's grasp on his leg.
"Please! Teach me that jutsu Sasuke! This is the only thing I ask! Please! I need to experience that level of comfort!"
"Let go-!" Sasuke cut himself off as he finally realized. He and Shikamaru were the same. They shared their views on comfort. He was like him.
Ever since he began training after the massacre, Sasuke using genjutsu on himself to A, not only build up his tolerance in a passive way but also B, because he just wanted to relax, and when he relaxes… he relaxes. Period. He will always relax to his max if Sasuke ever wants to just relax and let go.
"Please!" He whined.
"Alright, give me a minute!"
"Okay."
He closed his eyes and thought about how he would teach the jutsu. "Okay, you can control what you want by determining what you want to relax on and think of the sensation before you cast the hand signs."
"Alright!"
"The signs are Rat, Monkey, Snake, and Tiger."
"Rat, Monkey, Snake, and Tiger. Got it."
"You can tweak the genjutsu to get it perfect by focusing on the sensation you want to lower or raise."
"Okay. Got it." Shikamaru said as he scribbled on a notepad.
"When did he get a notepad?" Kiba turned inquiringly to the others and they answered with shrugs.
"Here, I'll cast it on you so you can get an idea of how it works. I'll raise and lower all the five senses so that you can see which you like best and you can just try recalling that exact sensation."
"Yes sir."
"Wow, they are really serious and passionate about this."
"Shh. I'm taking notes." Naruto whispered as he too suddenly had a notepad.
"What the hell?"
"Oh my fucking god! I've never been more comfortable!"
"I know right? I'm such a genius."
"Damn right."
"Hey hey! Me next, Sasuke! Me next!"
The remaining guys looked at each other before they shrugged their shoulders and joined in. "Me next!" They yelled together.
Edit: Here's another because my mind does not shut up about imagining little omakes like this so instead of chuckling and keeping it to myself, all of you get to experience what I create up randomly and almost instanteously within my mind. It's blessing and a curse as it can keep me up at night sometimes. T_T
P.s. Let me know if you guys like me adding these little omakes because I'll add some more if you guys like them.
Omake #2
"Oh dude! I'm going to have some Pitbull playing in the background whenever I use this genjutsu, it's going to be so sick!" Kiba yelled excitably as he ran through the hand signs Sasuke taught them all.
The others just looked at him for a second, at first just out of respect for their comrade, giving him their full attention but then it clicked. It happened to each kid all simeanltousely. 'Oh-OHHH.'
"That makes sense," Naruto spoke, speaking the others' minds.
"What does?"
"You liking Pitbull."
"Yeah, what about it? He's a great rapp- OHHH! I never thought about that before!"
"Idiot."
"Hey! Really, Shino? Really?"
"..." All attention was on the usually quiet boy. "Damn, I forgot about the enhanced hearing."
"Well, in Shino's defense, you usually don't use your enhanced senses all that much." Sasuke replied.
"What are you talking about? I always use them!"
"No you don't." Naruto chimed in. "I farted a little earlier and you didn't say anything about it."
"Uuugh!" They all groaned in disgust.
"Awh!" Naruto groaned back, "Don't act all disgusted now! It happened earlier and none of you smelled it!"
"But that's still gross-"
"Awh! Shut up Neji! You got girly hair, you can't talk!"
"My hair is not girly!"
"Kinda is man," said Kiba.
"You butt out, dog boy."
"Hey!"
A few minutes later, the boys all calmed back down and just went right back to relaxing in their own genjutsu's when suddenly a loud sound broke the silence.
"PFFT!"
"UUUGH! NARUTO!"
"What!? It wanted out!"
The first one casualty was unfortunately Rock Lee who gagged so hard he nearly puked.
The rest wisely decided to abandon ship after that.