Naruto: Journey to Now Part I

by ArbyMaster458

A reboot that takes place after Road to Journey to Now, follow Naruto's story as he slowly discovers what sort of person he wants to be. Part I focuses on the months Naruto has in Konoha before leaving again. Goes up all the way until the Sasuke Retrieval Arc and maybe some other arcs along the way. No official pairings. (Universe-458)(Extended Universe)(Multiple Crossovers)

8. Chapter 8

Timeskip

2 days until the Chunin Exam Finals

With Gaara

Hidden Leaf Village

Night

Gaara sat by himself on top of a looking up at the night sky on top of a fish statue on a temple. Gaara shifts his focus to Dosu, having noticed his presence.

"What do you want?" he asked the Sound Ninja.

"I was thinking of defeating you right here, right now. I'll have a higher possibility of fighting Sasuke," he told the red-haired genin, who remained silent as he stared down at Dosu. "I know of your sand attacks. Which do you think is faster? Your sand...or my sound?"

"...When there's a full moon..."

"Hmmm?"

"When there's a full moon, his blood gets excited." Without warning, Gaara transforms into an unknown monster, quickly disposing of Dosu. Finished with his kill, Gaara turns back to normal, panting heavily for a bit before smirking.

The Next Day

1 day until the Chunin Exam Finals

With Naruto

Hayabusa Clan Village

Kureha's House

Morning

Naruto made sure he packed everything as he prepared to return to the Hidden Leaf. Exiting the room he was in, he turned to take one good look at it. He didn't want to leave the Hayabusa Village, but he had an exam to finish tomorrow, and it was already a month, one he would always remember. Reluctantly, he closed the room door behind him before leaving the house.

Hayabusa Village Gate

Arriving at the front gate, he sees Kureha waiting for him.

"Kureha? I thought you needed to go clean the shrine." Kureha tells him she was coming with him to the village, to his surprise. "Is there a problem with me keeping an eye on you for a while longer?" she asked in a curious tone. With a smile, Naruto told her there was no problem with it.

"Great!" When asked if Momiji was coming, the shrine maiden told Naruto she was covering her shrine maiden duties, the blond asking her if Momiji didn't have any problems with covering for her. "Of course, I mean, Ryu's helping her out with cleaning."

"I...see..."

2 hours later

Hidden Leaf Village

"Oh, Naruto, you're back?" Naruto nods his head yes, Shikamaru taking notice of Kureha and asking him who she was. Looking bothered, Naruto told him who she was, informing him that he met her when he (Naruto) came to the village with her to celebrate the Hidden Leaf's Ninja Festival.

"Sorry, Naruto," said Shikamaru, sounding sorry as he puts his hands together in front of him, the blond only sighing at him. "I swear, you only forgot because remembering things can be such a drag."

"Not everything to me is a drag," Shikamaru told Naruto. As the two genin made small conversation, Kureha just giggled at how funny their little argument was. After the small talk, Naruto and Kureha walked with Shikamaru to the hospital. Choji was due for a release from the hospital after eating some bad meat on a stick by mistake on the second day of the Ninja Festival. Naruto recalled that moment. It was meant to be for him, having been laced with some drug by a jealous student from the academy named Hibachi, who couldn't accept that Naruto not only graduated from the academy but was stronger than ever, wanting to make the blond suffer by any means. (Note: Will be covered in Part II, where he may meet his end. I'd like to thank warhawk talons for giving more thought into a minor character from the Naruto series, which gave me the idea to add him into the mix. The only difference is that he will meet his end differently and he doesn't get experimented on. He will eventually go bad and join Orochimaru or something, idk. Haven't thought that far.)

Naruto had caught him cheating on the written test for receiving their headbands and called him out for it, holding him back. Choji, at the time, was still hungry even after winning an eating contest. Having been grossed out by one of the contestants vomiting, Naruto, having lost his appetite, offered the meat to Choji. Knowing that Hibachi was the one who gave him the food, who had been helping his parents with their food stand, Naruto had him confess to the crime, getting the kid into a lot of trouble from his parents, taking Naruto's side over their own son.

"Apologies for sending Choji to the hospital. If I had known that the meat had an odorless-"

"It's fine, Naruto. Had Kureha not been there, he could've been a lot worse. Plus, it was Hibachi who was in the wrong. I knew he was a troublemaker, I just didn't think he'd go that far to keep you from going to the finals."

"Yeah...By the way, has Sasuke been found yet?" Shikamaru tells Naruto that Sasuke was still missing, along with Kakashi. "With the two missing, that would only mean that Kakashi-sensei's training Sasuke for the finals."

"Have you been training well, Naruto?" Kureha answers the question for Naruto, telling Shikamaru that Naruto trained long and hard, bearing witness herself, adding that she sometimes had to carry him back to the Hayabusa Village after he exhausts himself.

"What about you, Shikamaru? Have you been keeping up with your training?" Naruto asked.

"Of course. I don't want to be outdone by you and the other Genin of our village."

Konoha Hospital

Entering, Naruto, Kureha, and Shikamaru see Choji preparing to leave with Sakura and Ino. Noticing the three, Ino says hello to them.

"It's a surprise to see you two here," said Shikamaru. Sakura tells them they were visiting Lee earlier before they picked up Choji. Turning to Naruto, Sakura asked him if he would like to come with them to eat barbecue to celebrate Choji getting out of the hospital.

"Pass..." Sakura already knew he would say that. During the second day of the Ninja Festival, she and Ino were acting suspiciously nice to him, which served to antagonize him, the blond telling them how trying too hard to be nice to him wasn't necessary and that it didn't make his first Ninja Festival at the Hidden Leaf any better. "Well...maybe some other time?"

"We'll see..."

"...Naruto..."

"What?"

"Ino and I are sorry for ruining your time at the festival," said Sakura. "We both understand that we haven't been the best of friends with you-" Naruto stops Sakura midsentence before correcting her, telling her that Ino was a bit more tolerable and a little easier to talk to than her and that Sakura was more of an acquaintance than a friend. "...but we're trying. As your teammate, I want to do what I can to be good friends with you. I don't know what I can do to do right with you, but...For now, all we can do is say sorry." To her surprise, Naruto accepted it, though he kept his stoic expression.

"See you later, Sakura..."

"Later Naruto..." Naruto nods at her in understanding before leaving with Shikamaru and Kureha to see Lee.

3 minutes later

"So this Lee boy's left arm and leg got crushed and there's a high chance that he won't be able to be a ninja anymore?" Naruto nods yes before Kureha voiced how sad it was.

"Yeah..." Approaching Lee's room door, Shikamaru prepares to open it, only for Naruto to stop him.

"What is it?" Naruto doesn't answer him as he pressed his ear against the door, Shikamaru wondering what was going on.

"I hear...sand!" Naruto opens the door to see Gaara, who was about to smother a sleeping Lee to death. The blond quickly runs at him and throws a punch at him, sending him crashing into the wall. The punch doesn't work since Gaara had used his sand to protect him and cushion the impact.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" asked Naruto, readying himself for a fight as Shikamaru prepared to weave hand signs.

"As you can see, I was trying to kill him," Gaara responds.

"Why do you need to do that?" Shikamaru asked the Suna genin. "You won the match. Do you have some personal grudge against him?"

"No...I'm going to kill him because I want him dead," he told the three. "If you bother me, I will kill you too."

"You're not killing anyone on my watch," said Naruto as his chakra flared up, though Gaara doesn't look intimidated by this.

"We know that you're strong, since we saw your match with Lee," Shikamaru told Gaara, preparing to bluff him. "But...Naruto and I are strong as well. We didn't show you our strongest moves in the elimination round. Also, it's two against one, you're at a disadvantage."

"I'm only going to say this once more...If you bother me, I will kill you." Sensing Gaara's chakra, Kureha voiced how similar it was to Naruto's, surprising the red-haired genin.

"I guess that makes us the same, at least in regards to the demons inside our bodies... I took the life of my mother when I was born. To become the ultimate ninja, my father, the Fourth Kazekage, used a ninja technique to bind an incarnate of sand to me. I was a monster at birth." Now it was Naruto's turn to be surprised as Gaara continues speaking of his past. "It was the One-Tailed Tanuki known as Shukaku, and it was sealed in a teakettle."

"It must be one of the binding techniques to bind a soul before birth," Shikamaru said out loud. "To think that you guys would resort to such a thing...you guys are crazy. That's not what a parent should do. What a twisted way to show love."

"Love? Don't measure me by your values. Family? Let me tell you what kind of link I have with them. They're just lumps of meat linked by hatred and murderous intent." Naruto wanted to attack Gaara for voicing his views on family but held himself back so he could learn more about him. "I stole my mother's life and was created to become the village's masterpiece. And as the Kazekage's son...my father taught me the secrets of ninja techniques...I grew up after being overprotected, spoiled, and left alone. I thought that was love...until that incident happened."

"What happened?" asked Kureha, Gaara forming an insane smile on his face.

"These past six years, starting from when I was six...my father tried to assassinate me numerous times!" Gaara said with glee.

"But you said that he spoiled you," said Shikamaru. "So what do you mean?

"A being that is too strong eventually becomes the embodiment of fear. Since I was born from the usage of a technique, my mind was unstable. The idiots in my village finally noticed that my emotions were unpredictable. To the Kazekage, my father, I was the village's trump card. But at the same time, I was a threat. After I turned six, it seems that they classified me as a dangerous being. I was the village's dangerous tool but still handled with care. I'm only a relic of the past they want to get rid of. So why do I exist? I asked myself this question, but I could not find an answer. But I need those reasons while I am still alive. Or it would be the same as me being dead." While Naruto and Kureha could understand what he meant, Shikamaru couldn't.

"And this is what I concluded...I exist to kill everyone other than me...I finally found relief inside the fear of being assassinated at any time. By killing the assassins, I was able to recognize my reason to live. I fight only for myself and only love myself. As long as I think that other people exist to make me feel that, the world is wonderful. As long as there are people to kill in this world...to make me experience the joy of living...my existence will remain."

"What's with him? He's really out of it." Shikamaru thought as Gaara turned his attention to Naruto.

"You...Those eyes of yours are just like mine...If you truly are just like me, you must understand my views and understand the importance of fighting for yourself. You agree with my views, don't you?"

"...That could've been true for me, had we met years ago. However, as it stands now, I am nothing like you," Naruto told him, "We may have been born just to have some demon stored into our bodies, but the worlds we both live in, even the paths we have taken, are completely different. Therefore, I can't agree with your views." Gaara stayed silent for a bit after hearing Naruto's response before speaking.

"And here I thought you'd be able to understand me...Very well, you can all DIE!" Quickly acting, Kureha takes out a glowing purple magatama and shines its powerful light at Gaara, causing him intense pain. At the same time, Naruto dropped to his knees and screamed in pain as well, his eyes turning demonic red.

"That light! It burns!" Gaara yelled. Not wanting to kill him and unwilling to see Naruto hurt, Kureha stops.

"The Eye of the Dragon, a powerful jewel of the Hayabusa Clan said to produce a blinding light that hurts even the mightiest of malevolent demons."

"Damn you..."

"Lay a finger on that sleeping kid and these two boys and it'll be the end of you...Now leave..." Kureha warned Gaara, preparing to use the Eye of the Dragon again.

"Tch..." Collecting his sand, Gaara leaves the room, though not before telling them, "This isn't over..." Once Gaara was gone, Shikamaru sighs a breath of relief as Kureha asked Naruto if he was okay.

"Yeah, I'm fine." With a smile, Kureha apologizes to the blond genin, who tells the shrine maiden it was fine, telling her she had no intention of hurting him.

"That Gaara...He's going to be hellbent on killing us tomorrow." Naruto agrees with Shikamaru as he recalls everything Gaara told them involving his life.

15 minutes later

Ramen Ichiraku

After assuring Guy that Lee was fine, Naruto decided to treat Shikamaru and Kureha to ramen.

"So this is the restaurant with the ramen I surpassed?" Ayame looked at Naruto, wondering what the shrine maiden was talking about. Naruto assured her it was nothing as Teuchi's daughter looked at him with suspicion before going back to work.

"Don't let Ayame know about it," Naruto told Kureha, who promised to keep it a secret.

"The light that came from the Eye of the Dragon, what's the story behind it?" asked Naruto, Shikamaru wondering as well.

"The jewel is said to hold the spirit of a mighty dragon. When the Dragon Sword, the weapon Ryu keeps with him at all times, was created, the 12 dragons who imbued the sword with their essence allowed the Dragon Lineage to carve a magatama jewel out of one of their crystal-like eyes. This magatama became known as the Eye of the Dragon."

"Wow, from a literal eye of a dragon," Shikamaru comments as his, Naruto, and Kureha's bowls of ramen arrive and are set in front of them.

"Whenever the Eye is fitted into the Dragon Sword's hilt, the true power of the sword is revealed, as the essence of the souls of the Dragon Gods are awakened, making the sword brim with divine power. Only with this can the Dragon Sword manifest its full power, becoming the True Dragon Sword. Because the Eye contains the spirit of the Dragon God from which it came, it can also find its way to the Dragon Sword. The jewel has been protected by the Dragon Shrine Maidens since the Age of the Dragons and is the most sacred treasure of the Dragon Lineage."

"Why are the two separated?" Shikamaru asked her. "With a weapon like that, enemies that could potentially threaten the world could be disposed of easily."

"Because the power of the True Dragon Sword can potentially pose a threat to the balance of the world, hence why it is customary to separate the two from each other to even them out," Kureha responds.

"The sword and the jewel are that powerful together!?" Shikamaru shouts.

"Of course."

"Are there any other risks?" Naruto asked her.

"Well, there's one for those who'd attempt to wield its overwhelming power. In order to wield the True Dragon Sword, they must possess the physical strength, vigorous spirit, and the proficiency of techniques necessary to wield it properly. If a weaker being were to attempt to use it, the blade may very well feed on the bearer's soul."

"What can you tell me about the Dragon Sword?"

"The answer to that requires going back to the beginning. The Dragon Sword was created at a perilous time after the Dragons were betrayed by one of their own, which became the Dark Dragon. With their strength gone, the Dragons placed all their essence, souls and spiritual power into one of their own fangs, creating the Dragon Sword. This divine weapon was then entrusted to the strongest and most spiritually pure of mankind, a warrior who would be the start of the Dragon Lineage bloodline. With the Dragon Sword, the Dragon Lineage warrior was able to slay the Dark Dragon, and his descendants the Dragon Ninja were able to banish the Evil Deities and their Fiends. As time went on, the Dragon Sword was passed down through the generations of Dragon Ninja, all the way to their modern descendants, the Dragon Ninja of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. It was responsible for the deaths of evil beings too numerous to count. As long as the sword remains on this earth, it may only be wielded by a descendant of the Dragon Lineage bloodline, as well as those it deems worthy."

"That is one overpowered and dangerous sword," Shikamaru tells the shrine maiden, after slurping some noodles.

"Maybe, but there are many powerful swords somewhere around the world and throughout history other than the Dragon Sword, Shikamaru. Each with their own legend and power."

"More swords like the Dragon Sword?" Just hearing it made Shikamaru sweat a bit, wondering how the world is still stable with all the destructive weapons the world has.

"I've always wondered what it'd be like to have a magic sword of my own. However...Even with some good swordsmanship on my belt, I rather solve battles with my fists and my jutsu," Naruto adds before picking up his chopsticks and slurping on some noodles.

30 minutes later

"Thanks for the ramen, Naruto." The blond tells Shikamaru that if either manages to win the exams, he was paying for the ramen next. "I guess that gives me a reason to give it my all tomorrow." Naruto says bye to his friend before leaving with Kureha.

"Shall we get going?" Kureha nods as they head to the blond's house. They stop in their tracks when they see Hibachi attempting to flirt with Sagiri, who looked confused by the things he was telling her, Hibari standing next to her cousin.

"So how about it? Want to go get wild tonight at the dance club that opened?" asked Hibachi.

"Get wild?" Sagiri tilts her head to the right in a confused manner, Hibari doing the same.

"He's asking for a date." Hibachi, Sagiri, and Hibari turn their attention to Naruto and Kureha approaching, the former telling Hibachi how his lines were very cheesy, and that most girls would rather be asked out normally.

"You!? You're back from that village?" asked a now-angry Hibachi. Annoyed once more, Naruto tells him, "That village" has a name, ya know?"

"So that was what he meant," said Sagiri, who then tells Hibachi she wasn't interested.

"I would stay far away from him, girls. He's-"

"What brings you two to the Hidden Leaf?" Naruto asked the girls. This served to shock Hibachi as Naruto casually talked to the two Ameno kunoichis like they were old friends.

"We figured we'd come and watch the Chunin Exam Finals coming up tomorrow. Hibari and I also wanted to check out this village for ourselves," said Sagiri, Hibari telling Naruto how nice of a place it was.

"I'm glad you like it here, Hibari. You girls-" Naruto is further interrupted by Hibachi getting in between him and the girls, telling him he was bothering them, and that they weren't interested in going with him.

"Get out of our sight, you hear me, you demon!?"

"Don't you have better things to do than trying to make an enemy out of me?" asked Naruto.

"I'm just doing what any good person would do and protect these girls from-"

"Who said we needed protecting?" asked Hibari, sounding serious as Hibachi turns around and sees her glaring at him alongside Sagiri.

"I don't know what your problem is with Naruto, but it seems this anger towards him is unjustified," Sagiri adds.

"Unjustified? This kid is-"

"We know what he is," Sagiri interrupts, adding that they didn't care what he was, earning a smile from a silent Kureha. "If you continue to call our friend a demon in front of us, we will show you no mercy." Hibachi clenched his teeth in anger as he turns and directs a glare at Naruto, only to be scared shitless when Kureha gets in front of the blond in a protective manner and directs a far more intense glare of her own towards him.

"D-...Dammit all!" yelled Hibachi, running off as Naruto and the girls thought, "Kureha can be scary..." Turning towards the Ameno kunoichis, Naruto apologized to them.

"No, you have nothing to apologize to us for, Naruto," Sagiri assured, waving her hand in front of her in a "It's all good" manner. "You didn't start it after all. But out of curiosity, what's his deal with you?"

"He's mad that I became a shinobi and that I caught him cheating at the graduation exams and exposed him for it," he told them.

"So it's anger through jealousy?" asked Kureha, Naruto nodding at her.

"I also had him suspended from the academy a few days ago, during the second day of the Ninja Festival, after he tried to get me sick."

"People like him make me sick," Sagiri said out loud, Naruto remaining silent after hearing those words come out of her mouth. Wanting to change the subject, Naruto asked the girls, "Before I was rudely interrupted, I was going to ask you girls if you were both planning to stay over here." Sagiri tells him they planned to stay at one of the hotels in the village. The blond voiced how it was a bad idea, due to the higher than regular costs of renting a room for one to three nights at one of the hotels. "Kureha and I are on our way to my house. If you want, you girls can stay over at my place until the Chunin Exams are over, or until you two decide to head back home. I have a lot of space, which includes two empty guest rooms for you and your sister to stay in, and I can cook."

"If you're offering, then we have no reason to not accept," said a now-smiling Sagiri.

Evening

Naruto's House

"First place!" Sagiri happily shouts as she beats Naruto, Kureha, and Hibari in "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe", Kureha voicing how she came second place again.

"First Hinata, then Ayane, now Sagiri and Kureha?" Naruto thought to himself. Looking at the time, the blond decided to stop playing to focus on making dinner for him and his guests. Just as he was heading towards the kitchen, Naruto hears the doorbell ring. Heading over to it, he opens the door to see Hiruzen saying hello to him, a smile on his face.

"I can already tell why you're here, Old Man." Hearing the way Naruto said it, Hiruzen noticed it was more welcoming than usual.

"He's in a fairly good mood..."

"Come in."

"Thank you." Heading up the stairs, Naruto enters the kitchen as Hiruzen, after looking at the two Ameno girls playing the Nintendo Switch with Kureha, wondered, "How many times does this make now?"

"Dinner will be ready in about an hour so sit tight until then."

With Hinata

Hyuga Residence

Hinata lied on the ground, exhausted as Yoshiko told her she was ready for the finals tomorrow.

"How do you feel?" she asked her daughter, who told her she was tired.

"I'm also pretty confident that I can at least last more than 5 minutes against Naruto," Hinata adds.

"Good to hear, Hinata. Confidence is important to have, especially in the heat of battle." Going over to her daughter, Yoshiko, without warning, strikes one of her daughter's pressure points to re-energize her body.

"There, now you have the energy needed to get up and head to the showers."

"What was- How did you do that?" asked Hinata. "Is this a supportive form of Gentle Fist?"

"It is, and if you do your best tomorrow, I may decide to teach you what I know," said Hinata's mother.

With Naruto

After Dinner

"Ahhh, so full. I don't think I can eat another bite," said Hibari, sounding satisfied after finishing the kaisendon Naruto made for everyone.

"Just having a meal prepared by Naruto is a crime, especially when he's allowing us to stay here for free," Sagiri adds as the blond picks up their bowls, empty glasses, and utensils to wash, Hiruzen offering to help clean them with him. As Kureha and the Ameno kunoichis prepare for bed, Naruto and Hiruzen wash the dishes together.

"Tomorrow's the big day, huh?"

"Yeah..." Hizuzen tells Naruto that he's gotten even stronger from his time at the Hayabusa Village. "Yeah..."

"Do you feel ready to show the village what you're capable of?"

"In moderation," Naruto tells him, earning a smile from Hiruzen.

"In moderation, huh...Does this mean you'll go easy on-"

"No," Naruto interrupts. "I don't plan on holding back with Hinata, even if we're friends. It'd be insulting if I didn't. And it's not like I'm going to show her everything I know. Best save that for the finals."

"I understand that feeling too well. It was like that with me and Danzo, back when we had our Chunin Exams."

"I can picture that in my head...Old Man?" Hiruzen wondered what Naruto was going to say. "Earlier, one of the Hidden Sand Ninjas, Gaara...He has a demon inside of him like me."

"Is that so..."

"I could've been him...I would've ended up being like Gaara if it weren't for you doing your best to help me. Before Iruka, before I made friends, you were the only person helping me when others steered clear of me. I'm very grateful to know you so...Thank you." Never in his life would he hear Naruto thank him, let alone with a smile in front of him. He had never thanked the old Hokage, who asked if he really was Naruto. "Of course I am." Turning around, Hirzuen starts tearing up.

"Oi, Old Man, are you crying?"

"You are a good kid, Naruto. To hear you thank this old man is truly a very important day!" Naruto felt weirded out by Hiruzen, who says goodnight to Naruto and telling him he looked forward to his fight against Hinata before leaving to go home. As soon as the Third Hokage left, Naruto lightly smiled to himself.

"Weird Old Man..."

Naruto's Room

"You sure Naruto?" asked Kureha, Naruto telling her he didn't mind if she had the bed.

"I'd feel bad if you slept on the floor."

"...Momma's Boy."

"Huh?"

"I can tell that, if your parents were alive, you'd be a full-on momma's boy for sure, not that it's a bad thing." Kureha told him, Naruto agreeing with her after giving some thought into it.

"...Kureha...About Gaara. Back at the hospital, everything he said, about me and him being the same...I admitted to it, yet... I told him I was nothing like him, that the worlds we both live in, even the paths we have taken, are completely different. He told me, "And here I thought you'd be able to understand me..." I can't help but sympathize with him when he said that, even if he had the intent to kill us. He acted like a monster, yet...he's not entirely one."

"Not entirely one huh...Seems to me like you want to help him."

"Right as always," Naruto told the shrine maiden. "I was in that darkness with him, but I had people who care for me pull me out. Gaara...While I had someone, he had no one..."

"So why do I exist? I asked myself this question, but I could not find an answer. And this is what I concluded...I exist to kill everyone other than me...I finally found relief inside the fear of being assassinated at any time. By killing the assassins, I was able to recognize my reason to live. I fight only for myself and only love myself. As long as I think that other people exist to make me feel that, the world is wonderful. As long as there are people to kill in this world...to make me experience the joy of living...my existence will remain."

"Why do I exist?" When Kureha asked him what he just said, Naruto told her it was nothing before saying goodnight to her.

With Ayane

The next day

Morning

Leaf Border Walls

Ayane lets out a sigh as she looked off into the distance, sitting on the edge of the wall. Today was Naruto's fight with Hinata, and she wanted to be there to watch. But she was stuck on guard duty, along with her fellow Mugen Tenshin Clan members, Genra, Hayate, Ryu, Momiji, and members of the Hayabusa Clan. Sagiri, Hibari, Shiden, Ayame, Kureha, and Jo were at the Stadium, where they could just sit back and watch the fights.

"Ayane, I know you want to go watch the exam finals, but guarding the Hidden Leaf is of great importance right now, especially since there's a chance that the Third Hokage's former apprentice, Orochimaru, is attempting an invasion," Genra told her.

"I'm well-aware, but there's also a chance that this Orochimaru will be a no-show," Ayane adds. Genra tells the purple-haired kunoichi that the best she can do for Naruto would be to believe he'll win. Noticing a large group of enemy shinobi approaching, Ayane informs Genra. "Yeah, I see them too." Taking a closer look, Genra could already tell that their invaders were from the Black Spider Ninja Clan. Seeing Ryu and the others rush over to the enemy, weapons drawn, Genra tells Ayane they should go help them, who silently nods.

With Naruto

Stadium

Field

Hinata looked nervous and embarrassed as Neji, her parents, Hanabi, her teammates, and Tenten cheered for her to win. Naruto looks up and sees Kureha, Sagiri, and Hibari waving at him, who waves back at them in return, looking a bit embarrassed. Kureha was watching so he couldn't afford to lose after all the training he went through.

"I'll give this my all..." Looking at the other fighters, Naruto noted that Dosu and Sasuke still haven't shown up. It had already been 15 minutes since all the finalists arrived. "Sasuke's still not here, along with that mummy guy...Looks like no one from the Sound Village is going to be Chunin..."

"If that Dosu doesn't show up, that'll save me a lot of trouble," said Shikamaru. "If Sasuke doesn't get here when his match starts, he'll automatically be disqualified, and I'm sure that the crowd will be pissed if he doesn't show."

"Of course..." Naruto responds, just as the final round proctor, Genma Shiranui enters the scene.

Sidelines

"By the way, has Naruto mastered the ability to avoid attacks without thinking?" asked Sagiri.

"Oh Heavens no," said Kureha. "While Naruto has mastered his ki control and the many ninpos Ryu taught him, he wasn't able to master that skill before his month at the Hayabusa Village ended. When he can, it's only for a second."

"Only for a second, huh..." Kureha assures Hibari and Sagiri that they had nothing to worry about and that Naruto had developed a very interesting way to compensate for it, piquing their curiosity.

"Though I'm not sure if he's planning to use it during this match or the next one," she told the girls before noticing Lee struggling a bit to get down the stairs. Being the good person she was, she helped him down.

"Take it slow, okay?"

"Thanks..." When asked if he'd like to sit with them, Lee, moved by Kureha's kindness, thanked her as she gives him a smile.

Field

"To the Genin not fighting yet, please wait in the waiting room until your matches are next." The Genin make their way to the waiting room, with Naruto and Hinata staying in the middle of the stadium.

"It's finally happening, huh Naruto?" Naruto nods yes to her. "I'll try to do my best to-"

"No...You WILL do your best to win," Naruto interrupts, Hinata smiling as she noticed how Naruto left out the word "try" in his correction of what she was about to tell him.

"Begin!" Quickly, Naruto weaved hand signs before firing three small blasts of chakra from his mouth, Hinata rushing towards the blond as she avoids the three wind projectiles and threw forward a right Gentle Fist strike as Naruto prepared to parry it. However, It was a bluff as she fired off a blast of chakra from her right hand towards the ground, launching herself over Naruto, appearing behind him in mid-air and blasting him with Eight Trigrams Vaccum Palm from both hands, making Naruto skid forward.

Running at Naruto, Hinata throws two kunai at him as the blond turns around and kicks them back at her. The Hyuga slides on her knees to avoid the two kunais before spinning her body counterclockwise and performing a sweep kick. When Naruto avoids it, she quickly transitioned into a helicopter kick. Naruto blocks it with his arms before repelling her and hitting her with a one-inch punch that nearly knocked the wind out of her as she's sent flying back, recovering in time to plant her feet on the dirt ground, having covered her body with a thin coat of chakra at the last second.

"If I didn't do that and took the full force of that attack, the match would be over." The blond doesn't stop there as he performs a quick right arm motion, launching a rapidly spinning crescent-shaped wave of chakra at her. Before she could react, she leaves herself open as Naruto disappears in front of her and appears behind her, knocking her toward the projectile. Getting hit by the projectile, Hinata flies back towards Naruto, who gets his left arm ready to perform a lariat.

Hinata quickly recovers as she grabs Naruto's left arm, to his surprise, as she spins her body around to appear behind him and knees him in the back, forcing him to land stomach-first onto the ground, holding his left arm and placing her right foot over his right arm. This surprised everyone watching as Kiba and Shino cheered for her.

"Sorry about this." Right after saying it, Hinata dislocated her friend's left arm from the shoulder, earning a comical but painful scream from Naruto and surprising her parents, her friends, and the proctor.

"Oh, that has to hurt," said Kasumi.

"You are unable to weave hand signs, and I have you pinned," said Hinata. "Either surrender or have your right arm dislocated as well."

"Sorry Hinata, but I don't plan on going down like this. Also, you should've paid attention to both arms instead of the one." Looking at his right hand, Hinata's eyes widened as the blond blasts her off of and away from him with a non-lethal blast of chakra. Quickly getting up, Naruto immediately but painfully pops his arm back into its socket, making one of the onlookers faint as Hinata gets back up. Naruto produced four clones to keep her busy as he cups his hands and forms a ball of gravitational energy (Art of the Piercing Void). Hiruzen, The Fourth Kazekage, Shiden, and Jo, along with the spectators looked surprised, even worried when the blond prepared the technique.

"Naruto, isn't that a bit overkill?" Kureha asked, sweating a bit.

"The Nine-Tailed Fox's vessel knows ninpo!?" The Fourth Kazekage thought. After dispatching of the clones, Hinata changes the shape of chakra released from both hands into large guardian lion-shaped shrouds. This surprised her family, Yoshiko saying, "Hinata developed a new move on her own!?" Finished charging, both opponents launched their attacks at each other, which ended up canceling each other out, creating a huge explosion that covered the whole stadium with dust.

Hinata finds herself unable to defend herself, due to the dust that went in her eyes, as Naruto quickly threw a punch to her stomach, knocking her down. However, she turned out to be a clone, which immediately turned to smoke. Noticing her presence, Naruto calmly turns around and sees her preparing to use the 8 Trigrams 64 Palms Technique.

"You're within my range..." Instead of responding, Naruto readied himself as he lowered his posture into a braced position, leaning forward with his right arm and leg as if exaggerating a heater-shield guard stance, just as Hinata attacks. From the sidelines, the spectators only heard the sound of a strike connecting followed by a charged burst of energy. Once the smoke cleared, Hinata was lying on the ground, Naruto standing behind her.

"What...What just happened?" asked Sakura. "What did Naruto do?" Ino tells her she wasn't sure but tells her friend that, whatever he used, it was a single but powerful physical attack. With Neji, he notes how he could tell that Hinata was using the 8 Trigrams 64 Palms, but got interrupted somehow. With Kureha, she voiced how surprised she was that Naruto had to resort to using "that technique" to beat her.

"You know about the technique he used?" asked Sagiri.

"Yes, he used his one second of autonomous movement to automatically react to and neutralize Hinata's first strike and store the power of it in himself before releasing it back at her with a little more force than the original. While it's an incomplete technique, it's enough to give him the win for this match."

"That technique like that is imperfect? Makes me curious on its complete form," said Hibari as Lee kept looking at Naruto, recalling the match he had with him before the first part of the exams.

"Naruto, truly you are..." Back down at the field, as he looked down at Hinata, Naruto says to himself, "So much for not showing her everything I know and saving them for the finals..." Following this, he could hear cheering as he looked around him and was surprised to see the spectators cheering for him, telling him how the match was amazing and that he was pretty strong.

"Do you hear that Naruto? They're cheering for you..." said a tired and injured but smiling Hinata.

"They're actually cheering for me?" Hinata tells the blond he should try to look the part and smile, only for Naruto to ask, "Was I supposed to smile?" This earned a sweat drop from Hinata.

"You may have improved in strength, but your mood on occasions like this needs some work," she tells him, asking Naruto to help her up right after, the blond complying as he puts her right hand over his shoulder and helped her exit the stadium so he can tend to her injuries. As she watched Naruto help Hinata, Sakura, in her head, says, "You just keep showing up how far of a gap we are. Fighting Zabuza...Beating that Sound Ninja and Kiba...and now. Just watching you fight makes me want to work hard and be the teammate you can rely on..."

Sidelines

4 minutes later...

"Ow!" yelled Hinata as Naruto helped disinfect some minor scratches on her face, the other contestants watching him treat the injuries he gave her.

"I'm almost done..." he told her as he puts some bandages on the scratches before telling her she was good to go.

"Thanks..." The two could hear the crowd grow restless as they wonder when the next fight will start, the one between Gaara and Sasuke.

"Seriously, where the hell is that guy?" Naruto asked. "He better not be doing so in order to act cool." Shikamaru tells Naruto he doesn't think that was the case. "Pretty sure it is."

After some thought, Hiruzen decided to postpone Sasuke's match and start the match between Kankuro and Kasumi, only for Kankuro to forfeit, to Kasumi's confusion, moving forward to Shikamaru's match with Temari. Throughout the match, Shikamaru displayed his ability to strategize and find a way to trap the Suna kunoichi in his Shadow Possession Jutsu, only to forfeit the match after using up nearly all of his chakra.

"This is definitely going to be the worst Chunin Exam Finals...of all ti-," Just as he was about to finish his sentence, Sasuke and Kakashi appear in front of the field. "Just as I was about to finish. I told you he was doing so to act cool."

"Or it could just be a coincidence," said Shikamaru, Gaara making his way down to fight the Uchiha.

"Whatever it is, I'm not standing here to watch the fights. I'm going to go see Kureha." Kasumi tells the blond she'll join him as Hinata does the same, Shikamaru deciding to join in, not wanting to stay in the same place with Kankuro and Temari, the latter due to the match they had just a couple minutes ago.

Making their way to Kureha, the group hear a couple screams followed by bones breaking and blood splattering. Checking it out, they see that Gaara had killed a couple of Kusa-nin who wanted to coerce him into forfeiting the match. Finished with his kill, the Suna-nin continues walking towards the field.

"He just killed those two in cold blood," said Hinata, sounding scared before Kasumi says, "That boy...Sasuke better watch himself when he starts his match with him."

With Ryu

Konoha Forest

Ryu swings his Dragon Sword horizontally, decapitating a Black Spider Ninja as the others finish as well. Thinking it was done, they sense another wave coming. They are surprised to see that the Black Spider Ninjas have joined forces with the Red Dragon Clan (Mortal Kombat series). Ayane sighed before saying, "Here we go again..."

With Naruto

Stadium

Field

Gaara begins the match by using his sand to attack Sasuke, who backflips 3 times in order to avoid the attack. A psychotic smile on his face, he yelled, "I will drain every ounce of your blood from your corpse to quench my sand's thirst!" Sasuke activates his Sharingan before throwing two shurikens at Gaara, who catches it with his sand. Sasuke immediately appears behind Gaara in a blink of an eye, surprising him as the Uchiha kicks Gaara, sending him flying backward. Gaara's face cracks, showing that he has Sand Armor on.

Sidelines

Naruto, sitting with Kureha, Lee, and the two Ameno kunoichis, the others standing next to them, watched the fight, the blond noting how much faster the Uchiha has gotten, Shikamaru adding that he was probably faster than Lee, who was uneasy just hearing it.

"With the speed Sasuke's going, he just might win the match," said Hinata.

"Maybe...but how long will it be until he's on the receiving end? That Gaara guy might still have some tricks up his sleeve," Naruto told the others, feeling uneasy.

Field

Running towards Gaara, Sasuke avoids another sand attack from him, appearing from behind and kicking him in the face, Gaara absorbing the impact of the fall using his sand as Sasuke begins running circles around him before appearing in front of him and starts beating the crap out of Gaara, in an attempt to break his Sand Armor. After a few hits, Sasuke throws him at a wall. Without any effort, Gaara gets up, uninjured.

"That Sand Armor you have on is pretty good," Sasuke told his opponent, who remained silent as he begins forming a dome of sand around himself, confusing Sasuke.

As the sand dome finished forming, Naruto sensed the demon inside Gaara as his eyes turn red and slitted for a few seconds before turning back to his normal blue ones.

"It's about to come out...this is bad." Getting up, Naruto runs off to find Kakashi as Sasuke thinks to himself, "Perhaps it's time I used Chidori..." Finding Kakashi with Guy, Sakura, Ino, and Choji, he tells him they need to stop the match.

"...Don't worry Naruto, we were late for a reason," Kakashi assured him.

"What do you mean by you were late for a reason?" asked Naruto. Kakashi tells him to watch Sasuke, who jumps onto a wall, using chakra on his feet to stick on it before weaving some hand signs before covering his left-hand lightning-based chakra.

"What the hell..."

"It's a technique I invented when I was young. I taught it to Sasuke," answered Kakashi. Finished with the charge up, Sasuke ran straight at Gaara, thrusting his lightning covered hand into the dome, successfully penetrating it. Inside of the dome, Gaara's left shoulder gets stabbed by Sasuke's hand.

"What? What is this warm thing?" Gaara asked himself as blood drips down on Gaara's left arm. Gaara realizes that it's his own blood as he screams, "Blood! My blood!"

Outside of the dome, Sasuke struggles to get his arm out of the dome. Knowing he needed to act, Naruto tells Kakashi, "You may have taught him a technique to thrust into a person, what if he needs to pull out after he's finished?", before jumping down onto the field and tries to help Sasuke get his arm out.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" asked Sasuke.

"Making sure your arm gets out in one piece," Naruto responds before managing to help Sasuke get his arm out, just as they avoid a giant demonic arm attacking them, to both Sasuke's surprise and shock.

"What was that just now?" asked Sasuke. Naruto stayed silent as the giant arm goes back inside the dome. The two look into the hole the latter created inside the dome and see a demon eye looking right back at them. A large roar is heard coming from inside sand dome before it breaks down, Gaara emerging from it, clutching his wounded shoulder. He gives Sasuke a death glare as Kabuto, disguised as an ANBU Black Ops member, use his Temple of Nirvana Technique to put almost everyone asleep. Naruto, Sasuke, Jōnin, the Kages, the Hyugas, Shiden, Jô, Kureha, Sagiri, Hibari, Shino, Shikamaru, and Kasumi notice the genjutsu and dispel the technique on themselves before they could fall asleep.

"Let's begin..." The Fourth Kazekage throws a smoke bomb to the ground, gaining the attention of everyone still awake as he grabbed the Third Hokage, held him at knifepoint, and jumped up to the roof. Four Sound Ninjas: A four-armed male named Kidōmaru, Conjoined male twins named Sakon and Ukon, an obese male named Jirōbō, and a red-headed female named Tayuya erect a large squared barrier made out of purple flames.

"Hiruzen!" Shiden calls out as he and Jo are quickly surrounded by several Sound Ninjas. The two engage them in battle as Sound Ninjas, disguised as civilians made themselves known and surround those who were still awake, Naruto and the others fighting them off.

With Hiruzen

"I didn't expect the Sand to betray the Leaf."

"The treaty is merely a camouflage to relax an opponent. The petty mock battles end here. Starting now, history will be made," said the Fourth Kazekage, the Hokage asking him if he was trying to start a war. "Yes."

"You should avoid conflicts, and seek a resolution through negotiation. There is still time to stop this, Kazekage." Hiruzen only gets laughter from him before he tells Hiruzen, "Perhaps when you grow old, you become used to peace...Sarutobi-sensei."

"You're..."

"I was planning on taking Sasuke once Gaara did his thing...but I guess I can't have everything go my way..." said the Fourth Kazekage, ripping off his own face to reveal a face Hiruzen was familiar with.

"So I was right...you are Orochimaru...I expected that a day like this would come. But...you cannot take my head so easily."

With Naruto

As Hiruzen and Orochimaru fought, focusing their attention away from the Hokage, Naruto and Sasuke watch as Kankuro and Temari escaped with Gaara. At the same time, Sound Ninjas started engaging Jonins Kakashi, Guy, Kurenai, Asuma, along with others who broke the genjutsu, in combat. Kureha had blasted a Sound Ninja through a wall as Sagiri and Hibari double-teamed another one. Noticing a Sound Ninja lunging at Sakura, Kakashi throws a kunai at him, the blade flying straight into his head, killing him.

"Sasuke-" Naruto finds his teammate going after Gaara as the proctor fights Baki, the Sand Siblings' Jonin.

"Naruto!" The blond turns to look at Kakashi, who orders him to go after Sasuke, and to take Sakura and Shikamaru with him.

"Got it..." said Naruto, quickly appearing in front of Sakura and Shikamaru, telling them, "Let's get a move on, you two."

"Why do I have to come?" asked Shikamaru, scratching the back of his head with his left hand, Naruto asking him, "Would you rather stay here with all these Sound Ninjas?"

"...Fair enough." Kakashi uses a Summoning Technique to Pakkun, a ninja pug, who jumps onto Naruto's head.

"That is Pakkun, one of my ninken. He'll be useful in tracking Sasuke," said Kakashi. "Once you reach him, stop him from going after Gaara and wait for new orders at a safe location." Naruto gives an understanding nods as Pakkun tells them to follow him as he jumps off the blond's head and goes on ahead, the three Genin preparing to follow.

"Naruto!" Turning to Kureha, he hears her tell him, "Be careful, okay?" Naruto in response assures her he'll try to before leaving.

Konoha Streets

As they went after Sasuke, the three Genin notice all the fights that were raging on around them. Bodies of allies and enemies were lying along the path and on top of shops and buildings. Some areas of the village were partially destroyed as well.

"Our village..." Naruto said nothing as Sakura and Shikamaru processed the destruction and death that was slowly growing around them. Hearing a scream, Naruto tells them he'd be right back.

"Hey, Naruto!" Shikamaru couldn't finish as Naruto went off on his own. "What about the mission!?"

Alley

Hibachi fell on his ass as he finds himself surrounded by 3 Sound Ninja. The boy felt nothing but fear envelop him as he soiled his pants in front of the Sound Ninjas, who couldn't help but laugh at him. Before they could kill the kid, Naruto appears and lands on top of the middle Sound Ninja, stabbing a kunai into the back of his head, killing him before pulling the kunai out and throwing it at the enemy on his left side, the blade stabbing into his throat, instantly killing him. The last one tries to attack him from behind, only for Naruto to sweep him off his feet with a kick before he felt the blond's right hand grab him by the head and slam him to the ground, his skull cracking open.

Hibari looked at Naruto with a scared expression on his face as the blond released his blood-covered right hand from the dead Sound Ninja's crushed head. Looking at Hibachi, Naruto looks down and sees his piss-soaked pants before looking up at the boy. Saying nothing, Naruto turns around and leaps away from Hibachi, who finds it humiliating that Naruto, of all people, saved his life, clenching his teeth in anger and annoyance, feeling that Naruto, when he was looking at him, was thinking, "You are pathetic."

Making his way to his teammates, Naruto sees five Red Dragon Ninjas (Mortal Kombat series) advancing towards him. The blond throws a kunai connected to a wire at one of the enemy ninja's chest, pulling him towards him and kneeing him in the chin, splitting his jaw and breaking teeth. A second Red Dragon spews a fireball from his mouth, Naruto using the broken-jawed ninja as a shield, killing him.

Naruto then threw the burnt corpse at the second Red Dragon before firing small air bullets from his mouth that kills him. The blond narrowly dodged a sneak attack from the three remaining Red Dragons. Quickly, Naruto kills his third Red Dragon by dash punching him twice and finishing him with a spinning roundhouse kick. He then dodged a punch from the fourth Red Dragon before punching him in the throat to stun him and then dodging the fifth one's kick by moving his head back, grabbing him by his head and headbutting him. As the fifth Red Dragon reels back in pain, Naruto kills the fourth one by launching him into the air with a backflip kick and sending him flying with a spinning kick to his face. The final Red Dragon pulls out two katanas from his back and swings them around to display his sword skills and hopefully strike fear into the blond.

"You better be ready boy, for I'm about to show you the Red Dragon Clan's famous-" Uninterested, Naruto kills him with a tech shuriken, throwing it at him, blowing up his chest upon impact, exposing his damaged ribs and heart. Finished, Naruto continues his way to his teammates, finding more resistance ahead in the form of Red Dragon and Black Spider Ninjas.

Konoha Forest

Finished dispatching of the enemy ninjas who blocked his path, jumping from tree to tree, Naruto feels Shikamaru's chakra slowly being drained, concluding that he was using the Shadow Possession Technique on eight Sound Ninjas, sensing an extra one, making it nine. With two kunais in hand, Naruto propelled himself forward, kicking his feet in full force as he killed the 9 Sound Ninjas at blind speed, appearing as an orange blur, shocking the Nara boy.

"Mind telling me what happened?" asked Naruto.

"Nevermind that, you just killed those Sound Ninjas in 4 seconds!" yelled Shikamaru, Naruto calmly telling him to keep it down just in case more enemies were around. "You're ridiculous, Naruto."

"Thank you, Shikamaru, now tell me what happened? Where's Sakura and that little dog?"

"Dog's name is Pakkun, and they went ahead after I told them I was going to be a decoy to keep the pursuers away." Naruto looked surprised, telling Shikamaru he wasn't expecting him to lay down his life right then and there. "Of course, I had faith that you'd show up at the right time. What were you doing?"

"I saved Hibachi from some Sound Ninjas. Pissed his pants." Shikamaru tells him it was typical of the boy to wet himself whenever he's really scared. "Also, the Hidden Sand and Sound Ninjas, along with Gaara, are the least of the village's problems. The one who planned this invasion hired support from the Black Spider Ninja Clan and the Red Dragon Clan."

"You're talking about Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru?" Shikamaru tells him he heard Kakashi and Guy say his name when the Third Hokage was held hostage. "So that's who the village is dealing with...Whatever the case, we...I should continue the mission. I'm sure the village can handle the enemy forces until back up arrives. You've done your part, Shikamaru. Take a rest somewhere until everything has been settled. Don't want you dying on me."

"You don't have to tell me twice, also, nice to hear you care," Shikamaru told him, Naruto nodding his head yes as he goes on ahead. Making his way to Sakura and Sasuke, Naruto stops when he sees Shino in a bit of a pinch as he fights Kankuro, who was wielding a puppet for combat.

"Hey Shino, what's up?" asked Naruto, Kankuro using this time to attack the unsuspecting blond. However, the blond had never let his guard down, knocking the puppet away with a light knock of his fist and telling the puppet master, in a threatening manner, "I'm talking to my friend, don't interrupt." Kankuro formed a scared look on his face, wondering if he'll have to face him.

"Need help?" Shino tells him he'll be fine and to let him handle Kankuro. "You sure?"

"Positive," Shino responds. "Sakura and that dog she was with are 4 minutes away from here. You can catch up to her if you move now." Naruto thanks Shino before leaving, earning a sigh of relief from Kankuro. After 3 minutes, Naruto caught up to Sakura, who asked him what took him so long.

"If I told you I was killing enemy ninjas, would you believe me?" Sakura sweats a bit before telling the blond she wouldn't want to answer that question. Just then, Naruto sensed a powerful chakra signature that overwhelmed Sasuke's. It was nearly identical to his power. Going on ahead in a quick zig-zag maneuver, Naruto builds up enough speed to send Gaara, who was in a partial demon-state, flying into 4 trees with a kick, landing on a branch in front of the Uchiha as he prepares for what's next. Turning to check on the Uchiha, he noticed Sasuke had his cursed mark active, concluding that he took a big risk and used it to increase the power of Chidori, taking a toll on him.

"We were one step too late," said Pakkun, looking at Sasuke's state.

"And I thought I was reckless," said Naruto, turning to see a wounded Temari watching as Gaara recovered from his kick and jumps up to and lands on a tree branch across from him, quickly extending his left hand forward, aiming to kill Sasuke, However, Sakura gets in the way, saving the Uchiha, though she gets knocked unconscious and pinned to a tree by Gaara's left demon arm.

"I'll make sure you suffer a painful and agonizing death as I slowly crush your body!" the partially-transformed Gaara shouts.

[My Hero Academia S3 OST - All Might vs All For One]

As Naruto slowly turns to face Gaara, the latter goes into a form that turns his body, save for his legs, into a small version of his demon.

"His power has increased..."

Gaara leaves some sand to trap Sakura in, which slowly started to constrict and crush the unconscious Sakura before lunging at Naruto, ready to swing at him with his left arm. Taking a defensive stance, Naruto neutralized the attack, once it connected, before releasing the energy back at Gaara with a thrust of his right palm. The attack, however, is ineffective. Gaara's demonic upper body had increased its durability by hardening the sand that made it up. He had also encased Naruto's right hand to keep him in place.

"That attack was pathetic!" yelled Gaara, backhanding the blond. Naruto feels the overwhelming weight behind the attack as he gets knocked away by it, crashing through 12 trees. Painfully, he got up, healing as Gaara came at him.

"Not only has his physical attacks been augmented, but his defense is also nearly impenetrable with that sand hardening his body before impact. My counter-attack didn't even faze him."

Naruto puts his arms in front of him as he raised his ki to increase his defense as Gaara inhales air, causing his body to swell up, before exhaling, launching a wind attack that was mixed with sand that's been coated with his chakra. Naruto had to constantly raise his ki to sustain his defense as the attack connected. Once the attack was finished, Naruto jumps back when Gaara slams both his fists downward, leaving a small crater where he was standing earlier, before forming his left hand into a knife-hand and swinging it horizontally, a trail of light accompanying the hand's motion as the blond leaves a large horizontal cut on Gaara's chest before teleporting above him.

"CROSS SLASH!" Naruto comes back down hard, swinging his right foot downward, leaving a vertical cut that managed to break through his defense. Naruto performs five backflips to avoid Gaara's swinging attacks, noticing his attack, while it broke through his defenses, failed to draw blood.

Naruto produced 5 clones before they each form an air grenade and threw them at Gaara, who smothers them with his right hand, the attacks harmlessly exploding in it. The Suna-nin swings his right arm once more, destroying Naruto's clones and narrowly cutting the blond with his claws, cutting the front of his jacket. He catches Naruto by surprise by revealing a tail, which strikes him from the left, breaking Naruto's left ribs as he flies into a boulder. Naruto rolls out of the way when Gaara fires a flurry of sand bullets, missing the blond as he decimates the boulder.

Naruto throws a tech shuriken at Gaara that blows up in his face upon contact. Though it does little to damage him, he's temporarily blinded as he swings his right hand around in a berserk rage. Naruto ducked as Gaara's right arm stretched over him, hitting the tree behind the former, who stabs a kunai under Gaara's arm. Moving away, the nine exploding tags around the kunai's handle explodes, severing the Suna-nin's arm. Regaining his sight, Gaara immediately regrows his right arm with sand before sending a tsunami of sand at the blond, who jumps from tree to tree to elevate himself above the sand tsunami. This would leave him open when Gaara extends his left hand and ensnares his left ankle before slamming him down hard onto the ground and swinging him around like a flail, Naruto screaming in pain whenever he hits the ground, Gaara laughing out loud as he did it, finishing his assault on Naruto by grabbing him by the face and dragging him through the dirt ground, partially shredding the right side of his face and throwing him forward, the genin's back hitting the ground hard. Naruto, his body aching in pain, slowly struggles to get up as the right side of his face heals at a fast rate, despite the damage he took. The healing takes a bit out of him as it uses his stamina and ki to repair the injuries he received.

[Music End]

"Your efforts to stop me are futile! Unless you embrace your monster, you can never hope to defeat me!" yelled Gaara. "Once I kill you, I will kill that Uchiha, then those you care about, including that woman who was with you at the hospital! You'll be just like me!" Hearing his intent to kill Sasuke, Kureha and his friends, acquaintances even, Naruto tells him, "You're not going to kill me...and you're not killing anyone else... I'll make sure of it as long as I am standing..."

"Then I'll make sure you can no longer stand!" Gaara jumps in front of Naruto and swings his left arm downward. Without saying a word, Naruto increased the overall strength of his left arm by infusing it with chakra, blocking the attack, to Gaara's shock, before he puts his left fist to his ribs underneath, charges it with ki, and releases that energy in a powerful explosion that managed to break his defense and make his opponent cough blood as he's sent flying into a tree (Raida).

"This boy...He's gotten stronger?" Looking at the blond, Gaara noticed something was off about him, mainly his eyes, which now have an intense bright blue glow to them.

"Never..." he told Gaara. "I will rely on my power to defeat you. I won't rely on power that hurts people, including those I care about," he told him, recalling the time he hurt Rin, and the time he almost ripped off Haku's arm.

"Then you are a fool to reject it!" Gaara told him as he got up, repairing the parts of his form that Naruto destroyed with sand before lunging at him. Naruto uses his one second of self-movement to avoid Gaara's diagonal swing before performing a left elbow strike to Gaara's chest. He then infused his right fist with ki, connecting it with his left open palm, sending the ki through his left arm that exits through his left elbow as it goes through Gaara's defense.

Gaara reels back in pain a bit, growing angry with being at a disadvantage as he goes into a berserk rage and attempts to attack Naruto again, who casts Art of the Wind Blades to radiate blades of vacuum from his body, slashing Gaara's arms to pieces, said arms turning to sand as Gaara yells, "DAMN YOU!" to him. Focusing his ki, Naruto amplifies his internal bioelectricity before punching Gaara with both fists, electrocuting him and knocking him back to where Sasuke and Temari were.

"What? Gaara is..." Seeing Gaara all battered, Temari wondered what Naruto did to him as Sasuke and Pakkun wondered the same. Back with Naruto, the mysterious and intense glow in his eyes disappear as he drops to his knees and pants, unaware of the power he used, thinking he pushed himself too hard.

"Did I get him?" he weakly asked himself.

"No...I won't lose...Not to someone like him, who fights for others...I WON'T!" Naruto and Sasuke's eyes widened when Gaara transformed into his full demon form, that of a sandy-brown colored tanuki, with dark blue cursed seal markings all over its face, body, and tail.

"So that's Shukaku...Well, things have taken a turn for the worse," said Naruto as he looked up at the demon known as Shukaku. Looking down at Naruto, Shukaku encases him in sand, wanting to end him as soon as possible. Thinking quickly, Naruto takes from blood from his lip and weaved hand signs before slamming his right hand onto the ground, summoning Gamabunta, the Chief Toad.

"Oh, if it isn't Naruto. Been almost 3 years since you've summoned me. Let me guess..." Looking at Shukaku, he asked Naruto, "You're finally up against something you can't handle?"

"That thing across from us is way above my weight class, as you can see," Naruto responds.

"Shukaku, huh...This should be interesting," Said Gamabunta, taking out his tanto blade and leaping at Shukaku and swings the large blade as he passed him, cutting off the tanuki's right arm in the process.

"What a tough fellow...He's so solid I barely managed to pull out the slash!" said Gamabunta, Naruto informing him of his ability to harden the sand that made up the demon's body as the large toad turns around to face the demon. "Is that so..." Looking at Shukaku, Naruto spots Gaara's upper half sticking out of Shukaku's forehead.

"In gratitude for giving me such a good time so far...I'll show you the true strength of the sand spirit."

"That poor host, he's got chronic insomnia from being possessed by Shukaku. If they were ever to totally fall asleep, Shukaku would gradually devour their personality until they eventually stopped being themselves...Due to that, the host personality tends to become unstable after a while..."

"Feigning Sleep Technique!" Gaara forces himself to fall asleep, surrendering control to Shukaku.

"WHA-HAHAHAHAHAA! FREE, I'M FINALLY FREE! STRAIGHT OUT THE GATE, I SEE SOMEONE I WANNA SLAUGHTER!" Right away, Shukaku fires a ball of wind from his mouth as Gamabunta leaps up into the air to avoid the attack and launching five water bullets from his mouth. Shukaku cancels them out with five air bullets, quickly firing a sixth one after, which hits the large toad. "WHEE! I DID IT! I KILLED 'EM, I KILLED 'EM!" Despite the injuries, Gamabunta lands on his feet.

"Ow, that hurt! That little ball was packed with an unbelievable amount of chakra! Someone like me can't take many more of those little balls!" yelled Gamabunta.

"We have to knock Gaara awake to undo that technique of his," Naruto suggests. "And another one to bring down that demon made of sand."

"In order to do that, we'll need to get up close and stop that large raccoon's movements! That should give us the opening to strike! Any ideas?"

"...One...I just need two minutes to concentrate and gather more ki. I will warn you, we only have one shot at this," he told the toad, holding up his right pointing finger.

"Better than nothing!" Gamabunta yelled as Shukaku stretched his left arm to attack the toad, who dodged left before swinging his tanto down on the limb, cutting it off and dodging an air bullet. The Chief Toad then leaped forward and sliced off the demon's right arm, jumping back to avoid Shukaku's tail swing. As Naruto gathered ki, he began to wonder how it came to this. Back then, he never saw himself as someone who'd willingly fight for his village. The Naruto several years ago would've left the village and stayed as far away from it as possible.

"Should the village be under attack, and these people are in danger and need to be rescued, I'd save them regardless of how I feel. You don't need a reason to save them, only because it's the right thing to do. A true hero puts up with it and saves people, even the ones who hate them, for truly...their actions can change the hearts of those who used to hate or reject them. Like the heroes you aspire to be, only you can change how the people of Konoha see you by earning it. It all starts with how you go about it. I think that's something you never understood, even if it was in front of you." - Hinata

"Whatever you have against your home and the people there, wherever it may be...you're not willing to ignore those who need help, regardless of how they see or treat you, because...you're a good person who can change people's minds with your actions. I truly believe it." - ? (Road to Journey to Now)

"You can, and you will. I know it because you're afraid, unsure of whether you'll succeed or fail. That fear you have shall be your reason to not give up and try harder. It's okay to feel the way you are now, but don't let it overcome you. If there's still a part of you who believes you can change the Leaf Village, keep holding on to it, and never let go." - Kureha

"The old me would've left this village to suffer from this attack. But now, I have people who depend on me, and a village that's starting to accept me...I'm not fighting for myself anymore..."

"Naruto, are you done yet!?" yelled Gamabunta, narrowly dodging an air bullet.

"Yeah!" said Naruto. "Charge forward and hold him down."

"I can't hold him down with my hands!"

"I got that covered, now do it! I don't have time to explain!" With a sigh, Gamabunta says, "Alright then..." As Gamabunta advanced towards Shukaku, the tanuki fires a large air bullet, intent on finishing the toad off.

[Persona 5 OST - Our Beginning]

"Art of the True Typhoon!" To Gamabunta, Temari, Sasuke, and Pakkun's shock, Naruto summoned a large black and luminescent green serpentine wind dragon out of his hands. The dragon lets out a large roar as it breaks through the air bullet and wraps itself around Shukaku's body, preventing the demon's arms and tail from moving before biting down at the demon's neck, Shukaku roaring in pain.

"Since when could you do that!?" Gamabunta asked out loud.

"Focus!" a half-tired Naruto shouts, Gamabunta telling the blond he pulled all sorts of ridiculous techniques at the craziest of times before grabbing hold of Shukaku, holding the demon's mouth closed. Naruto jumps up onto Shukaku's nose and started sprinting towards Gaara, avoiding the sand spikes protruding from the demon's head and, reaching him, punched Gaara hard in the face, waking the red-haired Suna-nin.

"Good, Naruto!" said Gamabunta.

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK IN! AAARGH!" Shukaku's hold on Gaara breaks as his host wakes up, angry that Naruto hasn't died yet, despite giving Shukaku full control of his body.

"Damn you, NARUTOOOOO!" The blond goes for another punch, only for Gaara to ensnare his legs and arms with sand as the former tries and struggles to land a punch. The wind dragon slowly starts to disappear as Gamabunta tells him it was now or never.

"I shall kill you!" Gaara yelled. "I will not cease to exist, and I will not lose to someone like you!" As Naruto begins to struggle, his eyes give out the same intense glow from earlier, shocking Gaara. Letting out a rougher and deeper roar, Naruto headbutts Gaara using all the strength he could muster, drawing blood from both of their foreheads. The Shukaku likeness crumbles as the wind dragon disappears.

"Not bad Naruto, not bad..." Finally, Gamabunta dispersed in a puff of white smoke.

[Music End]

Falling, the two land on trees opposite of one another before exchanging glares. Getting up, the two readied their fists as they leaped at each other, ready to end it. However, Naruto dodged the Suna-nin's punch at the last second before landing the final blow, his right fist connecting to the latter's face as the two plummet to the ground hard. The fight over, the glow disappears from Naruto's eyes as he struggles to get up.

[Persona 3 OST - Memories of the City]

"Naruto Uzumaki...Why are you so strong?" Gaara wondered as Naruto managed to stand on his own two feet despite having used up nearly all of his chakra and ki.

"Loneliness...Like you...It was the only thing I knew. It's now an old friend of mine I have buried," Naruto told the Suna-nin. "I had the same thoughts you have, back when I was only six. But, along the way, I made friends. I used to reject them. I didn't care about them either. But...despite how negative I was to them, they never gave up on me. They helped me change. Slowly, but surely...Even those I didn't give two shits about, I'm starting to care for them, though I don't admit it to their faces...Gaara...Fighting only for yourself, loving only yourself...You're only digging yourself a deeper hole to crawl in until you can't get out...If there are people who exist to make you feel like that, don't be what they think of you. You have the power to change them. Take it from me when I say it doesn't work right away. Change takes time. I should know...Alone...you can never enjoy the world, nor truly experience the joy of living...Seeing the world and living on it is better when you have people who love you, whom you would live and die for..."

"So that's what makes him strong..." As Naruto falls forward, Kureha appears as the blond rested his head on her left shoulder.

"Kureha? How-"

"I teleported here after sensing your ki. Sorry I couldn't come sooner, what with all the Sound Ninjas I needed to help get rid of." When asked what happened to Sasuke, Sakura, and the Hidden Leaf, she told him they were safe, and that reinforcements had arrived in the form of the Warrior Priestesses of Hinomoto, the Ameno Clan, and more ninjas from the Mugen Tenshin and Hayabusa Clans. Satisfied, Naruto passed out as Temari and Kankurō appeared and took Gaara with them, Kureha allowing them to go. With Orochimaru's plans foiled, Suna surrendered while the surviving enemy ninjas from the Sound Village, the Red Dragon Clan, and the Black Spider Clan retreated. As Temari and Kankurō carry him home, Gaara apologizes to them, to their surprise.

[Music End]

Hidden Leaf

Stadium

As Orochimaru retreated with the Sound Four and a disguised Kabuto, the former's arms being sealed away by the Dead Consuming Seal, Hiruzen, his body heavy, lies on his back. He knew he was dying, accepting his fate as he thought of the people he'd leave behind, finally thinking of the last time he talked to Naruto, and keeping the image of the first and only genuine smile Naruto ever showed him fresh in his head.

"Before Iruka, before I made friends, you were the only person helping me when others steered clear of me. I'm very grateful to know you so...Thank you." With a satisfied smile, Hiruzen passed away peacefully as he finally closed his eyes, right before the ANBU Blacks Ops and Jonin found him.

Two Days Later

Naruto, wearing all black, stood next to Kureha as they and all the residents of the Hidden Leaf along with the forces who helped come to the village's aid attended Hiruzen's funeral. Konohamaru, heavily saddened by his grandfather's death, was consoled by Iruka. Feeling a light drop of water hit his nose, Naruto looks up in time to see light rain pouring down on him and everyone at the funeral.

"The sky's weeping," said Kureha.

"It seems so," Naruto responds as people start walking towards the altar and offered flowers to the late Hokage. "...Kureha?"

"Hmmm?"

"Dying...When someone dies on a mission or through war...it happens startlingly quickly, and simply. They leave so much behind. Friends, family, dreams, and goals...It's scary to die, isn't it? Especially when you have to part ways with people...?"

"It is...He may have left people he cared about behind, but that doesn't mean he's truly gone."

"What do you mean?"

"I believe that, even though someone's gone in body, they're still here in memory, and through the bonds they've formed. These bonds formed are like strings that connect, even as time passes, growing thicker and stronger, even after they pass away...These bonds, they're the many things worth fighting, even dying for. You'll eventually find yourself risking your life time and time again for others, because of these bonds. After all...you have people now, right?" Naruto can only give her an understanding nod as it became his turn to walk to the altar and offer a single flower to Hiruzen as Kureha did the same after.

Once the rain stopped and the Sun's light shined upon the village, the people continued their everyday lives. The day after the funeral, Jo Hayabusa, as a favor to Hiruzen, ran the village, something the elders were uneasy about, Kureha deciding to stay with Naruto, wanting to stay and spend more time with the blond. Four days later, Naruto and Shikamaru were called over by Jo, who revealed that the two were recommended for the promotion to Chunin Rank, just before the late Hokage's death. While Shikamaru decided to wear his flak jacket, Naruto decided not to wear his, telling him how green wasn't his color and how the jacket looked cool on the Nara boy. On that same day, Naruto made the decision to wear his headband.

When he wasn't out helping the village rebuild and restock on supplies or going on missions, Naruto went through more training with Ryu and Kureha in hopes of strengthening his ki even further, Ryu noting how the month of training before the exams was only the beginning and that the training Naruto was going to go through now would make him stronger, along with the techniques he learned from him.

He also started becoming a little nicer to Sakura, even accepting some of her offers to hang out with others. For Sasuke, after the Chunin Exams, he became very distant towards his teammates, the distance growing even further after Naruto became a Chunin. The missions Team 7 were assigned to got hectic at times, Sasuke being the main root of the problems.

As for the Hidden Sand, after they found the decaying corpse of their Kazekage and apologized to Leaf Village for their betrayal, they received the aid needed to help restore the village's strength. Naruto heard that the two villages were in talks of improving their relationship between them so another incident like the one during the Chunin Exams never happened again. Gaara even sent Naruto a letter, thanking him for showing him the right path, and that he was starting to improve his relationship with his older siblings.

2 months later

Zeroth Training Ground

Naruto effortlessly defeats two boxing kangaroos, a giant anteater, and finally, a talking ostrich named Condor, kicking the latter to the ground hard. It was ridiculous to admit, but Naruto was familiar with Condor, having been sent on a mission alongside Team 7 to capture him and return him to his owner(s). The blond only had to give off an aura of killing intent that immediately knocked out the bird, who couldn't speak at the time. When Naruto was called in to help recapture them today, he was none too happy to hear that.

"Ridiculous," Naruto said to the wounded and scared Condor, sounding annoyed. "To think you four animals had escaped again and...somehow learned fighting techniques. It's like the start of a bad plot of an episode...If I had a choice in this, I'd just kill you and your buddies and cook you up into a large meal. I heard ostrich meat is very low in cholesterol and healthier than beef..." With that simple threat, Condor passed out, foaming in the mouth.

Hidden Leaf Village

Front Gate

"Thank you so much for bringing my pets back," said the animals' owner.

"Do me a favor, and keep better watch over them. Because the next time they get out...I WILL eat them, regardless of the mission." The owner sweats a bit, not wanting the next time to come to that. "Heck, you can just give them to me now and I'll pay you-"

"OKAY BYE!" said the owner, moving as far away from the blond as possible, Condor vowing never to break free again, knowing he won't survive the third escape.

"Naruto..." Turning around, he sees Ryu walking towards him, asking him if the mission was a success.

"It was a simple one that anyone could finish. I just hope the owner keeps a good eye on them now," Naruto responds. "With that over, are we going to continue where we left off yesterday?"

"Yes, come, we-" Naruto and Ryu stop as they turn around and see Jiraiya and Kureha approaching them, the shrine maiden holding a backpack full of food and supplies for the blond.

"Pervy Sage? Kureha?"

"Yo, Naruto!" said Jiraiya. "Been some time huh?" Naruto does not reply as he turns to Kureha and asked her what the backpack was for.

"Jiraiya wants to go on a little research trip for one of his books, and he wants you to come with him. I'm simply here to give you your backpack, with all the necessary meals and supplies for it." Grateful, Naruto thanked Kureha as he took the bag from her, unaware of the fact that he ignored Jiraiya, though the Toad Sage lets it slide.

"This is no ordinary research jaunt. There's this particular woman I want to cover, so we need to find her."

"Hello, is this the police? I'd like to report on a stalker-" Jiraiya stops Naruto, telling him it wasn't like that as Kureha giggles a bit, Ryu remaining silent as usual, though he did smile under his mask. "I'm also going to be teaching you a new technique, unlike anything you've ever seen. One mightier than the Chidori..."

"...Must be something," said Naruto as he wears his backpack. "I'll be sure to come home as soon as possible, Kureha."

"Oh, before you go..." Kureha walks over to and kissed Naruto on the right cheek, earning an embarrassed look from the blond, who tells her, "Master Ryu and Pervy Sage are watching."

"I know...Be sure to stay safe, and make sure you listen to Jiraiya, okay?" Naruto promised her as he and Jiraiya leave, the former being unaware of the true reason they were going out, along with a new threat that was slowly approaching.

Konoha Forest

"This is great. Me and you out on a little adventure and inspiration for a book."

"That involves women, expensive booze, gambling, and leaving me to train on my own after a quick lecture," Naruto adds.

"I know, I know, I'm the worst...That headband looks good on you. Makes you a bit more mature."

"You think?"

"Yeah...To think that, after this month, we're leaving the village so you can go to a college in Tokyo." Naruto corrects him, telling him it was a university. "Tokyo U...I never expected that a soon-to-be 13-year old ninja from the Hidden Leaf would pass a special exam that would allow young prodigies to attend a university of their choosing, especially with flying colors."

"It is me we're talking about...Also, you were the one who suggested I take it." Jiraiya tells Naruto he was joking that time, and that he was inebriated when Naruto asked him.

"However, with "that organization" on the loose, this does create some distance between them and Naruto, especially with all those heroes..." Jiraiya thought to himself. "If you're open to answer, what sort of degree are you going for?"

"...One that involves Writing." This surprised Jiraiya, who couldn't help but ruffle Naruto's hair.

"So you want to take up after me huh?" asked Jiraiya, Naruto denying it, telling him he was going to write his own books, and that they weren't going to be like the Icha Icha series. The two continue to banter as they made their way towards a town.

---

This was a large and difficult chore, but I persevered!

First of all, I'd like to start with the intense glow Naruto's eyes have during his fight with Gaara. It's a power that's from something, which I can't tell. However, I'm sure people will find out eventually. NO, IT'S NOT ULTRA INSTINCT! Making it clear. It's unmastered, and Naruto is unaware of its power, or that he used it, thinking he had a second wind. Plus, he was in a middle of a fight or die situation so he is left unaware of this power. How it triggers is unknown.

Second, focusing on ? (Road to Journey to Now), the character is a she. Said character has met Naruto in Road to Journey to Now, whom he'll meet again in Part I's epilogue, and will be a main character in Part II, someone he can relate to other than Ayane. She's from another series, and I'm sure you all know who it is.

The reason why this girl is question marked is because Naruto doesn't know who she is. He never asked for a name after their little meeting, that or he forgot to ask for it.

Naruto has become a Chunin alongside Shikamaru! Don't forget, this isn't canon Naruto. This is 458th Universe Naruto, so he's very different from his main counterpart. And no, Hiruzen was not choosing favorites. Naruto has already proven himself to be a very capable ninja who can handle a situation with a calm mind.

Once more, I'd like to thank warhawk talons for giving Hibachi, a minor character, depth. Be sure to read his stories. He's a newcomer but give him credit for writing what he wants to write.

Hibachi will make an appearance again in Part II, mostly in flashbacks, and may be part of a character's chapter or two, haven't thought that far. I never hated a minor character so much. After rewatching episodes he was on, my hate for him grew even further.

The part where Naruto saved him, I feel, was the ultimate form of insult towards Hibachi. I felt that showing Hibachi how capable of a ninja Naruto is was the ultimate insult, the pissing in his pants being the icing. I originally wanted to have Naruto tell Hibachi he was in need of a new pair of pants, or have him giving him a smirk before leaving. But, having Naruto saying nothing won over, given how there's an invasion going on, and he had a duty to accomplish.

The defense technique Naruto uses is based on the Royalguard Style from the Devil May Cry series. I may consider adding Devil May Cry to the 458th Universe, or not. If not, I may also consider taking a page out of the CW's Arrowverse and have it so that characters from different universes can cross over to the 458th Universe, using a device to do so. You know, convenience.

There was little Ayane in this chapter, mainly because I wanted to focus on the exams and the Naruto characters. Only characters like Kureha, Kasumi, Sagiri, and Hibari had more focus in the chapter, the latter two being spectators who contribute in protecting Konoha, Kasumi being one of the opponents in the exams, and Kureha being an important figure to Naruto.

Naruto seems to have changed a bit more and has (finally) worn his headband! He has also started to be a bit nicer to Sakura as the days following Hiruzen's funeral passed.

Regarding characters you originally dislike/hate, for me, it was Sakura. But as you get older, you can tolerate her character and slowly start putting up with her. Right now, she's 50/50 to me, and that's saying something.

Regarding Naruto's ki, a whole month of training at the Hayabusa Village is not enough. What Naruto went through during that whole month was just the beginning. Outside of the story/chapters, Naruto continues being trained by Ryu Hayabusa, with Kureha helping him out a bit. I base this one the level strength of the ninpos in Ninja Gaiden II. Right now, each ninpo Naruto knows it at Level 1, meaning they need to improve until they're Level 3, which is their max level.

Yes, the Red Dragon Clan make their appearance, meaning Mortal Kombat is a part of the 458th Universe. This takes place somewhere between Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11.

When it came to the Third Hokage's funeral, I wondered whether to make Naruto cry for the first time in a while. But I felt it wasn't time, seeing as how he was still developing as a person. Naruto may have been close to Hiruzen, it was about 20/80, given Hiruzen's role as the Hokage. At the very least, he was there for Naruto when he was a baby up until age 6/7. When he does cry...I'm keeping that to myself. I want that moment to be very sad and emotional, something bad that will impact him.

I HAD to include a filler character like Condor. It was mainly because it was ridiculous for Naruto to have trouble with handling an ostrich, so this was a little payback. And yes, ostrich meat is tasty and healthier than beef.

Yes, Naruto is leaving the Hidden Leaf after a month. Before that, things take a turn for the worse. You all know what I mean. After all, we read the manga and watched the anime and movies. Naruto's time in Tokyo U will be explored in Part II. Akatsuki wouldn't dare set foot on their turf, knowing just how mighty the heroes there are, making it a perfect place for Naruto to lay low.

For Part II, it'll focus on other Konoha characters, Naruto having adventures of his own. Hopefully, it's not boring, because what happens back at the Ninja Nations will deeply affect him and continue on in Part III. I mean, just because Naruto is in Japan doesn't mean that he doesn't have some action going on. There's comedy, action, maybe horror, drama, and other things.

Part II will also support the idea that the 458th Universe is bigger than it looks. There are characters from other series who make themselves known, Ninja Gaiden, Dead Or Alive, Queen's Blade, and Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs being proof that there's more than just Naruto, and this is just Part I. Part II and Part III will have more as the 458th Universe starts expanding like a roster to a video game, a series coming to the CW or a cinematic universe for the big screen.