This is me taking a story challange like I said. it's from WilsonBR
A couple things I should note.
Naruto and the rookies will be aged up to 16. (Naruto16, Tenten 17, Temari 17) all the adults will stay the same age. Becuase I can, and I'm more comfortable doing things like this.
Naruto will be more Uzumaki-like. he's going to stick with his orginal powers, no new bloodline. it's not needed, Naruto is already op
Naruto will change, and become more relaxed.
No bashing
and that's it.
Okay, enjoy the story
Team Seven had just returned from their mission in the land of Wave. They walked through the gates and all relaxed visibly. Even the stiff Sasuke looked to be more laid back, while Sakura dropped to her butt and gave a hefty sigh. Kakashi closed his book and tucked it back into his pouch with a smile behind his mask.
Their Jounin in his ninja attire turned his one eye to Naruto. Out of the three, he expected Naruto to shout, run around, and scream at the top of his lungs. But instead, the boy looked, to be in deep thought, almost drowning in them. Perhaps his mind was still in Wave while his body just moved along.
"What's wrong, Naruto? You've been silent the entire trip back." That wasn't like the bright blonde. From his bright hair, and blue eyes. To neon orange jumpsuit. He wanted to be seen and heard.
Sasuke cast a side-eyed look at his teammate. Naruto who had fought for him. His now-named rival was being distant. The blonde was extremely out of character. Even when Sasuke bragged hoping to poke at Naruto, he got nothing and was brushed aside as if he were Sakura!
Sakura also looked at Naruto from the ground with a raised brow. He seemed to be thinking very hard about something. "Yea! Why are you being all quiet?! Aren't you happy to be home?" Sakura knew that would get an answer out of him. He always answered her.
Naruto looked up holding a frown on his lips. "I've just been thinking…that's all."
"Oh, what were you thinking about?" Kakashi asked.
"If it's taking me on a date! Forget it!" Sakura waved her fist at Naruto from the ground. The threat was clear and the intent shone in her eyes.
"I was thinking how unprepared I was. For this mission and really everything, ya know?" Naruto's voice was uncharacteristically soft and light. "I thought I knew everything, that I was ready for the shinobi life. That I was strong, that I had moved on from being weak and helpless."
"Naruto, This was your first mission and things didn't go how they should have. It happens, it's something you're going to have to learn. I've been on too many missions to count where that was the case." Kakashi lectured getting closer to Naruto and placing a hand of comfort on his shoulder.
Naruto slightly shook his head. "No Sensei, I was a danger to you all. I caused more trouble than I should have. If I had just thought things through, maybe that mission could have gone better."
"That's one way to look at it. No matter how perfect you are, you can always find a way to improve and become better." Kakashi really felt nostalgic right now. It was these same words his sensei had told to him years ago. When he was throwing a fit at the slightest obstacle and berating anyone and anything that served to annoy him.
"Zabuza was right, I've been taking this too lightly. I didn't really know what being a ninja meant. But I finally understand. To be a shinobi is to endure and overcome." Naruto took off his headband and gazed at the face looking back at him. He then felt the gaze of someone on him and looked to the monument to see the Fourth Hokage's stone face. It looked as if it was smiling. At him! "I'm going to change and be better! And I never go back on my word because that is my ninja way!"
Now he was grinning again. His fist raised to the Fourth Hokage's stone face. "I'll be someone my parents can be proud of, whoever they are."
Kakashi looked surprised for a moment before smiling down at his student. "Great! You two could learn something from Naruto."
"Hmph, as if that loser could teach me anything." Sasuke crossed his arms and looked away, not wanting to show his smirk.
"I don't want to say it, but Naruto's right. I was completely useless during this mission. I didn't do a thing just cried over Sasuke." Sakura thought also feeling pathetic. The girl got a real wake-up call during this mission. Being a shinobi was real work that put her life on the line at all corners. "Me too Sensei! I'm going to be better!"
"Huh? You two huh? Well, that sure is great isn't it?" Kakashi turned to see Sasuke. The cherry on top, If only Sasuke-
"Hmph."
Never mind, They all should have known better.
"We can do it together, Sakura-chan." Naruto reached his hand out for the pinkett to grab onto. She gripped Naruto's hand and was pulled to her feet. "The three of us, the strongest cell in the history of the Leaf Village!"
"He can pull this team together so easily, if he wises up as he said, he could become a team leader and lead this team without me. He's a natural born leader." Kakashi's lips pulled up into a smile. "I'm really starting to like these guys."
"But I will see you guys later, I'm going to visit the old man about something."
"I'm going there as well, I can take you." Kakashi placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder and looked at the other two. "Take the next three days off." And the jounin was gone in a gust of leaves.
"Woah, what jutsu was that?" Sakura asked picking up one of the leaves that appeared out of nowhere. Before looking towards Sasuke with a blush. "S-Sasuke-kun, d-do you maybe, wanna. Go on a date?"
Sasuke gave her a flat stare while she remained hopeful. "Didn't you just say you'd do better? Go train and be of some use. You are so annoying." With his peace said, Sasuke walked off to his apartment to rest up and also self-reflect.
Sakura's head dropped. Sasuke was right, she did say that. Now she had to follow through on it and make something of herself. Maybe then Sasuke would go out with her! Until she shook her head. "I have to become better for myself, Not for anyone else. Like Naruto, he wants to better himself, and so will I."
When Kakashi and Naruto appeared again they were in the Hokage's office. "Sensei, what jutsu was that?" Naruto asked, trying to find his balance.
"It's called the Body Flicker. A teleportation jutsu."
"When can I learn it?" Instead of shouting or demanding, Naruto just asked with a curious gaze. It was clear to Kakashi that the boy was really trying to hold back his shouts.
"Whenever you learn to control that abnormal chakra of yours."
"Is that something I should work on?"
"It is, you spend a lot of chakra just using your Shadow Clone jutsu. If you correctly manage the amount of chakra used on your Shadow Clones, you could save even more reserves of your unlimited chakra reserves."
"And then you could use that chakra for even more powerful jutsu. Chakra control is a fundamental skill in the understanding of chakra. Without that, you would just be pouring gallons of water into cups of water." It was Hiruzen who spoke this time. He had just listened to the student and teacher go back and forth until he could intervene at the right time.
"Ohh, so if I control more of my chakra, I can use the rest for even stronger jutsu." Naruto had finally come to an understanding of the situation. He was off to a good start, Already he was making improvements.
"So what brings you here? Are you going to show Naruto how you do mission reports?" Hiruzen asked, stamping his signature onto a piece of paper on his desk.
"No, I am here to give my report though. Naruto has his own reason." Kakashi moved to the desk and pulled a scroll from his vest pocket. He set it on the desk and moved back to Naruto.
"I am here to ask you about the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"And what about it?"
"Since you are an old man, you must know a lot about jutsu." Hiruzen's brow twitched but he let Naruto keep going. "And I was wondering if there is anything else I might have missed when I took the scroll not too long ago?"
"Yes, Due to my vast knowledge and fountain of jutsu knowledge. I know a little about the Shadow Clone Jutsu." That was an understatement. He knew all there was to know about the jutsu since his sensei, the Second Hokage, was the one to create the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
"You said you had mastered the jutsu Naruto, Was that a lie." Kakashi obviously teased Naruto. The boy flushed and poked his fingers together.
"What?! I don't remember saying that. You've got me mistaken for someone else."
"Anyways, There is a key fact you missed when learning the jutsu. The most important jutsu." Hiruzen took a hit from his pipe and blew out small white clouds. "The Shadow Clone Jutsu can recall the memories of each clone. So, you can theoretically gain the experience of each clone along with everything it has discovered."
Hiruzen saw no harm in Naruto learning the true secret to the jutsu. He already had a very good understanding of the jutsu anyways, this would not only make Naruto more powerful, but it would also bolster the strength of the village for their Jinchuriki to master the jutsu. And if he was being honest, Hiruzen owed Naruto this.
"That means I could gain double the training if I used another clone to help me with training. I could get years of training done in only a couple of days if I summon thousands of clones!" Despite how hard he tried, Naruto couldn't help but yell out his excitement. "Man, I'm gonna train even harder now!"
"Here, take this." Kakashi dropped a bag of coins in Naruto's hand. "This is your payment for completing this A-rank mission. Go and buy some new clothes to signify a change. Those are about to fall apart anyway."
"What? A-rank? Your team had a C-rank." Hiruzen said.
"You'll see in the report, It was something, to say the least."
Naruto looked down at his torn jacket and pants. They were in taters and had clear signs of damage. His pant leg was missing from the ankle down, while his right sleeve was torn open. "Damn, This was the only ninja gear I had."
"Well, go treat yourself Naruto. You deserve it. I am proud you are changing your life around." Kakashi's words were from the heart. He was really glad that Naruto would aim to do better.
"Just what happened on that mission?" Was Hiruzen's worried thoughts.
"Yeah, thanks. I'll see ya around Old Man and Kakashi-sensei." Naruto dismissed himself and left through the door.
"So, Kakashi. Want to inform me on what the hell happened on his protection mission? And why it caused such a drastic shift in Naruto's mind from just one mission?"
Now Naruto was walking down the streets of the village, being subjected to the hateful gazes as always. Did these people have anything else to do? One day, they would all respect him and look up to him! But for now, he'd just ignore them and carry on with his life.
But what store would he go to? There were a lot of options but most stores just kicked him out or charged him more than usual for the food. Those stores were civilian shops, so hopefully. A ninja shop would be better.
There was a rather large store to his left with a giant kunai as his logo. Taking a chance, Naruto opened the door and sounded a bell. "Hello! Welcome in!" A cheery voice greeted him from a counter. Naruto looked to see a brunette girl about one year older than him. She gave a welcoming smile as she stared through soft brown eyes.
Her hair was tied up in two twin buns that looked like that of a Panda or Mouse ears. She was also oddly familiar to him as if he'd known this person his whole life. Her outfit was rather cute if he was honest, A navy blue qipao-styled sleeveless shirt with red trimmings on the edge. Her pants were black bottoms rolled up past her ankles with a ninja pouch on her left thigh.
"She's a ninja." Naruto noted by the blue forehead protected tied around her head. So there was a chance she'd let him stay.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" She was polite. Off to a good start.
"I am looking for shinobi attire. This is my first time here, So could you show me around?" Naruto was also being polite. Trying to place a lid on his loudmouth personality.
"Follow me this way! Our clothes are in the back corner of the store!" She quickly came from around the corner to show she had blue shinobi sandals.
"O-oh okay." Naruto followed the girl to the back store as she asked him a question.
"Is this your first time here?"
"Yea, I've never really shopped for equipment before."
"Really? Then how did you get a hold of your equipment?"
"I just used what was provided by the academy."
"And you're still alive? You must be lucky."
"Ha! Or it's just that I'm a super ninja with unmatched skill!" Welp, that lid exploded. It would take some time for him to settle down and become more of a thoughtful individual after all.
She giggled to herself, and the buns on her head twitched with her laughter. That seemed to flash something in his brain. He'd seen that before, he was sure of it. And this feeling between the two of them was so strong and rich in fondness.
"You're buns twitch when you laugh, that's adorable. You're like a little mouse." He said half-heartedly while stifling his own laugh.
To this, the girl froze in her tracks. She turned around and looked at him with wide eyes. "Say that again?"
"I said your buns twitch when you laugh."
She stared at him for seconds on end. She looked to be searching for something in his eyes. It was making him a little uncomfortable as girls didn't look at him for this long. Especially the cute ones. So what was she looking for? "Your name, what is it?"
"Naruto Uzumaki."
If possible, her eyes got even wider and she stumbled backward as her knees started to shake. "It's you…I've been looking for you." Her eyes watered and she engulfed Naruto in a tight hug resting her head against his neck. "Where did you go, Naruto?"
There was something about the way she said that and how she hugged him. It was starting to come back to him as he took in her features. Brown hair, oak-colored eyes, and she had a birthmark on the back of her neck. It was her, that girl from long ago.
His first friend.
Back when Naruto still lived in an orphanage with the other kids. When he used to get picked on and always ended up in fights with the other kids. He was known as a problem child that would never get adopted by anyone and would forever be alone. Never to be loved or cared for.
"What a loser! You think you could ever become Hokage!"
"Of course I can, I'll prove it to you! I'll show you all how great I am!" Naruto shouted to the three kids in front of him.
"Yea right!" He was punched in the face by one of the kids.
Which Naruto growled and turned around to slam a fist in the kids in the face with a punch that laid him flat on his back. He wasted no time and went for the other two but was quickly overpowered by the older boys and brought to the ground. Where they proceed to kick him repeatedly over and over.
"Little punk, As if the village would ever accept a monster like you!"
A girl came around the corner. She gasped in shock. "What are you doing!"
"What does it look like? Putting this loser in his place!"
Her face twisted into anger and she rushed forwards and dealt with the boys quickly. Just a couple of well-placed punches and they were crying for the caretaker. "Hmph, jerks." She looked toward the blonde boy getting back to his feet and whipping his nose of the blood.
"I had that under control." Naruto huffed.
"Yeah sure buddy. You may have hit that one guy but that's it, You have no combat skill once so ever."
"I didn't need a girl to save me!"
"Is there a problem with me being a girl? Huh?!" She raised her fist while her eyes blazed with fury.
"No! I was just joking."
"Not funny." She crossed her arms. "You're welcome by the way."
"Thanks, I guess." He said looking at her.
Her eyes became more gentle."I heard what they were saying."
"Do you think they are right? Want to laugh at my dream?" Naruto didn't even sound like he cared too much. He became numb to the laughter at this point.
"Of course not. I think it's good that you want to become Hokage. It's better than what most of us want to become anyway." Tenten, unlike most kids, admired that he had high goals. She also had high goals. "I also have high goals, I wish to become the strongest kunoichi and become a master of all weapons, and cleave mountains in two with just a swipe of my blade."
"What's a mountain?"
"A giant rock with a pointy tip." She gave an intelligent answer to the intelligent question.
"But anyways, don't let those cowards get inside your head. They are just mad you have something you wanna be, while they don't! They are the real losers."
Naruto felt touched by her words, as they resonated with him. He'd cherish each and every word she said to him. For life, he'd always remember those words. "Say, want to be friends?"
"Why not." Tenten said, smiling. "Hokage-sama." She gained a grin as she teased him.
"Very funny, little mouse."
And since that day, Tenten and Naruto couldn't be seen without each other. They were joined at the hip. They trained, played, pranked, ate, and sometimes slept with each other. During this time, Naruto was happy, truly happy. He gained a precious person in his life.
But it was taken when she had been adopted. It was a sad day for Naruto. No matter how much she said they would hang out or meet up, it didn't cheer him up. It was a teary goodbye for both of them. It was that day, which sparked a downfall in Naruto's personality. He started getting physical with the kids, leaving them injured and sometimes sending them to the hospital on very bad days.
It was then that Hiruzen got him his own place to stay. Naruto and Tenten looked for each other, up and down. They never realized how big the village truly was until that moment. So Naruto started pulling pranks in order to draw Tenten out and maybe grab her attention.
But it was all for nothing. As the two never ran into each other.
"Ten-chan." Naruto hugged the girl back as he satiated her shoulder with his tears. While his own jacket became damp from Tenten's tears.
"Where have you been? I looked all over the place for you!"
"I should be saying that to you! I always went back to that piss of an orphanage to try and find you!"
"I pulled pranks around the village for you, to see if you would notice me." Naruto frowned as that plan didn't work at all. "You weren't going to find me there, since I moved out of that place. I have my own apartment now." He said.
Tenten separated from the hug and smiled. "You have your own place? At 16?! I'll have to come over sometime." She smiled and hugged him again. "You'll invite me, won't you?"
"Yes! You can come over anytime you want. What's mine is yours."
Into his shoulder, Tenten smiled. "Just like back then."
"Of course." Naruto gave a grin.
"I've missed his smile so much. He's gotten so handsome." She broke the hug again and coughed into her hand. "So, you are here for clothes right, Whiskers."
"Haha, very funny."
"It is, that's why I'm laughing." She continued to giggle at his old nickname.
"Her laugh, it still makes me smile. I've missed the sound of it." Naruto gained a fond smile as his eyes radiated warmth at the site of Tenten's laughter. "She's even prettier than before."
"Okay, for real this time. You want some clothes right?" Tenten walked pulling Naruto along. As his eyes drifted to Tenten's rear end. She had grown indeed, and he was loving it. He's still a healthy guy after all!
"It seems you like sportswear, not really shinobi like but it's your style." Tenten sized Naruto up with her fingers poking out her tongue as she did so. "Yup, you have no fashion sense."
"Hey! It's not that bad!" Naruto defended himself with all the dignity he had.
"Whatever, Naruto-kun. You'll just never look as cool as me." She cocked a hand on her hip while smirking hotly at Naruto.
"Meh." Naruto shot her down.
She glared and gave a pout. "See if I give you any discounts today."
"Hey! I was just pulling ya leg! No need to be rash!"
"That's what I thought."
"So, about getting me some clothes." Naruto picked up where they left off.
"Yea, Let me look and see what can fit you. What size are you?"
"XL"
"How about all black?"
"Is there orange in it?"
So Tenten flipped through the shelves placing Naruto in all kinds of outfits and making him wear what she thought would look best. From full jumpers to black robes, and full sets of armor.
"Look at this one! I like it!" Naruto picked up the top and bottoms and ran into the fitting room before Tenten could see. He quickly unzipped his orange jacket and took off the mesh armor underneath. And all but jumped from his pants.
When the door curtain opened again, It showed Naruto wearing a black collared jacket. It had orange vertical stripes on the upper arms and wrist while it was open revealing a plain black shirt underneath. It was more of a chill look compared to his hyper and all-up in-your-face jacket. Slick black pants that stopped just above his ankles and black high-top shinobi sandals. Naruto had his hands in his pocket and a relaxed smile on his face.
"So. whatcha think?"
"Was he always this hot?!" Tenten flushed and stuttered a response. "Y-you look good." Before she coughed and got back under control. This was crazy, and she needed to regain control. "It looks much better. You look more like a shinobi now."
Naruto gave a smile. "Thanks, I'm glad the fashion queen thinks so much of my outfit."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, just like it never got you any of my snacks." Tenten reminded the boy who often tried to butter her up, in hopes of getting an extra cookie.
"Aw, that's no fun Ten-chan." Naruto grabbed his old clothes and tossed them in a white bag. "So what else do I need?"
"You need some protection underneath this? That mesh armor is a lifesaver but not really up to snuff and isn't as reliable as the better stuff." Tenten tapped Naruto in the gut a few times. She noticed there was a lack of muscle and more of a slim frame. "Say Naruto, you're actually pretty small now that I look at you. For a sixteen-year-old teen, you should be taller and bigger. Have you been eating right?"
"Ramen and spoiled milk." He gave a smile.
"No wonder, you're not going to grow if that's all you eat." Tenten berated her best friend with narrowed eyes. "You need a well-balanced diet, I recommend you bulk up. Lots of protein."
"Ahh! You sound like Kakashi-sensei! And what the hell is protein?!" Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Kakashi is your sensei! And how do you not know what protein is?!" She yelled in angered shock.
"Yes, Kakashi is my sensei. Who is yours?"
"Might Guy." Tenten shuttered, hearing a faint sound of YOUTH from outside. "But protein is a large group of molecules that support cell structure, hormone synthesis, and muscle growth. "
Naruto just blinked and stared like a lost child. "Keep going, I don't understand a thing you're saying."
Tenten gave an aggravated sigh. "Lots of protein makes you healthy and big." She slowed it down like she was speaking with a small child. "Understand?"
"I'm not an idiot. Jerk." Naruto scowled. But didn't mean hostile feelings towards her.
"I know, just a little slow." She said innocently.
Naruto opened his mouth to argue but relented at the end. "Yeah, just a little."
Now Tenten felt bad." No, I'm sorry Naruto-kun."
"It's fine, I've always been a little slow to learn, but now I'm working on it and trying to change."
"Change?" Tenten missed a large part of his life, so she had no idea who Naruto was after the orphanage.
"Yeah, I just got back from my first C-rank that turned into an A-rank. It opened my eyes to what the world is truly like. I don't want to stay how I am now, I want to change and be better."
At his statement, Tenten smiled proudly at the blonde. He has changed and is showing signs of maturity. It was good he saw his flaws and wanted to do something about them. "That's good, I'm proud. You should always want to do better." She was honest, and it bled through to her words.
"Thanks, Ten-chan."
"Anytime Naruto-kun." Tenten turned before she became trapped in the endless pool which was his eyes. "Now let's get you some proper gear and armor."
"Great, I've got some training to do." Naruto said and followed Tenten to the counter. On a rack were many sheets of armor that shinobi wore under their clothing.
"Now, I'm going to give you this carbon fiber armor for free as a reunion present. Thank me later." Tenten grabbed it off the rack and placed it on the counter. "It's high quality and very resilient to blunt force attacks or kunai and shuriken. It's underrated and should really be worn more."
The armor was a slick black that looked more like another shirt than an actual piece of armor you'd imagine. Naruto picked up the lightweight material and gave it a couple of tosses. "Light like a feather. But won't you get in trouble for this later?"
Tenten waved him off. "I count the cash later anyways, plus, this is a family business. My parents will understand once I tell them."
"If you say so." Naruto folded the flexible material up and placed it in his bag.
"Now here is your kunai kit, ninja wire, shuriken, sealing tags, paper bombs, smoke bombs, and first aid kit." As Tenten kept talking, Naruto's jaw fell further and further.
After the purchase, Naruto's money had grown legs, and jumped into the register. It would be a long time before he could fill up gama-chan again.
"Okay, Ten-chan. It was nice to finally see you after so long. We have to catch up sometime." Naruto stopped at the door as Tenten walked him out.
"Of course! We can train just like we used to." Tenten said with an eager smile on her delicate face.
"I'm free tomorrow if you want to train, I can wow you with my skills." Naruto said with a confident smirk on his face.
"Uh-huh, we're gonna have to spar since you keep bragging about how skilled you are." Tenten said with a testing smirk. "Just don't be upset when I leave you in the dirt."
"We'll see, When I win, you have to buy me ramen." Naruto offered his hand.
"Bet! And when I win, you've got to train with my sensei." Naruto didn't like the smile Tenten had. It gave off bad vibes and he would most likely regret it.
"See ya around, Ten-chan." Naruto hugged her tight and gained a content smile on his face as he felt her softer arms close around his back.
"Okay, Come and pick me up tomorrow." She left his hug smiling softly. She watched him leave with a slightly frightful feeling. What if she didn't see him again? The last time she saw Naruto he was a small boy, only five years old. Now he was sixteen and a ninja for the village. She'd have to ask for his apartment so if need be, she could just come and see him whenever she wanted.
"Yup, I'll do that! I'll make sure not to lose him again."
"Lose who again?"
"Nothing. I was just thinking out loud."
Her dad said coming from the forge. He was tall and lean with scars along his arms. He was a gruff-looking man with short brown hair and calm red eyes. His apron was covered with burn marks and black dust. Tenten's father, Intashi Higarashi. Was a retired shinobi who fell in love with crafting weapons.
"Say, do you know what mom's making for dinner?" He asked his adopted daughter.
"I think she said beef tacos."
"That's my favorite!" He got a smile and his taste buds watered.
"I wanted Mac and Cheese." Tenten went back into the store with a cute pout of defiance.
Due to raising the girl, Intashi had grown immune to the look. "Nope, Don't even." He waved his finger at her. "I don't want to see that look." He was a calm-headed individual with years of training that wouldn't allow him to fall victim to his daughter's look.
"Dang it! It would have worked on mom."
Intashi slightly chuckled. He then noticed that one of the carbon fiber armor sets was missing. "So did you finally sell one?"
"Not sell, I gave it away." Tenten frightfully said and recoiled under her father's stare.
"Why would you do that? It better be a good reason." He crossed his arms and looked sternly at Tenten.
"I gave it to Naruto-kun, the boy from the orphanage I told you and mom about. Remember, I told you I was looking for him all the time."
Intashi knew who she was talking about. "Naruto, I saw him prank the Hokage about two weeks ago. He painted the Hokage Monument."
"What!"
"No distractions, So you gave this high-quality armor away to your little boyfriend?"
"Dad stop!" It wasn't like that. She and Naruto were just really close friends.
"Ok, since you really care about him. I'll let it slide this time. I know how much he means to you." Intashi wished to meet the kid. He didn't know too much about him other than he was the holder of the Nine Tails. Villagers always talked badly about the boy, but Intashi had an understanding of sealing, so he knew Naruto was just holding the beast inside of him.
Plus, Naruto seemed to have a deep bond with his daughter. So he automatically had to meet the boy for that reason alone.
"Thanks, dad, I won't do it again."
Naruto wanted to get some training in, but he ended up staying with Tenten for longer than intended. But, it was okay. Worth it in his opinion. He'd just get some training the next day.
Naruto lay in bed looking up at the ceiling. "I'm going to do better, be better. Grow strong to protect those precious to me." Naruto held his fist up and clenched it with resolve in his eyes. For Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, and Tenten. "To gain strength to protect you all."
Naruto wasn't doing all of this for their sake. But a large part of it was. He was taking Haku's words to heart. However, you can't protect anyone without power. So that is what he needed above all.
Power.
Naruto was out in the training ground bright and early. The big yellow sun had just risen into the sky, painting the world blue and vast. He was dressed in his new outfit and he had to say, The outfit was growing on him.
He had already warmed up and was now thinking about what he would do next. "Kakashi-sensei says I should work on my chakra control. So I will start with that." And there was the problem. Then Naruto remembered they used to stick leaves on their foreheads and spin them in their palms.
So, he went to one of the many trees and sent chakra to the soles of his feet to walk along it. He grabbed a handful of leaves and jumped back to the ground. Taking off his headband, Naruto stuck one of the leaves on his forehead and channeled chakra to the center of his brow.
As soon as the leaf touched his forehead, it was blasted off and destroyed into tiny little specks of green that floated in the wind. "Welp, this is going to be harder than I thought." Before he could continue his training again, Naruto remembered he told Tenten that they would train.
"I better get her before she complains my ears off." Naruto crossed his fingers and summoned one shadow clone. "Go and get Ten-cha."
"Roger Boss!" The clone grinned before running off to accomplish its task.
In the Hokage's office, All the jounin sensei's were gathered. Hiruzen looked as they all lined up and awaited for him to talk.
"Okay, You all know the Chunin Exams were about to begin in a couple of days." They all nodded to his statement. "Well, It's getting pushed back by two weeks. The Tsuchikage has decided he wants to join in on the action, along with the raikage.
Even for the well trained Jounin, they showed signs of shock. For two of the leaf's main enemies to join was cause for shock and a little trepidation.
"Are we sure that's a good idea? You know what the raikage attempted last time he sent one of his ninjas into the village." Kurenai spoke under restrained anger. She was the sensei of Hinata Hyuga. So she was obviously close to her student.
"I am well aware of that, but the Raikage has formally apologized and given his word that he won't attempt anything like that again." Hiruzen rescinded calmly to the scowling sensei. "Now does that mean I trust him, No. He will be surveyed heavily and watched around the clock."
They all felt better at getting reassured that the man would be watched like a hawk. But that didn't get rid of the other Kage.
"And what about the Tsuchikage?" Kakashi asked this time. For once not reading his book and looking focused.
"There isn't too much to worry about with him. He's just a grumpy old man who doesn't know when to give the hat up." Hiruzen slightly laughed while the Jounin sweatdropped. That sounded a little like their Kage.
"Now I know our nations were just at war not long ago. But time has passed and it's all been left in the past. He is well aware of what this means for our villages. This is a step towards peace." Hiruzen felt strongly about his words. Out of all the Kage, He and Ohnoki had the most history with each other. Both had been around longer than needed and had seen the world bathed in blood. Now it was time to rinse off all that blood.
Hiruzen would not hold his breath. Ohnoki was a stubborn mule so he doubted they could just start talking about peace after one little visit. Even if it was the Chunin Exams.
"So you all have an extra two weeks to train your genin. I expect them to be up to standards and put on a show for the other nations. We'll be hosting three of the Great Nations. And make sure to be on your best Behavior."
"This is going to be one hell of an exam." Asuma lit a cigarette only to be glared at by Kurenai. And he glared back, he was smoking this one to the bone! He'd make it up to her later anyways.
"That it will be my son." Hiruzen let a slight smile across his face. "Now that is all, enjoy the rest of your day!"
Tenten waited on the roof of her shop dangling her feet as she did so. Like this, she could get a good view of Naruto before he could see her. But she had been waiting for at least thirty minutes now. It wasn't that big of a bother as she spun a kunai on every one of her fingers while whistling a tune.
That is when she saw a tuft of spiky blonde hair moving along the street. He looked good in his new outfit, he looked good. Tenten could honestly say Naruto had grown very handsome. Round cheeks, deep hypnotizing pools of blue eyes, and that smile that lit up a room. She shook her head and got under control.
"Up here, Naruto-kun!"
Naruto looked up and used his hand to block the sun that shone in his eyes. "Can you come down?! I can't see you because of the sun!" Tenten flipped off the roof and landed gracefully on her feet. "Acrobatic?"
"My team is composed of taijutsu specialists, so it's only natural that I myself pick up on their teachings." She explained placing the kunai back in her pouch. "So. Where are we training?"
"I'm on the east side of the village, Training Ground Velvet."
"I've never been to that one, is it nice?"
"It's what you can expect from a training ground. Trees, grass, lake, and a big open area."
"Nothing to write home about then?" She laughed at the end.
"Nah, Wouldn't even write about it." Naruto laughed with her as they walked to the field. Until Tenten noticed what Naruto said.
"Why'd you say it like that?"
"Like what?"
"You said 'I'm'. Like, this isn't you." She poked a finger in his cheek making sure this was a real person next to her.
Naruto looked confused before gaining an understanding look. "That's because this is a Shadow Clone of mine." The blonde gave the brunette a grin.
"Shadow Clone? What's that?" Tenten had never heard of the jutsu. But from the name, she knew it to be some cloning jutsu.
"It makes real copies that I can freely manipulate. They take a portion of my chakra and I can split it evenly, or make it random." Naruto for once, gave a detailed answer while not leaving much to question.
"A real clone?" Once more, she started to poke Naruto in the side. "So this is a Shadow Clone, huh?"
"Yup!" Grinning, Naruto had more to say. "I can also recall the memories and experiences of each clone. I just learned about that yesterday."
"I'm jealous, can you teach it to me?" She asked with hope in her eyes.
"Not a chance! This jutsu takes a lot of chakra. And you don't look like you have a lot of chakra."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" There was a clear warning in her question.
"It means you don't have enough chakra for it." Naruto said back, uncaring for the warning look she gave him.
"Is it because I'm a girl?" Tenten had stopped walking and looked at Naruto with hints of anger. She was sick of being underestimated because of her gender.
Naruto stopped to look at her. "Really? Do I look like the type to judge gender?" To that, Tenten turned her head, not answering. "It's a jutsu that takes a large amount of chakra. Even Kakashi-sensei can't make more than me. I'm only saying this to keep you safe."
Now she felt bad. Here she was, jumping to conclusions. "Sorry, Naruto-kun."
"It's fine, I knew you were going to react like that." Naruto turned to keep walking. Which Tenten fell into step next to him as they entered a forest region.
"How did you know that?"
"Because I know you, Ten-chan. Even when we were kids. You were always strong-willed, keeping a headstrong when everyone else underestimated you. It's something I admire about you." Naruto honestly said, missing the blush that spread on Tenten's cheeks.
"That's what I admired about you." She also spoke from the heart, not hiding anything.
"Well we're just the perfect match aren't we?" He said with a joking grin.
The bun-haired girl laughed, bumping his shoulder. "We are aren't we?"
They fell into silence as they moved through the forest, just basking in the calming walk. Soon, Tenten could hear the sound of frustrated shouts and looked at Naruto who grinned nervously back.
Coming through the last set of trees's Tenten saw the field covered in Naruto clones who all sat around trying to stick leaves to their foreheads. "Damn, this is crazy! And they are all you're clones?"
"Each and everyone." The clone said, before going up in smoke and returning the memories to the original Naruto.
"Yo!" Tenten saw Naruto hanging upside down by his feet above her. "Shocked into awe at the awesomeness of my jutsu!"
"I've got to say, I am impressed, Naruto." She smiled up at the blond.
Naruto fell down to the ground next to the girl. "So what do you want to train in?"
Before she could answer. A clone shot up and shouted its accomplishment. "I did it! I finally got it to stick!" The clone went up into smoke seconds later. Then all the clones shouted for joy as they high-fived each other.
"Nar-hahah!" Tenten hunched over and started to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
Tenten looked up to speak but dropped to her knees and started laughing again. "You- Haha! Stick a-a-a leaf!" Her laughter continued as she couldn't even speak.
Naruto rolled his eyes as the girl mocked him. He now knew what was so funny. "Yes, I just learned how to stick a leaf to my forehead."
"Oh my god, my stomach hurts. You are a Genin and just learned this? What have you been doing?" She wiped a tear from her eye and got back to her feet.
Naruto's face fell and his mood shifted quickly. "I haven't been the best ninja, I've been joking around this whole time. It wasn't until my recent mission that I got a taste of what the world was really like. It's filled with monsters, vermin, and those suffering under them."
Tenten listened and gave Naruto her full attention. "That's true. It's not right, but that's how the world is."
"But it shouldn't have to be!" Naruto quickly said, Raising his voice a bit. "A world where kids don't know their parents, families torn apart by ruthless people that only care about filling their pockets! It's sick."
"Naruto-kun." Tenten softly muttered his name. He turned his blue eyes at her, and she could see his pupil had become a slit for some reason. "Just what happened on that mission?" she wondered.
"I'll change it all. I won't allow a world like that to exist any longer. Me, Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto proudly stated, thumbing his chest as his eyes returned to normal and filled with passion. "I'll create a peaceful world! I'll do it for sure."
"That's a big goal." Tenten remarked. "Are you sure you can handle it?"
"Are you kidding? Of course I will! Just watch me."
Tenten smiled. He had really changed and grown up. It was amazing, truly. She now felt invigorated to do more.
"What happened on that mission of your Naruto? What caused this big change?"
"A story for some other time." Now, it was time to train. "I'll tell you later, Let's train for now as the time is ticking."
Tenten smirked. "Down for that spar?"
"If you want to lose so badly, be my guest."
Tenten pulled out a scroll and aimed it towards Naruto. "Unseal!" A stream of fire rushed from the sealing paper toward a surprised Naruto.
He had to quickly jump out of the way or be burned to a crisp. He made his clones pop so he could get the knowledge on how to better control his chakra. Now with that done, Naruto could fight better and more efficiently with his chakra.
It wasn't like he had any jutsu or anything, which was a flaw he was becoming aware of. It would just allow him to have a better hold on his restless chakra.
So Naruto used the Shadow Clone Jutsu again. Five came into view as they pulled out kunai and threw a volley of them towards Tenten who smirked.
"Exploding Dragon Strike!" A seal unwrapped itself from Around Tenten and rushed from the ink. A dragon head of fire roared towards Naruto. It rushed right through the kunai, sending them off target. It connected with Naruto, blowing up in a great explosion. "Was that too much?"
Tenten saw the smoky body of Naruto fall to the ground. She moved closer still on guard. That is when the body puffed into smoke blinding Tenten for the moment. When the smoke cleared, she was wrapped up in ninja wire and pushed to the ground.
"Quick and easy." Naruto rubbed under his nose with a grin.
Tenten fell around, and her hands were still free. She rolled her eyes. His lack of experience was showing. "You are cocky, but you haven't earned it. You are still a rookie. I've been a Genin for a year now, you have to do better!" She used hand signs and summoned a tanto to her hands. with a flick of her wrist, Tenten cut the wire and quickly cut down the clones.
"She's free! Get her!" A clone shouted and just rushed in, only to be stabbed. Followed by another clone and another clone. As this proceeded over and over again, Naruto looked on from the trees with worry.
"She's destroying them so effortlessly! I can't hit her!"
Naruto watched as Tenten jumped in the air. She pulled out two small scrolls. "Double Dragon Strike!" The two heads of fire rushed down and exploded on his army of clones.
Now she was looking for him, Tanto in her hand, Until she clicked it back into the sheath on her waist. "She's equipped for war, Where are these weapons coming from?!"
"Won't come out, I'll force you out." Tenten began to spin like a tornado as many sharp objects were thrown from her including, kunai, shuriken, swords, tanto's, and knives.
"Think, think, think! Got it, she uses long-range weapons, So she has to be weak at taijutsu." Naruto rushed at Tenten with all his speed which wasn't much.
Tenten reacted quickly and took on a stance with her palms flat and out. "Hyakuretsukyaku!" In a flash, Tenten struck Naruto with rapid kicks at him. Each kick landed with pinpoint accuracy as if she had a lock on to his body.
"She's crazy strong!" Naruto said falling back. Only to snap back into focus. He went back into combat exchanging blows with the girl, trying to brute force his way through her defense. Naruto didn't fight alone though, he used his shadow clones.
He'd punch and kick, Once he was done, he let the other shadow clone go while the clone summoned more clones until Tenten had to keep fighting off an army that only got bigger. Naruto sent a row of clones into Tenten who now used a great sword to take big swings and cleave them all in half.
"Is this all you can do? Naruto-kun?!" Tenten had to say, this was super annoying. Fighting nothing but clones and always seeing smoke made it hard to see.
"I've got some more!" Naruto came flying through the smoke like an arrow being released from the quiver. This attack landed and his fist sunk into Tenten's gut. Making her bend over on his fist as she gasped for air.
"And to close it out!" More clones fell from the sky like falling drops of rain. It was a dog pile as they bombarded Tenten with attacks.
Once it was over, Tenten had a bruised check while blood dripped from the side of her mouth. "Wow Naruto! You beat me. I don't know if I should be proud or angry."
Naruto came over with a big smile. "Told ya I was gonna win didn't I?" Naruto rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin.
Tenten swiped the blood from her lip and felt the bruise on her cheek. That is when she drew a katana out of nowhere and rested it underneath his chin. "Or maybe not." Tenten smirked, feeling cocky at her victory.
"No! You said I won!" Naruto shouted his complaints.
"Like the books say, We are shinobi, we lie, cheat, and kill. A ninja must see through deception." Tenten placed the sword on her back in a standard scabbard. "Remember that, Naruto-kun."
"Yea yea, I get it." Naruto pocketed his hands. "Though if we are being real, I beat you. So this is my victory." He gained a grin shortly after.
"If it helps you sleep at night."
"It just might."
Naruto had a question for his friend. "Ten-chan, what were those papers that released all those weapons and jutsu?"
Tenten moved her fingers, and threads of chakra extended to all her lost weapons. "It's called sealing jutsu. It can do a wide variety of things. Often used to hold things for later use. Like you saw, weapons or jutsu if you are really skilled like me." She sealed up all her weapons again and tucked them back into her pouch.
"To hold things." Naruto rested a hand on his stomach.
"Yeah, to hold things." Tenten looked at Naruto who was holding his stomach. "Are you hungry or something?"
"No, just thinking."
"You want me to teach you?"
"Was it that obvious?"
"It was all over your face." A giggle escaped her lips. "Don't worry, it's fine, I don't mind. We're best friends after all!"
Naruto smiled warmly at Tenten. "Yup, Best of friends!"
"Okay, Let's get some more training in, The Chunin Exams are coming up and I want to be ready for them."
Naruto nodded to that. "Whatever it is? I'll be ready for it."
So the two trained for hours on end. Naruto used more of his clones to practice his chakra control. This time, he would stick to a tree and put a leaf on his forehead. He and Tenten would spar, and she lectured him on small details he should have known. How to throw a kunai properly even though he could nail his targets with ease. It was not good enough for the weapons expert though.
Just for giggles, Tenten gave him a sword and she beat the crap out of him in kenjutsu. To the point, he didn't want to pick the sword up again. It was a real rage quit, causing Tenten to laugh. After that, she gave him a crash course in Sealing which Naruto barely understood. But he was interested.
For hours on end, they trained and trained. Until one of Tenten's teammates came to get her. It was a Hyuga from the clear white eyes making him look blind.
"Tenten, Guy-sensei is calling, He has important news for us." The brown-haired boy with fair skin said passively. He wore a beige-colored shirt with dark brown shorts. His right arm along with his right leg was covered in bandages.
Tenten frowned. "Do I have to?"
"Yes." His answer was stoic and he narrowed his eyes. "He says it's about the Chunin Exams."
"Fine." Tenten gave a defeated sigh. "Sorry, Naruto-kun. I'll see you later."
"Don't worry about it." Naruto waved her off, feeling sad she had to leave so soon.
"Why do you want to stay with this loser anyway? What are you doing with him?" Neji asked.
"Training. Why?"
"It won't accomplish anything, you're still weak." His words were cold and reflected in his eyes that belittled her.
"Hey! Ten-chan is very strong! Stronger than you will ever be!" Naruto was quick to come to her defense. "What would you know about it anyway, with your girly brown hair!"
"Hmph, commoner. Entertain yourself." He gave Naruto his back and turned.
"Why you." Naruto growled dangerously.
"No, Let it go." Tenten came in front of Naruto and looked into his eyes. "It's fine. I've gotten used to it." She looked away becoming sad.
This served to make Naruto even more angry. "You mean he talks to you like this all the time?! That's not right!" Naruto got ready for a fight and was about to summon his clones. Until Tenten grabbed his hands.
"No Naruto-kun, you can't beat him. He's the strongest member of my team. A genius from the Hyuga clan. You'll only get hurt trying to fight him." Tenten forced Naruto's hands down as she talked to Naruto. She wanted to stress the power Neji wielded to the blonde.
"I don't care if he is a genius. I'll crush him." Naruto narrowed his blue eyes towards the back of Neji who turned to meet the heated eyes of Naruto.
"No, you can't beat him as you are. We'll train some more tomorrow, yeah?" Tenten made Naruto look at her by grabbing his face.
"Fine. But he better watch how he talks to you." Naruto finally relented and calmed down. He had to work on his temper and think before acting.
"As if-" Neji was halted from saying more as Tenten glared at him with a fury he'd never seen in her eyes. "Whatever, you know the way back." Neji flashed away once he was done.
"See you tomorrow. And thanks for trying to stick up for me."
"No problem, but you can't let that guy talk down to you like that!" Naruto looked at Tenten angrily. She was so cool about this.
Tenten ducked her head away. "I…Try, but he's right. I can't defeat him. He's stronger than me."
"Then we will both get stronger!" Naruto clutched her hand in his. "To defeat both the genius on our teams."
Tenten smiled. She was doing that a lot around Naruto. "Deal!" They separated and she waved before leaping into the trees.
Team Seven had assembled for a meeting in their training ground. As always, Kakashi was running late. But instead of standing around, Naruto was training in his taijutsu against a clone. They weren't hitting each other, simply shadow boxing.
"What's he doing? He's not hitting anything." Sakura was confused and asked Sasuke next to her.
"Training. He's just getting down his footing." Sasuke grunted out an answer.
"Do you train like that Sasuke-kun?"
"No."
"And what's with the outfit change?" Sakura observed the new look. "I like it, oddly enough."
"Tell him, not me." Sasuke said. But the Uchiha could also see that Naruto looked to be in a bad mood about something. He wondered what could make Naruto of all people so angry?
"Yo!" Their sensei flashed into view with a lazy wave.
"You're late!" Normally, Naruto and Sakura would do a joint shout. But it was only Sakura as Naruto was still training.
"Looks like someone used the funds well." Kakashi noted while dropping from the tree. "Gather around you three!"
Naruto finally stopped training and walked over to his sensei. Sasuke and Sakura joined him as they waited for Kakashi to speak again.
"Do you want the good news or bad news first?"
"Good news sensei!"
"Okay, I've signed you all up for the Chunin Exams."
Sakura beamed. "You mean where we can get promoted to Chunin?!"
"Someone has done their research." Kakashi noted the smart girl on the team. "And the bad news is, They have been pushed back by two weeks."
Naruto finally spoke up for the first time. "Good news, we have two extra weeks to train."
Giving an eye smile, Kakashi answered. "That's one way to look at things."
"So we are going to train nonstop for the next two weeks." Sasuke declared, looking sternly at their sensei. Wave had served to wake him up as well. The boy thought he was plenty strong already. However, that was far from the truth. He had all but died during that mission, to someone weaker than Itachi.
"If that's what my little genin want."
"Great, because I need your help, sensei. I want you to teach me how to shoot a fireball like Sasuke." Naruto said. During his fight with Tenten, he noticed he had no jutsu to deal with her and could only use his clones to dogpile the girl.
"It's not that easy, Naruto. I have a fire affinity." Sasuke looked cocky at Naruto.
"And what's that supposed to mean?!" Naruto glared at the boy.
"It means, You can't do one. Do you even know what affinity you have?" Sasuke crossed his arms as he looked at Naruto curiously. But he already knew the answer.
"I don't know!" Naruto shouted with anger as his face turned red. Hearing the mocking chuckle of Sasuke, Naruto then got in his face. "I don't need it to beat you anyway!"
"Yeah right."
Before they could get out of hand, Kakashi intervened. "Naruto, Sasuke's words have a little bit of truth to them. You need to know what affinity you have before just attempting a jutsu." Kakashi then turned to lecture Sasuke. "And you don't need to talk down on him like that, why not answer his question."
"Because he's a loser."
The Uchiha was bopped on the head. "Knock it off, will you? You're a team, help each other." Kakashi turned to Naruto. "We will train for the next two weeks and get you all ready, these exams are going to be the biggest we've had in a while. And I want you already."
And like that, Team Seven began training for the Chunin Exams in two weeks.
Walking down a long dark hallway with menacing steps was a tall man with long red hair that spiked down his back in smooth ease. They were covered in a dark black cloak with red fur on the collar. In his hand was a long single-tipped spear that had black seal marking running from top to bottom. Its golden body covered in black ink painted a lavish picture for it.
He came upon a door and walked in without asking for permission. In the room, he saw a white-skinned man standing over a dead body as he played with their insides.
"So, you answered my calls? I'm glad." They turned and looked at him through strands of black hair. "So you want to team up?"
The man looked at the person in front of him. His dangerous red eyes portrayed hints of disgust, whether it was for himself or the man who was now going to work with was undecided. "I am doing this, because it will be better for me. You will take all the backlash while I remain unknown." His voice carried superiority and confidence. This person was strong, so strong that Orochimaru was on guard the whole time.
"Using me? For shame." Orochimaru hissed. "But you are not as hidden as you might think, I managed to get a hold of you after all." Orochimaru gained a smirk and his golden eyes shone with mirth.
"You are no normal shinobi, a freak is what you are." The spear in the red-haired man's hand touched the ground and a sealing formula quickly spread around the room too fast to react. It began to glow bright showing the Sound Four, Orochimaru's personal guard in each corner already transformed into stage two of their curse mark. They were frozen in place, along with Orochimaru.
Their chakra also got drained into the seal and flowed into the spear, leaving the man's guards in their normal appearance. The vile and evil chakra then entered the man's body causing his veins to glow slightly as his eyes took on a more fiery red.
"A multi-purpose seal, That's rare. It froze us, lit up the room, and took our chakra. And he made it with just his spear alone."Orochimaru gained a nervous grin at the man's display of power and skill. He would be a great ally or terrible enemy.
"I crafted these seals for your little plan. Make sure that old man loses everything." He tossed some sealing tags on the table. While the area lost its light again.
"Just like I have." The person was gone in a shutter of movement leaving no trace of his presence.
"That Uzumaki, He is more trouble than I thought." Orochimaru stopped his racing heart and took a breath. "I'll have to think of a way to stop him, somehow."