A/N: Here we go! Fourth Chapter!
Before we start, time to answer some guest reviews:
Naruto's concerns about finding his home Plane of Shinobu before being "compleated": the process of compleation is nothing short of being turned into a Phyrexian yourself, which means not only will you be converted into a biomechanical abomination (mostly against your will), you'll be indoctrinated to the Phyrexians' way of thinking. Before, it was considered impossible to compleat a Planeswalker, as the Planeswalker's Spark would be burnt out and destroyed in the process; in which case, they'd die, and they'd be a useless, lifeless, husk to the Phyrexians if that happened. It wasn't until the Kamigawa Neon Dynasty Arc, through a collaboration between the Phyrexian Praetor Jin-Gitaxias and the Planeswalker Tezzeret, that a way was found to compleat a Planeswalker without destroying their Spark. If you want a summarization of the process in general, think of it like you're in Mass Effect, and you're being turned into a Husk by the Reapers…or in the Planeswalkers' case, you're an Indoctrinated Saren Arterius who has been turned into a Husk before leading the invasion against all sentient life.
Therefore, Naruto's concerns revolved around the consequences to come if he had found his home Plane of Shinobu, and then been converted into a Phyrexian sometime afterwards. And his fears are not for nothing: big names like Jace Beleren, Vraska, and Nissa have been converted into Phyrexians, and then sent to conquer and convert all beings in their own home Planes in the name of Phyrexia. Keep in mind that not all of them were converted into Phyrexians like Tyvar Kell, Teferi, Wren, and the Wanderer and her childhood friend Kaito Shizuki. Hence why he was glad he didn't find Shinobu sooner…especially when you consider the full scale of the Second Phyrexian Invasion.
Why Hanabi is in Team 7: I pretty much made her Hinata's twin sister like in the previous version because I want to keep my options open as to whether or not she gets to be in the harem, and because I highly doubt Danzo would let his Root operatives join a genin team.
Naruto accepting the deal: The reason Naruto accepted the deal is for the following reasons: 1. He may have been born on the plane of Shinobu, but he's been away for so long, he may as well be an outsider…therefore, it's technically not his home anymore. 2. He's already decided to conclude his adventures in the multiverse for now, and so the last thing he needs is to be forced to leave his home Plane, especially now since he wants to reconnect with it. 3. He cannot do anything on the Plane that would unduly paint a target on his back—if he gets put in the Bingo Book almost as soon as he's arrived, he won't get to truly explore Shinobu due to the exorbitant price on his head, thereby preventing him from truly getting to know the Plane as he wanted as he'd very likely have killed, maimed, or even banished so many people in self-defense that he wouldn't be allowed to enter even a minor shinobi village. 4. He cannot nuke Shinobu out of existence (not that he can), because if he does, it'll put a target on his back with other Planeswalkers, and so he'd be no different from a-holes like Tezzeret and Tibalt…it's even likely that they'll see him as something even worse, and let me tell you, even one-man armies can eventually be killed or at least whittled down by a zerg rush. 5. He's not as free to travel the country if he's just a civvie; but being a Shinobi may allow him better opportunities to see these places.
At best, if people decide to play any worse political BS with him, the best he can do is just leave and never come back, but that'd be counterproductive to what he wants. So you may disapprove of his acceptance of the deal, but I look at it as choosing the lesser of two evils, so to speak.
And without further ado, let's get started.
…
[Konoha Ninja Academy]
It was yet another day of easy lessons in the Ninja Academy for Naruto as he gathered his things for the return home.
In the time since he'd joined the academy, Naruto had become somewhat popular among the students, largely because of stories he'd told from his adventures in the multiverse. Not that they believed him, of course, and that's even before he downplayed many details to make them sound believable. Though they were excited about his getup, and how he was able to defeat the traitor Mizuki without even using a single Jutsu.
"Naruto, may I have a word in private?" asked Iruka.
Iruka had always been very kind and reasonable with him even before his first and unintended Planeswalk. Because of his understanding, Naruto did not really need to participate in the more intensive physical education classes for the sake of fair play for the younger students; however, he did have to study extra hard for the history and chakra theory classes. Not that he minded much, the chance to learn something new was something he looked forward to. That, and his chakra theory studies had the unintended bonus of giving him insight into a mana color he'd otherwise never would have had the patience to understand, let alone use.
In that aspect, it felt only right to oblige the teacher as he waited for the last of the students to leave the classroom.
Once Konohamaru had walked out, Naruto shut the door behind him before waiting for the question that Iruka wanted to ask of him. "What are you doing here? The Hokage told me and a select few of the higher-ups about your story, so I'm aware that you've been lost in the multiverse for a long time - even though I find that hard to believe. I also know that you're clearly too old to be joining the Ninja Academy, especially now since you've back with all these strange abilities you've gathered from your travels. Add to that, I'm sure your work as a high-quality bladesmith will guarantee a quiet life outside of the Shinobi forces, so why are you willing to go this far after supposedly going through so much?"
"If I'm being honest, I've put my adventures in the multiverse on hold temporarily after I found my way home," Naruto answered honestly, "Between the odyssey of finding my way back to this Plane, and my time as a resistance fighter in the tail-end of it, I think I've earned a rest from traveling the multiverse; that it's high time for me to be home."
"Is that why you agreed to become a Shinobi?" Iruka challenged, "Not because you want to protect Konoha, but because you're tired of traveling?"
After heaving a sigh, Naruto looked back at Iruka with eyes full of conviction and sincerity. "Do you know what it's like to be lost for a long time? To be unable to go home because of something you had no control over? Even after I made peace with the possibility that I was stranded in a totally different place with no way back, I always knew I didn't belong, but I never really let go of hope that one day, I would somehow find my way home. And now that I'm back, I'm willing to temporarily hold off on any future adventures in the multiverse so I can learn everything I can about this Plane that we live in; every place I visit, every person I meet, I want to cherish every memory I make here. So to answer your question, Iruka-sensei, I agreed to be a Shinobi because while my allegiance is firmly with the village, what I really want is to do my best to protect this whole Plane from multiversal threats."
Iruka's stare was scrutinizing him, trying to discern any deception from his words.
Naruto had seen that look before very early in his travels in the multiverse, in his first encounter with a mysterious Planeswalker known only as The Wanderer. When he told her of his quest to find his way back to his home Plane, she looked at him with no shortage of skepticism in her eyes. She wasn't shy about telling him of her doubts regarding his chances of success, but gave him some valuable advice that day…advice that would save his life a number of times during his odyssey in the multiverse. It was a surprise when they met again much later in her home Plane of Kamigawa, especially after learning that she was the long-lost Emperor of the Plane; that her Spark was destabilized after being attacked by the villainous Planeswalker Tezzeret, rendering her unable to control her Planeswalking. He truly sympathized with her: while the two of them were lost souls in the multiverse, at least he had control of his abilities, and thus he had the freedom to choose his destination in the multiverse; a freedom that was stolen from her when she was attacked as a little girl by that bastard.
Last he saw of her, The Wanderer was one of the many Planeswalkers who had lost their ability to Planeswalk in the Great Pruning after the war. But instead of moping over being unable to Planeswalk anymore, she went straight to work fulfilling her duties as Emperor of Kamigawa in the aftermath of the Second Phyrexian Invasion. In fact, it was she who actively encouraged Naruto to not lose hope and to never give up, reminding him that his quest to find his way home was far from over and that he still had the ability and the freedom to keep searching. It also helped that she looked very dignified and inspiring when she told him that from her throne and in her imperial fineries.
"I appreciate your candor, Naruto," Iruka finally said in resignation, "and while I also admire your sentiment, I'm afraid this is not one to be expected of a Shinobi. Because at the end of the day, as far as loyalties are concerned, your village should always come first…and not to this whole 'defending the plane of existence' business. I'll teach you the basics, but I'm afraid that in the future, you'll find very few teachers who may put up with your views, and so they won't do much beyond teaching you the basics."
"Just the tools to survive is all I ask for," Naruto replied, a good-natured smile on his face, "If my teachers won't teach me anything, then I'm not above teaching myself new skills if I have to…besides, it's not my first time diving into a library for what I need, and I doubt it'd be my last."
"Of that, I'm sure," Iruka acknowledged with a nod, "You can go now."
Nodding respectfully to his teacher, Naruto turned to leave.
"And Naruto?" Iruka added, sincerity lacing his tone, "I know it's long overdue, but welcome home."
…
[Chūnin Exams, Elimination rounds]
Tenten waited patiently, but with anticipation as portraits and names of participants of the Chūnin Exam flipped through the screen at high speed.
A number of previous matches had ended relatively quickly, such as the battle between Abumi Zaku and Aburame Shino…the latter of whom had relied too heavily on his palm-mounted weapon, which Shino took full advantage of to clog with his clan's trademark Kikaichū insects. Another was the short-lived, but heartfelt battle between Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino…wherein the two girls were able to reaffirm their friendship with each other in that fight. However, the most noteworthy duel was between Uchiha Sasuke and the veiled Shinobi known only as Akadō Yoroi…ending with the last loyal Uchiha to the village finishing the Chakra-drainer with his own rendition of Rock Lee's Omote Renge.
Speaking of which, Tenten could not get the fight Lee had against Sabaku no Gaara out of her mind. Lee had the advantage of speed and strength, but he was unable to penetrate the opponent's sand-based defenses. It wasn't until Gai-sensei had given him permission to remove his leg weights that he was able to turn the tables - the difference in performance was like day and night as Gaara's defenses were overwhelmed by Lee's speed. In the end, with his limiters removed, Lee had penetrated Gaara's impenetrable defense, and landed the first solid hit on his opponent, but Gaara's defenses still held. Undaunted, Lee would resort to opening his chakra gates; eventually finishing off his opponent with the Ura Renge…in the end, Gaara would catch Lee with one of his sand-based Jutsu, crushing his arm and leg. It would be by Gai-sensei's intervention that Lee's life would be spared, though Tenten could not help but feel bad for what happened to him.
For now however, she had bigger priorities. If she had a chance, she was going to go visit Lee in the hospital to make sure he was okay after her match…assuming of course, she survived her match. And she had no intention of going down without a fight, no matter who she was fighting.
"Tenten vs. Temari! Please come on down!" announced the sickly proctor Gekkō Hayate.
Tenten rotated her neck and her shoulders, keeping herself flexible as she gripped the leather-wrapped shaft of her spear, its banner replaced with a long bandana to aid as a distraction. As she walked down the stairs and onto the arena floor, she was able to get a better look at her opponent. The Sunagakure Kunoichi had bright skin for a desert-dweller, possibly due to growing up in the upper crust of society. All she wore was a periwinkle kimono top over a reinforced mesh. Her dirty blonde hair was done up in four short ponytails behind her head, which were complemented with her teal eyes. The physique underneath her top was a bit of a contrast from her implied background as a princess of sorts, though that was a given considering that she was from a Shinobi Village.
"A spear? Really?" Temari asked, almost derisively, "You must be some kinda brute if you're using such a primitive weapon!"
It was, in a sense, a duel of weapon masters between her and the foreign Kunoichi known only as Kamaitachi no Temari. While Tenten chose to wield Naruto's spear, Temari's weapon of choice was a ridiculously oversized folding fan. However, that wasn't the only weapon in Tenten's arsenal, as she had plenty of options to try against her opponent, many of which she threw…however, she never got a chance to really put the spear to the test until now.
"I really wouldn't underestimate spears," Tenten shot back, defending her choice, "They were once the 'king of weapons' for a reason."
The two of them had only truly encountered each other for the first time in these elimination matches, which meant that she needed to be careful. A few Shinobi and Kunoichi were defeated before her, and she had no intention of being one of them, not now during these elimination rounds.
Tenten stared down her opponent with her newly-acquired spear in both hands.
The match began with a loud "Hajime!" from the sickly proctor.
Tenten rushed her enemy, enjoying the spear's lightness as she made her opponent dance with every jab at her feet. She appreciated the look of shock on Temari's face at the speed of her attacks; she was able to plant her feet to the ground in order to swing her closed fan at Tenten's head, but was forced to leap as she swept at her feet with the spearhead. With her opponent in midair, she thrust her spear, watching as the fan blocked the attack…and yet, the spear didn't break as she pushed Temari away.
She'd long ago learned to appreciate the value and history of every weapon type, no matter how old-fashioned they may seem…and spears were admittedly old-fashioned. To her knowledge, warriors stopped using spears on the open battlefield more often around the Sengoku Period, when clans like the Senju and the Uchiha were starting to establish themselves. That wasn't to say that the spear had fallen completely to the wayside, as it was still mostly used by guards or as a specialist weapon by Shinobi, but still a sad fate for a weapon that once was common on the battlefield. Such a shame too: reach, ease of use, and versatility were the spear's strengths, which contributed to its well-earned reputation as "king of weapons" due to how cheap and common it was. Though that was more attributed to the relatively recent increase in popularity of compact weaponry that began in the Second Shinobi World War. In that regard, the spear had become a forgotten weapon, being dismissed as a primitive and ineffective weapon for the Shinobi of today.
That said, Tenten had learned throughout the match that by no means did primitive mean ineffective - not by any stretch. Oh, she'd tested the spear in Naruto's showroom, and practically fell in love with the way it handled when she went through a light routine with it, one normally meant for a rokushakubō. But a light practice routine was not the same as practical use, and yet the spear handled perfectly, and the comfortable leather wrapping around the middle helped in that regard! The blade of the spear head was indeed razor-sharp as advertised, having pierced and cut down a number of enemy Shinobi with very little trouble, its shaft able to weather the blows she landed upon her opponents, even while using bōjutsu techniques with it. Outside of battle, the spear served the dual purpose of a walking stick to aid in navigating the woods, as well as a weapon to test if anyone is playing dead.
Naruto had made Tenten promise to spread the word of his work if she was satisfied with the spear's performance. Oh, she was not satisfied with her purchase - she was just plain ECSTATIC! She was more than willing to shout praises of its quality to her fellows, and to possible weapon collectors; she was also more than glad to sing songs of Naruto's skills as a smith! And oh would she find Naruto to commission a work from him!
After being stuck on the defensive for so long, Temari disengaged from the fight with a quick swing using her closed fan, forcing Tenten back. She watched as Temari took a moment to catch her breath and take in stock the damage done to her weapon, inwardly grinning at the fact that the fan had accumulated a mesh of battle scars with every slash and thrust of the spear. Bright gashes of exposed wood contrasted against the black lacquer coating that protected the fan from the elements, though Tenten also noted the appearance of scratches that barely breached the lacquer. The levity and the flexibility of its shaft had kept her opponent on the defensive as Tenten painted these scars on her fan with the dexterity of a skilled painter.
"You're good," noted Temari, a grudging respect in her tone as she caught her breath, "And I take back what I said before; that spear's a pretty nasty weapon."
"You want one, go see Uzumaki Naruto!" Tenten replied proudly, setting her spear aside to seal it into her scroll, "He's the smith who made this spear, and he's got a lot more weapons like it for sale. In fact, if you want, you can even go to him for a custom weapon!"
Temari snorted in amusement, as Tenten set her scrolls upright at either side of her. "I'll pass; I've got the only weapon I need; and at this range, I'll need only one attack to end you!"
Tenten smirked in confidence. "Are you sure about that?"
Her hands flew through hand seals, before uttering the name of the Jutsu. "Sōshōryū no Jutsu!"
No sooner than she'd uttered the name of the Jutsu, the scrolls were covered in clouds of smoke that took to the sky like dragons, forming a double-helical column of smoke that Tenten jumped into before reinforcing her chakra into her legs to jump high into the air. The clearing smoke revealed the paper bodies of the scrolls forming a sort of barrier around Tenten as she twirled in the air as a blur, sending bluish-gray streaks flying towards her target, as Temari made haste to avoid the projectiles.
Upon embedding in the ground, it was clear that the projectiles were weapons of all shapes and sizes: katana, tantō, wakizashi, shuriken, kama, even the odd kanabō with pronounced spikes. Tenten's trained eyes and pinpoint sense of accuracy allowed her to track her target, flinging more weapons to keep the pressure on her opponent.
As Temari planted her feet, she opened her fan to create a blast of air that blocked an incoming round of weapons. At the same time, Tenten ran her fingers through a particular seal line on the scroll to summon Naruto's spear from it, quickly grabbing it by the haft while sighting her target. She ignored the glow behind her as she pulsed chakra into it for good measure while tensing her muscles in preparation for a downwards power-throw. With a second wave of her fan, Temari sent a tornado raging towards Tenten, just as she threw the spear, the inlaid copper symbols in the spearhead glowing with a flamboyant green aura. It streaked through the air with enough force to dispel the whirlwind, making a beeline for Temari like a falling star, and hitting just as hard, creating a massive dust cloud upon impact with the ground - much to Tenten's slack-jawed shock. She'd seen firsthand that Naruto's craftsmanship was excellent, she didn't expect that all this time she'd been carrying a handheld meteor when charged with chakra then thrown.
As the dust settled, Tenten snapped herself out of her shock and broke her fall to get a closer look; she found the body of Kamaitachi no Temari impaled through her chest where her clavicles met her sternum. Much to her horror, Temari vanished in a puff of smoke, and in her place was a small, but very thick piece of a tree branch with a deep fissure threatening to split it in two from where the spear pierced it - the fight was not over yet. Her fear had been amplified the second she spotted Temari not too far away from her doppelganger's last known location, her muscles tensed and her fan open. With a heavy swing, she unleashed another tornado from her folding fan.
Before she could even make any movements to evade the attack, Tenten was caught up in the storm, blacking out after a few seconds.
…
[Unknown Location]
The fight between Sai and Uzumaki Naruto played out for the tenth time so far.
Shimura Danzō studied every millisecond of the fight, watching how the boy fought against one of his finest operatives. Sai had been given the assignment to test out Uzumaki's capabilities…framing the test as though it were an actual assassination.
Throughout the fight, he saw that Uzumaki's use of a polearm and strange abilities provided him an even match against Sai, allowing him to dispel his ink creatures with relative ease. Trained eyes, and Sai's report had enabled him to break down the moves Uzumaki used, up to and including the Jutsu he fired off at his opponent. There was a laziness in the movements of his polearm that indicated he'd fought against stronger opponents…that he wasn't even afraid of the ink creatures spoke of a familiarity with such an ability.
Then there was that Jutsu he fired off; the one wherein he fired three bolts of energy at his opponent that veered and careened around the targets it wasn't meant for, and made a beeline straight for Sai. He had no idea how he did it, but he'd heard what he called it…the so-called "Magic Missile" had come so fast that Sai had to resort to breaking off his concentration over his ink creatures in order to use a Sumi Bunshin to avoid the attack. Luckily, Sai had timed the usage of his Sumi Bunshin at the very last minute to prevent from getting hit by the bolts; it seemed there were limits, but the Magic Missiles could potentially chase targets a long distance before detonating.
After that, came the close-quarters engagement wherein Sai faced off against Uzumaki in close combat with his standard-issue tantō in combination with the Ansatsu Jutsu. From the way he handled his weapon, it was clear that Uzumaki had combat experience; Sai was faster, but Danzō took note of Uzumaki's movements and saw the dance-like footwork and level-headedness expected of a duelist. That he had very little trouble fighting using a polearm against an opponent equipped with a shorter blade spoke volumes of the way he was trained, which in turn was a credit to the boy's teacher, whoever he was. It was like a dance of death as Uzumaki used the reach and versatility of the polearm to create a barrier of danger around himself, slashing, thrusting, striking, and pushing at Sai to create breathing room.
Before the fight could go any further, Danzō saw that his pupil had once again resorted to using Sumi Bunshin, and for very good reason: Senbon needles had pierced him through the skull…after that, he'd been pierced by even more needles, forcing him to retreat. Uzumaki's savior disappeared before he could find them, which in turn meant that Konoha had an intruder within her borders.
Danzō had seen enough to pique his interest. He now knew firsthand the truth of what Hiruzen hadn't told the higher-ups of what the boy learned on his journey home. If Uzumaki were to utilize the skills and this power he learned to its fullest, he could quite easily be the deadliest person in the world, therefore painting a target on his back. It also helped that he was producing superb weaponry in that forge of his, though the surveillance he'd planted on him indicated that he was capable of creating truly powerful weapons.
The intruder would have to be dealt with another time.
He would have Uzumaki Naruto join Root and contribute his repertoire of strange, otherworldly Jutsu and his weapons to his cause…or Danzō would kill him to deny Hiruzen an asset to one day use against him - either way, he was denying his enemies the boy's power. Add to that, if he refused to cooperate, one secret word to the bounty board and the boy could potentially be driven away forever, leaving Danzō the perfect opportunity to assassinate all obstacles before him. With Uzumaki and his knowledge gone for good, nobody could challenge him…Danzō would have free rein to assassinate any and all threats to his rise to power. Once he became Hokage, all he had to do was to make contingencies to eliminate Uzumaki should he return…or to at least ensure that he never comes back again.
It wasn't hard to get the simpleton villagers to demonize Naruto the first time, simply by leaking his Jinchūriki status to the public and letting human nature do the rest as they ostracized the boy. Better yet, that he covered his tracks so well that Hiruzen never had a shred of evidence to legally punish him for treason on the spot without looking like a power-mad despot. As far as he was concerned, he'd saved the village from tearing itself apart by turning Uzumaki into the singular target for their hatred.
He would rise above the simpletons of this village and become Hokage.
For the glory of Konoha.
…
[Chūnin Exams, Elimination rounds]
A number of matches had gone on in the aftermath of Tenten's defeat at the hands of Kamaitachi no Temari.
Hinata walked up to the stands as Kiba and Akamaru were carted off. Fortunately for both, she didn't see a need to use her more deadly skills, having stunned them both with well-aimed strikes to their Tenketsu points at the end of the match. No, no need to bring her nascent, self-taught adjustments to the Jūken to bear against him or Akamaru.
To his credit, Kiba and Akamaru were a formidable duo, but she'd sparred with the both of them more than enough times to get their modus operandi down to a pat…and Kiba was a good enough sport to let it go considering that the two of them had a sort of brother-sister relationship. Though he did catch her off-guard with their strategy of trying to overwhelm her by trying to exceed the speed she was capable of performing at.
Hinata watched as the names were rotated through the screen, waiting with bated breath as she anticipated who the combatants were. Her anticipation had given way to concern as the randomizer had stopped on the face of her sister Hyūga Hanabi…alongside their cousin Hyūga Neji.
Hinata watched as Hanabi stared down Neji with no shortage of confidence in her gait; Neji was undaunted by her stance. And why should he? He'd sparred with her younger twin sister ever since their mother had taken Hinata away to give her extra training before she was ultimately handed off to Kurenai-sensei after her death. As much as she wanted to allow her younger twin the chance to make her own mistakes, Hinata had concerns about how the match was going to go. She'd known that Neji had a lot of fire in his belly, despite his outwardly tranquil front - and for that, she couldn't blame him; if she and her sister weren't taken during the Hyūga Incident, he probably would have been a lot kinder.
Still, there was nothing Hinata could do, except to watch the fight unfold. If Neji kept clan politics out of the fight, then that was that…but if he took things too far, then things would be different - assuming of course, Hanabi hadn't already taken care of the problem personally. And while she was confident her younger sister could account for herself well in a fight against their cousin, she had a feeling things weren't as simple as they seemed.
Before the sickly proctor opened his mouth to begin the fight, Neji raised a hand. "Before we begin, I'd like to share some words with Lady Hanabi."
Seeing no harm in the request, the proctor nodded as Neji turned to regard Hanabi. Still, Hinata was suspicious as to what he wanted to say.
"I would recommend that you surrender now, Lady Hanabi," he began, though Hinata thought she'd detected a smidge of hubris in his tone, "I've trained with you for far too long, and thus my victory will be assured in this match where we are allowed to go all-out. If you surrender now, nobody will look down upon you…but if you don't, I will have no choice but to bear down upon you with all that I know."
If Hanabi were at all intimidated by their cousin's ultimatum, she did very little to show it. "I thank you for the offer, but I've grown since we last sparred, Neji. I want to prove that I deserve to be the heiress of the clan, that I can stand out from my sister, and nothing you say or do will make me back down."
Neji stared down his cousin for a moment before slipping into the standard Jūken stance, with Hanabi doing the same. The tension was between them as the proctor raised a hand, before dropping it with a resounding "Hajime!"
The fight began when both Neji and Hanabi engaged each other in hand-to-hand. Trained eyes and an activated Byakugan enabled Hinata a much closer look at the fight: while the fight was very even given that they had both sparred with each other before, she could instantly tell the outcome of the fight. Hanabi had demonstrated excellent foundational knowledge, but Hinata saw signs that Neji outclassed her.
That said, her younger sister was not totally helpless, returning as much damage as she could…and her own growth showed, especially with the damage Hinata saw her doling out upon Neji. Once in a while, and in between conventional Jūken strikes, she saw Hanabi reinforcing her fingers with chakra to jab at Neji as a surprise attack. Missed finger-pokes turned into glancing shots that sometimes cut light gashes into Neji, who was too skilled to not take a direct hit.
Overall, while the fight was fairly close, it was very clear that Neji had the experience over her…something was not right - if he was that good, why didn't he end the fight sooner and just get it over with? After a few seconds of studying the fight, she finally realized what was going on: it didn't seem obvious to the naked eye, not even to Hanabi who was engrossed with trying to survive their fight, but Hinata saw a pattern that arose from his targeted Tenketsu points. It was from there that Hinata had a suspicion that the match was ultimately in Neji's favor.
Once they broke off from the close-quarters engagement, Hinata took stock of the damage they'd dealt to each other, and what she saw horrified her to no end. Hanabi was able to do a good amount of damage to Neji's Tenketsu points, as well as painting scratches on his body from her surprise finger-jabs. However, Hinata noted that the Tenketsu points Neji hit were more devastating, especially considering that he was able to hit multiple points within seconds of each other, which allowed her to draw one simple conclusion: Neji wasn't interested in simply defeating Hanabi, he wanted to destroy her!
Her fears were confirmed when she saw Hanabi doubling over in pain, blood leaking from the corners of her mouth. Hinata wanted to run down to help her sister, but also knew that doing so may disqualify her as the match was still ongoing. As much as she hated the feeling of helplessness, she had no choice but to stand back and watch…
"As was dictated by fate, you have been defeated," said Neji, turning from his cousin in dismissal.
"Nee-chan was right, both of our houses are chafing under the disunity," Hanabi croaked, getting his attention while taking on a defiant stance, "But it seems to me that between the three of us, you're the one suffering the most because of it."
Quicker than anyone could react, Neji charged his cousin with the intent of ending her before she could say anything else. Before could get any closer to Hanabi, Neji had paused in his attempt to execute her, a number of blurs had come to her defense, and they were able to stop him from killing her. Hanabi's sensei Hatake Kakashi grabbed him by the wrist, Kurenai-sensei restrained him by the ankle, Maito Gai had him in a chokehold, and Gekkō Hayate had a finger on his forehead…not a single move was made by any of them, but the threat was very clear.
"Neji, I thought I made it clear that as long as you understood clan matters and personal vendettas had no place in the Chūnin Exams, you would be allowed to take them," Gai reminded, disappointment and a hint of anger clear in his tone, "If so, then explain what I just saw now, because it looks very much like a clan matter and a vendetta to me. You've already won, and if you lay one more finger on that girl, you'll be dead and everything you've been through in the Exams will be for nothing."
After relaxing his stance, the Jōnin released Neji, allowing him to turn and leave, while Hanabi collapsed to her knees from both blood loss and fatigue. Kakashi caught his student before her head hit the floor, as medics carrying a stretcher rushed into the arena to take her away. Hinata would not let this offense slide, and she had no plans to let him get away with this.
"Neji!" Hinata called out, getting her cousin's attention just as he passed by underneath her, "You're alive today because your dad was sincerely good to us when we were younger, in spite of the issues between our families. But after what you did to Hanabi, I see no reason to hold back…now out of respect for your dad, I won't kill you if we face each other in the finals - I will, however, kick your ass so bad that you'll wish I did. That's my promise to you, on my sister's blood that you've spilled."
Neji simply stared at her. The words he used were simple, but there was no doubt in Hinata's mind that they were fighting words: "We'll see about that."
…
[Kitsunebi Forge]
Straw-yellow was the billet as Naruto used his magic to telekinetically pull it out from the depths of the coal forge, little bits of debris crumbling off of its incandescent hot surface as it levitated over the burning coal like a miniature sunrise over a desolate wasteland. Not true Telekinesis, as that was an actual Blue spell - it was more like using basic White and Red mana manipulation to simulate telekinesis.
His outer-robe was removed, hung on a nearby rack for the sake of convenience and visibility. Besides, the enchanted leather armor that made up much of his Lorehold school uniform provided ample protection from most threats without obscuring his view, and was plenty fireproof even without the magic.
Yesterday, it took ten cuts with the hot-cut tool to make ten folds against the anvil, and a respectable amount of borax to ensure that the remains of Kakashi's tantō were consolidated into a solid, homogenous billet. Once that was done, the consolidated billet was sandwiched between two laminated slabs of nickel steel from saw blades, with an outer shell of tool steel, then clipped together with two bands of cheap iron. They were then heated in the coal forge, and then hammered together to help ensure a secure weld, until it was safe to remove the iron bands; afterwards, he cut the billet into five even pieces then hammer-welded them together into a single again. He'd repeated this twice, and used Red and Green mana to help keep the coal forge at a consistent temperature before using White mana to provide eye protection while telekinetically handling the billet for inspection. With the different layers finally consolidated, he was in a good position to finish that day.
Today was the day that Naruto got to manipulate the billet for a little extra artistic flourish before hammering it to shape: he telekinetically manipulated the billet, twisting it carefully while hot to ensure a consistent twist throughout. With every twist on the hot metal, bits of forge scale fell from the billet as it took on a cylindrical shape, undoubtedly also creating a pattern that would show when the time came to etch the finished blade. Once he was satisfied with the length and the number of twists he put in, he grabbed a pair of tongs to hammer the bar smooth, before jabbing it back into the coals.
His process had differed far from the traditional methods he'd been taught as a baseline for his craft, and regular smiths would likely have called him out as a cheater if they found out his method. But it expedited the process quite a bit and it helped him keep up his practice of magic by practicing the fundamental skill of mana manipulation - all in all, it was a whole flock of birds killed with one stone.
As he pulled the bar out of the coals, Naruto eyed the glass replica of the original blade mounted on a stand nearby. He'd spent the first day of the project using Red to melt some sand from a box, then used White mana to sculpt it into the replica, accurately capturing every detail of the blade when it was whole as if it were a life-drawing. With the bar nice and hot for shaping, it was time to get back to the classic hammer and tongs to shape the billet into a blade, clipping a corner off the billet on the hot-cut tool then bent the top over. Keeping the template in plain view and in his mind, he took care to pause and compare his work every now and again to ensure he forged it as close to 90% of the way as possible. While not as effective as Blue for the purpose, White mana allowed him to slow down the strands of time a little, thus temporarily slowing down the heat loss so that he could work the piece a bit longer before needing to reheat it.
Before he could progress any further on shaping the blade, Naruto heard the bell at the counter ringing. Taking one last look at the blade, comparing it to the glass template, he found that it was approaching 85% to the exact dimensions of the blade - good enough, there was just enough meat and curvature that he could safely grind it to shape on the wheel before giving it a final temper. After quenching the blade in oil, Naruto took the time to stop and attend to a new customer.
As he stepped out of the forge, Naruto found no customers waiting for him.
"So this is the famous up-and-coming bladesmith's shop of Konoha?" asked a feminine voice in the reception room.
Naruto turned to regard the female figure dressed in shabby clothes and a conical straw hat that hid her features above her mouth. She was fully dressed in order to look as innocuous as possible, but he knew from experience to not judge a book by its cover; he'd been ambushed by more than his fair share of Phyrexian sleeper agents, after all. Best to play along and see if she was who he thought she was.
"Am I right in assuming that you're here to get revenge for Zabuza, Ice-queen?" Naruto asked, half-taunting as he clenched his fingers. A single mental command was enough for him to activate his special security measure.
"A part of me wants to, but Zabuza-sama's last request was for me to swear off revenge," replied Ice-queen, "But somehow, I doubt a simple scholar would have been able to strike down my precious person as you have."
Aha! There it was! And Ice-queen's identity was revealed as she tipped her straw hat up.
"Haku," Naruto said in recognition.
He had a number of spells and cantrips on hand, should the situation come to blows. The only problem was that Haku was quite possibly the fastest person he'd ever met…in fact, he was able to fight Zabuza on an even footing specifically because he banished her with the Borrowed Time enchantment. And now that she was back, there was no telling what she really wanted of him.
"I've always wondered why you had a belief in stories, that every life was a story yet to be told. That's why I highly doubt that a 'simple scholar' such as yourself would be wielding the power and skill to kill a warrior on the level of Momochi Zabuza. Hence why I believe that your story is a much grander tale to be told, which begs the question: what aren't you telling me, Naruto?"
"It's a long story," Naruto admitted, "One about finding a way back home; it's the kind of story I don't think you'll believe no matter how many times I tell it. That said, what are you going to do now?"
"Now? You've cost me a master…one who told me that it was high time to tell my own story with his final breath. This coming from the man who made me his weapon, a man I've come to cherish like a father…even if he was using me. So, seeing as you've taken my master from me, it's only fitting that you, his killer, take his place."
It didn't take long for Naruto's jaw to hit the floor; he'd expected revenge but he didn't expect a job request. Still, he'd been cheated a number of times in his life that the phrase "trust but verify" became internalized into his system. "And what makes you think I'll hire you?" he asked, regaining his composure, "No offense, but this forge can get to temperatures so high that I don't think you can hack it."
"Of course I won't work in the forge, but I do believe you'll need assistance somehow in your work."
Whatever Naruto had to say had been cut off when he heard the door charm ring, allowing a man with a bowl-cut to walk into the shop. He was clad in a green jumpsuit, with a pair of orange leg-warmers, and the green padded vest he'd seen a lot of high-ranking Shinobi wear for armor; however, he was too tall and too muscular to be Tenten's colleague Rock Lee. He knew from her stories about him that this was Tenten's commander and mentor Maito Gai…and the serious look on his normally jovial face had told Naruto that it was bad.
"Is something wrong, Gai-san?"
"Tenten is in the hospital."
…
A/N: …and here we go.
Please note that time skips will only happen during moments that are basically canon; for example, there's no need to bore you with the details of the written exam and the Shi no Mori when they're basically the same as in canon.
As you can see, while Naruto has been gone from his home Plane of Shinobu, Hinata has been taking his place as the Child of Prophecy…though after his adventures in the multiverse, things will definitely be mixed up a bit now that he's back.
At the moment, however, I am trying to speed things along in canon.
Regarding the fact that Hanabi effectively gets access to Shigan, let's just say that I've always had it in my head: what would happen if a Jūken wielder like Hanabi had access to Rokushiki techniques? So I've decided to let her have access to her own variant of the Shigan…don't worry, she won't reach Lucci's level of mastery with it so soon.
Though I'm curious, how many of you would visit Naruto's forge, knowing that weapons like the spear he sold to Tenten (which also may or may not be enchanted or magical) are in his gallery?
…
Vocabulary/Translations/Notes:
Shinobu—the name of Naruto's home Plane, otherwise known as the "Plane of Ninjas". It is Japanese for the kanji "patience" (忍), and yes, the related word "shinobi" (and indeed the word "ninja" itself (忍者)) revolves around the idea of "patience" or "endurance". Also, Shinobu is a unisex name.
"King of Weapons"—in Chinese kung-fu, spears were once known as the "king of weapons" and were considered one of the four weapons any military officer worth their salt had to know how to use, the other three being the jian (double-edged straight sword, also known as the "Gentleman of Weapons"), the dao (the single-edged saber, sometimes known as a broadsword, as well as its title of "General of Weapons"), and the gun (the staff, also known as the "Grandmaster of Weapons")