Ben-10: The One True Monster

TODAY! I learned Ben has an ESTP personality! Ahem, that aside…

Firstly, I would like to apologize for taking too long to upload this. The main reason that delayed the update was that I am actually rewriting one of other fanfictions, The Unidentified Lifeform and hit a wall in this chapter. So it took even two weeks more to finish it. I've not uploaded it on fanfiction net but if you are interested, you can find the uploads on Archive of Our Own. The new title on AO3 is Ben 10: The Unidentified Lifeform. It's a Ben 10 + One Punch Man crossover…

My apologies for shamelessly promoting my other works, lol.

Then, let me respond to the comments/ reviews. Regarding the Ben 10 - Boruto story you suggested, I can't really promise about it. It sounds really interesting but I've never really written stories involving Ben 10 villains. I just don't want to touch that part. Also, I have put my other fanfictions on a hiatus for over a year so I am finding time to work on them. My schedule is quite tight these days. So I'll have to reject this one.

For the comments regarding the ships, I actually like both ideas. Fuu is dead in the Shippuden but with the plan I had in mind, this ship is very sail-able. Though if we're not careful, this will end up in a tragedy '). So if this ship ever sailed, you would expect Ben Vs Akatsuki encounters to be a lot earlier.

Ben X Kiriko is perfect but with an issue. That is, I don't want to give any more big roles to OC/ non-Naruto characters. Ben is already kind of replacing their protagonist so any more than that might disrupt the experience. But I will keep both ideas in mind and figure something out. Ben being a powerhouse and Kiriko being an all-rounder + healer make the ship a perfect match.

Thanks for your comments and support. It really helps and motivates me!

Alright, then, this has gotten quite long. So, without further ado…


Chapter 8: Benji Vs…

And so far with the preliminary matches…

The fight between Hinata and Neji went a bit out of hand, even though it was obviously in the latter's favor. The outcome of the match had been decided, but Neji seemed to hold a personal or familial grudge against his opponent, so much that he refused to stop fighting despite the proctor Hayate's order.

On top of that, somehow enduring her injuries, Hinata kept getting on her feet persistently. It was indeed admirable, but it didn't help with the situation. Her weak yet persistent nature was just another annoyance in Neji's eyes, perhaps.

But at any rate, before I even realized, I acted first, and somehow now I was right in front of Neji, in my Chromastone form. His hand was right on my abdomen, in order to deliver the jutsu that was meant for Hinata. But instead its powers were dispelled on my rock-hard skin.

Hinata has already lost. You have won. No need to continue this anymore.

But when I realized, Neji had been surrounded by not only Proctor Hayate but leaf's jonin leaders; Hayate right next to me with a gesture pointing at Neji's forehead, Kakashi-san grabbing his hand, Guy-san restraining his head, and lastly, Kurenai-san from Hinata's team holding one of his legs. We all acted fast in the flow of the moment.

"Benji…" I could hear Masato mutter my name.

I was a participant myself. I didn't have to intervene in the fight, yet… It seems the underlying sparks hiding in the back of my mind didn't lie.

Regardless, I was glad that we all took action in time to stop Neji before something far more disastrous happened.

"Neji, give it a rest," said Might Guy. "You promised me you wouldn't lose your head over this family stuff."

"Why did even the other jonins jump in… Why did even you…" Neji's responding voice was a bit shaky, but he tried his best to hide it. "More special treatment for the main family?"

"The outcome has already been decided, Neji-san," I clarified. "I don't care about your familial matters. Whatever happened in your family, keep it out of the ring. Like your sensei said."

Also, the random name generator had to pit these two of all people…

"Gahhh," I could hear Hinata gasping for air behind my back. But her Jonin leader was tending to her…

"Let me have a look," asked Kiriko from the Kusagakure team as she swiftly arrived at the scene.

But after a quick examination, her facial expression told that much.

"Her heartbeats are abnormal, and internal injuries are severe," she said. "I could only heal the outer wounds and stop the bleeding. But she needs to be treated right away, otherwise…"

"Is that so? Medical team, hurry up!" Kurenai-sensei was the one to call the medic-nins.

But they also reached the same conclusion after their own inspection. The injured Hinata was then taken away on a stretcher.

I didn't even notice Naruto came down here. I mean, he was cheering for his classmate before.

"Yo, Ben-Ten," Kakashi walked up to me. "You got hit by his gentle fist, right? You good?"

I gave a mental command to the Omnitrix and returned to human.

"I didn't even feel it," I replied monotonously. "I'm alright, I guess."

"Normally, I wouldn't recommend intervening in a battle like this. You are still a genin."

"He's right," Proctor Hayate nodded. "But since you actually helped us without causing a disturbance, there shouldn't be an issue."

The copy ninja then walked away, opening a book.

"Have more faith in jonins, Ben-Ten," he said, before jumping up onto the platform.

Oh, apparently, Naruto and Neji-san are quarreling in the background.

"... And one more…" Neji said. "In the end, a loser is a loser, they cannot change."

"You wanna test me?" Naruto couldn't back down.

Not after seeing his classmate in that state, I guess.

But what I didn't expect was Naruto charging toward Neji after that challenge. He ran straight toward him for an attack. But I knew I would have to stop him before another disaster occurred.

But this time it was Rock Lee who intervened and stopped Naruto in a swift movement.

"I understand your feelings so much it hurts, Naruto-kun," he said. "But the fighting should only occur in the matches."

He has a good point.

"Whether a loser can defeat an elite through the power of handwork," he added. "It's something to look forward to in the main test. His opponent might be me, but even if it's you, there will be no hard feelings."

"Alright," replied Naruto.

"But you know…" this time, it's my turn to give him a scolding. "Neji-san, if you want, I could make you a loser right here and right now."

The room fell silent.

That wasn't just scolding or intimidation; coming from someone like me, it was pure harassment, the kind that comes from a boss to its employees.

"Are you also getting in my way?"

"... To be honest, I still want to be your friend," I replied. "But we can also fight it out like real men."

– though we both are, like, 12/ 13 years old.

"You looked into me with your byakugan, right?" I continued. "Then you would know that. My body… It's built different. The way Hyuga style damages the inner organs… It doesn't work on me."

"That's enough," Proctor Hayate couldn't stand around waiting anymore. "You guys, return to your places. We will have to proceed with the match."

"Alright…"

Masato-nii was nodding off when I went back.

"Sorry, I dozed off," he apologized. "I am really tired now."

"You did nothing but watch though," I felt like sulking, lol.

"My bad. But Benji, you didn't have to go down there, you know."

"I don't know…" I replied. "It just happened. When I realized, I was already transformed and right in front of him."

"... as long as you are fine," he yawned. "But don't do anything reckless. Everyone here…"

"Yeah?"

"They have their eyes on you. You have the most overwhelming and versatile abilities so far. It's a given that they would judge you basing on any little move you make."

"I understand."

"I mean, I am not exactly against show-offs. Do what you like, but just… don't be an eyesore to others."

He's giving me actual, useful advice for once. That in itself is surprising already.

"I will keep that in mind, Masato-nii."

The display board showed the names of Gaara of Sunagakure and Rock Lee of Konohagakure. But it was obvious because Gaara and Lee were the only remaining participants.

"Gaara…" I repeated his name.

"Do you know him?" Masato-nii asked.

"Not personally," I answered, keeping my eyes on Gaara. "But anyone should be careful around him regardless of how powerful he is."

"I could feel that, too."

"What?—"

An excited cry interrupted me.

"Finally my turn!" Lee shouted, kicking air for some reason.

"What is he doing?" Masato-nii muttered.

"Beats me," I shrugged in response.

With a suspicious-looking grin, Lee's sensei Might Guy-san approached him. "Listen, Lee, I've figured out some great advice everyone else would have missed."

"Hai! What is it, sensei!?" Lee said with enthusiasm.

"The gourd is suspicious…"

Upon hearing Guy-san's words, Lee took out a notebook and wrote it down.

"Stop writing," Guy-sensei said. "No way you'll have time to look at it during battle."

Masato-nii deadpanned and fixed his gaze on Gaara who jumped down the platform.

"Anyway, forget him. Where were we… Oh, uh," he continued talking about Gaara. "Anyone would feel Gaara is dangerous if they are experienced enough. His murderous aura… And a strong blood thirst. He's just a kid, right?"

"He is."

"Is that kid going to be okay?" He looked back at Lee with concern.

"Alright, Lee!" Guy-san cheered. "Go for it!"

"Hai!" Following the cry, Rock Lee also jumped down into the field.

"Probably," I replied to Masato-nii. "He'll be okay. I hope so…"

Well, I was wrong.

"Ready? Begin!"

As soon as the match had started, Lee-san caught something in his hand– which was the stopper of Gaara's gourd. I knew what was inside– sand. I knew the smell must be awful around him.

"There is no need to get antsy," Lee said before charging in.

O-oh, crap, my stomach! Dammit, now of all times.

"M-Masato-nii, I'm gonna have to give the restroom a visit…"

He gave the "seriously?" response before looking back at Lee and Gaara.

"Uh, good luck?" He said.

This is how I skipped part of the Rock Lee Vs Gaara match.

The restroom was another battlefield for me. For once, I wondered if the Omnitrix wouldn't protect me from non-life-threatening disasters! But of course, I won the battle anyway. Deep down, I still wished the Omnitrix had had an alternative solution for it.

"Oh, welcome back."

"Yeah," my voice was faint. "How is it going?"

But I could see both participants weren't in good condition. At least Gaara wasn't unscathed, in fact, he looked like a mess. Lee was worse, full of bruises all over his body. On the flip side, Gaara wasn't really able to keep up with Lee's speed.

The gourd he had… was a sand container? Interesting.

But on top of everything, Guy-san, Kakashi-san and Sakura looked pretty intense. I wonder what it was about. Everyone else in the hall couldn't avert their eyes from the fight.

"Oi, she's totally staring at you, right?" Masato-nii said, looking in the way the Kusa team was.

Ah, it's just Kiriko…-san.

"True," I replied, though "stare" wasn't the word I'd use.

"Kid, you got luck with women, damn!"

Yep, she's totally "glaring" at me. I don't know if Masato-nii was trying to be sarcastic or mock me.

"That aside, tell me what happened too," I said. "I am kinda outta the loop now."

Meanwhile, Gaara was controlling his sand like a telekinetic to overwhelm Lee like a weapon.

"Augh!" It was Lee's scream.

"He's going on the offensive…" Masato-nii narrowed his eyes. "But he's truly terrifying. His opponent did everything to crumble his defense and all…"

Despite injuries and exhaustion, Lee was somehow able to protect himself in the nick of time. He was anything but alright.

"Why doesn't Lee just duck!?" Sakura commented.

"The Lotus technique he just used is a double-edged sword," answered Guy-san.

"Using that level of high-speed taijutsu puts a huge strain on the body," Kakashi-san explained. "Fundamentally, it's a forbidden move. Right now, Lee's nothing but a mass of pain and weakness, isn't that right, Guy?"

"... Lee, no!" Sakura cried out. "Give up before he kills you!"

I wouldn't be surprised if Gaara tried to kill someone again. But something's off about him.

My bro could only sigh. "This is bad, isn't it?"

I raised my left wrist to have my Omnitrix ready so I could intervene in time before the fight got out of hand.

"Don't," he grabbed my hand. "Don't interfere with it. Let him fight, because I'm sure he has a reason to be this persistent."

Before the swarm of sand hit him, Lee turned into a blur and dodged the attack with ease, before standing up straight before his opponent again, probably ignoring his pain and exhaustion somehow.

"That kid… he can only use taijutsu," Masato-nii said.

"Lee? What do you mean?"

"Like you, he can't use ninjutsu and genjutsu. It seems he trained really hard physically and mentally to master taijutsu."

"Hmm."

The battle between Gaara and Rock Lee was different from any other match, being much larger-scale and much more intense, even more than my own match. But it didn't look one-sided. Lee is now suddenly stronger, I don't know how.

On the contrary, Kakashi-san and Guy-san looked dramatically more intense.

"Guy, don't tell me you…!"

"Actually, I did," Guy-sensei replied.

He did what?

"Then… that kid, who's just a genin, is able to open the eight inner gates?!" Kakashi-san inquired.

"Yes, that's right," Guy-san admitted. "He has talent."

"No matter how much talent he has, you taught him something horribly dangerous!" Kakashi-san exclaimed. "The reverse lotus tops the list of moves you shouldn't teach!"

What is the "Eight Inner Gates?" And reverse lotus… the atmosphere surrounding the jonins was so intense even Masato-nii and I felt uncomfortable despite being oblivious.

But it must be something dangerous nonetheless if Kakashi of the Sharingan is saying so.

"It's none of my business what that child means to you, and I'll spare us both the lecture about not being governed by your feelings, but you crossed a line on this! You disappoint me, Guy!"

"You… don't know a thing about the kid," Guy-san retorted.

"What are the eight inner gates?" I quietly asked my bro who shrugged in response.

"Wait, you'll hear soon enough."

Like he'd said, with Sakura's question, Guy-san and Kakashi-san explained what the gates were. They are basically limiters that keep chakra flow in check, and apparently Lee could open five of them.

But opening the Gates is a double-edged sword. Opening all eight gates however could grant one the strength that surpasses even the Hokage's, but a price for it is… the user's life.

"The third gate, Seimon, release!" Lee declared.

(Seimon - 生門, the Gate of Life)

"His skin color changed…" Masato-nii commented. "Is the kid okay?"

No one could answer him as everyone was attentively watching Lee, dictated by emotions.

"Boom!"

Is he breaking the sound barrier? This time, it's just so fast, even much faster than before. It wasn't just a blur, he was nigh-invisible. In addition, the battlefield was immediately covered by thick clouds of dust, but I could only speculate he beat up Gaara and cracked his sand skin instantly, launching him into the air.

"But what about Lee! I don't see him anywhere!" Choji exclaimed.

Exactly!

Like pretty much everyone here, I could only see Lee's afterimages, but he was definitely beating up his opponent mid-air.

"This is the end!" It was Lee's cry.

"It's so fast I can't see anything," I muttered as another loud "boom" happened, resulting in a small storm of dust and winds. Amidst the chaos, Lee was thrown away to the side, and Gaara in the middle of the crater was somehow movable.

"Aagh!" Lee screamed in pain.

Gaara was using the last of his strength to control the sand from the gourd to crush Lee! This must be what Kiba and his gang saw in the forest of death.

"Wait," Masato-nii grabbed my hand. "Let him handle it."

"Him? Lee is–"

"No."

The sand was swiped away by great force of who— Lee's teacher, Might Guy who appeared to protect his student.

"It's finished," Masato-nii said.

"What?"

"The match ends when the jonins intervene. Lee tried his best. Gaara, that kid… is just kind of a beast."

"Hard agreed."

"The victor is," the proctor announced, "Gaara!"

But behind Guy was Lee still trying to stand on his own feet, with bleeding wounds on his hands and legs, and bruises practically all over his body.

"Lee! It's all right," Guy-san grabbed his shoulders to support him. "You're in no shape to be standing…"

He then gently put his pupil down on the ground, with the proctor next to him calling for the medical team. But when the medics arrived, after a glance at Lee's body, their facial expression gave away his condition.

"I wish I could've intervened," I groaned to Masato-nii. "It was fine with Hinata's match."

"The thing is back then, Hayate had already called it off," he explained. "This is different. The kid was persistent and I bet Hayate didn't really know what was going on."

I could hear Naruto yelling at the medics who were carrying Lee away on a stretcher. "What is Gejimayu supposed to do!? He kept saying he was desperate to fight Sasuke and that Neji guy! Can't you do anything to help him!? Hey!"

Well, Kakashi-san went down there and took care of him.

I took a glance at Gaara who was now with his team.

"You know what?" I muttered. "That guy… he has a very punchable face right now."

"Please don't cause a problem for us," my bro murmured. "But I understand how you feel. Maybe if you are lucky, you can go against him in the finals. That is if someone else doesn't beat him first."

"I hope so."

"Scary…" he commented.

"True…"

"I'm talking about you," he facepalmed.

After the completion of the preliminaries, it was of course, the after party! Just kidding. It was old man Third Hokage explaining to us about the final part of the exam, alongside choosing the opponents through the lottery.

"... you will conduct your final round battles in front of everyone," Lord Third explained to us. "Each of you represents the battle strengths of your respective lands, so we want you to exhibit and fully showcase your various talents. And thus, the finals will commence one month from now!"

"Come on! I need to start training right away!" Naruto was impatient.

Oh, my number is… 5. So I'll have to face someone who has number 6, in the second round after number 1 and 2 have fought. But according to the chart, it seems I was lucky with this one.

"Hmm, awesome," I muttered under my breath.

I was delighted and frightened at the same time.

My opponent was Gaara of the Desert! But since I'll have to face him, if I ever beat him in his first battle in the finals, no one else will have to face him in the matches. That's all for the better… I don't know exactly what his deal is. But he's nonetheless a fearsome fellow.

So even if I have enough tools/ transformations in my arsenal, enough to counter him completely, I shouldn't let my guard down and underestimate him.

"You said it's a tournament," Shikamaru inquired. "So there's only one winner, right? Then only one person gets to become a chuunin?"

"No, that's not the case," Old Man Hiruzen clarified. "For the final, you'll be observed by many judges, not only me, but the Kazekage (Wind Shadow) and the rulers and shinobi leaders of the countries that will be requesting missions as well.

Based on your performance in the tournament, these judges will assign you an absolute value. And all those who are deemed to have sufficient ability to be a journeyman ninja… even those who may have lost in the first round, can become a chuunin."

That's pretty understandable and simple.

After the Q&A session, Lord Third dismissed us for a month to prepare for the tournament.

[ Line Break ]


It was one hell of a day.

"Thanks for the ramen, Iruka-sensei."

Well, sensei offered to treat me to ramen when Masato-nii and I met him at Ichiraku. He actually was there to have dinner together with his pupil, Naruto.

"No need, it's just for celebration," sensei said. "You two really worked hard."

"Wouldn't say I did," I said flatly.

Compared to anyone else, I might have worked hard in the past but I didn't work hard to gain these abilities. Even more reason to use my abilities for the good.

"... I see," Iruka-sensei flinched upon hearing my response.

Masato-nii gently elbowed my lower back as a warning, whispering, "Oi, you didn't need to say that."

"My bad," I whispered back. I was awfully honest, almost satire.

"Then, see you, Iruka and… Naruto-kun. It's already this late so… I will treat you to something in turn sometimes."

"Wow, that's…"

"I know some good secret bars in konoha," Masato-nii said in a dark voice.

Naruto was still enjoying his second bowl of ramen.

"I don't really drink alcohol… much, senpai."

Sensei might drink alcohol/ sake, but maybe not as "much" as Masato-nii does.

"Is that so? That's a shame. But then maybe we can have yakiniku together some times."

"Hai…"

And so we parted ways with sensei and Naruto.

We walked back home in silence as we had nothing to talk about. It was especially awkward… after I'd shown how powerful I could be firsthand in the preliminaries.

I don't know what my bro is thinking. But I could guess in his mind, I might be an entirely different person now.

I have no idea if I made the right decisions all along from his perspective.

"Benji," he started, breaking the silence.

"Hai?"

"Your stomach… is it fine now?"

"Yes, I think," I sweatdropped. "But I ate ramen in moderation. It should be fine."

That came out weird.

"Is that so?" He immediately changed topics. "I'm going to have to train you, right? For a month, again."

"Yeah?"

"I don't know if there's anything I can teach you," he looked especially concerned about it.

A month, huh? For a genius shinobi, they could even learn and practice one or two techniques in that period. But for me, it sounds like it will be a boring month to pass.

"Masato-nii don't need to worry about that," I said with a smile.

"Of course, I need to," he raised his voice a bit before he realized it. "I… I mean, I am supposed to be your mentor. You did this great even without my guidance."

"You're talking like you didn't guide me at all," I chuckled. "Come on, bro. You've taught me about plenty of things. Maybe we could just… practice together. It's still something."

"Are you mocking me?"

"Uh… no."

We both became quiet again.

I mean, I lived with him for like five years. Of course, almost everything I knew came from him. Not to mention since that incident…

"Can you use other jutsu outside of… transformation?" He asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"... I still can't," I said, kicking a stone away from the road. "My chakra system is still…"

"That's a shame."

"Wha?"

"I'd love to teach you Tenzaki style secret jutsu."

"Our clan's jutsu?" I jokingly followed up.

"We are not a ninja clan. But… our grandpa invented some secret jutsu for us, who would become shinobi in this bloodline."

"Tell me about it."

He suddenly pointed at himself with a thumb. "There is a good reason why I am called Masato the Tracker!"

"That's the first time I heard about it!" I cried. "I thought you were Masato the Womanizer."

"What, that's your impression of me!? I'm a full-fledged Jonin, too, you know!"

"Womanizing… isn't it a jutsu, too?" I replied flatly with a deadpan face.

"No, it has no tricks involved," he confidently argued, imitating my expression.

That's arrogant, Masato-nii.

I looked up at the sky to change topics.

"By the way, there are a lot of stars tonight," I stated.

"Huh, isn't it the same sky as always?"

"Perhaps… but do you know? There are many lifeforms out there living in those stars… and planets surrounding them."

"What? Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"No, I am serious."

"Is it a sci-fi film plot?"

"No, no, I am talking about this real world. Real life."

"... then what you said might be true. We don't know where this sky ends. And the sky isn't just everything, even."

"Right. Actually, Masato-nii, the forms I transform into…"

"Yeah?"

"What if I say they are creatures from the planets out there and beyond?"

"..."

My bro for sure couldn't find words to reply with.

"Hypothetically?" I added.

"No, no, that's… really big. I don't think I'm ready to hear that, hypothetical or not."

"Sorry…"

"No, don't sweat it," he nudged my shoulder. "But hmm, we may not be alone in this world… Wait, that suddenly sounds so scary. What about ghosts?"

"Don't ask me."

"You are freaking me out now."

"I didn't say anything about ghosts!"

And so we rushed home real fast and locked up the doors and windows.

It was already late. But Masato-nii seemed to be afraid of ghosts. Either that or it was just an awkward amount of information for him to swallow.

I don't know how much he took my words.

[ Time Break ]


"Okay then, today… what do we do?"

Masato-nii and I were in an empty training site so I could prepare for the final rounds of the Chuunin Selection Exams.

"I'd like to hear about Tenzaki style secret jutsu, to be honest," I proposed.

"I'm glad you want to know about that, but is that really okay?"

"It's alright. I will figure out a way to use that jutsu with my alien forms."

Masato-nii rubbed his chin before answering. "That's not a bad idea."

Well, the main reason was I just wanted to know more about my family. But at the same time, I hated to be direct and honest about it. Then it should be fine to use excuses for its sake.

"You know there are five basic Chakra natures, right?"

"Yes," I nodded in response.

"Combining two different natures will result in another unique chakra nature," he explained. "But not everyone can do so. You'd need training, bloodlines, genes, etc. Crystal Release is also such a unique and rare nature. To be honest, I've never seen it myself so it's almost a myth."

"Oh, I see. So my crystal jutsu confirmed its existence?"

"Kind of," he said thoughtfully. "But at the same time, maybe not. You are not using a jutsu after all. But that's besides the point."

"I see."

He raised two fingers in a gesture. "There are two more Chakra nature transformations outside the basic five."

Interesting, first time hearing about that.

"It's Yin release and Yang release. Yin release dictates spiritual energy, so it associates with minds, creation, imagination, etc. Yang release, similarly, controls physical energy, thus it deals with vitality, life and such."

I didn't know if I would have to act confused. It was fantastic to know about Yin and Yang, but while they felt quite out of the world, they actually made sense to me.

"Could you please give me examples?"

"Sure," he took a pause to think. "I guess the easiest example is Nara Clan's secret shadow techniques and Akimichi's secret body size techniques. They are as secretive as they could be, but… manipulating shadows uses Yin release and body techniques would certainly use Yang release."

Shadow manipulation is in fact one of the coolest things I've seen in this world. Though it wasn't really exciting when Shikamaru used it on his opponent during the preliminaries. I wish it could be more creative.

"I see. Both are secret techniques…"

"Yeah, those secret techniques are the pride and soul of their clans, which is why they only passed down the techniques among themselves."

"So our Tenzaki's secret technique is also a secret?"

"No, we're not really secretive about it," he shrugged, wearing a poker face. "It's just either no one is interested or it's boring to learn. Even among the family, I am the only user right now."

I could easily see he was proud of the jutsu. But at the same time, he looked like he was crying inside.

I guess his plan formerly was to pass down the jutsu to me, but with me being unable to utilize my Chakra system, it was in vain…

"It's a shame I can't learn," I replied.

"Don't worry," he grinned manically. "I've been pressuring Megumi to learn this jutsu. If she's not interested, it's the end."

I didn't know how to react to that comment.

"B-but let's first hear about it, alright," I said, trying to wipe away his inner weeps. "Maybe depending on what type of jutsu it is, I can… help you convince her."

It's not like the relationship between my cousin, Megumi, and I was warm and friendly. When I was younger, like seven or eight, she used to be obsessed with babysitting me, but as we grew older, we became more distant from each other, despite the fact that she was also Masato-nii's teammate.

"Right," my bro seemed fired up now. "Let me explain–"

Here's the summary: basically, this secret technique, namely Tenzaki Style Secret Tracking Technique, uses yin-release. The principles used are similar to echolocation, but it fundamentally depends on the user's sharpness and sense of deduction rather than yin chakra control instead. In short, the user has to be a genius with detective-like senses and intelligence to effectively wield this jutsu.

It's even a wonder how someone like Masato-nii could wield the jutsu so well that he was nicknamed Masato the Tracker?!

"That sounds tiring," I noted. "I mean, it's useful in tracking and locating someone in your area in spite of the terrain, so it's a cool concept. But it's not surprising no one wants to learn it."

"Why!?"

I dodged his question. "Anyway, that's just perfect. I just need to find something to replace chakra channeling."

"O-oh, but you've got the gist of it, right?"

"More or less," I said, bringing the Omnitrix up to my chest. "Let's see…"

Despite the use of Yin release in this jutsu, the more fundamental necessity isn't chakra but the perceptive abilities of the user. With that said, I would need to find an alien form with good senses.

"How about Jetray?" Masato-nii said.

"His sight is cool, but," I replied, "he doesn't do well at low altitudes, especially in rough terrain with a lot of plants."

"How about Big Chill?"

"Doesn't have it in him," I clarified. "He could scout in enemy base or backlines if necessary."

Big Chill can go invisible and intangible so he has little limits in moving around. That's the reason why he doesn't need a tracking jutsu. But he doesn't have anything to replace the jutsu's channeling effect.

"Turtle of the Wind? Water Mage? Earthbender? Or even Electrifying Oni?"

Basically, he meant Terraspin, Waterhazard, Armodrillo and Shocksquatch respectively. But I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"Maybe Earthbender and Oni can… also Swampfire– I mean, Flaming Vines has a technique that allows me to know the terrain."

"Let me see, let me see!"

He is really excited, isn't he?

As the holographic ring stopped upon the symbol of Swampfire, I gently removed my finger off the faceplate, letting it slide down and reveal the core. I slammed the core back into the Omnitrix, thus making the transformation happen.

"Alright here, Transformation Technique: Flaming Vines!"

"You've already transformed," Masato-nii murmured.

"My bad, don't sweat it," I said, creating vine seeds in my hands.

When the seeds were set on the ground, they crawled around before digging into the earth and disappearing entirely underground.

"I see."

"You figured it out?" I smirked.

"Yeah, the vines crawl around in the earth to know the terrain, right?" He made a guess. "I am not sure how you control the vines."

"Aren't there techniques that can control the plants?"

"Yeah but it's rare," he commented. "As far as I know, the First Hokage who founded the village had wood release. I don't know anyone else who can use Wood release."

"So I'm the only user," I frowned. "That might cause a problem."

"Why?"

"I will stand out too much if people know I can use rare jutsu," I replied with regret.

Now that I remember, during my private genin exam, Lord Third cut off the Headmaster who was going to ask me about crystal release. Crystal Release, as well as Wood Release, are both rare nature transformations… almost myths.

"I mean, you are already using transformation jutsu in a way they've never seen before," Masato-nii said thoughtfully. "So it should be fine."

"It's fine?"

"Right, besides you can't use those elemental jutsu without transforming, which means it's not you who can use the rare chakra natures, but it's your creatures."

"I don't really understand but…"

"If you were a normal human outside the shinobi stuff, that would be really hard to explain, but you are a shinobi in a hidden village," he stated confidently. "So a little lie or two won't hurt. No one will even try to find out."

So in this world, where ninjas use wizardly magic-like techniques, I won't really stand out for my flashy powers. I could just be another shinobi with a unique jutsu.

"... thanks. Now I understand, I like this world!"

"What are you, a cynical brat? Forget that, we have training ahead."

"Hai! Let's do it!"

And so we tried to replicate the Tenzaki technique by testing with my alien forms. Time really passed faster, and before we noticed, it was already lunch time.

[ Transition ]


Somewhere in the village, within a different training ground, the three genins of Kusagakure no Sato were practicing their respective exercises.

"Brother, why didn't you take it seriously?!"

With that said, Hanzo charged in for a swift attack with his sword, a move that was gracefully blocked by Genji.

"I see no reason to," Genji calmly retorted.

"You lost because of that attitude!"

The two siblings clashed blades, while a few meters away, Kiriko practiced her kunai-throwing technique on a nearby tree.

"Brother, I'm only here because of you!" Genji barked back, now keeping up with Hanzo. "The test needed three people for a team! That's why…"

"Even then!"

Kiriko sighed, trying her best to avoid looking at the Shimada Dragon brothers. They have always been too intense, despite the younger brother being an airhead sometimes, and they would mostly settle the arguments with a clash of their blades. Kiriko honestly didn't know it was manliness or stupidity. But again, from the perspective of a ninja, that's just stupidity.

"I need healing," Genji said as he and his brother paused their fight.

Kiriko Kamori rolled her eyes as she pulled out her jutsu-integrated paper talismans underneath her sleeve.

"You are wasting my resources," she grumbled.

True, back in Kusagakure, her grandma could always make more talismans should she run out of them. But here the resources were limited. Even if she had her fox spirit help make them, it would take long enough time.

Overall, Kiriko didn't want to waste resources. She hasn't even used her ofuda talismans for herself.

"Sorry," Genji apologized. "Then you only heal my brother. I'm fine. I don't have to take part in the next match after all."

Hanzo leaned against a wooden fence, panting.

"You'll still need stamina training, brother?" Genji jokingly said.

Hanzo responded with an irritated expression. "You always go too far. Your stamina is insane, suitable for a moron."

"Don't insult your brother," Kiriko smacked his head.

"Knock, knock?"

The fourth voice immediately drew the attention of the entire group. But only Kiriko recognized who it was even before looking.

"What are you here for?" She said as she turned around.

"Tenzaki Benji," Hanzo muttered.

"Sup," Benji playfully walked into the training ground, with a bento - a large, multi-layered lunchbox in his hands. "I am wondering if we can have lunch together."

Genji couldn't follow what was going on Benji's mind, but as the most absent-minded of the three, he didn't hesitate to respond–

"Yes, of course," he said, pointing at the tree Kiriko practiced throwing knives.

But before Benji could take another step, Kiriko confronted him and stood in his way. She was physically older so naturally, she was a bit taller than the kid.

"What, are you here to humiliate us again?!"

"No, no, it's nothing like that!" Benji denied.

"It's not like we are enemies," Genji intervened. In fact, he didn't even know what a "grudge" meant. "Come on, Kiriko. Look at him, how lonely he would be! He doesn't even have a team."

Yes, at the same time, Genji might be quite insensitive. If it were anyone else in Benji's place, they would probably cry inside.

"But…" Kiriko attempted to say something.

"He's right, Kiriko," Hanzo chimed in. "We are not enemies. We are not allies either, but at the end of the day, he's just a kid."

On the outside, Benji was just a twelve-year-old. Hanzo was in his late teens, Kiriko and Genji were 16 and 15 respectively. Being the oldest of all, Hanzo knew he had to be sensible and wise in front of the kids. By "kids," it includes his teammates even.

"Uh, then, I've brought extra for you guys, too!" Benji excitedly said.

"Did you cook it yourself?"

Genji and Benji walked together toward the tree, just after them was Kiriko still muttering some curse words unfitting of a shrine maiden.

Hanzo wasn't that simple-minded to just let it go away, however. He stood quietly, staring at their backs, trying to figure out what a twelve-year-old kid, who was supposed to be their "rival," wanted to do with them.

Just because he wanted to befriend the Kusa gang? No, it shouldn't be that simple. But he was a kid at the end of the day. A kid's mind is more complicated to guess than that of a grown-up, simply because it is a kid.

In the end, Hanzo couldn't draw a definite conclusion.

"What are you doing, brother?" Hanzo called. "This is going to get cold. Come on."

"O-oh…" Hanzo put the thoughts aside and walked over to them.

But actually, deep down… Benji just wanted to befriend the guy. In fact, he would have had lunch at least once with Rock Lee's team, if not for Neji who now had beefs with him and Lee who was probably asleep at the hospital. Certainly, he couldn't just have lunch with Tenten alone. It would look weird.

After Ben's impression of Neji in the preliminaries, Hanzo's team was probably better people in his eyes.

"You do kenjutsu, Benji… -san?" Genji tried to start a conversation as he grabbed a piece of fried chicken from Benji's bento box.

"I don't really know much kenjutsu," the brunet replied honestly. "I am bad with jutsu in general outside of… what I do right now."

"Transformation jutsu?"

"Y-yep, that. I can only do that unique transformation jutsu. Oh, and maybe I am pretty good with Shurikens and kunai."

"That jutsu of yours is super awesome though! You must have trained like crazy!"

"Uh…"

"How do you do that!?"

In the end, Benji couldn't keep up with Genji's enthusiastic absentmindedness, but he could see Kiriko frowning at him in the corner of his eyes.

"Th-then, let's have lunch for now. Itadakimasu."

"Genji, we can ask him about details later," said Hanzo, convincing his brother to quiet down.

"Oh, okay," the younger brother muttered. "Wow, this is delish. The best Konoha chicken I've ever had!"

He then took a look at Kiriko's separate bento box.

"Kiriko… CHAN. Did you make it yourself too?"

"Of course," the girl raised her voice.

"I bet there's too much sugar in it–"

It wasn't long before Kiriko smacked him.

"A-anyway, you should give it a try. Benji's bento."

"No."

During the lunch, Genji was a conversation starter, his order brother did nothing but agreed with him all the time. Kiriko couldn't argue with the brothers. But Benji was nigh-invisible, quietly watching the gang as he enjoyed his self-made bento.

"Like I said, you should've let me cook for you, too," Kiriko grumbled as the brothers invaded her bento box with their chopsticks.

"I-I guess I'm fine with a Samurai lunch. Modest and all," Hanzo claimed, though he was the one who took the most from Kiriko's lunch.

"You should stop being stubborn…" Genji said, chewing the piece of fried chicken. "Just try Benji's bento and you'll love it!"

"No."

"If I had a daughter your age," Hanzo said with a straight face. "I would let you marry my daughter. You'd make a good househusband."

"Hanzo-san, I don't know if you are praising or harassing me," Benji remarked.

"I'm being honest."

No, no, it would be bad if you had a daughter my age, Hanzo-san. You haven't even hit 20.

"Gochisousama…" Benji quickly finished his meal.

"Good, wait, I still have some questions. I'd like to know more about you."

Genji wasn't particularly nerdy about it. He was totally honest when he said that. But Hanzo and Kiriko wanted to know Benji for different reasons.

The tournament wasn't about winning or losing. But a match with Benji would have him wiping the floor with them if they were unfortunate. But thankfully, their first opponents weren't Benji.

"Oh, okay," Benji agreed to stay!

Due to Genji's influence, Benji could only get away after explaining to them about some of his secret jutsu. Hanzo and Kiriko were attentively listening to gather information.

But they knew if they wanted to be promoted to Chuunin, they might have to give it their best and show off in the first rounds until they might have to face Benji.

It's a long month ahead for them…


[ Break ]

Temari and Kankuro were anxious.

Gaara was a demon… with a demon inside him. If it were anyone else Gaara was going against, the two wouldn't be as worried. If anything, they might worry about Gaara's opponent.

But it was Benji of all people!

They didn't know about Benji at all. They hadn't been informed in the least about him before they came to Konohagakure. There could be a good reason for it, but they didn't understand how it might play out in their "mission."

In other words, Benji was an unpredictable chess piece on their chess board. Normally, such an addition should be against the rules, but real life wasn't as strict as chess.

"Is this going to be okay?" Kankuro said.

He felt left out regarding the fact that he had been eliminated from the finals by Kusa's Kiriko. But Temari couldn't blame him since she had been on the verge of being humiliated by another Kusa participant, Genji. To be precise, both of them were hard-countered by Kusagakure's genins, which in itself was undoubtedly humiliating.

"It's Gaara after all," was all Temari could say.

"That guy… I wonder what kind of jutsu he's got."

Benji was a fearless individual. It was probably because he either was oblivious or couldn't care less about Suna team. But his power was real. Worse, he finished the second part of the Chuunin exam even faster than Gaara and broke the records.

Gaara was just spacing out in the middle of the training field, standing alone, as weird as he was. The sun was blazing hot… but he didn't seem to care.

"Damn, I can't rest easy."

Meanwhile…

Deep within the forest, Naruto engaged in training with a peculiar, middle-aged man with suspiciously long, spiky, white hair and red markings running down his cheeks, wearing a red haori and a forehead protector with a kanji that read 油.

It seemed that this suspicious individual had been teaching Naruto some suspicious jutsu… Starting with a summoning technique. However, Naruto's consistent summoning of diminutive frogs and even tadpoles brought hearty laughter from the man.

"Is this normal?" I whispered to Masato-nii, who merely shrugged, his attention fixed on the unfolding scene.

"I assume he's probably the new instructor Kakashi-san mentioned," I continued in a hushed tone.

"Indeed," Masato-nii concurred, his voice equally discreet. "Kakashi did mention bringing in an elite ninja to mentor Naruto. Maybe we should stop watching them."

"But it's intriguing, and rather amusing," I remarked, my eyes fixed on Naruto's continued struggle to summon anything more than a tadpole.

My brother shot me a disapproving look. "Pot calling the kettle black."

We both lay concealed near a cascading waterfall, our gazes fixed through binoculars, covertly observing the interactions between the man and Naruto.

"What's his name again?" I inquired.

"Ebisu."

"Oh, yes, Ebisu-sensei," I muttered. "His fashion sense is pretty weird. His hair is also too long and messy. He even looks like a… porcupine?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Masato-nii replied in a deadpan voice. "He's clearly not Ebisu."

"What? Then who is he!? Is Naruto being swindled?!"

"Calm down–"

"I must save my friend."

He grabbed my shoulders to calm me down.

"Relax, I know who he is," he assured me. "He's not just anybody. Judging from his hair and markings, he must be Jiraiya, one of the three legendary ninjas."

What a surprising twist!

"Legendary ninja?"

"Said to be the most powerful ninjas of Konoha currently, the second only to the Hokage... the Sannin. They were also students of the Hokage-sama."

"Wow, that's good to hear. Naruto is in good hands."

"Don't overestimate Jiraiya-san, Benji," his tone suddenly grew serious.

"Why?"

Even I felt a twinge of concern due to his dramatic expression.

"I once defeated Jiraiya," he grinned mischievously.

"What? But how?"

"In a sake-drinking competition," he deadpanned.

"I had a feeling it was going to be something stupid again!"

"Shh, keep it down."

I looked through the binoculars and noticed this Jiraiya person was directly in our direction.

"He's looking our way," I whispered. "Did we get caught?"

"Maybe it's just you," Masato-nii remarked. "My Tenzaki style invisible jutsu is flawless. My heartbeat syncs with the rhythm of the leaves and winds of the environment."

Where did that arrogance come from?! And since when did we become an elite ninja clan?!

"Maybe we should draw back for now," he suggested. "Let's go."

"Hai…"

Well, if it's a "legendary" ninja mentoring Naruto, everything should be fine. Kakashi of the Sharingan certainly knows the right people, it seems.

So it's probably best to leave them be and retreat.

"What would you like for lunch?"

"Something crispy," I mumbled.

"What a lame taste," he cringed.


[ Time Skip ]

I heard news that Naruto was admitted to the hospital…

"Was it a bad idea to leave them be…" I pondered. "I heard Naruto has been unconscious for three days."

"If you're worried, go see him instead of bugging me," Masato-nii groaned in response. "Uh, bring some snacks with you, too."

"Ramen?" I suggested it, since it's Naruto's favorite food.

Masato-nii shot down the idea. "No, don't. That's harassment."

"I'm sure he'd be delighted."

"On second thought, whatever, do what you like. Oh, also, visit Hokage-sama after going to the hospital. He has something important to discuss with you."

I can't really know ahead, but judging from his expression, it can't be anything good. But there must be a good reason why Masato-nii didn't tell me about it.

"... Sure."

Without further ado, Masato-nii hurriedly departed.

I hadn't personally spoken to Old Man Hokage since Chapter Four…

Well, anyway, I have some pocket money left from when I did trivial missions. Maybe I will buy some fruits and snacks for Choji, too. What about Lee-san? Would he like dumbbells? No, you can give dumbbells to someone who's been hospitalized.

And so I also left home and made my way to the hospital.

As I entered Naruto's hospital room, I found Shikamaru sitting by his bedside, reading a book.

Naruto is still out cold, and I'm not particularly friendly with Shikamaru. I mean, he is not hostile, but we don't really interact much. If anything, I'd have to be surprised that he was friends with Naruto.

"Sup, is he up yet?" I asked.

Shikamaru glanced up briefly before returning his attention to the book. "No, not yet."

"You looking after him?"

Shikamaru shook his head, responding, "Nah, I came to visit Choji."

"Anyway… this is for him," I handed him a basket of fruits. "I have another one for Choji, too. You are his friend so you give it to him."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Why are you bossing me around?"

"Just do it, alright? I have to meet with Hokage-sama next."

"Whatever, fine, leave them."

I left both baskets on a nearby table near Naruto, saying, "Thanks. See you later."

"Sure, take care."

When I checked on Lee-san, he was peacefully asleep. But with what happened, he might need a good, long rest above anything else.

Upon arriving at the Hokage's office to report, I found the old man standing on the veranda, overlooking the village.

"He's here, Hokage-sama," the ninja reported.

"Very well, please wait outside the room," he ordered.

"Hai!"

As the ninja exited the room, the old man turned to me, beckoning me closer. With a gesture, he directed my attention back towards the sprawling village.

"I assume Masato hasn't filled you in," he began.

Filled me in on what?

"No, I think."

"Hmm," his expression grew solemn. "I hesitate to burden you with this information, but it's necessary. Please forgive me."

Okay, I don't even know what he's going to tell me about, but I'm already feeling the sense of confidentiality around here…

"..."

"Something bad is going to happen to our village," he said. "The Chuunin Finals are in two days. But it can't be postponed… because of reasons I can't really tell you."

"What exactly is this "bad" thing?"

"At worst, it could lead to war," he paused. "Konoha could be destroyed if we don't prepare in advance. The adult ninjas are already on the lookout but I'm reluctant to burden the younger generation."

"What about me?" I questioned.

He chuckled. "I had a feeling that you, of all people… might be an unpredictable piece in this crisis. What do you think?"

I glanced at the Omnitrix on my wrist. "I can't make any guarantees, but I'll do my best."

But at the same time, I knew the old man had shared this information with me because of my powers.

"That's all I need to hear. I can't give you details but do tell me if you have questions."

"I don't," I replied with a smile. "I don't need more reasons to protect people."

"Hahaha, your generation is really something else, Benji," he said. "Do you aspire to become a Hokage when you grow up?"

I paused for a moment, then shook my head, offering my answer. I already knew it before.

"I don't believe I deserve such a title. I don't even have… the ability to fit a ninja."

The Hokage responded, "Well, given the traditional backgrounds of kage, you would think that. But what matters is your dedication to the village and its people."

"I don't wanna be tied down. That's all."

"... you are really mature for your age," the old man said. "But this is all for today. You're dismissed. Do your best in the exams, too."

"Hai… Hokage-sama."


And so two days passed.

Two days slipped by in the blink of an eye, but I couldn't help but think about what the old man said. A lot of details are left out from me as it seems, so I could only make guesses.

The uncertainty weighed on me. I didn't know what kind of enemies I was going to fight to protect the people of Konoha. I could only hope I wouldn't need to fight innocent people to protect others who were equally innocent.

But wars.

I hated the idea. But in this world, fighting is unavoidable. If I were still Ben Tennyson… my hotheaded self might forcefully and single-handedly stop wars and have nations make peace, regardless of humanity's greedy intentions. That's right, wars are stoppable, greed isn't.

But now me as Benji Tenzaki. I am not as bold and wise. I can't be forceful. I'm barely courageous enough to protect what I love.

Maybe it's just Que Sera Sera.

Time to cut off the thoughts. I felt ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

The final exam - the tournament was conducted in a large, circular arena with towering walls, where the Hokage, the Kazekage (of Suna) and honored guests, and various spectators watched the matches. Judges were there to evaluate the participants' skills and decide who would become Chunin.

To be honest, I was no longer interested in becoming a Chuunin, but I figured I might as well give it my all and have some fun.

"Next up! We have Gaara facing off against Benji Tenzaki! Step forward, please!"

The proctor, not Hayate Gekko this time, made the announcement.

Naruto encouraged me, saying, "It's your turn, Benji. Give it your all!"

Doing your best sounds more charming than Good Luck for some reason.

I adjusted my forehead protector, muttering, "Omnitrix, remember the setting."

For dramatic effect, I transformed into Big Chill and seemingly teleported down into the ring where Gaara awaited, before returning to my human form.

"If you both are ready… begin!"

Another chapter has come to an end. Thanks for your support.


Ben Vs Gaara fight in the next chapter.

Now I am feeling bad that there wasn't any Ben 10 fight for two chapters straight. Sorry about that! But following this chapter is the Konoha Vs Suna and Oto arc, so I will try my best to make it interesting and exciting!

At any rate, I feel like a follow-up commentary would help, and yes, I can guarantee it would be fun and entertaining to read the following. So here it is:

1) Kusa gang is literally the perfect team! According to Tsunade's advice, you should have a medic-nin on your team, so Kusa has Kiriko. Hanzo is a ranged specialist and a master strategist, and Genji is the best kenjutsu user they could find. Each one of them is a powerhouse, though Hanzo and Genji are not comparable to Naruto and Sasuke in terms of chakra pool. But yeah…

2) Remember Ben was caught off-guard and almost lost to the Kusa team in Ch 5?! I think that was a realistic scenario to happen to Ben, lol. I mean, Ben rarely fought alone during the entirety of original continuity; he always had someone by his side, either Gwen, Kevin, or Rook. Sometimes his grandpa. So naturally, without them supporting or watching their back, Ben would face problems when facing such an enemy with good teamwork.

3) Ben is alone, and doesn't have a healer. The Omnitrix would only protect him if he was in a life-threatening danger so that's quite an issue. If it were Tsunade instead of Hiruzen, I think she wouldn't allow him to fight alone like this. But thankfully, this is a ninja fanfiction. Ninjas usually go for vital areas for sure kills so it should be fine for Ben.

4) Realistically, without the failsafe in the equation, Gentle Fist should work on his human body. But his transformations aren't chakra-powered, so he could just turn into an alien form and nullify the effect. What troubles me, however, is that injuries from one form are somehow transferred to another form he assumed. But this doesn't really make sense considering how it breaks the body down to a molecular level.

So for an easier answer, I decided the gentle fist wouldn't work on Ben/ Benji, especially with the failsafe as a factor. But byakugan could still work to an extent (depends on the species.) It shouldn't work on species like Chromastone, The Worst, etc, because their bodies are too dense for the dojutsu to pass through. But it's also a giveaway because a Byakugan user could look around and sense something is wrong right away.

At any rate, I will do my best to deliver the next chapter (9) as fast as possible! Thanks for reading and supporting me!

Chris Chronos.