Naruto: Cyclone Savant

by Gobbomancer

Naruto, practicing his Clone Jutsu before the last graduation exam, gets frustrated and accidentally produces wind chakra, knocking himself out in the process. He's had a year to practice this on his own, using wind chakra, though inconsistently, while neglecting his what would let him graduate. What changes will this bring?

2. Chapter 2: A Leaf on the Wind

2- Leaf on the Breeze

Naruto and the Hokage sit across from each other, in an otherwise empty waiting room, one the picture of serenity, the other radiating nervous energy. "Naruto, take a breath, and speak." The first words that broke the silence and Naruto's bouncing leg since Hiruzen ordered the room to empty. Gulping, Naruto opens his mouth, pauses, then breathes deep, surprising the Hokage as his ears pop like the pressure in the room changed. "Is it true?" "Yes." "Why not tell me?" Hiruzen pauses, then answers "Up until recently I was uncertain of your ability to keep a secret, especially when those old enough to know the truth barely managed until today." Naruto squints at the older man, "Why keep it a secret?" "I had a small hope that it would allow you a somewhat normal childhood as far as your friendships went, but the priority was your safety. There have been several kidnapping attempts on those with significant and exceptional traits, like yourself, before you were born. And still several after, such as your classmate Hinata Hyuga." "The shy sick girl who faints a lot?"

Choking on the smoke from the pipe he relit after the medics were out of sight, "Wha- Oh.." Hiruzen lets out a good laugh to Naruto's confusion, "Yes Naruto, the same. Though my hopes were regretfully unfounded on large, the secret on pain of death has largely done its job to keep you safe from other villages, namely Kumo and Iwa." "Okay... So why is it fine for me to know now?" Naruto, now more comfortable and less mistrusting, questions. "I had no idea you were proficient with wind nature chakra until tonight, a skill that is rare in our village. Not to mention most don't attempt chakra nature transformation until they reach chunin. How long have you had this ability?"

Naruto, flooded with pride and ego, begins his story, "It's been a year Gramps, I got super frustrated with the STUPID Clone Jutsu, and, BAAM! I made a big explosion but without the fire. When I woke up I tried to do it again, but it took like, two weeks, and it wasn't even close to the first one. I kept at it and learned how to change direction midair, and make like super loud pops that makes ears bleed. It's super awesome but I can't do it every try yet, and I didn't use it at the academy because of that, though I almost did." "It seemed consistent when you fought Mizuki." Hiruzen adds, curious to the answer. "I was super pissed at the bastard, or I got lucky. I still can't make that explosion yet, but popping ears is super deadly right?" Hiruzen pauses, pondering how dangerous Naruto has become |I also did not see any handsigns aside from the Shadow Clones, perhaps he is more adept at shape transformation?| "It can be debilitating yes, I commend you for not using it in the academy spars." Naruto beams under the praise as the Hokage continues. "I recommend you visit the library during your genin registration errands, and get material regarding hand seals and their effects in jutsu. This may help you get the consistent results you are after." |And sate my curiosity as to what you have created.|

As this suggestion is passed to the dubious blonde, Iruka and the doctor working on him exit the examination room, not noticing the Hokage stowing his pipe and sucking in all the smoke and scent from it. "Considering the situation, you had avoided that concussion you would have won that fight." Iruka smiles tiredly, longing for the comfort of his mattress before noticing the Hokage and immediately bowing. "Lord Hokage, about that alternate test.." "Unnecessary, I had already passed him before you got to the hospital." "Thank you sir." Another set of doors open as a bald scarred man wearing a bandana enters the area, "Lord Third, I have found something of interest."

-Morning-

As Naruto walks out of the photographer's studio, wiping his face with a damp rack to remove the paint for his ID photo, he stops and turns to the opposite direction. "Gramps said I should go to the library, but I wouldn't know how to find that scroll. I'll go get some ramen and think it over!"

"Ramen sounds good right now, mind if I come with you?" Punctuated with the crunch of chips, Naruto turns to find Choji coming out of the photography studio. "Hey Choji! The more the merrier, you draggin' Shikamaru around today?" "Yeah, he got his picture taken early, we were supposed to meet at the park, but it's on the way." As they walk, Naruto gives a mischievous grin and looks over to his rotund companion, "Hey, what do you say to a bet, last to finish five bowls pays for the other's five?" "Hmmm, fine, but all bowls are the same, full toppings too." Both boys looked intently at each other as the approached the park where the spiky ponytailed boy lay on his back staring at the sky. Looking over to see Naruto and Choji simultaneously exclaim "Agreed!".

Teuchi, just opening his stand for the afternoon, expecting a slow start, feels that tell tale breeze passing into his shop, though not followed by the idle chatter it usually comes with. "Ayame, I'll take over prep, we're about to be busy." "It's before lunch, how busy can we get?" a young woman asks while switching over to the soup pots to turn up the heat. As if on que, three boys enter the stand, two very familiar to the pair. They take their stools, Choji and Naruto both order at the same time, "Five pork ramen, loaded with toppings!" "One bowl of miso." Shikamaru orders just behind them. As Ayame takes the orders she turns back to her father baffled, as he works on getting the first three bowls started.

Not much conversation happens while Naruto and Choji compete, while even, at the third bowl Choji mildly scalds himself on the very fresh ramen, where Naruto seems wholly unaffected by the heat, giving him the lead he needed for his free meal. Graceful in defeat, Choji puts the money on the counter, even covering Shikamaru's bowl that he's just finished. "So Naruto, I thought you failed, how come you've got a head band?" Shikamaru perks up at his friends question, curious. "Well... Iruka Sensei got permission for me to take a different ninjutsu test, and I passed that one. It turns out that my chakra is weird making it super hard to do the Clone Jutsu, like I would need to be a Jonin to do it or something." Naruto says, remembering the explanation he got from the Hokage of what was going to happen before Mizuki interfered. "Oh, so like that one guy last year who graduated from taijutsu alone?" "Yup, though I can't tell you what passed me, just that I passed." Curiosity sated Shikamaru got up from his stool, "I hear out team placements got delayed by a couple of days, I got my errands done so its nap time." "Wait Shika, Naruto needs help at the library I hear, why not help him out before that?" Choji pipes up, catching everyone in the stand off guard. "The library and Naruto? No offense but it sounds like a drag." As Naruto raises a finger to protest Choji cuts him off, ready to play his friend like a fiddle. "At least your Mom can't wake you after you help him."

Naruto sits at a desk as a pile of scrolls grows in front of him rapidly as Shikamaru feverishly finds enough material to buy him a few hours sleep. Naruto begins to skim and sort through the scrolls as Shikamaru drops the last of seven and promptly finds a quiet corner. Finding explanations for all the basic signs and example cases where they were used, though no case had the full jutsu written. Despite having nothing Naruto could blow himself up with later he found the Hokage was right in sending him down this path. Shikamaru's eyes widen slightly as he peaks over at Naruto's notes, seeing a clear bias for wind and shape change hand signs.

-Academy-

After the bittersweet reveal of his team placement with Sakura and Sasuke, Naruto had debated with himself on his plan to impersonate Sasuke to talk to Sakura, but found himself unable to tear his thought away from the affects hand signs had on his wind techniques. The consistent control they allowed him with just three signs made it usable in combat now. Moving to the roof of the academy, Naruto tunes out the idle chatter Team 10's Ino and Team 8's Kiba spew at their quieter teammates, practicing the pertinent hand signs, doing his best to get them faster. Naruto loses himself in the practiced movements, and doesn't notice the new presence on the roof. "What are you doing, Loser?" Naruto swiftly looks up, ramrod straight, seeing Sasuke scoping the top of the building. "What's it to you? What are you doing up here?" "Avoiding confessions. What are those handsigns?" "A surprise." At those words, with some panic, Sasuke scans the entire roof again. "Not, that kind, but I'm sure you'll see it eventually seeing we're now 'Team 7'." Seemingly satisfied with the answer Sasuke turns to go elsewhere, before stopping. "Use chalk powder, it keeps your hands from sticking together while not sacrificing your grip."

Team 7 waits in the classroom, waiting on their jonin sensei to arrive. As Sakura goes to make conversation with Sasuke, Naruto directs his efforts to wedging an eraser in the door ready to fall. "What do you think you're doing Naruto?" "I'm doing justice Sakura, he's over an hour late." Sakura shrugs Leaving the blonde to his devices, not noticing he is subdued in his pursuit of a date. Sasuke however regards Naruto with curiosity |I heard Choji explaining how Naruto passed from an alternate test after the normal one, and I caught him up on the roof practicing handsigns. Did he learn something that let him bypass the test?|, his thoughts interrupted by the door sliding to reveal a chalk dusted white haired jonin masked to the point of only having one eye visible. "Hmmm.. First impression... I think I hate you. Lets go to the roof." The jonin leaves in a swirling of leaves, leaving three confused genin behind.

Team 7 assembles at the roof of the academy, where their jonin sensei waits, "Alright, introductions are in order, names, hobbies, like, dislikes. Lets start with the prankster." the one-eyed man orders as his students gather. "Sensei, shouldn't you go first as an example?" Naruto calls out as he finds a seat. "Alright, fair. I'm Kakashi Hatake, I have lots of likes and dislikes, it would be inappropriate to tell you my hobbies, and I don't have any immediate aspirations." He finishes with an eye smile. |We only got his name from that!| "Alright! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, I like ramen, I dislike the three minutes it takes to cook cup ramen and traitors, my hobby is to compare different ramens, oh! and training new jutsu. My dream is to be Hokage!" Kakashi nods |Training new jutsu? When I asked Lord Hokage for any updates, he laughed as he hand me a sub par academy record.| acknowledging the red flag he moves on, "Pinky." With a scowl "My name is Sakura Haruno, I like" she looks at Sasuke, "I mean my dream is.." again looking towards the monolith of angst, and squealing. "Dislikes?" Kakashi probes and without hesitancy, "Naruto!" momentarily deflating the bouncing prankster. |Two red flags here, but unfortunately these affect the team and not just me.| "Scowls." Smiling as Sasuke immediately lives up to the name. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha, I don't have many likes, but plenty of dislikes. I dare not call it a dream, but an ambition to kill a certain man and rebuild my clan." Sakura swoons as Kakashi's only thought is |Crimson.|.

"Alright! Now on to what we will be doing tomorrow.." "OH! Is it a mission!? Are we protecting dignitaries, royalty, royal dignitaries!?" Naruto asks, exuberance getting the better of him. "I guess you could call it a mission but..." Kakashi breaks out into laughter, "You won't like it if I tell you." "Tell us what?" "You'll be taking a survival test to determine if you actually become genin, with a 66% failure rate." Sakura, confused asks, "But we already to a test in the academy, and graduated." "That is the weed out the hopeless cases, and it does a poor job at it. Report to training ground 7, and I suggest you skip breakfast.." Pausing for effect, "You'll only throw up." With that he leaves the team, but stays close enough to eavesdrop. "Hey Sakura, did you catch what time he said to be there?" "He didn't."

-Training Ground 7-

Early in the morning, Team 7 can be seen filing into their assigned training ground, all but Sasuke dead on their feet. Sakura yawns out "I hope he shows up soon." "I don't." Naruto say as he lies back, softly despite doing so from standing. "Are you going back to sleep!" "Yup, he was late yesterday, odds are he will be today too." "But he could show up at any moment!" Sasuke, seeing an opportunity says "That might actually be a good idea, you should get some sleep too, I'll wake you both up when I see him." Naruto looks at Sasuke, "See even he agrees with me, goodnight." "Well, if you say so." An hour later, but an hour earlier than Kakashi intended his students to be there, he arrives unseen but surprized that his students made it there first, and two are asleep.

Sasuke is relieved as he gets a few hours of uninterrupted silence to contemplate. |He tells us not to eat, doesn't tell us what time to be here so we're forced to be here as early as we can manage, and so far hasn't shown up. Either he's incompetent, or this is part of the test.| Sakura stirs, stretching and yawning, before looking around then smoothing out her hair. "Did I miss anything?" Sasuke shook his head, "No, but I think this is part of the test, I can't tell what exactly he's testing for though." "He's not here yet though, how could he possibly test us?" "He's probably watching from somewhere." "Should we wake up Naruto?" "Not yet." Sasuke answers as Naruto stirs, "Too late jerk. You think this is part of the test?" He smiles at Sakura, who scowls back at him. "Your beauty sleep didn't do you any favors loser, but to answer, yes." As Naruto looks at the time, "Well if he hasn't shown up now, I'm going to eat something!", making the clone sign and creating a shadow clone who rushes off. Both his teammates shocked, "Did he just leave us with a clone to go eat? They're not even solid!" Sakura fumes after a short period of awe. "Nope I sent a Shadow Clone to get us food!" A proud Naruto, stands before them, as Sakura pokes him and not through him as she expected to. "That's how you passed that alternate test, right?" Sasuke probes. "Yup, I still can't make the normal ones, but these are super easy for me. We'll have some food in no time."

Kakashi, after sending a ninja hound to tail Naruto as he left the field, observes the team thinking |They're using this time well, and Naruto is just enough of a troublemaker to ignore my bad suggestions. What's troubling is he uses Shadow Clones, if this is why the Hokage was laughing I'm not convinced. Sasuke is skeptical enough to gather this is part of the test, and remains on guard, if they can work together I might have a challenge, but from what I saw, they won't even consider it. Sakura seems to just be along for the ride as long as Sasuke is on it too. Seems like another failed team.| The hound came back, looking sheepish "I lost him Kakashi, he has some way to spread his scent to avoid tracking." The jonin surprised, orders him to watch the road for his return. |There is something more to this than Shadow Clones.|

Naruto, making his way back, while sipping down some broth he got from Ichiraku's, walks side by side with two clones holding more food to take back to camp. Eager to eat, Naruto went himself, and as fast as he possibly could. As he stops at the gate, he's met with the pale girl that the Hokage told him about in the explanation of his secret. "Hey Hinata! Are you guys just getting up and around?" Hinata stiffens, and turns slowly to see the object of her admiration approaching, and talking, to her. "Um, yes, I'm waiting for the others. It's still 30 minutes before we meet Kurenai Sensei." "At least your sensei gave you a time to show up, ours just gave us a place. I'm sure if he did give us a time he'd still be late! He showed up two hours late yesterday!" He creates another shadow clone to help the others back to the field, and keeps talking to Hinata. The nervous girl, unable to even perform her basic coping tactic of pressing her fingers together, hands filled with bento, hangs on every word Naruto brings, trying her best not to faint. "Uhm, Naruto, you shouldn't risk being late to talk to me." "I guess you're right, we'll talk later!" Naruto promptly dashes off, only to speed up as he begins to leap through the tree line, surprising Kurenai who was silently watching the exchange. |He's surprisingly fast. I didn't quite catch the handsigns used before he left, I wonder what jutsu that was?|

Making their way back to the training ground, Kakashi is alerted by his hound to the presence of the blonde, going to see what exactly is going on, only to see three pranksters blur through the tree line faster than Kakashi is comfortable calling genin level. |Speed not recorded in the academy either? What were they doing, sabotage?| He continues to observe as Sakura abstains from food, continuing to follow his suggestion, while Sasuke eating a small amount, likely to curb the hunger than see any meaningful saturation. Naruto gorges on the rest of the food, unwilling to let it go to waste. |Time to show up, and get this over with.| As he flickers down to the grounds, he waves to his team greeting them with, "My how lucky I am to have such punctual students!" channeling a little bit of Might Guy to sell ineptitude. "You're late!" Sakura yells in unison with Naruto's "You didn't give us a time to show up!" |Did I not?| "Guess I didn't... apologies." Kakashi bows his head, and judges his students' opinion, pleased to see that they're all where he wants them to be. "Now for the test. Your job is to get one of these bells from me, by any means.." Kakashi flicks two bells resting on his belt, "and those who are unable will be sent back to the academy. If you want a chance of success, come at me with the intent to kill." |I better shelf the lunch incentive, I meant for that to be a trap for Naruto.| Sakura nervous asks, "But what if we hurt you sensei?" "Then you've got a lucky break." Kakashi grabs a charging Naruto, turning the held kunai on its owner. "I haven't said start yet Naruto." While keeping his hold on Naruto, "Now start."

Feeling his grip empty, Kakashi quickly ducks as Naruto flies over him with a kick, and rolls to the side as he watches Naruto abruptly change direction, flipping into an axe kick. |What was that?| Single mindedly Naruto continues to advance on Kakashi, moving as if he was near weightless. |The others have hidden while Naruto rushed me. The way he moves is strange, almost as if he's swimming.| Nearing the end of his initial assault Naruto leaps back just in time for the jutsu to end, and getting defensive as Kakashi reaches back and produces.. a book?.

Sasuke watches from the trees, trying to figure out how Naruto is moving the way he is, coming up blank as he notices his weight return to him as he backs up from Kakashi. |This must be a jutsu, could this be what he was practicing on the roof?| Sakura is baffled watching Naruto from the shrubs. |Has he always been that.. graceful? First solid clones, now this, is this really the dead last of the class?| A plume of smoke interrupts their thoughts, as all see thirteen Narutos with the same ending handseal, both hands pressed flat together.

"If want to read, you can do it in the hospital!" Naruto makes twelve Shadow Clones, using the smoke from the technique to cover his second handsigns, Bird, Monkey, Horse, and clapping his hands together just as the smoke fades, "Wind Release: Leaf on the Breeze!" At a brief stand still as Kakashi can't land a good hit on any Naruto, and none of the blondes can touch Kakashi, the jonin snaps his book shut, ducks a kick, flipping to stand on the offending clone. |Now I get it. Wind Release, and its not one I've seen before.| "Lesson 1: Taijutsu."

Even while paying attention, the blonde was hard to predict. Ducking and weaving Kakashi tacks the time before the wind jutsu ends. Seeing Naruto finally shift his weight normally, Kakashi charges brutalizing the clones as he rips through the cloud of smoke using it to circle behind Naruto. |A minute and a half, if he had better chakra control I have no doubt he would be as difficult as Sensei to hit.| As Naruto scans his surroundings, he yells "Get out here and fight me!" "Lesson 2: Stealth. If you let someone get behind you, you're as good as dead." Naruto pales as Kakashi makes the Tiger seal, putting Sasuke on edge, and Sakura screams "Naruto run!" "Hidden Leaf Secret Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!". Sasuke and Sakura both palm their faces as Naruto is flung into the brook, thrown by the four fingers between his cheeks. As Kakashi turns to see to his other students, he catches movement from the tree line as a hidden clone rushes at Kakashi as fast as he possible could. Tilting his head to the side, avoiding the punch while planting his own fist into the clone, he feels a pressure to that side of his head, followed by a deafening pop and the pop of the clone. Kakashi just manages to substitute before the real Naruto reached him with the same tactic.

Kakashi, relieved has decided to wear ear protection, though with a different student in mind, leaves a bell on a premade trap. |That's, dangerous. If I hadn't been wearing the ear protection I would be deaf in this ear.| As he shakes off the tinnitus, Naruto falls for the trap now upside down. "So, care to tell me why this isn't in your record Naruto?" Kakashi questions as he bends down to pick up the bell. "It was inconsistent until now, and dangerous for the academy." "I see.." Sasuke seeing an opportunity, lets loose a volley of shuriken curving to Kakashi's deafened side while he lectures Naruto. |I can't be held up here, I need strength, as fast as possible.| As the projectiles collide with Kakashi, Naruto is shocked, then relieved as cut branches hit the ground rather than Kakashi. |Shit! It was a false opening, I've got to move!| As Sasuke moves further into the forest to cut an early encounter, Kakashi moves to find his last student who is yet to do anything.

"I've got to find Sasuke so we can pass together, I can't let our love die so early!" Sakura moving through the brush to find her school crush, she spots Kakashi waiting by the brook. |I better not go that way.| Before she can turn, another Kakashi shows up behind her, "How are you doing young lady?" After enduring the scream he brought protection for, putting Sakura under a simple genjutsu, Kakashi moves back to the field to find Naruto gone, and Sasuke approaching. "The little Uchiha decides to grace me with his presence. Tell me, what's changed?" "I don't need those two in my way, I'm different from them." |I still underestimated Naruto, I better not do the same with the top rookie. If they pass this team will be monstrous.| Sasuke leads with a quick jab, swinging into two kicks, all blocked or caught, using the opportunity to touch one of the bells before Kakashi throws him back. Giving Sasuke the room needed to form the Fireball Jutsu. |He has enough chakra for that? Wind and Fire release on the same team.. shame they're failing.| Moving underground as Sasuke cuts off his own line of sight, "Under you!" Kakashi answers the assumed question as he pulls is student down to his neck. "Lesson 4: Ninjutsu. Only use large ninjutsu such as that to finish an opponent, when its guaranteed to hit." The timer Kakashi set rings as Naruto drags Sakura out of the forest, who faints seeing Sasuke's head. "You fail."