Chapter 12: A Long Awaited Day
|Over Two Months Later|
"Finally," Hiruzen sighed as he finished the last of today's paperwork. With this year's block of academy students graduating but a mere couple of days away the amount had been increasing. The man took the opportunity to look over Konoha. The rooftops were covered in decent coat of glittering white. While the country of Hi no Kuni didn't get as much snow compared to Kumo, Mizu, or some of the other lesser countries, they still had the occasional winter where they received a decent blanket of snow.
Hiruzen treasured rare moments such as these. The man recalled his first snowfall in Konoha as a young boy. A moment that he shared with his teammates and teachers. The group had been training almost all day when the weather had gradually shifted from cool to cold followed by the falling of snowflakes from above. The group had later spent the rest of the day merely playing and enjoying the change in scenery. The man chuckled as he recalled how both Tobirama and Hashirama managed to take a friendly snowball fight and somehow transformed it into an epic battle. The man remembered how the two most powerful men in Konoha received a scolding from Mito and cowered before the intimidating woman as though they were mere children. Hiruzen only regretted not having a camera to picture the event.
"To relive such a moment such as that one last time," even if it was only once the God of Shinobi wished to spend one last moment with his departed teachers and loved ones. But the man shook such thoughts from his mind. It wouldn't do well to dwell on the past and cloud one's thoughts with such things. While it was good to dream, sometimes they could become a burden and hamper a person from doing what was required of them in the present.
There were few times where Hiruzen felt his age since becoming Hokage. However, in the most recent years since retaking the mantle after the Kyubi Incident, those times came more often than he'd like to admit. Training when he had the time was often one of them. It was abundantly clear to those who bore witness to his skill as a ninja in his youth that he was no longer at the top of his game, as the saying went. While no spring chicken any longer, he was still a force to be reckoned with and still the most powerful of the Five Kage.
In a few years' time that would very well likely change. Whereas ten years ago he could train for a little over six hours before breaking into a decent sweat, Hiruzen could barely do three hours without his wizened body looking like a watered plant and feel the ache in his bones and tired muscles well into the next day and beyond without seeing his personal medic. Powerful as he was, Hiruzen was no Senju or Uzumaki whose bodies brimmed with life well beyond that of others. While his mind hadn't dulled and only grown sharper with age, it was clear that his body was on the opposite track.
However, the former could be contested as well when it came to dealing with the politics of running a ninja village, and one of the Great Five no less. As Hokage he was the head of the village and had the ultimate say. It was more easily said than executed. A leader not listening to the concerns of his people and doing merely what he wished could be seen as a tyrant, while one who did everything to appease everyone could be viewed as a weak figurehead.
Every village had their own way of ruling just as did every leader that came into office. Hiruzen had long since learned that he would never be able to appease everyone with his decisions and when making one he'd have to live and deal with the consequences that arose from them. Was he perfect as many viewed him to be? Flattered as he was by the compliment, Hiruzen acknowledged his faults. And they were many. But then, Hiruzen was more of an idealist like Hashirama than a cynical realist like Tobirama.
Which brought him to the most recent thing that made him feel old: they had a spy in their midst. Oh, Hiruzen wasn't naïve nor foolish not to suspect that every village had one or two spies within them. Konoha itself had spies in other villages. But this was different. This was espionage on an entirely different scale than what he was used to. And Hiruzen took the wise words of his deceased mentor, Tobirama, to heart, "When suspecting one, always suspect more."
It was clear someone was sabotaging the education of his future forces. Certainly, the curriculum had since toned down since Tobirama first founded the academy – different times meant different methods, and they had only just come out of the Era of Warring States – nor was it as accelerated or intense as it was during times of war, but the current requirements to graduate would have boiled Tobirama's blood. And he was the more level headed Senju brother. Removing the Trial from the curriculum he learned had been a way to appease those with non-shinobi backgrounds. Hiruzen could understand that on some level, but even he couldn't agree with its dismissal. A person who couldn't take a life – even those deemed better fit for non-combatants roles – wasn't a ninja.
How such things had gone so long without him knowing was not only blow against his pride but added credit to the fact that he was needing to step down. Many called him the greatest Hokage but for allowing such a thing to happen, Hiruzen believed otherwise. Hiruzen liked to see the good in people, or perhaps he hoped he did, and sometime after the Uchiha Clan Massacre he realized he had to acknowledge that others had begun taking advantage of that weakness and now it was coming back haunt him. Tasks and positions delegated to others because of trusts and how numerous they were likely played a role in the current situation they faced.
Going after them was far from easy. A from Kumo would have bulldozed ahead into the matter. The man had a short fuse when it came to severe insults either to himself, those he cared about, or his village. But Hiruzen wasn't the Fourth Raikage, eager and quick to action. At least, not anymore, he wasn't. Nor was he Onoki, the only Kage older than himself, who would go too far in rectifying the situation.
All it took was one wrong move, one person missed for whichever reason – personal bias, clouded judgment, not having all the facts, etc. – and who knows how they'd retaliate? This wasn't the first time Konoha had been infiltrated but it was certainly a different modus operandi. The goal was the same: Konoha's destruction. Unlike before where the results were designed to be instantaneous, this was more akin to a slow acting poison: much more subtle and long-lasting consequences in the long run.
Hiruzen had narrowed down the list of potential suspects but with so few information and so few he could trust on the matter, or believed he could trust, it was a slow process. By the time he was ready to take action they may very well have already shown their hand or flown the coop.
"And with this year's batch graduating in a few days there's little that can be done for them," Hiruzen could only hope they'd resolve the matter before the next students graduated.
A knock on the door broke the man away from his heavy thoughts, "Yes?"
"Hokage-sama," Mariko's voice rang from the other side, "Uzuki Yugao and Gekko Hayate are here to see you," the mention of Naruto's sword instructors wanting to see him peeked the man's interest.
"Send them in and then you can go home, Mariko-chan," the man instructed.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Mariko replied before the door opened and he was greeted by both swordsmen.
After paying their respect to their village leader, Hiruzen asked, "Yugao, Hayate, what can I do for you?" the man had an inkling that this was going to be about Naruto.
"Sorry to keep you, Hokage-sama," both bowed at their village leader once more, "But it's a little urgent."
At the word 'urgent' the elderly but powerful man's composure shifted from relaxed to rigid and then to worried, "Has something happened? Is Naruto alright?"
Seeing the look of worry and hearing it in his voice, Hayate reassured his leader, "Naruto's fine, Hokage-sama. *Cough* The kid's coming along quite well actually. Damn kid's a sponge ... When it comes to the physical portion at least," he added and Yugao released a chuckle while Hiruzen released a sigh of relief. "It's actually about his … special condition and what it impedes him to do."
"The Kyubi, or are you referring to his large chakra pools?" the man asked. No word had reached him of Naruto taping into the chakra of the most powerful of the Nine or the seal acting up, but one couldn't be too careful when it came to the Biju.
"The latter and that's putting it lightly," Yugao clarified.
The Anbu member was a talented sensor and could tell that Naruto easily had the largest pool of chakra out of all the Genin in the academy. Indeed, the woman knew off-hand that the boy had even more chakra reserves than most Jounin as well. Certainly not as strong such as Kakashi's average but dense reserves or powerful like the Hokage's but the blond jinchuriki had tons of chakra to spare nonetheless.
"The amount of chakra that has kid will allow him to do things most Jonin can't do, let alone what an academy student or Genin can do," Hiruzen mentally snorted. Neither shinobi before him had any idea of the boy's true potential could be given his heritage and condition as a jinchuriki.
"But it's also taking away his ability to make a proper clone. Naruto mastered the water surface exercise but the kid simply has too much chakra to adequately make one. Graduation is but a couple of days away-"
"And Naruto will fail despite everything he has accomplished," Hiruzen concluded with a frown. The man couldn't exactly exempt Naruto for such a thing, it wouldn't be fair to the other students who couldn't do it either. The man had gotten a ton of complaints from others for giving the boy a private tutor and while he had paid for it out of his own pocket it still didn't placate many. Short of Naruto having a physical impairment, such as Rock Lee who was exempted from the Ninjutsu portion of the exam, or it being wartime where it could sometimes be overlooked, there was little he could do right now.
Hiruzen was the Hokage and had absolute power in Konoha. His words were law. But it wasn't as easy as it sounded. Tobirama had placed laws that had long ago been put in place to prevent a Hokage from abusing their authority over the village. An example was a Hokage candidate needing the support and backing of the Village Council, Head Jounin, Anbu Commander and Fire Daimyo Council should a former Hokage die before appointing a successor. Another was using his authority to give someone such as family or family friends an advantage over others. While it wasn't the intent and had never happened in Konoha, it could easily be seen as such by others. Hiruzen recalled certain Daimyos and village leaders from the minor countries giving family and friends benefits such as more authority or leeway in certain matters. In some cases it led to a civil war or almost escalade into one. Hiruzen seriously doubted it would go that far but knew that many who were clouded by hate would do almost anything.
"Unfortunately, there is little I can do at the moment. While many weren't thrilled about Naruto being given a tutor the boy was still Dead Last and many more saw my actions as simply helping a struggling student. But now that Naruto has improved to a decent level any more help I give him will simply be seen as preferential treatment," he revealed.
Yugao frowned at the man's words. Despite being a ninja the woman had a particular dislike of politics and the endless web of deceit therein. Many had often said that the pen was mightier than the sword, and it was true. With a single signature a country decree, law or regulation could impede one, make others suffer for little to no reason, or start a rebellion. "So, if Naruto can't be exempt from the Bunshin portion of the exam, what can we do?"
Hiruzen sighed. The woman had just asked the million ryo question.
(Meanwhile)
"Alright everyone! Settle down," was Iruka's shout.
But one bored blond ignored it and only half-listened. The day was pretty much over so there was much to do anyway besides listen to Iruka's end of the day spiel. Naruto sighed and Hotto yawned from his spot on the ground. Bored didn't seem appropriate a word to describe how he felt. But with the graduation exam a mere couple days away he wouldn't be able to take it early. Even then, Naruto still hadn't been able to solve his current problem: clones.
Give him monsters to fight and he wouldn't hesitate. Have him go against Sasuke with one arm tied behind his back and he'd do it. He had actually proposed it… and then Iruka-sensei had given him detention for aggravated arrogance. Hell! Give him an angry Anko and he'd...
"Alright, bad example," he'd freely admit he'd run away. An angry Anko scared the hell out of everyone. Him getting detention for something so stupid had not bore well for the academy student. The woman knew he would have succeeded, but had to pound into his head to never show off one's true strength unless it really mattered. A tourney didn't matter.
But that was neither here nor there.
Two Months, nearly three. Over two bloody f-ing months had passed and even then, Naruto still hadn't been able to find a solution to his clone problem. To be honest, he was actually starting to worry. Everything else had been improved upon, of which many in his class had remarked upon, and no longer was he in the lower ranking. Now he was in the low-middle ranking. Though that was mainly because they also calculated his past performance into his grade before his Gamer ability came into play. Even then, Naruto still struggled until Anko took him under her wing and then began boosting his INT.
"And yet, all that improvement means nothing unless I can make a stupid clone," and what was the point, really? Anko had told him that the basic Bunshin was virtually useless against ninja unless you were facing someone really stupid or unobservant. But regardless of this fact, it remained a mandatory prerequisite to becoming a Genin. Iruka had been sympathetic and had mentioned that exceptions such as birth defects that prevented one from properly molding chakra were taken into consideration, but they were rare and even then, other factors such as previous performances over the years came into consideration. Naruto had no such defect and while he had certainly improved, his former performance worked against him.
Trying to learn other variants of the clone technique proved fruitless, too. Much like the Bunshin, elemental clones required a great amount of control to form; Naruto simply had too much chakra. While the ratio required to properly form such clones was more reasonable compared to the ordinary Bunshin, they were still too great. Even if Naruto were to put all the leftover Attribute Points to increase his already improved INT it wouldn't make a difference. The difference between his INT and END was astronomical, especially after ridding himself of the Malnourished flaw.
Suffice to say, Naruto had never been more pissed. Well, maybe when Ichiraku closed down when Teuchi and Ayame went on vacation, but that was a memory best forgotten and locked away behind countless steel doors and traps.
It hadn't been the only set back he had faced in the last couple of months. A series of events had begun with a pop up after the Earth Dungeon was conquered. First, his Gamer perk had announced that it was undergoing an upgrade in its system as a result of his achievements. Whatever, the hell that meant, he had no idea. What he did know was that during that time he wouldn't be able to enter any dungeon for the next bit and he received fewer quests as well.
Second, Anko becoming a Jonin had also changed things. Her newly acquired rank also came with more duties and responsibilities. A downside of which meant that their training sessions were no longer as regular as they once were, though the intensity has been amped up. Naruto hadn't been idle during such times – Anko wouldn't let him and neither would Hayate or Yugao or Iruka after what he accomplished during the tourney.
Extra homework … Greaaat.
But that wasn't it. Oh, no, a week later when the upgrade was done and he now had Gamer 2.0, Naruto believed his itch for dungeon crawling was at an end. It was in a matter of speaking. While his Instant Dungeon Creations were still accessible alongside the dungeons he conquered, the newer dungeons based around the five elements – for while Naruto had very well established that he was slow at times, he was perceptive – required more than just conquering the previous dungeons.
The third dungeon that centered on the wind element required him to increase his [Stealth Skill] and [Detection Skills] by ten levels as well as master two [Stealth-Based Skills], two [Speed-Based Skills] or a combination of the two. Neither of which he had yet to accomplish but by the time he did it was three weeks later. Naruto seriously hated the low visibility the Wind Dungeon caused. Still, the boss loot had been worth it in his opinion.
The last two dungeons had been an even greater pain in the ass. The Water Dungeon required him knowing the Suimen Hokō no Gyō (Water Surface Walking Method), a chakra control exercise. But that brought its own share of problems. The leaf exercise had to be mastered and then he needed to learn and master the Ki Nobori no Shugyo (Tree Climbing Practice). And with chakra control exercises being his bane even with the Gamer on his side, it had not been quickly accomplished tasks, nor painless ones given Anko's patented methods. Naruto still couldn't look at a hot spring without his body flaring up.
The Lightning Dungeon, the final dungeon, and its requirements were better left unsaid. Even with his primary affinity being wind and lightning's superior, it had been the most difficult dungeon to conquer. Lightning, which was regarding by many as the most powerful of the five primary elements – and Naruto was tempted to agree with them – was an exceptionally dangerous element to deal with. It was swift, destructive, and had a large AoE radius; the enemies of that dungeon, the boss especially, reflected the first two characteristics very much. Lightning technique users, much like wind, were also very uncommon in Hi no Kuni. And so, having never faced or ever had the opportunity to practice against one who knew such techniques, had forced him to learn and adapt on the fly. It was either that, or feel his entire body spasm and twitch and burn on the inside.
Despite coming out as the victor, and that had not been an easy feat, Naruto still wondered if it was worth it, "I get all the keys and I can't even use them until after that stupid timer reaches zero!" and that had only been the kick in the teeth.
The kick in the balls was Naruto needing to be at a certain level – level thirty in this case – in order to unlock whatever rewards the damn things granted. The long string of colorful cursing might have made Hayate and Yugao blush. Anko would have simply said she heard better. Naruto guessed she meant by her.
Almost three months later and Naruto was only at level twenty-three, almost twenty-four. Another kick in the pants was Naruto realizing that levelling up was becoming slower and harder to accomplish the moment he reached level twenty. Even with his titles and perks, the EXP he was gaining from enemies was either too low or non-existent because of their level difference. While harder, the Zombie Dungeon V1.5 only offered a greater challenge and loot drops than a real boost in experience points. The Lightning Dungeon was the only one with foes that offered decent EXP, but Naruto was good for the next bit given his recent experience.
On the upside, he had mastered many of his skills since then and levelled up but all those accomplishments, much like his conquering of the dungeons, would amount to nothing if he didn't graduate.
"No way in hell am I repeating again," and to make matters worse, Naruto recalled something about the Academy having a rule of three strikes and you're out when it came to graduating attempts. He didn't know if it was true. And if he didn't become a Genin, short of him leaving the village and going off on his own, Naruto was sure he'd plateau at some point. Becoming a Genin would allow him access to missions and challenges necessary to becoming stronger.
He'd need to consult with with Yugao or Hayate.
XxX
"Unfortunately, it is true," Naruto grunted in displeasure and effort at holding his opponent's blade back. Of all the rotten luck, "Count yourself lucky. Back when Tobirama-sama was around the rule was you only had two chances to prove yourself. And that was after changing it from only having one chance when the Academy first opened."
Naruto mentally gulped and guess he should count himself lucky he wasn't born so many decades ago. But his momentary lapse was quickly taken advantage of and he found himself on his back with a wooden sword at his throat.
"Dead," Yugao declared.
While his mind had been elsewhere at the time, Naruto couldn't use it as an excuse. Neither Anko nor Hayate or Yugao would accept it. A distracted shinobi was a dead shinobi.
"My turn, love," moving to the side, Yugao watched as Hayate took out his steel katana and ordered Naruto to grab his own sword. With the threat of live steel, Naruto's senses heightened and his mind laser-focused.
Grabbing a scroll, Naruto took out Chichizouge (Bloody Ivory) and used Goriki to heighten his STR so he could use the oversized weapon without penalties. With his STR now in the triple digits, the blade felt much less cumbersome in his arms.
Both Hayate and Yugao had been surprised when they first saw it, but after explaining his desire to use a Zanbato down the line they understood his reasoning. While the Jinbuyo-Ryu (Blade of the Dancing Leaf Style) was designed more around using much lighter swords given its emphasis on speed, feints and disorientation, different variations of the style based on the user's weapon of choice wasn't unheard of.
Although, Hayate and Yugao confessed that Naruto would likely be the first to create a variation that utilized a weapon categorized as a great sword. But then, that also meant that no one knew how to deal with it.
"Hajime!"
Naruto didn't make the first move. Time and pain had taught him that even with a much lighter sword he was too slow to rush Hayate's precise counters. Naruto had greater strength because of Hayate's condition but the man's DEX was much greater than his own, even if he couldn't see the exact number.
That said, Hayate had a pattern whenever he started his bouts, "You heard about the prank I pulled?" Naruto asked as he ducked. The practice of making idle conversation or banter while they spared was something Hayate encouraged him to master. Not only could it allow him to throw off his opponent, but the best of swordsmen and ninja were meant to multitask while they fought. Keeping one eye on their opponent, the other on their surroundings and their senses acute for anything their eyes couldn't see.
"Pretty sure half the village force knows," Hayate acknowledged before deflecting the bigger weapon's swing with ease, "Still can't believe you did that."
"Hey! If someone pranks you then you have every right to try and prank 'em back," it was common sense in Naruto's opinion.
"Not when that person is Anko," Hayate rebuked and then performed a fast slash that was smoothly followed by a leg sweep.
While caught by the maneuver, Naruto managed to right himself with a back flip as he'd been taught, "So, what if it was Anko. She started it."
"You're lucky not to be maimed," he heard Yugao tell him.
"Or worse," Hayate added before he moved faster than before.
"I heal quickly," neither Jonin could dispute that fact. Naruto healed very quickly. One of the few perks from his tenant, "Besides, I'd rather have that than what she did in retaliation."
"It was just ramen, Naruto!" Hayate honestly didn't know how he managed to befriend two individuals obsessed with a particular dish.
"It was my ramen!"
"Some of which was expired!" which in itself was hard to digest.
"Expiration dates mean nothing to ramen!" the gods willed it so.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd swear Anko gave birth to you herself," the woman said that exact same thing about dango.
As if reading his thoughts, Naruto said, "Not possible. Dango sucks," too sweet and too chewy for his taste.
"Blasphemy!"
"AHHH!" the unexpected event had Naruto wildly swinging his sword, only for it to act like a shuriken when he lost his grip on the weapon thanks to the snakes that swarmed him like an ant colony.
"Hey! Watch it!" Hayate barked. While the large sword wasn't on a direct course with anyone, losing his grip on it was a foolish mistake and dangerous to boot, "That stunt just earned you another hour."
That wasn't really a punishment in Naruto's opinion until the man added, "Sparring with Anko going all out."
"Jerk!" the back talk only served to earn himself an additional hour. Hayate and Yugao he could do. Two hours of him against Anko going all out was nightmare inducing. Especially with her new favourite toy the Dokkaso no Jutsu (Toxic Luster Claw Technique).
"Talk about instead regret," the trade hadn't not been one of his smarter moves.
Naruto liked to think he was a nice guy. If someone was his friend, he'd be there in a flash or help them in any way possible. But, in all honestly, he couldn't help but wonder what the hell was he thinking by giving Anko the skill scroll he acquired from the Rat Dungeon. Sure, the skill was useless to him given its requirements, and he could have made decent cash selling it through the [Abyss Auction] instead.
But no! Naruto had to be the nice guy and give it to Anko instead – for a significantly reduced price, of course. The boost in relationship points was nice, but the skill was a literal pain in the ass given it formed a corrosive whip. It had been love at first sizzle for the mad T&I specialist.
"The pain can wait a bit. The Sexy Mitarashi Anko has the answer to all your prayers!"
"You know how to cook ramen in an instant?" a hopeful Naruto asked.
While the comment threw Yugao and Hayate off, Anko was not, "Why would I have that answer when I'd want instant dango instead? Besides, even if I knew that, I wouldn't tell you for free," that last bit was true.
"They're both mad," Hayate whispered so only his lover could hear.
"No comment," was the Anbu's reply.
"I'm talking about your clone problem. Graduation is only a few short days away. I talked to Hokage-sama a few minutes ago. Heard you guys had the same idea," Anko asked, to which they nodded.
"You did! What's the verdict?" Naruto asked and hoped for good news.
"Want the good news or the bad news first, kid?" Hayate asked him. The boy asked for the bad news first. "The bad news is that after we talked with Hokage-sama we couldn't get you exempt from the Bunshin portion of the exam. If he did then it would be seen as favouritism and others who also can't do it would want to be exempt from it as well."
"Crap," there went that option. "And the good news?"
Here Anko smirked, "The good news is that as long as you can show your ability to create a flawless clone during the exam you'll pass. However, you're incapable of using the regular clone technique or an elemental one given your chakra to chakra control ratio. So, instead the Hokage has allowed me to teach you a different clone technique that I believes you can use."
"Ok, what's that?" Naruto asked.
"It's called the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)," Anko informed him.
The elderly Sandaime had barely taken half a puff of his pipe before finding himself choking on what was meant to be a soothing burn and once again felt just how old he was when Anko asked permission to teach an academy student one of the most difficult B-Rank techniques developed by the Nidaime Hokage.
"Are you cra… What am I saying? Of course you are," Hayate couldn't help himself.
Yugao herself couldn't help but add commentary, "Anko, you've done some pretty questionable things before but teaching an Academy student the Kage Bunshin of all techniques!"
"We've already established I'm not all there," and while many would say that was her mentor's influence on her, Anko had always been wild even before Orochimaru had sunk his fangs into her.
Naruto was skeptical, "Okay, what's the difference between this and the other clones techniques I can't use?"
"Normally it's only used by Jonin and above because of the large amount of chakra level requirements. It took some convincing, but I managed to get permission from Hokage-sama to make an exception."
"Thank you, Jiji," Naruto smiled. Both because of what his surrogate grandfather did for him and because he'd now be able to pass the exam.
"This is serious, Naruto!" Hayate barked out authoritatively, "The Kage Bunshin is a borderline kinjutsu technique."
"He's right. This isn't going to be easy, Naruto," Yugao's voice held a strict tone. "It took me and Hayate close to a month to properly learn the Kage Bunshin, and years more to acquire the necessary chakra before we were deemed ready to use it without posing a danger to either of us. This technique requires not only a lot of chakra but a great deal of concentration to form and create the amount of clones you want. People have died because of how demanding the technique is. They either made too many clones and they went into shock from the severe amount of chakra they wasted or lost and the body couldn't handle it and gave out. We have less than two days for you to learn how to properly use this technique. So, the moment we begin we don't stop until you get it done."
[QUEST ALERT!]
Art of the Shadow Clone
Main Quest: Learn the skills [Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)] and [Taiju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)] before the Academy Graduation Exam
Side Quest: Master the skills [Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)] and [Taiju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)] before the Academy Graduation Exam
Main Quest Completion: Acquire the skills [Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)] and [Taiju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)] Exam
Side Quest Completion: 1250 EXP per skill mastered
Failure: Chances of failing the Academy Graduation Exam increases
Accept Quest? (Yes/No)
Special Note: Decline this quest may affect future outcomes in a negative manner.
Naruto merely smirked. The boy wasn't afraid of a challenge and to become a ninja he'd get the technique down in time. It was his ninja way.
"But first, that torture session," Anko cackled with glee, her hand becoming claw-like and oozing with hungry yellow green energy.
Shit!
(Two Days Later)
More than once was Naruto thankful that his ability allowed him to wake up refreshed and sore and ache free from the labours of the previous day. Neither Jonin had held back and while he hadn't been able to master either technique in such a short amount of time, he had been able to learn both of them and get them to a decent level in a short amount of time, to their complete bafflement. And Naruto couldn't help but be excited.
Today was the day that he and many at the academy dreamed about. Today was the day of the graduation ceremony. Today was the final day at the academy, and the last day of boring lectures and other non-thrilling or non-stimulating activities.
"Next up, missions…Oh, right," Naruto's good mood went south when he realized that all he'd be doing were D-Rank ones inside the village for the next little while. In other words, the same thing he'd been doing for the last few couple of months. Naruto could have counted his blessings that he'd get paid this time, but the amount wasn't all that much when split between three ways. And that was after the village got its cut. Jonin generally didn't take a cut on D-Rank missions.
"Meh, at least I'll pass," Naruto would take what he could get. He still got a kick out of Yugao and Hayate's looks. What had taken them close to a month to learn and many more to properly use and master had taken him less than a couple of days to get the hang of it; Naruto simply had a natural affinity for the technique.
But Hayate had warned Naruto of the flaws and risks he would encounter, "The Shadow Clone Technique splits the user's chakra equally among the number of clones you create. If you make too many you'll barely have any chakra for yourself," he remembered the man's warning. While Naruto was capable of creating well over nine clones with the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, with its more advanced kinjutsu variant he knew he could make almost six hundred and fifty clones thanks to his large chakra reserves, but even that was risking it.
The boy had done the math. Six hundred and fifty Narutos meant that every single one of them would only have slightly over 25 CP in them. His Gamer ability stated that a person's CP suddenly going below 25 CP would be at great risk of going into shock, perhaps even dying, for having so little chakra. Anko elaborated by saying that it was the major risk of the technique and why only those with certain types of chakra or very large amounts of chakra should use the skill even when practicing; it was akin to having a full body of blood to having almost none. The little amount would not affect the Shadow Clones compared to the regular Bunshin but would still have drawbacks.
Everyone was born with enough chakra to survive when they were born, some with more or less than others because of one reason or another. There was a difference however in having chakra and being able to actually use it. Almost anyone could use chakra but the process had much greater success at a very young age.
Naruto found that it was why the academy tried to increase a student's chakra reserves and control before they started teaching them techniques. With animals and creatures from dungeons the rules were an exception due to their different body structures and makeup from humans. Similar to how a human's body allowed them to do things such as eating foods an animal couldn't and vice versa.
Hayate said that since the bodies had little chakra in them they weren't as durable either if he made fewer clones. The boy wasn't dumb. Aside from the risk of him suddenly blacking out for splitting up too much of his chakra, a copy of him split almost seven hundred ways wouldn't be able use a Ninjutsu skill more than once before it ran out and disappeared, and even then that was the basic stuff. Which meant that such a large amount of clones would more or less be better suited as an intimidation tactic against weaker foes or as a distraction when he wanted to overwhelm a single individual much stronger than himself.
At the moment the perfect amount of clones to make was between ten and twenty. This way they either had between close to 2000 CP or close to 1000 CP each. Having that number would allow them to use some of the more powerful techniques and their durability was much higher. The only problem was that since Naruto was still relatively new to the technique, his control over the amount of clones he wanted to make wasn't the greatest - the lowest he could make was eight - and while he regained any chakra they had after they dispelled, he only got about 80% of said CP.
"WAKE UP, GAKI!"
"Gahhhh!" Naruto jumped up in fright. The now four foot eleven and still growing Genin drew Chichizouge on reflex.
"Oh, that never gets old," Anko laughed as she entered the room. "By the way, your security needs some improvement," the blond's eyes bulged when he saw a bound and gagged Hotto curtesy of several large serpents. The ninken was glaring bloody daggers at the woman as he struggled to free himself.
"That's never gonna stop is it?" he sighed upon seeing her smile. It was all the answer he needed, "What do you want, Anko-sensei?" he asked as he took his clothes into the bathroom and began dressing himself. Not bothering to free Hotto since the snakes would bite him.
Snakes bites hurt!
"I'm hurt, Gaki," she heard him snort, "Well, whatever. Just came to see how you were doing. Feeling pumped for the big day?"
"On one hand, hell yeah!" the woman laughed a bit at his enthusiasm. "On the other hand, I'm not caring so much about the whole D-Rank mission I have to do."
"Ugh, don't remind me," Anko groaned lowly. It was one of the few downsides of teaching she realized. Personally speaking Anko didn't see D-Rank missions as actual missions. They were nothing but chores that lazy or elderly individuals paid for to get done. Many went about saying how it helped promote teamwork and the woman often called them on the bullshit. Certainly there were some D-Rank missions that required them to work together, such as the infamous capture mission that involved the next generation of Tora, but that was only one-third of the time. The rest they did specific chores by themselves under the watchful guidance and view of their teachers.
"You nervous?" she asked him.
"Nah," Naruto replied from the bathroom, "This is gonna be easy," he smirked.
"Cocky much?" she asked him and Naruto froze, "On this I can let that slide. I'd be too with the amount of skills you have now," Anko mentally pouted. She had graduated at age ten, compared to the usual graduating twelve or thirteen ratio, and had been required to show the academy three, pass the written and Taijutsu portion of the exam, and show that she could proficiently use three C-Rank techniques be they Ninjutsu, bukijutsu or Genjutsu.
"Any thoughts on who you want to be teamed up with?" she asked.
Naruto hadn't really thought about it much to be honest. But quickly came up with an answer, "Not really. I mean, Shikamaru and Chouji are kinda lazy and as much as I like those guys I don't know if I'd want to team up with 'em. Maybe Sasuke-teme or Dog-breath since they're pretty skilled but they're always trying to be top dog."
"Got it," the image was crystal clear to Anko.
Chouji and Shikamaru were decent individuals and easy to work with but were easily controlled by their vices and if given the option they'd rather do that than train or go the extra mile. It wasn't an attitude Anko would put up with. Kiba and Sasuke, more so Sasuke, were skilled and serious about the ninja lifestyle but Anko had seen from experience that while rivalry was good there was a chance that could end badly. Especially when it was evident that one was starting to get better than the other or be promoted while the other wasn't. And Sasuke had issues even if he wouldn't admit them out loud. Anyone with a clan slaughtered by their own kin would have them.
"Anyone else?"
"Shino and Hinata are quiet but I guess I could work with them," Naruto didn't know either of them personally but neither one made fun of him, "Ino's a loudmouth but she's one of the better students… Sakura-chan, maybe."
Anko wasn't surprised. Despite what happened months ago, emotions and feelings for another didn't go away quite as easily as some made it out to be. It could have been worse. Anko had seen talented shinobi let their skills go to waste because of heartbreak. Naruto still had lingering feelings for the pinkette but at least he didn't let them impede his growth as a ninja.
Truthfully, she did this merely because she wanted to see what his reaction would be when he was part of the team she wanted. With Ino he was hesitant but willing to work with, which was fine in her books, and with Hinata he was indifferent but okay with as she didn't make fun or demean him like some of the others. Ino's father along with his former teammates hadn't exactly been thrilled at the idea of their children not following in this shoes. But Anko had come prepared.
"Strong as they are individually, and as powerful as they are together, those men are whipped by their wives," Anko cackled just as Naruto got out of the bathroom. The woman gave Naruto a look over and creased her eyebrows.
"You're gonna need to replace your outfit soon, gaki," the woman wasn't lying as she eyed the cuts and rips on the worn out ninja wear. Then again it was basic training armor and not really meant for combat situations like the practice he was getting in the dungeons.
"Yeah, I know," the boy knew already his gear needed replacing. His armor had seen better days even with him having the [Gear Maintenance Skill]. The skill lengthened the lifespan but it wasn't infinite and the maximum durability went down each time it was fixed. What he wore was the last one he had on had thanks to an unfortunate encounter with a Rarespawn gear-destroying slime that had completely destroyed his second set and Seishoyo when it pulled a kamikaze move upon defeat. Being naked, angry, covered in God knows what, and losing a damn good weapon in that sewer was one of his worst experiences.
"But the stuff I want is too damn pricy," he had a ton of money now but was saving it for something else.
"You gotta spend money to make money, gaki," Anko informed the soon to be graduate. "Anyway, just dropped by to say good luck, Gaki. Not that you'll need it though."
"Thanks," he smiled at the woman before grabbing Hottomaru, "See you later, Anko-sensei," the boy said, opened a window and along with Hotto set off towards the academy.
(Konoha Academy Sometime Later)
Naruto and his classmates waited patiently for the teachers to come in and begin the exam. The students were in a bigger classroom as the other potential graduates from the other blocks joined theirs. The two blocks only ever met one another during lunchtime because of different schedules. Each block only had thirty students or less because some were either held back, failed, or skipped ahead and because the number allowed the teachers to effectively regulate and look after the students.
The reason why they were joined today was because they were all undergoing the same test at the same time compared to before. The first part was the written portion that lasted a good two hours, followed by a forty-five minute break as they marked down the results, and then the physical portion of the exam began which lasted an hour and a half. Afterwards they had lunch for thirty minutes and began the final portion, which lasted half an hour, which consisted of the academy three Ninjutsu. It was flawed really when one thought about it.
"Even if a person fails the other portions they can pass so long as they do well on the last one," it made no sense really why the Ninjutsu portion had a greater weighing average than the other two portions.
"Arf," Hottomaru agreed with his partner.
The moment the door opened everyone directed their attention towards the six academy instructors that walked in, "Glad to see you're all paying attention to me for once," a few laughed at Iruka's joke, even some of the teachers. "Now before we begin I'd like to say how proud I am to see you all here. Your journey was long-"
"Sensei, can we forgo the sentimental crap and get on with it already?" Kiba's remark was joined by the agreement of many academy students.
Iruka was downtrodden, "I worked all night on that speech," he sulked before doing exactly what the students wanted.
"Alright, since some if not all of you are eager," he sent a glare at the students, "I guess I'll start with the rules: no cheating, no peaking, and you have two hours to finish the written test. Once you're done, raise your hand and I or another teacher will pick it up for you."
One by one the students were each given a sheet of stapled paper that was rested on its back. When the last student was given the test, Iruka declared they were to begin and then began writing. As time passed by, Naruto wasn't surprised to see that Sakura ended up finishing the test first and in record time with less than an hour. Followed soon by Sasuke, Ino, Shino, Hinata and Shikamaru several minutes later. Naruto himself managed to finish the test with eleven minutes to spare.
"Guess I won't be setting a record for this portion," Naruto had his doubts. Written tests had never been his forte, even after a great deal of studying and improvement, the highest mark he had ever gotten in them was seventy-one percent. Some questions were obvious such as naming the five primary elemental releases and their weakness and who was the founder of the academy.
Others such as past battles during the Era of Warring states, Shinobi World Wars, and the answer to an algebraic formula weren't as easy. Some questions actually didn't make any sense or made him wonder what it had to do with the ninja way of life and how it was going to help him become a ninja in the first place. Either way he couldn't complain about it now and the boy could only wait for the results. Having some time to kill Naruto took a page of out Shikamaru's book and took a brief nap.
Eleven minutes later the boy was woken up from his rest by the sound of Iruka shouting, "Time!" effectively bringing the blond out of the land of dreams. And wasn't the least bit surprised by the message that greeted him.
|Set Exam Record (Failed)|
|Set Academy Record (Failed)|
"The two hours are up! Place your pencils down and stop writing on your test. The results will be posted later and then we will move on to the next portion of the examination. Please follow Mizuki-sensei and Suzume-sensei to the designated area where the physical portion will take place."
One by one the students left the classroom and waited in the area that they were brought to. Deciding to continue his nap, Naruto laid down on the grass and was joined by Hottomaru.
When forty odd minutes had passed the boy got up and as he began looking around, Naruto saw that many had a look of worry on their face. The boy ignored them and focused his attention on the training area they had. It was basic really. Several targets were set up, a combat ring was in place, and something that looked like an obstacle course.
"If this is all that's needed to pass the physical portion then this will be a piece of cake," Naruto grinned.
"What's with the grin, dobe?" Naruto heard Kiba ask him.
"Just thinking how easy this is gonna be, Dog-breath," Naruto said.
Kiba frowned but remained silent. The Inuzuka heir was boastful, arrogant, and not the sharpest tool in the shed but he wasn't the dumbest of individuals.
The boy knew that Naruto was stronger, faster, and smarter than what he used to be if the thrashing Kiba got from him during the fight several weeks ago. Since then Kiba had been improving but even then the feral boy still couldn't match Naruto in terms of skill Taijutsu anymore. Naruto always came out on top now, having only come to close to losing to Sasuke once but won in the end.
"How the hell did he get so strong?" Kiba wondered. Had it been Sasuke he wouldn't have thought much of it as the Uchiha had always been hailed as a prodigy. The same couldn't be said for Naruto.
"Alright, everyone, gather 'round," Iruka began, "By now some of you will have already figured out what the next portion of the exam will consist of. This portion of the exam will consist of three parts Here we will test your accuracy, your speed and dexterity, as well as your physical strength and endurance."
Soon the students were split into three groups of twenty students each and two teachers. Each group was being tested on a certain course and when the groups were done some twenty minutes later they would switch to another course.
"Uzumaki Naruto," Suzume announced as she presented the boy with a set of kunai, shuriken, and a piece of paper. "Your score during the written test was sixty-nine percent," some who knew Naruto or heard of him laughed at that remark. Others however not as much as they knew that the old Naruto would have either passed by the skin of his nose or failed brilliantly. It wasn't the greatest mark but it was a hell of a lot better than what it could have been.
Picking up the kunai lazily Naruto glanced at the targets. The test was similar to the one from before with the only difference being that they were much further and had a smaller target painted on them. For some it would make them worry. For Naruto and his experience in dungeons it was nothing.
Twirling the kunai in his hands, the metal weapons soon became a blur as he launched them at the stationary wooden posts. Each bladed weapon either pierced right through them at the center of the bull's-eye or was buried up to the hilt. The same followed when he used the shuriken.
Suzume was surprised but the woman composed herself as she gave him a perfect mark for the accuracy portion. The woman had only taught Naruto during his first two years and hadn't been impressed by the boy. Unlike others the woman didn't care about the Kyubi inside him, but still didn't like the boy's attitude and mannerisms. She thought him to be a slacker and a mockery of what shinobi should be and thought he had little hopes of passing or becoming a ninja. To see him do what he just did, and from the looks of it he wasn't even trying, shocked the woman.
|Set Exam Record (Failed)|
|Set Academy Record (Failed)|
Naruto frowned but then remembered that the special note from the quest saying it would be deemed an automatic fail if someone else already achieved the highest result before him or if they accomplished it more quickly. It wasn't that big of a loss anyway.
"Bored," Naruto honestly thought there would be more to it than this. Even if it involved a moving target it would have been more interesting or challenging. Not by much really as it would still be easy but a slight challenge was better than no challenge.
When his group moved on to the obstacle course Naruto yawned. When he was younger he had attempted this very course and had gotten hurt in the process. The incident involved a busted lip and bloody nose. But the worse of it all was meeting the dreaded Witch Doctor of the Konoha Hospital: Dr. Kureha. Naruto was fairly certain she was the cause of his fear of hospitals. Naruto was certain others would have the misfortune of meeting the witch after this course.
Naruto wasn't one of them. Having experienced the mountains and cliffs that Lightning Dungeon and their precarious positions, what he saw didn't impress him. Even Anko and Midori had made him run through much more dangerous obstacles, mainly them and some very inventive traps, compared to this puny little thing.
"Alright, everyone, you each have exactly one minute and thirty-seconds to reach the end of the obstacle course. If you get hit by some of the obstacles that are meant to slow you down it will result in a second being added to your time. If the amount of time gone by is over the allotted period, you fail and receive a zero for this portion of the exam," many gulped and began to worry. Naruto saw it for what it was, another test. Anko had told him that ninja were often tested to see how well they could do under pressure and the stress it brought on.
The students and teachers watched as one student went after the other. Some of which passed well or by the skin of their nose, while others failed or were struck and/or knocked out by the obstacles they were meant to dodge.
Once it was his turn, Naruto took his position, breathed and when the teacher shouted 'Go!' he took off like a shot. The boy ran across the field where blunt shuriken and kunai were being thrown, catching a blunt kunai and using it to deflect the other wooden object that came his way. Next, he crawled underneath barbed wire and was forced to crawl a good twenty odd feet without getting his uniform snagged. Once that was done, Naruto had to run along the length of a tight rope while bobbing and weaving from large swinging stumps of wood that wanted to knock him on his ass.
Once that was done and over with the blond then had to climb up a rock wall, climb down and then sprint to the finish line. However, thanks to the adrenaline that was currently pumping through him, Naruto subconsciously began to run up the rock face using only his feet much to the astonishment of the academy students and teachers.
"What the hell!" was the collective thought of many as they saw Naruto run up the obstacle, his momentum not slowing down as he did.
The blond then kicked himself off the top of the obstacle, hit the ground and continued to run towards the finish line before he finally crossed it. The moment he crossed over did Iruka become even more surprised as he saw the time on the stop watch.
|Set Exam Record (Achieved)|
|Set Academy Record (Failed)|
"43.69 seconds!" Iruka could only marvel. Naruto's time was currently the best of his year at the moment, beating even Sasuke's 56.12. It wasn't the best in the academy history though. The school record being 32.87 seconds that had been set by the Yondaime Hokage when he was a student, and the only ones that came close to breaking the record had been Uchiha Itachi and Hatake Kakashi.
Once more many were left speechless at the fact that the former Dead Last had improved so well. Some had come to acknowledge that Naruto had indeed improved while others still clung to the notion that he was a loser who was merely going through a lucky streak. As the last of the students finished up, Naruto's group moved to their final physical examination.
"Alright, everyone, the goal with this exam is simple. You are going to be facing off against one of the teachers and you are meant to last at least one minute and try to land a punch if possible. If you get pushed out of the circle or don't last a before a minute passes you fail," Iruka explained.
Excusing himself to go use the washroom, Naruto took a classic page out of the shinobi handbook and cheated by powering himself up with Ninpo: Goriki (Ninja Art: Hard Strength) as it gave off no signature or flare of energy. And, as far as others were concerned, his newfound strength was nothing more than pure muscle power. Technically it was true as the technique basically made the muscles in his body stronger.
When the students were about to begin with their testing, Naruto willingly volunteered to go first as he faced off against Daikoku Funeno. Naruto recalled the man when he first entered the academy. He was kind and fair but expected effort from his students in everything they did. Daikoku was relatively slimmer during Naruto's first year at the academy but now the man was bigger, nowhere as big as an Akimichi, but it was evident he had put on some weight since the last time he saw the brown haired Chunin.
"Ready, begin!"
Daikoku began to circle Naruto and performed a few mock lunges to throw the boy off and lose his balance. Having been taught by three mentors who literally pounded into is head to recognize body language, even if it wasn't perfect, Naruto saw through the act quickly. When Daikoku realized that Naruto wasn't going to fall for his tricks the man came in and threw a few punches that while fast would still allow a potential graduate level ninja to dodge and evade.
What the man didn't count on was Naruto grabbing the outstretched appendage and pull with all his might. Daikoku was caught off guard by the move and the man soon found himself launched out of the ring and a great deal away from the group. The act was unexpected but not dangerous or life threatening as the man flipped and righted himself in the air before he landed in a crouch.
|Exam Record (Achieved)|
|Academy Record (Failed)|
"What just happened?" Daikoku asked but was met with silence. The man had been pulling back true to give the students a fighting chance but even then he had not expected an academy student to demonstrate such physical strength. Aside from Itachi years back when Daikoku was younger no one else ever did. Part of him wondered if the Kyubi played a factor in improving Naruto's physical prowess.
"Uh…" was all Iruka could say as his mind tried to process what had happened.
"I think that's my win, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said before he left the ring and a group of flabbergasted individuals. It went without saying that Naruto had easily dominated this portion of the exam.
The boy was truly bored and disappointed with the exam really. When he had done these tests before they were a challenge, now not so much thanks to his powered up skills and stats. Though Naruto also knew that had Daikoku been serious from the start and not underestimated Naruto's strength the match wouldn't have been quite as easy. His chances of winning would have been lower but Naruto liked to think that he most likely would have still won the match despite the added difficulty.
As the last student finished the groups took lunch. Not wanting to be bothered by some of the students that would most likely ask him some questions the blond jinchuriki grabbed his ninken and moved to a more secluded location. Taking out a couple pieces of [Roasted Boar Meat], one for himself and the other for his partner, both males began eating in peace.
"Did you hear?" Naruto stopped munching on his lunch as he overheard the chatter below him. The boy spotted what appeared to be a couple of Chunin instructors based on their attire. From their appearance Naruto speculated that they were new ones too.
"Hear what?" the man asked in a bored tone.
"Heard the Uzumaki brat dominated the physical part of the exam, and get this; he beat Daikoku," the man's words made his companion choke.
"Bullshit! You serious?" he asked, "Uzumaki Naruto, the dDead Last and overall terror of the village defeated a Chunin?" granted Daikoku was an academy instructor so he wasn't the strongest of Chunin Konoha had to offer but to lose to an academy student.
"Very same," his companion added with a grin. "Kid just went and grabbed Daikoku and tossed away like yesterday's garbage."
"How the hell did that happen? The kid's the Dead Last, the bottom of the barrel, a loser," Naruto scowled and made a mental note to prank the man's ass when he got the chance.
"You sure it was Uzumaki?"
"Course I'm sure. What other kid in Konoha has whisker marks on their face twenty-four seven?" his companion conceded to that fair point. The boy is the only one who had who had them. "After that happened Daikoku didn't go as easy on the rest of them. Over a third of them failed to last a minute and more of them left with a few bruises. Poor brats."
"You think this has anything to do with-" the man never finished the sentence as his companion covered his mouth.
"You idiot! You wanna get us both in trouble!" the man's reprimand was harsh. "You know the law. We can't speak about it in public! Last person who did wasn't seen again!"
The man paled and glanced around to see if anyone was nearby. When he spotted no one he breathed a sigh of relief. Unknown to both idiots, the person in question had heard every single word but couldn't make sense of it.
"What law are they talking about?" Naruto wondered why a law involved him. The boy cursed as he was drawn away from his thought when he heard the school bell announcing the end of their lunch break. Finishing up his meal, Naruto grabbed his ninken and used Hayagake to make his way towards the academy entrance.
Entering the classroom, which was now just starting to fill up with various students, Naruto took his seat and waited for the teachers to come in and begin the final portion of the exam. The wait wasn't long as both Mizuki and Iruka entered with a table full of Konoha Forehead Protectors.
"This is it, the final portion of the graduation ceremony. Many of you have done very well and you've all worked very hard to get here. I couldn't be more proud," the man's comment made many smile, "Now, before you become Genin all of you need to show us that you're capable of performing the Academy Three Ninjutsu. Do so and you pass. Fail and you will need to wait until the next graduation ceremony for your chance at becoming a Genin."
"Who the fuck came up with this?" it was bogus and flawed as hell in Naruto's mind and Anko would agree. Even if a person did well in the other portions it would be for nothing if they were unable to perform one of the necessary Ninjutsu required to pass. It didn't make any sense.
One by one the students were called up to perform the basic academy three. Much like the other portions some did very well, others not so much but it was decent enough to pass, while others he saw would be forced to stay another year.
Naruto rolled his eyes and groaned as he saw Sasuke's fangirls go crazy as the Uchiha performed the required techniques flawlessly. When the raven haired boy received his forehead protector he smirked. An act that made his fangirls swoon.
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Now or never," Naruto muttered as he stood in front of the two academy teachers. The boy felt the eyes of almost everyone being focused on him.
"Perform the Henge," Iruka ordered.
Naruto smirked as his body was covered head to toe in a white cloud. Both Chunin blinked as the smoke cleared and the men's eyes, along with many males, nearly popped out of their skulls as they saw the voluptuous and nude form of one Mitarashi Anko.
"Do. I. Pass?" 'Anko' asked with a wink and as 'she' pressed her breasts together. The effect from the maneuver was instantaneous. Virtually every male in the classroom, except a napping Shikamaru, were propelled backwards by a flood of blood expelling from his nose. Cancelling the Henge, Naruto cackled at the reaction, while many of the females in the classroom looked ready to tear him a new one.
"NARUTO!" Iruka bellowed at his student. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" the man asked.
"Huh… Anko?" he said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Took me some time to get it down, too. Couldn't really get the breasts right till I saw them," he added.
"That's not what I was…" the man blinked as he processed what was said, "Wait… what was that last bit?"
"Her breasts?" was the casual response, with many of females in the class cracking their knuckles and given the blonde looks that would have killed him ten times over. "Well, technically she showed them when she got tired of me getting the size wrong."
The answer caused Iruka's jaw, along with several others, to fall to the floor with a resounding thud. Kiba was banging his head on the desk ranting on how unfair it was, while many females of the class were in disbelief. Hinata was passed out on the floor. Her face flushed a deep crimson. Iruka didn't know whether to reprimand or congratulate his student on seeing two things few men saw or only dreamed of seeing and willingly, too. Then again it was Anko they were talking about after all. "Ugh…right. Moving on, perform the Kiwarimi with that chair and back again."
The boy groaned, as he would have loved to mess with Iruka's head some more, but performed the technique as requested with no trouble. When he was done Iruka made a few notes on a piece of paper, "Very nice. Now perform the Bunshin and make at least two perfect copies of yourself."
Crossing his fingers, Naruto focused as much as possible before he performed the Shadow Clone Technique. In a second there were nine other Naruto in front of both stunned academy instructors. "You only needed to make two, Naruto," Iruka chuckled as he inspected the clones for any faults. When he found none Iruka told his student to cancel technique. Just as he was about to congratulate his student on passing, the man thought he spotted something on the floor as the clones disappeared. In this case, a shadow.
"Bunshins don't have shadows," the brow on Iruka's head furrowed for a second before he shook his head and passed it off as his mind playing tricks on him. It had been a long day so it was very possible.
"Congratulations, Naruto. You pass."
[QUEST COMPLETED!]
Academy Graduation
Main Quest: Graduate from the Academy and don't become Dead Last (Accomplished)
Side Quest: Graduate as Mid-Ranking Student (Accomplished)
Secondary Side Quest: Set Record in Exam Portions (2/7) (Accomplished)
Third Side Quest: Set Academy Record in Exam Portions (2/7) (Accomplished)
Total Rewards Earned:
(7750 + 10%) = 8525 EXP, +450 Reputations towards [Various Individuals], [Genin] Rank Acquired, +2 AP
|Congratulations!|
|You've gained the Job [Genin]! As a result, you can now undertake even more missions in Konoha and also gain the title [Beginner Ninja]!|
Beginner Ninja Title|
Replaces [Academy Student] title.
+15% additional EXP towards completed quests and enemies slain
Gain 10 AP per year as a Genin.
Warning: Being demoted or stripped of your rank will result in you losing your title.
|Academy Graduate|
Challenge: Pass the Academy Exams (Achieved)
Reward: 1000 EXP
Konoha Hitai-ate – Common Quality
Item Type: Head-Armor
Durability: 40/40
A metal headband engraved with the kanji for 'fire' symbolizing the wearer's status as a Konoha shinobi. Forehead protectors are worn by shinobi and are engraved with the symbol of their hidden village to demonstrate their allegiance. Be forewarned, wearing this makes you stand out against enemies of Konoha.
Bonus Perks: + 5 DEF, +10% additional REP per successful mission with Konoha (must be loyal)
Flaws: Will cause [Aggro] effect if spotted by enemies of Konoha
|Congratulations! Your level has increased by one!|
Status Window
Name: Uzumaki Naruto
Job: Academy Student
Level: 24 Next Level: 0.7%/100%
HP: 8533 + [350] + [Perks] = 9327.15
CP: 14850 + [625] + [Perks] = 17022.5
STR: 64
VIT: 271 + [10] = 281
END: 364 + [15] = 379
DEX: 71 + [1] = 72
INT: 49
WIS: 27
CHA: 16
LUK: ?
DEF: 25
Attribute Points: 16 + [2] = 18
Ordinary Perk Points: 1
Special Perk Points: 1
"Yatta!" Naruto cheered, "Best. Day. Ever!"
Iruka just smiled as he handed over the boy's forehead protector.
Opposite to the Chunin, Mizuki himself congratulated the boy but inwardly the man was livid, and worried, that the demon had indeed passed. Excusing himself momentarily, to which Iruka said he'd manage on his own, Mizuki left for the hallway and fumed.
"God fucking damn it!" the man realized that the informant was right. Loathed as he wanted to acknowledge it the demon had gotten better. And now it had passed. Who knows how they'd react, "Now I have no choice but to go with plan B," while not his first choice or how he wanted it the man was left with no other option. However, Mizuki hadn't really planned out for a contingency.
"I'm sorry, Hibachi," Mizuki heard Iruka from the hallway. "While your Kawarimi and Bunshin are … decent, your Henge is not up to par. I'm afraid you will have to stay another year."
The boy shook with rage and defiance, tears threatened to spill from the side of his eyes and quite a few knew the boy wanted to lash out. However, a stern look from Iruka put a stop to the idea and Hibachi ran out of the classroom and bumped into Mizuki. The boy didn't bother to excuse himself and kept on going. In his anger the boy didn't see the malicious look in the traitor's face. The man just found his patsy.
(Sometime Later; Late at Night)
"Tough break, Gaki," Naruto heard Anko's voice from behind him. "You gave it your best-"
"What the hell are you talking about? I passed," Naruto told her.
"…You did?" she shifted her eyes to his head that had no forehead protector, "You sure about that?"
Naruto saw her gaze and immediately understood her skepticism, "Oh, right. I don't have it on me at the moment. Ask Iruka-sensei if you-"
"That's my Gaki!" Anko never let him finish his sentence. The woman cheered as she gave her ward a bone-crushing hug; tearing the boy away from his beloved Ichiraku ramen.
Naruto knew that if the hug wasn't going to kill him then having his lungs being deprived of oxygen thanks to her ample assets firmly pressed up against his face would. It would have been a hell of a way to go were his thoughts on the matter; his face still buried in soft breasts. Personally, he would have preferred going out on the battlefield doing something kickass or awesome but this was good, too.
"Lucky kid," Teuchi envied his favorite customer at the moment.
"So, how'd it go? Boring as hell," just by seeing the look on Naruto's face the woman got her answer. "Uh… never mind. Sorry I wasn't there to congratulate ya, gaki. Had to do some last minute work that only my sexy ass self could do."
"Torture?"
"Squealed like a stuck piggy… was kinda boring actually," Anko made a mental note to get Naruto to prank Ibiki's ass for that, "Where's your headband anyway?"
"Bumped into Tetsu and when he saw it he offered to turn my hitaite into a happuri style one as a graduation present," Naruto originally didn't think much about it but through the use of Observe he discovered that a happuri forehead protector would increase its defence by an additional five.
"Speaking of graduation presents," here Anko presented the boy with a gift box, "Meant to give it you earlier but … ya know."
Pleasantly surprised, Naruto tore into the wrapping like wolves did into their meal. Taking the lid off Naruto's eyes deadpanned as he saw a scroll, "This is gonna be one of those types of gifts, huh," the boy asked but already knew the answer. Well, it certainly befitted Anko's personality.
Taking the scroll, Naruto unfurled it and channeled some chakra into the sealing matrix. A poof of cloud later and the boy saw a new set of armor, "Technically it's a gift from me, Hayate, and Yugao but those two are off on duty so they asked me to send you their best."
Combat Ninja Tunic – Uncommon Quality
Item Type: Upper Body Armor
Durability: 70/70
Protective upper body armour made from specially treated leather and used by ninja during combat, or when performing physical exercises. Despite its common base appearance, it is deceptively durable.
Buffs/Perks: +10 DEF,
Fuinjutsu Slot: One Major Slot
Set Completion (First Bonus): [1/3: Locked]
Set Completion (Second Bonus): [1/5: Locked]
Combat Ninja Pants – Uncommon Quality
Item Type: Lower Body Armor
Durability 70/70
Protective lower body armour made from specially treated leather and used by ninja during combat, or when performing physical exercises. Despite its common base appearance, it is deceptively durable.
Buffs/Perks: +10 DEF
Fuinjutsu Slot: One Minor Slot
Set Completion (First Bonus): [1/3: Locked]
Set Completion (Second Bonus): [1/5: Locked]
Combat Ninja Gloves - Uncommon Quality
Item Type: Hand Armor
Durability: 55/55
Protective hand armour made from specially treated leather and used by ninja during combat. The material used in these gloves offers a decent amount of protection and allows for one to strike harder.
Buffs/Perks: +7 DEF, +3% Power Increase towards [Taijutsu]
Set Completion (First Bonus): [1/3: Locked]
Set Completion (Second Bonus): [1/5: Locked]
Combat Ninja Boots - Uncommon Quality
Item Type: Foot Armor
Durability: 55/55
Protective foot armour made from specially treated leather and used by ninja during combat. The small amount of metal added to it not only increases its overall defence but also slightly increases the strength behind one's kicks.
Buffs/Perks: + 9 DEF, +3% Power Increase towards [Taijutsu]
Set Completion (First Bonus): [1/3: Locked]
Set Completion (Second Bonus): [1/5: Locked]
Combat Ninja Utility Belt - Uncommon Quality
Item Type: Waist Armor
Durability: 40/40
Protective waist armour made from specially treated leather and used by ninja during combat. Can also used to hold pouches of kunai or shuriken.
Buffs/Perks: +5 DEF, +3% Power and Speed Increase towards [Ninja Tools]
Set Completion (First Bonus): [1/3: Locked]
Set Completion (Second Bonus): [1/5: Locked]
Combat Ninja Set Complete (First Bonus) [5/3]
+15% Increase in Effectiveness, Power and EXP towards C-Rank Skills and Lower
Combat Ninja Set Complete (Second Bonus) [5/5]
+5% Increase towards all [Resistances] and [Tolerances], +5% Increase towards HP and CP Regen when in allied territory
"I love you guys," Naruto whispered but was heard by Anko, Midori, Teuchi and Ayame. All four individuals smiled at the heartfelt compliment. Few had ever given him such gifts. The only real gifts he ever got had been Gamachan from an anonymous individual.
"Aw, love you too, Gaki," Naruto found himself pulled into the woman's bosom once again. The boy heard Teuchi snicker lecherously before his daughter whacked him over the head with a ladle. After finishing his ramen, Naruto decided to leave to go and try out his new outfit. Having been offered free ramen, not that she cared all that much for the stuff, Anko stayed for a while as she made idle chat with the sous chef of the ramen stand. She was pretty enough.
"So, the kid really did eat here almost twenty-four seven?" Anko thought it had been an exaggeration but to actually hear it.
"Unfortunately," Ayame nodded, "I love Naruto-kun, he's like the little brother I never had, but his diet was terrible. But because many treated or turned him away he usually only came here to eat or bought instant ramen," Ayame had made sure the boy ate his vegetables whenever she could but boys will be boys as the saying went.
"Yeesh!" Anko winced. Even if a shinobi burned more calories and fat faster than others they still needed the nutrients to properly fuel their bodies. Ramen afforded a lot of carbs needed for energy but it was ridiculously high in other substances that went way above the recommended daily intake. Fruits, veggies, and meat not swimming in sauces or seasoned to hell was especially important for children when their bodies needed those nutrients for a healthy growth. Eating mostly ramen wasn't going to that and would be detrimental.
"No wonder Naruto was small at the time," even for his age such as small stature was highly uncommon. Sure it meant he'd be harder to hit due to his small stature but that meant squat against seasoned and experienced ninja who could hit targets the size of pea from very far away. Luckily, Naruto's new diet helped him grow a few inches in the last four months. He wasn't the tallest Genin but wasn't the smallest anymore either.
Just as she was about to call it a night, Anko spotted several Chunin jumping and running around like mad. Spotting Iruka amongst them, Anko grabbed his attention, "Hey, Umino! What's going on?"
His words would leave her speechless, "Naruto's stolen the Scroll of Seals!"
"WHAT!"
Sorry for the lateness. Expect the next one in two weeks on the week of July 19th.