I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, I'm just a fan I enjoyed the anime but I love the fanfics even more, they made me fall for the whole franchise.
Chapter 69
Sakura sat on a patch of sand and concentrated her chakra trying to control the little grains with no success. She was located at training ground 13 along with her teammates and sensei. In her hand was a piece of paper to test her chakra nature, she got earth an earth affinity.
Kurenai-Sensei had decided to dedicate the time left before the Chunin exams to training Shino Aburama and even with the boy's refusal equipped him with at least one genjutsu. Sakura still could not believe she lost against Shikamaru and after her talk with Orochimaru, she understood it was her own doing.
Team 8 in Sakura's opinion was forever destroyed, Sakura still loved Sasuke who had killed Akamaru. Kiba did not like the fact she tried to defend the Uchiha by trying to make excuses for the raven-haired boy. Shino was known for his ability to not give anything away when it came to his emotions but even he said her name with a tone of shock when he overheard her conversation with Kiba.
Speaking of the Inuzuka, he has become quick to anger, quick to get irritated, quiet, and aggressive. He was in the process of drilling a hole through a tree. Sakura looked away from the boy when he went right through to the other side after a full minute. She knew in Kiba's eyes, that tree was her love interest.
'Why did you kill Akamura Sasuke-Kun?' Sakura wondered with a frown, trying to understand why the young Uchiha would go to such extremes. The grains of sand in her grasp did not respond to any of her probings and she wondered where her secret sensei could have gone.
'Kabuto was supposed to be our communication line.' Sakura thought of the Konoha genin who worked for the snake Sanin and wondered where the man could have disappeared to.
"Ino is always busy." Sakura mumbled with a sigh escaping her lips. She has not spent time with her best friend for the past 2 weeks, they were both in simple terms 'free to hang'. Sakura did not make it to the finals and Ino did not make it to the finals. While Sakura stressed, Ino had better things to worry about keeping her busy.
"FANG!" Sakura grimaced when she heard Kiba's call before she heard another tree getting drilled through. The attack caused less blunt damage than it would when Akamaru was alive but Kiba planned on fixing that by giving the attack piercing force. Sakura could not bring herself to think that Sasuke might have doomed Kiba to an early death, the Inuzuka's whole fighting style relied on his pup.
'Kiba will find a way, if not. I have to get stronger to cover his back.' Sakura reassured herself looking back to the sand in her grasp and trying to find out the condition she needs to utilize the bloodline limit.
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"Shikamaru Nara approached you last night?" Kurenai Yūi, the genjutsu mistress of Konoha asked her Aburama Genin who nodded with his hands in his jacket's pockets.
"Shikamaru-San had approached me at 9:32 pm last night saying we should partner up due in fact because he, myself, and Lee-San are up against team 7 and team Suna." Shino explained wordily. Kurenai was professional enough to not let the long explanation bother her.
"I am guessing he offered Lee the same offer." Kurenai started and got a nod from Shino. "I think it is a good idea, with all your strengths you would make a formidable and balanced team." Kurenai said smiling in thought.
"I too see the logic in the team makeup, Lee-San is a heavy hitter, Shikamaru-San is a strategist and I can handle myself in combat and work well as a support." Shino explained logically getting Kurenai's approval in the form of a nod.
"Well then, I will speak to Guy and Asuma to plan a joint training session for the three of you." The scarlet-eyed woman replied easily with Shino nodding and turning around to face Kiba who was in the process of shredding a tree bark with his elongated nails.
"I am very worried for my friend Kurenai-Sensei," Shino said with a straight face and a blunt expression but Kurenai placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"All we can do is be there for him Shino-Kun." The sad sensei said softly while watching her Inuzuka Genin start biting a tree bark that he felt he was not doing enough damage to with his elongated nails that are laced with chakra to strengthen and sharpen them.
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Kiba Inuzuka lost many things when Akamaru died. The young boy lost a best friend, a brother, a lifetime companion, and his pride as an Inuzuka. All his life Akamaru was there supporting him, giving him advice and encouragement, the dog always had his back.
'Akamaru, gone.' That's the only thought that played in Kiba's mind because that's the only thought that mattered in his head. The only thought left and the words that birth them are what drove Kiba Inuzuka now.
'It is not a genjutsu genius, the mutt is dead.' Kiba remembered Sasuke informing him In a matter-of-fact tone. He remembered blinking and feeling something break deep inside him before looking back at Sasuke. Eyes pleading for the Uchiha to tell him it was a bad joke.
'I don't speak butt sniffing.' Was Sasuke's reply to his pleading eyes before he dashed at him, Kiba was still confused. Then he felt something strike the top of his head, bringing him down face-first on the floor and everything went black.
When Kiba awoke from what he thought was a nightmare his sensei told him this was his new reality. A world without Akamaru, a world without his best friend, brother, and partner. A world Sasuke Uchiha created with the use of his accursed Sharingan.
"FANG! Kiba roared running on all four before jumping horizontally to the ground and spinning at rapid speeds like a drill before he collided with a tree and began drilling into it. Kiba felt the process was taking too long so he brought his arms above his head, hands clapped together and he used his sharp nails as the focal point of his jutsu.
"DRILLER!" Kiba added in another roar as he drilled into the tree in one go and burst through on the other side, leaving a perfect circle where his jutsu met wood. The Inuzuka stopped his spinning motion and twisted in midair, turning to face the damage he had caused and he landed on all four digging four trenches while sliding backward.
"S-sa" Kiba tried to sound out in a struggle sounding like a dog trying to talk while growling. "S-su" he continued, it looks like the Inuzuka was trying to say something that brought him unimaginable anger. "K-ke Uchiha, gone." Kiba finished grinning menacingly while releasing a wild killing intent that promised nothing but Savage brutality and unadulterated murder.
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The Land of Fire is one of the largest and most powerful countries in the Elemental Nations and is the home to The Village Hidden In The Leaves. The Land of Fire is a federal parliamentary republic comprised of several provinces which have semi-autonomy as well as several colonies.
Its government leader is the Fire Daimyō. The Land of Fire was the first country to adopt a ninja village, Konohagakure, a custom other countries would adopt. The land is oriented towards the element of fire, having very bright and warm weather. While not the largest country, it has the largest hidden village.
Shisui Uchiha slowly walked toward the capital of the land of fire in the distance Ōujisama City. The Fire Diamyō's private city. He is the richest man in the world and the most powerful, Shisui prayed he does not get to meet the political and commercial powerhouse of the land of fire.
The Fire Diamyō is the commander-in-chief and chief of the United Provinces of the Land of Fire. This person is tasked with overseeing the welfare of citizens, approving laws, and preserving the culture and power of the Lands. The Fire Diamyō can decree temporary law which can be disputed by the Fire Parliament and or the Supreme Court of the Fire Republic.
A province is led by a leader chosen through a democratic voting system and becomes a member of the Fire Parliament. Their job is to represent the interests of the members of their provinces, there are four provinces of the Land of Fire. Within the Parliament, they along with the Fire Diamyō write and sign ideas into law. The Hokage is the governor of the Hidden Province.
Shisui found himself in the luxurious entrance of Ōujisama City. A gate not as big as Konohagarus but it was worth more, in the center was the Fire symbol in black. Shisui narrowed his eyes as he walked, sensing he was being tailed from the shadows. The people watching him were good he couldn't pinpoint their exact location. The Uchiha decide not to overreact and walked up to the booth in front of the entrance.
"Good afternoon. Shisui Uchiha here on a mission from Hokage-Sama!" Shisui stated clearly, very unlike himself gaining the attention of the Ninjas in the boot. The Ninja on the left with pale blonde hair in a ponytail and another with a bald head.
"Let's see your paperwork." The Shinobi with blonde hair drawled out lazily stretching his hand out to receive. Shisui pulled out his Ninja Identification Card stretching his hand out to give it. The Shinobi ran through some hand seals activating a fuinjutsu seal inside the card letting it turn green In color.
"Shisui Uchiha, Jōnin of Konohagaru, registration number 1352." The blonde guard drawled on slowly. "Welcome to Ōujisama City and please head over to the biggest building in the distance." Shisui looked at said building and saw it was very far and because in the Fire capital ninjas were directed to walk like any other normal person, the distance was not something Shisui wanted to take on.
Shisui sighed in exasperation and slowly walked his way down the cemented pathway leading to the Diamyō palace built like a temple with a theme of white and red with corn-like rooftops. Shisui found that many rich people lived in the city due to the extravagant and over-the-top way of dressing the people he passed wore.
It seemed red and white was a theme in clothing as well because Shisui saw people of all ages with that color combination on them at least somewhere in their person. Shisui of the body flicker felt underdressed to the party.
'They don't seem to be drawing attention to themselves, they might be part of the Fire Diamyō's forces.' Shisui thought while trying to pinpoint the 3 signatures tailing him and giving up, if he turned around he would be able to do so.
Shisui walked for more than 1 hour to reach the foot of the steps leading to the castle and sighed unwilling to count the number of stairs or he will become discouraged. The Uchiha prodigy and ex-investigator sighed finding that he was still being tailed, he guess he could not just Shuushine up there or there would be witnesses to the fact he broke the law.
The master of the body flicker stepped on the first stair and began his trek up, the entire time his eyes twitched in annoyance at the squad following him. Bloody eyewitnesses.
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Danzō is a frail, old man, who normally walks with a cane. He had black, shaggy hair, and his right eye was bandaged. Danzō has had an X-shaped scar on his chin since his youth. He wears a white shirt, with a black or dark grey robe over the top of it covering from his feet, to just over his right shoulder. The robe conceals his right arm which is bandaged, and covered with three large golden braces.
The 'ex' Root division leader sat on a wooden chair in his chamber with a table in front of him. On the table were scrolls, folded and unfolded. Danzo held a brush in hand while he wrote down a message. The room was dimly lit by a candle on the table.
"Speak." Danzo's cold and emotionless voice sounded out to the dark corner of the room. A teenager by the looks of it stepped out of the shadows and took a knee behind his leader.
"Shisui Uchiha of the body flicker has arrived my lord." The teen with a plain white porcelain mask on his face and draped under a black cloak that hid his body droned out blandly just as emotionless as his lord.
"What is his reason for being in the capital?" The Shimura questioned not knowing why that sneaky Uchiha would be there.
Danzō Shimura hated Shisui Uchiha the most out of all Uchihas, he did not care if the boy happened to be Kagami Uchiha's grandson. Kagami was Danzo's first Shinobi world war comrade in nothing but paper if you asked the aged man.
Danzō hated Shisui for taking away his chance at the Hokage sit, the Uchiha massacre he had been plotting would have discredited Hiruzen, sighting him as incapable of running the village, and with the boys Sharingan, his position would be all but secure.
"He was sent here by Hokage-Sama" The agent answered quickly and Danzō refrained from scoffing.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was a fool in Danzo's eyes. The Third Hokage gives his ninjas too much freedom and the fact he trusts an Uchiha who can mind control other Sharingan users with but a glance to be loyal to Konoha was a fool's deal with the Shinigami. Such power was wasteful in the hands of a young man and an Uchiha of all people.
'Kotoamatsukami.' Danzo thought with anger that came from a place of jealousy, such power belonged to someone like him, someone with goals and ambitions. Danzō had already warned Orochimaru that Shisui Uchiha was his target and any attempt at 'his' Sharingan would be ill-advised.
The problem is that the boy is fast, Shisui is as fast as the second and fourth Hokage, someone that fast with the Sharingan's ability to predict movements was not someone you could catch on normal days but what Danzō saw the night he tried to strike the Jōnin before his mission to the Uchiha residence was spectacular.
'The Susano.' Danzo knew Madara Uchiha had such a jutsu but he had never seen it before. Shisui Uchiha was more than happy to threaten him with the chakra construct. The Root leader had to call back his forces and retreat with his tail tucked behind his back with nothing or else die.
"Escort him to me." Danzo instructed and his ninja vanished. The elder placed his brush down and contemplated his plans of action, was he going to make another attempt at the Uchiha or bid his time before he strikes? The last time he rushed, he was not prepared for Shisui to show him his trump card.
The exiled elder stood up and grabbed his cane making his way to the door. He wondered if Hiruzen was finally seeing his way was not working.
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"F-fuck!" Shisui breathed out with a groan, he was not tired but he definitely grew bored of the stairs right from the beginning. The Uchiha bent forward placing his hands on his knees and took an exaggerated breath in and then out.
"Oh my, a ninja." Shisui blinked and looked up finding himself staring at a robust woman he immediately recognized and he groaned when he noticed she did not have her cat with her.
"Madam Shijimi." Shisui greeted politely giving the woman a respectful bow. Shijimi is the mother of the current Fire Diamyō and wife of the previous Diamyō, she is notoriously known for losing her cat who loved Konoha and would always run to the village from the Land of Fire capital.
"Have you by any chance seen Tora?" She asked, looking for all intent and purposes lost. Shisui straightened from his bow and shook his head no while he looked at the important lady's entourage. The entourage of 5 samurai wearing a red and white combination of body armor looked exasperated knowing what came next.
"Prepare the carriage, we are going to Konoha!" The woman ordered with conviction and dedication. Her guarding detail straightened and moved to do as instructed with her following behind completely forgetting Shisui.
"I feel sorry for any Genin team taking up that mission." Shisui mumbled with a chuckle of mischief, he hoped the blonde Uzumaki got the mission. Shisui did wonder how the blonde has been doing and whether he passed his second phase of the exams.
"Shisui Uchiha." Shisui hummed looking in the direction of the voice calling him but he frowned when he saw the boy addressing him wearing a plain white porcelain mask.
"Root." Shisui growled out and prepared to defend himself if attacked, the last time he met the division he almost had his eyes plucked from their sockets.
Authors notes:
Another chapter, we are moving closer and closer to the fated chunin exams final, just 3 more chapters and at the maximum four before we touch down in Konoha. I do not know what I was thinking when I decided to make this finals a 9 man free for all or why I decided to invite all 4 kages except the fact I wanted Obito to sit there as the mizukage with no one the wiser and diverge the story a little more.
Next chapter we concentrate on Kakashi and Sasuke as well as Shisui and Danzō's interactions.
The next chapter will concentrate on Naruto and Karin in whirlpool I have my research cut out for me.
The chapter to follow will see Hinata,Sakura and Ino's confrontation. The blind girl did swipe Naruto out of Ino's grasp and seems to be Sakura's rival in love even though she wants nothing with Sasuke's affections for her.
In the same chapter we will have Team Shikaro(Shino Aburama, Shikamaru Nara and Rock Lee) training together and going on a mission.