Chapter 2: The Genin Exams
"Y'know, it's kinda funny." Narumi said. "What is?" Miyuki asked. The two girls were now walking around the village with ice creams in their hands. They'd just studied for the written portion of the exams while eating dango and now, Miyuki had finally gotten Narumi to open up to her about what had happened.
"I used to come out of these things without a scratch on me-and that's usually because I had some clever solution to whatever bully I was facing, whatever adult who tried to assault me I was facing. But how can you think your way around or out of rape?" Narumi explained. "I-I understand." Miyuki replied. "No matter what, I always hold true to who I am and spare anyone from tasting the wrath of facing my knuckle sandwich. And apparently, that's not enough." Narumi said. "No! That's not true!" Miyuki argued. "I like the smarter side of you. Even if it does turn you into a snarky, sarcastic bitch sometimes." "Well, I hear ya on that one." Narumi said with a chuckle. It's true that Narumi's smarts can make her into somewhat of a comedic jerk. Like Spider-Man. She often likes to quip and, more often than not, that gets her into trouble with people who should not be fucked with.
"Tell ya what, I bet 50 Ryo on us completing the exams." Miyuki said. "Against who?" Narumi asked. "Against you, silly!" Miyuki answered with a smile. "Why?" Narumi then asked. "Because you obviously look like you don't think you can make it through this." Miyuki answered. "Why would I think otherwise? Every year, it's always the same two Jutsu-two Jutsu I suck at, need I remind you!" Narumi stated. "Right, right...the Transformation Jutsu and the Clone Jutsu." Akina said. "The same. Ones!" Narumi shouted. "Chill, Naru-Chan, chill. Not everyone can do a cool Fire Style Ninjutsu like you can." Miyuki replied. Narumi looked confused. "I can do three: the Fireball Jutsu, the Great Fireball Jutsu, and the Phoenix Flower Jutsu." She said. "That's not the point! The point is, you're going to be great and, hey, if I'm wrong and you fail the exams, that just means you're fifty Ryo richer. But if I'm right, we both get to become Kunoichi together and you'd get one step closer to your dream-to be the Hokage by surpassing all four of 'em." Miyuki replied. "This way, there'll be no way you can lose, right?" "I guess so..." Narumi says. "Thanks, Miyuki." Narumi said with a slight smile. "This...this was nice." "Hey, what are friends for?" Miyuki rhetorically asked.
'So that's why she went all this way for me? Because she and I are friends?' Narumi thought, touched by her words. They ate their ice creams, and then talked about the typical things teenage girls talked about before saying their goodbyes, and separating to go home.
This morning, Narumi is feeling a little better, even if she was raped only a week ago. She woke up dressed in only a black tank top and a pair of red shorts. She got up, and walked over to her closet to get some fresh clothes (a black t-shirt, a white bra, blue panties and a red pair of pants) and then went to the washroom to take a shower. Once she was out of the shower, she got dressed in her new fresh clothes and then, she walked over to her mirror, and (after she'd done her hygiene routine) styled her long red hair into two pigtails. After that, she ran to her kitchen, made breakfast, and then ran over to the door to put on her white jacket with the Uchiha Clan symbol on the back of it and her navy blue ninja sandals, and then, she ran out the door.
Today was the day. This was her day. Two days after she was sexually assaulted, she used her Sharingan (while trying to be stealthy about it) to study and analyze the Clone Jutsu and the Transformation Jutsu. And after three days, she finally got it! Strangely, though, Sasuke kept trying to talk to her over and over again ever since Iruka-Sensei's demonstration of the two Jutsu they're all supposed to perform at the practical portion of the Genin Exams. Narumi wondered why.
'It can't be because of the surprised look he gave me just after I deactivated my Sharingan, can it? No, that was just him marveling at my beauty.' Narumi arrogantly thought as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop long after she left home. But then, out of nowhere, a Hidden Leaf ninja came and grabbed her! She passed out when she went down to the ground.
Narumi woke up sitting in a chair in a classroom. Standing in front of her were just a Hidden Leaf Shinobi (who presumably is the one who took her) and...
"Sasuke?!" Narumi asked. "What are you doing here?" "We need to talk about how you used the Sharingan on Iruka-Sensei when he was demonstrating the Jutsu to us." Sasuke accused. "What? Yeah, of course I did." Narumi said. "Huh. And I thought we were going to have to force a confession out of her." The Shinobi remarked. "Yeah, she did give up so easily. Why?" Sasuke asked. "Uh...isn't that a little obvious? I needed to learn the Jutsu a little easier." Narumi answered. "I mean, why did you confess and why so easily, even when you were obviously trying so hard to hide that you were doing it? You knew the Academy would give you trouble if you did it, didn't you so why?" Sasuke then asked. "Because...because I could never lie to a best friend." Narumi answered. "We aren't even friends-well, not really. Not anymore-but the point still stands! The 'nice-n-friendly' me died when our clan died. Which reminds me: it's time to make some introductions..." Sasuke says.
"My name is Aizen Miyamoto. I, as you have probably already guessed, am the person who brought you here. I am also-also a teacher here, at the Academy, not to mention a Hidden Leaf Shinobi." The Shinobi said. "Oh, and here, I thought you brought along a real Shinobi, Sasuke." Narumi quipped. "This isn't the time for jokes, Narumi!" Aizen shouted. "Now, back to the topic at hand, I was also a very dear friend of the Uchiha. I was in the Police Force before Itachi killed them all and after the Massacre, I was forced to quit, and then, after that, I became a teacher." "His story checks out. I remember him having meetings with Inabi, Yashiro and even my Father sometimes." Sasuke stated. "Yes. I got into the Police Force because my dear friend, Tekka Uchiha, recommended me to Captain Fugaku, also known as Sasuke's Dad." Aizen explained further.
Narumi was shocked.
She recognizes the names of those Uchiha...the Uchiha who Itachi gave a beatdown to. Sometime before the Massacre, Narumi remembered Inabi, Yashiro and Tekka as such nice men. Even if they did get a little too rough at times. Regardless, they were one of the ones in the Police Force who protected her, like Captain Fugaku did.
FLASHBACK
Narumi was walking around in the Uchiha Compound when she heard sounds of fighting. She ran over to the direction from where she heard those sounds, and saw Itachi beating up Tekka, Inabi and Yashiro.
'Why is this happening?' Narumi thought, now scared because they have scary red eyes.
"Like I said before, appearances and preconceptions aren't going to tell you anything." Itachi said.
'What, did they say something about his hair?' Narumi thought.
"For instance, you've made the mistake of assuming I'm a patient man. The clan, the clan, you overestimate your own abilities...with no idea...of the depth of my own. And look at you now, groveling in the dirt." Itachi continued. "Shisui...Shisui had been keeping an eye on you recently. The strangeness of your behavior...half a year into your time at Anbu, it was impossible to overlook. What the heck are you playing at, you filthy little wretch?" Yashiro asked. "Obsessed with the organization. Obsessed with the clan. Obsessed with our lineage. A worthless compulsion that enslaves us, and limits our capabilities. Leading us to fear what you don't understand." Itachi said.
'What is he talking about?' Narumi thought.
"Stop it, Itachi!" A familiar voice shouted. To the left of Itachi came the Uchiha's Lord and Savior, Captain Fugaku. Itachi turned to face his Father as Tekka, Inabi and Yashiro crawled over to the Police Force Captain, clearly being too injured to move properly. "Itachi, you've been acting strange lately."
"Nothing strange about me." Itachi simply replied. "I have my own duties to fulfill. That's all." "So what's your story? Why didn't you come last night?" Captain Fugaku asked.
'There was some sort of meeting? Must be about whatever bad thing the adults are planning. But...wait, does that mean Captain Fugaku, Tekka, Inabi and Yashiro are all in on it, too?' Narumi thought.
"To achieve the next state..." Itachi says. "What are you talking about?" Captain Fugaku then asked. Itachi then pulled out a Kunai knife, and threw it at the wall next to them. Both Fugaku and Narumi thought it was going to hit Fugaku so, because of that, Narumi's next thoughts were that a fight is about to go down. So she ran away. Unbeknownst to her, Itachi saw her running away for a moment before quickly turning his attention back towards his Father.
Later, Narumi went crying to Aunt Izumi, being so scared. Narumi hasn't cried like this in a long time so she thought that she must really be in trouble. Itachi later talked to them about it after Aunt Izumi calmed Narumi's nerves and during their talk, Narumi promised Itachi that she will never do something like that again.
END OF FLASHBACK
Narumi would've re-thought that promise if she knew that Itachi would kill the entire clan literally days later.
"Why are you telling me all this?" Narumi then asked. "I just told you all that so you know that I know what I'm talking about when I say that the Sharingan isn't to be used on an ally unless absolutely necessary." Aizen answered. "Yeah. My Father taught me that when I was a kid. I wonder why Izumi never taught you the same." Sasuke stated. "Well, I don't really know, but if I had to guess, I'd say that she probably thought I was too young to learn about it. Also, it hadn't awakened within me at the time so the other reason might be the Sharingan would've been irrelevant to our lives. But that was before the Uchiha Massacre. And before the Years of Hell I've lived through since the Massacre." Narumi said.
"That doesn't dispute the point we're making. The Sharingan isn't to be used lightly. Besides...an old friend of mine once said that 'with great power comes great responsibility' and you've been given an amazing gift with great power." Aizen said. "Good luck on finding a use for those eyes ever again, though." Sasuke said. "What?" Narumi questioned. "Oh yeah, I was about to get to that. Sasuke and I told Iruka what you did. And as a result, he said that you've failed the exams by default." Aizen said. "But I tried my hardest to learn those Jutsu!" Narumi shouted. "But you really didn't, did you? Thank you, Sasuke. I will take it from here." Aizen said to him with a bow. Sasuke then left the room. "Why can't I participate!?" Narumi inquired. "Because it would be unfair for the rest of the students who actually worked to learn those Jutsu. Now, leave before I have some other teachers throw you out, like usual." Aizen said. "What bullshit!" Narumi shouted as she got up to leave the room. "I thought this was supposed to be a Ninja Academy, not a School for Wimps!" Narumi then stomped out of the room, and then out of the building.
She went over to the little swingset on the tree, where she sat for hours and hours. She overheard two women talking. "Hey, do you see that girl over there?" The first woman said, pointing at Narumi, who was sitting on that swing with her head hung down low in defeat while also feeling sadness and anger (so much anger, that she acquired a two-tomoe Sharingan) "I heard she's the only one who failed." "Wait, is that...her?" The second woman asked. "Yeah. Like I said, she was the only one who failed. And failed hard. Tried to cheat her way to victory." The first woman answered. "Wow." The second woman commented. "Just imagine, though..." "Imagine what?" The first woman asked. "If she actually became a ninja. We all know that she's-" "Ssssh! We're not supposed to talk about that!" The first woman hissed, interrupting the second woman. "C'mon, let's get out of here." The women then left the Academy's grounds. And then, after everyone else had left, Narumi left the Academy's grounds, too.
Again, Narumi sat on the couch in a fetal position, once again cradling herself while crying.
'What was even the point of getting out of this house? To think I could've ever become the Hokage...why was I so arrogant? If I had any better sense, I'd-' Narumi's thought was interrupted by a series of knocks at the door.
'What now?' Narumi then thought.
Narumi got out of her fetal position, and stood up while walking over to the door. She only slightly opened it, just as she did with Miyuki. She was surprised to see who was standing at the door. So surprised, in fact, that she just opened it wide. It was a man with shoulder-length light blue hair and black eyes. His black Hidden Leaf headband was worn like a bandana and he was wearing the typical Hidden Leaf Chunin outfit (including the dark green Hidden Leaf Chunin flak jacket and the black ninja sandals). This man is Mizuki-Sensei, Iruka-Sensei's teaching assistant.
"Well, hello, there. Someone's awfully surprised to see me." Mizuki-Sensei remarked. "W-Well, to be fair, Sensei, not many teachers come to their students' houses." Narumi replied. "So...why are you here?"
Meanwhile, Sasuke saw Mizuki-Sensei and Narumi talking just as he was walking by her house with his new navy blue Hidden Leaf headband in his pocket and both his new ninja tool pouch and Shuriken holster equipped. He thought that was a little suspicious. Sasuke wrapped his Hidden Leaf headband around the top of his head, making sure the front of it was on his forehead (because that's how ninjas in every village wear their headbands most often) and decided to hide behind one of the bushes to the far left of Narumi's front yard, and then, he snuck over to them while still hiding behind the bushes.
Back with Narumi and Mizuki-Sensei, Mizuki-Sensei looked concerned, as though there was now something wrong with Narumi's place of residence when there wasn't before. "Not here. It's very top secret." Mizuki-Sensei told her. "Top...Top secret? Why tell me? I'm not even a ninja." Narumi then asked. "Well...it will all become quite clear to you once I tell you. Now, c'mon. Or do you not want a second chance to redeem yourself before Iruka-Sensei?" Mizuki-Sensei asked. Narumi looked surprised. Narumi walked out of the door, and closed it behind her. "Say no more!" Narumi said with a smile. Mizuki-Sensei then turned around, and Narumi followed him as he walked away.
Meanwhile, back with Sasuke, he overheard everything the two of them said.
'Just what are you playing at, Sensei?' Sasuke thought. He followed them covertly, and they stopped on the roof of the Hokage's Tower for whatever reason. Sasuke hid behind one of the pillars closest to the two of them.
"Narumi, I heard about what you did. Why would you ever do that?" Mizuki-Sensei asked. "Well...I just needed to get good at the Transformation Jutsu and the Clone Jutsu. I had caught on that he was deliberately making things not fair for us by giving us such a short time frame to prepare for the exams. So, I thought, 'Why not even that playing field?' I had the impression that he was being hard on us-like always." Narumi answered.
"And you'd be right. But that's only because he wants the best for you. And at least he gave you a chance, unlike so many of the other teachers. I truly have no idea if he'll continue giving you chances, either. But all that might change if you do what I tell you to do." Mizuki-Sensei said. "What? Please! Tell me! What is it!? I'll do anything to become a Genin!" Narumi shouted.
With an evil smirk, Mizuki-Sensei then said, "Alright. But first, a question for you: do you know why I brought you up here?" "No." Narumi answered. "Beneath this very building, there is a vault. Inside said vault is a scroll known as the Scroll of Sealing. Inside, there are many cool Jutsu that you can use to pass the make-up exam." Mizuki-Sensei said, only slightly lying. "Go into the forest, and learn the Jutsu from the scroll once you've retrieved it. Once you do, I will come, and see whether or not what you've learned would be passable by Iruka-Sensei's standards. Which means I won't be going easy on you."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Narumi said with determination in her voice.
"Excellent. Now, before I join you, there's some business I must attend to. So go ahead, get the scroll, head into the forest, and let's see if you can learn those Jutsu on your own-oh, and, before I go, another part of the test is that you can't use your Sharingan on the scroll. That was what got you kicked out in the first place, after all." Mizuki-Sensei told her before dashing off.
'Oh no! I remember reading about the Scroll of Sealing in class! According to the textbook we were given, it holds some powerful Forbidden Jutsu!' Sasuke thought as Narumi was about to run off. 'And that's not the worst of it-there is no such thing as a "make-up exam" and Narumi really fell for Mizuki's lies! I have to stop her!' Sasuke came out of his hiding place, and ran up to Narumi.
"Wait!" Sasuke then shouted. "Sasuke? What are you doing here?" Narumi asked. "I know what you're about to do, Narumi. I overheard everything." Sasuke said. Narumi then realized what had happened.
She remembered Mizuki-Sensei's concerned look back when she was at her house, standing at her door while talking to him. "You've been with us this entire time, haven't you? Spying on us from the shadows the moment Mizuki-Sensei came to my door. And then you followed us here...no wonder Mizuki-Sensei couldn't talk to me about this back at my house. He noticed you. Quite quickly, in fact. The only thing about this is I'm not sure how you never even noticed that, what with the fact that you're a ninja, now." Narumi said. "Please, you have to listen to me. Mizuki-Sensei is deceiving you. There is no 'make-up exam'. There never was. Now, I don't know why, but he's fooling you by telling you to steal the Scroll of Sealing." Sasuke told her. "Why should I believe you? I thought I could trust you because you and I are from the same clan and yet, you got me ousted from the Academy because I simply wasn't 'playing fair' when Iruka-Sensei wasn't playing fair with us, all the while expecting us to abide by the rules, forgetting that there was no time to do that, what with the full week he gave us. If he gave us more time, maybe I wouldn't have used my Sharingan on him. Maybe I wouldn't have had to. But why should I talk to you about 'what ifs' and 'maybes', you emo backstabber? No. I'm not letting you snatch my chance to become a ninja away again." Narumi said. "Narumi, please, listen to me: if you do what you're about to do, they'll come for you. They might even try to kill you on sight." Sasuke warned. "If our friendship ever meant anything to you, you'd listen to me." "Did it matter to you when you made me fail the Genin Exams for the third year in a row? Or when you stopped talking to me after the Massacre?" Narumi asked.
"I..." Sasuke says. He stopped himself because realizes the hypocrisy. "I thought not. If you never wanted me to do this, you wouldn't have told Iruka-Sensei about me using the Sharingan on him." Narumi said. "No, what I did was the result of your own actions." Sasuke rebutted.
"Hn. Whatever." Narumi scoffed before she walked around him, and continued on her way.
He was caught off-guard by how she casually used his own catchphrase against him just now. 'Anyway, she is right, though. If I knew this would happen, I never would've had her automatically terminated from the exam.' Sasuke thought. He knows he can't stop Narumi. He just tried and he did it while neglecting to think about his role in all this and because of that, he failed so, he quickly came up with a Plan B.
Iruka, a man with a brown short ponytail, black eyes and a scar that runs across the bridge of his nose-something which he's had since his younger days, was cleaning up the classroom after the Genin Exams were all done. He was surprised by how much of a mess the kids made today because normally, cleaning up wouldn't take this long because he, like many of the other teachers, would have the students do seventy percent of the work.
'Hey, what can I say? Today was a special day for them.' Iruka thought with a slight chuckle.
He was dressed in the typical Hidden Leaf Chunin uniform, complete with a green Hidden Leaf flak jacket. He also had his Hidden Leaf headband on his forehead. As he continued on, he noticed a certain recognizable student.
"Sasuke? What are you doing here? Come to pick something up that you've forgotten, like some of your classmates?" Iruka asked. "No, Sensei. Although, I do need your help." Sasuke answered. "What is it?" Iruka then asked. "Narumi has gone off to steal the Scroll of Sealing. Any moment now, the Hokage will probably send everyone out to look for her." Sasuke answered. "What? Why?" Iruka shouted. Suddenly, alarms were blaring from outside. "They've already noticed-we don't have any time!" Sasuke shouted. "I'll tell you on the way!"
Iruka simply nodded, and, together, they went on their way.
Later, in the forest, Narumi was trying to learn one of the Jutsu from the scroll while numerous controlled explosions went off in the surrounding areas.
'I knew that they would come...and fall for my traps.' Narumi thought. She knew that this would be important to Grandpa Hokage so she set up some light, non-lethal traps (not that she knew how to set any lethal traps) to stall them until she finally learned a Jutsu. But then, a Hidden Leaf Shinobi came down from a tree branch above Narumi, and went to confront her.
"Alright, Narumi, you have a minute to give me the scroll." He said. Narumi looked up from the scroll, and turned to face the Shinobi.
It was Shikaku Nara, Shikamaru's Dad, the Hidden Leaf's resident strategist and the Hidden Leaf's Jonin Commander.
Shikaku had a short and spiky black ponytail, narrow brown eyes, two scars on the right side of his face and a black goatee. Shikamaru looked nearly the same except he is much younger, without a goatee, and he doesn't have any scars on his face unlike his Father. Shikamaru also typically wears a short-sleeved gray jacket with green-edged sleeves under which is a green-lined mesh armor t-shirt, brown pants, a pair of his clan's (the Nara Clan) silver hoop earrings, and a pair of navy blue ninja sandals whereas Shikaku had pierced ears, a meshed t-shirt under his dark green Hidden Leaf Jonin flak jacket, a sleeveless deerskin coat over that and a pair of hand guards.
"How did you manage to get past my traps?" Narumi asked. "I heard about how smart you are from my Son. And considering how many traps there were between here and the village, and how many ninjas have fallen for them, you are pretty damn intelligent. But let me tell you somethin' else, Narumi, in case my Son didn't explain it to you. I'm ten times smarter. Which is how I know that you set those traps to stall us so that you can do...whatever you're doing with the scroll while we're all distracted, trying to get out of the traps you put us in." Shikaku answered. "Okay, fine, I surrender." Narumi said. "Well, that's great-wait, what?" Shikaku asked. "Yeah, you can just come and arrest me, no problem." Narumi said. "Uh...okay." Shikaku said with a confused look on his face. And so, she walked up to him, and presented her arms towards him so that he could bind them.
They then started to walk out of the forest when Shikaku fell into a disguised hole. And then, Narumi used the Kunai knife she pickpocketed from Shikaku's ninja tool pouch to unbind herself before running back over to the scroll.
'What bullshit, him talkin' about "I'm smarter than you" give me a break! He's not the first one to say that shit to me. Though, I guess I should've told him that before he tried to outthink me without a Plan B.' Narumi thought. She remembered the first time she tried to outsmart someone. And how she failed...and how it got her beaten up by a group of adults. There were so many times when she was close to death either because of her own failings, because she was raped, or because luck wasn't on her side. The fact that she's held out this long surprises her because she usually isn't this lucky. 'Maybe Kami has taken a liking to me today.' Narumi thought.
After an hour or two of searching, Iruka and Sasuke finally found Narumi standing by a river, continuing to learn a new Jutsu (or was in the middle of practicing one, maybe?). When Iruka and Sasuke walked up to her to confront her. Narumi quickly noticed the two of them. She turned right to face them. "STAY! BACK!" Narumi yelled, clearly stressed out of her mind. Iruka and Sasuke stepped back, trying not to alarm her further.
'Have that many people come to kill her?' Sasuke thought.
"Narumi, no one is here to hurt you." Iruka said. "Then why did three ninjas try to attack me while I was using this to learn? I only had time to learn one Jutsu." Narumi told him. "Because that is important, more important than you realize. And I'm sorry, Narumi, but Mizuki was lying to you. There never was any 'make up test'. There never has been. He is using you to get the scroll." Iruka answered. "Is that what Sasuke told you? He snatched my chance to become the Hokage away from me in the first place!" Narumi said. "No, it's because it's true. I am a teacher at the Academy, I should know whether or not there's any 'make-up test'." Iruka said.
Narumi just then realized what she had done. The weight of it fell onto her as though it were the wall of a demolished building. "Bu-Bu-Then what did I do all this for!?" Narumi shouted. "You did it all for me." A familiar voice said in an insidious tone-of-voice. Iruka, Sasuke and Narumi started looking around. And then, Iruka saw a Fuma Shuriken fly down from (seemingly) up on high, and shoot towards Narumi. "Narumi! Look out!" Iruka shouted. Without a second to waste, Narumi dodged the Fuma Shuriken. It instead landed on the ground.
"Whoa...that is a big Shuriken. How does someone carry it?" Narumi asked.
And then, suddenly, Mizuki appeared next to it using the Teleportation Jutsu. "With great effort." Mizuki answered. Narumi ran to grab the scroll, and then headed towards Iruka's side. "Good girl, Narumi." Iruka told her. "Save me the accolades until we're out of this mess." Narumi quipped. "A mess which you caused." Sasuke added. "Shut up, Sasuke!" Narumi replied. "Why are you defending that...Demon, Iruka? You know that she's a monster. She is the one who killed your parents, after all. By all rights, you should want her dead, too." Mizuki said. "What? What are you talking about? Narumi hasn't done anything like that!" Sasuke shouted. Iruka knows what Mizuki's talking about.
FLASHBACK
A ten-year-old Iruka was standing at the memorial stone, crying. It's been a year since the Two-Tails Incident. He still remembers how his parents valiantly fought the Two-Tails, even when it was unfeasible to do so. And died as a result. Suddenly, Lord Third Hokage walked up to him, and stood next to him. "It's been a year, hasn't it?" Lord Third asked. "Hiding your sadness while smiling isn't easy, is it?"
Iruka just turned to face him.
"I've heard from your teacher that you're always the center of attention." Lord Third said.
After a moment of silence, Iruka shouted, "I'm not sad! It is an honor for a ninja to die during a mission! These are tears of happi-" "That's enough." Lord Third said, interrupting Iruka before he hugged Iruka. "I already know that you hug your knees when you're alone."
That surprised Iruka. 'He-He knows?' Iruka thought.
"However, you are not alone." Lord Third continued. He then let go of little Iruka. "Iruka, do you hold it?" After they turned back to face the memorial stone, Iruka looked at Lord Third, and simply said, "Yes." Lord Third smiled at that answer.
Thirteen years after the Two-Tails Incident, Iruka was walking around the village, feeling frustrated and without hope. It's the middle of the year and Narumi still hasn't learned a single Jutsu beyond the three Fire Style Ninjutsu her clan is known for. 'Maybe my fellow teachers are right.' Iruka thought. 'Maybe she is a hopeless case.'
Just then, Lord Third randomly saw Iruka as he was on his own errands. Lord Third walked up to Iruka. "What's wrong, Iruka?" He asked. "Eh, it's Narumi. She still hasn't learned any Ninjutsu beyond the basics that was taught to her by the Uchiha." Iruka answered. "Does she try?" Lord Third then asked. "Yeah, but, for whatever reason, it just isn't good enough. It often makes her the laughing stock of the class. She's good in other areas of study, but..." Iruka says. Lord Third chuckled. "Reminds me of a certain young student I used to know twelve years ago." He remarked. "Okay, that was different! I deliberately made myself look like a fool in front of my classmates! This seems...I don't know, out of her control somehow? It makes me think that she can't possibly make it as a Kunoichi some
-times..." Iruka says. "Then that's all the more reason you shouldn't give up on her." Lord Third advised.
Iruka looked surprised. "Huh?" He asked. "Tell me, Iruka, did the teachers ever give up on you back when you were at the Academy?" Lord Third asked. "No." Iruka answered. "Then you should be just as persistent to see that she becomes a full-fledged ninja of the Hidden Leaf." Lord Third said. "You say that like it's going to be easy." Iruka commented. "It won't be, that I can assure you. Never give up. Once you don't succeed, try, try, again. It's the whole mantra behind the Will of Fire I told you about so long ago. So long as you hold true to that, Narumi won't seem as impossible to teach as she seems." Lord Third said. Iruka saw the wisdom in his words and said, "Yes, Lord Hokage." Iruka acknowledged. "Carry on, then. I have many matters to attend to." Lord Third said. They both said their goodbyes, went their separate ways and then, from that day forward, Iruka swore to turn Narumi into an excellent ninja.
END OF FLASHBACK
"That doesn't matter right now. And you're right, Sasuke, she hasn't done anything...well, at least not anything that bad. I just saw a student in need of help, and came as fast as I could." Iruka said. "Sentimentality has no place in the Ninja World, Iruka. I thought you would've learned that after everything we've seen and done." Mizuki said. "But I guess that's what you get for being put off of field duty for so fuckin' long. Anyway, let me explain my accusation, little Uchiha Prince. I think you'll understand after I tell you-Hell, she might get shell shocked after I tell the both of you because she doesn't even know herself! And like Ms. Yamanaka and that little Haruno Bitch, she's a supposed know-it-all so what will this tidbit of knowledge I have that she doesn't say about her, I wonder?" "Just get to the point." Sasuke told him. "Okay. You both know the story I'm about to tell you." Mizuki said. Realizing what he was about to do, Iruka shouted, "Mizuki, no! Stop it!" "And why should I?" Mizuki asked. "You know the Hokage's decree, don't you?" Iruka rhetorically asked in reply.
Mizuki looked back at Narumi and Sasuke. "So, as I was saying, you both know the story I'm about to tell you. The story of the Two-Tails Incident." He said, ignoring Iruka's question. Iruka charged towards him with a Kunai knife raised. Mizuki simply weaved together five hand signs, and then slammed his hand on the ground before shouting, "Summoning Jutsu!" And then, as soon as Mizuki removed his hand, a monstrous wolf-like creature suddenly appeared, and charged towards Iruka before attacking Iruka.
"Thirteen years ago, the Two-Tailed Monster Cat attacked the Hidden Leaf Village. The village's ninjas were scrambled to fend off the attack to protect the village. It was the foolishly-heroic thing that killed Iruka's parents. It soon became apparent that they couldn't defeat and kill the beast so they did the next best thing-stall the creature with numerous fruitless attacks that amounted to nothing while they waited for the Fourth Hokage. And when the Fourth Hokage actually came to help, he teleported himself and the Beast away so that they could do battle without worrying about the safety of the village. And, according to the official story, he killed the Tailed Beast after a long battle. And sacrificed himself to do so otherwise, that naive old fool wouldn't still be in the Hokage's office. Anyway, that's not what really happened, no. You see, as great of a ninja as the Fourth Hokage was, he truly couldn't kill The Cat. So he did the next best thing. He defeated it by sealing it inside a newborn child. A little, redhead, newborn who just so happens to have blue eyes, her Father's intellect and her Mother's knack for somehow always getting in trouble." Mizuki revealed.
This information surprised Narumi and Sasuke. Mizuki smirked. "I knew that you didn't know any of that. The Hokage decreed that no one say anything of this after it was leaked by one of the Hokage's advisors. In fact, that's why Iruka would do anything to shut me up right now. Including fighting that wolf. I call him Kira because of how good he is at killing." Mizuki continued further. "So, one can essentially say that Narumi is the Two-Tailed Monster Cat simply because she holds the Beast inside of her."
"That's not true! I-I-It can't be!" Narumi shouted. "Really? Then let me ask you this: have you ever wondered why all the shopkeepers raise prices for the things you buy when another person would buy it for its normal price or why those same shopkeepers would eventually kick you out or why every adult would rightfully give you mean glares or form mobs to attack you in every way possible?" Mizuki asked. Narumi's eyes grew wide with realization and understanding the more she thought about the questions Mizuki was asking her. 'I get it all now. I mean, I still hate those who raped me, but I can understand why they hate me.' Narumi thought. 'Maybe they are right. I am a monster.'
Sasuke understood it now, too, but he also understood that how the villagers choose to treat her is unjustified, and truly unforgivable. And he saw that Narumi, meanwhile, was getting in her head a bit too much. 'What have I been doing all this time?' Narumi thought. 'He's right. I should just...die.' "Okay, okay, she's got some type of big monster in her. So what? Big deal. And from what I'm hearing, that story says less about her, and more about the villagers who treat her like shit and the Fourth Hokage." Sasuke said. Narumi looked at Sasuke, surprised by his words.
"You, and everyone else are judging her for circumstances she had no control over. And, as far as I'm concerned, saying that Narumi is this Two-Tailed Cat is as crazy as me saying that I'm a literal chicken. Sure, she has that monster inside her, but, if anything, that just makes her a living jail, not a monster, herself. Plus, I've seen her out there, helping others in small, yet moving ways." Sasuke added. Narumi thought back to when she helped a boy by patching up his wound after he ran and fell down. Or when she helped another child find their Mother after they got lost. Even if said Mother came to resent her for it. She remembers the other times she's helped others. Including when she saw Hinata Hyuga being beaten up by bullies and how she put herself in Hinata's place (literally) to save Hinata. That was the day that she and Hinata became close friends, by the way.
"The simple fact of the matter is, I've never understood why people treat her the way they do or how they would always go as far as to attempt to murder her or as far as to actually rape her or just simply beat her up-until now, that is. But I didn't hate her. Mostly because I know who she is-and her good heart. To me, it doesn't matter how someone is brought into this world, it matters what they choose to do with their lives." Sasuke said.
FLASHBACK
Eleven-year-old Sasuke was walking through Senju Park with his clan mate, Narumi, who is the same age as him. They had been friends ever since Izumi and Itachi introduced them to each other. They weren't talking much, though, because they haven't talked to each other or even seen each other since before the Uchiha Massacre. This was their attempt at rekindling their relationship. They only stopped walking when they saw a small blue bird on the path they were on. It was lying down because it was wounded. "Oh no!" Narumi shouted. Narumi ran up to it, and crouched down next to it. "Narumi, what are you doing?" Sasuke asked. "Helping a bird." Narumi answered. "Why?" Sasuke then asked. "Why not?" Narumi asked in reply. Narumi then used the Healing Jutsu on it. Sasuke walked up to her. "What's that Jutsu you're using?" Sasuke questioned. "The Healing Jutsu." Narumi answered. "The Healing Jutsu?! Isn't that an A-Rank Jutsu?" Sasuke inquired.
All Ninjutsu have ranks. The E-Ranks and D-Rank Jutsu are the easiest Jutsu that are taught to Academy Students and younger Genin. C-Rank Jutsu are mainly taught to older Genin and newer Chunin. The oldest Chunin get to learn B-Rank Jutsu and so do newly-promoted Jonin. A-Rank and S-Rank Jutsu are normally reserved for someone with the skill level of an older Jonin or a Kage. Although, there are exceptions to this rule, like what the Academy Students are taught at home by their parents. The Hokage has no control over that. Which is why both Narumi and Sasuke were allowed to learn the Fireball Jutsu, the Great Fireball Jutsu and the Phoenix Flower Jutsu despite the fact that they're not Genin yet and they're not anywhere close to experienced ninjas. They're Uchihas and all Uchihas know those basic Fire Style Ninjutsu.
"Yes, but, as I'm sure you know, students learning to be Medical Ninjas get leeway over what Jutsu they can or can't learn, especially if the teacher thinks they're talented enough or put enough hard work into their studies." Narumi replied. "That doesn't explain how you know the Healing Jutsu." Sasuke also replied. "Really? I thought that was obvious. I took a Medical Studies Class last semester. They kicked me out of that class during the break, which is why I'm not in it this semester, but at least I can still do this." After a while, Narumi stopped healing the bird using the Jutsu, and then, it woke up, got up, stood on Narumi's hand and it affectionately chirped at Narumi as though it was thanking her before flying away. "Aww!" Narumi said. Sasuke smirked. "That's...I gotta admit, that's pretty amazing." Sasuke remarked. They tried continuing on with their walk, but it got too awkward so they left each other without saying goodbye.
END OF FLASHBACK
'Sasuke...' Narumi thought. "You're...Sasuke, right? The Prince of the Uchiha Clan?" Mizuki asked. "Of course. Who did you think I was, the tooth fairy?" Sasuke sarcastically asked. "I know about your lust for revenge against your older Brother. Which is...fair, considering that he killed nearly the entirety of your clan, leaving only you and Narumi, but would it surprise you to know that, among those who died during the Two-Tails Incident, there were Uchihas?" Mizuki asked. "No. The thing was a big attack and, again, Narumi and the Beast are two separate entities. And if you ask me, Narumi being the Two-Tails' prison is punishment enough for the Two-Tails. My Brother, however, got little to no consequences for his actions. That's why I plan to kill him." Sasuke said. "So, then...this is the hill you plan to die on? Protecting The Cat?" Mizuki then asked. "No, Mizuki. This is the hill I will die on. To protect my student, who is the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki...and one of the last Uchihas." Iruka said. "Surrender if you know what's good for you. Sasuke, Narumi, run."
Narumi then ran away with Sasuke further into the forest with the scroll.
Meanwhile, both Iruka and Mizuki pulled out their Kunai knives. "So, who's going to die first, Iruka?" Mizuki asked. "Why are you doing this, Mizuki? What's your plan, here?" Iruka asked in reply. "My true goals are far beyond anyone can conceive of but I will tell you one part: I needed Narumi to steal the scroll for me so that when I meet her here to retrieve it later, I can kill her for stealing the scroll, and be hailed as a hero by the village for killing The Monster Cat." Mizuki answered. "You're despicable." Iruka said with hate and malice. "What else is a ninja supposed to be?" Mizuki then asked before the both of them charged towards each other, and then fought using their Kunai knives.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen was looking at footage from the crystal ball in the Hokage's Chamber inside of the Hokage's Tower. 'Oh, Mizuki...' Hiruzen thought. 'How far you've fallen...like Orochimaru. And it looks like Iruka is losing. Although, if Narumi can beat him, then there is a good chance that she could be elevated to Genin.' The sentimental old Kage watched as the two Chunin teachers fought. Just then, four Anbu operatives appeared before Hiruzen.
"You called for us, my Lord?" One of the operatives asked. "Yes. I want you to search for Mizuki instead of Narumi." Hiruzen ordered. All of the operatives exchanged looks. "Mizuki, Sir? One of the Academy's teacher's assistants?" A second operative asked. "Yes." Hiruzen answered.
"Why?" The second operative asked. "Surely, the Scroll of Sealing is more important than just some...teacher's assistant."
"You, yourself, said that she could use the scroll to undo the seal that was placed on her by Lord Fourth!" A third operative shouted.
"With all due respect, Captain, Narumi is just a child. I don't think she would even be powerful enough to unseal a seal. She would experience chakra exhaustion before she even got the chance." A fourth operative argued. "Do not question the Hokage's words so recklessly, Tori! He is the Hokage, after all." The third operative warned.
"Calm yourself, Captain Komori. New information has come to light that changes the situation and thus your orders." Hiruzen stated. "What new information?" Komori rudely asked. The second operative looked down at the crystal ball, and said, "I think the answer is on the ball."
"What?" Komori asked. Then, all four operatives looked down at the crystal ball. "Mizuki has deceived Narumi into thinking that learning a single Jutsu on that scroll will redeem her, and make her a Genin. What he actually wants from her is for her to give him the scroll so that he would kill her, be hailed as a hero, and he would then make off with the scroll instead of turning it over and we would all be none the wiser." Hiruzen said.
"Huh?" The first operative asked. "From what I've heard of her, Narumi seems too smart to be played like that." The second operative assessed. "Even I have to admit. That is pretty hard to believe." Tori agreed. "Mizuki, himself, admitted it." Hiruzen said.
He then used a Jutsu to make the crystal ball "rewind" itself to the moment where Mizuki admitted his plans to kill Narumi and take the scroll for himself.
"Why are you doing this, Mizuki? What's your plan, here?" Iruka asked from the other side of the crystal ball. "My true goals are far beyond anyone can conceive of but I will tell you one part: I needed Narumi to steal the scroll for me so that when I meet her here to retrieve it later, I can kill her for stealing the scroll, and be hailed as a hero for killing the Monster Cat." Mizuki explained. After that, the crystal ball went back to the "footage" being relayed right now, with Narumi and Sasuke running and Iruka and Mizuki fighting.
"That bastard...!" Tori angrily said. "Need I remind you that Anbu are not supposed to show emotion, Tori?" The second operative asked. "I think you're confusing the Anbu with the Foundation." Tori quipped. "Mizuki also revealed the fact that Narumi is a Jinchuriki in front of Narumi, Sasuke and Iruka before the two Uchiha separated from Iruka to get the scroll away from Mizuki." Hiruzen also told them. "And just when I thought this situation couldn't get any worse. It went from a disaster to a shitshow." Tori commented. "Agreed." Komori said.
"How do you want us to handle it once we find that blue-haired traitor? Should we kill him?" Komori asked. "No. I want you to capture him first. The Council and I will deal with him afterwards." "Ugh. The Council." Tori muttered, disgusted.
"Yes, Lord Hokage." Komori acknowledged. "But what about Narumi? We still need the scroll back where it belongs." The second operative said. "I will have someone with a far gentler hand handle it...assuming they can get there in time..." Hiruzen says.
"Well, if you say so..." The second operative says.
"Isn't Sasuke there with her already?" Tori asked.
"C'mon, we have to find Mizuki." Komori ordered. The four Anbu operatives then disappeared using the Teleportation Jutsu. And then, a young woman with long and wavy reddish-brown hair and kind reddish-brown eyes came out of the shadows in front of Hiruzen.
"I'm flattered that you think my hands are gentle, Lord Hokage." The young woman said. She had her black Hidden Leaf headband worn around her neck and was wearing a cropped blue double-breasted vest with six buttons, a couple of long black arm warmers, cutoff blue denim shorts, long dark gray stockings on each leg, and brown ninja sandals. This young woman is Haruhi Kanata, the Hokage's second Aide and the Vice Principal of the Academy and the Hidden Leaf Village's Kunoichi Commander. She once applied to be one of the leading Medical Ninjas (alongside the Chief Medical Officer at the Hidden Leaf's Hospital) but Hiruzen denied such a request because he feels that she has enough on her plate already. She was the woman responsible for teaching an eleven-year-old Narumi the Healing Jutsu, simply because she thought she could.
"I'm glad you think so, Haruhi." Hiruzen said. "I'll find her, and bring her back here. If Iruka fails-and I don't think he ever has-then Narumi won't be able to fight off Mizuki-not without me, anyways." Haruhi replied. Despite the fact that she's not interacted with Narumi much, she still favors Narumi above all others. Like Iruka and Sasuke, she views Narumi not as a hideous monster, but as a true friend. Narumi, meanwhile, looks up to Haruhi as a true mentor and she was always there for Narumi when Iruka couldn't be there for her. "Right." Hiruzen simply said. Haruhi then disappeared using the Teleportation Jutsu. After that, Danzo came out of the shadows again, too.
"Do you really believe she can do this, and be impartial about carrying out her orders, too? What if the Jinchuriki really is a master thief and she is just feigning ignorance of Mizuki's deception?" Danzo asked. Hiruzen sighed.
"If I never hear your paranoid ramblings again, it will be too soon." He said. "I think Hell will freeze over quite soon if I don't advise caution, Sarutobi. And if you were half as smart as your title as 'The Professor' says you are, you'd listen to me." Danzo replied. "Enough, Danzo. You're being irrational." Hiruzen told him. "Haruhi is the wrong choice for this mission. You'd do much better if you assign this mission to someone with a much more forceful hand." Danzo said. "I respectfully disagree." Hiruzen told him. "Why? Is it because of our rivalry? You almost never listen to me." Danzo said. "Tell that to the corpses of the members of the Hannya Black Ops." Hiruzen argued. "Anyway, I decided to assign this mission to her because of the assignment I'm going to give her-assuming that Narumi doesn't do something extraordinary enough to warrant her elevation to Genin." Hiruzen said. "Now, if you don't mind, I have events to keep an eye on and you have a house arrest sentence to get back to, lest I lengthen that sentence...or give you a harsher one."
After a long silence between the two elderly men, Danzo said, "I hope I am wrong, Sarutobi." Before leaving the room. Hiruzen looked back down at his crystal ball, continuing to watch Narumi and Sasuke run from Mizuki.
Narumi and Sasuke continued to run until they heard Iruka-Sensei's scream. "Shit!" Both of them shouted. "We have to go back!" Narumi shouted. "But how are you going to beat Mizuki?" Sasuke asked. "I've got a plan...and fortunately for anyone who is not as into using their words and minds to fight like I am, it revolves around beating his ass." Narumi said. "Now, hold on, I think we can still pull this off while using that big brain of yours as a weapon. But how do you intend to pull off the punch-y part of it?" Sasuke asked. "With what I've learned from the scroll." Narumi answered. "Are you serious?" Sasuke then asked. "I'm serious about protecting our Sensei." Narumi answered. Narumi then got an idea.
"And I think I know how to use the mind part first. Can't we trick him into thinking he finally has his scroll?" Narumi asked. Sasuke got what she was planning. "Yeah...there is a way we could do that. I'm pretty sure you and I remember the Mirage Jutsu they taught us back at the Academy." Sasuke said. "Exactly!" Narumi shouted. The Mirage Jutsu is a D-Rank Genjutsu meant to confuse the target of the Jutsu into thinking one item is actually something else when it's been the original object all along. "We just need to find something that is the size of the Scroll of Sealing." Narumi said. Sasuke looked at a stick on the ground. "Or maybe not..." Sasuke says. He bent down, and picked up the stick before getting back up, and showing it to Narumi. They both giggled a little bit because it was like they were about to prank their teacher.
So then, they both sat down on the ground, placed the stick on the ground in between them, and Narumi weaved three hand signs together before shouting, "Demon Art: Mirage Jutsu!" And the stick turned into an exact copy of the Scroll of Sealing. Next, they both stood up, and Narumi told Sasuke to go ahead of her, and after he left, she hid the real scroll behind a bush near some trees before going the same direction.
Sasuke walked into the clearing where Iruka-Sensei and Mizuki were fighting with the scroll in hand. Iruka-Sensei looked worse than he ever has before. One of the sharp blades of a Fuma Shuriken was making a hole in Iruka-Sensei's chest.
'Perfect. A reason for me to hand "the scroll" over to him.' Sasuke thought. Mizuki walked up to Sasuke. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Mizuki asked. "Sasuke...I thought I...told you to run." Iruka-Sensei said, having difficulty breath
-ing. "Shut up, Iruka!" Mizuki shouted. "Now, why are you back?" Mizuki asked Sasuke. Sasuke sighed. 'I hope this works, Narumi.' He thought.
"I flipped sides once I heard Iruka-Sensei's scream. If you can beat his ass, you could beat ours, too. So, as a peace offering, I'm giving you the scroll." Sasuke said. "Sasuke, no!" Iruka-Sensei shouted as Sasuke handed the scroll to Mizuki. Mizuki laughs evilly, and shouts, "Finally, I have it!" 'I don't believe it...he actually bought the lie!' Sasuke thought. "And what about The Cat?" Mizuki asked. "She's...knocked out." Sasuke lied. "Well, I'll just have to kill her later but that doesn't matter now...I have the Scroll of Sealing!" Mizuki shouted. Iruka-Sensei tried to laugh, but all that came out were coughs.
"Aww, poor little Iruka. Need some cough drops?" Mizuki mocked. "Hn. He's actually trying to laugh at how stupid you are." Sasuke said. "What?" Mizuki asked. "Did you seriously think I would betray my own kinswoman like that?" Sasuke asked. And suddenly, the "scroll" morphed back into a stick. And then, Narumi came out of hiding, standing on a tree branch near the very top of the tree that it was on. Narumi looked at Iruka-Sensei, who was bleeding from being stabbed so hard. "You really shouldn't have done that." Narumi said in a threatening tone-of-voice. "Done what? Defend myself against Iruka?" Mizuki asked mockingly. "Why?"
Narumi activated her Sharingan. "Because now I'm going to kill you!" Narumi shouted. Narumi then made a single hand sign, and more than a hundred exact copies of Narumi, herself, suddenly appeared all around them. Mizuki, Iruka and Sasuke were all surprised. All of the Narumis then charged towards Mizuki, and beat the shit out of him like they were in a fight club. After Mizuki looked like a bloody and broken mess, Narumi made all but three of the clones disappear so that those three clones could carefully pull the Fuma Shuriken out of Iruka-Sensei without killing him. Once they did, they threw it away before disappearing.
Just then, Haruhi-Sensei came into the clearing from another part of the forest. Both Narumi and Sasuke noticed her. "Haruhi-Sensei!" Narumi gladly shouted as she deactivated her Sharingan. Haruhi-Sensei saw the current condition of Iruka-Sensei. "Please tell me you two didn't do that." Haruhi-Sensei said. "Don't...worry...Haruhi...I'll...be fine..." Iruka-Sensei says before passing out. "No. It was Mizuki's Fuma Shuriken. I saw it on him before Narumi did...that to Mizuki." Sasuke said, pointing Mizuki out to Haruhi-Sensei. "Heh-Heh...I kinda over did it." Narumi said. "No no, Narumi, it's alright. Besides, it's what he deserves after deceiving you, and hurting Iruka-Sensei." Haruhi-Sensei told her.
"Oh, and, the Hokage told me to give you a reward if you had somehow managed to defeat Mizuki before we got here. But, before I give it to you, you have to close your eyes." Haruhi-Sensei told Narumi, only half-lying about what the Hokage told her. "Why?" Narumi asked. "Because it's a surprise." Haruhi-Sensei answered. 'Alright, then.' Narumi thought. Narumi closed her eyes, and felt something being tied around the top of her head. "Okay, you can open your eyes, now." Haruhi-Sensei told her after a minute or two. Narumi opened her eyes to see Haruhi-Sensei standing in front of her with a smile on her face.
"Congratulations, Narumi Uchiha! You graduate!" Haruhi-Sensei excitedly shouted. This surprised Narumi and Sasuke, too. Sasuke saw Haruhi-Sensei put a navy blue Hidden Leaf headband around the top of Narumi's head after getting it out of her pocket. And then, four Anbu appeared around them. Narumi has heard of the Anbu Black Ops, but she doesn't know much about them. Narumi thought that she was going to be arrested...or worse, killed. "Don't worry, Komori. Mizuki was already taken care of by the time I got here." Haruhi-Sensei told one of the Anbu, pointing him out to them. Mizuki was still on the ground.
One of the Anbu walked up to Mizuki, crouched down, and checked up on him. "He's just out cold. Who did this to him?" The Anbu operative asked. "I-I did." Narumi nervously admitted. The Anbu operative that had a white porcelain bird mask on walked up to Narumi, and said, "Good job, kid. I think Haruhi was right to elevate you to Genin."
Narumi was confused. "Narumi, this is Tori. She's been looking out for you this whole time." Haruhi-Sensei said, also half-lying by omitting the fact that Neko was Tori's predecessor and the fact that Tori's been looking out for Narumi in an unofficial capacity. "C'mon, you guys, let's get Iruka to the Hospital...and take in the traitor." The Anbu operative called Komori ordered.
Narumi was scolded by Grandpa Hokage for being so reckless as to do something so dangerous for someone who was so obviously lying while Narumi stood before him in the Hokage's office.
"Why would you believe that lie, anyway? I thought you were smarter than that." Grandpa Hokage said. "I was just...I was so desperate to become a ninja, that I was willing to do anything that I could...and I refused to believe it was a lie because if it was...then I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Would I go home? Pursue a normal life? Or would Mizuki come after me, and force me to do it if I did any of those things? He could've killed me, and found someone to do it, for all I know. Especially if such a warning came from Sasuke." Narumi explained. "But now, I see that I was wrong, and I'm prepared to be punished for it, regardless of what Haruhi-Sensei said."
"Hm...I see. Well, I am upholding Haruhi's decision." Grandpa Hokage declared. "What? Why?" Narumi asked, surprised. "Because you redeemed yourself, and put an end to Mizuki's schemes. Plus, you've managed to learn one of the most complex Jutsu in the entire Ninja World: the Shadow Clone Jutsu." Grandpa Hokage answered. "So that's what she did? That's how she defeated Mizuki?" Sasuke asked. Sasuke and Haruhi-Sensei were there in the room, too. "Yes, Sasuke. It was one of the many Jutsu on the scroll. Speaking of the scroll, the scroll is back where it belongs, now, and Iruka has been safely brought to the Hospital by the Anbu." Grandpa Hokage answered.
Narumi was so happy, she was about to cry. But she did feel a bit of sadness, though, because without her, none of this would've ever happened. There is also the question of that little secret that Iruka-Sensei said was illegal for Mizuki to speak of. "So...is it true? Am I the Two-Tails'...prison?" Narumi asked. "Yes, Narumi, I'm afraid so. Mizuki was right in that the Fourth Hokage sealed the Two-Tails inside you to save the entire village. It is also true that he sacrificed himself to do so." Grandpa Hokage said. He sighed. "In truth, I was hoping to wait until you became a Chunin to tell you all this, but Mizuki threw all that out the window with his ambitious-and nefarious-plans."
'So, it is true.' Both Narumi and Sasuke thought.
"But I think we've spent enough time talking about this subject. The fact is that you are a Genin now, Narumi. And tomorrow, you're going to go to the Hidden Leaf Registry to get your Ninja ID Card." Grandpa Hokage announced. "After that, you, like Sasuke here, are going to go back to the Academy for orientation, where you'll be set up with a squad of Genin like yourself, and answer to a Jonin leader."
"Alright! I'm going to be the Hokage one day! Believe it!" Narumi excitedly shouted. "Not if you shout like that all the time." Sasuke quipped. "What's that supposed to mean!?" Narumi shouted. Haruhi-Sensei chuckled. "But she is right, you know." She told him. "She became a Genin, which means she'll be one step closer to becoming the Hokage." 'Oh Brother.' Sasuke thought, imagining how terrible Narumi would be as the Hokage. "You are dismissed." Grandpa Hokage said calmly. The two Genin then walked out of the room.
Haruhi watched as the kids left the Hokage's office. "Lord Hokage, you didn't tell her who her parents are. Why?" Haruhi asked. "Simply because, fortunately for me, Mizuki didn't mention either Minato or Kushina. Which means I still have something to save for the day she becomes a Chunin." Lord Third answered. "But she is aware of The Cat's presence within her, now. How can we trust The Two-Tailed Cat to not reveal the secret to her?" Haruhi then asked. "We can't. But there is nothing we can do about that, now." Lord Third answered. "But there is. We can simply tell her who her parents are before The Cat could ever get the chance." Haruhi said. "I disagree. Like I said, I want to surprise her when she becomes a Chunin." Lord Third told her. "Um, I don't think that would be a particularly happy surprise. 'Congrats on becoming a Chunin, Narumi! By the way, did you know that your parents are the Fourth Hokage and his wife? And that they were the ones who sealed the Two-Tails inside you?' I don't think that would be a pleasant conversation, Lord Third!" Haruhi answered. "And telling her now would be any better?" Lord Third countered. "She had just become a Genin."
Haruhi sighed. "I guess you're right..." She says. "Just don't come crying to me if this blows up in your face like I said it will." Haruhi then left the room.
The next day, Narumi was walking out of the Registry Building when Miyuki ran up to her, and hugged her. "I knew you could do it!" She shouted. "What do you mean?" Narumi asked. Miyuki let go, and said, "I always thought that, no matter what, you would become a Genin, even if you were let down and kicked out of the Academy! Your resilience is strong enough to beat anything in the world. And I know that better than anyone! Possibly better than Sasuke. Speaking of him, I heard he's trying to become friends with you again." "Yeah. And I just...I just don't know how to feel about it." Narumi replied. They then began walking together and talking, knowing that their road to becoming a ninja has only just begun!
END OF CHAPTER