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Anyways, get your popcorn and enjoy the chapter!
Chapter Thirty-Two: The Calm After The Storm
—
[…]
What's happening? Is it loading or something? Naruto thought with a frown.
Whatever, it's not like I have the time to choose something right now.
He couldn't do anything but follow Sasuke as he led both him and Fuu to the Hokage's office. The Uchiha was as quiet as usual, ignoring the gawking civilians who stood by to watch the famous boy go by. Not to say Naruto and Fuu weren't getting their fair share of stares—they were widely known as the finalists of the interrupted Chuunin Exams. Obviously, Naruto was used to the looks of the people of Konoha, but for once, they weren't completely filled with contempt.
If he could explain in two words, it was more of a begrudging respect.
Hmm…I could get used to this. Naruto thought with a grin.
Fuu just walked by his side, not even bothering to look at the outsiders. She didn't view the others as worthy of her attention, though maybe that was exaggerating a little. To put it simply, Fuu was the type of person who placed nearly all of her value on strength. If you could fight, you had her interest. Naruto wasn't one to judge, but he didn't particularly like her style of thinking too much.
"I think the old man is going senile, Sasuke," Naruto said with a thoughtful expression.
"Why's that?"
Naruto grinned. "Who in their right mind would promote you to Chuunin?"
Sasuke gritted his teeth. "Getting promoted to Chuunin isn't just about punching through every problem, Naruto."
"Yeah, I guess. But you didn't win the exams, did you?"
"No one won, idiot—"
The blond scoffed. " Please, I would've whooped Fuu if the fight hadn't been stopped."
Yeah, I know that I'm completely lying.
Fuu laughed loudly. "Did Kisame hit you on the head? You might want to go and get that checked up blondie."
Naruto sulked. Next time I'll use my shadows and we'll have a proper fight. His eyes brightened when he saw his favorite noodle shop around the corner.
"Hey, does anyone want to stop for a quick bite of ramen?"
"I do! I do!" Fuu excitedly agreed.
Sasuke didn't even entertain the question and continued walking.
They made it to the Hokage office a bit later. The multi-layered dome-like building never seemed to not impress Naruto. It was one of the largest constructions in the town and would pop out from a mile away with its deep red walls.
The place was heavily guarded—and that was an understatement. Six or so shinobi that Naruto had never seen in his entire life were at the gates of the building, preventing people passing by from even getting a look into the premises. Six ninja for just the entrance? They must all be Chuunin at the very least, too. I wonder how many people are going to be in his office?
Sasuke made it to the couple of shinobi that were guarding the door with a look of cool indifference on his face.
A rugged man with a beard that reached his shoulders stepped forward and spoke up, clearly the leader of the small group of guards. "Code?"
"A tornado woven by a single leaf," Sasuke responded calmly.
"Enter."
They made their way through the main entrance, with Fuu clearly impressed with how the inside looked. One of the guards had followed them inside and signaled for the group of three to in turn follow him. They went upstairs and near the door of the Hokage's office. Naruto, who had been here plenty of times, was extremely comfortable with how things were going.
The guard knocked three times on the door with an oddly specific pattern, and a second later, the door opened.
Fuu smiled. "Thanks, Mr. Guard—"
He was already gone.
Naruto entered the room with a big grin, which suddenly mellowed out once he noticed the state of the Hokage. Sure, he had noticed before during the assembly, but seeing it first-hand (pun not intended) was disconcerting, to say the least.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, stood with a grandfatherly presence and a serene smile on his face. It wasn't too easy to tell that his left arm was missing with how baggy his clothes were, but a second look was enough to confirm the suspicion. Next to him was Kakashi sensei as well.
Kakashi winked at Naruto, eliciting a smile from the Jinchuuriki.
That's when he noticed someone else.
Naruto blinked. "Shikamaru?"
Shikamaru looked back from the corner of the room where he was leaning. "Yo."
So the total count of Chuunin was me, Sasuke, Fuu, and Shikamaru. I guess that makes sense. Even if he didn't win against me, Shikamaru showed that he was more than capable of being a Chuunin and whatever that entails.
Naruto's mind was urging him to ask the Hokage how the hell he managed to lose an arm, but he knew that right now wasn't the time.
Hiruzen motioned with his hand, getting everyone's attention. "With the conclusion of the Chuunin Exams, the judges have decided on who to promote to the rank of Chuunin. Regardless of the fact that there was no proper conclusion to the finals, we took the multitude of matches that occurred before into account. Shikamaru Nara of Konoha, for your quick-thinking and pragmatic approach to a battle. Sasuke Uchiha of Konoha, for your raw fighting ability and sense of confidence during a fight. Fuu of Takigakure, for your overwhelming strength and efficient counterattack ability. Naruto Uzumaki, for your unconventional methods of attack and prodigious adaptation to your opponent. All four of you have been unanimously chosen to proceed to the next rank of Chuunin. Congratulations, all of you."
Unconventional and prodigious adaptability? Getting praise from the Hokage feels good…wait, as a Chuunin, does that mean I'm off Team Ten?
"So what happens to Team Seven now?" Naruto asked confusedly.
Kakashi coughed. "Team Seven will still operate. But as a Chuunin, you have more missions within the B-rank and C-rank territory, and in some rare special cases, A-rank as well. Some border patrol missions, and maybe even training other Genin as substitutes for the Jonin. You have a higher payroll as well. Furthermore, with two Chuunin in our team, Team Seven will be getting higher-rank missions as well. However, the team definitely won't be meeting as much compared to before."
"And how do we become Jonin?" Naruto asked a second later.
The Third Hokage chuckled. "You haven't been a Chuunin for a minute and you're already asking about being a Jonin? Why don't you ask your sensei?"
Kakashi grimaced underneath his mask. "Hmm…about that. I wouldn't worry about it too much right now. Normally one is recommended by another Jonins and goes through a series of tests, along with a minimum number of ranked missions completed successfully. There are some cases with prodigies where they skip a few steps—but I wholly advocate that you remain a Chuunin for much longer."
Sasuke grunted. "Why?"
"Bring a Jonin comes with a few responsibilities that none of you are going to be comfortable handling at your age. Trust me—I've been there myself."
"You were a Jonin at twelve?" Naruto asked incredulously.
Kakashi sweatdropped. "Yes."
Hiruzen made a tapping noise with a staff that randomly appeared in his hands. Naruto noticed the crimson pole that was nestled in the crook of Hiruzen's shoulder where the arm was missing; the staff was…different. It was not a regular object and exuded a strange pressure.
Observe.
[Observing…]
[Observation successful!]
[Item Name: Monkey King Staff]
[Item Details: The transformed Monkey King Enma served as a staff with immense durability and the ability to elongate and thicken at the will of the user.]
Hiruzen saw Naruto looking at his staff and smirked knowingly.
The old man clapped his hands. "Again, congratulations on your promotion. Dismissed."
They went downstairs and back into the streets of Konoha.
Kakashi tapped Naruto on the shoulder. "At noon tomorrow, there will be a Team Seven meeting in the same area as your Genin exam. Don't be late."
Don't be late? Shouldn't you have some amount of shame before saying something like that?
"I'll be there, sensei."
"Just because you're a Chuunin doesn't mean you're not my student, Naruto," Kakashi said with a hidden smirk, knowing his words would annoy the blond. "Even if you become Hokage in the future, I'll always be your sensei in the end."
"Of course, sensei," Naruto said, plastering on a smile. "Once I become Hokage, I'll send you on an S-Rank mission to Suna. It's gonna be a one-way trip."
Kakashi gasped mockingly. "I didn't know my student could be so cruel!"
Naruto couldn't help but smile at Kakashi's antics. He bid his farewell to his teammate and Kakashi, who were going for a brief training session together. Most likely to do with the Sharingan, or maybe even the Chidori.
Naruto looked at the other newly promoted Konoha Chuunin. "Cya' Shikamaru!"
The Nara nodded and turned away, before looking back once more. "Choji said something about celebrating our promotions. Make sure to keep your schedule free in case we have a party or something."
"Party?"
"Knowing him, it's going to be a buffet of food," Shikamaru answered with a roll of his eyes. "You'll come?"
Naruto grinned. "Who am I to deny free food?"
"Great. Bye."
And with that, Shikamaru left his own way, probably going to some bright green hill to watch the clouds roll by in the sky.
Well, that all went well. Things have been going pretty smoothly after the dust settled down, eh? Naruto thought with a serene smile.
He felt a hand on his shoulder.
Behind him was the serious expression of Fuu.
"Naruto, we need to have a talk."
Oh no…
—-
Naruto scarfed down on the third bowl of ramen with ravenous intensity. If he had to sit down for a talk with Fuu, with the topic of discussion being something he knew was bound to come back every time they saw each other, he would first have some food in his belly.
Aside from him, Fuu was similarly eating noodles, only a single bowl behind Naruto, though she didn't order the extra miso and pork as he did. Naruto decided to be chivalrous for the day and decided that if he was the one who wanted to eat before the conversation he might as well treat her as well with a few bowls.
But he definitely didn't expect her to eat as much as him.
He looked at the slowly emptying frog wallet that resided in his right pocket. Despite the fact that it was an inanimate object and couldn't project any emotions, Naruto could tell that the wallet was feeling immense sadness. Or maybe those are my own emotions reflecting back at me.
He just hoped that his new Chuunin salary would make up for his eating habits.
"Thush ish so gwood!" Fuu exclaimed with her mouth full of food.
Naruto beamed. It was always nice to see someone else having the same opinion on his favorite food place.
"Thank you! I've never seen you in these parts…where are you from?" Ayame asked from behind the counter.
Fuu thankfully swallowed before speaking. "I'm Fuu from Takigakure!"
Ayame's face lit up in realization. "Oh, the one Naruto was fighting in the finals? You two are friends?"
Fuu nodded enthusiastically. " Best friends!"
The ramen maker smirked mischievously, looking at Naruto with a new curiosity. " Best friends, eh Naruto? You have something to tell me?"
"What do you mean?" The mint-haired Jinchuuriki asked confusedly.
Naruto shook his head with exasperation. "Just don't listen to her. It's nothing like that."
Fuu blinked. "Like what?"
Ayame grinned like a cat. "You're right. There's no way you could have such a cute girlfriend like that without anyone knowing…"
Naruto coughed in embarrassment, whereas Fuu went bright-red in understanding, sputtering out a response that never came out. He reached into his pocket and brought out the correct amount of money in record speed, placing it on the counter without another word spoken. They decided to meet up at the roof they usually did.
Fuu was there before Naruto was, looking at the gradually darkening sky with her back to him.
"You already know what I'm going to ask, don't you?" Fuu questioned.
Naruto nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "Yeah, and my answer is going to be the same. Recently, I have put more thought into it. And while I'm going to have to leave Konoha eventually…it's much too early right now."
Fuu sighed. "Well, I guess that's the best I could hope for. You're fiercely loyal to Konoha. You feel like this is your home despite how they treated you, and I admire that. Well, I guess we should just focus on the good part. You're going to leave eventually—that could be a year, two, three, or even more. I just hope you don't delay it too much…we need all the help that we can get."
"I understand," Naruto said solemnly.
"No, you don't. Not fully, anyway. The situation is a lot more complex outside of Konoha, though I suspect this village will face similar problems soon if the invasion is any sign. I can't tell you everything until you join us, but please…stay safe Naruto."
Naruto blinked. "You're leaving?"
"Yeah, my team is probably waiting for me right now. Oh yeah, I almost forgot—remember these names for the eventual meeting you have with your Hokage about the Akatsuki. Kisame—the shark guy, Itachi, and Orochimaru. The Orochimaru guy apparently helped the Akatsuki with something, 'owed them a favor' if I remember correctly."
An ugly feeling went across Naruto's skin. Orochimaru has ties with the Akatsuki? The crazy snake man who wants my body for something? Could he possibly be a member? Naruto shivered at the implications of everything. Just how deep did the Akatsuki run? How much power did they have if people like Orochimaru owed them a favor? Did they have spies all over the shinobi nations? Were their Akatsuki spies right here in Konoha?
Naruto was finally realizing that the quest to eliminate all the Akatsuki was giving out so much experience because it was a near-impossible task.
He noticed some movement from the corner of his eye, seeing Fuu's fingers trembling together. She looked almost nervous, no…to be more specific, it was like she was mustering up the courage to do something.
"Fuu—"
Naruto felt a pair of lips on his cheek before it was gone half a second later. He found himself completely frozen from head to toe, not able to compute what happened.
Wha-what?
Fuu was blushing the color of the freshest tomato. "G-goodbye for now, Naruto. I'll see you later!"
And then she was gone.
"…bye."
Naruto could do nothing but stare at her retreating form, wondering whether or not that just happened for real. He made his way to his apartment with the same dazzled expression and robotic movements, before plopping himself onto his bed.
Sleep came fast after a busy day filled with immense ordeals. Naruto couldn't help but feel like that was somehow the longest day of his life, even if he was technically sleeping in early. He felt his face heat up when his mind wandered back to the events of the latter part of the day, before slapping himself on the cheek, trying to tell his body to go to sleep.
[—]
The morning of the next day
Hiruzen sat down at the end of the table, his staff settling down by his left shoulder with a loud clicking noise as the adamantine construct made contact with the wooden floors of the meeting room. He looked up at the members of the civilian council who looked incredibly stressed—each of them had dark bags underneath their eyes and some even were fidgeting continuously as they waited for their Hokage to speak up.
He had called the council early considering the state of current affairs; in reality, there was still a week left until the next session. The meeting was completely impromptu, meaning none of them were technically prepared. Which was good for Hiruzen—he hated having to talk politically and being careful with every single word he said, or else he would rub one of these men wrong. Not that it mattered, of course, but one annoyed member of the council would soon become two, and then three until the discourse settled a year later.
Hiruzen knew that as the Hokage, he had the power to simply end these meetings forever. However, the meetings did have a purpose. With how busy he was in his own office, he couldn't go around all of Konoha asking for any grievances the citizens were facing—he had to depend on the counselors who were voted on by each district of Konoha.
Sure, there were moments where he wished he could just reprimand someone or just kick them out of his office instantly, but he understood the importance of having them around. If Hiruzen was just in his office all day, making every single decision by himself, he was sure he would be losing the perspectives of the people of Konoha, the people he was working for, to begin with.
Doesn't mean I like it, though. He thought with a bitter smile.
"The meeting will begin now," Hiruzen stated sternly, looking at the scribe next to him who nodded back. She held a bright red pen in her hand with thick glasses and a resolute expression.
He sighed. "I must start with the fact that I have absolutely nothing to say. You may voice any opinions."
Hand the ball to them.
The others looked shocked, but gradually mustered up the courage to speak up.
Ito Watanabe, an original member of the council nearly fifty years ago, spoke first. "The people of Konoha have mixed opinions of the alliance with Iwa. Some are grateful that there wouldn't be any more fighting with that village, and others are angered that we truce with a village that killed so many of our own."
And force them to give it back.
Hiruzen stared down at the elderly man. "And what do you think, Ito?"
A heavy silence made its way known in the room.
Ito paused. "I think it was a wise decision, Lord Hokage. The alliance is a necessary one, with how things are becoming recently. Orochimaru's attack is a major sign of future events, and I dare say a message to us directly."
Hiruzen nodded in agreement. Ito was a reasonable sort and always fought for what he thought was correct. It didn't matter how small or big the issue was, he would put his heart and soul into every argument to make sure justice would prosper. The former judge in Konoha's Main Court was now retired and putting his experienced mind into helping the council.
"Orochimaru will remain an issue for the shinobi council to deal with. Though I will agree that his brazen actions have a further meaning behind them," the Hokage murmured at the end, but it didn't matter considering how quiet the room was whenever he spoke.
Saeko Hararashi, a woman in her forties' who represented the traders' portion of Konoha spoke up tentatively. "If I may ask, Lord Hokage, what is the current situation with Sunagakure?"
Hiruzen sighed. "It's a mess, but will be dealt with. Sunagakure were in fact tricked by the machinations of Orochimaru, and I for one cannot blame them, especially considering how he was my former student and a gem of Konoha at a point in time. A fragile alliance will be made with Sunagakure in the next couple of days, so your trades don't need to worry too much, Saeko."
The woman nodded in respect, clearly happy with the news if the bright light in her eyes was any sign.
They appreciated that we didn't kill the Gaara boy, who is clearly a Jinchuuriki, though they weren't really trying to hide it. With the death of their Kazekage, who will be the replacement? Another issue to worry about.
"Any other questions?" Hiruzen asked calmly, looking each of the ten members in the eyes.
Genji Tanaka, the youngest member of the council by far, raised his hand. "What happened to your arm?"
There was the question that everyone was begging to know the answer to. Hiruzen knew that even Naruto was wanting to ask, but didn't do so due to the situation of the meeting. The answer was simple, he had sacrificed it to stop Orochimaru.
Right now, both Orochimaru and Hiruzen were missing an arm each.
The fight in the purple borders yesterday was the hardest he had ever fought since the Kyuubi's rampage so many years ago. He was harshly reminded just how weak he had gotten from sitting in his office all day long…and had paid for the lack of vigilance in the form of an entire arm. The only positive of the whole fight was that Orochimaru had received an equal output from Onoki's technique.
Though Hiruzen could only wonder what deprived methods his former student was going through to regain his arm. Sure, one handed jutsus were possible, but the range of jutsus that could be casted were highly dependent on the user's capability and the difficulty of the jutsu itself.
"An unfortunate consequence of fighting Orochimaru…and something I'll have to live with for the remainder of my life."
Genji gulped. "A very few number, but a vocal few, are using the opportunity to push for a new Hokage, stating your capability as a shinobi has surely decreased—"
A cold pressure went through everyone's body as they immediately felt an urge to run away. It was a viscous, almost tangible feeling that they couldn't quite explain as civilians themselves. For a seasoned shinobi, it was clearly a fraction of Hiruzen's presence. A very small fraction at that. It wasn't quite killing intent—no, he wasn't that far gone into his depravity. He was simply marking his place into the world.
The pressure left after a second.
What remained was Hiruzen's icy glare.
Genji wasn't sure which was worse.
"Tell them, Genji, that they are sorely mistaken. One arm is all I need. As for their concerns about the new Hokage, they have no jurisdiction or power over that decision, and the ability to decide who wears this auspicious mantle lies within me and me alone."
"Y-yes, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen scoffed. "Council dismissed. The next meeting will occur as usual."
While they left, the Hokage could do nothing but sigh. "Anbu dismissed."
The Anbu guards left without a sound, but Hiruzen knew that they were gone by just pulsing his chakra once. Not that he didn't trust his Anbu, obviously, but it was always safe to check just in case.
He looked over to the far side of the room. "You can come out now, Jiraiya."
The tall, white-haired man with his eye-startling clothes looked like he appeared out of thin air. He had a wide grin on his face with his arms crossed.
"I never did figure out how you were able to spot us like that," Jiraiya admitted as he took a seat next to his master.
Hiruzen smirked. "There are some secrets a teacher never shares with their student."
"Of course there are," Jiraiya said, eyeing Hiruzen's missing arm with a wince. "When I first heard the news I thought they were just rumors. How did Orochimaru manage that when you had the Tsuchikage beside you?"
His eyes darkened. "A new technique. An abhorrent, cruel, and utterly evil jutsu that carves through the line splitting life and death, leaving behind a puppet for his use. To bring the living back to the dead regardless of their approval, is truly an evil thing."
Jiraiya's eyes were widened. "He can revive people?!"
"It's limited for now. I'm not sure how many conditions are required for such a revival, but it's hard enough that he had to stick to only two revivals for now. The First and Second Hokages, though they were merely fragments of their true strength. He has not yet perfected the jutsu, though I fear that the time may be coming soon."
Jiraiya calmed down slightly, but there was still apprehension in his eyes. "Regardless, as much as I hate dampening the mood even more…there may be something worse than the danger of Orochimaru."
Hiruzen merely raised an eyebrow.
The Toad Sage eyes hardened. "The Akatsuki."
The Hokage rubbed his fingers into his temples. I'm getting too old for this shit.
[—]
Naruto woke up after the best sleep of his life, second to only the night he fought Mizuki. He yawned loudly and began his daily routine. A few stretches here and there and a hearty bowl of milk and oatmeal. He gazed into the serene morning of Konoha, reveling in the morning sunlight that slightly warmed his skin.
The air smelled wonderful, an after effect of the incessant raining that had occured yesterday.
Maybe things will be peaceful for a while now. Naruto thought with a hopeful feeling churning in his gut. Ahhh…I can just lie down, train, and eat without worrying about whether I survive—
[Ding!]
[Subclasses have been successfully archived into the system!]
[Users may choose between the eight subclasses given below.]
[…]
Cleric
Trickster
Bard
Knight
Druid
Ranger
Monk
Rogue
And…nevermind.
[—]
Yo!
And…Jiraiya is here, finally! One of my favorite characters from the original series—I hope to do him justice. Some moments between Fuu and Naruto, though I would like to say that pairing isn't fixed as of now. I simply haven't explored enough of the story to know something like that.
How will the survival of the Third Hokage affect the rest of the story? I guess we're gonna find out.
I took the classes from Pathfinder, like many of you mentioned. It's much more balanced and fun for what I'm trying to do. So if you have any knowledge of Pathfinder, you know what each of these classes lead to. I won't stick to the path 100% but it will be based on those guidelines.
I know some people are worried that the Necromancer class is being sidelined for the subclasses—that is simply not the case. As of now, Naruto just couldn't find too many dead people to bring back as a shadow because 1) He's in front of everybody, and 2) There just aren't that many people dying. However, that will soon change once we get further and things become more serious, and the Necromancer class will have its time to shine.
QUESTION OF THE DAY!
1) Which class do you think Naruto will pick? My choice is already fixed (sorry) so please don't be angry if your pick doesn't get chosen xD.
ANNOUNCEMENT: My Pa tre on is back online for those who want to read TWO chapters ahead and be two weeks early and in general support my endeavor to become an actual author. So if you can't wait for the next update—check out:
P a treon . com (slash) PaladinKaladin
(Nothing is behind a paywall, it's just if you want to read two weeks ahead, and soon to be three weeks ahead.)
Make sure to follow, review, and favorite to keep up with next week's chapter!
Cya' next week. Review down here, it really makes my day!
Next chapter is releasing on Tuesday, 10th of September. Around 2 PM Washington DC time. Follow so you don't miss it!
