Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The DC Universe. They belong to their respective owners. All I own are my ideas. Additionally, I use AI to help me write.
"Normal Talking"
Powers, Techniques, and Jutsu
'Thinking/Internal Talking'
"AI Talking"
(Scene Break/Time Skip)
"Mental Conversation"
(One month later – 3:45 PM – Outer village of Konoha - Academy)
The Chunin exams had arrived, and Takeshi had discussed Aito's participation with the Jonin commander and worked out all the details. Aito is more than ready; he mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique and got the basics for his unique kenjutsu and taijutsu styles.
Takeshi had already discussed with Aito what he would need to do to participate. He would replace another genin team member who didn't want to take the chunin exams with their teammates.
Aito is on his way to room 301 when he enters a hallway to find a crowd of students in front of what they thought was room 301 but, in reality, was 201. Aito saw Lee on his butt on the floor with his two teammates, Tenten and Neji, at his side in front of two people who appeared to be Genin or Chunin.
"Please let us in, we're begging. We want to participate in the Chunin exams." Tenten begged
"Lee, that is room 201 with a genjutsu masking it to look like 301. 301 is farther down, but don't say anything." Aito mentally broadcasted to Lee, causing him to jump up and look around frantically
"Who said that?!" Lee exclaimed in confusion
"Who said what Lee?" Tenten asked before Lee's eyes landed on Aito and remembered that he didn't have normal abilities
"Nothing. I must be hearing things." Lee said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly before he brought his lips up to Neji and Tenten's ear, "This isn't room 301. This is room 201 with a genjutsu masking it. Room 301 is on the next floor." He whispered before he got up and motioned for his teammates to follow him as he continued down the hall
Just as Aito began following after them, Naruto and Sakura, who were holding hands, and Sasuke entered the hallway behind him.
"Aito, wait for us!" Naruto called out, causing Aito to stop and turn around
"Well, hurry up, we don't have all day. And keep your voice down!" Aito reprimanded
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke quickly catch up with Aito before continuing towards room 301. After about a minute of walking, they arrived at the entrance to room 301. Aito opened the doors first and entered, followed by his brother and team 7. When the doors closed behind them, Aito's attention turned to the massive number of participants in this year's Chunin exams and their attention to Aito's towering figure.
While Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were momentarily distracted by the sheer amount of participants, Ino came up behind Sasuke and jumped on his back, bringing his attention to Ino.
"Babe! Where've you been?" Ino asked, giving Sasuke a peck on his cheek
"With my team." Sasuke answered with a smile, pulling Ino off his back before Team 10 walked up
"I see you guys are also participating in the Chunin exams." Shikamaru commented, "What a drag."
"Hey! There you are!" Kiba shouted as Team 8 walked up, "Looks like the gang's all here."
"Including you…unfortunately." Shikamaru commented jokingly
"I guess all three of this year's newbie trios decided to apply, hunh?" Kiba asked before he noticed Aito, "And the class freak."
"Kiba, I'd watch how you talk to me. Don't want to get whooped like you usually did back in the academy in front of foreigners. Now, would you?" Aito shot back smugly and grabbed Naruto before he could engage Kiba, "Naruto, calm down. I can handle this myself."
"How far do you guys think we'll get?" Choji asked
"Stay out of my way, and you won't have to worry about me." Aito stated
"Would you guys do us all a favor and just shut up?" Another voice came, drawing their attention, "You three gangs of would-be hotshots are all Genin, right? Kids barely out of the local ninja academy?"
"Technically speaking, I'm not a Genin. I'm an apprentice." Aito answered
"All wet-behind-the-ears and runny-nosed! This isn't a school field trip, you know." The voice said
"Who the heck do you think you are?" Sasuke asked
"Name's Kabuto. So what? You kids need to open your eyes." The now-named Kabuto answered
"No last name?" Aito asked
"Yakushi, Kabuto Yakushi." Kabuto answered
'ASTRA, pull up everything you can get on Kabuto Yakushi.' Aito ordered
"Kabuto Yakushi is an orphan who was found near the battlefields of the Great Ninja Wars. He was raised in a Konoha orphanage and trained as a medical ninja under the village's sponsorship.
Abilities: Kabuto is highly skilled in medical ninjutsu and capable of performing complex healing techniques and surgeries. He possesses a keen intellect and is adept at gathering information and analysis.
Personality: Kabuto is quiet, reserved, and highly observant. He displays a calm and polite demeanor. His analytical skills make him a valuable asset in medical situations and strategic planning.
Current Status: Kabuto serves as a genin in Konoha and works closely with the village's medical teams. He is often seen aiding in the hospital and on various missions requiring medical expertise.
This is Kabuto's seventh time taking the Chunin exams." ASTRA listed off
"Why do we need to keep our eyes open?" Naruto asked
"Watch out for the group behind you. They're Ame ninja, and they've got very short fuses." Kabuto answered, "Everyone's on edge, waiting to take the exam. I wanted to give you a heads-up before someone snaps and beats the crap out of you."
"Considering it's your seventh time taking these exams, I don't think you can rightfully say that they could beat the crap out of us." Aito said, "Regardless, let them try. They won't get very far."
This caught Kabuto off guard, "How do you know it's my seventh time taking these exams?"
"I have my sources." Aito answered before a cloud of smoke appeared in the middle of the room
The smoke cleared, revealing Ibiki Morino, "Apologies for the wait. I'm Ibiki Morino, the chief examiner for the first part of the exam. No fighting is allowed without explicit permission from an exam officer, and endangering another applicant's life is prohibited. Break these rules, and you're disqualified without a second chance."
"Hear that, Kiba? Now isn't the time to pick a fight." Aito said smugly
"The first part of the selection exam is about to commence. Turn in your written applications, take one of these seating assignment cards, and report directly to the seat indicated. When everyone is seated, we'll pass out the written part of the test." Ibiki explained
After a few minutes, everyone got their number and were sitting in their assigned seat.
"There are a few big rules that pertain to this first test. I'll write and explain them on the blackboard, but I'm not taking questions, so listen carefully. I will say this only once." Ibiki stated, approaching the blackboard behind him
"Rule number one! Each one of you starts out here with ten points. The test has ten questions, each worth one point. For each question you get wrong, we subtract a point from you. Get all ten right, and you retain the ten points you have. But if, for example, you answer three questions incorrectly, we take your ten points and subtract one point for every wrong answer, and your total drops to seven." Ibiki explained
"Rule number two: this written test is still a team event. Passing or failing will be determined by the sum of the points held by all three cell members. The objective is for each team to have as few deductions as possible from its joint 30-point total." Ibiki continued
"Rule three: if a candidate does anything out of the ordinary during the exam. In other words, if anything leads the proctors to determine that he or she has cheated, we subtract two points from each of the cheater's teammates." Ibiki continued
"If any individual loses all ten of his or her points, that person's entire cell, regardless of how the other two members do, will be disqualified." Ibiki finished, "You have one hour starting now!"
(One hour later)
An hour had passed, and Aito had quickly finished the written test within the first 10 minutes, with his teammates also finishing. Naruto had subtly activated his Mirai Sharingan and copied off someone in front of him within the first half hour, with Sakura and Sasuke not far behind. Many people had been disqualified for trying to cheat and failing to conceal it properly.
"Now that we've weeded out the worst of the slackers, let's move on to the most important question." Ibiki announced, "Get ready for the tenth question! And before we get to the question, I'm adding one more new rule."
With that, everyone tensed up with anticipation. 'What could this new rule be?'
"Let me explain this rule. It is absolute." Ibiki said, "But first, you must choose whether to accept or reject this tenth question!"
"Choose? What happens if someone doesn't accept the question?!" Temari asked with a major sense of panic
"If you reject the question and don't even try to answer it, you'll lose all your points immediately and fail!" Ibiki answered, "And your teammates will fail along with you."
"What?!" Someone exclaimed, "Then why would anyone choose to reject it?"
"Because of the other rule." Ibiki answered, "If you try to answer the question and get it wrong, you will never be permitted to apply for the Chunin exams again. Not ever."
"You can't be serious. That's absurd! There are ninja here who've sat for the chunin exams more than once already! We know there are!" Kiba exclaimed in outrage
"Just your rotten luck. I wasn't making the rules in past years. I am now." Ibiki responded, "I've been upfront with you. You can take a failing grade now and try again later."
"Huh?" Someone asked
"Anyone with doubts would be smart to reject the tenth question right now. Come back and reapply next year and the year after that." Ibiki said, "Those who choose not to accept should raise their hands. Once their number has been confirmed, they will leave the room."
Person after person began raising their hands, "I quit! I'm rejecting the question! Genna, Inaho, please forgive me!"
"Number 50 failed! Numbers 130 and 111! You fail right along with him." One of the proctors announced
About a minute passed, and about half of the participants had quit and left.
"I'll ask you one last time. This is a decision that could affect the rest of your life. Quit now while you still have the chance to." Ibiki said before looking around the room and waiting a few seconds, "Good call. So, everyone still here, you've just passed the first exam!"
"What do you mean, 'passed'? When did that happen? What about the tenth question?!" Temari asked in outrage
Ibiki smiled, "There is no tenth question beyond the whole 'accept or reject' thing."
"Huh?" Temari asked, confused, "Then why did we have to suffer through the other nine questions?! That was a total waste of our time!"
"There's no waste. Those questions had a purpose, which they've already served." Ibiki answered
"What do you mean?" Temari asked
"Our goal was to test your skills at spying!" Ibiki answered, "Remember the rules at the beginning? You pass or fail as part of a three-man cell."
"With that rule, I pressured you with the fear that anything you did wrong would bring your teammates down with you." Ibiki explained, "However, the questions are beyond the level that Genin ninja could be expected to handle. So, having reached the same conclusion, most of you had only one way of retaining your points—by cheating." Ibiki explained
"To ensure there would be suitable targets for you to cheat from, we snuck in a pair of ringers, two Genin who already know all the answers." Ibiki continued as he started taking off his headband, "Of course, anyone who cheated in a clumsy or obvious way failed."
When he finished removing it, he revealed his scarred head, shocking the rest of the participants.
"Because there may be circumstances where being caught in espionage can cost you more than your life. You pay in ways that can be taken from you gradually, time and time again, when many lives hang in the balance." Ibiki continued, "If you can't stay hidden, your intelligence can't be trusted. Bringing back compromised information helps the enemy and endangers your allies. That's why we pushed you to use espionage skills to cheat—it was the fastest way to weed out those lacking the necessary skills."
"Okay, but what was the deal with the tenth question?" Temari asked as Ibiki put back on his headband
"The tenth question was the first real test on the exam." Ibiki answered
"What on earth do you mean?" Sakura asked
"The tenth question offered two harsh options: reject it, and you failed along with your team; accept it but fail to answer, and you'd lose any chance to try again. It was an unfair no-win scenario." Ibiki answered, "Why present them, you ask? Suppose you become a Chunin and are tasked with stealing vital enemy documents without knowledge of their skills or defenses. You might have to navigate heavily mined and trapped territory."
"Now, do you accept your mission? Or do you reject it rather than place your own life or the lives of your companions in jeopardy? Could any Chunin get away with only taking on safe jobs?" Ibiki asked, "Of course not!"
"A ninja must face unavoidable missions with courage, inspiring others to overcome fear. This quality is essential for a Chunin leader. Those who avoid risks and choose only the safest options are weak and lead others to weakness." Ibiki continued, "In my opinion, they don't belong in the ranks of Chunin at all!"
"By accepting, you answered the almost insoluble tenth question correctly. If you keep that spirit, you can probably conquer the many doubts and difficulties you'll face." Ibiki stated, "You've passed the first hurdle. Part one of the Chunin exams is now concluded."
Everyone began cheering when suddenly, someone came crashing through one of the windows, grabbing everyone's attention and tossing a kunai each way, embedding them in the walls opposing one another.
'Her? Oh, give me strength.' Ibiki thought
When the person stood up, their banner being held by the kunai unraveled, revealing the words 'NEWLY ARRIVED SECOND CHIEF EXAMINATION OFFICER MITARASHI ANKO'
"None of you are in any position to celebrate. I am the second chief officer, Mitarashi Anko! Time'sa-wastin', people. Let's go!" The now-named Anko barked
"Can't you sense the mood in here?" Ibiki whispered, causing Anko to deadpan
"81 of you are still here?! Ibiki! You passed 27 teams?!" Anko exclaimed, "Obviously, you went too easy on them."
"This year, we have applicants of exceptional caliber. You should know this." Ibiki commented
"Yeah, right. I'll cut the number by half before the next test. OOH! I get charged up just thinking about it!" Anko exclaimed with a sadistic look on her face, "I'll explain things in detail as soon as we move to your next location, so follow me!"
(15 minutes later – Training ground 44, aka Forest of Death gates)
"This is the arena for the second exam: Training ground 44. Also known as the Forest of Death!" Anko announced, "You're about to find out firsthand why they call this the 'Forest of Death'!"
"I can sense Shukaku nearby." Kurama commented, "Shall we find his jinchuriki once we enter this next part and extract him?"
'No, given that they are here, they are participating in the Chunin exams. We don't have enough information to proceed without potentially messing things up that would point the finger at Konoha. If we extract Shukaku now, given what I know, whoever his jinchuriki is, there would undergo a drastic attitude change that would draw attention to Konoha.' Aito answered.
(Two years ago – Aito's mindscape)
In the vast, ethereal expanse of Aito's mindscape, the atmosphere was serene, tinged with the remnants of celestial knowledge that lingered like the soft glow of twilight. Hagoromo, the ancient Sage of Six Paths, floats before Aito, his form as ephemeral as a whisper but imbued with an aura of timeless wisdom. Beside them, Kurama, the nine-tailed beast, lounged with a relaxed air, his massive form a stark contrast to the tranquility of their surroundings.
Hagoromo's voice broke the silence, his tone both earnest and reflective. "Aito, you have learned much today. But before I depart, there is a favor I need to ask of you."
Aito, whose gaze had been distant, contemplating the multilayered teachings on the elemental balance, turned his attention to the sage. 'What favor might that be, Hagoromo?'
With a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of centuries, Hagoromo's gaze drifted. "For several millennia, I have watched from beyond as the tailed beasts were mistreated—viewed first as wild beasts and later as mere weapons of war. I believe the time has come for that to end."
'The time has come for that to end?' Aito echoed, curiosity piqued. 'What exactly do you mean?'
Hagoromo's eyes met Aito's, filled with a resolve as deep as the ocean. "I wish for you to regather the tailed chakra spirits within you. Not to reform the Ten-Tails, but to harbor them as distinct individuals, to afford them the respect and freedom they deserve."
Aito paused, his mind racing. He drew upon his limited memories of other multiverses, considering the vastness of the omniverse. He pondered the energy required to traverse the space-time and dimensional barriers, a monumental yet intriguing task he could not accomplish now, even with his titanic reserves. Such thoughts were not new, but now they carried the weight of purpose and responsibility.
After a moment of reflection, Aito nodded slowly. 'I understand your wish, Hagoromo. It's distressing how humanity has twisted Ninshu and the use of chakra, a perversion introduced by Indra's legacy.'
Hagoromo's expression softened, a gentle smile gracing his features. "Indeed, but that can be fixed with time—something you have plenty of, Aito. With your abilities and understanding, you can guide this change."
Having listened silently, Kurama let out a low grunt, giving Aito a meaningful look. It was an acknowledgment of the heavy burden now on his shoulders and a nod to his capability to bear it.
'Then I will do it.' Aito declared, his voice resolute. 'Not just for the tailed beasts, but for the betterment of all beings who wield chakra. It's time they learn its true purpose, as you originally intended, Hagoromo.'
As the sage's form faded, his parting words echoed in the mindscape, "Thank you, Aito. I trust in your path."
The meeting concluded, and Aito was left with Kurama in the silent expanse of his mindscape, the task ahead clear, his resolve unwavering. Together, they would embark on a journey that could redefine their world's fabric.
(Present time)
"Before we begin the second exam, I must hand out something." Anko stated before pulling out a stack of consent forms, "They're consent forms. Everybody has to sign one."
"Why do we need consent forms?" Naruto asked
"We want all the details covered before the first deaths occur." Anko answered, "Sign before you go in, so we can't be held liable. You wouldn't want me to get in trouble, would you?"
"So people have died in these exams before?" Naruto asked
"Yep, happens all the time." Anko answered, "First, I'll explain what the second exam entails. Then, you can sign the forms, and with the other two members of your team, bring the forms to the hut behind you and submit them."
"Now, about the exam. To put it simply, it's a no-holds-barred survival test." Anko stated
"Survival? Great, another pain in the neck exam! Agh!" Shikamaru commented
"Let's begin by going over the topography of this training ground. I'll explain the rest later." Anko continued before holding up a scroll, "Training ground 44 is bordered by a circular perimeter, interrupted at regular intervals by 44 locked gates. There are forests and a river with a tower in the center about ten kilometers from those gates."
"Within the confines of this carefully delineated area, you will undergo a survival test. During that test, you may use any ninja art or weapons. It's a kind of fight-to-the-death version of capture the flag, or in this case, capture the scroll." Anko explained
"Scroll?" One person asked
"Exactly!" Anko answered before pulling out two white and black scrolls, "There's a 'Scroll of Heaven' and a 'Scroll of Earth'. Your objective is to acquire both scrolls."
"There are 81 of you—27 teams of three. 13 teams have an Earth scroll, and 14 have a Heaven scroll; you'll need both to pass. Your goal is to keep your scroll, obtain the other type, and bring both to the central tower." Anko explained
"In other words, at least half of us, the 13 or 14 teams whose scrolls are stolen, will fail." Sakura clarified
"You bet! And there's a time limit. You have 120 hours to complete this exam, which is exactly five days!" Anko answered
"Five days?!" Ino exclaimed in outrage
"What are we supposed to do for food?!" Choji exclaimed in panic/worry
"That's your problem. The forests are full of nature's bounty. Of course, they're also full of man-eating animals, deadly insects, and poisonous plants." Anko answered, "As time shortens, the trials will come harder and faster, and there will be less recovery time for mistakes, accidents, or injuries. You'll always be surrounded by enemies, so you'll have to sleep with one eye open."
"So, in addition to those who die in attempts to defend or capture a scroll, some of you are bound to succumb to exhaustion, exposure, starvation, and dehydration." Anko continued, "Now let's talk about the rules and what offenses you can be disqualified for!"
"Teams that fail to reach the tower on time with both scrolls and all members are disqualified. Any team losing a member to death or severe injury is also out. You cannot leave the forest before time's up, and no breaks are allowed. The scrolls must not be opened until you're inside the tower!" Anko explained
"If you reach Chunin level, handling top-secret documents will be part of your duties—consider this a test of your trustworthiness. We'll exchange one scroll per every three forms. Once you have yours, pick a starting gate; everyone begins simultaneously." Anko stated
Every team had their scrolls within minutes and were at their chosen gate.
"All right, everyone, when the signal sounds in half an hour, the exam will begin!" Anko said
(Half an hour later)
"Part two of the Chunin exam begins now!" Anko said before the gates opened and every team rushed in
Author's Note:
(1)I have Konoha setup similar to Wakanda(which I took inspiration from). The inner portion of the village, where everything is advanced, including R , manufacturing factories, and clan compounds, is masked by an energy shield and optical illusion combination. The Outer village, where shops, markets, civilian housing, mission hall, academy, diplomatic and buffer zone, and training grounds are separated from the Inner village by a single giant wall with several gates. As in canon, a giant wall still separates the outer portion from the wilderness. I have taken a lot of inspiration from Wakanda from the MCU.