Chapter 2: The Remedial Exam!

AN

General: Alright, beginning work on chapter two; assuming I'm efficient, this should be released ahead of schedule. If not, forgive my feeble mind for failing the both of us, aye? Once again, I am thrilled I decided to go back and improve these chapters. I may continue to do so until the exams to ensure the story is as reader-friendly and enjoyable as possible. A bit limited, of course, since I refuse to engage in retcons or plot changes. But I'm convinced it's still worth the effort.

Also, if you have corrections regarding the format or tags, just let me know. I'm more than happy to adjust them properly. Enjoy~!

Naruto's POV (Uzumaki Residence - Hidden Leaf Village)

Naruto laughed meekly at his mother, knowing anything he said would likely not gel well with the angry mom. She frowned at this before sighing and letting him down. Maybe this wouldn't be a disaster?

"You're lucky. I'm excited to hear the news, ya know? Well? Did my boy pass?! " she asked excitedly. Naruto chuckled. He still felt down and knew the news would be received somewhat poorly. His mother had recently been offering him detailed training, but Naruto had rejected it. The tension of a long-old argument caused her to back down. He regretted being so stubborn now.

"I did, but I have to pass the Remedial Exam." He said he felt as close to meek as he ever had. "It was just like you were worried about…"

"Ahhh, that makes sense; you still haven't got the clone jutsu, " his mother remarked. I thought maybe you could find a way around it, son, but you might be just like your mother, " she said sweetly.

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked, unsure what she meant. Over the years, he had seen his mother perform all the basic academy Jutsu.

"Well, certain Uzumaki have problems performing jutsu like that. You could brute force it over time, but that was never realistic. It took me almost a decade to achieve control over minor jutsu like that. Jutsu, like clone jutsu, is low-intensive but requires finer chakra control. Such is why they are basic and easy for even children to perform. Their lower amount of chakra makes it much easier to control it. But you and I have a surplus of chakra. Making it incredibly difficult to control. It's like using a hose to fill a bottle cap; it simply overflows regardless of how careful you may be." She lectured. The blonde listened raptly; his mother was a Jounin; she knew her stuff and rarely offered such detailed explanations. In fact, his mother, despite her prowess and support, had always seemed hesitant to aid his shinobi career. But Naruto filed away the concern for later; she offered help now.

"So what should I do?" Naruto asked, wracking his brain to find a solution. If he had so much chakra and it took so long to master it, how could he get by? If his mother was right, he'd be forty before he figured out the Clone Jutsu. His mother chuckled as she made an odd hand sign Naruto had never seen before.

"We'll simply use a different kind of clone." As she said so, smoke popped beside her, a perfect clone of his mother. She had the same red hair, blue eyes, and apron for working at home. But Naruto flinched when he witnessed the carpet dip beneath its feet. It was tangible… that was so damn awesome…

"That isn't a normal clone." Naruto accused.

"You're right," Kushina playfully agreed, her clone mimicking her. "It's better." The clone then dashed forward and locked Naruto into a front headlock, rubbing her fist into his head as he struggled. Naruto was always surprised by the strength of his mother. People called him a powerhouse, but she quickly matched him all the time. As the blonde struggled against the clone, Kushina opened a cabinet to the right. And nodded to the clone to dissipate.

Now freed, Naruto sighed, annoyed, but looked at the scroll with undeniable interest. Kushina smiled at his attention as she released the contents. First was a blade that Naruto had to restrain himself from grabbing immediately. The sheath of the blade was painted black with red waves. He looked at his mother; she nodded, and the blonde picked it up. It was simple, even within the sheath. Naruto slowly drew the blade, seeing a simple yet elegant steel blade nearly flawless except for the right side, where the kanji for Uzumaki was stamped upon it. It was built like a tanto but was a tad longer and thicker. Naruto had always considered getting himself a blade but had never pulled the trigger. They were expensive and difficult to master, yet Naruto felt an odd connection to the blade. It felt comfortable and weightless in his hand, yet he could almost detect an energy within it. Realizing with a blink a small scroll was tied to the blade, unfurling it, Naruto discovered a technique scroll labeled "Shadow Clone Jutsu." It was the instructions and detailed tips and tricks to master the techniques. Naruto recognized the handwriting well; his mother had handwritten this herself.

"I don't know what to say… thank you, ma…" Naruto trailed stunned. His mother never shied away from gift-giving; she seemed overjoyed to get him whatever he wanted. Even now, as a young man, she had insisted he lived with him and without pay, assuring him he could stay however long and leave whenever.

"No problem, son, it was mine when I first became a shinobi. This blade represents my belief in you, ya know?" Kushina said, smiling.

"Can I name it?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Actually, it's called the Blade of Whirlpools."

"So it came from our clan?" the blonde asked curiously. We really never discuss Uzumaki matters much anymore. I thought our homeland and most of its artifacts were destroyed."

"They were, but as part of our alliance with the Leaf, we sent some of them and even the occasional clan member. This allowed for some of our culture to survive, and as the sole survivors, we have access to them and are charged to protect them. When I was a child, it was a Uzumaki tradition for them to receive a blade from their parents when they became an official shinobi." His mom answered happily. Naruto stared at the blade intently. It was a fantastic blade. But more than that, it was a gift, a family tradition, his family's tradition. For the first time, he had an actual connection to his clan. To the extended family he never had the chance to meet or connect with.

Over the years, his mother had told many tales of the Uzumaki, none more so than the tale of their eventual fall. The Hidden Whirlpool Village they had created had become powerful and influential; their unique skills and durability allowed for vast growth. Whispers had started, and they would soon become the newest Great Hidden Village, the sixth. But such potential attracted the wrath of the other Great Hidden Villages. While the Leaf and Sand had alliances with them, the Stone, Mist, and Cloud had no such agreements and united in a secretive collaborative march on the village. Before the Leaf or Sand could intervene, the town had somehow fallen. Their people are scattered, and their culture and history are mostly forgotten.

Naruto read over the note several times to escape the somber memory. Feeling confident he understood the concept and steps of the jutsu, he spoke out about his only concern.

"So this will be different from the Clone Jutsu? If my chakra control is bad, won't this be too little or too late?"

"No, for one, this isn't a control issue as much as you simply do not have the means to overcome it. Two, Shadow Clone Jutsu is a chakra-intensive technique perfect for you. If we work together, I'm confident you could learn it before the exam." Kushina explained. "That being said, you are doubling your chakra control exercises, mister. Even if it's difficult, you can overcome this problem."

"Yes, mam!" Naruto said happily, attempting to rush off to start training. He actually stood a chance! Naruto wouldn't have to settle for failure.

"Naruto!" She yelled, stopping him in his tracks.

"Yes?"

"Dishes."

"Damnit."

X-X

Naruto stood in his backyard, observing the mess he kept it in. There were targets throughout the field, peppered with shuriken, kunai, and various random objects. Naruto had spent countless hours perfecting his shuriken and kunai techniques. A training post stood in the center of the yard, wrapped in a rope that was frayed and obviously towards its end. There was also a small pond with a bench where Naruto would relax when stressed and meditate whenever his mother could convince him to do so. He scratched his head, wondering how to go about this. He only had a few hours before the exam but felt he needed to gain an edge over it. Naruto held up the note for the new technique and his new blade. It was likely that either would give him a significant tool in his arsenal, but he didn't have much time. The tanto was tempting, but Naruto knew its basics and doubted his technique would improve enough to make a dramatic difference.

On the other hand, the shadow clones were flexible and would surely give him some much-needed offensive pressure. Hell, he had a few ideas already. Depending on how it worked, this could work out nicely…

Naruto did consider if he could get a technique down in the short time he had, but, with a smile, he threw up his hands and activated his chakra. He could feel the energy as he finished the hand sign. It felt like there was a pull, and with a poof, smoke appeared next to him. Naruto tensed, waiting to see what he had been able to do on his first try. When it cleared, Naruto was lying on the ground with only one leg. He had a sickly sheen and merely groaned pitifully. Naruto felt a blush hit his cheeks as Kushina laughed from the back porch.

"You need a bit more chakra for it than that, son." She called playfully. Naruto growled but did as suggested, making the hand sign and channeling a bit more chakra. Another poof, and this time, there was no show, merely a bang as Naruto flew back. He groaned as he crawled to his feet. Too much, then, apparently overloading it led to an explosion. Interesting.

"A bit less!" Kushina helpfully offered. "Try to imagine you're using your chakra to form a human shape; imagine the amount needed in your head!"

Naruto merely deadpanned back at her." This is gonna be hard, huh?" He asked dryly.

"Don't forget funny."

Yep, no doubt the terrifying urge had struck her on this day.

The blonde walked back into his home some hours later, covered in dirt and sweat but smiling brightly. Kushina looked at the boy, sighed, and tossed him a new outfit before she wordlessly pointed to the shower. Naruto, knowing better than to argue, did so, taking time before the shower to examine his new attire.

His mother had won an argument between them days ago. Despite his love for the orange jumpsuits, he had to move on. He had a new black headband, and he would stitch his plate onto it with pride when he passed. A black jacket covered his top open to reveal his orange shirt beneath, stamped with the emblem of the Uzumaki. He finished the look with black utility pants and orange armored sandals.

"NARUTO, IF YOU FAILED BECAUSE YOU WERE LATE, YOU'LL PAY!" Kushina warned from outside his room. He had been lost in the excitement of the moment and had spaced out. But the feeling of being on the upswing was euphoric, even with the threat of his mother…

Naruto frowned as he lost that feeling.

X-X

Naruto approached the training field where the exam would be held. It was a simple field clear of equipment or spectators. It was a decent distance from the central Leaf Village, an extra one scarcely used. It was apparent he was the last of the academy alumni to arrive. Two were already stretching and warming up as they waited. One was Choji, just as the portly man had told Naruto earlier; the other was someone Naruto did not recognize. He was doing upside-down push-ups, which allowed the blonde to come to grips with his look. He had a shining bowl cut perfectly trimmed with no imperfections, a green, disturbingly skin-tight jumpsuit, and orange leg and arm warmers. As Naruto got close, Choji spotted him and tapped the strange man, who flipped to see who had arrived. But the man only got a stranger with thick eyebrows that framed simple black eyes. Naruto needed to figure out what his deal was. But before Naruto could say hello, the strange man flashed forward at a speed that surprised the blonde before stopping before him straight in a posture with a thumbs up.

"Why hello there, my name is Rock Lee, " he said politely. I'm assuming you also are here for the exam. From what Choji said, you sound like a most youthful comrade. Come join us!" He excitedly yelled, "We're in the prime of our youth and shall easily conquer this exam!" Naruto smiled at his energy. The guy was an oddball, but he never liked the cynical type.

"Hell yeah, we're gonna kick ass," Naruto replied, throwing his arm around the bushy brow man.

"Yes, if we do not, I'll walk a thousand miles!" Lee said as he similarly threw his arm around the blonde.

"Believe it! I'll do it backwards!" Naruto cheered in agreement. The positivity was somehow infectious.

"Yosh, that is the beauty of youth~! We'll do it with only our hands." Lee said.

"Um," Naruto interjected but could not get through to the man who excitedly listed punishments he would endure. Namely, because Naruto was not walking a thousand damn miles on his hands. He leaned towards Choji with a whisper. "Is Bushy Brows ok?"

Choji laughed happily. "Pretty much; believe it or not, though, he is super reliable." Naruto admittedly felt some level of doubt, but he could use all the help he could get, so instead, he merely started to stretch himself. Thinking over what the exam may prove to be. Choji chose to sit and eat chips, and Lee went back to upside-down push-ups at incredible speed. They waited for Mizuki for five minutes before the Chunin arrived geared in full combat gear. His eyes held an odd coldness as he stared at them purposely.

"Excellent, we're all here," Mizuki said with a large, almost coy smile. "Now, the exercise in question is rather simple." As he said, the three men before him steeled themselves. They couldn't be more different, yet they all had experienced failure before and had no intention of failing again. Naruto would not allow his dream to be slowed down! "All you need to do to become shinobi is defeat me, I will combat you non lethally, and you are to do the same. Upon detaining or otherwise disabling me, you will succeed and become Genin. If you cannot, then it will be counted as a failure." he said, his voice taking on a gleeful tone. "You may begin now."

Even without communication, the three men's brains came to the same conclusion. They were all close-range fighters and outnumbered him three to one. It was best to try to immediately overwhelm him. Lee dashed forward quickly, Naruto trailing close behind and Choji a few paces behind both. As Lee drew within range, he fired off a high roundhouse that Mizuki blocked but also blocked his ability to see Lee throw a body uppercut. This snaked through the Chunin's guard and made him stumble back with a grunt, but before he could gain any distance, Naruto appeared behind him, kicking him in the back and knocking him back toward Lee. Even unbalanced, Mizuki dodged a spinning back fist Lee fired and landed a vicious leg sweep. Mizuki intended to press the advantage, but once again, Naruto attacked from his blind side. Mizuki, trusting his instincts, caught the kunai aimed at his shoulder and attempted to throw the blonde. But Naruto sacrificed the kunai instead, jabbing Mizuki with his fist. However, all three paused when they heard.

"DUCK!" Choji screamed. All three men didn't even look, just dropping low, a giant hand swinging over their heads. Before Lee and Naruto could recover, Mizuki punched Lee with an overhand and simultaneously hit Naruto with a back kick. The two young men rolled with the blows, and Choji, with a yell, whipped his hand around, trying for a chop. But Muzuki merely smiled as he dashed forward and jumped, smashing his knee in Choji's face before he could bring his large hand around. Choji dropped to the ground, stunned, and as Mizuki fell, he prepared a crushing axe kick that would likely remove the chubby man from the fight. But he heard a yell coming closer from behind.

"Dynamic Entry," Lee named as he crashed into the unguarded back of the Chunin, sending him flying into a tree with a nasty crash. Lee thought the fight was over and posed at the two other boys, proud to have caught Muzuki flat out. Choji and Naruto matched his smile. Deep down, they know realistically, Mizuki was done and likely had been holding back some. But they had controlled the fight reasonably well, and we're confident this would be enough for a victory to be declared.

"Not bad, not bad at all," Mizuki growled. "Let's see how you like my A GAME!" He then flew through hand signs. Then called "Fire Style: Flare Blitz Barrage!" He then spat out a ridiculous amount of head-sized fireballs that flew out in a wide range and randomly. All three men froze for a moment. Surely, he knew this would be incredibly deadly, at odds with the short rules he had offered earlier. Lee quickly weaved around fireballs, loosening and removing his weights as he did. They couldn't be sure what Mizuki was thinking, but he intended to end this soon. They couldn't afford to hold back. Naruto dodged desperately before deciding to charge in with Lee to end the barrage. But Choji in the back struggled to dodge the fast-moving attacks, being clipped by one and flying back from the power of flames. Seeing this, Lee dashed towards the Akimichi, hoping to help him extinguish the fire. Naruto carried forward, knowing that only stopping them would save them.

Naruto ducked under a fireball and jumped over another. As he rose, he let fly a barrage of shuriken up close to the Chunin. Mizuki laughed at his attack. He removed a Fuma shuriken from his back and swung it to deflect the shuriken. As Naruto landed, he drew the Blade of the Whirlpools and slashed at his head. Mizuki blocked the basic attack with a snarl.

"What the hell are you doing? You're going to hurt someone, " Naruto growled. He leaned forward, matching Mizuki's might and attempting to overpower him.

"Don't worry; the other two can live," Mizuki answered darkly. Naruto flinched, and the moment allowed Mizuki to take advantage. The man dropped the Fuma shuriken. This caused Naruto to stumble forward as Mizuki drew a kunai in his other hand. He thrust it into the blonde's shoulder, Naruto crying out from the shallow but painful stab; he rolled back to escape his grasp and to stop the Chunin from finishing him off. Mizuki laughed and fired the Fuma toward Naruto, who was helpless to avoid it, grounded as he was. But Lee appeared before him; skillfully, he caught the shuriken and threw it back instantly. Mizuki charged as he ducked under the attack, but to his shock, one of the training posts planted into the ground flew toward him. His eyes whipped to where it was, and a Choji with bad burns stood with a giant hand extended from the throw. Mizuki felt the post connect with his legs, knocking them from under him and almost certainly shattering their bones. His feet flew behind him as he continued his forward path, now helpless. Headfirst towards Lee and Naruto.

"Mizuki!" He heard as he flew, and his eyes lazily flicked to the blonde who was now charging toward him, and he saw him preparing a punch from below the hip. It was sure to be a massive blow, but between pain and momentum, Mizuki was helpless as Naruto roared before he struck, "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" The blonde screamed as he shifted his body weight, putting everything in his fist. He slammed into Chunin's face, hitting right below his right eye. Naruto felt the cracking of bone as his punch caused the Chunin's momentum to reverse, sending him skidding across the ground like a stone. Naruto panted harshly as he stared after the heap of Mizuki. Lee and Choji approached him as he did.

"I know it may sound unyouthful, but I believe Muzuki intended to hurt us past what would be considered safe sparing," Lee said with a frown, seemingly seriously conflicted by this.

"I know what you mean. Mizuki was playing for keeps." Choji said, pain in his voice as he examined his left ribs where the burn was. "If you two hadn't stopped that fire jutsu, I would've been roasted alive…"

"He said he was gonna kill me outright!" Naruto stated angrily. "This sure as hell wasn't part of the test. Why the hell would a remedial exam have the risk of death? He just wanted to kill us."

"Oh, I will." All three boys tensed as Mizuki slowly and seemingly painfully stood up. He was bleeding from his mouth and nose. Though he stood, his legs shook, crooked and obviously broken. The man must've been standing through willpower alone. "I should've done this from the start. But how was I to guess you low scorers would be capable of this!" Mizuki monologued excitedly. "I had intended to maim you two and then kill Naruto, but since you want to play rough, you all can die!" As he said this, he pulled a syringe from his pouch on his hip and savagely stabbed into his own neck. "I had intended to use this to bust out of this pathetic village, but I suppose I'll start by killing you!" He suddenly stood up, ramrod straight, and he cackled wildly. The air seemed to swirl around him; the three could suddenly feel his chakra, and veins throughout his body pulsed violently, seemingly threatening to burst out his skin. There was silence as they wondered what he had just done.

He looked at them, smirking before blitzing the three and standing between them instantly. Lee quickly attempted a spinning elbow; Naruto was a beat or two later but countered with a kunai thrust to his jugular. Mizuki chuckled as he caught both their blows and slammed them violently into each other headfirst. Then, he casually whipped both into the training post with a flick of his wrist. Choji, flinching due to the burn and shock, stumbled back, but Muziki quickly stepped into his guard with an uppercut to his chin. Choji flew upwards, but Mizuki caught his foot, stopping his flight.

"You broke my legs." He said hatefully as he slammed Choji into the ground, nearly leaving the man buried in the rubble. He drew a kunai to finish him off before he heard several pops and was tackled by what must be twenty Naruto. He rolled through, stabbing two of the clones into nothing. Two more came from in front while four on each of his sides ran to surround him. The two in front came from high and low, unleashing dual-flying roundhouses. Mizuki smiled as he allowed both to hit, neither managing to damage him. He grabbed both and smashed them together, destroying them. Two charged in from the left, and two more followed from the right, all wielding tanto. Mizuki growled at this. Naruto had never shown this before. He ducked under the thrust of one and blocked two more with his forearms. The blades cut in yet only shallowly as if the clones were hacking at the stone as opposed to the skin. The fourth clone looked for a downward slash for his head. Mizuki spun quickly, disarming the lot as he drew a kunai and promptly slashed the clones to pieces.

The four closest to him charged from his blind spot. Mizuki whipped around to kill them, but it had been a feint. The four clones jump back to avoid his wrath. The eight remaining clones in front instead launched a massive conjoined kick, sending Mizuki back into the remaining four, who attempted to hold him down while the rest ran forward; they would simply keep slashing and stabbing till he stayed down. Mizuki yelled angrily and managed to dispel the four simply by flexing. Charging the rest, he clotheslines two into another two, grabs two more by the faces, and slams them viscously into the ground. The last two stood guarded and defiant. "I'm gonna enjoy killing you, you monster!" Mizuki screamed as he charged the two.

"Any ideas on how we will do this, Bushy Brows?" The two watched as Mizuki finished the clones. Naruto flinched and summoned another twenty clones to surround them.

"Yes, keep him busy for just a moment. I have the most youthful technique that should work!" Lee answered as he stood, seemingly bracing for something. But Muzuki, laughing as he landed, stood before them confidently.

"Are you sure you wanna help that monster, Lee?" Mizuki asked with glee. "I don't think you know how much blood is on his hands." Lee froze for a second. Confused by what he said.

"I've never killed anyone, you ass!" Naruto countered.

"Well, of course, you did. You killed the fourth Hokage, after all. You even killed my family, didn't you, Nine Tails!" Mizuki screamed manically. Lee looked back at Naruto, not quite believing it, but to his shock, Naruto looked panicked. Looking at Lee almost pleadingly. Lee didn't know what to say.

"Naruto?" Lee asked quietly

AN

Remastered: After improving chapter two, I retract my earlier statement. While I see the vision and potential in these early chapters, I also see how clumsy and awkward the execution was. I'm surprised I gained so much traction with the early forms. Anywho, I think this chapter is much better now. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

Peace~!