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—
Naruto blinked.
"The what?"
Fuu's eyes twinkled. "The Akatsuki."
Nope, never heard that word in his entire life.
"What's the Akatsuki?" Naruto asked curiously.
Going purely based on her facial expression, it definitely wasn't a good thing.
Fuu's face darkened. "The Akatsuki are a group hellbent on causing trouble for each and every nation there is. No one knows what exactly their motive is, but all we do know is that they somehow exist."
Naruto shrugged. "And why is that an issue? It's not like a single group can do anything against an entire nation, right."
"That's what Takigakure thought as well. However, we then found out that the Akatsuki weren't just a regular group. Each member of theirs is a powerful shinobi. I'm talking S-ranks, not the party games we're playing in the Chuunin Exams. A single member could kill each and every person here, with me being a small exception, depending on the member," Fuu stated, her voice lacking any tone of overconfidence. She took the topic very seriously, and meant every word she said.
Naruto frowned. A group of S-rank shinobi who wanted the collapse of the shinobi nations? He felt like he would have heard at least something about them by now.
Fuu smirked, as if noticing his predicament. "Are you wondering why no one knows about them?"
Naruto nodded in confirmation.
"Because the Akatsuki haven't truly begun their operations as of now. But once they do…trust me, their name alone will give the Kage migraines."
Someone actually made Fuu nervous?
Naruto was becoming similarly anxious as well. But he still had to make sure of something.
The blond stared into Fuu's eyes intently. "And what exactly does this all have to do with me?"
"The main target of the Akatsuki…are the Jinchuuriki."
What?
Naruto's blood froze.
"Y-you can't be serious."
Fuu grimaced. "I am, unfortunately, serious."
The thought pierced Naruto straight in the brain, rendering him slightly paralyzed for a brief second before he got back into the moment.
There was a group of S-rank shinobi that were after him.
Put that along with Orochimaru, a crazed Saanin who also was after him.
"How do you know this all?"
"I had an…encounter with one of the Akatsuki members. That person told me from their own mouth. Other than that, my village has a particularly advanced espionage system. Regardless, that is besides the issue," Fuu began, her hand coming up to pull the hair that fell over her head back.
Besides the issue? Woman, you literally faced a member of the group trying to kill us! I need to know more information! And why would that person tell you anyways? Naruto yelled in his head.
"There's more?"
The girl crossed her arms. "Hmmm. The longer I stayed in Takigakure, the higher the chance I would end up an easy target for the Akatsuki. My Kage told me this himself, actually. Us Jinchuuriki, our lives are at risk every second we stay still. I was going to try and tell the sand-boy about the Akatsuki as well, but it quickly became obvious he's a bit too psychotic."
Naruto frowned. "Wait, you're going to leave your own village?"
"Of course," Fuu declared. "It's the best option."
"What about your fri—teammates, I mean," Naruto corrected himself. "Would you really abandon your teammates so easily?"
Fuu grinned. "My teammates?" She spread her hands wide. "Where are they? They're gone, Naruto. The instant the second exam was over, they forfeited just like that Kabuto guy."
"What?" Naruto quizzed. "Why would they leave?"
Fuu bared her canine-sharp teeth. "They didn't want to fight me."
He shuddered. I don't exactly blame them.
"Besides, staying in my village endangers them as well," Fuu whispered, her eyes downcast. "It endangers the entire village itself, actually."
Naruto found himself agreeing. She was right. If the Akatsuki really were as dangerous as she said they were, then leaving the target, especially Fuu—who mentioned she has already interacted with one of them before—right in their own village wouldn't be a very smart decision. Despite the fact that Fuu was an incredibly talented shinobi and had a tailed beast inside her, it wouldn't be worth the safety of an entire village.
"Alright, so you're going to leave your village, and what exactly does that have to do with me—"
Naruto felt the hair on his arm rise in realization.
No.
No, no, no.
I can't. I won't.
I can't leave Konoha.
My home.
It didn't matter if he was risking the village and his safety. He didn't care if he was going to be selfish. He wasn't going to do it.
Fuu put a hand forward. "Naruto, I want you to leave Konoha with me."
[—-]
"Sasuke Uchiha versus Choji Akimichi!" The proctor announced.
The visible paling of Choji's face was amusing to see. Sasuke nodded in acceptance before leaving for the stadium.
"Oh well. Goodbye Choji," Sakura murmured, obviously expecting Sasuke to win.
"It would be wise to not underestimate your village's Genin, Sakura. Choji, as an Akimichi and a capable ninja of his own right, will have many tricks up his sleeve," Kakashi said, not bothering to peek over his book.
Naruto stayed silent at that.
He also believed Sasuke would win, but he wasn't underestimating the Akimichi by any means. He was simply aware of the fact that Sasuke became several times stronger than the point he was at in the Academy, and most of the other Genin wouldn't be ready to face him.
"Why do you look so disturbed, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, surprising Naruto with how well he could read facial expressions.
He must have been in the Anbu or something, because this is just ridiculous. Naruto thought sourly.
"Nothing, sensei. I'm just worried for Sasuke, that's all," Naruto said meekly, cringing as he heard himself say that.
Kakashi just raised his only visible eyebrow. "I don't really believe you, to be honest. Why would you of all people be worried for Sasuke?"
"Weren't you the one who said not to underestimate Choji?" Naruto quipped back.
"True, but it simply goes against your character to be worried over such a simple matter, doesn't it?" His sensei asked with a smirk that Konoha couldn't see, but knew for a fact was there.
Naruto shrugged, trying to swerve the topic somewhere else. He really needed something to distract himself from what the previous conversation with Fuu led his mind to. Unthinkable thoughts kept creeping up to his head, and the more they did so, the more they started making sense.
He really didn't want to leave Konoha. And right now, he didn't really need to. Naruto didn't have any proof of the Akatsuki except for Fuu's words, and in the worst case scenario, this could all be an elaborate scam to lure him outside the safety of Konoha borders. Although, it might actually be the best-case scenario due to the fact that the Akatsuki were just a lie made by some crazy teenager.
But from the look in Fuu's eyes, Naruto was practically certain the aforementioned shinobi group did exist. And it was terrifying. The fact that a group of S-ranked shinobi, people who could actually qualify for the rank of Hokage, were after him would leave anyone in a daze of shock. That and the fact that Orochimaru was after him as well. Yep, a totally normal day for one Naruto Uzumaki. It wasn't Fuu's fault for warning him, and she was actually being quite the helpful person by telling him beforehand, but, in Naruto's opinion, she quite literally ruined the rest of the Chuunin Exams for him.
Naruto couldn't even focus on the fight before him as Sasuke and Choji faced off against each other, bowing first. His mind kept wandering to the forbidden fruit that he later found was quite actually poisonous to eat.
"Hajime!"
Sasuke dashed forward in an attempt to end the fight as quickly as possible, spinning his kunai in the middle of his fingers.
"How much has Choji improved?" Sakura asked the rest of his boy's team.
Shikamaru smirked. "A lot. You'll see, anyway. Don't be surprised if our boy gives Sasuke a tough time."
Ino nodded in approval.
"And who exactly are you supporting, Ino?" Sakura asked with a glare.
Ino looked affronted. "My teammate, of course."
Naruto was slightly surprised by that. Scratch that, he was incredibly surprised by that. Ino had wholeheartedly admitted she would prefer Choji to win rather than Sasuke. Looked like the blonde had matured, whether she knew it or not. Naruto guessed that training like a maniac during your time as a Genin was a good maturing experience for any person, regardless of how they were in the past. He had to stop underestimating people, as it would definitely affect him in the future.
Choji was surprisingly quick for his size, having dodged past Sasuke's first strike and engaging in some nimble Taijutsu with the Uchiha for a few seconds. Sparks flew as kunai smacked against kunai in a crisp manner, increasing the crowd's excitement for the fight.
"Double Weight Technique!" Choji yelled out, bringing his hands together as soon as he got the space.
Naruto watched, gobsmacked as Choji literally grew like someone was blowing air into a balloon. Even Sasuke hesitated for a brief second before he ran forward once more, no longer fazed by the bizarre transformation.
Sakura whistled. "Wow."
"But wouldn't that just slow him down, though? If not, make him a bigger target?" Naruto asked confusedly.
Shikamaru just smiled. "That's what I thought as well. But Choji always managed to surprise me the most."
A layer of chakra surrounded Choji as he began to literally roll in his humongous form, steamrolling the ground as he moved quickly into the incoming Sasuke. The Uchiha was forced to move aside at the last second to avoid the devastating attack—there was simply no way he would stay conscious if he was hit by that.
"Choji's Will to get stronger was always there, if only he got rid of his stupid eating habit…" Asuma mumbled annoyedly.
"Doesn't the shinobi lifestyle negate all of the calories he gains from eating the junk food?" Naruto asked, genuinely curious.
Asuma nodded. "Yes, but it's probably an Akimichi thing. They most likely don't have much metabolism, but I'm not an actual doctor so I wouldn't really know for sure just how much stopping the chips would help him."
Sasuke leaped into the air, dodging another roll of the living ball of flesh and bones that Choji made. Everywhere he trekked in that form, the floor turned into a broken trail of bumps everywhere, the concrete completely wrecked through.
"Why isn't Sasuke using his Sharingan?" Naruto inquired, looking at his sensei with suspicion.
He had a sneaking thought that was probably correct.
"Because I told him not to," Kakashi answered plainly, not bothering to lie to the Uzumaki, seeing no point in really doing so. "Are you going to ask why I did so?"
"Yes!"
"I need something to motivate him. The Sasuke we know won't be able to go far into the exams if he faces off against someone like your friend from earlier. I need drastic improvement as fast as possible. And that starts with his physical capabilities. If your teammate can't defeat someone without the use of his Sharingan, there's no point in training him to win in the Chuunin Exam," Kakashi stated bluntly.
"Isn't that extremely overconfident of you to do so? Weren't you the one who said not to underestimate our Konoha Genin?!" Naruto inquired with obvious bewilderment. His teacher seriously had a split-personality disorder, it had to be the only answer.
"I was telling that to you two. Sasuke is a lot more mature tohandle these things, though I can see you doing it as well these days. Regardless, have some trust in your teammate to come out on top," Kakashi said with a note of finality, ending the discussion entirely. "Watch the fight and see what exactly you can improve on."
Right now it was a game of cat and mouse as Sauske dodged all over the place as Choji began bulldozing around the whole arena, hoping for the best and that he would be able to actually hit the Uchiha once. It didn't seem like it was going to happen at this rate. Naruto had to applaud the Akimichi for his sheer chakra reserves to be undergoing that transformation for such a long time.
But Sasuke had more chakra now. Much more chakra in comparison.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Slash!"
Arcs of blue light erupted from Sasuke's hand in an X-shape in front of him, clearly trying to stop the rolling Akimichi. Naruto was impressed by the size of the jutsu, if he was being honest. The lightning buzzed dangerously as the ball got closer and closer, before disappearing entirely once Choji got out of his ball shape.
That's when Sasuke moved.
His hands moved in a flash, throwing lightning-charged shuriken at the target. Choji, in his
somewhat exhausted state, moved sluggishly away. A few shuriken nicked his clothes due to his lack of movement, making the Akimichi gasp in pain at the contact with the flying electricity and drawing blood almost instantly.
Sasuke's face was in a wide grin as he started to begin his onslaught on Choji.
While Choji was surprisingly nimble as Naruto noticed earlier, he still wasn't as proficient in Taijutsu as the Uchiha, who had a fluid and quite technical way of fighting that could beat everyone other than a certain green beast.
"Oh no…" Sakura whimpered.
"Choji," Ino whispered silently.
Sasuke attacked each and every opening that Choji presented to him, not giving a single shred of mercy to the bumbling boy, who looked like a deer caught in the dark while he continued to resist Sasuke's barrage.
It wouldn't last forever. Choji was being pushed back with every jab, kick, and fake that Sasuke delivered. The rotund boy kept his hands up, blocking fifty percent of the hits.
One roundhouse kick managed to sneak through his guard, hitting him straight in the liver. Choji gasped at the sudden pain, before falling to his knees soon after, clutching at the area where Sasuke had hit him.
It's practically over. Naruto thought with a frown.
Sasuke looked over Choji with a pitying expression. "Forfeit, Choji."
"N-never," Choji grunted out, his face scrunched up in pain.
"I can either make this painful or not, it's for you to decide."
"I-I won't lose this way! Never again!" Choji yelled in frustration, his legs quivering in exhaustion.
In one, last-second, desperate act to win, he swung his hand to punch Sasuke right in the stomach.
His fist contacted Sasuke's stomach with a ruffle of the latter's clothes, Sasuke clearly wasn't affected by the pathetic attempt at a punch.
Naruto looked back at Shikamaru, wondering what he was thinking. He was probably worried for his teammate, and hoped that the fight would end soon.
He felt fear when he saw the utter smirk on the Nara's face.
No—
"Organ Expansion Technique!"
Choji's hand grew instantly in size, as the boy immediately threw all of his strength into the punch at the last second. The enlarged hand seemingly pushed through Sasuke's gut, the boy being knocked back twenty meters of distance in an instant.
The blood that was coughed onto Choji's face wasn't his own.
Sakura gasped as she saw what happened.
"He can't really control it perfectly, and doing it really is a waste of chakra, but it certainly can surprise any unsuspecting shinobi. Especially when Sasuke doesn't have his beloved Sharingan activated," Shikamaru said, his eyes glinting with excitement.
Naruto just stared, shocked at what just occurred.
I underestimated him again.
Although Choji's hand immediately deflated and the boy began to clutch it in pain, it was undoubtedly impressive to begin with.
Sasuke laid in a heap on the other side of the stadium, with Choji rising up to his legs. This wasn't looking good.
"GET UP SASUKE!" Naruto shouted with his hands surrounding his mouth.
As if his words were some sort of awakening ritual, Sasuke got up. He was clearly in pain if the way he was holding his gut was any sign. The Uchiha spat his blood-stained saliva to the side, before eyeing the Akimichi in front of him with contempt.
Sasuke moved once again.
He got even closer this time around. It was as if the Genin wasn't even afraid of the possibility that Choji could hit him with the same attack once more, regardless of the fact that using the technique also hurt the Akimichi himself. For the win, it looked like Choji was willing to fight to the death.
Naruto wasn't even sure who would win anymore.
It was almost like fate would repeat itself when Sasuke went into close quarters again, but Naruto knew that his teammate wouldn't let that happen once more, not if he had an option anyways.
Choji's hand enlarged once more, making it much harder to dodge as Sasuke continued to dash forward regardless of the technique. He had definitely seen it, but didn't seem to care one bit. Time slowed as Choji swung like last time, the clear target in front of him doing nothing to dodge.
Except nothing hit.
Sasuke seemed to know exactly where Choji would attack.
The raven-haired Genin leaped forwards, letting the hand go underneath his now completely horizontal body in the air. He grasped Choji's neck and twisted around to his back, where Sasuke quickly held the boy in a grappling position that left his hands completely immobile. A kunai was held to Choji's neck once more.
"Your enlargement technique…you can only do it with your right hand as of now, correct?" Sasuke questioned, no expression on his face as he absorbed his victory.
Naruto hadn't even noticed that.
Choji nodded hesitantly.
Sasuke pressed the flat side of the kunai harder to Choji's neck. "Forfeit. You don't have any more tricks in the bag, do you?"
Choji sighed. "I surrender!"
"Winner: Sasuke Uchiha!" The proctor announced.
Sasuke immediately got out of his position, before placing a hand for Choji. The boy gladly accepted. Naruto felt his eyes widen in surprise—Sasuke wasn't acting like a jerk for once!
"Your technique…I wasn't expecting it all. Thank you for the good fight, Akimichi," Sasuke murmured, before putting his hands into his pockets and walking back.
Naruto felt his eyes tearing up. His pupil had finally learned to express gratitude! What's next, would he say sorry as well? He only had to wait to find out.
Shikamaru sighed. "Well, it was bad luck for Choji to be paired up with Sasuke. I'm going to have to cheer him up later on."
Ino looked like she was on the verge of tears. "H-he tried his best! Choji is seriously so cool!"
"For sure," Naruto agreed.
Naruto quickly congratulated Sasuke who walked towards them with a slightly smug smile. He issued a quick thanks before sitting back down. Kakashi's eyes twinkled as he saw his Genin—he didn't particularly find the need to congratulate the Uchiha.
Sakura gushed over Sasuke's injuries, who ensured he would be fine. A lot of the other Konoha Genin came to congratulate Sasuke, who quickly waved them off.
"For the next fight: Rock Lee versus Karin!"
The red-girl with black glasses looked nervous at being called so fast, but nonetheless trudged towards the stadium.
"Lee's going to win," Naruto said immediately.
"How would you know for certain?" Ino asked questioningly. "Is it because she's a girl?!"
Naruto quickly backtracked. "No, it's because Lee is one of the top contestants here. I don't see him losing so quickly. Besides, I'm friends with Fuu, and she's definitely the strongest Genin here."
"Oh, the green-haired girl from earlier?" Shikamaru asked.
Naruto nodded. "Yes, that's the one."
"Hm."
"Well, I'm going to say Karin is going to win," Ino stated with confidence.
"You don't even know how she fights!" Sakura exclaimed. "He doesn't really look like it, but Lee is very strong!"
Lee faced off Karin in the middle of the stadium. For once, the boy finally seemed serious. It looked like he wasn't the type of person to underestimate their opponent no matter who he was facing off against.
"Hajime!"
Lee rushed forward, immediately closing up against Karin.
Naruto thought the fight was over the moment he did that. Lee was just too fast for the girl to react to, especially with his sheer acceleration the moment the fight started was too much to handle. Lee's kick landed directly on the girl's gut, kicking her backwards ten or so meters.
Lee looked simply confused, as if he didn't know just how fast he was.
Don't tell me she's unconscious already! Naruto thought incredulously.
Her face was completely covered by the mop of messy red hair, so it was impossible to see whether her eyes were open or not unless you had a Byakugan.
Sakura looked at Ino with a smug smile. "Well?"
Ino refused to say anything.
Naruto froze as he felt a sudden burst of chakra erupt from the girl.
What the—
Golden chains of chakra erupted from her body and towards Lee, who waltzed backwards in surprise at the sudden technique. The chains were incredibly fast, however, and one managed to catch up to Lee, whose only option was to kick it back.
The chains didn't budge at Lee's kick, instead preferring to wrap around the boy's leg. Lee struggled with his leg as he tried to get it out of the hold, his eyes widening as he saw Karin begin to slowly rise.
Ino's smile widened. "Sakura?"
Sakura just looked confused.
Then the chains promptly broke.
Lee stopped moving his leg as he realized he was free. And that Karin's body was once again slumped to the floor.
Another person who can't control their abilities. Naruto sighed. It seemed to be becoming a pattern.
The fight was quickly announced as Lee's win, as the audience simply groaned at the anticlimactic nature of it all. After such an entertaining match like Sasuke's, they expected more from the duo in front of them.
Poor Lee. He just looks confused. Naruto thought with pity.
They carried Karin's unconscious body towards the medical room, when Naruto had the sudden urge to do something. Karin's abilities are interesting, to say the least.
Observe.
[Observing…]
[Observation successful!]
Name: Karin Uzumaki
Title: "The Blood of Healers"
Occupation: Genin of Kusagakure
Level: LV14
HP: 100/100
MP: 100/100
Chakra: 500/500
STR: 9
VIT: 14
DEX: 4
INT: 7
WIS: 3
LUK: 4
…
"UZUMAKI?!" Naruto shouted out in surprise, his voice reaching octaves he didn't think possible.
He just stood in shock as every Genin in the premise began to stare at him as if he were a psychopath.
Things just keep getting more and more wierd.
[-end-]
Yo!
I hoped you liked the chapter.
Firstly, Fuu's proposal to Naruto. What's he going to do? What do y'all think he's going to do?
Sauske ain't that much of a jerk, apparently. Which I don't think is that much of a surprise considering he didn't get the seal this time around, and that I kind of buffed Choji. I'm sorry, but I had to do it to make the fights more interesting.
Lee's win against Karin, not unexpected, but a weird way it played out. I don't see Karin winning without the chains, tbh.
Question of the day:
Question 1: What was your favorite arc in all of Naruto? Mine is definitely the Pain Arc—peak Shonen to be honest.
Question 2: Another versus question. Who wins: Itachi versus Pain. I gotta go with Pain here, but try to persuade me otherwise.
If you want to read the next chapter right now, join my Pa treon where the next chapter is already posted and available. It's on:
P a treon . com (slash) PaladinKaladin
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