Crossover Fan Fiction / Naruto Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monster GX Fan Fiction ❯ Naruto 5Ds: Shinobi Signers ❯ Creeping Darkness ( Chapter 9 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Okay, everyone, this is the next chapter and like I said in the last chapter, there will be plenty of difference, but much of the Chunin Exam storyline will be much like the one seen in the anime/manga, so, things will be ‘speeding along’ at certain points. Plus, I’m going to put in plenty of what I learned about the recently chapters of the Naruto manga/anime into effect, so, there are going to be spoilers. And what’s the story with Davis in my story? You are going to have the read and find out everyone!

I DO NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh R/GX/5ds, Naruto, Final Fantasy: Dissidia, Dead or Alive, Ninja Garden, Digimon, any of the characters, and anything/anyone that comes from these and other stories that end up in this fanfiction! Yu-Gi-Oh is owned/licensed by Kazuki Takahashi, Toei Animation, and Studio Gallop, Yu-Gi-Oh GX is owned/licensed by Naoyuki Kageyama, Studio Gallop and its various directors, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds is owned/licensed by Katsumi Ono and Studio Gallop, Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden series are owned/licensed by Tomonobu Itagaki and Tecmo, Digimon is owned/licensed by Toei Animation and its various directors, including Hiroyuki Kakudo, and Naruto is owned/licensed by Masashi Kishimoto, Yuuto Date, Jump Comics, and Studio Pierrot!

Warning: This story contains intense violence, blood, gore, and possible death, mild to explicit suggestive themes, including mind-control and brainwashing, mild to explicit bad language, and possible X-rated adult themes/situations that some readers might consider disturbing!

Second Warning: Some to a lot of OOC (Out of Character) actions and mannerisms in this whole story!

Naruto 5Ds: Shinobi Signers

Chapter 9: Creeping Darkness

It is evening in the Forest of Death where we find Naruto and Sakura looking down at an unconscious Sasuke Uchiha as they tried to hide under the roots of a large tree in which a small ‘cave’ is made. They have been attacked the rogue ninja known as Orochimaru, who was a ninja for this village and was trained by the Third Hokage himself as well as one of the legendary Sannin, legendary elite ninja of this village, but Orochimaru went rogue and left the village. However, he has returned, attack Team 7 and he has given Sasuke a strange marking on his neck that looks like three Sharingan tomoe in which Naruto, due to his ability to sense evil/negative energy/emotions from the Kyuubi when Naruto took control of its chakra, sense an immense amount of negative energy from it.

Sakura tells Naruto, “Sasuke-kun is running a high fever. What could that thing that Orochimaru put on him be doing?”

Naruto tells Sakura, with a plain tone, “I’m also worried about what that thing could be doing to his mind. Hayabusa-sensei said that stuff filled with negative energy like that could really warp a person’s mind.”

Sakura says, worriedly, “Now, I’m even more worried Naruto. We need to get Sasuke to a doctor, the Hokage, or somebody that could help us.” Sakura says, with a sigh, “We can’t keep moving with Sasuke in this state or we would have our attention divided between protecting him, keeping our scrolls safe, and getting out of here. And Orochimaru said that Sound team works for him, so, they are most likely looking for us.”

Naruto says, with a sigh, “But we can’t just sit around here like sitting ducks, Sakura-chan. We’ll be trapped and cornered like rats in which we’ll have worrying about that.”

Sakura tells Naruto, “I know, Naruto, but I don’t know what to do!”

Naruto says, with a smile, “Hey, I know! What if I go out and scout out towards the tower? I could find a safe path and then we can take it even with Sasuke unconscious, so, we won’t need to worry about him.”

Sakura gives a look of surprise and she says, amazed, “Naruto, you just came up with a good idea!”

Naruto asks, curiously, “Really?” Naruto then says, trying to ‘recover’, “Yeah, I’m genius! Believe it!”

Sakura tells Naruto, “I wouldn’t go that far, Naruto. However, what you said is a good idea. If we find a safe path to the tower, we can use that path to get there and get Sasuke some help.”

Naruto tells Sakura, starting to crawl out of their ‘hideout’, “I should get going. The faster we get out of this place, the better.”

Sakura tells Naruto, “Wait, Naruto! I’ll be all alone!”

Naruto tells Sakura, “Yeah, Sakura-chan, but only for awhile. I know that you can hold the fort until I get back. You’ve been training as hard as we have, right?”

Sakura says, nervously, “Yeah, Naruto…”

Naruto tells Sakura, with a foxy smile, “Then I know that you’ll do fine, Sakura-chan! I know that you’ll be able to protect Sasuke-teme by yourself until I get back!

Sakura thinks in her mind, shocked, “Does really have that faith in my abilities even through I’m so far behind him and Sasuke-kun?” Sakura asks Naruto, “Do you… really mean it, Naruto?”

Naruto replies, perplexed, “That’s a silly question, Sakura-chan. Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?” Sakura can’t help to feel surprised and even more, reassured, in which Naruto tells Sakura, “I had better get going.”

Sakura tells Naruto, “Stay safe, Naruto.”

Naruto tells Sakura, with a grin, “You too, Sakura-chan. Keep a close eye on Sasuke there and make sure that he doesn’t anything too rash, but be careful, I can’t be sure what’s happening to him or what he will be like with that hicky on his neck from that snake messing him up. Believe it.” Naruto then crawls out of their hiding place and leaps off into the distance, but taking it easy because he is still fatigued from his battle with Orochimaru.

Sakura thinks in her mind, looking at Sasuke’s unconscious form with great concern, “That’s what I’m afraid of Naruto.” On the meanwhile, Sakura didn’t know that they were being watched from a distance by the three Sound ninja.

The bandaged one says, plainly, “Found them, And like Orochimaru-sama ordered us, too, we attack at daybreak. Our target is the Uchiha.”

The spiky haired one asks, “But what about the blond haired brat? Orochimaru-sama commented that since he is the brat of Fourth Hokage, who all the Elemental Countries knows well, he could be a problem. What should we do if he gets back?”

The bandaged one replies, “He might the kid of a legendary Hokage, but he is still a brat. Even he will take sometime to get back and by then, it will be too late. And even if he does get back, he will be exhausted getting back trying to find passage for his team to the tower. And the girl shall be no problem either.”

The spiky haired one asks, “So, we can get rid of her?”

The bandaged one replies, “Of course, Zaku.”

(The following morning; Elsewhere in the ‘Forest of Death’)

This morning, we find our blond haired hero breathing heavily as he looks down at a group of Stone ninja who managed to spot and wanted to get revenge for their village on what Naruto’s father, Minato Namikaze, did to their village’s ninja back in the last great ninja war. Naruto did his best to avoid, thinking about Sakura and Sasuke, but he was forced to fight through the good news was that while they had some skill, Naruto’s Rinnegan and his tactics that he used while doing pranks during his ninja academy days managed to allow him to defeat them.

Naruto sits down on the ground to take a catch his breath and he says, “Geez! Can’t these guys ever catch me a break? Dad did what he did to protect the village! It wasn’t like he did it out of any spite and to purposely embarrass them! They are real jerks! Believe it!” Naruto says, looking at the raising sun, “Oh, man! Sakura-chan must be really getting worried and who knows what condition that Sasuke-teme is in, thanks to that snake freak. I’ve been running all night trying to find a way to get to the tower and… Oh, boy! I think I’m lost now! This is just perfect! Sakura-chan might let me have it!” Naruto gets to his feet and starts to try to find his way back to his team’s hiding place, hoping that his teammates will be all right when he gets there.

(Later that same morning; Rejoining Naruto’s teammates)

Speaking of Sasuke and Sakura, we find Sakura walking up to the rays of the morning sun with Sasuke still unconscious and tries her best to shake the sleepiness out of her eyes as she wakes up to the new morning.

Sakura thinks in her mind, “What a nightmare. I can’t believe that it is morning already.” Sakura then hears some bushes shaking and she yelps as she takes out a kunai in which she looks towards the bushes to see who or what it is, but she finds a squirrel in the bushes. Sakura thinks in her mind, with a sigh, “A squirrel? Don’t scare me like that.” The squirrel heads towards Sakura in which she gasps and throws her kunai at the squirrel scaring it away. On the meanwhile, we find the Sound Team looking at them from a hiding position a short distance away.

The one known as Zaku asks, “I thought that would work, Dosu. Do you think that she sees the paper bomb that we found on the squirrel?”

The bandaged one replies, “No, Zaku. That isn’t it.”

Zaku replies, “Then what? What are you thinking?”

Dosu replies, “I think that we need to get closer and find out.” The group of Sound ninja slowly creeps up on Sakura and her unconscious teammate in a careful fashion in which on the meanwhile, Sakura tries to stay awake after a hard night. Dosu then calls out, “Some lookout, you are already half-asleep!” Sakura whips her head and she looks to see the Sound team right in front of her. Dosu tells Sakura, with a plain tone, “At least, you don’t have to look out anymore. What’s the point when you are found out? Now, wake Sasuke Uchiha up, little girl.”

Sakura thinks in her mind, seriously, “You’ll never you get him you freak! I need to buy time for Naruto to return! Knowing him, he got himself lost… again!” Sakura yells out, “What do you want here? I know that Orochimaru is running things from the shadows! And what’s that strange mark on Sasuke’s neck? You must want to fight him when he can’t defend himself!”

The Sound team is surprised and Dosu thinks, “What he could be thinking?”

Zaku says, with a sinister smirk, “At talking to us like that, I can’t stay silent! I’m going to kill this girl and then I’m going to kill Sasuke!”

Dosu tells Zaku, “Wait, Zaku!”

Zaku replies, confused, “What? Why?” Zaku goes over and he says, putting his on a spot, “This is the color of dirt recently dug up and this kind of grass doesn’t grow here. If you are going to set a trap, making sure that it is actually hidden.”

Sakura’s eyes widen and Zaku yells out, slyly, “You are such a joke! That’s why you threw that kunai at that squirrel! You didn’t want it setting off your trap!”

Dosu says, with a sly tone, “Now, we kill her!” All three Sound ninja leap high into the air, but then Sakura gives a smirk as she cuts a wire near a kunai set up near here causing a large log to fall down on the Sound team in mid-air! Dosu yells out, “She set up a trap in mid-air too?!” Dosu says, putting one hand on the log, “Nice try, little girl.” Just then he uses a powerful sound attack to destroy the log causing Sakura to gasp in shock. Dosu tells Sakura, “You have no talent as a ninja and you need to make a better effort than that to beat us.”

“Leaf Hurricane!”

But before they can attack Sakura, Rock Lee appears and uses powerful kicks to knock the Sound ninja away.

Lee says, “It looks like you need to make more of an effort.”

Dosu asks, plainly, “Who are you?”

Lee says, with a sly tone, “I’m the handsome demon of the Leaf Village! My name is Rock Lee!”

(Sometime later; Back with Naruto)

Right now, we find Naruto trying to find his way back to the others and he has a nervous look on his face.

Naruto thinks in his mind, “Oh, man! Sakura-chan is going to really let me have it for leaving her and Sasuke-teme alone for so long even if he cares when he wakes up.” Just then Naruto’s sensor ability perks up and he thinks in his mind, “Whoa, man! There is a huge nasty chakra coming from nearby and not just anywhere, it is where Sakura and Sasuke are! This chakra feels kind of… Oh, crap! It is what I sensed earlier from that hicky that Orochimaru gave Sasuke-teme!” Immediately, Naruto takes off back to his teammates not knowing fully what’s going on there.

(A short time soon after; Back with Sasuke and Sakura)

Returning to where Naruto left his teammates, there is not only the Sound team and Rock Lee, but also Team 10 and the rest of Lee’s team on top of a tree branch. Sasuke had just woke up, but he is covered in dark violet sinister chakra and there are black flaming marks all over his body. After Rock Lee joined the battle, he did his best against the Sound Team, but their Sound jutsu managed to overwhelm him. Plus, Sakura’s long hair has been cut short by Sakura’s own hand to escape in which she tried her best to fight back, but she was badly beaten until Ino’s team came in and saved her in which the rest of Lee’s team arrived on that field when Sasuke woke up in this shocking way.

Ino, who is in the female Sound kunoichi’s body using her jutsu, asks, confused, “Sasuke-kun? That’s Sasuke-kun?”

Sasuke then says, his tone very menacing, “Sakura, who did this to you?” However, Sakura was shocked and a bit afraid of Sasuke, with his Sharingan eyes blazing, as well as the black flame markings and sinister chakra surrounding him. In this case, Sakura couldn’t speak much less answer him.

Dosu thinks in his mind, “His whole body is covered in that mark!”

Sakura says, weakly, “Sasuke, what’s happened to you?”

Sasuke says, plainly, “Don’t worry, I’m just fine. It is the power flowing through me. In fact, I never felt better. He gave me this gift. And he made me understand what I am: I am an avenger! To follow my path, I need power at any price! Even if it means being consumed by evil!”

Sakura was getting fearful and Dosu thinks in his mind, “So, those marks that the girl spoke of was the Curse Mark! To think that he would survive and not just survive it!”

Sasuke says, with his menacing tone through not directed at her, “Sakura, tell me which one of these ‘people’ did this to you.”

Zaku yells out, strongly, “That would be me!” When Sasuke looks at Zaku, he just smirks while Sasuke gives a deadly glare with his Sharingan eyes.

Shikamaru yells out, “Ino, hurry up and get back in your body! You don’t want to get involved and you, too, Choji!”

Choji yells out, “I’m coming, Shikamaru!” On the meanwhile, Ino releases her jutsu and goes back into her own body.

Shikamaru tells Ino, with a smile, “That’s a girl, Ino.”

Choji asks Shikamaru, worriedly, “Shikamaru, what’s this all about?”

Shikamaru replies, “How should I know?”

As the marks mainly covers Sasuke’s body, Zaku thinks in his mind, worriedly, “What is this?” Zaku thinks in his mind, “This completely changes everything! His chakra is too powerful!”

Zaku yells out, slyly, “Dosu, are you getting cold feet?!”

Dosu calls out, seeing his teammate about to attack, “Zaku, you don’t understand!”

“Super Sonic Slicing Wave!”

Zaku then unleashes a powerful blast of sound that creates massive winds that forces everyone else around to struggle to hold out against such a powerful attack and when the attack ended, there is a lot of smoke and dust.
Zaku says, slyly, “What do you know? I blew them all away!”

Just then Sasuke’s voice calls out, “Not quite, fool.” Zaku then gasps as he is hit in the neck by Sasuke’s left elbow while Sakura is kneeling in front of him causing the Sound ninja to sent spiraling into the ground.

Dosu says, shocked, “Such speed. He got his teammate away in a blink of an eye.”

“Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!”

Sasuke unleashes a powerful flame attack, but Zaku counters with a blast of his sound attack, however, he finds there were shuriken in the flames in which he yelps out in pain as they slice through him.

Dosu yells out, “Zaku, look out! Below you!” However, it was too late as Sasuke slips in and gets behind him grabbing him by his wrists in which he pulls his arms behind his back putting his right foot on his back. Sakura then notices Sasuke getting a sadistic smirk on his lips.

On the sidelines, Ino thinks in her mind, fearfully, “Sasuke-kun’s chakra… its different… fierce… darker… Can it really be Sasuke-kun?”

Sasuke says, with his sadistic smirk, “You seem to be really fond of those arms of yours. You must be very attached to them.”

Zaku says, fearfully, “No, you can’t. What are you doing? You can’t!” Everyone else then watches in horror as Sasuke dislocates and breaks both of Zaku’s arms!

As Sasuke turns to face Dosu, a familiar male voice calls out, “What do you think that you are doing, Teme?” Everyone then looks to see Naruto leap down from the trees in which he is shocked to see the markings all over him.

Naruto thinks in his mind, shocked, “Oh, geez! I knew it! It is Sasuke! Those markings… his chakra… I can feel it… so sinister… just like… Orochimaru…”

Sasuke tells Naruto, with his sadistic smile, “It is about time, Dobe. While you were goofing off, I was taking care of business.”
Naruto tells Sasuke, with a glare, “I wasn’t goofing off, Teme. I was trying to find us a safe route to the tower since you were just lying around and doing nothing. I was working while you were the one lazing around.”

Sasuke replies, with a sadistic smile, “Bravo for you, Naruto. Now, stay out of my way.”

Naruto tells Sasuke, “And let you continue on like this. You are no shape! Whatever that hicky that Orochimaru-teme gave you is messing with your head!”

Sasuke gives a sinister laugh and he tells Naruto, “What this ‘hicky’ is doing, Dobe, is giving me power! The power that I need to fulfill my mission! The mission of an avenger!”
Naruto says, with a sneer, “No, Teme, what that thing is doing is making you a mere pawn of Orochimaru! I may not understand about what’s going on, but I know that much since that ‘hicky’ and Orochimaru have very much the same chakra! And to me, you are just pathetic! The real Sasuke Uchiha wouldn’t need power from others!”

Sasuke replies, with a snort, “So says that Fourth Hokage’s brat! You have the greatest power sealed in your and guess what?! It isn’t yours!”

Naruto tells Sasuke, with a glare, “I don’t depend on that power, Teme! Why do you think I’ve been training so much? To become Hokage under my own power, not with THAT power. I only dare to use that power unless it is truly necessary! And someone like you would want to get his goals done with power that you have gained, not from some stupid hicky from a snake freak! Look at what you are doing! Sure, we ninja have to kill and such, but this is too much! It is sadistic and completely out of line! You had beaten the jerk and you ripped his arms right out of their sockets! That’s totally uncalled for!”

Sasuke replies, with a snort, “Are you done, Naruto?”

Naruto tells Sasuke, with a glare, “I warn you, Teme, don’t make me take you down.” Naruto’s body then becomes surrounded by his strong chakra aura and Sasuke gives a sadistic smirk.

Sasuke then yells out, with a growl, “You warn me?! Ha! You might be the child of the Fourth Hokage, but gives you no right to order me around, Naruto! You stay out of my way…!!”

Naruto replies, interrupting, “Or else what, Teme? Just try it!” Naruto’s eyes then turn into his Rinnegan eyes after he closes and reopens them with his chakra flaring.

Sakura yells out, “Sasuke-kun! Naruto! Don’t…!!” However, Naruto and Sasuke charge each other in which Sasuke draws a kunai ready to slash Naruto in which Naruto makes a motion to do the ‘Flying Peacock’ dodge.

Sasuke thinks in his mind, with a sadistic smile, “That won’t work on me, Dobe!” But when they get close and Sasuke starts to move his kunai, Naruto doesn’t flip up, but he drops down below Sasuke surprising him completely. When he turns around, Naruto rams his right fist into chest causing Sasuke to gasp out as oxygen is flung out of his lungs as well as surprising a few ninja. Naruto then spins around and rams his left elbow in the back of Sasuke’s neck, hard! And then Naruto does it a second time causing Sasuke’s vision to get hazy in which he thinks, “But how…?” As Sasuke falls to the ground, the flame markings all over his body recede back into the mark on his neck giving to him by Orochimaru in which Sasuke collapses to the ground and into unconsciousness once more.

For the moment, there is only silence and Shikamaru thinks in his mind, “Naruto just took out Sasuke when he had gone berserk!”

Dosu thinks in his mind, “This brat… defeated Sasuke even through he had the power of the ‘Curse Mark’. Who is he?”

Tenten thinks in her mind, “Wow! I knew that Naruto was good.”

Naruto thinks in his mind, “I’m really glad that Hayabusa-sensei taught me that too!” Naruto looks at Sakura, his eyes returned to normal, and he tells her, “Sorry, Sakura-chan, it had to be done.”

Dosu takes out an Earth scroll and he says, putting it down, “Let’s make a deal: We’ll give you this scroll and you let us go.”

Naruto tells them, “Don’t bother. We already have the scrolls that we need. All I want from you is answers. Sakura-chan said that you work for Orochimaru-baka right? What does he want with Sasuke? And what was that he put on him?”

Dosu says, picking up his injured teammate, Zaku, and the unconscious kunoichi, “I don’t know. All we were told to do is attack Sasuke, that’s all.”

Sakura yells out, annoyed, “Do you expect us to believe that?”

Zaku replies, plainly, “Believe what you want to believe little girl.” Zaku thinks in her mind, “I don’t get why Orochimaru-sama sent us out to attack someone that he gave such power to and how Sasuke Uchiha was able to survive at all. There are too many questions.”

As they leave, Naruto and Sakura look at them seriously in which Naruto asks, seeing Sakura, “Sakura, what happened to you? And your hair?”

Sakura tells Naruto, with a sigh, “It is a bit of a long story, Naruto.”

Shikamaru calls out, “Are you guys all right?” As Team 10 runs over to them to render any aid that they can, Neji is looking over them with a serious eye.

Neji thinks in his mind, “That was no normal chakra. What was it? And those eyes that Namikaze had: So, that’s the Rinnegan, huh? He is far stronger than I thought. The Uchiha clan and the Fourth Hokage’s son are far stronger than I give them credit for.”

As Ino helps Lee, who is unconscious due to his battle with the Sound ninja, she thinks, looking at Naruto, “Is that the same Naruto? The same goofy kid that played pranks and was the worst student in the whole of the Academy?! Forehead said that he was getting training from not only their sensei, but a powerful ninja outside of the Elemental Countries! And his eyes… Is that Rinnegan that I’ve heard about?”

Naruto asks Shikamaru and Choji, “And what’s your story? What are you doing here?”

Shikamaru says, with a sigh, “Explaining everything to you would be such a pain, Naruto.”

Naruto says, with a snort, “Look, pal. I left my teammates behind to find a safe way to get to that tower and when I come back, I find one of my teammates badly injured and the other one going crazy because of some kind of hicky that some snake freak put on or in him!”

Sakura tells Naruto, with a weak smile, “Everyone came to help, Naruto.”

Naruto asks Sakura, “Really, Sakura-chan?”

Tenten appears in front of Ino and she tells her, “I’ll take care of him, Ino.”

Ino replies, a bit surprised, “Okay…” Just then Tenten shakes and yell at Lee causing plenty of the others to sweatdrop at the sigh.

Lee wakes up and replies, weakly, “Tenten, what are you doing here?”

Tenten replies, “I came here to help you, what do you think?”

Lee asks, “Where are those Sound ninja?”

Tenten replies, “Sasuke and Naruto took care of them, but Sasuke… overexerted himself.”

Lee asks, curiously, “Really?”

Tenten tells Lee, scoldingly, “What in the heck were you thinking Lee? Look at you, you are a total mess!”

Lee asks, “Sakura was in trouble and I had to help, right?”

Tenten thinks in her mind, “Just what was Lee thinking! He knew that he didn’t stand a chance against all those guys!” Tenten tells Lee, scoldingly, “That’s was pretty stupid, don’t you think?”

Lee replies, embarrassed, “Well, I guess I can’t argue with that!”

Naruto asks, seeing Lee, “Hey, what’s Bushy Brows doing here? And what happened to him? He looks like that he had a whole pack of bulls or some other large animals run over him! Believe it!”

Sakura tells Naruto, with a smile, “He helped me out and helped me get a bit stronger.” Naruto gives a confused look as Lee looks at Sakura, hearing what she had just said.

On the meanwhile, Neji is looking down on them and he thinks, “Sasuke Uchiha. And Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. They are stronger opponents than I could have imagined especially Namikaze. He may have some of his parents in him after all.”

(On the meanwhile; Elsewhere)

Inside of a building of some sort, we find Team 8 assembled together with Kiba’s canine partner, Akamaru, trembling on the floor.

Kiba pets him and Kiba tells his canine friend, “Akamaru, are you okay?”

Shino tells Kiba, “Is he still trembling? He has been doing it for half a day now.”

Hinata tells Akamaru, “Akamaru…”

Kiba tells Shino, “I don’t blame him. Not after what we saw.”

Flashback; Sometime ago

Right now, we find Team 8 leaping through the trees towards the tower since the team that they caught in their trap had an Earth scroll and Team 8 had a Heaven’s scroll much like Naruto’s team got.

Kiba yells out, excitedly, “Yahoo, Akamaru! I know that we are going to ace this survival exam! And it is lucky for us that team had an Earth scroll! Now, we are going to be the first ones to that tower!”

Shino tells Kiba, plainly, “Don’t get overconfident, Kiba. It will be a dangerous mistake. Even a little bug must watch its back. And the only way to stay safe is to avoid enemies at all times.”

Kiba says, with a snort, “Yeah, I know, Shino. But as usual, you need to say in a weird way, bug nerd.”

Shino gives annoyed expression and Hinata tells Kiba, “Kiba, Shino does have a point you know.”

Kiba says, plainly, “Yeah, I know, Hinata.”

Hinata thinks in her mind, concerned, “I just hope that Naruto-kun is okay and nothing happened to him like he warned me about.”

Kiba and Akamaru then sniff, stop in their tracks, and Kiba yells out, “Hold it, everyone! We need to stop!”

Shino asks, plainly, “Why?”

Kiba replies, “You said that we need to be careful of enemies, right?” Kiba tells Hinata, “Hinata, check ahead of you about one kilometer.” Hinata then nods her head and uses her Byakugan to see what’s ahead.

Hinata says, with a plain tone, “Yes, Kiba. There are people up ahead.”

Shino says, listening in through the trees and ground, “I say that there would be six of them.”

Kiba says, excitedly, “Okay, let’s check it out!”

Hinata and Shino look at Kiba in surprise and Shino asks, in a shocked tone, “Kiba, what are you saying?”

Kiba says, with a sly tone, “The proctor said that we need a Heaven and Earth scroll, right? But it doesn’t say that we couldn’t take more! If we take more scrolls, it means that less people to face in the finals!”

Hinata says, nervously, “But, Kiba…”

Kiba tells Hinata, “Don’t worry, if they prove too strong, then we don’t do a darn and avoid them!”

Kiba and Akamaru then head off and Shino says, “He is a guy that a hungriest buy wouldn’t follow.” Soon enough, Shino and Hinata follow him and hiding in the bushes, but Akamaru is shaking in fear.

Hinata asks, curiously, “What happened?”

Kiba says, “Something spooked the little guy, Hinata.”

Akamaru hides in Kiba’s jacket and Hinata asks, “What scared him?”

Kiba replies, “I’m not sure. Akamaru has the ability to smell a person’s chakra and I’ve never seen him scared by it. Whoever those are up ahead, they aren’t normal guys.” As they look through the bushes, Team 8 sees that it is the Sand team with Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, against another team from the Land of Rain. The leader of the Rain team unleashes a powerful attack of needles that hits Gaara from all sides with a strong explosion. However, he is shocked to see Gaara just fine and surrounded by an egg-shaped shield of sand. Gaara then entraps the leader of the Rain ninja team in a mound of sand and then kills him by crushing into pulp sending blood raining down all around. Soon after, Gaara kills the rest of the Rain ninja team the same way as Team 8 makes their escape.

End Flashback; Return to the Present

Now, inside of the tower, we find Team 8 assembled trying to calm Akamaru down from that memory. They found out after they arrived that Gaara and his team managed to arrive first when they passed just after they got inside.

(Elsewhere within the tower; on the meanwhile)

Within the tower, we find Anko and two ANBU watching a tape on a television screen given by a Chunin in which it shows Gaara and his team entering tower in which Anko notices the time causing her to be shocked.

Anko asks, stunned, “But this…?!”

The Chunin says, with a nod, “That’s right, Anko-san. This team finished about one hour and thirty seven minutes after the test started.”

Anko says, shocked, “That’s impossible!”

The Chunin says, shocked, “That Sand team is way beyond Genin level. They destroyed the old recorded by many hours.”

Anko says, with a plain tone, “It is more than that. It is ten kilometers from the entrances to here filled with traps, animals, and their fellow examinees trying to pass the exam as well. And there is also that red haired kid.”

The Chunin asks, perplexed, “What do you mean?”

Anko asks, “You mean that you don’t see?”

The Chunin exams the tape again and he asks, “I don’t get it? What I am not seeing?”

Anko says, with a plain tone, “And that’s the point. That kid doesn’t even have a scratch on him.”

The Chunin says, with a smile, “I see.” The Chunin thinks in his mind, “No Chunin could make it to the tower from any entry point without at least one scratch on him.”

One of the ANBU says, with a plain tone, “It has been a long time since we had such a promising candidate, but his eyes are pure evil. I guess that Naruto-sama was right about him.”

The Chunin and Anko look at the ANBU and Anko asks, curiously, “What do you mean?”

The ANBU replies, “Namikaze-sama warned Hokage-sama about this kid. He is just like him.”

Anko and the Chunin gasps and the Chunin asks, “Do you mean that…?!”

The ANBU replies, with a nod and interrupting, “That’s right. Naruto-sama was the first to meet him and sense his ‘tenant’. We’ve been keeping an eye on him. Naruto-sama also warned that this kid had a ton of negative and evil emotions in him and this kid’s eyes shows that Naruto-sama was right about him.”

Anko says, with a plain tone, “Speaking of the gaki, I know that I was right when I sensed the fox’s chakra.”

The ANBU replies, with a nod, “Many of us felt it. Namikaze-sama must have been forced to use the fox’s chakra since he was warned by both of his teachers not to use it unless it is really necessary. Naruto-sama might be a jokester, but there are plenty of things that he takes serious and that’s one of them. Since he used the fox’s chakra, he must have had a good reason.”

Anko thinks in her mind, seriously, “I know exactly the reason that the gaki had to use the fox’s chakra.” Soon enough, the image of Orochimaru’s eyes comes into Anko’s mind and she thinks, “But what I don’t is the connection between the Sand sending its ‘demon container’, who looks to be a nut job, here, and that snake coming back! It doesn’t seem possible, but I know that both are connected! I know that he is after Sasuke Uchiha for his Sharingan and most likely, he’ll go after Naruto for his Rinnegan and Uzumaki stamina and vitality as well as longevity! I know that he has the thing for immortality and learning how the Uzumaki life-force ticks could help him in his sick research.”

(Within the tower; around the third day of the exam)

Right now, we find Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, who is up and about, about to open the scrolls that they had gotten even through the rules say not to open them before they reach the tower. After the battle with the Sound ninja, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke head for the tower and despite Naruto getting lost earlier, he managed to keep them safe until Sasuke woke up. The mark on his neck didn’t ‘activate’ as when Sasuke first woke when he got it, but he did remember what happened through he didn’t like it knowing that Naruto knock him out so easily. When Sasuke back on his feet, they managed to easily get to the tower right now shortly after midnight in which it is now the third day. Naruto and Sakura opened up the scrolls and they are surprised just to find some writing with a huge Kanji word in the middle.

Just then the center of the scrolls bulge out and smoke comes from in which Sasuke yells out, “Oh no! This is a summoning jutsu! Naruto! Sakura! Get rid of the scrolls now!” Sakura and Naruto throw the scrolls away in which they create a lot of smoke and cause a figure to appear from it.

When they see who the figure is, Sasuke asks, surprised, “It’s you?!” Out of the smoke, it is none other than Iruka looking at them.

Iruka tells them, slyly, “Hey, everyone! Long time no see!”

Sakura asks, perplexed, “Iruka-sensei, what are you doing here?”

Iruka says, with a smile, “It looks like all of you went through a lot in this test.”

Naruto asks, confused, “Iruka-sensei, what’s with the surprise appearance through a summoning jutsu?”

Iruka replies, “At the end of this test, we, Chunin, have the important role of greeting the test takers and you are lucky that I got chosen for your team, Naruto.”

Sakura asks, confused, “The messenger?”

Iruka then says, looking at a watch, “Not bad, you guys. This is the third day of exam through it is still the middle of the night. Congratulations, you have passed the second part of the exam!” Iruka tells them, “You still have about two days to rest up before the rest of examinees arrive.”

Sakura thinks in her mind, “That’s good news.”

Iruka tells Naruto, “Naruto, if you want, we have sometime for some ramen. My treat.”

Naruto yells out, excitedly, “Oh, yeah! You are the best Iruka-sensei! I haven’t had good food in two to three days! This is going to be great!”

Sakura and Sasuke collapse to the floor and Sasuke asks, plainly, “Where does that Dobe get his energy?”

Sakura tells Naruto, with a sigh, “Okay, Naruto, calm down!”

Sasuke then asks Iruka, “So, Iruka, what would you have done if we had opened the scrolls during the middle of the exam?”

Iruka tells Sasuke, “As usual, Sasuke, you are as sharp as a tack.” Iruka goes up, picks up one of the open scrolls that he came out of, and he says, showing it, “This mission was to test if you can see a mission all the way through. As you know, opening the scrolls before getting here was forbidden and we were ordered to knock out anyone that opened the scrolls. Some of the candidates found out the hard way.”

Sakura thinks in her mind, “Something tells me that they will be stars for weeks if anything at all!”

Inner Sakura yells out, strongly, “No joke! Cha! It is a good thing that we listened!”

Sakura then asks Iruka, “Iruka-sensei, what is the meaning of that board up there?” Soon enough, Iruka then explains about the writing on the board above and its meaning.

When he was done, Iruka tells them, “I’m proud of all of you. Now take this time to rest and recover your strength. You are going to need it for the future.”

Naruto says, with a sly smirk, “No problem, Iruka-sensei! And I can’t wait to see your face when I become a Chunin!”

Iruka tells Naruto, with a grin, “I know that I will be proud of you when you do become a Chunin, Naruto. And I’m sure that your parents, which I know they are watching you, will be too!”

Naruto yells out, with a foxy smile, “You know it, Iruka-sensei! Believe it!” Naruto thinks in his mind, “Mom… dad… I hope that you are watching up there! The greatest Hokage is on his way to the top! Believe it!”

(Sometime later; Back with Anko)

Rejoining Anko, we find her with Izumo, Kotetsu, the Third Hokage, Ninja Ryu, Momiji, Kalin, Leon, and our Fudo twins in which Anko is winching from soreness in her neck from a similar mark that Sasuke was given by Orochimaru.

Third Hokage asks, concerned, “Does the Curse Mark still hurt, Anko?”

Anko replies, covering her neck up, “No, Hokage-sama. It is fine thanks to you.”

Kotetsu says, with a plain tone, “That’s good, but we need to get back to business. This Orochimaru is supposed to be one of the legendary Sannin, one of the three great ninja wasn’t he? I heard that he died, but I guess that was just a rumor.”

Izumo asks, seriously, “What is he doing here in this village anyway?”

Ninja Ryu asks, curiously, “Do you think that he is after the Signers, Hokage-sama?”

There are gasps from the two Chunin behind Anko, but she says, shaking her head, “Not just them. He is also after that kid.”

Third Hokage asks, curiously, “He is after Sasuke, correct?”

Anko gasps in surprise and she says, with a nod, “That’s right, but it is more.”

Third Hokage says, “So, he also wants Naruto as well. For his Rinnegan, his Uzumaki vitality, and finally, he knows that he is a Signer.”

Anko says, with a nod, “Right, Hokage-sama. He said that he fought the gaki himself and he said that he had wondered why he was given the last name of Kushina-sama’s clan, but he knows fully about the gaki’s heritage.”

Izumo asks, stunned, “Orochimaru fought Naruto?”

Kotetsu says, with a plain tone, “So, it was the Kyuubi’s chakra that we felt. Naruto must have been forced to use it to fight Orochimaru.”

Ninja Ryu says, with a nod, “Most likely, Kotetsu-san. A ninja of Orochimaru’s skills vastly outranks Naruto despite all the training that he has recently got. Naruto would have been forced to use that chakra and the Rinnegan just to stand a fighting chance.”

Leon asks, curiously, “What kind of man is Orochimaru?”

Izumo says, with a plain tone, “Some say that he isn’t a man at all and that tells you something.”

Third Hokage replies, “Orochimaru was once my student as all the Sannin were and I can tell you that I had once considered him for Hokage as one of my best, but I knew better. He has a thirst for knowledge specifically jutsu. He wants to learn about all of the world’s jutsu which is impossible for one life-time which he also most likely seeking out a way to be immortal.”

Ryu says, plainly, “And that’s why he would want Naruto since his clan lives so long lives.”

Third Hokage says, with a plain tone, “That’s right. Orochimaru didn’t think much of Naruto’s last name since I didn’t reveal his heritage and thought I gave him in honor of Kushina for some reason or another. However, since he knows the truth, he may feel that Naruto’s Uzumaki vitality may be a clue. And the Rinnegan and Sharingan will give him greater power for whatever he desires he wants.”

Ayane says, drolly, “It is not surprising.”

Kalin asks, plainly, “So, he may want the power of the Crimson Dragon for that purpose?”

Third Hokage says, with a nod, “Indeed, Kalin-san. If he finds out about Ayane’s power, if he hasn’t already, he will want to use her as well for his plans.” Ryu goes in front of his sister in protective manner on hearing that. Third Hokage tells them, “It is safe to say that he may already known who the current Signers are already and that’s why it is best that you stay here with us for now. I believe that Orochimaru won’t make his move just yet, but he will take any chance that he can to get you unguarded or with insufficient protection.”

Ayane says, worriedly, “First, our parents are murdered. Now, there are people like Sayer and those that hired Hunter Pace that are after us. Next, the Dark Signers have returned.”

Ryu replies, with a nod, “I know how you feel, sis. And now, this snake freak, Orochimaru, shows up and wants us as well as Sasuke and Naruto for separate reasons.”

Third Hokage says, with a plain tone, “For now, we will continue with the Chunin Exams, but we need to keep a close eye on his movements. Plus, based on what Naruto told us, we may have an idea on who could be one of his agents and we will need to keep a close eye on Sand Jinchuriki, the holder of the One Tails.”

Ninja Ryu asks Third Hokage, “Did your messages to Jiraiya of the Sannin get through, Hokage-sama?”

Third Hokage replies, “I’m not sure, Hayabusa-sama, but I think that Jiraiya will come here after the messages that I sent. I just hope that he can give Naruto the training that he needs. I fear that Naruto will need at least one of his father’s two legendary jutsu before the third stage of the exams begins.” The Chunin and Anko gives amazed look hearing the Third Hokage’s comments and plenty of the others give worried looks about what’s head for all of them.

(During the same evening; Just outside of the Forest of Death)

Back outside of the Forest of Death, we find Yami Marik looking at the tower of the Forest of Death with a group of mind control ninja under the control of his Millennium Rod including a female ANBU with cat-like mask and long violet hair.

Yami Marik says, with a sinister smile, “Soon, the greatest power from the time of Shadow Games shall be mine and the Pharaoh gone, there is no one to stop me!” Yami Marik gives an evil laugh, but his mind controlled victims can’t do anything but stand there is blank expressions on their faces.

(Around two days later; within the tower in the Forest of Death)

Right now, we find ourselves in the center of the tower where we find a large arena-like room with an electronic board on top with statues of two large arms and hands making a ninja hand sign below it. In the center of the arena, we find Team 7, Team 8, Team 10, Team Gai, Kabuto’s team, the Sound Team, Samui and her team, the Sand Ninja, and another group of Cloud ninja. In front of these nine teams, we find a group of Chunin and Jonin including Anko and Ibiki in front of the Third Hokage, who has Kakashi, Kurenai, Gai, a brown and brown-gray wearing Sand ninja, Yugito, Orochimaru, disguised as a Sound Jonin, another Leaf ninja that’s leader of Kabuto’s team, and another large Cloud ninja.

This final Cloud ninja is a dark-skinned tall male with a very muscular build much like the Raikage’s physical build, with pale blond hair under a bandage that acts like his Cloud headband, black glasses over his eyes, pale blond beard, his right shoulder has a tattoo with the Kanji for ‘iron’, his left cheek has a tattoo of a bull’s horn, his white colored flak jacket over his chest, red rope around his waist, white hand bands, white scarf around his neck, black pants, and black open-toed ninja sandals.

Anko says, with a plain tone, “First of all, congratulations for finishing the second exam!” Anko thinks in her mind, “I expected less than half of them to be gone, but I thought that those who would left would be in the single digits.”

With the group of examinees, Choji says, “I’m really hungry.”

Shikamaru says, “There are so many people left. This is such a pain and plenty of them had time to rest to.”

Ino says, with a smile, “Sasuke-kun and his team pasted too!”

Shikamaru says, with a plain tone, “Of course, they passed. With all of the trouble that we went through saving Sakura and him until Naruto came back, they had better pass.”

Might Gai tells Kakashi, “It looks like your team passed this test. They must have been really lucky. But with my team still around, your team’s days are numbered. In terms of skill, my team has got yours outclassed. Of course, one of the challenges of growing is learning to deal with heart break.”

Kakashi asks Gai, as if not hearing him at all, “Huh? Did you say something Gai?”

Gai thinks in his mind, exasperated, “Kakashi, you and your attitude!”

Neji thinks in his mind, “As expected, the best are here.”

With the Sound ninja team, Zaku thinks in his mind, “I’ll get you back from what you did to my arms, Sasuke!” As everyone looked around and collected their thoughts, Kurenai notices that Akamaru is worried in which Kiba knows that it is about the Sand ninja especially Gaara.

Hinata thinks in her mind, with a smile, “I knew that Naruto-kun could pass! I’m so glad!”

Sakura tells Naruto and Sasuke, “It looks like all of the rookies are here.”

Naruto says, with a nod, “No joke, Sakura-chan. There is also Iruka-sensei and Old Man Hokage as well as Bushy Brows. No one got thrown from this show.”

Sasuke says, rubbing the area with the Curse Mark is, “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

Naruto thinks in his mind, “You and me both, Sasuke! And I don’t like it that Kabuto guy is here and I know that Sound Jonin is that Orochimaru bastard from earlier! He can change his looks, but he can’t change his ‘smell’! But I can’t raise a ruckus or there could be problems in here! Believe it! But it really burns me to let that snake stand there! I guess that I got to trust the Old Man and his plans.”

Third Hokage thinks in his mind, “It is so amazing to see them still here and so many of them rookies. It is not surprising that they fought so hard for them, but then again, I’m not surprised about Kakashi’s team. He has trained them quite well and Naruto gained additional training from Hayabusa-sama. Not only that, he has complete access to the Kyuubi’s chakra without the fox able to put its will into it to influence Naruto at all. And both Naruto and Sasuke have powerful dojutsu Kekkai Genkai on their side.” As the Third Hokage looks up, the Fudo twins, Kalin, Leon, Ninja Ryu, and Momiji are looking down at them all from a railing.

Anko yells out, “Okay, maggots, listen up since Hokage-sama is going to explain the Third Exam to you!” Anko tells Third Hokage, “Hokage-sama.”

Third Hokage then says, after clearing his throat, “Before I explain about what the third test entails, I need to explain something about the exam, so, please listen up, everyone.” Soon enough, the Third Hokage explains about the purpose of the Chunin Exams along with a bit of its history.

After the explanation is done, Ayane says, amazed, “The Elemental Countries and the Hidden Village have a real complex history.”

Ryu tells Ayane, “But from we learned in our world’s history, there isn’t really much difference.”

Ninja Ryu tells the male Fudo twin, “You are right.”

Leon tells them, “And you have to admit that Duel Monsters has origins in combat with life and death on the line in the form of the Shadow Games of Egypt or the battles between the Crimson Dragon and the Earthbound Immortals.”

Kalin says, plainly, “In matter of fact, our ‘worlds’ aren’t really too different despite everything.”

With the Third Hokage done, Naruto says, with a grin, “He sure convinced me.”

Gaara says, with a plain tone, “I’ll take on any challenge. Just give us the details of the test.”

Third Hokage yells out, with a nod, “Okay, I shall now explain the details of the test to you!”

Just then a Jonin with brown coming out of a blue bandana that acts of his Leaf Headband appears in front of the Third Hokage and he says, “Hokage-sama, as the proctor of the Third Exam, I, Hayate Gecko, would like to speak first.”

Third Hokage says, with a nod, “So be it, Gecko-san.”

The Jonin, identified as the proctor of the third part of the Chunin Exams, Hayate Gecko, says, “It is nice to meet everyone.” He then coughs and turns to face everyone, showing his sickly expression, “There is something that I would like *cough* all of you to do before the exam.” He then coughs greatly surprising quite of examinees in front of him in which he says, “We need to have a preliminary exam before we move onto the real Third Exam.”

Sakura asks, confused, “I’m sorry, sensei, but why do we need to do that?”

Hayate replies, “We need to lower the number of candidates and the fact is that we didn’t expect so many of you to be here. The rules state that we can hold a preliminary exam at any time and reduce the number of candidates remaining. As Hokage-sama just told you, we have important guests arriving and we can’t waste their time. They are only here to see the best. If there are those of you that feel that you aren’t in top physical condition…”

He then greatly coughs in which Ino thinks, “Talk about not being not in top physical condition.”

Hinata thinks in her mind, “The proctor doesn’t look so good.”

When Hayate stops coughing, he says, “Sorry about that. As I said, those of you that feel that can’t go on, bow out now. The preliminaries are starting immediately.”

Kiba yells out, stunned, “What?”

Ino asks, solemnly, “We just got here. Don’t we get a break?”

Shikamaru says, solemnly, “What a drag.”

Choji says, “I’m hungry.”

Naruto says, with a sigh of relief, “I’m glad that we got here a few days ago.”

Sakura says, with a nod, “No joke, Naruto.”

Inner Sakura yells out, “Damn right, girlfriend! Are they trying to kill us? Cha!”

Hayate says, plainly, “If anyone wants to leave now, just raise their hand.”

Sasuke thinks in his mind, “Does he really think that anyone will quit?”

Sasuke winches in pain and holds his left shoulder in which Sakura says, lowly, “Sasuke-kun…”

When Naruto looks over, he thinks, “It’s that hicky that snake freak gave Sasuke again. I can tell that it is trying to take him over again. Personally, I would be pissed that Sasuke chickened out especially for my chance to knock him for loop when he isn’t being corrupted by stuff like that, but there is no one that the Teme can fight at his best with that kind of thing messing with his body and mind! Believe it! He need to get it taken care of right now!”

Sakura thinks in her mind, concerned, “Oh no, I knew it. And Naruto can tell too.” Sakura tells Sasuke, “Sasuke, you have got to quit. You’ve been like this since we’ve battled with Orochimaru. It’s that mark that he gave you isn’t it? Naruto can tell too. His senses can tell when that thing is acting up.” Sakura says, with tears threatening to form and in a pleading form, “Please, Sasuke-kun, quit before something bad will happen.”

On the meanwhile, Third Hokage and the group also notices in which Third Hokage, “It is just as I thought.”

Ibiki asks, plainly, “What do we do with him?”

Anko replies, “We take him out of the exam, hand him to the ANBU, and lock him somewhere to keep that seal under control.”

Kakashi tells them, “And you think that he will go alone with it. He is of the Uchiha clan.”

Anko replies, “I don’t give a damn about who he is, Kakashi! He has become a danger to everyone here! As he gets stronger, so does the Curse Mark! It is a forbidden jutsu! It is a miracle that he is still alive. He should be dead.”

Sakura tells Sasuke, pleadingly, “Come on, Sasuke, you know that you are in condition to keep on fighting.”

Sasuke tells Sakura, “Shut up, Sakura!”

Sakura tells Sasuke, “Do you think that I’m blind or something?”

Sasuke tells Sakura, “Would you please be quiet?”

Sakura tells Sasuke, “Do you think that I’m blind to your suffering?”

Sasuke tells Sakura, “That’s enough, Sakura.”

Naruto tells Sasuke, with a snort, “No, Teme. That’s enough out of you.” When Sasuke and Sakura look at Naruto, he says, annoyed, “I can’t believe that you are being a real asshole about this, Sasuke-teme! And I won’t let you make Sakura-chan cry! If you don’t go, I’ll go over to the Old Man and I’ll make you go even if I have to drag you myself! And you know darn well that I don’t need you-know-what’s chakra to beat the heck out of you.” Sasuke growls at the memory of when the Curse Mark first activated and Naruto managed to knock him out quite easily.

But then Kabuto raises his head and he says, “Okay, you got me! I’m out!”

Hayate says, plainly, “Kabuto Yakushi of the Leaf Village, right? Okay, you can step aside.”

Kabuto says, with a smile, “Right, sir.”

Naruto asks, with a serious glare, “What do you think that you are going Kabuto?”

Kabuto replies, with a smile, “Sorry, Naruto, but my body can’t hack it.”

With the Third Hokage and those around him, Third Hokage asks, “If memory serves, this is the first time that this boy has bowed out of battle. What’s his game?”

Ibiki asks Anko, “Anko?”

Anko goes through the papers and she says, “Right, Ibiki. It says here that he is Kabuto Yakushi and he has failed six times in a row.”

Third Hokage asks, curiously, “What do you have on his background?”

Anko replies, “He isn’t too impressive. Average grades, took three times to pass the Genin exams, and he has only two C-ranks and twelve D-rank missions. However, there is something, Hokage-sama. Do you remember the child found after the battle of the Kikyo Pass?”

Third Hokage asks, “I heard the story. There was a small child among the enemy dead that was barely and was brought back by a Jonin member of the medical corps. Is that the boy, Anko?”

As Kabuto leaves, he thinks, slyly, “Sorry, Naruto. Sorry, Sasuke. I can’t stay and play or the ‘old me’ might get stirred up. Can’t have that, can we? I wouldn’t be a good spy if I blow my cover and besides I think that you already have your suspicions about me, Naruto. With that darn sensory ability from the Nine-Tailed Fox that you gained taking control of its power, you might already know about Orochimaru-sama, but even you know better than start a ruckus, Naruto. However, my job is over and I’ll leave things to you, Orochimaru-sama. But you had better be careful especially with Naruto. After all, he is the child of the two of the Leaf village’s greatest ninja other than yourself and your former teammates. Naruto… Sasuke… until we meet again and we may not be on so ‘friendly’ terms since you and the Hyuga girl hold two of the ‘Marks of the Dragon’ in which Orochimaru-sama wants to get his hands on the power of the Crimson Dragon.”

After Kabuto leaves the room, Hayate asks, “Does anyone else want to quit?”

Sakura thinks in her mind, “I can’t let this go on!”

But before Sakura can say or do anything, Sasuke says, “Don’t you dare, Sakura. And don’t even think about it, Dobe. I’m an avenger. Becoming a Chunin means next to nothing for me because I want to know is that am I strong that I want and need to be? The only way that I can do is to fight the best. And the best of the best is right here. This is the path that I walk and not you or the Dobe can change that.” Sasuke tells Naruto, with a glare, “And you. Don’t you remember what happened in that duel with Paradox? Don’t you remember the truth about THAT day? The one who took your parents from you, Naruto? You said that you wanted to find my ancestor and stop him once and for all. Does that mean that you need to become stronger and find out if you are strong enough to succeed in your goals?”

Naruto says, with a serious glare, “Yeah, I do, Sasuke.”

Sasuke tells Naruto, with a serious tone, “Then you know how I feel, Dobe.” Sasuke says, with a smile, “And besides, I know that you want to fight me and I feel the same way, Dobe. You have showed to be a powerful opponent and I want to fight you among a few others the most.” Naruto gives a surprise look at Sasuke as the two teammates and rivals look at each other.

Back with Third Hokage and the others, Third Hokage says, “I’m still concerned about what Orochimaru said. Allow the boy to continue for now.”

Anko asks, shocked, “Hokage-sama?!”
Third Hokage says, with a plain tone, “But at first sign of trouble with that Curse Mark, you will stop it.”

Ibiki says, with a nod, “Yes, Hokage-sama.”

Anko says, with a nod and reluctant tone of voice, “Right, Hokage-sama.” Soon after, Hayate explains the rules about the preliminary rounds and what they were about.

When he was done, Hayate tells everyone, “Now, it is time to reveal what kind of fate is in store for you.”

However, the ninja in the room sense something and an evil laugh rings all over the place in which Ayane asks, stunned, “What is that?”

Just then an evil voice calls out, “I’m afraid that I’m going to have to interrupt your little ‘event’ through I must say that I would love to watch such brutal combat myself!”

Everyone looks around and Ino asks, nervously, “Is this part of the test?”

Shikamaru says, seriously, “I don’t think so!”

Everyone looks around for the source of the evil voice and Anko yells out, angrily, “Who dares?!”

Just then voice calls out, from somewhere nearby, “I dare fool!” Everyone then looks to see none other than Yami Marik enter the room with his mind controlled victims behind him.

Third Hokage thinks in his mind, shocked and seeing the Millennium Rod, “That item…!!”

Kakashi asks, seriously, “And who are you?”

Yami Marik says, with a sinister smile, “Forgive me. I am Marik of the Tomb Keepers of Pharaoh Atem’s tomb.”

Leon yells out, strongly, “You mean his evil side! You are well-known in the history books! Your duel with Yugi Moto is legendary, Marik!”

Yami Marik says, with an insane grin, “I know and I am honored that my name is well-known in history!”

Ninja Ryu replies, with a plain tone, “I don’t believe that it was a compliment.”

Anko yells out, seeing Yami Marik’s victims, “Hey, what are you doing over there?!”

Third Hokage tells Anko, “They can’t hear you. They are under his control. He is holding one of the seven Millennium Items known as the Millennium Rod.”

There are plenty of gasps and Kurenai yells out, “But I thought… I thought that they were lost a long time ago!”

Yami Marik says, with a sinister smile, “Not lost, buried in the sands of Egypt! It took me time to retrieve my Millennium Rod!” Yami Marik asks, looking at the Third Hokage, “So, you are the leader of this village, huh? Something tells me that you are wise to the ancient ways and knowledge of the rest of world.”

Third Hokage tells Yami Marik, “Indeed, I am, Marik. And I know full well of the keepers of Pharaoh Atem’s tomb and you are the evil entity born of the hatred within last of them! You seek the power of Pharaoh Atem, did you not?”

Yami Marik replies, slyly, “Indeed, old man, but now, I seek a power that’s just as great! I know that you have the Millennium Tome, the spell book that contained the very spells that created the Millennium Items including my rod in the first place! And don’t play dumb with me old man! I know too well that you have it! Let’s just say that I managed to ‘convince’ your loyal soldiers that it would be in their best interests to tell me!”

Third Hokage replies, with a stern tone, “Don’t you mean using your Millennium Rod to control their minds? I know full well of the powers of all seven items! You will not get away with such an attack on our village and using our own people to your own ends!”

Yami Marik snaps his fingers and the mind controlled ninja put their own weapons to their necks in which Yami Marik yells out, slyly, “Really? I know about your ninja codes and if this doesn’t convince you, the lives of everyone in this room might, old fool! You don’t know of the power of my Millennium Rod, but I can show you easily and banish all of you to shadows right here and now!”

Gai yells out, sternly, “Oh, really?”

However, Third Hokage holds out his arm and he says, “Hold, Gai! He means what he says! I know well about the powers of the Shadow Realm and this one has the power at his fingertips. I heard of the powers of the Millennium Items and they are very dangerous.”

Yami Marik says, with a sinister smile, “Wise words, old man!”

But then Naruto leaps out and he yells out, “You want that book, you have to go through me, freak!”

Yami Marik yells out, annoyed, “Stay out of this boy!”

Naruto says, with a serious tone, “The name is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze and my family has been guarding that book for generations! And if you think that I’m going to let a sicko like you get your hands on it, you’ve got another thing coming!”

Kakashi thinks in his mind, concerned, “Naruto doesn’t know what he is fighting against! This isn’t a battle with jutsu! He welds ancient powers that have come long before the beginning of ninja age in the Elemental Countries.”

Yami Marik says, with a sinister smile, “I heard that name. Yes, it is the name of home of where the Tome was stored. My newest mind slaves told me that much. You are a real fool, boy. And it is time for you to learn a lesson!” Yami Marik then unleashes a powerful blast of mystical energy from his Millennium Rod, but Naruto’s ‘Mark of the Dragon’ activates and creates a shield which easily blocks the attack. Yami Marik yells out, stunned, “What?”

Naruto says, rolling up his sleeve, “Wow.” Naruto tells Yami Marik, with a sly grin, “It looks like you aren’t the only with ‘great power’ on his side!”

Yami Marik yells out, “What is that mark boy? I sense a great power of light coming from it! What is it? And how did it block my Rod’s power?!”

Naruto says, with a smirk, “Wouldn’t you like to know, freak? Since you can’t use that rod against me, you are going to get it! And by the way, there are three more people that have the same thing as me and that means that your rod is useless against them too!”

Yami Marik says, with a smirk, “Even if that’s true, what about the rest of the people here, boy? You might protected, but they aren’t. And there is also those that I have here behind me. Do you think that you can stop me before I ordered them to kill themselves? I don’t think that you are the type of person that allow for such death.”

Naruto says, with a sneer, “You are just a coward, asshole!”

Yami Marik says, with a sinister smile, “Say what you want! I do whatever it takes to get what I want! And when I get my desire, I shall rule over this whole world! The Millennium Tome shall allow me ultimate power that will allow me to rule the world!”

Kurenai says, plainly, “He’s nuts!”

Third Hokage says, plainly, “That may be true, but he does have a point. If he gets the Millennium Tome, he will have a great power of darkness under his control and there may be nothing in the world to stop him, Kurenai.”

However, Orochimaru is also listening and he thinks, slyly, “Interesting. The way to gain the powers of the Shadow Realm are also here. How perfect. And if the infamous Millennium Rod has returned, then maybe…”

Naruto says, taking out a storage scroll, “How about we do this your way, jerk? In a duel!” Naruto then brings out his duel disk with his dueling deck inside in which he attaches to his wrist with a bit of a ‘show’.

Temari asks, perplexed, “How do you fight with that?”

Naruto replies, with a plain tone, “Not fight, duel. Don’t you play the game of Duel Monsters?”

Yami Marik says, preparing his duel disk, “Do you think that it will be some game, boy? This duel will have so much more than a mere game on the line! Allow me to show you!” Just then Yami Marik unleashes the powers of the Millennium and the whole area is covered in black and dark blue-violet shadows.

Some of the ninja think it is a Genjutsu and try to undo, but when the scene remains the same, Anko yells out, shocked, “This is… is no Genjutsu!”

Third Hokage says, shaking his head, “This is no Genjutsu, Anko. He has transported us into the Shadow Realm, a realm of pure darkness.”

There are plenty gasps of shock and disbelief from everyone else, Leon yells out, “Naruto, be careful! This isn’t just a regular duel anymore! This is a Shadow Game!”

Naruto says, with a nod, “Gotcha, Leon!”

Yami Marik says, with a sinister smile, “You don’t get it, boy! If you lose this duel, you will doomed to remain here for all time and force to suffered never ending torture and despair!”

Naruto says, with a smirk, “And you think that my life wasn’t anything like that? Oh, please! I’ve been through worse than this place! So, cut the doom and gloom speech because it won’t work on me!”

Yami Marik says, with a sneer, “We’ll see how confident you are when you are thrown into the shadows boy!” Naruto’s and Yami Marik’s duel disks activates, Naruto’s duel disk shuffles his deck, and after their life-point counters display 4000 life-points each, they draw five cards from their decks in which Yami Marik thinks, “It seems like Duel Disks have improved since little Yugi and Pharaoh Atem sent me into the Shadow Realm after my ‘good half’ betrayed me!”

Naruto and Yami Marik yell out in unison, “Let’s duel!”

Starting Scores:
Naruto: 4000
Yami Marik: 4000

Yami Marik says, drawing a card, “I’ll go first!” Yami Mark says, putting one card on his duel disk, “I play Gil Garth in attack mode!” Immediately, Gil Garth (1800/1200) appears on the field in attack mode. Yami Marik says, putting two cards into the spell/trap slots, “And I’ll end with these two cards face-down! You’re move, boy!”

Naruto says, drawing a card, “Stop calling me that or better yet, I’ll do that for you, jerk! Believe it!” Naruto says, putting one card on his duel disk, “I play Power Breaker in attack mode!” Immediately, Power Breaker (1900/0) appears on the field in attack mode. Naruto yells out, strongly, “Attack!”

As Power Breaker moves in against Gil Garth, Yami Marik pushes a button on his duel disk and he yells out, “I play my trap: Nightmare Wheel!” Just then Yami Marik’s face-down card is revealed to be the Nightmare Wheel continuous trap card and then Power Breaker is trapped in a demonic-like torture wheel. Yami Marik says, with a sly tone, “Now, your pathetic creature is trapped, can’t change modes, and during every one of my Standby Phases, you take five hundred points of damage!”

Naruto says, putting one card on his duel disk, “Not if I destroy your trap card to play my Tuner monster, Trap Eater!” Trap Eater (1900/1600) appears on the field and eats the torture wheel, freeing Power Breaker.

Yami Marik asks, confused, “Tuner monster?”

Naruto says, with a grin, “You’ve been gone too long, ‘old man’. Duel Monsters has ‘evolved’ since your days, pal! And now, I tune my Trap Eater with my Power Breaker!” Immediately, Trap Eater turns into four stars that turn into four rings that surround Power Breaker making it become transparent.

Yami Marik thinks in his mind, confused, “What kind of summoning is this?!”

As Naruto takes out a Synchro Monster card from his Extra deck and a column of light appears on the field, he chants out, “The ruler’s heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro Summon!” When Naruto puts the Synchro Monster card on his duel disk, “Meet the new age of Duel Monsters, jerk! Meet my Red Dragon Archfiend!” Out of the light, Red Dragon Archfiend (3000/2000) appears on the field in attack mode. Afterwards, Ryu’s, Ayane’s, Naruto’s, and Hinata’s ‘Mark of the Dragon’ glows with a bright red light.

Yugito thinks in her mind, “So, that’s the ‘Mark of the Dragon’, huh? Raikage-sama wasn’t kidding! Nibi is quite awe-struck by the power!”

The other Cloud ‘Jonin’ thinks in his mind, “Yo, so that’s the big bad dragon mark that bro was talking about!”

Just then a demonic voice calls out into his mind, “That’s right, Bee! You know that you feel the power as I do!”

Red Dragon Archfiend unleashes a powerful roar that causes a shockwave that plenty of them can feel and Tenten says, nervously, “I don’t think that this is any illusion.”

Lee says, plainly, “Neither do I.”

Neji says, with a plain tone, “I believe that is plain obvious and the only way for us to leave this dark realm is for the Namikaze to win this ‘unusual battle’.”

Naruto says, putting two cards into the spell/trap slots, “I place two cards face-down and end my turn!”

Yami Marik thinks in his mind, “It seems like Duel Monsters has indeed ‘evolved’ since my duel with the Pharaoh! I can feel a great and mysterious power from this dragon and there is a power from those strange glowing marks on this child’s arms! It doesn’t matter since the Millennium Rod isn’t the only thing that I regained!” Yami Marik says, drawing a card, “It’s my move, boy!” Yami Marik says, putting one card on his duel disk, “By getting rid of my Gil Garth, I can play my mighty Legendary Fiend in attack mode!” Gil Garth vanishes from the field in which Legendary Fiend (1500/1800) appears on the field in attack mode.

Naruto asks, perplexed, “But that monster is weaker?”

Yami Marik says, pushing a button on his duel disk, “Right now, he is, but during every one of my Standby Phases as long as he remains on the field, he gains seven hundred attack points! And now, I play my Turn Jump spell card!” Yami Marik’s face-down card is revealed to be the Turn Jump quick-play spell card and Yami Marik thinks in his mind, with an evil sly tone, “It was indeed wise to put some new cards into my deck to update a bit more.” Yami Marik says, with sinister smile, “This card causes the duel to fast forward three turns, but it also causes effects that would be activated during those turns to be played! In short, three more Standby Phases have pasted, giving my Fiend over two thousand attack points!”

Naruto says, nervously, “That’s not good!” Just then a clock appears and speeds ahead in which Legendary Fiend’s stats go up from 1500/1800 to 3600/1800!

Yami Marik yells out, with a sadistic tone, “Now, my Fiend, slay his dragon!”

As Legendary Fiend leaps up to attack Red Dragon Archfiend, Naruto says, pushing a button, “Hold it, jerk! I play my Synchro Deflector!” Naruto’s face-down card is revealed to be the Synchro Deflector trap card and Naruto says, with a serious tone, “This card activates when you attack a Synchro Monster! It not only negates your attack, but destroys a monster that you control!” Legendary Fiend then roars as it hits a shield and shatters into pieces.

Yami Marik says, with a snarl, “You’ll pay for that, brat!” Yami Marik says, putting the rest of the cards in his hand, three in all, into the spell/trap slots, “I end my turn!”

Naruto says, drawing a card, “Too bad, jerk! And now, you are going to get it!” Naruto says, putting one card into the spell/trap slots, “I play my Spellbook Inside of the Pot! This forces both of us to draw three cards!” Naruto and Yami Marik draw three cards from their decks and Naruto says, putting one card into the spell/trap slots, “I play my Polymerization spell card!” Naruto then discards one Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) monster and one Meteor Dragon (1800/2000) monster and he yells out, taking out a Fusion Monster card from his Extra Deck, “I fuse my Red-Eyes with my Meteor Dragon to play Meteor Black Dragon in attack mode!” The two monsters appear on the field, goes into a fusion vortex, and when Naruto puts the card on his duel disk, Meteor Black Dragon (3500/2000) appears on the field in attack mode. Naruto yells out, slyly, “Okay, guys, finish him off!”

The two monsters unleash their attacks, but Yami Marik says, pushing a button on his duel disk, “Do you think that it is that easy, boy? Dark Wall of Wind!” Yami Marik’s face-down card is revealed to be the Dark Wall of Wind quick-play spell card and both attacks bounce off a shield of dark wind surround Yami Marik in which Meteor Black Dragon’s attack causes a strong explosion nearby. Yami Marik says, with a smirk, “As you can see, this card negates all direct attacks to me for this first turn!”

Naruto says, putting one card into the spell/trap slots, “I end my turn, jerk!”

Yami Marik says, drawing a card, “My move!” Yami Marik says, putting the card into the spell/trap slots, “I play Pot of Greed, giving me two more cards!” When Yami Marik draws his two cards, his eyes widen and he starts to laugh an insane manner.

Ayane asks, confused, “What’s up with him?”

Ryu replies, plainly, “I don’t know, sis, but something tells me he has drawn what he wanted to draw.”

Yami Marik yells out, excitedly, “And your friend is right! I’ve drawn the card that will end this duel right now!”

Naruto calls out, stunned, “No way! You’re bluffing!”

Yami Marik says, pushing a button on his duel disk, “See if I am when I play my Call of the Haunted?” Yami Marik’s face-down card is revealed to be the Call of the Haunted continuous trap card and he yells out, “And now, I can use this to bring back one of my monsters from the grave and I choose my Legendary Fiend!” Immediately, Legendary Fiend (1500/1800) returns to the field in attack mode. Yami Marik then says, pushing another button on his duel disk, “And then I activate my Inferno Reckless Summon!” Yami Marik’s other face-down card is revealed to be the Inferno Reckless Summon quick-play spell card and he says, “When I play a monster from my grave that’s fifteen hundred attack points or less, I can play two more of the same monster from deck, hand, or graveyard!” Two cards come out of Yami Marik’s deck, he puts them on his duel disk, and two more Legendary Fiends (1500/1800 X 2) appear on the field in attack mode.

Naruto says, with a smirk, “But they are weaker than my two monsters!”

Yami Marik says, putting one card on his duel disk causing it to wildly spark, “That’s because my three fiends are tributes to allow me to play this: My Egyptian God Card, the Winged Dragon of Ra!”

There are plenty of gasps and Third Hokage thinks in his mind, horrified, “It can’t be!” Just then three monsters are surrounded by a powerful whirlwind as they vanish into clouds that form in the dark fog and then a golden light comes out of the clouds as bright as the sun itself in which it is revealed to be a massive golden sphere.

Sakura asks, perplexed, “What is it?”

Yami Marik yells out, excitedly, “The mightiest of all creatures! The great Winged Dragon of Ra!”

Ryu asks, stunned, “The Winged Dragon of Ra? Isn’t that one of the legendary Egyptian God Monsters?!”

Leon calls out, stunned, “It is! But they were lost years ago and a copy made by Pegasus was destroyed sometime after my dad fought against it!”

Yami Marik yells out, “But I have managed to regain my great beast, fools! And now, boy, you shall feel its wrath! Right now, my dragon is sealed in that sphere of light and can’t attack or defend me in this state unless I release with an ancient chant only known those that can read the text on my Egyptian God Card! However, I shall read the text and release its power!” Yami Marik then chants out, “Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry. Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight. Envelop the desert with your glow and cast your rage upon my foe. Unlock your powers from deep within so that together we may win. Appear now in this Shadow Game as I call your name: Winged Dragon of Ra!” The massive golden sphere then transforms into the mighty Winged Dragon of Ra (4500/5400) in attack mode and unleashes a mighty roar in which all of the ninjas can feel the power of the Egyptian God Monster.

Kurenai yells out, shocked, “No way! Such power! Not even the Nine-Tailed Fox could have such strength!” Even Gaara was shaking in fear from the mighty creature and Kankuro and Temari are looking at him.

Kankuro thinks in his mind, “Gaara… is afraid? I don’t blame him! That creature is way more scary that ‘thing’ inside of me! What a power! It is like the heavens themselves are upon all of us!”

Yugito yells out, mentally, “Nibi, what is that?!”

Nibi replies, fearfully, “That’s the only creature as powerful as the Crimson Dragon itself! One of the Egyptian God Monsters! The Winged Dragon of Ra! We, Biju, know well of its power and have felt it before!”

The other Cloud ‘Jonin’ calls out, mentally, “Yo, this is wack man! This winged freak’s power is off the roof!”

The demonic voice in his mind replies, “Don’t you dare try to fight it, Killer Bee! That’s the Winged Dragon of Ra, a divine creature that could slay even the Kyuubi! You and I don’t stand a chance if it’s rage is against us!”

The Signers’ ‘Marks of the Dragon’ glow brighter than before and Ayane asks, stunned, “What’s going on with our marks?”

Ryu says, with a plain tone, “It is as if they are responding to the Winged Dragon of Ra!”

Naruto thinks in his mind, nervously, “Oh, man! What a monster! So, this one of those freaky Egyptian God Monsters! This is crazy! That thing is way more powerful than the fox! I can feel it! I’m in so much trouble!”

Yami Marik says, with an evil smirk, “I can tell that you can feel my dragon’s great power! This is no monster! It is a god, boy!” Yami Marik says, putting one card into the spell/trap slots, “And now, your suffering shall begin! I play my Trap Booster spell card! By discarding a card in my hand, I can play one trap card!” Yami Marik discards one card, puts one card into the spell/trap slots, and he yells out, as a hologram of a Coffin Seller continuous trap card appears on the field, “And I choose my Coffin Seller! This card takes away three hundred of your life-points every time a monster is sent to your graveyard!”

Naruto says, nervously, “Oh, boy!”

Yami Marik says, with a sinister smile, “And next, I play my Winged Dragon of Ra’s ability! I use its Phoenix Mode!” Just then the Winged Dragon of Ra transforms into a flaming phoenix and Yami Marik’s waist starts to vanish.

Naruto asks, shocked, “What’s happening to your body?”

Yami Marik says, with a sinister smile, “In this Shadow Duel, when a person loses life-points, a piece of them gets sent into the shadows!” There are gasps of shock and Yami Marik says, with a sinister smile, “I had lost one thousand life-points due to my Winged Dragon’s ability, but it costs you all of your monsters!”

Naruto yells out, stunned, “Oh no!” After Yami Marik’s life-points drop by 1000, the Winged Dragon of Ra, in its ‘Phoenix Mode’, dives down, and slams into both monsters causing a terrific explosion as both Meteor Black Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend are destroyed causing Naruto to yell out as he is burned by the flames, but the flames are threatening the other Chunin Exam participants, but then a crimson light appears to protect them.

Yami Marik asks, stunned, “What’s this?!” Immediately, the Crimson Dragon appears with a mighty roar above Naruto and everyone else other than Yami Marik.

Might Gai yells out, shocked, “Is that…?!”
Kakashi says, with a nod, “The Crimson Dragon, Gai.”

Karui thinks in her mind, “So that the Crimson Dragon, huh? Not bad.”

Yugito thinks in her mind, awe-struck, “It’s… beautiful.”

Yami Marik yells out, shocked, “What is that creature?” Just then the powers of the Winged Dragon of Ra and the Crimson Dragon clash creating a powerful sparks of energy in which Yami Marik thinks, flabbergasted, “The powers of my Egyptian God card and this creature are clashing! And they are close to being equal! How can this be possible?! How can there be such a creature that can rival the powers of an Egyptian God?!”

Momiji asks Ninja Ryu, “Ryu-sensei, the powers of the God Monster and the Crimson Dragon are clashing. How can this be?”

Ninja Ryu says, with a nod, “That’s because they are similar entities, Momiji-san. They are both divine creatures and their powers are close to equal.” But as the clash of powers started, they ended for the moment and things in this ‘shadow arena’ start to calm down. However, Naruto struggles to stay on his feet, but he then looks to see nearly all of his left arm is gone as his life-points drop by 600.

Naruto says, shocked, “My arm!”

Yami Marik says, with a sadistic smile, “Didn’t I tell you that when you lose life-points, you lose a piece of yourself to the darkness? Due to my Coffin Seller, when my dragon destroyed your two pathetic creatures, you lost six hundred life-points! And this was Ra’s special ability!” Yami Marik yells out, “And now, it attacks, boy! Winged Dragon of Ra, send this boy into the shadows!”

Sakura thinks in her mind, horrified, “Oh no! If Naruto takes this attack, he loses!”

Yami Marik yells out, excitedly, “End this duel with Blaze Cannon Blast!”

As the Winged Dragon of Ra prepares to unleash the final blow, Sakura, Hinata, and the Fudo twins yell out in unison, horrified, “Naruto!”

Naruto says, putting one card on his duel disk, “Since you declared a direct attack, I play my Battle Fader in defense mode!” Just then Battle Fader (0/0) appears on the field in defense mode and Naruto says, with a serious tone, “And when summoned this way, the Battle Phase ends right now!” Just then there is a loud bell sound from Battle Fader in which plenty of people cover their ears from the loud noise as the Winged Dragon of Ra stops its attack.

Yami Marik says, putting one card into the spell/trap slots, “You are only delaying the inevitable, boy! I end my turn!”

Current Score:
Naruto: 3400
Yami Marik: 3000

Naruto thinks in his mind, “Okay, Naruto, you have got a big bad ‘deity monster’ on your butt and your life on the line! But there are people counting on and I plan to be Hokage in the future! I’m not going to lose here! And I don’t plan on dying or getting to sent into some shadow world not as long as people like Hinata-chan, Sakura-chan, Ryu, and Ayane-chan are counting on me! I’m a Signer and the future Hokage of this village! And I’m going to win for everyone!” Naruto says, drawing a card, “Okay, pal, my turn!” Naruto looks at the card, smiles, and displays a spell card with a picture of a pirate stealing a treasure from a powerful monster and giving it to some kind of royalty, he says, “I play my Privateer Loan spell card! This card can activate when your monsters have higher levels than mine! Now, I draw cards equal to the difference in level between your strongest monster and my weakest monster! However, I lose three hundred life-points for every card still in my hand at the end of the turn! Now, since my Fader is one and your dragon is level ten, I get nine cards!” Naruto draws nine cards from his deck and he yells out, putting one card on his duel disk, “I activate my Mystical Space Typhoon! Now, one of your spells or traps has got to get lost! And I choose your Coffin Seller!” Just then a twister appears on the field and destroys Yami Marik’s Coffin Seller continuous trap card.

Yami Marik says, with a smirk, “All you are doing is delaying your demise, brat!”

Naruto says, putting one card into the spell/trap slots, “Tell that to my Graceful Charity! I draw three cards and get rid of two from my hand!” Naruto draws three cards, discards two of them, and he yells out, pushing a button on his duel disk, “Then I play my Descending Lost Star!” Naruto’s face-down card is revealed to be the Descending Lost Star and he says, “And now, this baby gives me back one Synchro Monster in defense mode, but it has no defense points, loses a level, and I can’t switch his mode! So, I return my Red Dragon Archfiend!” Immediately, Red Dragon Archfiend (3000/2000-3000/0) returns to the field in defense mode in which its level goes down by one.

Yami Marik says, with a sly tone, “What good is it then? That pathetic creature can’t stand up to my Winged Dragon of Ra!”

Naruto says, pushing a button on his duel disk, “He will soon enough, but now, I play my Powerful Rebirth trap card!” Naruto’s other face-down card is revealed to be the Powerful Rebirth continuous trap card and Naruto says, with a grin, “And now, I can play one monster from my grave that’s level four or below, equip it with this baby, and its level goes up by one as well as gets a nice boost of one hundred attack and defense points! And I choose the card that I put in my grave myself, my Trust Guardian!” Immediately, Trust Guardian (0/800-100/900) appears on the field in attack mode and its level goes up by one. Naruto says, putting one card on his duel disk, “And then I play my Sinister Sprocket in attack mode!” Soon after, Sinister Sprocket (400/0) appears on the field in attack mode.

Yami Marik asks, with a smirk, “And what’s the point of these weak creatures? They can’t stand up to my mighty God Monster!”

Naruto says, with a smirk, “Not alone, jerk, but together they can! I Double Tune my two Tuner Monsters, my Trust Guardian and my Sprocket, with my Red Dragon Archfiend to give it a major power boost!”

Yami Marik yells out, shocked, “You what?!” Soon after, Trust Guardian and Sinister Sprocket become a set of five flaming rings that surround Red Dragon Archfiend making it become transparent.

Ninja Ryu thinks in his mind, “Well done, Naruto.”

Soon after, a beam of light comes from Naruto’s Extra Deck causing the Red Nova Dragon (3500/3000) Synchro Monster to appear in his hand and Naruto chants out, “The ruler and the fiend, here and now, shall become one! A Blazing and Fiery Spirit! Lift up the very cries of Creation itself! Synchro Summon!” When Naruto slams the card onto his duel disk, he calls out, “Burn a scar through the earth: Red Nova Dragon!” In a blaze of flames, Red Nova Dragon (3500/3000) appears on the field with a mighty roar of power! Many are amazed and awe-struck by the monster in which then the powers of Red Nova Dragon and the Winged Dragon of Ra start to clash causing incredible sparks of power.

Momiji says, amazed, “The power of the Nine-Tailed Fox combined with the good portion of Red Nova’s power still inside of Red Nova Dragon are clashing with Egyptian God Monster, Ryu-sensei!”

Yami Marik yells out, “How is this possible?! What is this creature?!”

Naruto says, with a serious tone, “My ultimate ace monster: Red Nova Dragon! But first, my Sinister Sprocket has got a cool trick! When used for the Synchro Summoning of a Dark Attribute Synchro Monster, a spell or trap on your field takes a hike!” Just then Yami Marik’s face-down card is destroyed and Naruto yells out, “And now, my Red Nova Dragon gains five hundred attack points for every Tuner monster in my grave and since I have three… you can get the idea, baka!” Red Nova Dragon’s stats rise from 3500/3000 to 5000/3000!

Yami Marik calls out, shocked, “Oh no! It is stronger than my God Monster!”

Naruto yells out, strongly, “You know it, jerk! Red Nova Dragon, destroy his Winged Dragon of Ra with Burning Force!” Red Nova Dragon gets surrounded in flames and cuts the Winged Dragon of Ra in two destroying it in a huge explosion in which Yami Marik yelps out in pain as he loses 500 life-points as well as portion of his left arm as well. Naruto says, displaying a quick-play spell card with a picture of monster that’s died being reborn as a new monster, “And now, I play my Reincarnation of Betrayal! Now, since I destroyed a monster, I can take that monster and put it into my hand!”

Yami Marik yells out, stunned, “You can’t!” Just then a light comes from Yami Marik’s graveyard and his Winged Dragon of Ra (????/????) God monster card appears in Naruto’s hand.

Naruto says, with a smile, “Nice, jerk! I think that I’ll keep your God card!” When Naruto looks at the card and especially, the ancient Egyptian text on it, Naruto’s eyes widen briefly.

Yami Marik says, with a sneer, “You’ll pay for that, brat!”

Naruto says, putting one card into the spell/trap slots, “I don’t think so, pal! Next, I play my Trap Booster! I’ll discard one card to play one trap card from my hand!” Naruto discards a card, puts a card into the spell/trap slots, and he says, after a trap card with a picture of a monster with images of two other monsters behind it appear, “I play my Surprise Déjà vu! During a turn that I special summon a monster that requires other monsters be sent from the field or hand to the graveyard, I can revive those monster for this turn, but they can’t attack and they are destroyed at the End Phase!” Just then Red Dragon Archfiend (3000/2500), Trust Guardian (0/800), and Sinister Sprocket (400/0) appears on the field in attack mode.

Yami Marik yells out, shocked and knowing what Naruto is planning, “You are going to play my Egyptian God Card, aren’t you?!”

Naruto says, putting one more card into the spell/trap slots, “That’s right! I activate my Quick Summon spell card! This card allows me to summon again, but if I play a high level monster, I still need the right number of tributes! So, I release my Archfiend, Guardian, and Sprocket to play your Winged Dragon of Ra!” Naruto slaps the card on his duel disk causing it to react with wild sparks in which his three monsters vanish causing the huge golden sphere that’s the Winged Dragon of Ra to appear on the field once again.

Yami Marik calls out, with a sly grin, “You fool! Only I can control the powers of the Winged Dragon of Ra!”

Naruto says, with a grin, “You said that a person can control Ra if they chant out that wacky words on its card, right? That means you aren’t the only one that can control this guy!”

Yami Marik says, with an evil smirk, “Ha! They are an ancient Egyptian text used by high officials in ancient Egypt and I doubt you qualify, brat!”

Naruto says, with a smirk, “That may be true, but that doesn’t mean that I can read it!” Yami Marik starts to laugh, but then Naruto chants out, “Almighty protector of the sun and sky, I beg of thee, please heed my cry! Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight. I beseech thee, grace our humble game. But first I shall… call out thy name: Winged Dragon of Ra!” Yami Marik gasps in shock as the orb opens and the Winged Dragon of Ra (3400/3300) reappears on the field in attack mode.

Yami Marik yells out, shocked and horrified, “But how?! How can a brat like you read the text on the card?! How can you control a God Card?! This can’t be happening!”

Naruto says, with a smirk, “But it is, baka! And now, it is payback time for your crimes! Ra, finish this jerk off with Blaze Cannon Blast!” The Winged Dragon of Ra unleashes its solar energy attack and it slams into Yami Marik causes him to cry out in pain as it slams into him causing him to lose 3400 life-points, ending the duel now.

Final Score:
Naruto: 3400
Yami Marik: 0

With the end of the duel, Yami Marik looks at Naruto as the darkness slowly absorbs him back into the Shadow Realm and he yells out, “This isn’t over, boy! I shall get my revenge on you and get back my God Card! This world shall be mine!” Yami Marik laughs evilly as he fades away and when he is gone, the Millennium Rod is the only thing left and it lands onto the floor.

Naruto looks at Ra and he thinks, “Man, I’m glad for your help! Thanks a lot big guy!” The Winged Dragon of Ra gives a purr-like sound and both the Crimson Dragon and Ra give out roars of power causing the shadows to fade away from their combined crimson red and golden lights. When the arena turns back to normal, they, along with Red Nova Dragon, vanish back into their cards or whatever they came from in the Crimson Dragon’s case. Soon after, Yami Marik’s brainwashed victims collapse to the ground as the Millennium Symbol vanishes from their forehead.

Hayate looks at Third Hokage and he says, nodding his head, “Go, Hayate.” Immediately, Hayate leaps over as medical personal rush into the room to get to Yami Marik’s victims while Naruto goes over and picks up the Millennium Rod.

Ninja Ryu rushes over to Naruto and he tells him, “Naruto, I believe that it is best that you give the Millennium Rod to me.”

Naruto says, with a nod, “No joke, Hayabusa-sensei.”

Naruto gives him the Millennium Rod and Ninja Ryu says, with a sigh, “The Millennium Rod. The power to control other minds. It is one of the most dangerous Millennium Items.” Ninja Ryu asks Third Hokage, looking at him, “Hokage-sama, I request that this be put into the joint protection of the Namikaze clan and the Hayabusa Clan.”

Third Hokage says, with a nod, “Granted as long as it remains locked up tight in a safe place.”

Ninja Ryu says, with a nod, “We shall put into one of the other safes with in the Namikaze mansion where a combination of blood seals by Naruto and myself shall be put in so other the two of us together can open the vault.”

Third Hokage says, with a nod, “Good, Hayabusa-sama.”

Ninja Ryu tells Third Hokage, “I also believe that it is best that this not be mention to either of the ninja council, your advisors, and especially, the civilian council of the Leaf.”

Third Hokage says, with a nod, “Just as I was thinking, Hayabusa-sama.” Third Hokage yells out, strongly, “And all of you!” When everyone looks at the Third Hokage, he yells out, “This incident is not to be mentioned by anyone of you especially to your leaders if you are from outside of this village! We shall be giving your leaders an explanation of on this incident ourselves! If we hear of any attempt by you to do so, by the rules of the Chunin Exam, you shall be detain for crimes immediately! And we are within our rights to do so since this incident wasn’t part of the Chunin Exams! Is that understood?” When everyone else shows that they indeed understood, Third Hokage says, with a sigh, “There shall be a short breather as the victims of that madman’s attack are safely sent to the hospital to recover from their ordeal, but after that, we shall continue on with the preliminaries for the Third Exam immediately, so, prepare yourselves!”

In the stands, Ryu asks Momiji, “Momiji-sensei, do you think that it is possible that the other Millennium Items are also back?”

Momiji says, with a nod and a sigh, “I fear that’s a good possibility.”

Leon says, with a groan, “Like my dad would say: This is so not sweet!”

Ayane says, with a nod, “You and your dad said it, Leon-san. We now have something else to worry about.”

Third Hokage thinks in his mind, “If Orochimaru finds out about this, he shall desire the power of the Millennium Rod and the other Millennium Items, which have also most likely have returned to this world! And if that’s true and Orochimaru gets all seven items, then it is possible that not even the Signers and the Crimson Dragon can stop him even if all five are assembled.”

Orochimaru, still in his ‘disguise’, thinks in his mind, with an evil smile, “This keeps getting more interesting by the minute! Now, the Millennium Items have made their return to this world and if one has returned, the other six may have also returned as well! And with such power on my side, no one shall get in my way! Not the boy, not my old teammates, Jiraiya and Tsunade, and especially not my old sensei, Sarutobi! My goals would be in my grasp and so much more! I shall get the items and the Millennium Tome along with the Crimson Dragon! It is said that combining the powers of light and darkness would give someone the ultimate power since light and darkness are the two greatest powers in the universe! With the power of light and darkness on my side, I would be unstoppable!” As Orochimaru gives a sadistic mental as he makes his plans to gain ‘the ultimate power’, the next phase of the Chunin Exams is about to begin…

Next time in Chapter 10:

Naruto: I’m glad that nut job is out of the way! Now, we can get started on these fights! Whoa, I can’t believe that Sasuke is having trouble with this jerk! Huh?! He can absorb Sasuke’s chakra! That’s not good!

Sasuke: I won’t lose here…

Sakura: It looks it is time for the fight that we both know would happen Ino.

Ino: We know it, Forehead! We’ll see who is the better kunoichi!

Naruto: Awesome! It’s my turn! Sorry to send you back to the ‘dog house’!”

Kiba: We’ll see about that baka! Let’s do this Akamaru!

Neji: Forfeit, Hinata-sama. You are no worthy of being a ninja, much less the heiress to the Hyuga clan. Why would your father send you off to marry the Namikaze and Uzumaki heir?

Naruto (annoyed): Don’t listen to him, Hinata! Show this jerk that you are better than what he thinks!

Hinata (determined): I won’t back down, Neji-kun. That’s my ninja way!

Ayane (stunned): Oh no, Hinata-chan!

Naruto (strongly): I vow to win, Neji-teme!

Third Hokage: The preliminaries are over and the fights for the Third Exam have been chosen! The Third Exam shall start in one month! Take this time to training and prepare!

Ryu: Next time on ‘Naruto 5Ds’: The Next Phases

Ayane: Who is that pervert peeking at the women’s hot springs?

Mysterious ‘Peeping Tom’: I’m not just a pervert! I am the great Toad Sage, Jiraiya!

Naruto (flabbergasted):  What?! This Pervy Sage is the one that trained my dad?!

I’ve got to say that this story is coming off nicely in my honest opinion and anyway, you must be asking: How in the heck could Naruto read the text on the Winged Dragon of Ra much less know the words? Answer: He didn’t know anything on what some of the words meant, he just repeated the chant on the text! And for how Naruto could read ancient Egyptian… That’s a story for another day, everyone. You shouldn’t be surprised since Naruto is supposed to be the ‘most unpredictable ninja’ and doing something like taking control of the Winged Dragon of Ra like that is unexpected. However, it isn’t Naruto status as a Signer that gave him the ability to use Ra through it was a part of it. In fact, this group of Signer’s ‘connection’ to each other will allow all of them to use all three Egyptian God cards, which will be appearing in this story. So, expect to see Obelisk and Slifer in the near future, gang! I also decided the villains, at least some of them in this story, are not going to just go after the Crimson Dragon. They will want the powers of light and darkness since light and darkness are two of the strongest ‘powers’ in the universe/existence. I hope that you read and review this chapter and I’ll catch you later, Naruto, Dueling, and Crossover Fans!
Converting /tmp/phpzgawig to /dev/stdout