Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Inner Secrets ❯ Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own Nothing!!!

 

Pairings/Warnings: Listed in previous Chapters

 

A/N: Be hold the month of August! The time where my people are gone most of the time, meaning they are unable to nag at me to do things, thank Kami-sama! Anyways, this will hopefully mean quicker updates. Thank you all for reading and Reviewing, I love hearing from you guys; Anyways, on with the story!!

 

Chapter 8

 

"What is this?" Sakura questioned aloud as the entered room 301 which happened to be a massive room, crowded with many of wanna be Chuunin from various villages. 'So many people...' She thought in distress. 'Are they all here to apply?'

 

"Sasuke, where have you been cutie?!" A long haired blond girl squealed happily as she glomped the brooding Uchiha behind, causing Sakura's eye to twitch. "I could hardly wait for this! I barely get to see you anymore." Ino said as she rubbed her cheek against his back in sheer happiness.

 

"Ino you pig!!" Sakura snarled venomously. "Get your fat hooves off my Sasuke!!" She ordered sharply, fire burning his his tacky green eyes.

 

"Hey Sakura!" Ino greeted cheerfully at the angered pink haired girl. "Still hoping that the creepy mutant forehead look will come into fashion I see." She commented with a sigh and a shake of her head as though disappointed in the girl's lack of taste. "I hate to break it to you hun, but that won't be in style this millennium." She said with a sad look as she rested her chin on Sasuke's forehead before she looked over at Naruto and blinked.

 

"Damn Naruto!" Ino exclaimed with a low whistle. "Who hit you over the ass with the drop dead sexy stick?" She asked as she eyed him with an appreciative glance, causing the blond boy to blush slightly. "Hell... You look as good if not better than my darling Sasuke." She admitted with a nod just as her teammates joined them.

 

"Don't tell me you are going to start a new fanclub Ino?" Shikamaru sighed in exasperation as he slouched his way over to stand beside Naruto and leaned heavily on the blond's shoulder. "It would make hanging out with him completely troublesome." He concluded with a sigh as he let all his weight rest on the blond.

 

"Did you know you are incredibly heavy?" Naruto asked as he mock glared at the boy hanging on his shoulder who seemingly didn't have a care in the world beyond sleep. A grunt was his only reply, causing him to sigh and turn his attention back to his teammates and his friend's teammates, who were all looking at them as though they had just sprouted extra limbs.

 

"What?" Naruto asked as he blinked before Ino released a squeal as she released Sasuke while clapping his hands together and skipping over to stand in front of them .

 

"Are you two together?" She asked with a devishly eager light in her eyes.

 

"No!" Naruto exclaimed, blushing at what she had just implied. "We aren't together." He said as he held his two hands in front of him, palms facing the girl. "We are simply friends." He said truthfully causing Shikamaru to look over at Ino.

 

"Troublesome..." He breathed as he pulled himself of the blond, placing his hands in his pocket while slouching in a really cool yet lazy looking position where he stood.

 

"Hey there!" A new voice cute in as three more approached the group. "Looks like the whole gang is here." Kiba said, his words back by an affirmative bark from the small white puppy sitting on the hood that he had up.

 

"Uh...h...hi." Hinata greeted with a nervous stutter the moment she spotted Naruto, resulting in a fierce blush from her as she tapped her forefingers together in nervousness. The third member of there cell remained silent, merely nodding his head ever so slightly in acknowledgment of the others.

 

"Including you unfortunately." Shikamaru said with a bored expression as he looked over to the Inuzuka with a silent sigh.

 

"What was that?!?!" Kiba snarled as his eyes narrowed, fangs showing.

 

"Would you all do us a favor at shut up." A new voice cut in, causing all nine of them to turn and look a the silver haired young man who was speaking to them. Naruto inwardly frowned as he took in the symbol on the man's forehead, along with the circular glasses and the serious expression while noting a strange glimmer in his eyes.

 

"From the looks of things I'd guess you are all would-be hotshots straight out of the academy." He said with a frown. "Wet behind the ears. This is no field trip." He said in all seriousness.

 

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked in a brooding fashion, not at all pleased with being considered amongst the weaklings.

 

"The name is Kabuto, but you guys should really open your eyes." He said, his words causing all but the blond who was studying the new comer to look around at all the glares from all the other exam participants. "You should be more careful, that group from rain have real short tempers. Heck, everyone here is short fused with the nerves dragged up from the coming exam." He explained, eyes observing Sasuke before moving over to the blond studying him.

 

"You seem unfazed from the glares that still give me chills, despite this being my seventh attempt. What's your name?" Kabuto questioned as he reached into his weapons pouch and withdrew a deck of cards.

 

"Uzumaki Naruto." The blond answered simply.

 

"Well Uzumaki-san, consider yourself lucky, I find you interesting enough to add to the Shinobi Skill cards." He stated as he motioned towards the cards.

 

"What cards?" Sakura asked.

 

"Cards that hold data pertaining to individuals in the Shinobi field. Generally stating missions completed, and basic skill outline." Naruto answered before Kabuto could, causing most of the rookie nine to give Naruto a strange look.

 

"I didn't know you knew what pertaining means." Kiba mumbled under his breath, yet the blond heard it and inwardly rolled his eyes at the boy.

 

"Correct." Kabuto said with a small smile. "My cards hold data from the best of the best, down to the rookies. I even have some stats on Legendary Figures." He admitted as he shuffled through the deck.

 

"Like who?" Sasuke asked, wondering what powerful people the guy had information on.

 

"Like the newly risen Kage-Gesshoku, who is called by other names such as Shadow Assailant, Shadow Storm, and Ninja of the Blackest Night to name a few." He began as he pulled out the card and showed it to them, allowing them to see the image of a cloaked figure in a battle stance.

 

'When did he get a picture of me?' Naruto silently asked as he inwardly frowned, wondering why he hadn't sensed the man's presence. 'He is hiding something... I'll have to be cautious.' He thought with a small nod.

 

"This man has done much, and I took the liberty to rank all of his doings. He had done ten C-Ranked, Eight B-Ranked, eleven A-Ranked and five S-Ranked tasks thus far." Kabuto explained to the stunned rookies. "He seemingly has an arsenal of never before seen Ninjutsu, and uses a long lost Taijutsu stance, that are only recognized by the outcome records listed in documentation of battles holding masters of the art. His Genjutsu abilities are unknown, but I would assume he is adequate with those as well." He concluded before he slipped the card back into the deck. So any interesting Data I can tempt you with?"

 

"Rock Lee of Konoha, and Gaara of the Desert." Sasuke said immediately, and with ease the silver haired genin withdrew the two cards before flipping them.

 

"First up is Rock Lee." Kabuto stated as he read off the data. "He is a year older than you. Missions to date: 20 D-Ranked, 11 C-Ranked, and 2 B-Ranked. His sensei is Maito Gai. He is extremely skilled in Taijutsu, and has no other skills worth mentioning. His teammates are Hyuuga Neji and Tenten, and this is their first year in the exam." He summed up as he slipped the card back into his deck.

 

"Next: Gaara of the Desert." He began. "D-Ranked missions unknown, 8 C, and 7 B. Impressive. It isn't often for Rookies to get B-ranked missions and this kids has had seven!" He exclaimed with wide eyes before continuing. "As he lives out in the desert I have less on him, but I do know that he has returned from each and every mission without a scratch on him.

 

"It would seem that Konoha, Ame, Suna, Kusa, Taki, and Oto have all sent exceptional young rookies. I do not know much about Hidden Sound as they are a new Village so intelligence lacks at this point, but I do know that all the other villages hold powerful and respectable Shinobi." He concluded as he slipped his cards back into his weapons pouch.

 

"What are you trying to say?" Sakura asked, sounding much like an idiot.

 

"Simple. I'm saying that all applicants here are the elite of the Rookies, best of the best. Handpicked by the higher-ups." The genin concluded with a sigh and a roll of his eyes.

 

"They mustn't be as picky as you say judging by the number of applicants." Naruto spoke up, earning the attention of Kabuto and the rest of the Rookie Nine. "I'd say there are," He paused, " Fifty-Two Teams here." He said after a quick run over the room with his blue eyes. " Ten teams from Sand, seven from Rain, two from Grass, two from Waterfall, twenty-nine from Konoha and two from Sound." Naruto calculated quickly, earning him incredulous looks from all save Shikamaru.

 

Before another word could be said a sudden massive amount of grey smoke filled the front of the room, leaving in its wake the Exam Proctors. "Sorry to keep you waiting." A man, the only one not in a simply uniform, spoke up, drawing attention from all the Genin to him. "My name is Morino Ibiki." He said with a pause as he looked around the room, relishing in the fear visible in the Rookies' eyes. "I'm chief examiner for this section of the Chuunin Exams."

 

"Now, first I'd like to set some ground rules." The man began as he watched all the Genin who had their attention riveted on him. From this point forward there will be no fighting without the express permission from an examining officer, and even with permission, nothing life threatening id permitted. If you break those rules you will be disqualified and have no second chances. Got that?" He said menacingly as he let the silence in the room stretch somewhat so that he could further intimidate the candidates.

 

"The first part of the Chuunin Exams are about to start. You are to turn in your written application forms to one of the proctors and then take your number." He explained. "After that you are to move to the seat that matches your number and immediately sit down and shut up. Once everyone has found their seats we will begin the written section."

 

With those words the Genin slowly moved to the examiners, all of them clearly avoiding Ibiki, even though he had some numbers near him. 'This will be fun...' Naruto thought with a small sigh as he moved in the opposite direction of all his friends and teammates, heading directly for the Chief Examiner of the Written Exam. "My Application." Naruto stated as he held out the papers towards the badly scarred ninja.

 

Ibiki blinked once, then twice, completely shocked at the blond's boldness, but he wasn't the only one. Many of the applicants looked at Naruto as though he was mental to approach such a creepy figure, acting as though it was a pleasant experience. With a smirk and a nod the man picked up a wooden tab that had the number fifty-three engraved into it. "Here you go kid, good luck." He said in a quiet voice, his words heard by only the blond who offered a smile and a nod before he moved over to the seat matching his number.

 

Naruto sat down, blue eyes connecting with blank white ones, the two sharing a silent message, before the Hyuuga prodigy moved over to the same man and held his papers out. 'That kid has friends in high places.' Morino Ibiki thought as he gave the Hyuuga a number, having seen the exchange between the two.

 

Thirdly came another person. "Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered under his breath as he approached the man with an air of bored indifference before he submitted his papers and retrieved the number for his seat.

 

'A Nara and a Hyuuga...' Ibiki thought with a small smirk. 'Uzumaki Naruto,' he paused, having read the blond's name off the top of the form, 'I've got my eye on you and your friends.' He vowed silently, noting that not a single other person approached him. 'All but three... not bad.' He thought with a devilish grin that caused many to edge further away from the man.

 

"Na...Nar...Naruto-kun..." Hyuuga Hinata stuttered as she quietly slipped into the seat to the right of the blond. "Go...good luck." She said with a small blush as she examined the wood-grain of her desk with great care.

 

"Hey Hinata-chan." He greeted with a smile. "Good luck to you as well, I know you'll do well." He said quietly, giving her a boost of confidence knowing that she was incredibly nervous if her quivering was anything to go by.

 

"Th...thank you." She said with an honest smile as she looked Naruto in the eyes for a split second before blushing crimson and looking back at the desk top, the smile never leaving her lips.

 

Shortly everyone was seated in random seats, and the proctors began placing the exam papers on the desks face down. "Now listen up!" Ibiki ordered sharply. "All papers are to remain face down until I give the signal. Before you all begin there are a few very important rules that you must know. I'll write each of them down on the chalkboard," He paused as he snagged a piece of white chalk and began to write without looking at it. " There will be no questions so pay close attention!

 

"Rule number one: Each of you will begin with a total of ten points. This test has ten questions, and for every question you get wrong we will subtract one point. Should you get every answer correct you will retain all ten points.

 

"Rule number two: This written test is still a team event. Passing or failing will depend upon the sum of all points held by the members of the cell. Should one of you fail, the whole team fails.

"Third rule: If you were to be caught cheating at any point during this exam we will subtract two points from each member of the cell of the person caught. Should you run out of points during the duration of the exam you and your teammates will be asked to leave, as that is a fail." He explained eyes roaming the gathered ninja, pausing momentarily on the blond who had so boldly approached him.

 

"If you let the proctors catch you cheating you'll be bringing not only yourself but your entire team down with you." He continued, causing many to shiver and gulp in fear at the man's words. "If you truly aspire to be a Chuunin.... if you want to be the best ninja you can be... Then you had best start acting as though you are!" He advised gaining many twisted grins from his colleagues.

 

"You have one hour... starting... now!" He said and smirked at the hastening of papers being flipped, eyes watching a certain blond move at a calmer pace. 'Definitely an interesting individual...' He noted with a hidden nod.

 

'We're doomed!' Sakura inwardly cried as she eyed the back of Naruto's head before sighing and looking down at her paper to begin the exam. 'Might as well give it my all, hopefully Naruto can answer at least one without cheating. That way he won't drag Sasuke's and my perfect marks down!' She silently planned before she set to work.

 

'The set up of this exam, and the phrasing of the directions were given in quite a strange manner, leaving one to assume that they want people to cheat. They want to test the data gathering abilities of those here, to see if they have what it takes. Otherwise they would immediately disqualify any who cheat as soon as they were found out. Quite ingenious.' Naruto inwardly praised before looking down are the first question.

 

Question one: Decode the following cipher and summerize its meaning. The exam read, causing the blond to inwardly roll his eyes. 'That is simple enough..' He thought as he began to scribble down the exact meaning of the code pausing only when finished. 'By summary... it would be: The enemy line is moving forward, through the Western Forest. Numbering in the 1000's, with enemy shinobi from the higher elite end of the scale.' He thought before scribbling that down, slightly annoyed at how utterly childish the first question was.

 

Question two: The parabola marked 'B' Represents the greatest effective distance the enemy Shinobi 'A' could throw a Shurriken from the top of a 23.3 foot tree. Calculate the specific features of the scenario and deduce the range of the Shurriken's effectiveness, assuming a constant speed for Shinobi 'A's' assault upon any enemy shinobi operating within the arc that the flight of the Shurriken. Describe your work.

 

'That one's slightly long winded...' Naruto thought with an inwardly roll of his eyes as he began working out the calculations, throwing in many variables, and direction flaws, not too mention surrounding obstacles. After a few seconds of fast scribbling he had the complete answer, described down to the smallest of details.'Man they really want to pressure people to cheat... After all these are all basically guess work, under extremely uncertain circumstances and conditions. Not too mention all the laws of physics that must also be applied to the answer you gathered on the first part. Very crafty.' He thought with small smile.

 

'Alright... Enough gloating about how to find the answers and just answer them.' Kyuubi said with a sigh of annoyance directed at his host, who seemed to be overly amused by how the exam was proceeding. Of course the nine-tailed fox himself was also amused, but he wouldn't let Naruto know that anytime soon.

 

Within twenty-five minutes Naruto reached the tenth and final question, noting that it would be revealed within the last fifteen minutes. 'I wonder why they would do that...?' He silently wondered as he silently tapped his pencil against the desk, eyes wondering to the other applicants there.

 

He looked over to Sasuke, who was smirking in a smug fashion as he gazed around the room looking for something. After he had located what he fought, Naruto saw the dark eyes turn crimson as he mimicked someone's answers straight down on his paper. 'Great job Sasuke.' He thought with a silent nod, before he moved on to look at the other applicants.

 

He spotted Kiba several rows ahead, his white puppy on his head, barking and growling quietly, each sound causing the Inuzuka to write quicker as though translating the dog's speech into sense. 'That could be a useful trick. I should keep in mind that he understands dog speech, which makes me assume that his whole family has the same ability.' Naruto summed up before he yawned quietly.

 

'I wonder how Neji and Shikamaru are fairing?' He asked himself, inwardly sighing at the fact that the two were seated a ways behind him, making it nigh impossible for him to look without drawing suspicious of the proctors upon himself.

 

A bee buzzed around the room roaming annoyingly through the crowd, dodging many half-hearted swoops in its direction from the Genin who didn't wish to be stung. After a good while the insect landed quietly on one of the many desks, next to the hand of a dark haired boy who's face was half hidden by the collar of his shirt, and the rest by the black sunglasses on his face. 'What have you found?' The boy silently questioned the insect who began buzzing out the answers. With a small pause, the young man began writing down all the answers.

 

Once finished he redirected his attention back to the insect. 'Good, tell me, who was it you got these answers from?' He asked, eyes focused on the bee who he pulled up on his index finger before the face of the Genin reached his mind. 'Uzumaki Naruto...' Shino thought with a frown, wondering how the worst person in his graduating class had all the answers, and if you read through them, the detail was quite astounding. 'Interesting...'

 

Elsewhere, Tenten was using ninja wire attached to mini mirrors attached by one of the many pot-lights, to glances at answers located everywhere around the room. 'Lee... if you can see this adjust your headband.' She though to herself, inwardly sighing as seconds later the dark haired rookie placed his ninja band on his forehead. 'Good... That was the best set of answers, though there were another set that were similar, but not quite up to par.' She thought as she looked at her own answer sheet.

 

'From the sound of the rhythm, the writing order and the number of strokes that go into each word.' A Sound nin thought to himself, as he listened intently to the dark haired rookie's writing path, his one visible eyes reopening once he was certain on the answer and he hurriedly wrote it down.

 

'Byakugan!' Neji thought to himself as he channeled Chakra into his eyes, releasing his bloodline limit, the all seeing evil eye. With the veins pulsing on either side of his white eyes he focused his attention on one the seemingly more smug individuals who had finished writing the exam. 'No...' He thought after having gazed back the other's body, straight to the answer sheet. 'Those don't make sense.' He frowned slightly before looking further ahead, spotting a friend with blond hair.

 

With a smirk, Hyuuga Neji looked at the blond's answers before he began copying them down. 'That's more like it..' He thought absently as he finished copying everything word for word before deactivating his bloodline, waiting for the last question to be released.

 

'That was easy...' Nara Shikamaru thought with a sigh as he dropped his pencil on the desk before putting his arms down and promptly placing his head down next. He was tired, this test was so troublesome and he wished he was back on his hill with his clouds. With a sigh he dropped into a light doze, one that he would easily be able to come out of once the tenth and hopefully final question would be revealed.

 

Time was slowly ticking by, and Naruto observed many people sweating as they frantically gazed around the room, seemingly hoping that the answers would just pop up and dance naked in front of them. 'Pathetic...' He thought as plucked his pencil up and began to absently twirl it around as he turned his focus onto all the examiners.

 

A kunai knife flew through the air, and landed with a thud in the wood of the desk right behind Naruto. "You fail." One of the proctors announced, eyes locked straight onto the kid he had thrown the Kunai at. "You and your teammates are dismissed, leave now." The man ordered cooler, and watched with a satisfied smirk as the trembling Genin left, his upset cell members in tow.

 

Naruto watched one of the Chuunin examiners write down some notes, scribbling on the paper in his clipboard. 'Five bucks says he is merely doodling.' Naruto gambled, causing Kyuubi to roll his eyes at his host's antics.

 

'What have I told you.' Kyuubi stated more then asked. 'Gambling is not your strong point, well at least against me. You may be good at other forms of betting besides future guessing. Oh, that reminds me, you still owe me one thing for that bet you made on the practical part of the Genin exam.'

 

'Don't remind me...' Naruto uttered silently to his tenant, glaring in a mock fashion at the large fox who sat in humanoid form. 'What did you want by the way?' He asked curious as to what the great nine tail demon could want.

 

'You'll see soon enough.' He answered in a mysterious voice, a smirk of pure mischievousness on his face, causing the blond to feel a pang of trepidation.

 

'There!' Sakura inwardly exclaimed having just finished answering all the questions, which took a lot of work as they were beyond anything she had ever encountered before. 'I got them all.' She said while inner Sakura was cheering and ranting on about how she would show all the Genin there and impress her Sasuke. With a great smile she put her pencil down and brushed the sweat from her large brow.

 

'Finally!' Ino cheered to herself as she noticed that the brain of their class had just finished writing her exam. 'That took sooo long, I've seen so many others finish way earlier.' She commented to herself as she performed hand seals that were well known to her family. Ino slumped forward in her seat, seemingly asleep, before her target, Sakura twitched strangely as Ino gained control and hurriedly memorized each answer before returning to her own body, glad to have her forehead back to proportional size.

 

"Number 102, you fail!"

 

"Number 23, you fail!"

 

"Numbers 42 and 27, fail!"

 

The numbers just kept on coming, 13 squads gone so far.

 

In his seat, Gaara sat, concentrating as he brought two fingers up and left the other hand palm up on the desk. 'That one's up to something...' Morino Ibiki thought as he looked curiously at the red haired Genin from the Sand village. 'Whatever it is he is doing, he is calm, a hurricane could strike and he wouldn't loose his cool... same as him' He noted as he looked over to a seemingly bored looking blonde, before looking more carefully around the room. 'Him...' He spotted the Hyuuga looking at him with eerie white eyes before he continued looking, 'and him.' He spotted the laziest looking person there. 'This batch has people with potential to be great...'

 

Gaara opened his eyes, having gathered much sand into his palm, forming it into a round shape, which had a dark circle making it look suspiciously like an eye. 'Optic nerve reconnected.' The red head thought as he opened left eye lost its colour, looking milky as the eye in his hand began rotating, all it saw directed straight into his brain.

 

'Uzumaki... Naruto....' Gaara thought as he disconnected the eye causing it to dissolve before he calmly wrote down all the answers he had seen on the blond's paper. 'You are interesting...' He thought as his eye regained its proper coloring. 'I want... to fight... you.' He thought in a broken manner as he felt the beast within stir in agreement.

 

"Excuse me?" Kankuro asked as he stood up, his attention on the proctors who were all looking at him with blank expressions.

 

"What is it?" One of them asked with an annoyed tone.

 

"I've got to go to the bathroom." The Genin explained as a nervous bead of sweat dripped down his cheek, betraying his feelings.

 

"One of the proctors will accompany you." A man said as he moved over to the Sand Ninja and slapped handcuffs on his wrists.

 

'That proctor...' Naruto thought with a frown as he watched the two exit the room.

 

'He feels.... different.' Kyuubi finished for him. Naruto nodded his agreement while returning his focus to the front of the room, more precisely the clock.

 

Several minutes passes, before the heavily make up wearing Genin was back, promptly returning to his seat. "Get ready for the tenth question!" Ibiki ordered sharply causing many in the room to jump, revealing just how jumpy some of them were.

 

"Before we get to the tenth question, I have decided to add an absolute rule." He said menacingly, eyes glaring ominously at the Genin.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

"Wow... With our subordinates busy in the exams we have plenty of free time on our hands." Kakashi noted as he relaxed in the Jounin lounge, visible eyes focused on Asuma and Kurenai who were seated on the couch opposite him.

 

"Don't worry... We'll be busy again before you now it." Asuma reassured the man, blowing out a great breath of smoke, eyes focused on the ceiling.

 

"What makes you say that?" Kurenai asked while looking at the chain smoker sitting to her right.

 

"Simple. Word has it that the first part of the exam is being lead by one Morino Ibiki. He's quite the sadist, but a pro none the less." The man explained, his words gaining a few nods from his silver haired colleague.

 

"A pro at what?" She asked, crimson eyes riveted on the man.

 

"Torture and interrogation." Asuma answered, pulling his attention to the woman. "He is the Konoha Black Ops Torture and Interrogation Corps Unit Leader Jounin Commander Morino Ibiki, meaning that our kids could be out of the exam sooner rather then later. After all he is highly skilled."

 

"I don't see what his job has to do with the outcome of our students." Kurenai said back, sounding slightly confused.

 

"I'll that one." Kakashi cut in, drawing their attention. "Though there may be no physical torture within the exam you can be certain that each Genin is being placed under fierce Psychological pressures which have made that man famous in our village." He finished, words causing the female Jounin to frown.

 

"But in the meantime we ought do something productive." Kakashi began, starting before anyone else could comment.

 

"And just what do you propose Kakashi-san?" Kurenai inquired.

 

"War is moving closer to out borders, and the current amount of employed ninja within Konoha has diminished greatly. I suggest we compose a list of potential allies that we can acquire." He said in an aloft manner, his visible eyes serious.

 

"Let me guess, you have a particular individual in mind?" Asuma asked after taking a long drag from his cigarette.

 

"As a matter of fact I do." Kakashi said with a hidden grin. "The Kage-Gesshoku."

 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

"Before I go on to the next question, you need to choose wether or not you are up to the challenge. You choose wether or not to take the tenth question." He stated with a dark smirk.

 

"What happens if someone doesn't accept the question?!?" Temari spoke up, looking intently at the chief examiner of the written exam.

 

"Should you reject the question all of your points are immediately reduced to zero and you and your teammates fail!" He answered bluntly.

 

"Then why would anyone choose to reject it?" A boy in the front row demanded.

 

"Because of the other rule. The absolute one I mentioned. It is this, should you accept to take the final question and answer it wrong you will never again be permitted to take the Chuunin exams ever again! You'll be stuck a Genin for the rest of your days." He answered with a penetrating voice.

 

"That's ridiculous!" Kiba shouted as he jumped to his feet, eyes narrowed at the man. "There are ninja here who have attempted this exam many times before!" He put his point forward, trying to prove that the whole thing was just a bluff.

 

"Heh..heh heh." Morino Ibiki chuckled darkly, eyes slitted in pure amusement. "It's just your rotten luck as I wasn't making the rules in the past, but now I am." He sneered. "I'm being up-front with all of you. You can take a failing grade now and try again later when you are more prepared, or you can risk everything you have worked for.

 

"Now lets begin. Those of you who choose not to accept should raise their hands." He concluded as he did a sweep over the mass. 'Let's see who will play into my bluff.' He thought victoriously as several hands rose causing many people to be escorted out.

 

'Kit...the Banshee looks like she's going to raise her hand! Do something!' Kyuubi ordered.

 

'Right.' Naruto sighed in irritation towards his female teammate. He slowly raised his hand with an air of confidence, causing Ibiki and a few others to look at him in shock, never having thought Naruto would be one to give up.

 

But their reaction proves why assuming isn't right as it makes an ass out of 'u' and me.

 

"Do not underestimate us!" Naruto stated sharply as he slammed his palm down on the desk, resulting in an echoing bang. "I myself will not quit nor will I flee like a coward!" He said with a dangerous light in his brilliant blue eyes. "I accept the tenth question. Even at the supposed risk of being stuck as a Genin, which I know to be impossible as the ultimate decision of who gains ranks lies in the hands of Hokage-sama, not you. But I'll have you know, I will be the next Hokage. I am not afraid of you." Naruto ended in a cold and calm fashion.

 

"Are you so certain?" Ibiki asked the blond, a bead of sweat dripping down his cheek.

 

"Yes. I never go back on my word for that is my Shinobi way. I have nothing to fear from an expert in the art of torture and interrogation such as yourself. As you can do no physical harm here." Naruto concluded while leaning back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

Many in the room looked at the blond with awe, others with respect, and a few with pride. He would be great someday. With his words everyone else gathered strength, and resolve, each prepared to risk all they had just for a chance to advance further.

 

'Seventy-eight Genin remain. A total of twenty-six teams... Far more than I had anticipated.' Ibiki Morino thought with a hidden smile as he looked to the side of the room at the Chuunin seated there nodding at them. 'No use dragging this out longer.'

 

"Very well. That means that everyone here has just passed the first part of the Chuunin Exams." He announced with an innocent smile.

 

"Passed? What do you mean we passed? What about the tenth question?" Sakura immediately asked, frowning in confusion.

 

"There was no tenth question beyond the 'accept or reject' thing." He answered with a broad grin, which seemed like he had just went through a total three-sixty personality change.

 

"Then why did we have to suffer through the first nine questions?!?!" Temari demanded, her voice implying that it was all a waste of time.

 

"Those questions served a purpose." Naruto spoke up before the Jounin Commander could, all eyes falling to him. "They were evaluating and testing our spying and data gathering skills. This exam was set up with a rule that if you failed then your whole team would fail, thus putting pressure on each of us not to let down our teammates.

 

"These questions were however, beyond that of which any normal Genin could answer, thus pushing each of us to the point that we needed to cheat." He continued, Ibiki nodding to confirm the blond's words. "To ensure that there was a chance at getting the correct answers, there were Chuunin seated amongst the Genin, pretending to be writing this exam alongside us. The only difference was that they had the correct answers." He finished.

 

"Correct Uzumaki-san." Ibiki said with a nod, pleased that the blond had caught on, yet suspicious at the same time. "Any who cheated clumsily were immediately failed." He stated as he brought his hands up and untied the black bandana styled ninja band and pulled it down revealing his massive scars.

 

"If you were to be caught in certain acts of espionage it could cost you far more than just your life." He explained as all examined his various wounds. "You pay in ways that can be taken from you little by little, time and time again, when many lives hang in the balance."

 

Naruto frowned while eying what looked like a scar caused by a corkscrew. "You were tortured." Naruto stated simply.

 

"Yes..." He said somewhat darkly as he replaced the bandana, hiding all but the scars that ran over his face. "The data you acquire can not be trusted if you can't keep your presence from your enemies." He advised wisely, speaking from experience.

 

"Learn that and learn it well." He paused. "If you bring back intelligence from a suspect source or a compromised operation... you are basically doing the enemies work. Putting those you serve and those you care for in danger. That is why we maneuvered you into the only option of cheating. That is the quickest and most effective way to weed out Shinobi who's skills aren't up to par yet." He finished with a happy smile.

 

"Okay..." Temari began with a frown. "Then what was the deal with a tenth question?"

 

"Ah the tenth question, that was the first real test of this exam. Would you happen to know why?" He asked while looking directly at Naruto.

 

"Yes. It was a choice between two options. Options that were both difficult and dangerous. Those who choose to reject were immediately failed, and their friends right along with them. Those who choose to accept but wouldn't be able to answer the 'question' would have lost any chance at even advancing in the ranks of ninja. It was a double no win situation for both options." He paused to take a breath. "The two options were presented to give you a taste of what could and possibly will lie ahead should you be a Chuunin.

 

"As a Chuunin, pretend you are assigned to 'obtain' a vital document, and you know nothing of the skills nor the military prowess of your enemy. Not too mention that you must cross a heavily trapped and mined route to get to your destination. Do you accept or decline the mission? Rather then place your own life and the lives of all your cell in jeopardy? Would any Chuunin get along with only accepting safe missions? Hell no." He said, gaining nods from many of the proctors.

 

"No matter how dangerous, or how great the risk, there will be some missions that you will be unable to decline." He continued. "A ninja must inspire valor in all those around him or her. Helping them all to overcome their fear, their uncertainties." He finished.

 

"Correct. That is indeed the talent that we value most for a leader of a Chuunin cell." Ibiki said with a proud smirk towards the blond. "Keep up the good work kid, and you'll be great." He admitted with an honest nod.

 

"By choosing to accept, you answered the almost insoluble tenth question correctly. If you keep that spirit, you can probably conquer all the doubts and difficulties you will face." He admitted, eyes boring into Naruto's. "I'll pray you all fight the good fight." He said with a nod.

 

Ibiki, Naruto, Neji, and Gaara all looked towards one of the large windows in the room just in time to see something large crash through it, shattering and scattering broken shards of deadly glass everywhere. The large object, unaffected by the glass opened, two kunai knives pinning the upper corners of a black cloth to the ceiling, as a female laded before the black backdrop.

 

"None of you are in any position to celebrate!" The woman bit out harshly, the white words on her black background stated that she, Mitarashi Anko was the newly appointed Second Chief Commanding officer. In the background, slightly off to the side of the scantily dressed woman, stood Ibiki who sighed and rolled his eyes at her antics.

 

"I am the Second Chief Commanding Officer for the second part of this exam, Mitarashi Anko. Let's get moving! Follow me!" She ordered sharply while punching a fist into the air, causing all the Genin and many of the proctors to blink.

 

"Can't you sense the mood in here?" Ibiki whispered to the woman.

 

'She's like Naruto...' Sakura thought with a frown.

 

"Ibiki you passed twenty-six teams?!?!" Anko exclaimed having looked around the room. "Obviously you went way too easy on them!" She snorted with disdain.

 

"This year we have applicants of exceptional caliber." He stated in defense.

 

"Yeah right... I'll cut them down by half by the end of the next exam.." She promised with a dark smirk that promised intense pain. "I get all charged up just thinking about." She muttered as she licked her lips. "I'll explain all details when we get to our destination. Lets move out!" She ordered, causing many to jump to their feet to follow.

 

"In Shikamaru's words, this woman is troublesome." Naruto muttered as he lazily hauled himself out of his seat and joined the people already leaving, all who were following the insane woman.

 

"Naruto-kun." Neji greeted as he moved to the blond's side. "Shikamaru-kun." The Hyuuga nodded towards the Nara who had just slouched over to them. "Let's stick to it..." He said in a way that caused the eavesdroppers around them to frown in nervousness, wondering just what those three were up to...

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Ibiki glanced around the classroom, it was quiet and empty as all Genin and Proctors had already left, all save he of course. 'An interesting day this was...' He thought with a pleased smile as he moved over to the blond's seat and picked up his paper, eyes widening drastically as he read what was written. 'This... These answers... are more accurate then our own were... more detailed too... No mere Genin should have been able to answer like this...' He thought in amazement as he moved over to the Hyuuga Neji's spot and picked up the paper.

 

'He has the exact same answers....' He noted with wide eyes before walking over to the Nara's spot, the first twos' exams in hand before he looked at the next one. 'These are different... but better... We have at least two geniuses in this group... at least... And its seems they have paired up.' He noted with a smirk.

 

'Things will get quite interesting. Perhaps I ought head over to the tower so that I may watch their progress in the Forest of Death... Good thing we have hidden cameras in position..' He thought as he hurriedly gathered all the papers before stacking them together and exiting the room.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

The group of Genin stood before a massive forest enshrouded by a tall chain-link fence. Not a foot of it wasn't covered by warnings for the dangers within, and every evenly placed gate was heavily locked and warded with great seals. 'This is the Forest of Death.' Naruto noted, having heard and read much about the place. 'Also known as Training Grounds number forty-four.' He frowned while glancing over at Anko.

 

"This is the area for the second part of the exam: Training Area 44! Better known as the Forest of Death!" She said in a malicious tone that caused many of the gathered Genin to shiver in fear and nervousness. Her words brought many comments on the forest's creepiness, and size, along with whispered questions on what might lie within.

 

"You are about to find out first hand why they call this the 'Forest of Death'." She stated darkly.

 

"Would you stop with the intimidation tactics, and cease trying to psych us out. Its not working." Naruto stated calmly as he narrowed his blue eyes.

 

"You're pretty cocky!" She said with a smile which hurriedly turned evil as she whipped out a kunai knife and launched it full throttle towards the blond.

 

Before she could race forward she was stopped so that she might blink in shock as the blond had deflected the blade she had aimed for his cheek, using some band around his wrist, to send it flying to the ground at the feet of one of the Grass ninja. "You're fast..." She admitted with a nod as she walked over to the blond and bent down so that they were eye to eye. "I like you kid." She admitted after several moments of eying up the blond.

 

"What's your name?" She asked.

 

"Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto." He answered with a smirk as she resumed her full height just in time to draw another kunai and press it to the neck of the grass ninja who had just appeared behind her.

 

"Your Kunai." The man said with ease, despite the fact that his long tongue held the kunai while his left hand held his straw hat in place.

 

"Gee... thanks..." She said as she grabbed her blade from the man, her eyes narrowed. "Now would you stop standing there radiating bloodlust?" She dead panned. "Unless of course... you are in a hurry to die...?" She asked sweetly as she licked the blood on the kunai knife she had pressed to the man's neck.

 

"I'll try to keep it under control." He said as he turned to resume his position between his teammates.

 

'What a nut-case..' Was the dominate thought in most of the applicants's minds.

 

'I don't like that guy...' Naruto admitted silently. 'He seems... off...'

 

"Now... Before we begin the exam." She began as she pulled out a wad of papers from seemingly nowhere. "I have to hand something out. These are consent forms, if you are to participate in this part of the exam you must sign one. That way all details are covered in case of death, meaning you are signing so that we won't be held liable should you die. You wouldn't want precious me getting into trouble after all?" She asked sweetly.

 

"Before I hand them out though, I will explain what this part of the exam entails so that you know what you are signing your life away to. Once I'm done explaining I will be handing these out." She motioned towards the papers. "And then you and your cell members need to proceed over to that booth to submit your consent forms and get a scroll." She explained as she set the papers down, thankful that it wasn't windy out.

 

"Your team will get one of two scrolls. The Heaven Scroll, or the Earth scroll." She explained as she pulled a scroll of each out for them to all see. "Your goal is to obtain a second scroll, the opposite one that you get in that booth. So if you start with the Heaven Scroll you will need the Earth Scroll, and vise versa. To pass this section of the exam, you must have both scrolls and make it to the tower located at the heart of this forest.

 

"This forest's border is a perfect circle with gates set out at measured intervals around the perimeter. Inside these gates are two separate forests and a river that ravels from one end straight over to the next. Exactly ten kilometers from each gate is the tower, giving all a fair chance to get to it.

 

"Within this perimeter, you are to undergo the most difficult survival test yet. You can use any technique, weapons, or attack methods you wish. It is much like a fight to the death version of capture the flag, but instead of a flag there are scrolls." She paused to let that information sink in. "And the only way to get into the tower is to have both scrolls. Since there are twenty-six teams here, thirteen will start with the Heaven Scroll and the other thirteen with the Earth Scroll.

 

"Also, there is a time limit. You have 120 hours, five days to be exact, to complete this section of the exam." She concluded happily.

 

"Five days?!?!" Ino shouted in shock.

 

"What are we supposed to do for food?" Chouji demanded.

 

"I suppose you'll have to live off the bounty of nature." She said in a sadistic manner.

 

"Inside you will encounter poisonous plants, savage beasts, traps around every corner. Not to mention you will be surrounded by enemies, meaning you'll have to sleep with one eye open the whole time. So, in addition to those who die or are severely wounded in acquiring or defending a scroll, some of you are bound to succumb to exhaustion, exposure, starvation, and dehydration among others." She said cheerfully, gaining many incredulous looks.

 

"Now with the basics covered, onto the rules that if breeched will lead to disqualification, meaning you fail. Any team that arrives at the tower must have both scrolls and all teammates present and accounted for. If you loose a teammate to death or severe injury you fail. And thirdly no one is permitted to leave this forest during the exam, there are no breaks, no recesses. Nothing. And the final rule: under no circumstances are you to open and look at the contents of your scrolls." She finished with a smug nod.

 

"What happens if you do look?" Sakura inquired nervously.

 

"That's for those who look to know." She answered evasively.

 

"This is to test your loyalties so to speak. For example, say you were of Chuunin level and you had a mission to acquire a document containing vital and top-secret information, or if you were guarding the important document that none should look at." She explained with a shrug as she noted the time."That's all the explanation you get. We'll trade one scroll for every three forms, once you have your scroll, choose a gate. Everyone will begin at the same time.... Oh! One last piece of advice; stay alive!" Anko concluded sharply as she began passing the forms around.

 

With those final words the Genin applicants began filling out and signing the forms given to them, agreeing that any and all injuries including death would not hold the Village of Konoha nor any of its people responsible. 'For some... they are signing their own death certificate.' Naruto noted as he finished his, looking over to Neji then Shikamaru, their eyes meeting with a silent vow to stay alive.

 

"Let's go." Naruto said as he noticed his teammates were done filling out the information necessary. "Lets hand them in and get our scroll first so that we have first choice of a gate. And I know which one we are going for." He explained as he, Sakura and Sasuke moved over to the booth and entered the enclosed section getting the Heaven Scroll without any others seeing which scroll. 'Clever... that makes everyone an enemy as no one will know who carries which scroll.'

 

"Gate Three!" Naruto motioned to a gate that opened along side one of the rivers. "That is our gate." Naruto said as he moved before the gate, the locks disappearing leaving only the seals behind as they claimed it as their own.

 

'The river...' Sasuke thought with a frown before a look of realization graced his face. 'That's a smart plan Naruto. The river is likely to be dangerous, but it leads directly to the tower. Not too mention the river will hide any sound we might make, giving us the upper hand on any who would chance upon it in need of water, or perhaps hunting.' With a smirk he nodded his approval.

 

"Woo! If it is survival skills they want, then that's what they get! We''l show them hey Hinata?!?" Kiba exclaimed confidently as he and his team moved to gate Sixteen.

 

"This is going to be troublesome..." Shikamaru voiced out loud. 'Looks like we should avoid some of those teams...' He began strategizing, eyes moving through teams of possible targets and ones that they ought avoid if they have the desire to win. Ino and Chouji simply followed him to gate Twenty-Seven as he was of course the most intelligent of the group and likely had a plan of sorts.

 

'Soon we will carry out our orders...' A heavily bandaged ninja from the Village Hidden in Sound thought as he and his teammates moved to gate Twenty.

 

'Let the fun begin...' Kabuto thought with a half smirk, half smile as he stood before gate Thirty-Eight with two Ninja, his team, at his sides.

 

'Five days of being stuck basically alone with Gaara... just my rotten luck...' Kankuro inwardly complained as he stood beside his sister while they waited at gate Six.

 

"Target the Rookies first... They are the easiest targets here." A grass nin stated as he squatted before gate Fifteen.

 

"Yes it does look like we've been given le carte blanche to pick them off from here on in... that should make our job much easier..." The Grass nin who had returned Anko's Kunai stated in agreement to his teammate as he adjusted his straw hat.

 

Neji's team stood silently before gate Forty-one each silently anticipated the course they must follow.

 

Twenty minutes later a proctor arrived at each gate, and removed the seal from them before swinging the gates open, letting the Genin move before it to get into position. "Alright!" Anko called out. "The second part of the Chuunin Exam starts...Now!" She exclaimed as she pressed down the timer she held, her words causing all teams to spring into action as they raced into the forest.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

"So everyone's ultimate target is the Tower at the center right?" Kiba asked out loud, his teammates nodding in answer. "Okay... Then we should head there quickly and set traps for everyone headed that way and we might be lucky enough to nab the scroll we need, or heck even a few of each so that we have bargaining chips if we get into a sticky situation." He plotted with a fist smacking into his open hand.

 

Before he could continue on his plan a strange scent caught his nose causing him to look in the direction of the perpetrators. "Over there..." He whispered his words barely over a breath and his lips barely moving.

 

Up in the trees, high over the three Genin sat a Team of Konoha Nin, each dressed in a black jump suit. "Stupid kids... " One muttered with a smirk, " They might as well have shouted 'Come capture us.' And from the sounds of things, they know they are being watched... but from where? They haven't figured that out yet.." He stated with an air of confidence before he turned deathly pale and froze up.

 

"Hey what's wrong? You don't look so well." His teammate asked in concern before he spotted something on the other's neck. "What the hell is that thing?" He asked in horror, just as a whole barrage of them landed on them, sucking them dry, causing them to fall from their perch, screaming in pain before crashing.

 

"The flying insects of Konoha can sense perspiration and body heat, allowing them to fling themselves in great numbers at the foe. Also, if you can't get them off your body in five minutes you are done for. Oh and don't panic. It will just make things worse." Kiba advised knowledgeably, one tends to learn much when they are around a specialist in a certain field often.

 

Screams tore from the three Konoha nin who were at the mercy of the insects, while the team of Rookies merely looked on in interest as one tripped the trap, causing them and the leeches to be hauled up in the air, their scroll falling to the ground thanks to one of the insects. "That was easy..." Kiba said with a wolfish grin as he plucked the scroll they needed up from the ground. "To the tower?"

 

- - - - - - - -

 

'It's begun.' Anko thought with a smirk as she happily leapt up to the roof of the booth and withdrew a bento box. 'Lunch time!' She thought happily as she opened it and snapped a pair of chopsticks apart.

 

- - - - - - - - -

 

"Did you guys hear someone scream?" Sakura asked nervously as she brought her hands up to cover her mouth in a way that belayed her fear. "This place is creeping me out." She admitted as she looked down to the ground.

 

"Naruto... How did you know all that stuff back there?" Sasuke asked with a frown as he eyed the blond with a curious look.

 

"That was child's play." Naruto admitted with a shrug of one shoulder.

 

"Dobe... How smart and how strong are you really?" He asked as he narrowed his onyx eyes.

 

"I don't know... I've never tested my full potential." Naruto answered as he looked at Sasuke with a serious expression. "I'm surprised that you of all people never saw through the idiot facade." Naruto admitted, his eyes moving to look off into the trees.

 

"Dobe... how much of what we saw before this exam was fake?" Sasuke asked, their words causing Sakura to blink several times as though she were in the twilight zone.

 

"Most of it... But... I have grown tired of hiding who I truly am..." He paused eyes moving back to meet onyx ones. "Do you.. hate me for it?"

 

Sasuke, slightly taken aback by the question, frowned in thought. "No... I think... you had a reason to do what you did... Naruto... after this exam.. I want to fight you." Sasuke said with a smirk causing the blond to give one of his own.

 

"I want to fight you too Sasuke."

 

"Umm. Guys... what are you two going on about?" Sakura asked as she looked between the two.

 

'Kit.. are you really going to hold back no longer?' Kyuubi asked quietly as the blond muttered something about going to the bathroom before he disappeared into the trees, leaving his teammates behind.

 

'No.. That wasn't the truth nor was it a lie. I won't hide anymore, at least no completely. But I will keep my true prowess hidden for now. I'll just pretend to be at the level of those in this exam.' He stated. 'After all... I don't think I have the power I need yet. I'm not strong enough to survive if my true strength levels got out. If the village Shinobi knew what I could do... they would gang up and kill me... So I'll maintain this mask just a little longer, but this mask won't be a stupid one.' He said decisively.

 

'I'm proud kit... Oh, do you remember the titles and such given to you by the Lords and Ladies who you signed the contract with back in Wave?'

 

'Yes... they said 'Uzumaki Naruto, Kage Gesshoku, Shadow Assailant, Vessel of Kyuubi, son of Lord Taiyo Hoshi, son of Lady Hana Amadare, Heir of Dragons, Lord of Time, and Child of Destiny.' He recited the words of the Ancient with ease. 'I know the first four well, yet the last five leave me in the Dark.' He admitted.

 

'It would seem I know two more then you.' He admitted with a sigh. ' As you do, I know the first four, for those are obvious and have come into light, but unlike you I now the two after the four. Meaning, I knew your parents. Well... not personally, but I have knowledge of them.'

 

'Will you tell me... about mother and father?' He asked somewhat nervously having never before heard anything of his parents, not even their names.

 

'Yes. Your father Taiyo Hoshi was one of the Feudal Lords from the land of Tea. He was a tall, dark, and handsome man. He was well known for his business, the Hoshi Domei, which was one of the greatest branches of Tea Houses in all the Continents. He was a cold and cruel man though, caring only for things that would gain him greater power, fame and riches. And of course your mother, Hana Amadare fit into the personal gain category.

 

'She was a beauty beyond compare, light of features, feather soft golden hair, blue eyes more pure then any ocean. She was the one you inherited your features from. She was a kind soul, a princess of highest social standing within Fire Country, loved by all who knew her. She was held dear to all who knew her, but non more so then her beloved cousin, Arashi Yasashiku. They were only related distantly, but held a bond more close then any siblings I had ever met.

 

'During a set of Chuunin Exams, when your mother was but nineteen, she met your father, who was at the time twenty-six and when he first saw Hana he was enraptured by her beauty, for she was more fair then any gem, not too mention she was more wealthy than he himself had ever dreamt of being. He had to have your mother.

 

'He pretended to be sweet, to be kind, to be caring and eventually he won her hand and they were wed less then a year later. With their vows said, he returned to who he truly was, and behind their closed doors he beat her, raped her and was down right cruel. Hana was broken, the man she had loved wasn't real, and so less than a month after their wedding, she faked her own death and fled to the only person she truly trusted, the one who would help her and her unborn child, conceived by one of the brutal rapes she went through.

 

'Hana fled to Konoha, to the cousin she held very dear, the very cousin who had not too long before that had gained a greatly respected position in the Village. His true name had never been known through the Village, so they called him by an honourary title. They called him the Yondaime.' He paused to let all his words seep in.

 

'He took her in with open arms, hid her within his own home, vowing to protect her no matter what. The months passed, and her stomach expanded greatly with the months, as her pregnancy went on, but it wasn't a good pregnancy for she had many complications with it. All the complications were results of injuries she had experienced at the hands of her husband.

 

'Near the end of her pregnancy, a great Demon in a Rage of Bloodlust ran ever closer to the Village, seeking revenge on people unknown. That Demon was me. I was so lost in the Rage, that I was a great threat to all in my way. I destroyed and killed each person and place I passed through, and I was on a course that would take me straight through Konoha.

 

'I was a danger to the whole Village and so Yondaime devised a plan to stop me, one that would sacrifice his very life, but he needed something to seal me into, and that was when your mother confronted him. She asked him to use her child, make him or her into a great hero that would one day be well known. She wanted him to use you, for she knew she wouldn't survive your birth. Reluctantly he agreed, and on the eve of your birth I had reached the borders of Konoha, and was meet with many a ninja from the Village, each trying to buy some time for the Yondaime to come.

 

'Due to more complications, you were born late, and because of that more then just ninjas in your village perished at my might. But on the strike of twelve you were born, and your mother's last words were of love for her child.

 

'Yasashiku brought you forth, still bloodied from your mother's womb, and set you into the seal circle, before he rushed out and performed the technique that brought me to be your tenant. His last words were only heard by Sarutobi, but I know what they are as the technique had momentarily merged his and my minds together, so I know all he knew. He gave you a name, one that would hide your lineage until it was the right time. He named you Uzumaki Naruto, and told the Third that he wished you to be a hero....' He finished, his words bringing a silence over the two.

 

'I know... that isn't the ideal view on who any would wish to have of their parents.' The fox spoke up after several minutes. 'But.. you deserved the truth, the non sugar coated truth.'

 

"Thank you." Naruto whispered as silent tears trailed down his tanned cheeks. 'Though the words broke any illusions of the perfect happy parents I had, I am glad you told me the truth. That was what I needed to hear most.' He silently admitted as he looked at the humanoid Demon behind bars, wishing he could just be held for once.

 

"What of my Father? Do you know what happened to him?' He asked after he had composed himself.

 

'I do not know, but it is my belief that he still lives and is somewhere in Tea Country.'

 

'Tea Country... I suppose... we will have to give him a visit, and perhaps teach him a lesson for all he did to ... Kaa-san...' Naruto whispered quietly to the fox as he jumped onto a tree branch, he had a destination, and it had nothing to do with looking for a bathroom either. 'Er... I don't know if it is my business, but what provoked you into such a rage?'

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

"What on earth is Naruto doing?" Sakura grumbled as she plopped down on a boulder at the River's side, green eyes gloomily watching the flowing current. "Didn't he say he was going to the bathroom? That was like ten minutes ago.." She sighed. "Wait.. Sasuke-kun.. you don't think he was ambushed or something do you?" she asked as she looked over to her crush.

 

"He wouldn't be so careless." Sasuke stated in reassurance, though inside he himself was somewhat skeptical as he knew not what Naruto was fully capable of. 'Dobe.. Naruto.. come back and come back soon.' He thought with a slight frown.

 

"Oh man!" Naruto said as he walked out from behind the trees, revealing himself to his team."What a relief! Feelin' Good!" He said in a stupid fashion.

 

"Naruto! Why the hell did you take so long, we were beginning to think you were caught or killed or something!" Sakura scolded as she stood up quickly.

 

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked as he walked up to the blond, drawing all attention onto himself. The blond blinked and before he could usher a word his face was met with a brutal punch courtesy of one Uchiha Sasuke, causing him to fly backwards into a tree his lip bleeding.

 

"Wh...what was that for?" The blond demanded as he brought a hand up to wipe away the blood.

 

"Who the hell are you?" Sasuke asked in a cold voice. "I know you aren't Naruto because of two obvious points. One: Your weapons pouch is on your left leg; two: Naruto isn't as vulgar or idiotic as to speak or make the entrance you just did." Sasuke summed up causing the blond to smirk as he stood.

 

"Very clever." The guy said before he was engulfed in grey smoke, which, once cleared, revealed his true self as a ninja from Rain. "Since you forced me to come clean, you ought do the same. Which one of you has the scroll?" He demanded, somehow speaking through the breathing mouthpiece with ease.

 

"We don't have it." Sakura muttered before bringing a hand up and covering her mouth, eyes wide. "I mean... uh..." She stuttered, inwardly smacking herself for being so stupid on front of Sasuke.

 

The ninja rushed forward, a kunai knife in hand, only to feel the heat of a flame approach him from the side. "What the?" He muttered as he leapt backwards in order to dodge the flame, which came from Sasuke, while the dark haired Uchiha that he had rushed to burst into a log.

 

Sasuke then leapt into the air, drawing several shurriken which he hurriedly launched towards the enemy, each colliding within him, before he burst into water, his true self appearing just feet behind Sakura. "Duck!" Sasuke ordered and the Haruno did just as asked as Sasuke blew a second breath of fire just over her head, landing a direct blow to the enemy, barely missing his own teammate in the process.

 

"Crap..." The Ninja muttered as he retreated, his body severely burnt in areas, while his clothing and hair was smoking.

 

"Sasuke-kun! That was amazing!" Sakura cheered, completely non-pulsed that his flame had almost hit her.

 

"I'm back." Naruto said as he jump down from the trees, blue eyes observing the scorch marks, and his nose picking up the scent of singed hair. "Who attacked?" He asked.

 

"Some Ninja from Rain." Sakura answered and was about to add on when Sasuke launched a Kunai knife at Naruto, causing the blond to jump to the left to avoid.

 

"What are you doing?" Naruto demanded as he glared at the Uchiha.

 

"You missed the piercing on his eyebrow." Sasuke stated matter of factly causing the blond before them to gain a malicious smirk that looked completely out of place on Naruto's face, but it didn't' stay long for he was soon engulfed in a burst of smoke, revealing the Grass Ninja that had returned Anko's Kunai knife to her.

 

"Very impressive, I didn't notice the piercing, how odd." The long haired man stated as he eyed the two Genin. "But I do wonder where your teammate has gotten to." He said in amusement as he reached into his weapons pouch causing the two Genin from Cell Seven to tense.

 

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End of Chapter

 

Well that's it for this chapter. Thank you all for reading, and please Review. Also feel free to ask questions, though some I won't answer as they will be answered later in the Fic as they likely pertain to the plot lines. Ja!