🚨 WHAT IF NARUTO fell in LOVE with (FEM) ITACHI and AWAKENS the WOOD ELEMENT? | #2 | FANFIC 🌲

Hey everyone. How are you all doing? Today, I want to welcome you to the second season of What If Naruto fell in love with female Itachi and awakened the wood element? As always, if you want to see the third season, please show this video lots of love by subscribing, liking, and commenting. Now, without further ado, enjoy. Chapter 8. The final round and Tenzo's pants. Cold. That was the first thing she felt as she slowly crawled back to her consciousness. It was too damn cold. She hated cold. What was she doing here? How did she even end up in a place like this when she should be in her apartment snuggling in her warm bed? She got her answer as her mind restarted. Apparently, being buried in the snow was not good for one's body and mind. She clenched her eyes shut as she remembered how she ended up here. She had been defeated badly. That too by opponents younger than herself. Shame filled her. How was she going to prove her worth now? Raikage-sama was surely going to reprimand, humiliate, and degrade her. She had failed both her missions. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she sucked them in. This was not the time to wallow in self-pity. She had She opened her eyes when she became aware of someone's presence near her, but she was too stiff to move, let alone escape. She didn't want to use that chakra so soon. She panicked even more when she realized who it was. Yugito. The burly man looked at her with an unreadable expression as his white haori ruffled with the cold wind. Yugito's breathing quickened. You failed. He stated bluntly, further adding to her panic. She struggled to speak, but her voice felt like it was stuck in her throat. In the end, she squeaked out an apology, but it was too quiet. I grunted, "What's done is done. Never mind it. You'll get your punishment after the exams." He spoke, stern but not unkind. "Get up for now." She was going to be punished, just as she thought. Yugito tried to clench her fists in the snow, but her hands were completely numb. I said, "Get up." The Raikage snapped. She struggled to get up, slipping a few times before finally standing up on shaky legs. All the while, I watched her with his hands crossed, a scowl on his face. She stood up with only a slight slouch, looking at her leader for orders. When he just motioned with his head for her to move, she started walking down the hill, hugging her sides. She was not worried for her teammates. The two of them were further down the mountain. They probably panicked when they couldn't find her, but it was weird for the Raikage himself to come for her. All the more reason for her to be worried. She stopped and blinked in surprise when she felt a sudden warmth encompassing her and looked up. I was pointedly looking away from her, his white haori suspiciously missing. The brawny man didn't even shiver when he started to walk sedately in front of her. Yugito watched her leader go, and her lips twitched into a small smile. Sometimes she forgot that behind the tough exterior was a man who genuinely cares for his people. It was the reason why she was so afraid to disappoint him, rather than her fear of any punishment. "Do I have to repeat myself?" he asked when she didn't move. She tugged on the white cloth draped around her before catching up with her leader. The Raikage would never openly admit his concern, however. He would never tell anyone that it broke his heart when he saw one of his most confident and fierce kunoichi reduced to a shivering mess. After all, he was supposed to be the pillar to lean on for his people, not the other way around. "So, one week, huh?" Naruto hummed in response as he tugged at the bandages on his left hand. The pain was reduced to a dull throb after he had the medics check on his arm. "It could have been worse," he mused, if his hand was exposed to the corrosive chakra for any longer. His hand would be fine with time, with the only thing left being an ugly scar. Once Killer Bee was escorted out of the stage, another Kumo proctor took his place, explaining the rules for the third round. They were given a week's time to rest between the second and third rounds. During this period, many foreign dignitaries, Daimyos, village leaders, and other influential people would be arriving in the village of Kumogakure. "I don't know about you two, but my body yearns for the hot water springs of Kumo." Tenzo spoke out loud as he rolled his shoulder, making Naruto roll his eyes. Izumi didn't bat an eye as she sat by the window, gazing outside. "It's just hot springs. What? Do you think Danzo-sama lets me out of the Root base for soaking in a hot water bath?" Tenzo shook his head before flashing a mischievous grin. "No. And I ought to take advantage of the fact that he's not here." "Well then, don't let us stop you." Naruto replied blandly. "What? You're coming as well." "No, I'm not." "Yes, you are." "What are you, psychic? I told you I don't want to." Tenzo stared at the back of his head as he contemplated on something. He fished into his pocket and took out his wallet, biting his lip as he counted the money before sighing miserably. "I'll pay. Now you're talking." Naruto stood up excitedly without a pause, making Tenzo look at him unbelievably. "Let's go." Kakashi, who was silently reading his book in the corner till now, stood up too. "Wait. Where are you going?" Tenzo inquired suspiciously. "Why, to the hot springs, of course." He replied easily. "Awfully nice of you to pay for all of us." Tenzo bristled. "I didn't mean to pay for you. All you did was read that stupid book of yours." He looked at the young adult bewilderedly. "How are you even tired?" Kakashi snapped his book shut before giving Tenzo an innocent smile. "Well, I did my own work here. You're not supposed to know about it, genin and chunin." He said pleasantly, patting Tenzo's head, who looked entirely unimpressed. His shoulders sagged a bit. The 14-year-old shrugged lightly before looking at the last member of their team, who was yet to move. "You might come as well." When all he got in reply was a dull stare, he added, "They have separate baths for men and women." "I should know. Their first day in Kumo, that was all he did, scouting hot springs around the village. It was a pity he managed to infiltrate the women's section, unintentionally, he had claimed desperately. It wasn't enough, however, to stop the beatdown that had commenced. Izumi's lips twitched into a small smile before she dropped down and made her way out of the room. "That was nice of you, Tenzo. I'll be sure to repay the favor someday." She spoke before she was out. "Well, you can start now by calling me by my real name." He grumbled, but was not surprised when she ignored him. At least it was not something insulting. He would let it slide for now. Could have been much worse. That insufferable pervert is back again. Looks like he hadn't had enough. Much, much worse. In the world of shinobi, knowledge is considered a great power. In order for the village higher-ups to make a decision, it is often recommended to hear the much-needed spymaster's views both on internal and external matters. A spymaster's job was to be aware of all the significant and seemingly insignificant news and bits from all around the world and then report them back to his employers. However, it was not possible for a single man to be present everywhere at once. Hence, the need for a spy network. A good spymaster has a spy network usually spread across a country, while a great spymaster has a worldwide network of spies. Jiraiya was a spymaster, and he considered himself damn good at what he did. On top of being an incredible spy, he was one of the legendary Sannin, the only one still serving his village, unfortunately. His heroic tales were sung worldwide, from the Fire Nation to the Water Country, grudgingly in case of the latter. Admired by the women and children as the ultimate figure, the epitome of manliness and heroism, author of the world-famous, best-selling, passionate romance novels. That was who Jiraiya was. That was how he liked to introduce himself, anyway. "Kya! Look out! It's a pervert." He giggled, not paying any heed to the commotion he was causing as he kept scribbling furiously into his notebook. "Nice. Nice. This is top-quality research material. A big bosom, shapely rear." He would have continued his peepy research if not for a rough, calloused hand clamping down on his shoulder. "You have a lot of nerve, old man." Jiraiya turned back to see a mob of middle-aged and young men, each of them having stern expressions. However, he spied a few faces of admiration as well, making him smirk. "We'll show you what happens when you peep on our women." They were prepared to exact righteous justice on the old pervert. However, he stopped them with the show of his palm. Jiraiya reached into his pocket, taking out an oh-so-familiar book. The men gasped. "That is It can't be the legendary Icha Icha Paradise." Many of them kneeled in front of him, except the man who had clamped on his shoulder earlier. He was looking in shock at the people behind him. "You disgraceful perverts, the lot of you. I'm dis Jiraiya interrupted the man's tirade of righteousness with a gasp. "Don't tell me. Could it be W- what? That you, my friend, He adorned a sympathetic face here, now patting the man's shoulder with mock consolation. Play for the home team. I totally understand even if I don't. My sexually confused comrade. Everyone is entitled to their preferences. The man's face turned red with fury and embarrassment. What was this old fool insinuating? He had been married to his lovely gorgeous wife for 15 years now. They even had two beautiful children. For God's sake, there's no way he was Found you, you pervert. Unfortunately for the man, the white-haired lunatic and the other man had completely disappeared during his inner monologue. Leaving no trace behind. Leaving him ripe for being the recipient of the righteous fury of the now clothed women. Wait, it was that other guy. His cries fell on deaf ears unfortunately. Get him. Always the best at escaping dangerous situations. Jiraiya smirked arrogantly, allowing to compliment himself. Totally not because no one else does it. His research done for the day, he moved on to the more or less depending on who you ask important matters. Now to take care of that thing. He fished into his pockets before taking out a piece of paper. Written on it were the coordinates of several potentially important places. More specifically, the places where he might encounter his old friend Orochimaru. He had been tracking his friend's movements for years now. Every time it felt like he was close, Orochimaru somehow gave him the slip. Almost as if he was aware of his efforts to track him. Bah, like that was any secret. Of course, Orochimaru knew that he was dead set on finding him. It would have been surprising if he didn't even attempt to, considering his life and reputation as a wandering shinobi {slash} sage. On top of following Orochimaru's trails, he had been keeping a lookout for a shady mercenary group that has been recently formed. The members wore distinctive clothing as mentioned by witnesses. It was not a well-known organization from what he has gathered, but there was a rumor about there being at least three S-rank rogue shinobi among their ranks. Now, a gathering of so many S-class shinobi, rogue shinobi at that, was not a laughing matter. It seemed downright impossible in practice. The higher a shinobi's rank, the worse their egos and quirks. And it was a disaster just waiting to happen when so many egoistic people gather together. How were they supposed to work together without infighting? The answer that made him uneasy, only a little because he was Jiraiya the gallant, he who fears no evil, was that there was an even stronger person at the center of this, orchestrating the whole debacle from their place at the top of the chain. Now, that was a scary thought. Hm, so this is the last place left to investigate. He murmured, skimming over all the other locations and felt some anticipation build up within him. Either he would find his friend over there or all of his efforts were for naught. He didn't know which was the better outcome, to be honest. Finding out about the horrors that his ex-teammate was committing or being clueless and still believing that he would return back to being the Orochimaru of the past, the one he considered his best friend. He sighed wearily. How he wished there was a pretty gal to accompany him on his ventures. Tsunade had denied his advances quite violently, he might add, when he had asked her to come with him. He couldn't understand what was wrong with that. So what if his gaze had somehow wandered off to look at those irresistibly big and juicy. Okay, so maybe he could understand her. That doesn't mean he had to like it. To Kusagakure I go then. Jiraiya pocketed the list before standing up from the top of the roof where he was sitting. His long white hair billowed with a particularly strong wind and his sandals made the familiar sound of pattering against the floor. The toad sage had no idea exactly what was waiting for him, but he sure as hell wasn't going to stop until he finally confronts his once best friend. What do you say, old friend? Shimura Danzo looked at the documents laid in front of him, his gaze scrutinizing. It was not uncommon for the two of them to sit and discuss the potential recruits for ANBU units. Hiruzen greatly valued his bits of advice and relied on his cunning and manipulative mind for what it was worth, even if they didn't actually see eye to eye on some fronts. Hiruzen, the crippled man fixed his gaze on two particular files. He spoke in an old and weary voice. I propose that the two of them will be a perfect fit for ANBU. The Hokage raised a grizzled eyebrow, surprised. Well, this is certainly new. He paused and leaned back in his chair, looking back and making a quick hand gesture. An ANBU was kneeling beside him in the next moment, presenting the Hokage with his cigar. I was under the impression that one of them has been a long-time member of your root. It is quite unlike you to transfer one of your trusted members to my private ANBU. What are you plotting now? Danzo was quiet for a while as he gathered his response. It was true. One of them has been a member of the root organization for some years now. And loath as he was to admit it, someone he grew rather fond of in the last few years. But he lacks darkness in his heart. Danzo shook his head slightly. For a unit that works entirely in the shadows, Kino is someone who shines brightly. I was unable to make him kill his emotions because I feared it might dull his edge, unlike the others. He relies on his emotions, not to the extent where he would be an ill fit for ANBU, but he would not thrive in the root. Danzo looked in his long-time rival's eyes, his gaze carefully neutral. The two old men had a brief battle of wills with their eyes, Hiruzen trying to figure out the hidden intentions behind the words of his old friend and Danzo carefully keeping an apathetic face, not giving away anything. The thick tense silence was ultimately broken when the Hokage sighed, reaching for the cigar in the hands of his subordinate. Danzo allowed an almost unnoticeable smirk of victory on his face, something that Hiruzen took a note of, judging by the knowing smile on his face. Fine, I'll have the paperwork ready. But he paused and took a deep puff, letting it go and filling the entire office with smoke and the scent of tobacco. It will be fitting if you talk to the boy about his transfer. I will handle the other candidate. Danzo tipped his head in his direction. Hiruzen spoke up again. Although I am afraid that the girl is a good few years short of the recommended age for ANBU, but I believe it would certainly please the Uchiha clan to have one of their own among ANBU ranks. Danzo nodded but kept his thoughts to himself. The girl was too good to be left alone and he would rather have her in his root. But that was next to impossible with how the current situation was shaping. He hasn't exactly been the friendliest personality when it came to the Uchiha and he was sure that Fugaku, with the entire Uchiha clan, didn't hold him in the highest regard. Well, that was putting it mildly. What about the other boy, Naruto? He allowed a little curiosity to seep into his tone. It was not surprising for him to be interested in his student's progress. Hiruzen smiled amusingly, chuckling as he said, I'm afraid he has already expressed his desire to be in a different unit and I see no reason to refuse. Danzo's interest was piqued now. Is that so? Hiruzen refused to say any more and he reluctantly dropped the subject. It wasn't like it would be a big secret since the Hokage made it quite evident that the boy would not be in ANBU. I must leave for Kumogakure by tomorrow. Danzo eyed the third Hokage, aware of what he was insinuating. He gripped on his cane somewhat more firmly than necessary and stood up while leaning most of his weight on it. Turning around, he walked calmly with a dignity that only a seasoned and experienced warrior can muster and stopped by the door of the Hokage's office. There is no need be troubled about the village. He spoke evenly, not looking back. Even if he was not the Hokage, there was no way he would not give his all to protect the village that he loved so dearly. The roots will not let the old tree fall, no matter how strong the stormy winds get. The week had passed fairly uneventful, the three of them going over formations and sightseeing around Kumo. Tenzo had not been very pleased with how the other day went. His presence caused a big commotion among the women, only settling down when mediated by an amused Kakashi and a particularly lazy Kumo genin. But in the end, he finally got to experience the famed hot springs of Kumogakure, so he was happy for that at least. They couldn't train any further during the week, primarily because of the lack of privacy. Doing so would render their element of surprise a moot point if the other teams managed to stumble upon them, intentionally or unintentionally. However, being the elite shinobi and war veteran that he was, Kakashi did impart them with some golden words of wisdom when he was asked for his advice. Hm, he hummed distractedly, face buried in his book. Try not to get killed, hm. It would be a bother. He paused as he turned a page, giggling before adding quietly, for me anyway. Unfortunately, it was not a piece of very groundbreaking advice by any means, leaving three mildly annoyed genin. Well, not like he cared. Or so he wanted them to think. The day of the third round crawled near, ever so slowly, and soon they were packing their bags, sorting their belongings. Izumi neatly folded her spare outfits, nodding in satisfaction each time, and arranged them in a bag, which would in turn be sealed into a scroll. You ready? Naruto spoke from his place, sitting by the window as he checked on his tanto, Izumi nodded in affirmation. Tenzo, who was sitting upside down on the ceiling as he meditated, released the chakra flow and jumped on the floor with a flip. Let's go then. The older boy stretched out his right hand, palm facing down, as he looked expectantly at the both of them. There was a moment of awkward silence as the three of them stared at each other. Naruto reluctantly placed his hand on top of his, making Tenzo visibly pleased and looked pleadingly at Izumi. She sighed. The vast stadium echoed with excited cheers and shouting as the three leaders made their way to the top. The heavily muscled Raikage was the first, eliciting a thunderous roar from the civilians and shinobi alike. The citizens of Kumo loved the youthful and decisive leader. I waved his hand in greeting, his white haori fluttering with the wind, showing off his muscled chest. He took off his kage hat, something he was not used to, and then spoke in a bellowing voice that completely suited someone of his build. Today, we gather here in large numbers, shinobi or not. He paused, pleased with the silence that now encompassed the whole stadium. It was something he was used to, what with being a charismatic and headstrong leader. He continued in the same firm voice. The final nine contestants of the prestigious chunin exams of this year, each of them carrying the pride of their countries on their back, will now engage in a fierce contest of strength, both mental and physical. The last round will be a battle royal in which the three teams will be pitted against each other. He swept his gaze across the nine finalists. Yugito might have failed, but he had nothing but absolute confidence in team Samui, consisting of Samui, Darui, and C. All of them covered each other's flaws almost perfectly, working like a well-oiled machine. He should know after all one of them was taught by his predecessor, who was even stronger than I himself. The Raikage's gaze landed on the Kumo team, his permanent scowl etched on his face, and he nodded mysteriously at Darui, making the genin stand in attention. Darui returned the nod, albeit nervously. Let's show the daimyo and leaders of Konoha and Iwa how we do it in Kumo. He raised his hand, and the audience roared at his declaration. Chants praising the Raikage and Kumo could be heard, making him smirk somewhat arrogantly. I sat down on his seat, right between the two leaders, putting his hat back on. The Hokage chuckled good-naturedly as he sat in his chair. You certainly have a flair for the dramatics, Raikage-dono. It's not dramatics, it's arrogance, you old monkey. The shortest in height out of the three leaders, Onoki, the Sandaime Tsuchikage, flippantly said as he shook his head. Hiruzen raised an amused brow at the attempt to rile him up. The irony of the statement was not lost on him. Onoki was, after all, even older than himself. We'll see who is arrogant when your granddaughter's team loses against my genin, I said hotly, always the short-tempered. Ha, in your dreams. The old Hokage sighed and shook his head as the two leaders bickered back and forth. The Tsuchikage was as unpleasant as ever, but coupling that with a quick-tempered Raikage, now that was a recipe for disaster. At least it won't be a boring day. The three teams stood in groups, forming a triangle. There was an air of suppressed hostility in the arena as each team eyed the others. Naruto scouted their opponents. First was the team from Kumo, probably the favorites of the crowd, consisting of three teenagers. The blond-haired girl had a tanto strapped to her back, while one of the boys had a giant cleaver attached to his back, making them at least decent in close combat. The third member was a blond-haired boy, no special weapons that he could notice. When he turned to examine the team from Iwa, he found himself staring into pink pupils. What are you staring at, Konoha scum? Well, that wasn't a very friendly attitude now. Izumi noticed the commotion and whispered in his ears. They were around the same height, so she didn't have to stand on her toes. That is the Tsuchikage's granddaughter. Tread care- There isn't anything to look at, washboard. Tenzo spoke, grinning. Fully, Izumi completed flatly. Well, the damage was done now. Kurotsuchi fumed as her face turned red from anger and embarrassment. She was still growing, damn it. I'll kill you. She pounced at him, but found herself restricted by what appeared to be a giant octopus tentacle. She screamed and flailed her arms to no avail. Her teammates looked in fear. Wait till I give the go before you go gung-ho, fools. There was an uncomfortable silence as Killer B grinned expectantly. Kurotsuchi stopped her thrashing, confused behind the words of the self-proclaimed rapper. Finally, when it was getting increasingly uncomfortable, someone coughed. Do not start fighting before the exam starts, is what he said. Samui spoke monotonously. Up with the leaders. I pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes, restricting the urge to palm his face and kick out his brother. It won't be good for Kumo's reputation, he convinced himself repeatedly. Hiruzen, however, felt relief wash over him. At least he was not the only one stuck with eccentric people around him. Guy would surely get along well with him. Kurotsuchi was dropped on the ground, but she still was far from happy. The rules were announced. The team that gets all three members knocked out or immobilized will lose. The proctor, Killer B, will stop any unnecessary deaths. The team with at least a single member standing at the last will win the round. B lifted his hand up in the air, looking at the genin teams, but it was hard to say with his goggles. Izumi eyed the opposite teams and noticed them looking at each other. The leaders of both teams, Samui and Kurotsuchi, held each other's gaze before nodding. Izumi's eyes widened when she realized what was going to happen. She turned to warn her teammates, but saw them almost twitching to form hand signs. Go. B brought down his hand, leaving the arena in a flicker. Instantly, Samui was onto them, her tanto drawn, threatening to cut anything in its way. Swish. The three of them scattered, moving into three directions. C, Darui, Samui spoke coolly, subtly motioning towards Naruto with her head as she moved to chase Tenzo. Let's go, Darui. Whatever. Naruto backflipped as he dodged the heavy swings of the giant cleaver, feeling the wind as the blade almost scored a glancing shot. One hit and he would be done for. Darui followed him as he retreated, his cleaver drawn in a wide arc. Up in the stands, Kakashi watched the match with an unnatural interest, the familiar book suspiciously missing from his hands, focusing more on the blond-haired kid that he had been observing for the last few years. Of course, the kid didn't know about that. It would be an insult to a shinobi of his caliber to be found out by a brat. The first time he had seen the kid, all those years ago, the familiar tuft of blond hair had caught his eye, but that didn't prove anything by itself. He had been curious and subtly asked around, collecting information on the boy, but found nothing special, even from the Hokage. But there was something about the kid, something incredibly familiar, yet still vastly different. Something that brought out the long-buried memories inside the masked jonin. He saw his down on the arena. Naruto dodged the overhead strikes of the cleaver sword, seamlessly flowing until he was forced to parry one of the strikes with his tanto or be sliced in half. The blond Kumo genin jumped at the opportunity, sneaking an attack from behind. Kakashi noticed something at that moment, causing him to smile. Clever little brat. Darui increased his speed suddenly, pushing Naruto further on the defensive as he drew his tanto, forcing him to parry his strike, twisting. C now. C gave a cry as he snuck behind the younger genin, his hands forming the ram seal as a bright light radiated from his body, apparently blinding the Konoha genin as he turned back upon noticing him. Lightning illusion flash. Darui had already covered his eyes, so he didn't notice it when the Naruto in front of him poofed in smoke, but he did feel something wet hit his face, prompting him to flinch. When he opened his eyes, it was to see his partner kneeling on the ground, raggedly breathing as he cradled his bloody midsection. The wound won't kill him, Naruto spoke casually, as long as he gets some medical attention anyway. Darui looked conflicted for a while before he spoke lazily, no motivation in his tone. Man. The dark-skinned teenager sheathed his blade, making Naruto think that he was giving up. Will you just give up if I ask nicely? I'd rather not do this. No. Naruto looked at him flatly, making him sigh dejectedly. Whatever. Sorry, this is dull. I'm not very good at this yet, but dash. Naruto decided not to wait for the technique, flying through hand signs simultaneously with his opponent. Lightning style, black panther. A deadly black panther was formed out of black lightning, settling its predatory gaze upon Naruto. It growled dangerously and opened its maw. His eyes widened as he saw the black panther dashing towards him and hurriedly slammed his hands on the ground. He almost relaxed when the mud wall emerged from the ground, forming a barrier between the technique and himself. What was that black lightning? Is that the same technique used by the previous Raikage? However, his chain of thoughts was abandoned when the same blonde Genin see if what he heard was right that he swore he had just mortally wounded. Now clutching his wounded abdomen and a greenish glow on his hands somehow got dangerously close to him. A medic-nin then, "Of course, just my luck." He thought miserably, a frown on his face. White flashed in front of him this time with no opportunity to make a clone and he instinctively covered his eyes. "Crap." Izumi saw the two Iwa Genin making their way towards her. Their stride confident, too confident for her tastes. One of them was built like a giant as he towered over her. His hands were enormous, larger than any she'd ever seen. The other one was comparatively small, likely the faster one among them. One of them had strength while the other one had speed. Izumi smirked, almost unnoticeable and a little arrogantly, her eyes flashing red for a moment as she unconsciously channeled her inner Uchiha. She had both strength and speed. The large man leaped towards her in a mad dash, making her raise an amused eyebrow at the foolish action. "So, only brawns." She sidestepped easily then ducking low under the horizontal swipe by the other Genin. She caught his hand using his own momentum to throw him over her shoulder using chakra to amplify her muscle strength and no brains. "Is that all you have?" The giant growled nodding to his partner as they eyed her with increasing hostility. "You'll be sorry to have provoked us, Konoha scum." "Doubtful." The mammoth of a Genin maintained distance, this time making hand signs as he did. "Earth Style Earth Spear." The Uchiha heiress retreated in the air eyeing the Iwa Genin curiously, expertly avoiding the hail of kunai and earth spears directed at her as she swirled midair. Landing in a crouch, she noticed the two Iwa shinobi on her opposite sides, their trap complete. "You're mine." The giant dashed towards her like an angry bull causing the ground to tremble as he did. On the opposite end, the other Iwa Genin sat in a crouch as he grinned victoriously, his jutsu ready and slammed his hands on the ground closing her exit. "Earth Style Mud Wall." Hardening his fists akin to a stone, the brute pulled back his arm for a punch intending to crush her between the wall and his fists. Izumi faced the wall disinterestedly before turning towards the imminent threat. She watched him with a dull gaze, her eyes flashing red yet again and he blinked noticing it for the first time. The girl in front of him seemingly vanished in the wind and he found himself tearing through the mud wall with his heavy fist cursing in surprise as he did so. "Wait. Stop." Only to crash headfirst with a colossal force into his now surprised and incredibly alarmed teammate knocking him out cold instantaneously. "What What happened?" He asked to no one sprawled on the ground. He was feeling his head pound horribly and his mind swimming in a thousand thoughts. "I did." He couldn't ponder on the speaker's identity for much longer knocked unconscious the next moment. Izumi pocketed the kunai that she just used and looked for her teammates not giving the two of them a second glance. They weren't going to wake up soon anyway. "Die. Die. Die." Tenzo yelped as he came dangerously close to losing his head barely avoiding the enraged Iwa Kunoichi. Twirling his tanto and a kunai in his hands, he blocked an overhead swipe now looking into dull blue eyes. "I am not one to decline female attention." He spoke as he leaned backward dodging an earth spear that would have skewered his chest. "But only when they're not trying to kill me." "I'll kill you." "See." Samui clicked her tongue getting frustrated with their lack of progress. She could see her teammates fighting the blonde boy on another side of the arena. There was not a shred of doubt in her mind about them. Darui was the strongest Genin she had ever met taught by the legendary Sand Daimyo Raikage himself back when he was still alive, which was really cool if someone asked her. She jumped backward when she saw her temporary ally forming hand signs, the Leaf Genin doing the same. "Earth Style Earth Dragon Jutsu." A massive structure made of stone and shaped like a dragon flew towards Tenzo, who hardly completed his own technique. "Wind Style Wind Bullets." The wind bullets clashed with the stone monstrosity shattering it in tiny pieces, some of them flying towards him with high velocity, nicking him. The Konoha Genin hissed as he touched his face feeling the distinct warmth and wetness of blood, his blood. She took advantage of his distraction kicking low swiping his feet beneath him as he fell on his back with a yelp. Kurotsuchi jumped on him, her face set in an expression of glee and sat on his chest with a kunai spinning dangerously in her right hand. "Finally." "No. Wait dash." Tenzo spoke desperately, his voice pitched a little higher than usual. "I was just kidding. You're dash." Thunk. "Bigger dash." He let out fearfully twisting his neck to avoid her vicious stabs. Thunk. Then the booby blonde chick "I swear." He finished holding his breath. Kurotsuchi stopped her kunai an inch from his forehead and uttered in an eerily calm voice, "What?" "Yes, it's true. All of it." He yelled somewhat desperately. He could have died just now. Red crawled up to her nose. No one has ever complimented her looks before, most of them being afraid of her grandfather. Sometimes she was even mistaken for a boy to her ire. So, what if she didn't have a gigantic chest or that she preferred short hair. She was very much a girl. Always has been and always will be. "Well, in that case." Tenzo suddenly tensed looking behind her and pressed the Iwa Kunoichi close to his chest rolling out of the way only for a very deadly blade to be stabbed in the ground, which would have gone right through the two of them. "Let me go." Kurotsuchi back to her senses now yelled as the both of them got up. "You You pervert." "But I saved you." "I don't need Konoha trash to save me. It was your fault anyway." She spoke rudely. "You distracted me with your treacherous words." Tenzo did not speak again as he was forced to evade another overhead strike. He eyed the blonde Kunoichi seriously. He could not afford to die here. "Fine." He said as he unsheathed his tanto carrying it with his right hand and spinning a kunai in his left. "I won't hold back if that's what you want." And then he charged. Onoki was an old man. There was no doubt about that. Being older than even the Sand Daimyo Hokage, he had seen his fair share of war and death. Came out of it alive to tell the tale and only got stronger. He was often seen as grumpy and insensitive by other people, people who did not know him well. The man had lost a son in the war and since then only grew more and more overprotective over his loved ones, namely his beloved, sweet, innocent granddaughter. "Particle Style Atomic Let me go, you ape." "Such a kitch." "This is my village." I spoke in a gruff voice as he restricted the old Suchikage. "Are you threatening war with Kumo?" "I'll threaten anyone as long as I keep that despicable pervert away from my granddaughter." "Hokage, control your Genin." Raikage barked. "Onoki is not my Genin. So, maybe he was a little bit miffed about the old monkey remark, but it was worth it. Onoki saw red. "Konoha will get a fourth war if that's what you lot want." Onoki spat, still restricted by the Raikage. Not like he couldn't have gotten free. All it would take was a touch to make the large man light as a feather. Hiruzen, knowing well about the grumpy man and seeing that it may escalate to a fight, tried to placate him. Surely young Kino had no wicked intentions. He said calmly. "After all, a near-death experience only brings out the true nature of a person." He hesitated and slowed down in the end realizing he had messed up. The Raikage stared disbelievingly at him. Wasn't the Hokage the preacher of peace? Then why in the gods' name was he trying to start a war now? Hiruzen was about to say something to calm the oncoming storm when the tiny man wriggled out of the Raikage's grasp. "Particle Style Atomic Dis Dash." Crack. "Arg. My back. My back. Crap." Naruto shielded his eyes from the bright light and gritted his teeth. "Can't see anything." He cried out pain when he felt something sharp slice across his back and was forced to the ground courtesy of a fierce kick to his head. His back burned as soon as it made contact with the ground making him arch his back upwards hissing in pain. "Relax. Calm down." He told himself taking deep breaths. He could not see them, but he could still make things difficult for them. A mischievous little grin painfully crept to his face as he thought of an idea shakily getting up with some struggle. "Give up. Man, you're good. Really good. But you can't beat us." He heard someone from his left. "And this is kind of dull. Now, I won't know that if I give up." Naruto said still keeping his eyes shut. "But let's see you counter this." He took something out from his pouch making Darui tense before he threw it down. "Smoke." "A smoke bomb? Does he really think he can hide dash? Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu." More than a dozen Naruto jumped out of the smoke, all of them running in random directions. Darui and C shared a worried glance, their jaws hanging limply. Just how much chakra did this guy have? C straightened, his wound now healed enough to fight, and closed his eyes to concentrate. I can't sense the real one among them. He said and shook his head after a moment. Their chakra is indistinguishable. Darui snuck a glance at his leader, sitting among the other Kage, silently pleading with his gaze. Boss, can I give up? I glared. Darui scratched his hair, feeling entirely unmotivated to chase after the metaphorical chickens. The boss said I can't give up, but I just want to go home and nap. C C ignored his mutterings, focusing on the clones who were running amok like headless chickens. Kiss my ass. Kumogakure dash ramen ramen ramen dash you're all so useless dash I'm so so sad dash C ignored the clones who were apparently suffering from a multiple personality disorder and focused on something else, like how to find the real Naruto. Though his twitching eyebrow betrayed him, he noticed something making him smirk victoriously. I got you now, Darui. That one in the middle. It's the only one with blood on his jacket. His partner checked and sure enough, there was only one among them with blood on his clothes. On the back, right where he sliced him with his cleaver sword. Darui gave him a two-finger salute, pleased that his work was now cut tremendously. He silently made his way to the blonde genin, who was running right towards him, his eyes still shut. The older boy kicked the blonde genin in his chest, hard, making him fall down, seemingly unconscious, with a surprised sound as all the other clones popped in white smoke. Darui sighed. Finally, he could join Samui now and then win this thing. Let's go, C. C relaxed at last, heaving a heavy sigh of relief. He could use some more healing now that he noticed. The boy gave him a pretty nasty wound. He turned around only to notice a fist dangerously close to his face before being socked with a humongous force in his face, making it cave in momentarily as he went flying from the power behind it. The crowd booed, and many among the audience cringed at the raw brutality of the strike. C flipped several times midair and hit the ground, skidding to a stop. He did not wake up again. Naruto, who was suspiciously missing his jacket now, shook his right arm, clenching and unclenching his fist. He might have used a lot of force in that punch. Not that he regretted it. The guy deserved it for blinding him with that cheap technique. Darui stared dully at the scene. The Naruto that he had kicked poofed in smoke as well, leaving behind a torn and bloody white jacket. Well, it was not white anymore. You don't suppose I can just give up? Naruto blinked. He was going to give up, just like that? Well, will you? Darui looked at his leader yet again, who was glaring even harder than before. His scowl certainly seemed more fierce than usual. He frowned. Sighing, he brought out his trusty cleaver sword yet again. Nah, the boss won't let me. Tenzo rolled on his heel as he avoided a stab to his chest, sliding the blunt side of his blade against his opponent's blade. He slashed at her unguarded waist with the kunai, making the blonde kunoichi cry out in surprise and pain. He had to immediately twist his neck to dodge a flying kick to his face, courtesy of Kurotsuchi. Feeling the wind rush by his lips as the leg slid by dangerously close, he grabbed at it. Kurotsuchi blinked in surprise before she felt her world rotate and found herself propelling towards Samui, who was still clutching her wounded waist as warm blood poured out of it. Seizing an opportunity, the Iwa kunoichi pulled back her fist midair, punching Samui right in the cheek hard enough for her to lose her footing. Tenzo capitalized on the moment, slashing his blade in a wide arc towards her, which the unsettled kunoichi desperately moved back to avoid, but took a shallow cut to her bicep. She retreated further away from the two. This is not cool. The blue-eyed kunoichi panted with exertion. She was in bad shape right now. Her opponents weren't dizzy due to injuries like she was. You can always give up, Tenzo supplied helpfully, to which the kunoichi shook her head. Well, not like he expected her to, but one could always try. Stop ignoring me. Kurotsuchi cried out as she jumped in the air, forming hand seals midair. I am being forced to use that on measly genin. What a shame, she thought to herself bitterly. She was quite proud of her abilities as a kunoichi and could defeat some of the stronger chunin and weaker jonin while still being a genin at the age of 14 as a matter of fact. So, for her to be forced to use her special technique against a couple of genin, no matter how strong they might be, left a sour taste in her mouth. Her pride certainly took a hit. Lava style quicklime congealing jutsu. Tenzo, who was about to subjugate Samui, backflipped from the large quantity of quicklime expelled by the fiery kunoichi, narrowing his eyes at the new development. So, she was holding back as well after all. But it still won't be enough to dash dot. His train of thoughts abruptly halted when he found his feet jammed in the quicklime. Forcing himself to move was useless as well. He sighed miserably. If only he could use his special technique, this fight would have been over long ago. But you don't always get what you want. Samui, on the other hand, was stuck all the way from her waist down as she was sprawled on the ground. The kunoichi being already unconscious from the strain, Kurotsuchi smiled smugly. Of course, she had no doubt she was going to win. How else was she going to be the next such a kage? Her old grandfather was already getting up there. In her musings, she forgot that Tenzo was still conscious and turned her back on him, waving towards the crowd and her grandfather, who was all too pleased with her performance. It was kind of obvious with how the man had not shut up bragging about his precious granddaughter ever since she unveiled her secret technique. And then, at the tender age of four, my little Kurotsuchi killed her first bear. A giant one at that, huh? Surely, the two of you were humbled by her performance today and would want to promote her to a jonin straightaway. I know I am very much tempted to, but I think she still needs a little more exp dash. Hiruzen coughed politely, breaking the older man's ramblings to a halt as he pointed to the arena without speaking anything. The Raikage was stone-faced as one more Kumo shinobi was disqualified, but he did grip on his chair somewhat harder, cracking it under strain. The smile on the Hokage's face, filled with incredible amusement, was the only warning Onoki got as he slowly turned toward the arena and what? slash what? The duo of granddaughter and grandfather shouted simultaneously. There was a knife on her throat, close enough to draw a trickle of blood that rolled down her neck into her shirt. I win, a male voice whispered, chuckling in her ear and raising goosebumps along her whole body as she felt the cold steel of her opponent's hitai-e touch the back of her neck. How exactly did that fool manage to break out? She dared not to move her neck, peering at the face, that infuriating face, of her opponent from the corner of her eye. She swore that she had him trapped. Then how? Kurotsuchi nodded her head minutely anyway, accepting her defeat. At least, she lost to an honorable and strong warrior. Tenzo, where are your pants? A monotonous voice questioned. Oh, Izumi. He nodded to her, utterly nonchalant. How long have you been here? Wait, pants? Kurotsuchi scooted away from the boy, now aware of the suspicious lack of reaction from the crowd. Tenzo had slipped out of his pants and footwear in order to escape her technique. Not long. Meanwhile, the strain of the fighting and her own embarrassment over watching a half-naked boy was too much for Kurotsuchi, prompting her to faint. And with the latest defeat of Kurotsuchi, Iwa was now out of the round, leaving only Kumo and Konoha. Elsewhere on the arena, Naruto, who was now down to his orange shirt and mesh armor, small cuts and blood marks littered all over his clothes, danced against the song of battle alongside Darui. He could feel his blood pumping with each strike he blocked, his adrenaline skyrocketing with each moment the wind caressed his face. His blonde hair blowing wildly with each movement. He didn't even realize it when his lips automatically curled into an excited grin. Having fun? Darui questioned as they locked their respective weapons, his giant cleaver blade about to bisect the younger and shorter genin upside down and Naruto's tanto blocking the overhead strike. Their blades vibrated with the strain, making noise as the metal ground against metal. I guess I am he struggled to speak against the strain. The grin on his face vanished as he disengaged, now aware of the cuts lingering on both his arms. He tore the ruined bandages on his left hand, exposing the vicious scar on it. Darui looked at it with interest before speaking. You're lucky to have that arm still intact. Once Yugito managed to sever a man's arm when she was in her chakra mode. Naruto's curiosity peaked. He raised an interested brow at his opponent. She's a jinchuriki, right? He continued upon receiving a nod. Mind telling me about them? I'm not exactly familiar with it. Darui chose to remain silent. Not giving any indication that he heard his question. Upon noticing this, Naruto tried another approach. Tell me one thing. He gulped, a little nervousness seeping into his tone. Could Could a tailed beast forcefully possess its container? Darui shrugged carelessly. It depends. Realizing that he was not going to find anything other than vague answers from him, Naruto sighed. Man. Darui stretched his arm, then formed a hand sign almost lazily. This has been fun and all. You're pretty cool for a kid. Even though you punched the lights out of C. He muttered quietly, finally completing the hand signs. But this ends now, dash. Gale style. Laser circus. Perhaps for the first time today, Naruto felt a small amount of uncertainty creep into him as he saw the older genin form a halo of white light around his hands, shooting several high-speed beams from it. Wait, he still had that technique he made with Shisui. Swiftly, he pulled his tanto behind him as he crouched. As the beams got closer to him, Naruto smiled a little, excited to show off his new move. He vanished in a blur of orange, exceptionally fast, surprising Darui and forcing him to change the beams' direction to his new position. His tanto, now coated in a layer of rippling water, was swung at the same time he disappeared yet again. This time appearing right behind Darui in a blur of orange. Darui only had enough time to drop his jutsu and shield himself with his cleaver blade. The arc of water sliced through the air with incredible speed, swishing, crashing against the giant blade, which groaned horribly under the pressure. But Darui had underestimated the sheer raw strength behind the technique, or he would have never attempted to block it. For he was sent flying towards the wall of the arena, where he crashed and made an indent before falling down in a crouch, leaning heavily against his sword. His head was bowed down as he attempted to regulate his erratic breathing, almost collapsing on the floor. Give up. A distant voice said from behind him. He could not make out who was it anymore. The voices sounded funny. When he tried to move, he felt the cold steel rest against his neck, almost daring him to shift a muscle. He sought his leader with his gaze, pleading again. Hadn't he showed off enough? Was that not enough to please the clients? Boss. Give up. The Raikage stared right into his eyes stoically. But his hands clearly shook with agitation. He held his gaze for a moment before finally slumping in his chair, his eyes closed. Darui, obviously relieved, finally allowed himself to utter the three magical words. Give up. Impressive technique. I can see how you based it upon Shisui's own. Thanks. Naruto grinned slightly. I call it the ultimate slashing blade dance of the water god technique. Cool, right? Izumi contemplated on retracting her praise upon hearing the horrible name. But upon seeing his excited face, her own lips curled upwards slightly. Right, she lied shamelessly. Meanwhile, a half-naked Tenzo made his way towards the duo, flashing a smile and a wave as he neared them. Why are you missing your pants? I had to sacrifice them to defeat my opponent. How does that work? He asked with genuine confusion. Tenzo was creative with his techniques, if nothing else. Izumi stared at them flatly before walking away. She did not need to be a part of this conversation. The Raikage held a stoic face, but his chair cracked under the strain of his grip, making the two leaders look at him warily. Raikage-dono, calm down. Hiruzen attempted to soothe him. Your shinobi, even though they lost, fought brilliantly and deserve to be promoted. Being in the final round was a testament to their ability itself. Ice Face didn't lose its stoic look, but he did ease his grip on the poor chair. He contemplated the Hokage's words. It's true, he thought as he noticed the unconscious forms of his genin, his eyes losing their cold edge as he did so. It was just luck this time, Hokage. My genin would have demolished yours any other day. I said in his usual blunt manner. Still, I'll have them double, no, triple their training intensity. Still, to beat Darui, and at such a young age, truly is a formidable feat. He thought as he eyed the blonde genin with something akin to respect. Meanwhile, Onoki was plotting to get away with murdering a foreign genin without triggering the next great war. Your genin are shameless and unprofessional, old monkey. He said with a scoff. My granddaughter was clearly the winner. It is a disgrace that such a disrespectful shinobi was allowed to win. Hiruzen debated on his response, but in the end, just chuckled amusedly. His village had already won. Allowing the grumpy man a sense of pseudo victory didn't sound too bad. Whatever you say, fence-sitter. Humph. Akumo Jonin appeared before them, kneeling down on his knee. I looked at him for a moment before he gestured for him to speak. The nobles and daimyo were very impressed with the performance. They are demanding a three-way match between the remaining participants. The three leaders met each other's gaze, silently contemplating. The Hokage nodded, prompting that Suchikage to scoff and make a dismissive gesture. Fine. Let's see if they have any more left to show. I spoke gruffly. I severely doubt it in any case. The Jonin muttered an affirmative before he disappeared in a flicker. Hokage-sama. Hiruzen nodded, already aware of Kakashi's presence by his side. What do you need, copycat ninja? Onoki interjected rudely. I watched the youngster curiously, already aware of his reputation. Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan, also known as copy ninja Kakashi, only remaining student of that man. I thought, his face carefully neutral. I apologize. Kakashi gave him an easy smile. I only answer to my leader. Onoki scoffed. What is it, Kakashi? Kakashi observed the three genin down on the arena with his lone eye, scrutinizing the blonde-haired genin with great interest. He did not speak for a while, but Hiruzen didn't interrupt him. He noticed the Raikage and Suchikage listening intently and smiled at them. Sorry. It's nothing important, he said, still smiling. Perhaps it would be best discussed in private. The Hokage raised a brow before making a dismissive gesture. Kakashi was gone the next second. Jiraiya clutched his bloody shoulder, gritting his teeth so hard he could taste blood as he shot out from the rubble, riding on a giant toad. The toad sage could feel his blood boiling as rage flashed in his eyes, clinching his fists until they went sickly pale. The snarl on his face could be compared to a wild animal, what with the raw ferocity behind it. With his now cracked hitai-ate, once white hair now drenched in red blood, he was no common pervert. He was one of the legendary Sannin, the toad sage of Mount Myoboku, the man who trained the Fourth Hokage. He was Jiraiya the Gallant, and he was furious. Gammakun-san, off to Konoha. I might be ungraceful, but I will try. Always the best at escaping dangerous situations. He thought with a painful, bloody smirk that masked his rage, complimenting himself because he really was the best. Chapter 9. The gigantic magenta-colored toad leaped through the forests of the Land of Fire, making the ground rumble and covering large distances rapidly. Sat atop of it, Jiraiya of the Sannin was in deep thought as he struggled to control his overwhelming emotions. There was not a shred of the easy-going expression that he was known for on his face as he decided on his next course of action. And on the top of it, he wasn't exactly in the top condition. Tch. Another giant leap rattled the toad sage as he lost his balance, a thing which had not happened since a few decades, and dropped on his hands and knees on top of the toad's head. He winced, grabbing his shoulder that ached horribly. Damn it. This is pathetic. He thought to himself, hating his own weakened condition. Should he go back to Konoha? Sarutobi-sensei was not in the village from what he had heard. Most probably due to Konoha participating in the Chunin Exams in Kumo. The Hokage had chosen to witness the finals with his own eyes. This might be the perfect opportunity for him to snoop around the village and give a friendly visit to some people. Now that he thought of it, the matter concerned another person as well, someone who has been away from Konoha for a while now. He will be in a lot of pain in the future if they manage to learn it from somewhere else. And he had been meaning to visit them anyway. On the other hand, he could actually use some help with his mangled arm. Ken-san. He let out in a slightly weaker than usual voice, thankfully not enough to make his summoned ally suspicious. We need to make a detour. The toad stopped itself immediately, sliding in the clearing of the forest from the sudden change in momentum. Where to, Jiraiya-san? Jiraiya stood upon the head of the toad, narrowing and shielding his eyes from the sun's ruthless glare with his hand as he looked around in the distance with an unusual, for him that is, calculating gaze. To the north. Very well. The toad positioned itself facing in the mentioned direction and tensed its legs. But I might be a little clumsy. And then it leaped. A few hours earlier, Jiraiya grimaced wiping the grime off his face as he traveled along the underground tunnels. He had no idea that his search would lead him through such a filthy place. The stench of rotten flesh and animal droppings was unbearable prompting him to pinch his nose shut and curse Orochimaru in his head. Couldn't he have chosen a somewhat decent place for a hideout? This barbaric place was not very appealing visually or in any way at all. If it was up to him, he would have lounged in a brothel or something similar for a hideout. Bah. This was no time to get sidetracked in complaining about his ex-teammate's preferences. He had actual work to do this time. Jiraiya ducked under a deformed rock gingerly placing his hand on the slimy wall for support as his feet splashed on the disgustingly wet ground. Something he tried to ignore unsuccessfully. Making his way to the other side, he checked around the cave. Tap tap tap. Tiny water droplets dripped from the stalactite formations as the toad sage ventured forward. He reached upward and touched the structure with his index finger finding the surface to be incredibly smooth. The body oils from a human would generally stop the structure from growing, but it was not a difficult task for him to form a skin of chakra over his finger. He rubbed his finger against his thumb and cautiously sniffed it. Once, twice, he cringed. Ack. This place must be ancient. He wondered out loud as his voice echoed off the walls. He took out his notebook, not the one he uses for his research of course, and scribbled the curious details. Looking at his notebook for a moment he then snapped it shut and shoved it back into his clothes. With that, he ventured further deep within the network of caves. In a dimly lit room that vaguely resembled a laboratory a man stood beside a table not unlike the ones that could be used in a hospital for performing surgeries. He took out a vial and studied it. The sick yellow content within it glistening in the white light of the soul lamp. Holding it between his pale middle finger and thumb with the ease of someone who could be called a professional, he stirred it. He was about to prepare an injection when he sensed a distortion behind him and smiled. The person who caused it making no efforts to hide their presence. Oh my. The man let out in a smooth slippery voice filled with mock surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure? The masked man finished teleporting atop of a giant crate sitting as he rested his cheek on his fist and fixed his gaze on the pale-skinned man who was working on what seemed to be a deformed corpse of something that might have resembled a human once upon a time. He let out in a deep intimidating voice. The man looked at the abomination with apparent interest. But it was difficult to make out with his mask. Do you take me for a fool, snake? Of course not, the scientist said chuckling amusedly. That would be rather foolish of me, now won't it? There was a moment of silence only disturbed by the clatter of surgical instruments as the scientist kept fidgeting with them. The new arrival hummed. A deep sound vibrating from his throat. I know that you deliberately let the information slip and you know exactly what I'm talking about. I've been meaning to visit you, you see, but I had more pressing matters to attend to. The smile on the scientist's face stretched from ear to ear. A sick sight if one were to see. But the man couldn't see it as he was still facing away from the new arrival. A smooth but unpleasant chuckle emerged from the pale-skinned man's throat. Whatever do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about. Why would a man like you be interested in a common scientist such as me? He spoke in a tone filled with mockery still not facing the man. The temperature in the room dropped suddenly as the man felt something unpleasant crawling on his skin all the way from his toes to his mouth as he unconsciously shivered feeling a cold chill tear through him. This is merely a warning. The masked man said slowly watching silently in satisfaction with the effect he had on the scientist. Do not test my patience any further, snake. The pale-skinned man gently dropped his instruments on the table and finally turned around to face his guest. He regained his composure in a fraction of a second as he bowed mockingly the smile back on his face. Of course. Forgive me. I get carried away sometimes. He straightened up and finally had a good look at his guest. The spiky long waist-length black hair his features hidden by the yellow and black mask and a dark blue robe. He stared into the lone orifice with an uncanny interest smiling even further when he caught a glint of red. Introductions are in order, it seems. I'm Orochimaru, one of the Sannin as you might have known already. He said with a slight dip of his head. And what might be the name of my guest? You're certainly an Uchiha or someone who merely stole the Sharingan off a corpse. The masked man stared at his visage not giving any reaction to the jab. Tell me. He said leaning forward and interlocking his hands. What is so special about that boy? Your genius must not be trivial if you managed to actually transfer the legendary wood release artificially or not. There is something indeed different about the boy. Orochimaru frowned for a moment feeling a little irritated that he was not going to get his answers on the man's identity. But then he decided to test the waters a little more. A foolish gamble considering the man was clearly stronger than him. Only for now, he reminded himself. Hm. What's in it for me? Why should I tell you anything when I don't even know who I'm dealing with? You wish to join my organization. The man stated without hesitation. Sate my curiosity and I'll let you join. Oh my. Orochimaru's smile widened even further almost impossibly. You know an awful lot don't you? Ho, get to the point. The man said sharply and in an instant the smile vanished from Orochimaru's face. He held any further snide remarks. This was not someone he could play around with, at least not right now. Very well. I will tell you. Orochimaru said as he walked away from the table and washed his hands with a disinfectant. The boy was the 17th subject I had used for my bloodline transfer project and the second one to stay alive through it. However he was the only one to inherit the bloodline to such a degree that dare I say would one day become something greater than Senju Hashirama's wood release itself. He walked towards the masked man and leaned on the wall crossing his arms as he continued. The man raised an interested brow beneath his mask. Oh? And why is that so? A grin crept to Orochimaru's face. One that would have been considered mischievous on any other person. Would you believe me if I say that my ex-teammate Tsunade is not the last remaining Senju? The masked man shifted slightly in interest. Ho? A bold claim you have there. I hope this is not one of your games, snake. For your sake. Orochimaru raised his hands placatingly the smile still on his face. Oh, I assure you. I give my word that I speak the truth. The masked man silently mulled over the information. He could certainly see how it was possible. Having the Senju blood flow through one's veins was reason enough for the child to be unique. But there was still something bothering him. Something that didn't make any sense. Konoha the village that prides itself over its teamwork. He said bitterness seeping into his tone. Something that made Orochimaru raise a brow. There surely was a story here. One would think that the village would throw itself on the feet of the last Senju given how they idolized their Shodaim. How truly bizarre. The man trailed off expectantly. Orochimaru realized what was being asked of him and he smiled innocently. My, you are awfully nosey. I've already told you what you asked of me. Completed my end of the deal. Have you? I asked you to sate my curiosity. Yet I'm still curious. He leaned forward resting his hand on his thigh and leaning on it. So tell me, why does no one know of it? The Sannin didn't allow the irritation at being played at his own game to show on his face. He still had his pride after all. But he did note that the man in front of him was dangerously clever. Perhaps someone who was well-versed in the art of manipulation. But surely not better than him. You have me in something of a bind here. He let out while still maintaining a reluctant tone. Fine. I will tell you. Or rather, I'll just show you since you clearly don't believe my words. The masked man watched interestedly as he went up to a cabinet before he began to sort through different files and folders. The sound of paper brushing against paper filled the gloomy silence in the dark room. Smiling in satisfaction when he found the thing he was looking for Orochimaru made his way back to him presenting him a folder with an anticipating smile. See for yourself. His tone was filled with amusement as the man looked at the folder in his hands. The man cautiously took the file in his grasp and skimmed through it. After a moment, suddenly he stilled as if shocked before he started to shake. Orochimaru tensed. Did he somehow offend the other man? Whatever he was expecting to happen, what actually happened next was so unpredictable that he was shocked to silence. Hm. The masked man threw his head back and laughed. It wasn't a quiet chuckle, but a burst of full-blown laughter filled with mirth and a twinge of insanity. He laughed and laughed, and Orochimaru waited patiently. Now somewhat equal parts amused and disturbed about the masked man's behavior. I see that you found something amusing. The man's laughter died down to small chuckles as he controlled himself. He looked at the paper again before he shook his head in apparent amusement. Yondaime Hokage, he said in his now normal deep voice. The man responsible for a lot of things, both directly and indirectly. I detest that man with all my being, he said almost growling out his last words. To find out that the boy is his child is a pleasant surprise. I'm almost impressed with the work you've gone through. Pleasant? Surely if the man hated the Yondaime just as much as he implied, finding out that he had another progeny running around was something that would entice irritation or even hatred. Then why? Oh, I see that you've understood. The man said, mirth still present in his voice. It should be quite interesting to have him join the organization, something that stands against everything that Minato stood for. Indeed, not to mention his unique abilities would be beneficial for them. Jiraiya tried his best to control his boiling temper as he spied on the two men hiding behind the wall and using his My Sage Mode no jutsu. Violence in closed quarters would make things messy, he told himself. Information is more critical than retribution. He convinced himself repeatedly, but he couldn't stop himself from gritting his teeth and clenching his shaking fists hard enough to hear a crack. Only his decades of experience in spying allowed him to even his breathing and control his emotions. Still, he did not know how long he could hold for without barging in there and introducing his friend to a perfectly round rasengan. Friend, he almost scoffed at the word but stopped himself. The bastard was no friend of him if what he heard right now had even a single grain of truth. He knew the pain of losing a son and Minato lost his when he wasn't even fully ready to be a father. He knew the haunted look in those eyes back when he had encountered his pupil. It hurt even worse when he now found out that the person that he considered a friend, even a brother, was the one behind it. He pressed himself against the wall almost as if trying to blend into it and took a silent, long breath. A bead of sweat rolled down his brow. Even if he used his trump card here, he knew Orochimaru enough to realize that this was his lair. Here, he was at a clear disadvantage and he would lose this one golden chance to collect more information. And the unknown man, from what he could decipher, the man was the one leading the band of S-class criminals, so he must be strong enough to at least be S rank, probably on the higher end. Other than that, he had no information on the man. He was running without any intel here. I hope that it is enough to sate your curiosity. He heard the infuriating voice of the person that he perhaps hated the most right now. Hm, it surely exceeds any of my expectations. Surely, no one, even Minato, ever knew about his Senju origins. A chuckle. Sly and disgusting. Indeed, it did surprise me, but I hope that it satisfies your curiosity. After all, I do understand how it feels to be curious. I have always been the curious one. Isn't that right, Jiraiya? Oh, [ __ ] There was a loud explosion and debris and smoke filled the room as Jiraiya tore right through the wall. A blue rasengan dangerously swirling in his palm. He noticed two people in the room with him in a split second. Orochimaru and a man with a yellow mask. He twisted midair and aimed his attack on the one that was closest to his location. Rasengan. Ho, so we have a little spy here. The man remarked casually phasing through the deadly attack as if it was nothing. Jiraiya stopped himself from crashing as he dissipated his jutsu and turned around not letting the enemy have his back. He was outnumbered but far from hopeless. Most of all, he had no idea how the masked man dodged his attack. I swear I had him. It's almost as if my attack passed right through him. The toad sage thought to himself, a heavy frown on his face as he studied his opponents. A space-time jutsu? It's good to see you is what I'd like to say, but I can clearly see the malicious intent in your eyes. Orochimaru commented with that infuriating smile on his face. He vaguely remembered the same smile on his face back when they were still genin. The masked man silently watched the confrontation between the two friends turned enemies teleporting to the higher ground. Something that Jiraiya noticed from his peripheral vision. I'm hurt, Orochimaru said with mock sadness. And here I thought that you would be happy to see your best friend after all this time. Jiraiya gave him a tight smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. Of course, I'm happy. Can't you see how my hands are shaking with happiness? Why, I didn't know you made new friends. Won't you introduce us? Your petty matters do not concern me. The masked man said disdainfully, standing up. Orochimaru, dispose of the pest and wait for further contact. And welcome to the Akatsuki. Try not to die. There was nothing welcoming about the ominous parting words. The two used to be best friends stared into each other's eyes seemingly ignoring the man who disappeared in a distortion. Jiraiya dropped his smile almost instantly, but Orochimaru's only widened. So, you're joining a gang. Orochimaru's lips thinned into a line. Is that what you're going to say? No long speeches about how I should come back to the village and answer for my horrible crimes. Ask forgiveness from our sensei. Shame. He shook his head as he said, "And I thought that I knew you. You went far past the line of forgiveness when you did that to Minato. Oh, such hypocrisy. You berate me for what I did with your pupil and his child while you still thought I was redeemable when I used those 59 other children." Jiraiya didn't speak for a while and it was clear that his answer had taken him by surprise. It wasn't a lie either. Prior to discovering what he did today, he actually was hoping to beat some sense into his friend. "You're right. I'm a hypocrite." The toad sage admitted quietly. "I foolishly believed that there was a tiny spark of good left within you. I was blind to the reality and only when it hit me on a personal level shook my world did I stubbornly open my eyes." The words were said mostly to himself rather than the person opposite to him. Good? Evil? Such things are dependent on perspectives. Orochimaru said as he shook his head. "I do not align myself to either of them. I merely have a goal and no useless morals to bind me. I will go to any lengths to get what I want." Jiraiya shook his head in frustration. "Our philosophies differ too much. There's no reason to argue anymore since it clearly won't change anything. Finally, something did get through that thick skull of yours. I was afraid we were going to bicker like children. So, are you going to fight me now?" Fight? "I want to kill you, you bastard." He growled out. "Even now, I have to stop myself from rushing and choking the life out of you. But you are a [ __ ] coward." He spat out his words. Orochimaru chuckled. "So, you noticed that I'm a clone." Jiraiya didn't say anything, merely scoffing as he turned around to walk away. "Maybe when you gather enough courage to slither out of the hole that you're hiding in." Staying here any longer was a waste of time. He would just end up letting the snake worm his way into his head. There were more important matters than talking to the clone of a degenerate. Like finding the son of his pupil. He had only taken half a step when he realized that something was very wrong with the situation. "But Jiraiya." He could feel the mocking smile in that bastard's voice. "It's been so long since we had a reunion. You really thought that I was going to let you go empty-handed." He looked over his shoulder. "Wah." Boom. There was a deafening sound as Jiraiya looked around. Wide eyes filled with panic. Noticing as the cave started to collapse within itself. The ground rumbled and he lost balance barely avoiding a falling piece of rock that would have pierced through his skull. "Damn it." Hari Jizo. His white hair became seemingly alive, growing to unnatural proportions, curling around and covering almost all of his body except his left arm, which took the brunt of the damage when an enormous rock crashed upon him. "Arg." The white-haired man cried out in agony as he felt his shoulder getting crushed. He faintly heard the infuriating chuckle feeling his temper boiling with every word that he heard. "You know, Jiraiya, consider this as a piece of advice from an old friend. You are not much of a guy who hides in shadows, but rather in plain sight." That patronizing tone after all these years and he still looked down on him. Something within him snapped as he laid there getting buried within the collapsed cave. The cave exploded with a blast as a gigantic, magenta-colored toad shot out of the destroyed cave in an enormous cloud of smoke with a bloody Jiraiya on its head. His cry was filled with raw, unadulterated hate as the air seemingly rippled with the intensity of his roar as he poured out his lungs. Orochimaru, at a distance from the site, a figure watched the scene, silent and contemplating when he noticed something truly bizarre. He raised hands in front of him, and what he saw confused him. "Hm, what is this? My hands are shaking. Could not be fear," he convinced himself. He was the savior of the world. "What is this supposed to mean?" There wasn't anything left that could scare him. After all, his teacher was the boogeyman of the entire Shinobi world. He shifted slightly as he noticed a new figure emerge from the ground by his side. "Obito, you're scared of the toad sage, right? Right? Isn't that why you ran away? You were afraid that snakey and frogman would team up against you. Even if you somehow tricked the snake using your sharingan like before, you cannot take on two of the three legendary sannin by yourself." "No, no, no, not yet. Not yet." The figure said, alternating between a sly and a childish persona. The being had a grotesque appearance. Half black, half white body that resembled a plant more than it did a human. The now named Obito looked at it for a while as he formed his response. "You talk too much, Zetsu," he said darkly. "I'm scared of no one. I fear nothing. I am no one, and I have nothing to lose. The whole concept of me being afraid of a couple of men pushing their 50s is ridiculous. Ridiculous, but not impossible. Tell me, why did you let the toad sage flee? He'll create mischief." The figure was now standing beside the masked man. A deranged smile on its black and white visage. "Jiraiya of the sannin does not interest me. He is of no use to our plans. His meddling can only cause us minor problems at best." Zetsu smiled bemusedly at his partner's answer. He really was underestimating the toad sage. Jiraiya was someone who stood firm on his ideals. Hence, it wasn't possible to lure him with the promise of power or riches. Even the promise of beautiful women won't attract the perverted man enough to join their cause. Obito was not even 20, and he was already stronger than Orochimaru, although barely. The sharingan was his primary weapon, more prominently the kamui and genjutsu, but it was not an unbeatable technique. After all, Minato did manage to injure him. Even though he was barely 14 at the time, and Minato was, and still is, the fastest Shinobi ever, and Obito had become even stronger since then, it was not an impossible thought that someone might be able to beat his kamui again. And Orochimaru and Jiraiya were legends on their own. He was just too overconfident to admit it. "On to other matters, tell me about the situation in Kirigakure." "Whoa, kid, you can't go in there like that." Tenzo looked offended for a second before he realized what the chunin meant as recognition flickered in his eyes. "Oh, don't worry," he said casually, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm not showing anything that the public won't like." The chunin looked at him in concern and pity. "Did you perhaps not hear the crowd booing you after your shameless stunt?" The fire daimyo especially said to warn the pantless genin about etiquette. Just how delusional was he? That stopped him in his tracks. If this was indeed bothering the daimyo, then this was a severe issue. He spied his half-torn pants in the arena, still stuck in Kurotsuchi's quicklime. So, those were out. Danzo sama's voice sounded in his head. "The three of you will carry the reputation of our great village on your shoulders. Do not do anything that throws dirt on our name. Kino, do not forget the objective. Failure is not an option." He had no problems with fighting half naked. They don't actually have any decency in root so that the agents could be desensitized to stuff like this, but he was never taught if he could do it in front of nobles and daimyo's. But, I don't have anything else to wear with me. All of my spare clothes are in our room, and I'm not going to wear anything that you give me. My uniform is an important part of me. He would rather fight naked than wearing something other than his root uniform. It felt like betraying the man who gave him purpose. The chunin looked at him entirely unamused. He would rather be anywhere else, but since Killer B got bored and fled the exams altogether, he had to do the work. "Well then, your The bonus match will be a one versus one instead of the three-way due to the third participant being indisposed." Naruto looked at the stands where he could see his friends sitting. His brows furrowed in concern. He could see why they would disqualify him, but still, it didn't seem right. Clothing, or lack of, could be used as a weapon in the hands of a capable Shinobi, but this was more of an extra match than anything, only for the entertainment of nobles. Watching a pantless genin duke it out in the arena was not exactly their idea of entertainment. "Will he be all right?" he asked Izumi, who was currently standing in front of him in the arena. She had no tears in her clothing, nor any blood on her body. She looked the same as she did at the start of the third round, amazingly. On the other hand, Naruto looked like a mess, what with his haphazardly bandaged back and sweaty, wild blonde hair. Fortunately, his trousers and orange shirt were not as tattered where he could be disqualified for nudity. "Of course," she replied quietly, looking over to Tenzo in the stands, who waved at them. "His promotion is entirely deserved and obvious. After all, he did beat the Tsucikage's granddaughter, right?" "Although," he said, grinning slightly, "that means now you can't team up with him to beat me." Izumi arched an eyebrow. "Oh, such arrogance." She shook her head as if scolding a child. "Perhaps, someone is still riding the adrenaline rush from their last fight. It's not arrogance when I have the perfect counter to your pink eye. A pathetic attempt to rile me up, I see, by making fun of my clan's prized bloodline limit." She didn't even twitch as she spoke in a tone that was much too similar to that of Uchiha Fugaku's for Naruto's taste. It seemed like mastering her sharingan was not the only thing that her father helped her in. He dreaded to think what Sasuke might turn out to be like in the future if left in the Uchiha patriarch's influence. The young boy was plenty annoying as it was. He shrugged in response. The Kumo chunin raised his hand in the air and looked over to the two participants, receiving a nod from both of them. "The final match begins now." He lowered his hand and flickered out of the arena. The two genin didn't move at first, having a silent conversation through their eyes. Naruto raised his right hand, which was mirrored by Izumi as they made a half ram sign. "This won't go anything like back then." Their fingers intertwined in the familiar seal of unison, and Naruto met her eyes confidently. Izumi smiled a little. "I would be most disappointed if it does." Her lips thinned into a line, and the two of them broke off, leaping backward to make some distance between them, almost as if acting on an invisible signal. The two of them breezed through hand signs, the movement fast but not impossibly so. Stopping herself into the seal of ram, Izumi took in a long breath, filling up her lungs as she arched back her neck. This was one of the jutsu that her father helped her in, a jutsu that could even be said to be the signature of an Uchiha. And then she exhaled. "Fire style, great fireball." On the other side of the arena, Naruto smiled as he watched the giant ball of fire approaching him. The sheer size of it was more than double than what he knew that she was capable of. That was a massive improvement. It rushed toward him, looking as if it would eat anything in its way. "It will eat me if I don't do anything." But she wasn't the only one who had improved. He finished his hand signs later than what might have been ideal, something he blamed on the lack of a water body nearby. His ability to use wood style granted him a highly potent affinity of water and earth. His water affinity in particular was on an unnatural scale which allowed him to extract water out of the atmosphere, but he was still not skilled enough to do it without the long chain of hand seals. He finished building his chakra with the sign of bird, almost too late because the fireball had already covered half the distance, and then let it go. "Water style, water dragon jutsu." Izumi watched with slightly widened eyes as a blue dragon emerged from out of thin air and clashed against the giant ball of fire. His steam. The area was filled with a rush of hot steam as the two chakra constructs collided. And she lifted up a hand up to her face to guard herself against the uncomfortable pressure. Her field of view was blocked by the steam as she darted her eyes left to right, looking for her rival. "Where could he be now?" She blinked, activating her sharingan for a split second, and saw multiple chakra signatures closing in on her. Although all of them were the same, the steam obscured her view, but she could faintly make out the blue outlines. "Shadow clones, then." She was almost insulted that Naruto felt that this would work on her. Clang. In an instant, she had flipped out two kunai as she blocked two blades simultaneously from her front and back. Their hands vibrated with the tension as her black eyes met the violet of her friends. There was something in those eyes that warned her, the confidence of a person whose plan was yet to unfold. Izumi glanced down in a split second, feeling something beneath the ground, just in time to jump as the ground tore open and two hands darted out to drag her in. "Good trap," she commented, "but not end." She was cut off the next second by a vicious punch to her cheek. Even if she had noticed it earlier, she could not dodge while midair. A two-layered trap. The force behind the punch made her flip in the air before she was sent skidding to the ground, finally managing to stop in a crouch. She slowly reached up and traced the back of her fingers on her mouth, feeling the warm and wet feeling of blood and smiled. I'm almost impressed. You were never this cunning. The steam cleared slowly and the outline of a person was faintly visible before Naruto walked out of it. His clothes wet and sticking to his body. Your mistake was that you let your guard down, assuming that my trap was complete. He smiled as he stopped at a distance from her, neither too close nor too far. I've changed in a lot of ways since the last time we sparred. It has been months after all. Izumi stood up, wiping the smile off her face as she adorned a hardened expression. So have I. She leaned forward and shot towards him armed with a kunai. Naruto spun on his heel, dodging a stab to his face as he grabbed her forearm. She let the weapon drop from her grasp and attempted to swipe his legs beneath him, making him jump over it. The two of them backflipped and disengaged. You should use your Sharingan. It won't be fair if I did. She shook her head. I want to see who's stronger and you clearly are at a disadvantage because of your restrictions. It was preposterous to think that he could keep up with her if she used her bloodline limit while he could not use his own. No matter how much he had improved. Take a chance. He grinned confidently. You might be surprised. Well, he asked for it. She closed her eyes and when she opened them this time, they were the familiar red and black of Sharingan. Naruto smiled and averted his eyes almost instantly, now looking pointedly at her arms and legs. In an instant, he had a sidestep as a fist brushed past his cheek, almost touching it. The two of them were in a frenzy of attacks. She countered each one of his moves gracefully, almost too easily that it frustrated him to no end. But then he supposed it was what he had asked for. He received a punch to his nose for his troubles, something he did not see coming and stumbled back imbalanced. He was not given any time to recover when he received an elbow to his gut, which made him fold upon himself. His eyes wide and mouth open in a silent scream as spit flew out of it. Arg. Another lightning-fast combo and he was sent sprawling to the ground. His nose was throbbing with piercing pain, almost as if someone had hammered a nail on it. He gingerly raised his hand and touched it, still laying flat on the ground, and sucked a hissing breath through clenched teeth. He knew that she had always hit hard, but this was insane. He heard footsteps and forced his body to move, something which was getting extremely painful, and rolled on the ground to avoid a kunai which embedded itself on the ground where he was laying just now. Hisses. Naruto's eyes widened in terror, almost impossibly, as he scrambled to move away from the offending paper bomb. Boom. Although avoiding the brunt of it, he slowly uncurled and shakingly got up, stumbling back a few times. The smoke made him cough in his hand when he felt something wet as he checked his palm. Blood. Out of the smoke walked out Izumi, and he almost cringed away from the cold blood-red eyes. The eyes made him feel like an insect in front of them. I only asked you to use your Sharingan, he said slowly, his voice somewhat high-pitched due to his ruined nose, not to come at me as if I stole all your Pocky. He has never done that on an important note. She frowned, deactivating her Sharingan. You are holding back on me. I dislike it. Ah. He twitched, rubbing the back of his head as he chuckled sheepishly. So, you saw through it. The dull, unimpressed stare was his only response. Of course she did. The two of them knew each other like the back of their hands. Her black eyes bled into the red once more as she rushed at him, leaning towards the ground. If he was still going to hold back against her, she would force him. She hated being underestimated. Naruto smiled mischievously, almost as if he was going to do something that he knew was going to annoy her as he leaned to his left. The stabbing kunai only stabbed air when he suddenly into a trail of orange, something that made her widen her eyes. Her Sharingan could still track it, but that speed was too much. Her body couldn't keep up with him at such high speeds. She frowned, twisting and blocking a strike from her back. A fist inched closer to her, and she had no time to dodge or block the swinging strike, and she felt her head snap sideways from the force behind it. Too fast. When the match had started, Ai and Onoki watched with feigned disinterest, leaning back in their seats and only creaking a single eye open. Now, the large man was at the edge of his seat, and the tiny man was floating in his chair. The Raikage could feel his hot blood pumping for the rush of a good fight as he watched the battle between two Genin shinobi, but there was something that was still nicking at the back of his head. For some reason, I don't quite like the brat. There was just something about him that raised flags in his mind. A simple jutsu like shunshin was nothing to bat an eye at, but that speed. Finally, something that we can agree on. The old Suchikage said, floating up in his seat in interest. The two leaders shared a look and glanced at the Hokage, who looked to be in deep thought. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that begged him to listen to it, but he was reluctant to do so. He was torn between following his intuition, something that he had honed upon decades of experience, or believe in the facts. The resemblance was uncanny other than the eyes and facial structure. He had never actually witnessed the boy in a life-or-death battle before this. Still, now that he was observing carefully, the overwhelming feeling that he was in the presence of two legendary shinobi in the making was too familiar for his tastes. He had witnessed the same feeling twice. Once was when he was teaching his prodigious student, Orochimaru, awed over the genius of his student. He still blamed himself for the way that his student turned out to be. And another when he watched a young Namikaze breezing past all the challenges in front of him. The one person who is still the pride and joy of the village of Konoha, even after his death. Minato. Watching the battle with the gaze of someone befitting the title of the god of shinobi, Sarutobi Hiruzen wished he had his pipe with him right now to calm this incoming headache. Izumi furrowed her brows in frustration as she failed to connect yet another blow. The three tomoe in her Sharingan spun as she swung around, watching carefully when Naruto vanished in yet another blur. She could almost see the smug face of Shisui, something she wanted to punch with all her strength. It was not hard to imagine who helped Naruto in fighting against the Sharingan. A blow to the back of her head rattled her as she was sent tumbling. Do you want me to hold back? Your pink eye is not working, it seems. Try to get under her skin, make her lose her cool. It works the best on calm and composed types like her. I should know. The voice of his mentor rung into his ears. He really had to give it to Shisui. He blinked in confusion when he heard a quiet growl. That confusion turned to surprise and unease when he saw that Izumi was the one making the sound. Seems like his plan worked too well. He had never actually seen her this frustrated. He was so unfamiliar with this side of her that he forgot to move. You're annoying. She pounced on him with wild strikes, losing all sense of calm as she proceeded to at him unpredictably fast, making him dodge desperately lest he get stabbed. He barely flickered away on time to avoid an overhead kick. His eyes wide and his breathing a little heavy. His plan had worked too well, it seems that it has backfired on him. Izumi shot off in the air, her hands in a flurry of signs. Fire Style Phoenix Fire Jutsu. He quickly slid out his blade and swung it thrice, concentrating the water nature chakra on its length, watching as the comparatively smaller balls of fire descended upon him. Consecutive slashing strikes of the Water God Technique. Izumi visibly twitched upon hearing the name. Hisses. The water and fire constructs clashed against each other as the hot steam obscured their field of view yet again. Naruto crouched low as he anticipated his friend's next attack. The fact that even after he had increased his speed, Izumi was slowly catching up to him was quite concerning. But he could not deny one thing. She really was a genius. Izumi walked out of the steam, her stride now carefully composed and slow, just like her stoic expression. He blinked when she disappeared altogether. Only a split second and he had already broken the genjutsu. He must have accidentally looked into her eyes. He had extensively practiced breaking Sharingan genjutsu and it showed. However, a split second was all that she needed. He widened his eyes when he ended up on his back, feeling a weight on his midsection as he found himself looking into the dark, satisfied eyes of his rival. Her face was close enough that he could feel her warm breath on his face, close enough for him to actually notice her face for once. Her pale and unblemished skin and her small pink lips that were now curled up into a smile. He could even smell the blood smeared on her face. Never had he ever found himself so mesmerized with something. Not even the kunai that was stopped dangerously close to his forehead could bother him. Beautiful. His quiet mutter was apparently not heard by her judging by the lack of response. The word was spoken not in terms of finding one physically attractive. He was not quite at that age right now, but he did find himself comparing her to the description of an angel descended from the heavens. She tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear and leaned forward. His breath hitched as she reached down to his ear and whispered, "I win." She assumed that he would be annoyed, but what actually happened confused her. Naruto smiled making her blink in surprise as he chuckled quietly. "What? This won't go anything like back then." He quoted himself at the start of the match. The thing that confused Izumi and made her frown was that the voice did not come from below her, but instead from behind her. And the cold touch of steel on the back of her neck was not something that was lost on her. So, he managed to sneak a clone past her. But that seemed for naught as she observed him. His eyes were starting to droop low and his breathing became slow. His opponents were significantly stronger when compared to the two chumps that she breezed past. It was surprising that he managed to hold on his own for so long. He was so tired that he didn't even look away when her eyes spun into a mixture of red and black. "Did I do well?" "Yes." She said gently smiling. And her voice sounded like a lullaby to him. "You did more than well. Rest now." He found himself losing consciousness as he drowned himself in those blood red eyes that he found so mesmerizing. He couldn't even see it within himself to get upset at losing against her as he felt peaceful silence encompass his being a smile on his face. Izumi didn't turn around when the clone dispelled itself with a pop. The cheering of the crowd as people went ballistic never managed to reach his ears. You may not like him, but you can't possibly deny his potential as a shinobi. The Hokage got up from his seat as he looked at the other leaders. The boy was undeniably outmatched, but almost managed to draw. There was a serene smile on his wrinkled face. He was no doubt proud of his shinobi, all three of them. The future of Konoha was going to be in good hands, it would seem. The Raikage grunted. His face turned sour as he let out reluctantly, "Your genin are not half bad, Hokage." He was upset that Kumogakure was not the one to win, but he would not waste any time whining about it. "His genin better prepare for one hell of training assignment." Onoki scoffed, but did not say anything. His gaze, however, did not leave the blonde-haired genin. He would rather go and die in a ditch before praising a shinobi from Konoha, but that didn't mean he would ignore the undeniable potential. Senju Tsunade was the granddaughter of the first Hokage, Senju Hashirama. But that was not all that she was. Her qualifications were countless. Famed throughout the entire world as the best medic in shinobi nations, she was also known as the most beautiful kunoichi among the five nations, one of the legendary sannin, student of the god of shinobi, and the strongest of the three in raw strength. Add in her fiery temper and no one in the shinobi world would try to mess with her without at least thinking twice. She was born and raised in Konoha and spoiled at a young age as the princess of the Senju clan. However, broken over the death of her beloved brother and her lover, Tsunade decided that she had enough of being a kunoichi and left her village with the permission of her teacher who agreed reluctantly. There was not much the man would deny her, and he understood the pain of losing one's loved ones. Although he was disappointed in her, something that made her feel sick to her stomach, she kept enduring and hence taking her young apprentice Shizune with her, who was also the niece of her late lover, she set forth to venture the faraway lands and finally settled within the fire capital close to her ancestral grounds which were now unfortunately abandoned, where she spent her life in isolation. Oink oink. New Tonton. Stop. The sound of someone running on the wooden surface reached her ears as she poured a sake in her cup. As always, Shizune was chasing after their pig, Tonton, who always did his best to annoy the dark-haired girl. Crash. She watched dispassionately as the duo ran amok around her and somehow managed to crash on her table spilling all her sake. The blonde-haired woman slowly turned towards the offending members that lived with her and casted a dull glare at them prompting the two to freeze. "Shizune!" "Ack!" / Oink. "That was my whole stock for this week." She shouted grabbing the two of them in a headlock as she proceeded to choke them. Shizune flailed her arms and the poor pig squealed in terror. That was when the door opened and she blinked finding herself looking at the messed up form of her teammate and friend. Looking lively as always, Jiraiya shouted as he leaned against the doorframe. He grinned and then proceeded to laugh boisterously, only to cringe in pain as he did. "Ah, Jiraiya. Worried about me? Bah, I've had worse. This is only a scratch. See?" He boasted shamelessly wringing his shoulder. Snap, crack, crack. "Ack! No. No." Which probably wasn't the best of the ideas. "You fool. Don't do that." Tsunade broke out of her stump, but she did not approach his form. "What happened, Jiraiya-sama?" Shizune, now free of the headlock, ran past her teacher and rushed towards the injured form of the toad sage. Her hands glowed green as she ran a quick diagnosis on the white-haired man. Her eyes widened. "Tsunade-sama, he needs your help." The brown-haired woman visibly hesitated as she saw the blood on her friend's body. She bit her lip. "I I can't." "But but Tsunade-sama, he will lose his arm if he doesn't get immediate help." The young woman protested out loud. Tsunade looked away in shame averting her eyes. The sight of blood still made her uneasy, which was ironic considering her status as the most excellent medic. Jiraiya smiled sadly as he watched the pitiful form of the only woman that he truly ever loved. The sight was almost enough to break him out of his pain. "I've been following Orochimaru." She snapped her head back at him, her eyes wide. "He did this to you." "Jiraiya, I told you to give up on him." She shook her head. "You never did listen to me. I gave up." His voice was so quiet and miserable that Tsunade had to strain her ears to hear it. Her brown eyes widened and she felt sorrow for her teammate. Jiraiya has always been adamant about bringing back the one whom he considered his best friend. The two of them had countless arguments over it whenever he came over to visit them, which was as frequent as once a month. Shizune watched the interaction between the two legends as she tried her best to heal the injured man. "Tsunade-sama, please. He needs your help." Jiraiya ignored Shizune fretting over him and looked at his ex-teammate wondering how exactly was he going to break this information to her. This was not something that could be considered insignificant by any chance, especially since Tsunade thought of herself to be the last of the Senju. So, he chose the only method that he knew. "The Senju bloodline still lives." Painfully blunt. "What?" Two days passed since the end of the Chunin exams. Naruto and his team were on their way out of the village of Kumo moving towards the fire country. The two days were given for the finalists to rest and recover. Samui and Darui were promoted to Chunin rank by the Raikage, but since the other leaders had already left for their respective villages, none of the others were promoted as of yet. Kakashi was taking point as the three of them followed him, his book nowhere in sight. The past few days have been mentally tiring for him to say. The talk with the Hokage had been more than informative for him. He subtly looked over to the blonde-haired genin from the corner of his eye as he tried to wrap his mind around the situation. Kakashi stood in attention in front of his leader. The two of them were standing at an isolated spot near the border of Kumo as they conversed. He was feeling a little unease because of the old leader's silence, but his posture did not show his nervousness. The masked jonin had expressed his findings and theories in front of the Hokage. His intuition was telling him that there was something that connected his teacher with the younger boy, and he had learned to trust his intuition instead of the facts a long time ago. "You know, Kakashi," the Hokage said slowly turning away from his subordinate. His tone was filled with sorrow as he spoke. "Minato did have a son once upon a time." Kakashi snapped his head back to his leader, his mouth half open under his mask. The Hokage took a deep breath as his shoulders drooped low. The old man seemed to age right in front of the young jonin's eyes. "What?" He didn't even realize that he had spoken out loud. A nod from the Hokage. "Yes, but the child died shortly after his birth. It was the day that Minato changed forever. He was still kind to his people, but he was needlessly merciless to his enemies. He used to hesitate at his every kill. The guilt used to eat at him. But after that incident," he shook his head, "Minato became a nightmare on the battlefield. A nightmare that killed its foes beautifully. A nightmare to his allies and enemies all the same." Kakashi had been shocked to his core. His teacher had never talked about this. To some extent, he felt betrayed that Minato didn't trust him enough, but Kakashi knew enough about scars. Poking at them would only end in hurt. Kakashi knew enough about scars, for he had too many of them to count. He still wasn't ready to give up on his theory, but he would wait for now. "What's wrong with Kakashi-san?" Tenzo asked his teammates as the three of them followed their squad leader. "He seems disturbed." Izumi spied the Jonin, noticing his tense shoulders and stiff movements as she furrowed her brow. "He's conflicted." She spoke softly, her voice even. "Between what and what?" Tenzo waited for an answer, but he was ignored by Izumi as she tilted her head to look at her friend, who was looking ahead attentively. "You know," she spoke, "I still don't know when you made that last Shadow Clone." Naruto blinked as he realized that he was being asked the question. A cheeky smile came over his face, something that she had become incredibly familiar with. "When you were growling." He laughed as she elbowed him in the ribs. "Uchiha Izumi never growled. Anyone who claimed otherwise was clearly out of their mind."