Two Days Later; At The Hokage Tower)
Honoka stood in front of the Hokage's desk. Tied around her head over her white headband was the official Konoha forehead proctor she was given by the Hokage the other day.
Hiruzen was currently reading and reviewing the curriculum Honoka had spent the day outlining yesterday for the new history class she was going to start teaching at the ninja academy. It was well put together and detailed, despite its briefness. The outline went back to the time when the Uzumaki Clan was started and founded by its first grand seal master, to the time the Uzumaki traveled around as nomadic seal masters and ninja before settling and establishing Uzu no Kuni and later Uzushiogakure, to how the Senju Clan maintained a strong friendship and bond with them, and how the two clans helped set up Konoha with the aid of the Uchiha Clan. It also spoke of Hashirama's marriage to Uzumaki Mito, the battle between Hashirama and Madara in the Valley of the End, and so on.
"I see that you truly put together an organized curriculum for teaching classes in the village. I'll retrieve the original text books that had your clan's history in them, and have them brought to you so you can review their contents and add them to your teaching plan," Hiruzen said with his eyes still glued to the paper.
Honoka nodded. "I would like that very much, though I'm sure that those old books will need to be updated and examined for any wrong information."
"Those books were written during the reign of the first two Hokage and myself. Falsified information being written in those books wouldn't be permitted. When the decree was given to have your clan's history removed from Konoha's history books, I made sure that the original books were preserved and kept safely hidden from the elders after they were removed from the book shelves in the event they sought to have those books destroyed," Hiruzen enlightened.
"Thank you," Honoka said politely. "Having such authentic textbooks written by this very village will only help solidify my teaching course as facts and silence any who'd question my teachings of the Uzumaki Clan and Uzu no Kuni."
Hiruzen nodded his head and added, "I'll set up your class at the ninja academy where you'll be teaching both civilians and shinobi. The headmaster of the school will be notified of you being employed as his new Chuunin instructor. He'll further enlighten you on the programs and schedules of the academy while introducing you to the other members of the faculty."
"I understand. Thank you for giving me the privilege of being the one to remind and educate the villagers and shinobi of the history and greatness of Uzu no Kuni and the Uzumaki Clan," Honoka said.
"Just letting you know, you might have to deal with some students that might get rowdy or misbehave while in your class, due to the fact that you're a foreigner," Hiruzen warned.
"You need not worry, Sandaime-sama. I'll have no trouble keeping all of my students in line and in their place," Honoka assured with a bright smile. Hiruzen saw that behind that smile lied a dangerous undertone of the Uzumaki Clan's infamous violent temper.
A thought then came to Hiruzen's mind, "Honoka, I've been meaning to ask you this: Have you been able to find a way to control your special chakra's affects? Your chakra has keenly drawn the attention and interest of every insect and animal user in Konoha. I even heard how some desire to have you married into their clan."
"I see that it's true what Naruto-kun told me about you. You have ways of finding things out," Honoka said.
Hiruzen chuckled. "While I have my methods, I try to be discreet about them."
"To be honest, I haven't found a way to control my special chakra's affects yet, though Naruto-kun told me that after the Chuunin Exams, he plans on setting up training sessions in helping me control them. I don't know what he has in mind, but I trust that it'll prove useful. As for being married into another clan, I made it very clear to the Inuzuka Clan that I'm only interesting in re-establishing the Uzumaki Clan, and not strengthening someone else's. Plus, I just arrived here, and I'm not interested in getting romantically involved with anyone at this time, considering how my clan and its resident member were treated by your people," Honoka clarified.
"I understand," Hiruzen replied.
Just then, a Special Jounin burst into the office.
"Sandaime-sama! We have trouble!" the Special Jounin said with urgency.
"What is it?" Hiruzen asked with serious tone before the Special Jounin explained the situation.
(Meanwhile, In The Forest of Death)
The Konoha Genin had been traveling separately with their respective teams in the eerie death forest for two days and needless to say, both native and foreign Genin alike wanted out less than an hour after entering the forest. In the first night of being in the forest, nine teams met with their untimely demise: the first five after larger than normal predators ambushed and attacked them, while others were eaten, one of the teams by a school of piranhas. Two other teams crossed paths and fought each other to exhaustion before larger predators ambushed and killed them. One team had the misfortune of walking right into quicksand, while another team was sucked to death by giant leeches. The Genin were quickly realizing why the forest earned its dark and infamous name.
Naruto and his teammates were making their way through the forest with Naruto, to Sakura's surprise, taking the lead. For one reason or another, Naruto felt a sense of familiarity with the forest, almost as if he'd trekked through and battled in it before. In the past two days, Naruto led his team through the Forest of Death and avoided being ambushed by the monstrous creatures lurking around. Having an army of kage bunshin serving as his extra eyes and ears and surveying the forest also helped in avoiding surprise attacks by opposing teams. The kage bunshin were also searching for an opposing team that had the heaven scroll they were looking for. At night, his clones would stand guard and patrol the area in the same manner as they did in Nami no Kuni, and would alert him at a moment's notice if something was approaching them.
In all this, Naruto also dispatched a group of clones to track down the unknown Uzumaki before a calamity of some sort befell him or her. So far, his clones' search turned up empty, with time running out with each passing day. Naruto had thought about telling Honoka about it, but he decided against it in the end, not wanting to get her hopes up that another Uzumaki was in the village only to hear later that that Uzumaki's life was snuffed out during the second part of the Chuunin Exams. That was an outcome Naruto was deeply hoping would not come to be.
(The Next Morning)
Sasuke and Sakura got up early when they realized something nearby smelled good. They looked to find Naruto roasting something over a campfire. It looked like a large slab of meat of some sort.
"What are you cooking, Naruto?" Sakura asked.
Naruto turned to his teammates and replied, "Wild boar."
"A boar?" Sasuke repeated.
Naruto nodded, "That's right."
"I almost can't believe it's not ramen," Sasuke added.
"Whatever," Naruto replied. "This pig was pretty fast, but I was faster. But we best eat in haste and continue on our way. My clones informed me that we're being followed by more than one team, none of them from Konoha."
"How can that be? We haven't run into any other team in two days, and we're on the third day now, still looking for a heaven scroll! We only have two days left!" Sakura complained.
Naruto replied, "Be happy you're still alive Sakura. Not everyone who entered this forest will walk out of it again, as this forest has already become their grave. One of my clones did find a heaven scroll bu-"
"Great! That means we can head to the tower and call this test completed!" Sakura cheered.
"You didn't let me finish, Sakura," Naruto retorted. "We can't head to the tower yet."
"What!?" Sakura bellowed.
"The heaven scroll found by one of my clones was too damaged to be of any use to us," Naruto explained. "I'm assuming it was damaged when the team possessing that scroll was attacked and killed in some form or another. We'll have to continue our search for an opposing team with the required scroll."
Sakura noticed how Naruto's character changed the moment they stepped foot inside the forest. Gone was the pervy goofball Naruto, and in place of that was the serious, leveled-headed Naruto taking the lead. Sakura had thought that Sasuke would argue and fight Naruto over who'd be team leader while in the forest, but to her surprise, Sasuke didn't challenge Naruto at any time for that position.
Sakura didn't know this, but the reason Sasuke didn't challenge Naruto for leadership was because the blond had kept them, and by association, Sasuke, alive during their stay in the deadly forest, despite what Sasuke had thought would happen with him in charge. This only added more to the mystery behind Naruto.
"I have to say, you're really taking the role as team leader serious, Naruto," Sakura complimented.
"If I seek to become Hokage one day, I must first learn how to protect and work with my team and comrades, and likewise, they must learn to work with me," Naruto said knowingly. Sakura wanted to state her agreement, but she and Sasuke had already started eating some of the boar Naruto caught and cooked for them.
"This tastes really good Naruto," Sakura complimented.
"Hinata-chan gave me some cooking lessons after drilling into my head that I needed variety in my diet outside of various flavors of ramen. I almost burned down my kitchen in a blaze in my first seven attempts to get one of her lessons right," Naruto joked. Sakura laughed at Naruto as she visualized the idea of Naruto trying to cook something, right before it ended in total disaster.
"Were you really that bad?" Sasuke asked.
"I was the Dead Last of our class. I still can't create a regular bunshin without it coming out looking sick and suffering from starvation. But I've gotten a lot better at cooking thanks to Hinata-chan's blessed patience and understanding, especially after the seventh attempt almost set her hair on fire," Naruto recalled. Sakura laughed hysterically while Sasuke shook his head, believing Naruto to be capable of such stupidity.
"Knowing me, I might have killed you had my hair been burned because of your careless blunders!" Sakura laughed.
"Can you blame me for not knowing how to cook a delicious meal back then? Before Hinata-chan appeared, no one was willing to train or raise me, and I was forced to take care of myself. I'm sure I would have turned out to be an entirely different person, had Hinata-chan and her immediate family not been there for me, and by different, I don't mean in a good way. But I'm not worried about that since thankfully, they did come into my life. And just now, I got an idea for something I can do for Hinata-chan."
"What would that be?" Sakura asked.
"Rather than taking her out for dinner, I can invite her over for dinner. I just have to study up and practice preparing some exotic cuisines she hasn't taught me to make, and prepare them for her," Naruto verbally planned.
"Oh, she'll love that for sure, especially if you prepare one of her favorite dishes alongside it!" Sakura squealed in approval as she continued dreamily, "It sounds so romantic: a loving man preparing a delicious dinner with his own hands for the woman he loves and cherishes during a moonlit night, with the stars illuminating the night skies. There would be expensive imported wine being shared and soft music filling the air to intensify the evening romance."
"Tell me more, Sakura! You're really giving me some good suggestions," Naruto encouraged. Sasuke cleared his throat loudly to get both of his teammates' attention.
"Excuse me, but I believe you advised that we should eat in haste, not discuss how to amplify your love life while staying in this freakishly deadly forest," Sasuke stated after having heard enough on the subject. "Like you said, we have to find a heaven scroll and make our way to the tower."
Naruto shrugged and said, "I didn't forget about that. But laughter and positive conversations, when done at the right time, help keep our nerves calm and prevent us from worrying about the possibility of getting ourselves killed every five seconds. Still, seeing as we have so little time left, we won't waste more of it, so we'll just eat and continue on our way."
Sakura was disappointed that she couldn't talk more on the subject with Naruto, but understood the dangerous situation they were in. They ate for another eleven minutes, and saved the remaining food before continue through the forest.
(Meanwhile)
Inside a small cave, Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru woke up to see Hinata standing guard outside of it after she had relieved Shino from his shift to be on guard watch six hours ago. Earlier, right before he was relieved, Shino gave Hinata a brief synopsis of the traps he had set up, and she was able to use her Byakugan to make sure everything was still in place as Shino specified. Though Shino slept through the rest of the night, he assured Hinata that his colony had been instructed to wake him if they encountered anything. Occasionally, she had used her eyes to scan and survey the surrounding area for intruders that managed to elude everything else.
Turning to her teammates, Hinata greeted, "Good morning. I trust you both had a good rest."
"That fact that we woke up in one piece says a lot, all things considered. I would like very much not to have a run in with that Gaara, especially after seeing what he did to those Ame Genin so ruthlessly," Kiba replied.
Shino nodded and added, "Gaara will kill without hesitation or reason, and it's evident that even his own teammates are scared of him."
"His teammates are his older siblings," Hinata enlightened. "And they have it out for Naruto-kun…each for t-their own reasons."
"I can see Gaara and that guy with the makeup wanting to fight Naruto, but that Temari chick looked like she was interested in doing something else with Naruto that didn't involve bloodshed," Kiba recalled. "The distinct pheromones she was giving off around him made that point clear."
Hinata wanted to scold Kiba, but she decided to ignore him instead after considering how Naruto likes to make those kinds of jokes.
"Anyway, whatever their reasons for their interest in Naruto, we can't worry about it now. We have to focus on surviving this forest," Shino stated as one of his bugs flew in and landed down on his left ear. The bug gave its master its report as Shino listened carefully. Shino nodded as the bug got ready to lead them.
"My scouting bugs just located a team with the earth scroll we need to head to the tower. It'll lead us to them while the rest of my scout bugs keep track of that team's movements," Shino explained. Hinata and Kiba nodded before following Shino to the team they were going to target for their scroll.
(Back With Team Seven)
Naruto and his teammates were making haste with Sasuke carrying the earth scroll, leaping from tree to tree after one of his clones dispelled himself and reported to have located a team of Kiri Genin having a heaven scroll. Much to their relief, they weren't that far off from where they were.
"How much further are they?" Sakura asked.
"A little more than a mile away," Naruto answered.
"Couldn't your clones have found a closer team?" Sakura asked.
"I'm happy the dobe found something after three days in this hell," Sasuke remarked. "I don't care about the distance. I just want to get out and not spend another night here."
"For once I agre-"
Naruto stopped talking when he suddenly sensed something in the vicinity. He stopped moving and stood on a tree branch as Sasuke and Sakura stopped on the same tree.
"Why are we stopping? What's the matter?" Sasuke asked.
"That person is here…so close!" Naruto said as he focused on that familiar chakra signature, trying to figure out where it was coming from.
"Who's close by?" Sakura asked, "An enemy ninja?"
"Not an enemy ninja, someone I'm certain will be a great asset and ally to us!" Naruto replied before he created a kage bunshin and instructed to it, "Lead Sasuke and Sakura to where those Kiri Genin are while I trace and locate that Genin I'm looking for. I'll hurry and catch up as soon as I can!"
"Who is this Genin you're looking for all of a sudden?" a confused Sakura asked.
"Why are you going off on your own to who-knows-where while sending us off with one of your clones? Why don't you just send your clone to locate this mystery Genin you're looking for?" Sasuke asked.
"It wouldn't work. It's something I must do personally. My clones don't seem to have the capacity to sense these kinds of chakra signatures. If the three Kiri Genin appear to be manageable, subdue them and acquire their scroll. If not, observe them further and wait till I return, but don't lose track of them if they decide to move," Naruto instructed and then turned and sped off in a different direction from where they were previously heading. Naruto rushed through the trees, tracing the source of the chakra which was getting stronger the closer he got to its source. Soon though, Naruto heard the loud roar of a bear coming from the same direction he was traveling down toward.
"Something's happening!" Naruto deduced as he leaped to the ground and increased his pace by adding his wind element into his efforts. Soon, he saw an abnormally large grizzly bear chasing after something ahead of them. Naruto looked ahead and saw a red-haired female Genin running as fast as she could from the bear.
"Help me! Somebody, please save me!" the female Kusa Genin cried desperately as the grizzly bear closed in on her. The bear roared again as the girl tried to keep away from it. That was until she tripped over a tree root and fell on the ground on her face, causing her glasses to fall off. She turned and saw the huge bear hurrying faster to her to make a meal out of her. Seeing her death before her, she crossed her arms over her face, expecting the worst. Just as the bear was about to bring her to ruin…
"Fūton: Rasengan!" Naruto yelled as he appeared and blasted the bear with his deadly upgraded Rasengan. The bear roared in agonizing pain as the spiraling orb grew bigger with a powerful shredding force as it rocketed the bear away from its prey. The bear was smashed into several trees, knocking them to the ground as the enlarged sphere of wind element chakra tore through him and the ground before exploding. The bear died instantly as a gory mess of blood, torn organs, and shredded body parts was left in the attack's wake.
The female Kusa Genin looked up to see that not only was the grizzly bear suddenly gone, but an orange-clad Konoha Genin was kneeling over her and smiling at her. From what Naruto saw, the girl endured some injuries, but nothing serious or life threatening. After seeing her face without her glasses on, Naruto blushed, but kept his perverted nature in check considering the serious situation they were in.
She's really pretty! And she has the same kind of beautiful red hair as Honoka-nee and my mother. Even her eyes are red, like a ruby. But the forehead protector marks her as a Genin from Kusagakure. Regardless of that, she's definitely the one I sensed the other day! I finally found and saved her! Naruto thought happily, then asked, "Are you OK?"
The girl nodded and said, "I am." She then started to panic. "But the bear-"
"Dead, killed by my jutsu," Naruto assured as he pointed in the direction his attack sent the massive bear. The female Genin turned to her left and when she did so, her eyes widened in shock at seeing the devastating damage that was done to the landscape and trees by Naruto's one attack against the bear. Looking back at Naruto again, she remembered who he was.
It's Uzumaki Naruto! Naruto actually saved me! the girl thought in surprise and said with a smile, "Thank you for saving me. You're Uzumaki Naruto, the same one that Kabuto-san talked about several days ago."
"I'm happy you remember me. Now come on, get off the ground," Naruto replied as he extended his right hand to her to help her get back up on her feet. "By the way, what's your name?"
"I'm Karin," the Kusa Genin said as she retrieved her glasses and placed them back on. Karin then reached out for Naruto's hand, and upon grasping it, a sudden phenomenon happened as a link was made between them. They felt a sudden strong pulse travel through their being before they felt warmth of familiarity and mutual understanding toward one another. Karin gasped in shock at what was happening to her.
Naruto's chakra…It's so warm, so kind and caring and yet…so strong and protective. And it makes me feel like I'm part of a family and a bond, as though I found someone I've been looking for my whole life, Karin thought as the endearing sensation was traveling through her. But then, she sensed and was alerted to something else present inside of Naruto, ...But what's this other chakra buried deep inside Naruto? It's gigantic and dark, and filled with so much…loathing and animosity!
After another minute, Naruto pulled Karin off the ground and slowly removed his hand from hers. Karin looked back at Naruto with wonder. Naruto saw this, and before he could inquire what was going through her mind…
"What was that dark chakra I sensed inside you? It felt similar to what I sensed from that Gaara kid from Suna, but far stronger," Karin said.
"You were able to sense what was sealed inside me," Naruto admitted. "And I see that you sensed it from Gaara also."
"I did when we were at the ninja academy building. I sensed something unusual and dark about his chakra, just like what I detected from you a moment ago. It didn't feel like anything human," Karin replied.
"It's not," Naruto confirmed. "It's a bijuu."
That was when Karin realized what Naruto and Gaara were.
"Jinchuuriki," Karin deduced. "Both you and Gaara are Jinchuuriki?"
"We are," Naruto confirmed. "Are you afraid of me now?" he asked, slightly nervous.
Karin snorted. "You saved my life from that giant bear, why would I suddenly be afraid of you?" Karin suddenly blushed and confessed, "But I will admit that my teammates and I agreed to avoid contact with you after we learned about your unbelievable exploits."
"Speaking of your teammates, where are they?" Naruto asked.
Karin lowered her head sadly and answered, "They're dead. They were killed by the same bear you killed. It's just me now."
"I'm sorry, though this part of the exam entails death and killing," Naruto replied before realizing something. "We can't stay here. I'm sure the smell of that bear's blood will draw out other predators to this location. We have to leave and catch up with my teammates."
"But my teammates are dead, and I'm the only one left! I can't participate in the Chuunin Exams anymore!" Karin said.
Naruto turned to Karin and said, "Karin, I sensed you from the day we started the Chuunin Exams. I spent days looking for you all around Konoha and this forest, hoping to find you before anything happened to you. I have so much more I want to explain to you about myself and Honoka-nee, but time and the circumstances we're in won't allow for that."
Karin had many questions of her own concerning what she experienced when Naruto held her hand, wanting to know why she suddenly felt a strong attachment to him.
"Come and stay with me, Karin, please. I give you my word, I won't allow anything to happen to you," Naruto assured.
"You want me to come and stay with you and your team? But won't that be considered a violation of the rules of the Chuunin Exams?" Karin asked.
"Karin, believe it or not, you and I are of the same clan, the Uzumaki Clan. I'm sure you experienced some special bond between us when I touched you. That's a way the Uzumaki can tell that they're kindred. You're the second survivor I found of our scattered clan, and I won't lose you or Honoka-nee! Do you understand? I give my word that I'll protect you! And I never go back on my word!"
Again, Karin felt that warm, strong, and protective aura from Naruto's chakra, and despite the infamous forest, she felt completely safe.
"Alright. I'll come," Karin agreed as she followed Naruto and hurried with him to where the rest of Team 7 was. A moment later, Naruto stopped and Karin, seeing this, stopped also.
"Why did you stop?" Karin asked. Naruto didn't give a reply, as his mind was processing everything that was being transmitted to him.
Grabbing Karin by the shoulder, Naruto explained, "I have to get us there faster."
Before she could ask what he was talking about, Naruto body flickered with her and teleported from their location to their next destination.
(Meanwhile)
Sasuke and Sakura were with Naruto's clone after they came across one of the scouting clones that found the Kiri Genin. The scouting clone dispelled himself and relayed all of his experience and knowledge to Naruto.
"What's taking Naruto so long?" Sakura asked quietly. "Those Kiri nin are starting to leave!"
"Never mind that; we should be able to take them on and acquire the heaven scroll before Naruto's arrival," Sasuke said, not wanting to lose the chance of finally getting a heaven scroll after two days.
"Boss should be here any minute now," the clone said, then added, "That is, if he didn't run into trouble along the way."
The group looked again to see the three Kiri Genin moving out into the woods again.
"Damn it! They're leaving, and they still have their scroll!" Sakura said stating the obvious.
"I warned the dobe not to go off on his own," Sasuke remarked as he was about to intervene and stop the three Kiri Genin from getting away. But then, Naruto suddenly appeared with Karin next to him. Sasuke, Sakura, and the clone turned to see Naruto's arrival, and wondered who the Kusa Genin was, and why she was with Naruto.
"Hey, you finally made it!" the clone said, then asked, "But who's this really cute and good-looking red-haired girl with you?"
"A twin?" Karin asked with a perplexed but blushing expression after seeing the clone and hearing how he described her.
"No, my kage bunshin," Naruto said before the clone grinned and dispelled himself. Sakura and Sasuke looked at Karin, and then back at Naruto.
"Naruto, who's this Kusa Genin, and why did you bring her here with you?" Sakura inquired.
"She's Karin, the girl I was looking for for the past few days," Naruto answered.
"What!?" Sakura replied.
"You left so you could bring back a Kusa Genin, and some girl at that, Naruto? That was the important task you had to personally take care of?" Sasuke asked with a disapproving frown.
"I have a name you stupid duck-ass prick! It's Karin, and I just went through hell and lost my teammates and friends in this goddamned forest!" Karin retorted. Sasuke snarled lowly. It wasn't common for him to be so openly insulted by any girl, let alone a foreigner.
Naruto stepped in before the argument got out of hand and explained, "Listen, all of you! Karin just so happens to be an Uzumaki survivor like Honoka-nee. I sensed, found, and saved her after her team was killed by a giant bear."
That bombshell shocked both Sakura and Sasuke, Sasuke being shocked more than Sakura.
Again, and in the same month, Naruto tracked down and found another survivor of his clan, while mine is all but entirely obliterated, Sasuke thought. Sakura turned and saw the look in Sasuke's face while having an idea of what was going through Sasuke's mind. She realized that seeing Naruto discovering more of his lost family, while Sasuke's remained dead, had made the black-haired Uchiha upset.
"Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," Sasuke replied, his voice devoid of emotions.
"Listen, I'm sure you both have questions about Karin like she probably does for us, but all that will have to wait till later," Naruto said.
"Really now, Naruto-san?" a masculine voice said. The group turned to see the owner of that voice wearing square glasses and approaching them with his two Kiri comrades, "We've been waiting for you, hoping to find you alone, Naruto-san. But clearly, time and circumstances won't allow for that."
"You and your team were hard to track down, so we decided to have you come after us instead, since we possess an item you and your team want," the female Kiri Genin said as she held out their heaven scroll.
"We have what you want, and likewise, Naruto-san, you have what we need," the other male Genin stated, "We'll freely give you our heaven scroll as payment, and leave after you give us what we need."
"But you three are participating in the Chuunin Exams, right? Why would you willingly hand over your scroll to us if we give you three what you want, whatever that might be?" Sasuke interrogated, believing this to be a trap.
"If you must know, we've been trying to locate Zabuza-sama and Haku-san for some time, and the last bit of information we learned was that he was spotted in Nami no Kuni after his encounter with you guys. He left with Haku-san to an unknown location, but from what we gathered, Zabuza-sama and Haku-san are rather fond of you Naruto-san, so we figured that if anyone would know of their whereabouts, it would be you. By the way, in case it's not clear by now, we're Chuunin, not Genin," the lead Kiri nin explained. The way the Kiri nin were referring to Zabuza didn't go unnoticed by the Konoha Genin.
"Why are you three seeking information on Zabuza and Haku?" Naruto asked. The lead Chuunin with the square glasses pulled out a scroll and took a few steps forward with his right hand extended to Naruto.
"This scroll should explain everything in detail. It was personally written by our leader, and addressed for only you to see, Naruto," the lead Kiri Chuunin said. Naruto summoned a clone and sent him to retrieve and open the scroll. The clone took and opened the scroll and read it carefully. Sasuke, Sakura, and Karin assumed that they were referring to the Mizukage when they spoke of their leader. They wondered what important message the Mizukage wrote that he only wanted Naruto to see.
How important do these foreign ninja with powerful political influence consider Naruto? First it was the children of the Kazekage, now it's the Mizukage! It's because of my damned traitorous brother that led to foreign powers beginning to forget about the greatness that the Uchiha Clan held! In time, I'll make everyone remember the greatness my clan held, and restore it to its former glory and prestige! Sasuke thought to himself while trying to keep his jealousy under control.
"You don't trust us I see, Naruto-san," the female Chuunin acknowledged.
"You entered into Konoha under the pretense of being Genin participants in the Chuunin Exams, though your motive for doing so was not to become Chuunin. Trust is a sensitive topic at this point seeing that major violations were made regarding international laws about the Chuunin Exams," Naruto pointed out as his clone continued reading and evaluating the contents of the scroll.
"As sensitive as your trust may be, we hope that after this we'll have earned some of it," the other male Chuunin said. The clone closed the scroll and walked over to Naruto and handed the scroll to him. The clone dispelled itself, allowing Naruto to absorb everything he learned. Naruto took a moment to allow time for the information process to settle in. After a few minutes of thought processing, Naruto looked at the three Kiri Chuunin and said, "I understand."
Naruto summoned another kage bunshin and instructed the clone, "Stay with Karin, Sasuke, and Sakura, while I speak privately with these three Kiri Chuunin."
"What's this all about, Naruto?" Sakura questioned.
"Why can't they speak openly with us?" Sasuke asked.
"It's a sensitive matter, and the fewer who know about it, the better," Naruto stated.
"Yet they're willing to talk with only you about it?" Sasuke argued.
"Do you want an easy heaven scroll or not? Let me perform this little business transaction, if you will. I'll speak with these three in private. After all, the message was addressed specifically to me, and it requested that I don't speak about it with anyone," Naruto said.
"Whatever. Just hurry it up," Sasuke replied. Naruto gestured to the three Kiri Chuunin to follow him deeper into the forest.
Once out of hearing range, Naruto turned and looked at the three seriously, "So this letter was sent to me by your leader, Terumi Mei. You three are part of her army, with which she fully intends to execute a coup d'etat in Kirigakure and overthrow the current Mizukage. My question is, how did she hear of me?"
"Word about your exploits in Nami no Kuni was circulated by a merchant native to that place, who came to our country on business after his home town got back on its feet. My team and I were passing by when we overheard the entire story of how you encountered Zabuza-sama and Haku-san, and saved Nami no Kuni from Gatō's tyranny. They even named their newly built bridge after you from what we heard."
"You're kidding, right?" Naruto asked in surprise and disbelief.
"We were skeptic ourselves about his story, but when we voiced it, he become very indignant and told us to never mock the ninja who became his people's savior. He even gave us a picture of the bridge as proof of his story," the female Chuunin replied as she reached into her pocket and took out a picture of the bridge. She handed it over to Naruto, who examined the picture himself.
"I'm touched," Naruto said sincerely. "I never in my life would have thought I would be given such an honor. But that's beside the point. From what you said, it's obvious that this story was reported to Mei. This civil war that was started up by Mei is to end the bloodline limit purge that the deranged Yondaime Mizukage started up some years back. Haku told me about the genocide against those with bloodline limits a few weeks ago, and how Zabuza found and saved her."
"Then that means that you're also aware that it was Zabuza-sama who first rebelled and tried to overthrow the Mizukage, wanting to put an end to the bloodline limit genocide once and for all. But he was overpowered and outnumbered, and was forced to escape with Haku-san before an order was sent out to have them captured and killed."
"Zabuza still wishes to overthrow the Mizukage, which was why he was working for that snake, Gatō, in the first place to raise money for an army he wanted to build," Naruto said.
"All the more reason why Mei-sama wants him found and recruited, both him and Haku-san. It was his actions that inspired Mei-sama to form her army, and those who loyally followed her to rise up against the Mizukage. Having Zabuza-sama and Haku-san as part of our army would be of great benefit to us to stop the genocide of our people. Please, Naruto-san, we would greatly appreciate any information on Zabuza-sama and Haku-san's whereabouts. Your help will be considered a contribution to stopping the genocide against our people with bloodline limits once and for all. We already lost so many with bloodline limits who could have been potential assets to our village, some of whom were close friends of ours," the other male Chuunin emphasized, "Please, we deeply want to stop this madman for our village's sake. Please, help us."
Naruto thought deeply about their story and what they were asking of him. He knew that they took a huge risk coming to Konoha under the pretense of being Genin to see him after learning of his exploits. He honestly couldn't help but feel flattered and honored by their actions. In all seriousness, he knew that the bloodline limit genocide has killed countless innocents, and the civil war which Zabuza originally tried to start was aimed to stop the senseless murdering of those innocents.
"What guarantee do I have that the scroll you three possess is genuine, and that you three will keep your word about recruiting Zabuza and Haku into your ranks to stop the genocide?" Naruto asked. The lead Chuunin took out his kunai and cut his left palm.
"I swear it on my blood and honor as a ninja of Kirigakure," the lead Chuunin swore as he tightened his left fist hand with a little bit of blood coming out of it and onto the ground. The other two were about to do the same thing when…
"Kusagakure," Naruto replied. "Zabuza told me that he and Haku were going to Kusagakure to take up the life of bounty hunting. That's all I know."
The lead Chuunin nodded and signaled to his teammate to hand over the scroll. Naruto took the scroll and examined it, finding it to be genuine.
"We can't thank you enough, Uzumaki Naruto-san. You've been a great help to us. But we ask that you tell nobody about this." the lead Kiri Chuunin requested. Naruto took the scroll that was written to him and tossed it into the air. Using and focusing his wind affinity, he shredded the scroll into tiny pieces and scattered them into the wind.
"I promise. By the way, what's your name?" Naruto asked the lead Chuunin.
"I'm Chōjūrō. It was a pleasure meeting you. We will meet again," Chōjūrō said before he and his teammates both body flickered with swirling mist and left the scene, leaving Naruto with the heaven scroll. The blond could only hope that his actions didn't come back to bite him in the end. But putting that thought to the side, Naruto went and returned back to the group.
Upon his arrival, he found Karin standing at a distance from Sasuke, with Sakura standing with the Uchiha, and the clone looking to be the mediator of some dispute. Sighing, he went over to calm the situation.
"What's this all about?" Naruto asked his clone.
"Nothing really, they just didn't feel like talking to each other," the clone replied.
"Is that all?" Naruto inquired.
"Karin really doesn't seem to like Sasuke at all," the clone added.
"She's not a Sasuke-obsessed fangirl, all the better," Naruto remarked.
"What are you talking about with yourself, Naruto-kun?" Karin asked.
"Nothing important," Naruto said as he dispelled his clone. "Anyway you guys, I got the prize we've been seeking out."
Naruto showed them the heaven scroll.
"That's great, Naruto! You got the heaven scroll!" Sakura cheered.
"Nice work. Now we can leave this horrid forest and head to the tower," Sasuke added and contemplated, I don't know what it was that those Kiri nin and their team leader addressed to you, Naruto. But whatever it was must of been invaluable information they were willing to risk sharing with only you in exchange for whatever you knew about Zabuza and Haku's whereabouts. But Sakura and I could have just as easily told them, so why did they single out you for information instead?
"You don't know Naruto…You know only what he wants you to know."
Remembering those words about Naruto from Hinata and Kakashi only served to irritate and frustrate Sasuke, as it deepened the mystery surrounding Naruto's true character.
"Well, let's not waste more time than we already have. Let's find our way to the tower and report to Jiisan about Kari-"
Naruto was about to complete his sentence when new information was sent to him. He was silent as he processed the information his clone transferred to him.
"What is it, Naruto-kun?" Karin asked.
"Trouble! Some Kusa Genin is making her way here to us and fast. She's the same one that gave me a disturbing vibe the other day!" Naruto answered.
"Maybe she's one of Karin's comrades from Kusagakure," Sasuke figured. Karin clasped her hands together and focused her chakra as best as possible.
"What are you doing, Karin?" Sakura asked.
"Trying to find and pinpoint this Kusa Genin Naruto-kun speaks of," Karin said.
"You're a sensor-type?" Sasuke asked.
"Yes," Karin simply replied as she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. After a minute, her eyes shot open with an urgent expression.
"I don't know that Kusa Genin, but judging from the chakra I sensed, it's someone very dangerous," Karin warned, "Naruto-kun's right! We can't stay here!"
"Everyone, move out!" Naruto ordered as he grabbed the heaven scroll and left the scene with the group while Sasuke carried the earth scroll. They took to leaping from tree to tree, but soon Karin picked up on the enemy approaching them fast.
"We have company!" Karin yelled before a giant brown, black-spotted snake appeared seemingly out of nowhere from underneath the group and collided with them. Naruto flew backwards, his ears ringing from the heavy blow. Arching his back, he managed to get his hands and feet in front of him before he smacked into a tree he was heading to with stunning force. Bits of bark shot into the air as he managed to concentrate enough chakra to stick his hands and feet to the wood. He shook his head to clear away the sudden dizziness before scanning the clearing for his teammates and his newfound Uzumaki cousin. He saw that Sasuke, Sakura, and Karin had been thrown back away from each other before landing on the ground with a painful thud.
"Just what we need," Naruto growled before summoning six clones.
Meanwhile, the snake turned and saw Sakura struggling to stand back up. It hissed as it rushed at her to swallow her whole. Focusing wind chakra, Naruto and his six clones blasted off from the tree they were on and into the path of the giant snake. Sakura turned to see the snake hurrying hungrily after her with its open mouth drooling. She screamed in terror, expecting this to be her death.
"Rasengan!" Naruto and his clones yelled simultaneously. The snake turned to face Naruto and his six clones, each with a Rasengan in their hands. In the next second they plunged the combined lethal attacks deep into the serpent's neck. The snake let out an anguished hiss as its head was torn and blasted off from its body. The body collapsed to the ground as a large pool of blood spilled from the hole where its head once was. Sasuke witnessed the attack Naruto used against the snake, and was amazed at its destructive power.
The clones hurried over Karin, Sakura, and Sasuke to see if they were alright.
"Thanks for saving me," Sakura said.
"Don't thank the boy just yet, child," a twisted, androgynous voice said from the shadows. The group looked to see a tall figure approaching them, and when she came into the light, it turned out to be the very same Kusa Genin Naruto and Karin saw and sensed from earlier. The Kusa Genin looked at the group of young teens smirking, while holding the heaven scroll in her hands. Naruto looked and realized that he dropped the heaven scroll after being ambushed by the giant snake earlier.
"Shit!" Naruto cursed upon seeing that the Kusa Genin now had their heaven scroll.
"Looking for this?" the Kusa Genin taunted. "It can be yours, if you guys can win it back from me."
"You're outnumbered," Sasuke retorted.
The Kusa Genin stared right at Sasuke with a look that was simultaneously bored and contemptuous.
"It's not wise to be so presumptuous, Sasuke-kun. Things aren't always what they appear to be," the Kusa Genin replied, "However, I'm interested in testing your potential and seeing how it compares to Naruto's, whose talents you seem to covet."
Sasuke growled at the twisted Genin's taunts of him.
"Don't listen and let this Genin bait you, Sasuke," Naruto warned.
The Kusa Genin shook her head and lamented tauntingly, "This is just sad: the Rookie of the Year following and taking orders from his class's Dead Last. Just how low have you fallen, Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke was radiating with bloodlust as his anger was starting to consume him. Naruto and the others saw this clearly.
"Sasuke!" Naruto called out, but his voice fell on deaf ears.
The Kusa Genin continued, "The fact that you can't win the love of your life from the same Dead Last is even worse. Where's your Uchiha pride, Sasuke-kun? Itachi would laugh if he saw the kind of child you've become."
Sasuke lost it at that point as he gave into rage and launched himself at the tall Kusa Genin. The Uchiha threw a rapid flurry of punches at the Genin, all of which were blocked with a single hand. Naruto charged in from behind, and the second before Naruto's fist connected with the back of the Kusa Genin's head, the other arm whipped around in a backhanded blow that sent Naruto flying into a tree trunk. Naruto burst into smoke, though, revealing him to be a kage bunshin.
Sakura hurried to aid Sasuke, but at the last second, without looking, the twisted Genin pivoted and drove a back-kick into her stomach, knocking her off her feet so fast she was now on a collision course with Karin. Fortunately, one of Naruto's clones was close enough to catch her, and pivoting, tossed her to a second clone, right before the Kusa Genin's follow-up spin-kick drove through the first clone's chest, making it explode.
"Another kage bunshin," the Genin said. Seeing that her eyes were looking away from him, Sasuke took the opportunity to attack. Taking out a couple of kunai and shuriken, Sasuke raced forward and threw his weapons of choice with precision and accuracy. The Kusa Genin melted into the ground and avoided being struck by the weapons, allowing them to be embedded into nearby trees.
The Genin rose and appeared behind Sasuke, who turned to see a fist connect to his face. The Uchiha was sent flying away, hitting and rolling on the ground. The Kusa Genin then saw large shadows suddenly overcast her. She turned and saw several massive trees collapsing fast in her direction from her left, her right, and from behind her. Before she could do anything to escape, three of Naruto's clones ran and tackled her to hold her in place as the trees came down on them.
Naruto appeared and made his way over to the trees he cut down with his Kaze no Yaiba (Wind Blades) in an effort to retrieve the heaven scroll. Sakura, after checking on Sasuke, went over to Naruto with Sasuke and Karin.
"It's not here! And neither is her body!" Naruto remarked in frustration after seeing a pile of mud in the spot the Kusa Genin previously stood. The gang moved away from the rubble and into the opening.
"You truly live up to your reputation, Naruto," said the Kusa Genin with the same androgynous voice, as she appeared from behind the large tree to the group's right. Naruto and the others turned to face their enemy.
"What the hell are you?" Naruto retorted, knowing that something about that tall Kusa Genin was off.
"Someone who finds you to be a bother, and hindrance to my goals here," the Kusa Genin replied while still holding the heaven scroll and walking to the wider clearing where one of the massive trees once stood, "And seeing as you singlehandedly killed my pet earlier Naruto…"
The Kusa Genin bit her thumb, causing a trickle of blood to seep out, and raced through a set of hand signs and said, "I'll have to take you just a little more serious."
Naruto realized what she was doing just as she slammed her hands to the ground. He tried to rush at her, but a burst of smoke knocked him back a few feet as a large cloud of smoke blanketed the area. When the smoke cleared, what stood before the group was a gigantic snake, far larger than the previous one, only this one was a black viper with fangs, and the Kusa Genin was standing on top of its head.
"Oh hell no!" Karin yelled in fright. "You have got to be kidding me!"
The colossal viper looked down at the teens and hissed angrily at them.
"Just when I thought things couldn't possibly get any worse," Sakura cowered as she paled, believing their deaths to be imminent. Sasuke was wondering how they were going to escape with their lives while Naruto realized just who they were facing.
"The traitorous Sannin, Orochimaru," was all Naruto said in an undertone as he unzipped his orange jacket and tied it around his waist. The next thing Sakura saw was the same mysterious seals from before appearing and glowing around Naruto's entire body, while Sasuke and Karin wondered what was happening.
So those are the seals Kakashi and Sakura were talking about, Sasuke realized while Karin looked at Naruto's seals curiously before the seals disappeared. Everyone, including Orochimaru, sensed a strong power building up within Naruto.
What is this power I'm feeling from that Jinchuuriki? And what were those seals just now? Orochimaru wondered as he acknowledged that what he felt wasn't Kyuubi's chakra, meaning it could only be Naruto's.
Clenching his fists, the blond-haired Genin then powered up with a mighty aura of chakra that cratered the ground around him three times as his clothes and hair flowed with his chakra. Karin, Sasuke, and Sakura were thrown off their feet by the wind and shock wave released from Naruto's body as he continued powering up with dirt and rocks rising into the air. The trio managed to stand back up to see a Naruto they've never seen before. Karin was completely entranced and in awe at Naruto's majestic appearance and the polished fighting stance he suddenly took.
Naruto-kun is so cool! Karin thought in amazement despite the danger they were in. Sakura and Sasuke were just as amazed at what they were seeing. Naruto looked up at Orochimaru with the battle hardened gaze of a seasoned veteran ninja.
"Such admirable strength in the face of your demise. It will almost be a shame that I have to end your lives. However if you choose to serve me instead Naruto, I'll spare your team's lives," said Orochimaru as he smirked at them.
"I'm in no mood for games, and I don't accept offers from traitors, Orochimaru," Naruto remarked in an entirely new tone Sakura, Sasuke, and Karin had never heard before. This was not the goofy, perverted, girl-crazy Naruto they and everyone else knew and grew up with; this was the true Naruto.
"This ought to be interesting," Orochimaru remarked with a steady grin.
All hell was about to break loose…
Orochimaru has arrived, and has his sights set on Karin and Team 7, forcing Naruto to drop his mask even more and show more of his true face! What will result from the group's encounter with this dangerous S-Class missing nin? Find out next time!