It's been a little over 5 months since the events of the Wave mission, and the dynamics of Team 7 have noticeably changed. While they would never be accused of being a team that shared strong bonds and camaraderie, they had 'something' that kept them functioning, albeit, barely. However, since the debacle at the Wave, Kakashi noticed that his team were on the fringes of capitulation.
The relationship they once shared, as carried over from their days in the academy, was an unhealthy one. But it allowed them to get by as a team for the most part. The lynchpin of it was Naruto. His burning desire to prove himself to be just as good, if not better, than Sasuke, and Sasuke always being one step ahead of him was the cornerstone of the team.
Pushing them both to be better, whilst also maintaining Sasuke's fragile ego. Naruto's obsession with Sakura was also something that helped the girl with her insecurities. She needed his constant validation to stroke her ego, and the power she perceived she had when constantly turning him down and berating him was what kept her confidence going.
However, since that fateful mission, Kakashi realised that Naruto had changed. It wasn't anything glaring at first. Sure, he kept to himself a lot more, but Kakashi just chalked that up to the traumatic experience he suffered. But over time, the changes became far more obvious.
He was a lot calmer for the most part, he also most much more swiftly and gracefully as opposed to how he clumsily stumbled about before. His posture was straighter and he exuded a silent confidence about him. He also isn't as temperamental as he used to be.
Whereas before, when Sasuke would complete a task or show off his training results, he would send a mocking smirk to Naruto who would then blow up and make a fool of himself. Now though, Naruto would just smile kindly and congratulate him, in a manner so sincere it came off as condescending. It pissed Sasuke off because he couldn't get a reaction out of the 'dobe'. The more concerning factor though was Sakura.
Usually after missions and training are done, when she would pester Sasuke for a date, after which he would coldly turned her down damaging her self-esteem. Naruto would swoop in and ask her for a date, boosting her confidence in herself after which she turned him down quite emphatically, sometimes to the point of being abusive. Recently however, after having Sasuke turn her down, she would turn to Naruto in preparation for turning his date offer down, only to see him walking away without a care in the world.
It seemed without Naruto following her around like a lost puppy whilst simultaneously moonlighting as her punching bag, she started calling her own self-worth into question. Without the constant validation to her ego, he could see her breaking down. She still tied to keep up her tough attitude, but both of her teammates ignored her for the most part when she threw some tantrum or the other.
It was concerning for Kakashi. While Naruto was polite to his teammates and gave no problems during missions, his actions, or lack thereof, have strained the fragile team dynamics. He can't really blame the blonde either, as with what happened, it seemed that he was finally maturing as a person while his other two students were still stuck trying to ride the coattails of their academy success.
Kakashi thought about trying to talk to Naruto about it, but realised how stupid it would sound to tell someone to go back to being verbally and physically abused just to appease his teammates. That would make him a hypocrite.
He also noticed that the blonde had a bit of a growth spurt in the last few months. He was now quite tall for his age, just a few inches taller than Sasuke in fact, whereas before he was the shortest in his graduating class….girls included. His teammates didn't seem to notice this, which was a bit disappointing in terms of their observation skills.
He would need to do something about that. His sharp eyes also caught the tightly compressed muscles under the orange jumpsuit, which was getting smaller and smaller on his frame as the days went by. He realised that Naruto was doing his own training, and couldn't really begrudge him this as he took a more hands off approach to his students. He reported it to the Sandaime though, as one may never be too sure. He just waved it off though as it isn't a crime to train and improve yourself.
As he pondered more on the precarious situation of his team, he was unsure how to proceed. He had them constantly doing teamwork drills, but even that only went so far. He knew that the Chuunin Exams were coming up. Luckily this year they would be hosted in Konoha.
Maybe a live combat situation like the exams provide is what's needed to galvanise them. He knew that Sasuke and Naruto would be able to handle themselves fine. They would also pull Sakura forward, even if only for the sake of passing. The idea was looking more and more appealing to him.
As someone who grew up during a war, he knew better than anyone that those situations are what can make or break a shinobi's career. He would have to put his faith in his team and hope they make it out with a stronger bond.
...
As Kakashi was thinking about the blonde enigma of his team, said enigma can be found in his apartment looking forlornly at the collection of items, all piled up into a metal drum. He was having flashbacks of his life about him running from angry shop owners, angry teachers, angry ANBU, angry Hyuuga's….come to think of it…he made a lot of people angry.
Oh well, he was never one to dwell on the small stuff. He brought attention back to the somewhat archaic ritual he seemed to be partaking in. He quietly closed his eyes and took a moment of silence to bid farewell to an old friend.
[Oh come on! This is ridiculous! They are just a bunch of ugly orange jumpsuits for fuck sake!] Screamed Naruto's tenant, whom he affectionately refers to as Kyu-chan. She was forced to sit back and watch her container (she would never call him her friend, even on the threat of death.
The smug face she can imagine him directing at her would be something that she didn't think she could tolerate without going 'psyco bitch' on everything in sight) go through this ridiculous ceremony, and she uses that word loosely, just so that he could burn those abominations he calls clothing. Her nerves were frayed from the absolute ridiculousness of the situation. She was truly starting to wonder if her decision to contact him was the right one.
The more time she spent with him, the more time she spent questioning her sanity. She had to wonder who the true demon between them was. Although she says that, her days were never dull and Naruto spent whatever free time he had chatting with her. Sometime about nonsensical topics but it didn't matter to her, the fact that he always took the time to talk to her, or include her in whatever hare-brained plan he cooked up, made her happy.
She appreciated the attention and company he provided her. He treated her like they were childhood friends who reunited after years and are now awkwardly dancing around each other until the time to….err….OK so maybe the Kyuubi's imagination was getting the best of her. But hey, she was a girl to. She would never tell Naruto that she enjoyed his company though, she had her pride after all.
"Blasphemy! How dare you! This is a delicate moment….one in which I part with an old and faithful friend. One that has kept me warm on cold days. One that helped me grind my stealth and infiltration skills to ridiculous levels.
It was thanks to the glorious colour orange that I have made it thus far. Its beauty and sheer awesomeness has helped me through the painful days. I don't expect an unwashed heathen such as yourself to understand." Sneered Naruto. Then again, on days like this it made her wonder why she put up with this idiot and his antics.
"I wish circumstances were different. However, as a man, I know that farewells always have to come. I have no more tears. I was already prepared for this. Even though I say this….I can't seem to stop the tears from flowing. You were my closest companion. You have brought me this far and I will forever be grateful.
I know that you will watch over me wherever you end up. Goodbye my old friend." He finished with comical tears and snot running down his face as he set the jumpsuits on fire. The seals he drew on the ceiling earlier activates and fake snow rained down on him, creating a sombre atmosphere.
The Kyuubi just looked on with a deadpan stare at the sheer ridiculousness at what she was seeing. She wondered whether or not this was some sort of cruel punishment for all her wrong doings. She only had to wonder if any of her brothers or sisters were stuck with a complete nutjob like she was.
*Somewhere in Kumogakure, the Hachibi sneezed violently.*
[Are you done being a fucking moron? We have better things to do than continue your little pity party.] Said the Kyuubi, irritably.
"You're such an insensitive bitch sometimes Kyu-chan! Why can't you just let me have a few moments to grieve? Is it that time of the month for you? Is that why you're acting up?" He pondered.
[ HOW DARE YOU! YOU WORTLESS LITTLE FUCK! GET IN THIS CAGE RIGHT NOW! I'LL RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB BEFORE SETTING YOU ON FIRE THEN PISSING ON YOU TO PUT IT OUT BEFORE TAKING THE MOTHER OF ALL DUMPS ON YOU AND WATCH YOU SUFFOCATE ON IT!] She roared violently while bashing her head against her cage.
Naruto just sweat-dropped, having gotten used to his friends somewhat bi-polar tendencies, not to mention her vocabulary that would put a sailor to shame. It's a bit sad that he's become so accustomed to her death threats that he barely blinks anymore. He knows he should probably stop annoying her, but he has way too much fun doing it. Her reactions are always hilarious and he loves the new and interesting threats she comes up with. To Naruto, it's their special way of bonding.
"You know, if you're trying to convince me you aren't PMS'ing…..it's not working. You're really messed up you know that Kyu-chan. Like, needing serious psychological help immediately, messed up. But don't worry Kyu-chan, I still love you. Even though you're a complete nutjob.
I wonder if the other Jinchuuriki's have a hard time as I do with a mentally unstable tenant." Said Naruto as he pondered on his fellow Jinchuuriki's. The Kyuubi silently seethed in her cage. She had murder, genocide, death, destruction, apocalypse and all other kinds of calamities on her mind as she tried to blow up her host's brain with her mind.
Unfortunately for her, it didn't work. It pissed her off that he had the nerve to question her sanity, when he was the one preforming some ceremony just to burn some clothes.
The fact that he mirrored her thoughts a few moments ago only served to piss her off even more. But she took a calming breath. In and out. In and out….after counting backwards from 1000, because 10 wasn't enough for her, she was finally relatively calm again. She knew he did it to annoy her on purpose, but it was hard for her to control herself from performing a reflex action. She promised herself that she would get him back one of these days.
It would be painful and humiliating….she could picture it now….her glorious moment when he grovels at her feet, humbled by her genius, vowing never to tease her again…she started chuckling darkly to herself at the imaginary, causing Naruto to sweat-drop.
"If you're done plotting my imaginary demise, let's move on from this little skit." Said Naruto, catching her attention. She noticed that the drum with the burning jumpsuits were nowhere to be seen, and his apartment looked as clean as a whistle, with no soot or fake snow.
[Wha?] She stuttered.
"Fufu…I cleaned up while you were lost in your little fantasy Kyu-chan." He answered as he went to his wardrobe and took out on of the many pairs of his new outfit that he picked out with Kyu-chan all those months ago.
After just over 5 months of hard-core training, he was delighted with the progress he made. It was quite noticeable to him. His chakra was smooth and controlled, for the most part at least. While he would never be on the level of and Iryo-nin or Genjutsu specialists, he was quite happy with his above average control. Those brutal chakra-control exercises really were worth their weight in gold.
His Ninjutsu, as expected, was one of the areas that yielded the most results. He was always more inclined towards the art due to his large chakra reserves.
He mastered all of the elemental manipulation exercises for his elements. He has a handful of jutsu for both wind and water. He didn't want to learn too many, instead focusing on techniques that would prove more useful and versatile.
He practiced them to the point of cutting down the hand-seals needed for then, even going so far as being able to use a few of them with one handed seals like his beloved Haku-chan could. He has more jutsu scroll that he can learn from, but for now he wants to perfect his current arsenal before moving onto those.
He only has two jutsu for lightning, including one that he accidentally created, but that's a story for another time.
He was able to learn the high level Genjutsu he snatched from the library, and he realised how invaluable it would be, especially against Doujutsu users. The technique that Kyu-chan taught him still needs a bit of work but it's ready to be used in battle if he needs to.
His Kenjutsu was something progressed in relatively nicely. While he is no blade master, he knows more than enough to handle low to mid-level opponents, especially when he coats his blade in Fuuton chakra. If up against a high level Kenjutsu practitioner, he doubts he has much of a chance. He needs to find a real instructor though. There's only so much you can learn from scrolls.
He got lucky one day when travelling merchants came to Konoha about two months ago. There was a reputable blacksmith amongst them, and with a nice cash payment Naruto was able to convince the man to melt down a few blades made from chakra conductive metal that Naruto provided him to forge him a sword that he designed with the help of Kyu-chan. He was delighted with the finished product.
He took Kyu-chan's advice concerning his Taijutsu and designed his own style. It uses the Goken as its base but incorporates more flexibility and unpredictable movements in the style. It's not perfect by any means, but it's not far off either. He's quite proud of it.
His training with weights helped quite a bit as well. His body is now built of solidly compressed muscles, perfect for speed and power.
His greatest achievement though, and the one he is happiest about, is his progress in Fūinjutsu. Naruto was always good with his hands. Evidenced by his skill in gardening. His dexterity was always something that he was proud of.
What most people didn't know was that, as a result of his constant pranks involving painting and writing coupled with his dexterity, his calligraphy skills were surprisingly good. It didn't take much more work to get him up to exceptional levels with the help of his clones. His Uzumaki heritage really came to the fore when it came to sealing. What was incomprehensible gibberish to most people, was like a simple puzzle for Naruto to put together.
It was like a unique language that only a few people had the aptitude for. He took to it like a fish to water and progressed at an alarming rate. From simple storage seals, to explosive seals (his personal favourite), security seals for his apartment, containment seals, gravity and resistance seals (that he used to replace his training weights), to the durability, self-repair and self-cleaning seals for his clothes and furniture along with a few other more archaic seals.
While he would never claim to be a master of the level of somebody like Uzumaki Mito, he knew that in a few years, he could reach that level. He knew that maybe with the exception of Jiraiya, he was probably the best at Fūinjutsu in Konoha. It amazed him that people took such an invaluable art for granted. Oh well, it's their loss.
He knew that he shouldn't get complacent though, and practiced his skills on a daily basis to keep them sharp.
He took care not to reveal any of his progress to his team though. He didn't want them or the civilian council or the Hokage breathing down his neck. He knew that Kakashi probably noticed his body changing, but so far hasn't called him out on it. He knew though that a week from now, a big event is taking place. The Chuunin Exams.
How he knows this, is answered by a little side project that he undertook. After the success of sneaking into the Konoha library, what should be one of the most secure locations in the village, he decided to take advantage of his godly stealth and infiltration skills as well as his unmatchable sensory ability, to create his own spy network.
He created a small army of clones and had them sneak into key locations and hide under a Henge, like the homes of the civilian council members, the Jounin lounge, ANBU HQ, popular shinobi bars and a few other places that could yield useful information. It may have been bordering on treason, but with as many people in this village that have it out for him, he wasn't going to take any chances.
Not only did he receive valuable information, but he also hit the jackpot in terms of blackmail material. He has plenty of dirt on the influential people, mostly civilians, in the village. Whether its affairs, backrooms deals, drug trafficking or other questionable activities. He had enough leverage to make people's lives very miserable if they choose to target him.
After donning his new outfit, much to the pleasure of the Kyuubi, who complimented him on how good he looked, he made his way to the bridge his team usually meets at. If he knows Kakashi well enough, he knows that the lazy bastard will nominate his team for the exam as a sink or swim kind of test.
...
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