"Excuse me, sir. May I ask for your name?" Menma asked, hoping to confirm his suspicions.
"Why do you want to know?" the man replied.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, but you seem familiar to me, and I just wanted to confirm if I know you," Menma explained.
The man introduced himself as Baki from the Hidden Sand Village. Menma realized that he was mistaken and apologized for taking up the man's time. As he bowed and returned to his team, Menma couldn't shake off his doubts about the man's identity.
The masked man observing the scene thought to himself, 'You are quite perceptive. You really are his son,' and continued walking away with a satisfied grin under his mask. Menma glanced back once more at the retreating figure of the masked man before turning away again.
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Upon arrival at the arena, they found the teams that had already passed waiting in line according to their team number. These included Team 5, Team 7, Team 8, Team 10, the Sand siblings, a team from Kirigakure, the Sound team, and a rain team that Team 7 and Menma eyed warily.
The Sand team appeared bored while the Sound team looked a little annoyed with Team 7. The team from Kirigakure, on the other hand, seemed to be in high spirits.
The Hokage soon approached and ascended a platform, flashing a smile as he addressed the successful candidates, "Congratulations on arriving at the tower on time. Now, allow me to reveal the genuine intention behind this examination."
He then proceeded to deliver a speech that lasted approximately an hour, emphasizing how these battles symbolized the power and prowess of each nation.
Upon the conclusion of his address, a feeble jonin slowly made his way to the platform, exchanged some words with the Hokage who nodded in response, and hen proceeded to take the floor and says,
"I am Hayate Gekko, the ultimate examiner for these examscough.cough**cough. As the matches are scheduled to follow a single-round elimination system, we will initiate the preliminary rounds to reduce the number of participants for the main event."
"cough**cough If any of the contenders feel incapable of cough proceeding cough, please signal by raising your hand, and you will be escorted back to the village."
A spectacled boy from the sound team raised his hand and spoke up, "I received a severe beating in the forest of death, so I believe I will have to pass." Subsequently, he was escorted out of the arena. However, the Hokage noticed that the boy was feigning injury, so he commanded an ANBU to trail him.
Once they had left, everyone's attention was drawn towards two screens displaying the names of the selected participants. Following this, the proctor signaled for the chosen individuals to remain in place, officially starting the preliminaries.
(Cannon Fights except Choji and Dosu's match also ended in a draw)
Lee's injuries were severe enough that he had to be hospitalized, leaving him with slim prospects of continuing as a shinobi. Guy was consumed with guilt, as he had inadvertently pushed one of his students to the brink of death while helplessly watching from above. To comfort Guy, Kakashi intervened and persuaded him to leave the arena and return to the stands, so that the other matches could proceed.
Yuko was able to advance directly to the next round due to being short of one person. Tenya and Menma emerged victorious in their respective battles, and they overheard the speaker system announcing the matchups for the next round.
The first match was between Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuga Neji, while the second match featured Uzumaki Menma and Hyuga Tenya.
Gaara was set to face Uchiha Sasuke in the third match, followed by Tsuchi Kin against Yuko Mitarashi in the fourth match.
The fifth match was between Aburame Shino and Kankurō, and the sixth match pitted Temari against Shikamaru Nara.
The genin were then instructed to return in a month after researching their opponents' strengths and weaknesses and improving their own skills during that time. After visiting Lee, the group of genin departed and went home.
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Two figures were standing in the open outside a secluded shrine, some distance away from the arena, engaged in conversation.
The snake-like man observed, "It appears that the curse mark I placed on Sasuke has been sealed by Kakashi. However, it matters not. As long as Sasuke's heart is filled with darkness, he will come to me seeking the power he desires."
The man then instructed the boy, "I want you to abduct him."
The boy, adjusting his glasses, remarked, "You seem rather unusually anxious. Is it because of Naruto Uzumaki?" He wore a wry smile.
The snake-like man responded, "Yes, partially." His expression hardened.
The boy thought to himself, 'There are not many who can make Orochimaru-sama take them serious.'
Orochimaru remarked, "After placing the seal on Sasuke, I encountered a rather peculiar youngster who seemed to have known of my existence from the outset." He turned to look at the boy.
"But that should not be possible since only the two of us and the Sound ninja were aware of it," the boy commented with his hand on his chin.
"He attempted to stall me long enough for the Hokage to arrive and nearly succeeded. He was quite entertaining," Orochimaru said with a lick of his lips.
"Now that I reflect on it, the boy bore an uncanny resemblance to Naruto. Could he be his brother?" Orochimaru mused with a wry grin.
The boy responded, "Ah, you must be referring to Menma Uzumaki. He is Naruto's identical twin, but unlike him, he is not as boisterous or extroverted. However, he is quite perceptive and one of the strongest in his age group, almost as strong as his brother." He looked towards the rogue Sanin.
"I want you to keep an eye out for that kid. But first," the Sanin said, turning towards a nearby tree. He body flickered away and returned with the head of an ANBU in his grasp.
"As cautious as ever, that old man," he mused to himself.
"You can leave now, Kabuto."
Kabuto nodded and turned to leave, but Orochimaru's final remark halted him in his tracks.
"Do not be so foolish as to consider stopping me from acquiring Sasuke, or you may end up dead," Orochimaru said in a subtle but menacing tone, causing Kabuto to become uneasy.
"It's a joke, hehe. You may go now. I have faith in you," he added with a sly grin.
'He's seen right through me, huh?' Kabuto thought to himself as he wore a nervous expression and turned away, departing from the scene.
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-Menma's POV-
During the entire month, Naruto and I received training on how to control the Nine-Tails chakra from the legendary Sanin Jiraiya, also known as the "Mega Perv." After a bit of blackmail (or, as we prefer to call it, a polite request), he agreed to teach us. We even signed the contract of the toads to seal the deal and learned the required hand signs.
Naruto attempted the technique first, but he could only summon a tadpole, which was the same for me. Jiraiya urged us to keep practicing until we could summon a full-grown toad.
However, we became drained of chakra after multiple attempts, and he decided to give us an unorthodox method to recharge our energy: by kicking us off a cliff.
As I fell, closing my eyes, something unexpected happened.
A droplet of water fell, and as I opened my eyes, I found myself lying in sewage water. A red-purplish aura surrounded the area.
'I've finally made it,' I thought to myself.
"Come closer, kid," a voice called out from a room nearby. I already knew who it was, so I entered the room. Inside, I saw the nine-tailed fox, a feral beast with purplish fur, staring at me with malice.
'So, this is the nine tails,' I thought as I approached the caged creature. However, as I drew closer, I heard a loud clang. The beast had tried to attack me, but it was stopped by the cage just inches from my head. Instead of feeling fear, I remained unfazed, which seemed to amuse the fox.
"Not bad kid. You've got guts." He said as he pulled back his claws and shifted into a more comfortable position.
"Why have you come here? Do you want my chakra?" The fox says with a smirk
"No I am not here for your chakra. After all the more chakra you give me the more you benefit...right?" I said with a big grin.
The fox tensed for a moment then started to regard me more warily as he saw that I was not just an average child.
"I am surprised a brat like you knows about that. Yet I am also surprised you do not hate me." He says with a wry grin.
'Now time to act clueless.'
"What do you mean?" I asked with curiosity.
"Usually, humans hate what they fear or cannot understand. And I, the Nine Tails, have been feared and misunderstood for centuries." The fox explained.
"But I know that the hatred towards you is unfounded. You were just used as a tool by someone with their own agenda. And besides, I don't believe in hating someone just because they are different." I replied with a shrug.
The fox regarded me with a thoughtful expression before speaking again. "You are quite an interesting human.
With a smile, I informed him, "My purpose here is to negotiate a deal with you."
The nine-tailed creature sat up straight, folded his arms, and adopted a serious expression as he responded, "You're not a fool, kid. You must know that there's only one thing I want. A deal suggests that we both gain something, so why take the risk?"
"You have the opportunity to prevent your demise," I replied.
The Kyuubi glared at me and bared his teeth. "Do you dare to threaten me, child?" he growled, exuding a deadly aura.
"I apologize, perhaps my wording was incorrect. The truth is, there are some formidable individuals pursuing the power of you and the other tailed beasts. My proposal is to collaborate and protect the world while also securing your existence."
After a moment, the Kyuubi calmed down but continued to stare at me intensely.
"You have only lived for a decade, how can you be so certain that I will face death? It's possible that you are just seeking my power for your personal gain."
The Kyuubi harbored suspicions and doubts, understandably so. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him and spoke.
"The reason is that I have seen the future."
He stared at me in silence for a few moments, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was going to burst out laughing.
The Kyuubi burst into laughter, beginning with a few abrupt sounds of "Kpff- Kuha- Kuhahahaha" and then erupting into prolonged fits of "KUHAHAHAHAHAHAH" which only paused momentarily for a deep breath before continuing with even greater intensity
"HAHAHAHAHAHA HAAA HAHAHAHA". The laughter persisted as the fox rolled around inside their cage.
'He's not going to stop, is he?' I thought to myself as the nine tails continued to laugh.
Eventually, he managed to calm down and looked at me again, trying to hold back his amusement as he spoke. "I haven't laughed so hard in centuries. You should become a comedian," he said, still chuckling.
The nine tails glared down at me, his face fierce as he spoke through the bars.
"Listen carefully, brat. Peering into the future requires the user to tap into the very nature and fate of the world itself. One must be at the pinnacle of strength, possess perfect balance between yin and yang, and use chakra as naturally as breathing."
"The only person to have achieved such a feat was the old man Six Sage, yet even he couldn't fully grasp how to channel fate. So, tell me, how could you possibly achieve something even he could not?" His tone was deadly serious, completely different from his demeanor moments before.
With a smirk, I shared my plan with the Nine Tails, "I have evidence. In this realm, we are essentially spirits, so it should be possible to share memories."
Kurama replied, "It is possible, but it can sometimes invade your privacy."
I reassured him, "You wouldn't want to look even if I made you, so there is nothing to worry about, am I right, Kurama?"
The Fox's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed as he stretched his claws through the space between the cage. I stepped forward and placed my head on his claw.
Thump
A mix of my own and Kurama's memories flooded my mind, except I didn't let him see my memories of when I met the gods. Kurama then removed his claw and regarded me with an unreadable expression.
"You truly did witness the future... even if it didn't include you or me at this moment, it doesn't rule out the possibility of it happening," Kurama remarked, his expression unreadable.
"Even if you keep my existence a secret, the Akatsuki, Obito, and Madara will try to control me again. But let's discuss that later."
"Why?"
"It appears you forgot that you're still falling, brat," he chuckled.
"Shit..."
"Here," he said before I was surrounded by dark red-purplish chakra and transported out of the mindscape.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I bit my finger and yelled, "Summoning Jutsu!"
Naruto and I had finally managed to summon a toad and receive chakra from Kurama, but due to chakra exhaustion, we both passed out.
-3rd Person-
In the waiting room, Sakura and Ino were discussing Sasuke's disappearance the previous night and speculating on where he might have gone. Suddenly, they heard a commotion outside and rushed to see what was happening. They saw the nurse trying to stop Lee from training since he was still supposed to be bedridden due to his severe injuries, but he waved her off and continued his training. Despite being seriously injured and mentally exhausted, he pushed himself until he collapsed from the pain and fatigue.
Later, Kakashi was seen climbing a cliff, and upon reaching the top, he found Sasuke waiting for him. They started training together. Meanwhile, the "Kazekage" had formed an alliance with the Sound Village and planned to go to war with the Leaf. He instructed Baki to carry out the plan with the Sand Team, and Baki nodded before leaving.
-Flashback-
Baki announced, "We will be joining the Sound and launching a war against the Leaf."
Temari protested, "But why now? It took so much effort and sacrifice to establish an alliance with the Leaf. Breaking it would result in numerous casualties."
"Emotions should not interfere with your decision-making, Temari," Baki responded sternly.
Temari huffed and looked away.
"Shinobi are tools of war. The alliance threatens our existence. You genin might not know, but the minister used the alliance to weaken our military power. When the leader is foolish, the body will suffer. That is why shinobi like you and Gaara were created," Baki explained.
The room grew quiet when Baki grinned and proceeded to speak. "The Wind Country's very existence is threatened at this moment, and that's why we're relying on you, Gaara," he said, with everyone's attention now fixed on the red-haired boy.
Gaara simply responded with a curt "Yeah."
Baki couldn't help but smirk and think to himself, "Orochimaru, you're certainly a cunning one."
-Flashback End-
-Three days after Naruto and Menma fell unconscious-
Upon waking up, we found Shikamaru standing by our bedside. We engaged in conversation and shared a few laughs before he mentioned that they were planning to play a prank on Choji, who couldn't eat. Feeling unwell, Menma decided to stay in bed.
However, when Shikamaru and company entered the room, they were greeted with a startling sight; Gaara was attempting to kill Lee.
Shikamaru acted swiftly and used his Shadow Possession technique to immobilize Gaara and prevent him from crushing Lee. Despite their attempts to reason with Gaara, he remained obstinate until Guy arrived and intimidated him into standing down.
-The next day-
The day of the Chunin Exams finals had finally arrived. After being discharged from the hospital, we headed straight to the arena. However, as soon as Naruto and I stepped into the arena, the cheers of the crowd turned into insults and booing. Despite this, we ignored the negative reception as the Hokage ordered the ninja to quiet the unruly crowd.
After restoring order, the Hokage proceeded to announce the names of the finalists in the designated order, and the proctor instructed Naruto and Neji to stay on the field.
(Cannon fight Naruto wins.)
In the following match, Tenya was set to face Menma. "Don't go down too quickly, Menma," Tenya taunted. Menma simply smirked in response and retorted, "We'll see about that."
After Naruto's victorious fight against Neji, which had a significant impact on Neji's worldview, Hinata approached Naruto and expressed her gratitude, providing him with an ointment for his wounds. As Menma prepared to enter the arena for his next match, he whispered something into Naruto's ear and gave him a thumbs-up.
After receiving nods of consent from both genin, the proctor cleared his throat and announced, "Cough Cough Begin!"
Tenya's expression became serious as he assumed a fighting stance and activated his Byakugan. Meanwhile, Menma summoned a clone and drew a kunai, gradually moving closer to his opponent. Suddenly, he darted towards Tenya in a rapid dash.
As he strategized his next move, Menma thought to himself, 'Let's go with wind.' Swiftly weaving some hand signs, he brought his hand to his mouth and inhaled deeply.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" he exclaimed, channeling chakra into his mouth and releasing a powerful gust of wind towards Tenya, who managed to dodge the attack.
In response, Tenya charged towards Menma, who smirked and threw a kunai at him. Although Tenya evaded the projectile, his train of thought was interrupted by Menma's clone appearing behind him and launching another kunai. He swiftly dodged to the side, landing a few meters away and glaring at Menma in annoyance.
Menma and his clone charged towards Tenya from opposite directions, forcing Tenya to assume a defensive stance. Menma then lowered himself into a leg sweep, while his clone punched at Tenya's face.
However, Tenya deftly dodged both attacks by jumping and twirling, simultaneously landing kicks to the chin and head of Menma and his clone.
As they regrouped and charged at each other once more, Tenya employed the Gentle Fist technique to close some of Menma's chakra points in his arm and right leg.
Menma responded quickly by grabbing Tenya's head and pulling him into a devastating knee strike, embedding it into his face before punching him away. Tenya used the force of the blow to kick Menma in the chin and land back on his feet. Menma rubbed his chin and then turned to face the Byakugan user, smiling confidently.
Menma complimented Tenya saying, "You've made progress."
Tenya responded confidently, "I put in the effort to improve."
Menma swiftly hurled some shurikens at Tenya, which he deflected using his own shurikens. As Menma threw a smoke bomb, it detonated and enveloped the area in a dense cloud of smoke.
Tenya scorned himself for his recklessness as he charged towards Menma, who began to weave hand signs and chanted out,
"Water Style: Water Bullet!" A barrage of bullets of water came forth, halting Tenya's momentum as he clenched his teeth and utilized the gentle fist to fend off the incoming attacks.
Menma saw an opening and quickly seized the chance to dash behind Tenya. Tenya cursed himself, realizing his mistake too late.
Menma declared his victory by confidently stating, "I've won." He followed up with a powerful punch, sending Tenya soaring into the air, then leapt upwards and delivered a spinning kick to his midsection, sending him crashing down to the ground. Menma retrieved a kunai and pointed it menacingly at Tenya, who reluctantly acknowledged his defeat.
"The winner is Uzumaki Menma," The Procter declared.
The masked man observed and concluded, "He appears to be among the most powerful of his peers."
Sitting amongst the audience in a disguise as the Kazekage, Orochimaru acknowledged the young fighter's abilities, remarking to himself, "The youngster is quite skilled. I must closely monitor his progress." His serpentine tongue slithered across his lips as he schemed.
As Menma helped his teammate up from the arena floor, he offered words of praise, "You did well."
Despite this, his competitive spirit shone through as he grumbled, "I'll beat you next time..." and began to pout. Menma couldn't help but chuckle at his teammate's playful behavior as they exited the arena together.