"So, Kabuto-san, you must really have put a lot of work into those ninja cards of yours!" Sakura's voice sounded needlessly loud to all of them, as Team 7 walked through the forest. Kabuto, who had become separated from his team and hooked up with them, strolled alongside her. Naruto and Sasuke had grudgingly accepted his presence, but their eyes never strayed far from the bespectacled Leaf Genin, the exam fostering distrust of his motives.
Since the battle at the clearing, Team 7 had continued moving into the Forest of Death, but it was a tense atmosphere to say the least. Nobody spoke unless it was to give an order or report the results of a scouting jaunt. Sakura had found her attempts at conversation rebuffed by both of her teammates, and she still had not been able to muster the courage to apologize to Naruto – not that this new, unfamiliar Naruto would have given her the time of day to do it anyway.
When Kabuto had showed up, Sakura latched onto him like a drowning person, and pretty much kept on rambling ever since. It helped to dispel the growing emptiness that she felt – some of it, at any rate.
If Sasuke had noticed her troubles, he kept it to himself, as always. Sakura found it a little ironic. Here she was, continually trying to find ways to show him she cared about him, trying to get him on dates, and she'd failed every time. Naruto had tried the same thing with her, and, getting nowhere, apparently had now given up completely. Did that mean she should do the same with Sasuke? That thought alone had disturbed her into making twenty more minutes of inane conversation with Kabuto, who cheerily listened and offered the occasional response.
For his part, Naruto still didn't feel like speaking to his teammates (or Kabuto), but he was feeling a bit better about himself than he had when they'd left the clearing. Contrary to what most teenagers would admit, parental pep talks do help – sometimes.
* * *
Slow clapping interrupted his sleep from the moment he closed his eyes.
"I hear someone had himself a little dustup. Have fun?"
Naruto groaned. The last thing he needed after that colossal screw-up was a…
"Oh, stop with the self-pity, son. Who said anything about chewing you out?" Arashi snorted. "Believe me, if I was mad, you'd know about it."
He sat up to stare, incredulous, at his father, who perched on the root of a big tree in the dream Forest of Death. Kazama Arashi waved a hand lazily, sarcasm in his eyes.
"Honestly, you'd think I sent you out there with an ultimatum to kick the crap out of every living thing in sight, or else I'd disown you. Even I'm not that sadistic."
"It doesn't change the facts, Dad. I messed up by attacking Ino, and then got taken out by that Sound-nin. If Sasuke hadn't shown up like he usually does, I'd be worm food right now."
"So what?"
Naruto paused. So what? That didn't sound much like the words a Hokage would say. Arashi leaped down from the root and sat down to face his son.
"You want facts? Okay, we'll do facts. Yes, you messed up on Ino, but since you had no idea she was there and you'd never seen her do that jutsu before, it could have been excused.
"Then, let's look at the odds. Even discounting Ino in the Sound girl's body, it was 2 to 1, and both of them were relatively fresh, while you were still carrying injuries from Orochimaru. Not only that, you managed to whittle it down to an even match before Sasuke showed up, using nothing but Kage Bunshins, Kawarimi no Jutsu, kunai and psychological warfare." Arashi grinned.
"Considering you have a lot less practical training, experience, and jutsus than any Uchiha would at your age, I figured on a far worse job than you wound up doing. But like you usually do, you exceeded my expectations. Hell, you shattered 'em."
Naruto gaped up at his father's smiling face, unwilling to believe he was being let off the hook so easily.
"But in the end it was still Sasuke who finished it off…"
Arashi shrugged.
"Bah, you said it yourself. If he wants to play the hero, let him. Let's not forget that you were the one who bought him enough time to actually get up from that curse seal. You took out Dosu, who might still have been able to do some damage to him if Sasuke had tried to fight 2 on 1 like you did. And they gave up the scroll, leaving you that much closer to finishing the exam.
"Remember the Code, Naruto. The objective is always the key. Personal performance should take a backseat to accomplishing the mission. That's why they assign you in teams, and not alone. Now, if you can kick everyone's butts by yourself, it makes things a whole lot easier, but trying to do it when you don't yet have the skill level is only gonna leave you disappointed in the end. It's not healthy."
Naruto relaxed palpably, only to feel a twig bounce off his forehead.
"You'll note that I didn't say this gives you the right to get cocky. I don't expect you to surpass Uchiha Sasuke or anybody else overnight. I do expect you to keep on doing your best to improve as the days go by, in small steps or large leaps, as the case may be."
Glimpsing a possible opportunity to sneak in a jutsu, Naruto smirked.
"And you expect me to do that if you won't teach me anything?"
"How many times do I have to tell you I know exactly what you're thinking? You're not gonna get any jutsus from me until you get outta the forest and learn your mom's taijutsu first. Besides, I already gave you the Code. Is it my fault you took one look at Sakura and forgot half of it?"
This time Naruto had the good grace to look sheepish, before his expression deflated.
"I just don't get her sometimes. Granted she knew I was making a mistake, but you'd think she'd be at least a little bit grateful. After all, I bought her precious Sasuke-kun enough time to play the cavalry."
"Oh, no you don't." Arashi shook his head. "I'm the last person you want to be asking for advice on women."
"You got Mom, didn't you?"
Arashi's hearty laugh echoed through the forest.
"Son, let me share a bit of wisdom with you. It's a good thing that some women happen to fall in love with some men on their own, because if they didn't, I don't think anyone would ever get married or have kids. Face it; with a very few exceptions, about the only things most men will ever know about women is that they look different from us, pack a mean slap, and are at their most dangerous when they want to know how they look in a new outfit."
"You can't tell me anything?" Naruto asked plaintively.
"I can't. Haruka might be able to."
Suddenly, they were sitting at the end of the line of stools inside the Ichiraku ramen stand, watching as Haruka sat sipping some tea next to a young man who seemed to be her Anbu subordinate. The man in question wore a long leather duster and wraparound sunglasses, even indoors, and clutched a tiny bottle of sake in one hand. He was very obviously drunk.
"So I finally did it, Haruka-sama…walked up to Tenko, held the flowers out, 'n everything," he slurred, gesturing with the sake bottle. "Then I asked her out on a date."
"And?" Haruka asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Turned me down…what a surprise. She's never gonna like me," The young man observed morosely, pouring himself another shot of sake and tossing it down. "Might as well just go join Jiraiya-sama's peeping raids." He stopped blubbering when Haruka gave him a resounding slap to the back of the head.
"Ikegata Kazumasa! I don't care if you're in my squadron or not, or the Master of Blades or not. If I ever catch you peeping on the women's bath alongside that…that…pervert, you're going to find out whether that mastery of blades extends to those that have been shoved into some very uncomfortable places." Just then, displaying the abysmal sense of timing unique to him, the pervert in question's star pupil parted the Ichiraku's curtain.
"Yo, Haruka. Ready to go and get a bite to…uh oh." Arashi recognized two things upon entering the ramen stand: the enraged look in his girlfriend's eyes that appeared every time Jiraiya-sensei was mentioned, and Ikegata Kazumasa, known in the Leaf Village as the Master of Blades, as well as the Dunce of Love. A prudent man would have run for his life; Arashi settled for trying to beat a tactful retreat.
"Damn, look at the time. Wouldn't you know, I'm late for an emergency meeting with Sarutobi-sensei. Guess we'll just have to reschedule for some other time…" He turned to go, but was yanked back to the stools as Haruka grabbed a handful of his robes.
"Oh, no, Hokage-sama. If I have to sit here and listen to him prattle on about Misawa Tenko again, so do you." Haruka sniffed as she beheld Kazumasa, who was mumbling something as he rested his head on his arms. "Men. Are you all so dense that you forget women actually have a say in the matter? It's as though you come up to us with candy or flowers and expect us to fall at your feet on cue."
"Well, I did offer you dinner too…" Arashi's grin was short-lived, as his girlfriend turned a baleful glare on him.
"Not. Funny."
Just before Haruka's thrown teacup bounced off his forehead, it occurred to the Fourth Hokage that Jiraiya-sensei's boast about being able to charm women with a joke or two might not have been the wisest thing to test at that particular moment.
Naruto groaned in disgust.
"Did you guys ever do anything but argue?"
"I'll tell you when you're older." Arashi snorted. "The basic lesson is, if you really want to make a point to Sakura, it's best to make her feel as if she's the one in control of the situation. In other words, stop being so persistent and make her come to you. That is, if you even want to keep after her."
For a long moment, his son was silent. Naruto had been chasing Sakura for some time now, and nothing had come of it. As unhealthy as his pursuit of perfection might have become, an obsession over this girl could get just as bad. Arashi decided to keep the outcome of Kazumasa and Tenko's relationship secret for now – lest the boy get the idea that another decade or so of persistence was all that he had to do to succeed.
"I don't know, Dad. I like her, but what she said back there…"
"She's biased. You oughta know that much by now.
"Look, if you really want advice, I say just leave the whole thing alone for now. Mooning over her ain't gonna get you anywhere, getting angry's only gonna make getting out of the forest harder. So finish your job, go train, and get it out of your system. When you're stronger, closer to Sasuke's level, there'll probably be girls lined up from here to the Wave Country chasin' you."
After a while, Naruto simply nodded. Why waste any more time with fruitless chases of Sakura when he could be training?
* * *
So here he was, doing his job. Naruto scanned the forest again, trying to gauge the distance remaining until they reached the tower. For some reason, it felt as though they hadn't gotten any closer, even though they'd been on the move the entire day. He wiped a hand over his face as a misty fog passed him, leaving droplets of water everywhere. Wait…mist? It's the middle of the afternoon and it's been hot all day.
Suddenly he flashed back to the Wave Country. The last time he'd seen mist this thick appear out of nowhere was… Zabuza and Haku. Mist-nins in the forest ahead, then? No. Or at least, that wasn't all that was going on. It helped explain why the tower wasn't getting any closer. Genjutsu. Illusions in the mist; and we're all so pissed at each other nobody's noticed or mentioned that we're going in circles.
Hefting a kunai, Naruto lazily scratched an X on a nearby tree, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Two minutes later, as they continued "ahead," he caught sight of it again. Unmistakable. We're trapped in their illusion. Leaning against the trunk he'd marked, he hung back and waited for the rest of the team to notice. They didn't. Sakura was so rattled by earlier events it escaped her completely, Kabuto was busy listening to her, and Sasuke…well, for once it seemed Naruto had gotten the drop on him. For once.
"You can come on out, eh? Genjutsu's useless once someone's figured it out!" His shout drew instant results. The rest of the team turned around, realizing their mistake, as three forms coalesced in the mist ahead of them. It couldn't possibly be that easy. It wasn't.
Kunai and shuriken flew out of the mist, streaking towards the Leaf ninjas. Sakura and Kabuto dodged sideways, while Sasuke ducked underneath the assault; Naruto went up, into the trees. Too absorbed in dodging the assault he could see, Naruto missed the kunai that sliced across his leg from a different angle. Merely a flesh wound, but it had the desired effect.
Damn! Is it one hiding behind three, creating those clones, or are all three spreading out and surrounding us?
A deadly hail of metal filled the forest, thrown weapons flying in all directions, pinning the Leaf-nins in a withering crossfire. There was no time to figure out which were real and which were illusionary; they simply kept on dodging. Direct approach ain't gonna work. I can't tell where the real kunai are coming from. But if I can't figure this out…neither can the Mist-nins. Making him remember the Wave Country had been a mistake; his battle against Gatou's samurai at Inari's house was coming back to him, along with a little trick. I got a riddle for you, punks. When shuriken aren't shuriken, what are they? Pain for our misty pals, that's what. Gauging the locations of the mist ninjas he knew, three shuriken were quickly dispatched at the shadowy forms.
The Mist-nins dodged, but just like the Wave Country, Naruto hadn't intended to hit them. My clones, however, DO intend to hit you. Three identical clouds of smoke were all the Mist-nins saw before his true attack commenced.
Naruto ignored most of the fighting, throwing the occasional punch at the Mist-nins for effect. They couldn't be Team 7's actual opponents; nobody that stupid would have made it past Ibiki's exam. No, his clones were fighting enemy clones, a distraction meant to draw their attention away from the real enemy, still firing kunai at their leisure. The blonde ninja instead made his way back toward Sakura, Sasuke and Kabuto.
"They want clones? I'll give 'em clones. The rest of you get out of sight, maybe try to work your way around and find the real Mist-nins! I'll duplicate you all and keep 'em occupied." They moved silently, leaving him to face their opponents with a familiar phrase.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
* * *
Sasuke could have told Naruto from the beginning that something was wrong with the entire situation. As usual for him, he didn't say anything. Had it not been for his teammate's continuing refusal to treat him with any respect at all, Sasuke would have thought another ninja had infiltrated their group like Orochimaru had tried to do. This Naruto wasn't…Naruto. There was very little shouting, and rational thoughts actually seemed to be going through that spiky sea urchin-like head for once. Not only that, he was actually taking a leadership role and doing well with it!
Sasuke wasn't sure if he liked that. He couldn't have stopped Naruto in this shape anyway, but it still stung him that, had it not been for the other Genin's actions in the clearing, he might now be dead at the hands of Orochimaru's minions. How would he ever kill his brother if his teammates were the ones saving him, instead of the other way around? The young Uchiha rather enjoyed being the one to save the day all the time, not that he would have admitted it. Having so many people look to you felt good even if it really was irrelevant to his goals.
A voice lurking deep within him, one he usually ignored, whispered in his mind. Are you sure that's all there is to it? It was no secret to Uchiha Sasuke that he had many admirers (as well as rivals), but very few friends. Having to come to grips with living alone and a vendetta against your brother will do that. At times he didn't care; friends needed saving all the time, and he didn't have the time or desire to go out of his way and pull someone's fat out of the fire.
But did Itachi's path lie down that road as well? Sasuke didn't know why his brother had slaughtered their family; perhaps, in the end, it didn't matter, as long as he was brought to justice. He just wasn't sure that he wanted to become Itachi in order to kill him. What would be the point? Even if he did want to make some friends, what were his options?
Sakura was, well…a special case. He knew she liked him, maybe even thought she loved him. Did he dare to return that affection, knowing that he might throw it all aside when he was ready to pursue Itachi? Even worse, would settling down with her someday dull his edge, take away his determination? She just didn't understand that any real relationship between them would always come second to him.
And, as always, there was Naruto. Once nearly useless at everything, he seemed to be growing by leaps and bounds each day. How soon would it be before Sasuke was chasing him, instead of the way it was now?
Things had been changing a little. Both Naruto and Sasuke had found respect grudgingly growing between them – until the Forest of Death. Sasuke didn't have to be reminded that Naruto's last memory before he'd been knocked out by Orochimaru was of a scared, petrified boy who had been willing to fail the exam just for an uncertain chance of preserving his life. Not only that, his exploits in the clearing had had a definite effect on his teammate. Where there had been respect, and even a hint of friendship, now Sasuke only sensed resentment from Naruto, perhaps even outright hatred. Why did it even matter to him that they weren't friends, or even friendly rivals? It wasn't relevant. Only his brother was relevant. Wasn't he?
For the first time in a long time, Uchiha Sasuke felt uncertainty creeping into the narrow focus he had shaped his world around. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. Shaking it off, he continued to follow Sakura and Kabuto deeper into the forest. He'd think about it later…maybe.
* * *
Back on the battlefield, Naruto had no time to think. Quickly transforming the three clones he'd made, he led his fake Team 7 into battle. Buy time, but don't get too close. One hit and the clones disappear; then they realize I'm the only one who's really still around. The whole thing had basically turned into a long-distance sniping match, both sides unwilling to reveal their true positions and resorting to volleys of weapons instead. The old Naruto would have lost patience by now and charged; the new Naruto was about three minutes from doing that anyway. He'd had enough of dodging a bunch of kunai.
What alternative was there, though? Until Sakura and the others got into position, he could do little else but wait. Unless…
Unless I make their jobs a little easier.
It was easy enough to lure the Mist-nins out; he simply dropped to the ground behind a large root, gasping for breath, joined by the three clones. Now things were getting interesting; the stream of kunai continued, but this time they seemed to be merging. The bastards know where I am; looks like the real Mist-nins think they can go for the kill. Naruto watched them close in, hazy forms becoming more and more defined. You'd better be on the ball, Sasuke. I'd hate to have to let your clone get humiliated by a bunch of cowardly knife-chuckers because you couldn't do a simple flanking maneuver.
To both Sakura and Sasuke's chagrin, Kabuto noticed the Mist-nins first. Holding out an arm to stop the kunoichi's advance, he pointed a finger in the direction they'd come from.
"Sakura-san, look. Seems they're coming out of hiding. We should wait a moment and then move up from behind."
"How do we tell Naruto we're ready?"
The Leaf Genin grinned and held up a blank version of his ever-present ninja trading cards.
"I think I can take care of that."
Something whizzed past Naruto as he prepared to tackle the real Mist-nins. Not seeing the dull glint of light off metal, he prepared to dismiss it, but took a look anyway. When he saw the little brown card stuck in the trunk of the tree behind him, he smiled. Seems that guy's more useful than I thought. Time to clear the field. Leaping over the root, he charged at the Mist ninjas just as the real Sasuke, Sakura and Kabuto's attacks diverted their opponents' attention.
"Hey, guys, forget me already?"
This time he felt the satisfying feeling of flesh striking flesh as his fist crashed into the jaw of the rear-most Mist Genin. His smile didn't last long, though, as the other two ninjas rounded on him, twin blows to the chest forcing him back and taking advantage of his retreat to escape back into the forest, leaving Team 7 alone again.
Just as Naruto prepared to scream a frustrated curse, he stopped. Arashi's calm voice echoed in his thoughts. Keep your emotions in check…Best thing to do is compress all the things you're feeling into yourself, and think rationally. But how to finish it? Their ploy had failed, and now the Mist ninjas would be even harder to flush out.
Another hail of kunai passed just a hair's breadth from his face. Or maybe not. As the mist thickened, solid forms emerged again, but no kunai came from their position. Great. So which ones are real, and where are they?
It was long past time to just cut loose and throw caution to the wind. Eventually the Mist ninjas would run out of kunai; he just had to hope this little kamikaze charge wouldn't get him in the path of what throwing weapons they had left. Leaping forward, Naruto hurled a few more shuriken in the general direction of the Mist-nin before lashing out at the first form he saw. This time, he wasn't so lucky; the Mist ninja blocked and sent him reeling with a short jab to the chest. As he rebounded off a tree, a flash of memory stopped him short. That didn't feel like the same punch, but it was the same movement. Same form, less power…think, Uzumaki, think! Where have you seen this before?
A bandage-swathed face and a massive sword swam before his mind's eye. Momochi Zabuza's first battle with them had begun much the same way, only more directly. And in the end… Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu. Water clones. Solid, but far weaker than the original…that's why the mist has gotten so thick, like back on Tazuna-san's bridge. They waited until the mist got thick enough, and then hid again. Only this time, their clones' attacks are real enough to confuse us even further while they hide and throw kunai.
Kakashi-sensei had taken the direct approach and beaten up Zabuza's first few water clones; with fog this thick and three fresh opponents instead of one, Team 7 could do that all day and still lose a war of attrition. They had to do something, and fast.
Sasuke exulted inwardly as his Sharingan reduced the situation to a no-brainer; the water clones showed up in his vision as nothing more than blobs of chakra, while the Mist-nins fairly glowed with the exertion of creating so many clones. Should he tell Naruto, and risk incurring further anger from his teammate? It would finish the job more quickly, and after everything that had happened it was probably best to just let them all finish this stage and get some time away from one another. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, that opportunity vanished forever – and things would never be the same for Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto again.
* * *
Naruto would never have called himself a genius, not even after learning who his parents were. Almost all of the successful battle plans he had come up with had involved him getting his butt kicked fairly thoroughly at some point, whether as bait or simply to make a point, like recovering his forehead protector from Zabuza. Arashi had called it a natural outgrowth of a lack of training; his son knew better. Sometimes adversity just helped you think. This was one of those times.
There's gotta be something I can do without asking Sasuke to go blowin' fireballs everywhere. Bah, in his condition I don't think he could even produce a spark anyway. Gotta find a way to end this myself. Think, Uzumaki! What happened to being rational? Dad said the Code was all I would need to get out of here…
Arashi's voice came back to him in fits and starts, but what he could dredge up was no better than a riddle. There was another half to that rational thinking rule…what was it? Only get passionate when you've got no other choice, and then let it all out. That can be a jutsu in itself.
Clarity of thought is rare in the world; when it comes, it almost seems like a miracle. Zen masters find enlightenment in such moments, philosophers find their one true calling, and ordinary, regular people just find themselves for perhaps the only time in their lives. In Uzumaki Naruto's case, all he found was an answer to his question, but it was more than enough.
That can be a jutsu in itself…a jutsu in itself…
Dad, you total bastard. You could have just taught me and saved yourself from thinking up five more rules around it. Suddenly, Naruto just had to laugh softly to himself. His father did, indeed, know exactly what his son was always thinking.
You could have, Dad…but that just wouldn't be my style, and you knew it.
It had been sitting right under his nose ever since the Sound-nin battle, and he had missed it completely. To gather every negative emotion within him, combine it with his fierce determination and passion, ball it in with his chakra, compressed to the smallest point within him, and then…just cut loose. To turn his emotions into a raging inferno that would consume his foes, and not himself.
Sasuke's arrogance, Sakura's indifference, the villagers' attitudes and unfair treatment of him…dark, bitter memories flashed before him, and then he simply forgot them, letting them fall into the growing ball of chakra he could feel inside. Now they would be his fuel, and not his burden. Today, I begin a new life. Konoha's going to see a Naruto they ain't never seen before!
The seals came naturally to him, hands flashing to and fro in a rhythm that Arashi's or Haruka's might have, once upon a time. But when it came time to attack, this new jutsu's name was uniquely his…as it should have been. As Arashi must have wanted when he left his son to figure it out for himself. His eyes opened, and Naruto roared in triumph.
"Nice try, punks! But as with life, all things must come to an end! Fire element! NARUTO BAKUDAN NO JUTSU (Naruto Bomb)!"
Heat filled the forest first; a short thermal pulse, almost like the overture to a symphony. The enemy had no time to react to that before a white-hot corona of fire exploded from Naruto's position, flash-boiling the water clones and sending the Mist-nins flying through the forest to land in a battered heap, singed, burned and smoking.
In that moment, long-held perceptions vanished. Kabuto's eyebrows rose slowly, the Genin letting out a slow whistle of appreciation. Sasuke shut his mouth, wondering anew what this new Naruto was capable of. And Sakura gasped as she watched the explosion's aftermath, Naruto glowing faintly with an energy and strength she'd never seen from him before. Quickly searching through the Mist-nins' clothing, he pulled out a slightly singed copy of the Scroll of Heaven. Then, panting slightly from his exertion, he looked up and winked at her.
"Now that's what I call going out with a bang."
* * *
"Well done, everyone." Kakashi's smiling face greeted Team 7 at the tower when they finally arrived; Kabuto had rejoined his group and left already, leaving the three of them to finish the exam.
"Where's Anko-sensei?" Sakura wondered.
"It's classified, but since you've already encountered him, I'll tell you. With Orochimaru here in the village, we're suspending the Chuunin Selection Exam for a while. Could be a week, could be a month, so stay ready, and don't slack off on your training, eh, Naru…well, that's odd. Where'd he go?" Sakura looked around, and caught no sign of Naruto. Again, she felt a little twinge of emptiness, realizing she still hadn't been able to really talk to him about what had happened between them. Why did it suddenly mean so much to her anyway?
Kakashi shrugged and shook his head in exasperation.
"I guess he's gone home already. If either of you see him, let him know we'll be meeting as usual once a week until the exam starts again."
For some reason, Sakura felt as though she wouldn't be seeing Naruto again for a long time. As she looked back onto the Leaf Village, she wondered if he really had gone home.
But at least one person in the Leaf Village already had an answer to that question – he hadn't.
"Hokage-sama?" The Third Hokage looked up from his crystal ball and searching for Orochimaru to see Naruto kneeling in a formal position before him. The village leader smiled. He'd known this day was coming for 12 years.
"Yes, Naruto?"
The boy looked back at him, that infernal grin on his face, eyes tinged with a hint of steel that hadn't been there before.
"I've spoken with Kazama Arashi, Hokage-sama." Naruto bowed, and then rose slowly. "I'm ready."
The Third Hokage watched his successor's son for a moment, and finally nodded.
"Indeed. Rise, then, and prepare yourself. Your training will begin in the morning."
A/N: Please Support Me On patreon.com/The_Alchemyst