*Boom*
The explosion went off on top of Manda, who cursed at Orochimaru, and his entire generational line before collapsing. Having hid behind Manda, Orochimaru suffered little damage, and simply revealed a calm, calculative smile.
"Th-That's...cheating" Fu muttered, her rapid wing beats had slowed down, gradually stopping completely when her eyelids became too heavy to keep up.
When Fu finally lost all her strength, Orochimaru let out a faint sigh of relief. That last beast bomb truly frightened him a little.
He raised his hand, and snakes shot up, binding the falling Fu, and pulling her down to where he stood.
Once she was caught, he placed her down, and took out a talisman. It was placed on Fu's forehead, completely erasing her presence, along with her flow of chakra.
He then picked Fu up and threw her over his shoulders before shifting his gaze to above the barrier.
By now, this barrier should have been found, by not only Naruto, but also the Jonins that are stationed nearby. Kakashi was one thing, but the one that made him worried was Guy.
-outside the barrier-
Orochimaru's worries were not unfounded, as Guy had rushed to the scene immediately when he felt something was amiss. Having been through an attack already, Tsunade stationed him nearby in case Naruto wasn't able to handle it alone.
"What's this?" Guy knocked on the barrier as he asked Naruto
"A barrier, whoever invaded is highly skilled in seals" Naruto replied
"You can't break it?" Guy asked in surprise, he knew how skilled Naruto is in terms of seals, so he was shocked to see that it's stopping Naruto.
Naruto smiled
"Well, I can break it, you can as well, brute force is all that is needed, but..." He pointed at the corners of the barrier
"Breaking it will hurt those guys, still wanna break it?" He asked with a grin
Guy shifted to where Naruto was pointing, and his eyes widened
"How cowardly! To use our precious students as hostages like this!"
Naruto sighed
"That's not the worst part either, Lee doesn't even have chakra, so this barrier is sustained by the remaining people" He said with a helpless smile, feeling a little bad for the other two on his team...
"Then what do we do?" Guy asked with his thick brows furrowed
"We wait, whoever it is inside, their target seems to be the jinchuriki of the seven tails, Fu, once the battle is over, they must leave, so our best option is to lay ambush outside" Naruto replied
Guy frowned, he didn't like waiting like this, but he didn't have a choice.
"Can't you break the seal through cracking down the formation?" Guy asked
"I can~, but that'll take too long, this seal is quite complex, clearly it was set up over the course of two days at least, by the time I crack it, the person inside would have left already" Naruto shrugged
Guy couldn't believe how relaxed Naruto is at this moment, but that somewhat eased his heart, Naruto was never someone to take things half heartedly, so if he is this relaxed, it means he has a plan.
He heaved out a faint sigh and relaxed, slowly, his gaze became more firm.
"What do you need me to do" He asked
"Quite fast to catch on, I need you rescue those three the moment the barrier breaks" Naruto smiled
Guy lifted a brow, that's it? But nonetheless, if Naruto needs him to do so, he'll give it a go.
*Whoosh*
The barrier slowly became transparent, and the scene within showed itself. The land was in utter ruins, trees toppled and the ground overturned. Yet no one was there...
But then, purple mist spread into the air rapidly.
"Go!" Naruto shouted at Guy, who quickly took action
He dove down to where Lee and the others were to grab them, before pulling them out of the area before the mist reached them.
Meanwhile, underground, a figure ripped through the earth, with no obvious movements above ground.
*Bang*
An explosion occurred nearby, making Orochimaru click his tongue
'I just need to reach that place'
Naruto smiled, he couldn't find Orochimaru, but he rained down rasengans rapidly, destroying the nearby terrain even more. It was devastating, through none of it hit anyone. But that was not his intention, he just silently observed.
Orochimaru sped up, he could feel that it wasn't just Naruto, there is also Guy! Of all the jonins, Guy is the one he is most cautious of.
But...
'I win' He smirked
He approached the edge of the forest, feeling no more chakra flows nearby. He had escaped the scope of both Naruto and Guy. He burrowed out of the ground, and stopped just near the border of the forest.
"He sealed this entire place off, too bad, I was prepared" He laughed as he formed a hand sign, and another seal formed below his feet.
Just before the seal activated, a cold chuckle came from above
"Found you" He heard Naruto's voice, but he didn't panic
"You lost" Orochimaru looked up and said
Naruto stood on a branch, his smile maintained.
"Hahaha, man, your tricks just kept coming, I really need to ask you about all these things after this is over"
"You're welcome to, as long as you're not too sore of a loser to make me an enemy after I take Fu away" Orochimaru responded with a cold smirk
Naruto sat down on the branch casually, looking very relaxed
"Hahaha, sore loser? I won't be, if you can take Fu away, it means I was inferior, and you're more capable, in such a situation, it only means that it was the right choice to work with you years ago" Naruto replied
Orochimaru's eyes widened, but so did his smile
"Hahahaha, we are truly peas in a pod! Naruto, I wish you were from my generation, we would have been invincible, and the village would have been our research lab"
Naruto chuckled
"Go on now, Guy is catching up" He waved his hand
"Why, thank you" Orochimaru completed the seal, and bright light covered him
When it faded...he was still there?
????
Orochimaru looked around in shock
"Tada" Naruto clapped his hands and smiled
"You're not the only one who was researching seals all these years, I know how flawed my seals were, for example...it couldn't block intense spatial dispositions, like the seal you just used, so I spent months creating a seal that locks the space within, causing it to be completely isolated from the outside world" Naruto said calmly
Orochimaru's heart shook
"Then everything you said before..."
"I was confident that you could not escape, but those words are sincere, if you truly left, then what I said earlier holds up, but right now, you have no escape" Naruto said
Orochimaru fell silent...he became overconfident.
He thought that by escaping Naruto's supervision during the exam, and creating these seals that even Naruto didn't know of, he could take Fu away.
Yet he didn't take into the account that the seal Naruto used to lock the place down would be this powerful. He is only fifteen! And the forest of death is no small place, to put up such a powerful seal over such a large area only proved one thing.
Naruto's proficiency in seals has practically reached the peak of what the current generation has. He can easily be named the greatest seal master if his achievements were to be known.
"You win..." He sighed
Naruto hopped down
"Pass Fu to me, I'll destroy part of the barrier after you do, make it seem like you escaped" Naruto said
Orochimaru, very unwillingly, handed Fu to Naruto. It was a humiliating moment, like Naruto said, doesn't it mean he betted correctly by cooperating with Naruto?
"See you at the lab later" Naruto waved his hand as he shattered the barrier
Orochimaru nodded and escaped through the hole, just in time for Guy to catch up.
"Where's the intruder" He asked
"Gone, they left an escape route here, shattering a part of my barrier before escaping, thankfully, I was able to prevent Fu from being taken" Naruto said as he held the injured and unconscious Fu in his arms.
Guy heaved a sigh of relief
"What a pity" He added
Naruto nodded as he revealed an aggrieved look
"That intruder was cheap, he used the life of Fu to prevent me from catching him, he planted a detonation seal on her and threw her...I had to save her, resulting in his escape" Naruto clenched his fist, looking very angry.
Guy patted Naruto's shoulders
"It's fine Naruto! Saving a life is more important, you did the right thing, I can sense your youthful heart, beating vigorously for your sense of justice!" Guy said with a vibrant smile
Naruto nodded
"Thanks, Guy sensei"
[I'll give that a 6 out of 10, you could work more on your expression of anger, and it came a bit too abrupt, still a pass I guess] Kurama judged his acting skills casually
'And who made you the expert?'
[I'm the beast of rage and anger boy, I'm a professional] Kurama laughed back
Naruto rolled his eyes
"Guy sensei, Lee and the others won't be able to continue, though it is an outside interference that caused this, I'll talk it out with Hokage-sama about this matter" Naruto said
Guy smiled
"I'll leave it to you...these kids all worked hard, and I believe their skills are more than enough to become Chunins" He said
Naruto nodded
"Bring Fu with you, I will continue watching over the field for the remaining days" Naruto said
"No problem...and Naruto, in the future, if you ever need help, do not forget to rely on us adults, you're still young, don't think you need to shoulder everything just because you're already a Jonin" He said before departure
"I will, sensei" Naruto smiled back at him
The two raised their closed fists into the air
"Youth!" The two gave each other a bright grin before parting ways.
After Guy left, he brought the four to the infirmary at the village for them to recover. Of the group, Fu was the first to wake up the next day, and when she did, her wary eyes darted everywhere, only to realise she had healed up completely.
"Where...am I?"
"You've been captured, and now, your tailed beast will be extracted" A cold chuckle came from behind her
*Whoosh*
Fu turned around and threw a punch in the direction of the voice, but her hand stopped mere centimeters away from the person's face.
"Sup" Naruto, or rather, one of his clones, waved at her
"Eh? Bestie? Where's that pale guy who attacked me?" Fu asked in confusion
"Escaped" Naruto replied
Fu's expression sunk a little
"That sucks...who was that guy anyway, he was crazy strong, not to mention that giant snake he summoned as a meat shield when I threw my all out beast bomb at him" She said
Naruto lifted a brow, so Fu actually forced Orochimaru to summon Manda? And from the sound of it, Manda appeared only to be blasted by a beast bomb...
'Poor guy, he must be fuming' Naruto sighed
"Fu, you are now eliminated from the Chunin exam, however, that isn't the end all be all" Naruto said
"Eh? Even though its an outsider that interferred?" Fu ucked her lips and asked
Naruto nodded
"Even if it is an outside, it still counts" Naruto nodded
"Urgh, the village head isn't going to be happy" Fu ruffled her hair and groaned
Naruto shook his head
"As I said, this isn't the end" Naruto said
"Not the end? What do I need to do?" Fu asked eagerly
Naruto pointed at the watch on her wrist
"The watch isn't just for recording points, but also to record your battles, the battles you have gone through will be analysed, and based on your performance, your results will be decided" Naruto said calmly
"Ooh! That's great!"
Naruto smiled
"So for now, just rest up"
"Kay~"
Tenten, Lee and Neji spent a while longer to wake up as they didn't have the natural recovery speed of a jinchuriki, not to mention, they had heir chakra drained completely, resulting in them all still being unconscious.
Even until the end of the second section of the exam, they were still laying on the bed, showing no signs of waking...except for Lee. His speedy recovery was because...he practically had no chakra to be drained!
As for the exam itself, it ended with very few teams remaining. In fact...
"Only four teams remains? Just what happened during the attack?" Shikamaru exclaimed, he wasn't angry, he was actually pleasantly surprised, as now, he had less paperwork to do since there are less teams remaining.
Naruto sat back
"Orochimaru" He replied
"Him? WHy is it him again?" Shikamaru frowned
"He was after Fu, the jinchuriki of the seven tails, seems that his greed for power has gotten more intense" Naruto said calmly
"Hm...."
"Will he attack again?" Shikamaru asked
"I doubt it, after he saw Guy sensei, he bolted, so he definitely doesn't want to risk it when we have our guard up now" Naruto replied
"That is for the best" Shikamaru sighed, when Orochimaru was mentioned, he was stunned.
That man seems to love attacking the village, doesn't he? He has interrupted both Chunin exams already!
Shikamaru's gaze remained on Naruto as he tapped his finger against the desk, as if in deep thought. He slowly shook his head.
"Naruto, come find me here again later tonight" He said
"Eh? Any reason?" Naruto asked
"Just...some personal questions" Shikamaru replied
Naruto didn't think much about what he said and agreed. Afterwards, he went to greet the remaining four teams who have been resting within the centre building after they made their way to it.
-In the centre building-
"Everyone has been through so much, I am so proud of you all" Naruto smiled as he approached the four teams that gathered.
He glanced around, two teams were well within his expectations, being Ino, Choji, Sakura, as well as Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. Tenten's team definitely would have passed had they not encountered Orochimaru, while Fu had a good chance as well, if she made sure her teammates were able to keep up.
Sadly, Orochimaru's interference led to these two teams being eliminated.
"Where's Lee and the others?" Ino asked
"Eliminated" Naruto replied with a smile
"Hah? How can that be? Does it have anything to do with the massive commotion the other day?" Sakura asked
Naruto didn't answer, instead, he continued to speak of the exam.
"Everyone, since you have made it here, it means you are all eligible for the third and final exam, which will be the usual elimination one on one battles, the results will not define your final mark, rather, it is your attitude and capability, so even if you lose, you have a chance to still become a Chunin" Naruto said
"Furthermore, the exam will take place in a week, after everyone has properly rested up" He added
The rules practically remained the same as the last exam, so no one was surprised.
"Lastly, the one watching over the exam will be someone else, that is all"
After he finished speaking, someone raised their hand. It was one of the other remaining team, from Sunagakure.
"Since we're done...how do we leave this place? Or do we need to leave on our own?" He asked
Naruto rubbed his chin
"Well, I was going to just teleport you all out...but after you said that, I kinda want to have you all leave on your own" He grinned
!?!?!?!
Everyone glared at the boy who spoke, hostility rose in an instant.
"Hahaha, I'm just kidding, the Hokage will tear me apart if she found out I did that" Naruto laughed
He made a hand sign, and a golden mark appeared on the wrist of every team. The next moment, they realised they had already been teleported to the entrance.
"Efficient as ever" Sakura said
"Yeah, I didn't even know he could teleport others like this" Ino nodded
"That's not what I mean...I mean, he's efficient at diverting the conversation, he ignored my question earlier" Sakura said
"Oh...right, with how strong Neji and the others are, I doubt any other team can eliminate them" Ino nodded
"Can't we just ask him privately, he probably didn't answer cause others were there" Choji spoke up and said
!!!!!!!
"Right, Choji, I didn't think you'd be this smart" Sakura nudged him and said
Choji shook his head
"Nah...he's right behind you two, I just read what he wrote on a scroll" Choji replied as he pointed behind them
"..." The two turned around, and as Choji said, Naruto held a scroll in his hand, rolling it up with a grin on his face
Naruto hopped over
"Let's go talk elsewhere" Naruto smiled
"Sure"
As the group teleported away, a pair of pale eyes diverted itself away. Hinata had been watching since Naruto appeared, and only after he left, did she turn away.
'I'll catch up to you, step by step'
-In Naruto's house-
"So, what happened?" Sakura asked
Naruto sat down on the couch and made himself comfortable, with Ino sitting next to him.
"Hah, an outsider attacked again, I had to fend em off, Tenten and the rest got caught up in it, so they were in no condition to continue" Naruto replied
"Seriously? Who attacked?" Ino asked
"I can't reveal that" Naruto responded calmly
"Eh? Not even to me?" Ino nudged him and pleaded
"No" Naruto said firmly
"Boo" Ino tucked her lips and huffed
Naruto rolled his eyes helplessly, he can't exactly say it was Orochimaru again, can he? Sakura is still quite obsessed with finding Sasuke, even if she is seeing him in the dream space every now and then.
So after a while of coaxing, the group finall gave up on asking, and left his house. After they were done, Naruto directly went to bed. Having not slept for solong due to the exam, he collapsed on the bed and snores drifted from him immediately.
It wasn't until midnight that he woke up, and went to find Shikamaru. He found Shikamaru still sorting through documents related to the Chunin exam inside his office, seemingly just as tired as he was.
"So, what'd you wanna talk about?" Naruto asked as he sat down
Shikamaru looked up, in his eyes was a comflicting gaze.
He opened his mouth, wanting to ask something, but hesitated for a while.
"Naruto...are you working with Orochimaru?" Shikamaru asked
!!!!!!
Naruto's eyes widened
"Me?! W-Work with Orochimaru? Shikamaru, are you insane?!" Naruto exclaimed
Shikamaru smiled
"Just wanted to make a joke" He said
*Phew*
Naruto heaved a sigh of relief
"And here I thought the workload made you insane" He said
Shikamaru shook his head
"I asked you to come because Tsunade just sent me the relevant information about the person overseeing the third exam..." He said
"Oh?"
Shikamaru leaned back
"Naruto, I knew you were strong, but to think you had carried on the flame of your father, I'm happy for you" He smiled
"Thanks Shiki" Naruto smiled back
Shikamaru reached below his desk, and took out a small bottle. When he opened it, a rich fragrance filled the room. He then took out two cups.
"Th-This is-"
"My old man's secret stash, Naruto, we're still young, and drinking isn't legal, but I felt that the occasion is fitting...your father will be happy" He said as he poured the wine into both cups
Naruto sat down, face to face with Shikamaru, who gave him a rare, carefree smile.
He picked up a cup, as did Shikamaru. The two cups clinked, and the two dran it in one go. They remained quiet as they drank, and Shikamaru noticed that Naruto's shoulders trembled slightly.
His face was no longer cheery, it was a bitter one. No one has properly given him such congratulations about this matter. For one, it is kept a secret that he is Menma, second, even Tsunade didn't realise how significant this was for Naruto.
To inherit his father's title, it felt like a gift from his father to him...
Of everyone who knew, Shikamaru was able to see through it instantly, and called him over for such a matter.
"Thank you...Shiki" Naruto drank a second cup
Shikamaru also poured himself a second cup
"What are friends for if not this?" Shikamaru replied
The two drank quietly, and when one bottle finished, Shikamaru brought out a second. He didn't say a word the entire time, knowing that silence was the best comfort for Naruto at the moment.
After three bottles, Shikamaru collapsed on the table with a red face. Naruto stared at him in a slight daze, before a vibrant smile filled his face.
"With a friend like you, I'm truly blessed" He packed the bottles away before forming a seal that instantly removed the smell of alcohol from their bodies.
He then went to grab a blanket that he threw over Shikamaru.
"Rest well" He said before teleporting away silently.
After he left, he didn't go back home immediately, instead, he sat atop the village walls where he stared at the Kage wall.
[That was pretty g*y]
'....huh?'
[You know, the blanket think, pretty g*y if you ask me] Kurama stated
He then chuckled at Naruto
[So, you two gonna become a thing now?] His voice laced with mockery, trying to bait out Naruto's annoyance and anger like usual
Naruto waved his hand
'Nah, the two of us won't make a good couple anyway'
[...wait what?] So the gender isn't the issue here???
Naruto laughed
"Kurama, thanks" He said honestly
[Why]
"No reason" Naruto hummed as he returned home, a smile remained on his face
-Next day-
Naruto slept like a complete log until the early afternoon before finally getting up. After getting up, he used the flying raijin to go around placed to buy different food before he went to the hospital to visit the ones there, and noticed that Fu was already discharged.
As for Lee and the others, they were recovering quite well, having woken up after the second exam ended.
"Yo, came to drop off some food you might like" Naruto held bags in his hand
One certain smell caught the nose of the three in the infirmary...
"Is that..." Neji's expression became pale, while Tenten hid under her blanket.
Lee on the other hand, he almost jumped out of bed if Naruto didn't ask him to stay put
"I specifically went to visit granny Sansho after waking up and had her whip up a plate" Naruto said as he placed the plate of curry on the table next to Lee's bed.
"You have my greatest gratitude, Naruto!" Lee exclaimed as he dove in immediately
For Neji and Tenten, he picked more casual food that the two enjoyed, much to their relief. If he had brought them that curry, they might have to stay in the hospital for another week...
"You scared me, I thouht you brought that disaster of a dish for us as well" Tenten heaved a sigh as she ate the bun in her hand.
Neji nodded constantly, grateful that such a thing didn't happen
As they ate, they gradually brought up the matter with Orochimaru
"He left after Guy sensei appeared, be glad I had Hokage-sama station him nearby, or things would have been messy" Naruto replied
"I see...does that mean we will stay as genins?" The mood dimmed significantly when this was brought up
Naruto waved his hands
"Don't worry, I'm going to be discussing this matter with sis" Naruto replied
"So we still have a chance?" Neji asked
Naruto nodded
"After all, outside interference shouldn't be the reason a team fails" He said
The three nodded happily, knowing that they aren't completely out of the running yet. After reassuring them, Naruto left.
Once he left, he changed his appearance, as his next destination was none other than Orochimaru's lair. Upon arrival, he took a step back, right before a blade sliced down where he stood, still crackling with lightning that spread towards him.
He took out a blade, the Kiba, and the lightning was diverted towards the side when the blades appeared.
"Next time, be a little more subtle, your killing intent is barely hidden" Naruto said casually
"You seem to be able to see through my every moves" A cold voice came through as the blade was sheathed.
Standing before him was Sasuke, no longer carrying the immature look of anger on his face when he faced Naruto. His expression has become more controlled, and his attitude mellowed out.
"You grow up so fast, I still remember the day you shouted at me, resulting in me directly knocking you out" Naruto wiped a nonexisting drop of tear from his face as he stared at Sasuke with a nostalgic look.
Sasuke scoffed
"I'm not foolish as before to not know about who I can and cannot fight" He responded
In a way, Naruto's existance as Orochimaru's 'assistance' has caused his mental growth to spike exponentially. Each time he visits, he would come in contact with Sasuke, who would challenge him.
After a year, he was beaten into shape by Naruto, and prompted a greater growth potential within himself.
"Want another battle?" Naruto smiled
Sasuke paused for a split moment, then placed a hand on the hilt of his blade.
"I'll be seeking your guidance once more" He said
During this period, Naruto has become a respectable person in his heart, someone who he couldn't surpass no matter how great his growth has been as of late. But that isn't all, what truly gained his respect was the guidance that Naruto gives after each spar, he would give advice on his techniques, as well as what he should work on.
Each spar results in a slight gain for Sasuke, and he could tell that he would not have become as strong as he is now if this assistant wasn't here to spar with him.
"Before that, where's Orochimaru" Naruto looked around and asked
"Locked himself in the research room, he looked like he was in shock, muttering about needing to research more about seals" Sasuke replied
"I see...take this, burn this talisman when he comes out" Naruto said as he passed a talisman to Sasuke
Sasuke tucked it away before turning around
"Can't wait I see?" Naruto chuckled
Sasuke simply huffed as he led Naruto to the training room. The moment they stepped inside, Sasuke suddenly turned around and slashed at Naruto.
*Ding*
Naruto seemed to have anticipated it, and raised the Kiba blade up to block
"I see you took my advice well"
Sasuke's Sharingans activated immediately as well, seemingly been active the moment he turned his back towards Naruto.
The curse mark also began spreading over Sasuke, he didn't hold back one bit the moment the battle began.
Lightning crackled on the blade, with his skin slowly darkening. Behind his back, two hand like wings sprouted out, big enough to cover his entire body.
"Going all out so quickly?" Naruto saw the white in Sasuke's eyes turn black, while his pupils remained red, giving him an eerie look.
His black hair carried hints of blue, but he noticed something off about the wings. There was a giant slit on each wing down the centre, almost like...a closed eye.
'I know I fiddle around with his curse mark a lot, but that thing's a first' Naruto stared at it with great interest.
*Ding*
Their blades clashed, and Naruto could feel that each blow Sasuke delivers had become much heavier than before. As he was striking, the wings behind Sasuke struck at him like hammers, slamming down on him with ferocity.
*Boom*
When the wings came down, Naruto activated sage mode in an instant to push back Sasuke's blades, and slashed at the incoming wings with Kiba.
Bright red liquid splattered down, coating the blade in Naruto's hand red, along with his sleeves.
"Any other tricks?" Naruto asked
Sasuke didn't respond, he suddenly grabbed Naruto's wrist with both hands, and the injured wings behind opened up completely. That was when Naruto saw it, a pair of sharingans, opened up completely from the slits on the wings.
The three tomoes inside spun rapidly, with Naruto staring at it blankly...
'Got him' Sasuke revealed a cold smirk as he raised his sword up...