171Baki was fuming. "Is this how your allies are treated, Third Hokage? I find your genin consorting with my Kazekage's daughter in the dead of the night, in the middle of the Sand's compound. His teammate outright attacks and threatens Temari in the sanctity of her own room. When I come to you for clarity, you make me wait for half an hour, and then you tell me that they will both get off with a slap of the wrist?! Temari's honour has been compromised! Sand would be well within their rights to disqualify the Uchiha, to have him struck from the Leaf's ranks, even to draft him forcibly into the Sand ranks with a sham marriage to atone for his depravity! I want to see some real punishment!"
The Hokage's face remained so still that Baki was reminded of the mountain behind the window. The lights in the Hokage's office were turned down at this time in the night, contouring his craggy face with dark lines. The old man looked at him with beady eyes, puffing steadily on his pipe. "Peace, Jonin Baki. You are correct. A betrayal of terms with allies deserves serious punishment." The Hokage's calmness only made Baki angrier, but the man continued speaking before he could open his mouth.
"As it happens, my secretary forwarded the complaints to relevant channels as soon as you lodged it with her. I was simply waiting for my subordinates to present their reports. As it happens, they seem to be here and ready to deliver their verdict."
"Sharp as ever, master," Baki jerked in his seat as a large man pulled the chair out from next to him and flopped casually into it.
"Mind if I take that?" the man, whose red overcoat and strange headband gave him away as Jiraiya of the Sannin reached over and swiped the small cup of tea that was sitting in front of Baki. "Been a long night, my throat is absolutely parched."
Baki fought hard to restore his equanimity, momentarily struck dumb by the Road Sage's appearance. For all his talent with sensing and Wind Style techniques, he hadn't felt the man enter the room, hadn't even felt him walk up behind him until he'd settled into the chair behind him. By all of Sand's investigations, the man wasn't even supposed to be in Fire Country during the planned invasion.
"Half a century on this planet and your manners still leave much to be desired, Jiraiya," reprimanded the Hokage. "If you are thirsty, please pour yourself some tea of your own, instead of stealing from my guest," he said, indicating the tea service sat on the desk.
"Allow me, Lord Jiraiya," said another voice, and this time, Baki couldn't help whirling around in his seat. A ninja melted out of the shadows of the room, dark tendrils weaving and twisting around his body like the fingers of a caressing lover.
"Shikaku," rumbled Jiraiya. "If you would be so kind."
The jonin commander of the Leaf leaned forward and poured the tea into a fresh cup, placing it in front of Baki. "This is a first flush, grown in the hills of Northwestern Fire Country, bordering Rice Fields. People say it's not as good as the produce from Tea Country, but I've always thought that it has a certain zest to it. Wouldn't you agree, Lord Hokage?" Shikaku asked, moving silently to stand behind the two seated ninjas.
Baki traced the steam rising in spirals from the warm liquid with his eyes and calmed himself. Any ninja worth their salt would be on edge in a room with two S-ranked and an A-ranked ninjas from foreign nations. Blowing a controlled measure of air out of his nose, he kept his tone carefully even. "Riveting as this discussion may be, Third Hokage, the matter of your ninja infiltrating the Sand compound remains. The hour is late, and I would have words about it before it grows even later," he said, more bravely than he was currently feeling.
"Youth," snorted Jiraiya, like Baki wasn't a grown man of thirty-six. "Always in a hurry. You should learn to appreciate the little things in life a little more, Baki."
"Really, Jiraiya," said the Hokage sternly. "Stop antagonizing our ally. Put that smart mouth of yours to good use and report."
"As you say, Master." Jiraiya reached into his pocket and tossed a small scroll onto the table. Before Baki's eyes, it expanded and unrolled, popping open to reveal sheafs and sheafs of paper marked with dark ink.
Baki's heart stopped. "What is this?" he croaked, flipping through the pages and seeing his Kage's ambitions collapse before his eyes.
"Hmm, I thought a jonin would be able to understand it," mused Shukaku. "It appears to be maps of the Leaf Village, with staging points and targeted areas, along with keys to multiple sites in the Barrier Seal."
Baki's chakra roared through his body as he tried to leap out of his seat, but his body refused to comply. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw dark threads spooling around his ankle and crawling up his calves.
The Third Hokage stood up instead, moving around the table. "I wouldn't try that," said the old man, placing his hands on the table and looking down at the documents. "Did you know, Jonin Baki, that the Leaf has never been invaded by another nation?" Baki struggled helplessly in his seat, his eyeballs rolling, but the Hokage continued unconcerned. "The gates of Iwa have been torn down, Cloud's temples have been razed to the ground, even your own village has burnt for seven days in the Second War. But not the Leaf, never the Leaf. We do not hide our hidden village, contrary to the name. We do not invade, ourselves, but depend on the strength of our bonds with our allies to stay untouched."
"Ten out of ten, Master," chuckled Jiraiya from next to him, casually writing in a notepad next to Baki. "That was great stuff, I think I'm going to adapt some of that."
The Hokage paid him no mind.
"There has indeed been a betrayal of an alliance, Sand ninja," he said, his dark eyes boring into Baki's own. "Shall we discuss some punishment?"
"You can't prove anything," Baki gasped out, still struggling against the shadows creeping up his body.
"We can't," agreed Shikaku, his voice betraying no strain despite his silent capture of Baki. "But we can recall our ANBU and put them at every one of those points and objectives. We can cut off all outgoing communication from your base to your village, allowing your Kage to walk into a counterattack blind. We can even invite forces from Grass and Waterfall to the finals and have them reinforce our own. The other nations will watch as Sand is utterly crushed under Konoha's boot. Trade will come to a standstill, missions will be sent from the Wind Daimyo's court to the Leaf even more than they are now, and your civilians will starve and curse you as they die in droves. Sand as it is will cease to exist, a footnote in the history of the world."
"And perhaps Rock will finally do what they've been threatening for years and finally move the borders past the Great Northern Oasis, hmm?" asked Jiraiya.
Baki slumped into his seat. "What do you want to know?"
Shikamaru stood in front of the Hokage, feeling as morose as the Sand Jonin had looked when he'd trudged out of the Hokage's office and the secretary had sent the Leaf genin in. The triumphant rush had been replaced by an icy feeling in his gut, as the Hokage spoke in a deadly voice.
"So," said the old man quietly. Even Jiraiya, who was standing behind the Hokage, looked solemn, a look that was mirrored on the faces of the jonin-sensei and parents who'd gathered in the office. "Who is willing to take responsibility?"
Naruto stepped forward. Even the normally rambunctious blond seemed to have picked up on the oppressive atmosphere in the room, because his voice was soft. "I am, Lord Hokage."
"And has your jonin leader made you aware of what you're taking responsibility for?"
Several heads lowered around the room, but Naruto kept his gaze on the Hokage as he spoke. "I led an un-sanc-tioned mission," Shikamaru's hands curled into fists as Choza Akimichi sneered at Naruto's difficulty with the unfamiliar word, "into an allied stronghold because I thought that I was given bad intel. I did not notify my superior about the change in mission parameters even though he gave me the original mission. I put my teammates and fellow genin, five of whom are clan heirs, at risk of capture, torture, and death. I put the last carrier of a valued bloodline in a situation where he could have been struck from the ninja roll, or even co-opted into a different nation's military because of the nature of his relationship with a prominent dig-ni-ta-ry. I threatened an allied Kage's son with death. I left a body poisoned with a compound that can be traced back to the Leaf's Aburame Clan. I prioritised the safety of a single ninja over information that could prove vital to the village's protection."
Kakashi shifted ever so slightly.
"Quite," said the Hokage. Shikamaru felt his father's iron grip on his shoulder squeeze harder. "As inspired as you thought your idea with chakra seals to be, did you consider footprints? Scuff marks on points of entry? Even the displacement of the dust where you stood? For a ninja who is unable to make a single clone, did you consider your skills in stealth superior to highly-trained black ops specialists in the village? Did you think a few years of foolish pranks and sneaking put you on the level of those who have spent years, and even decades, learning the field of infiltration?"
"No, Lord Hokage."
"No what, genin?"
"No, I did not think -"
"Exactly!" thundered the Hokage. "You did not think, Genin Uzumaki, before you commandeered a mission into an area with 17 enemy jonin and 46 enemy chunin. You did not think, before you put the lives of your comrades at risk! You did not think, that this might have repercussions for the village beyond your foolish mind's comprehension! You did not think, that you are a rookie genin, and not a trusted jonin of the village, to change and dictate the terms of your mission like your Captain in Wave!"
Naruto seemed to shrink with every word his commander said, his chin dipping to his chest.
"I have spent 27 hours in this office at this point. I am tired, angry, and frankly disappointed in you, Genin Uzumaki," said the Hokage, making Naruto flinch. "Since punishment seems to be the order of the night, are you willing to stand and listen to yours?"
Shikamaru's body moved on its own, breaking out of his fathers grip and speaking without any conscious input from his brain. "Naruto wasn't the only commander on this mission, Lord Hokage," he heard himself say. "I was the person who planned it with him, worked out the kinks in his plan. I convinced him, and the others, that genin performing this mission would offer the Leaf plausible deniability. I convinced him that the fallout wouldn't be as bad if chunin exam hopefuls were discovered spying on their competition. I helped him assign mission roles." Shikamaru's words seemed to break the dam.
Sasuke stepped forward, shaking off his own jonin-sensei's grip. "I accepted the mission of my own volition, Lord Hokage," he said, his voice steady. "I was fully aware of the risks, yet I chose to go forward anyway in what I imagined would be to the benefit of the village. I am also to blame. I didn't think of the consequences of my acts either, and I ask to be punished the same as my teammate."
The other genin stepped forward too, fighting against their parents and jonin-sensei, each of them protesting that they had all jumped into the mission without any coercion, that they were also party to Naruto's mistakes. Shikamaru felt a sudden rush of pride for all his friends.
The Hokage raised his hand. "So the rookies are looking to share the blame, are you? Even accepting the punishment that I will give him?"
"I didn't want to abandon my teammate, Lord Hokage," said Sakura meekly, glancing out of the corner of her eyes at her father's inscrutable face, that Shikamaru had only ever seen smiling. "I am willing to take the blame as well."
"Team 10 went into this with both eyes open, Lord Hokage," said Ino, stepping forward. "I personally fought to keep my place in the mission instead of allowing Genin Inuzuka to take my role." That was an outright lie, but Kiba didn't protest it, nodding his agreement.
"The active members of Team 8 also participated willingly," Shino spoke up. "I personally volunteered to man, and commandeer, our makeshift mission central, unthinking of any possible consequence beyond the immediate invasion. I, too, am in the wrong."
Naruto was looking around the room in speechless shock, his eyes flitting to every person who came forward to speak.
"Lord Hokage," shouted Inoichi, "I protest! That boy obviously coerced my daughter into participating, and now she's speaking up to cover his mistakes. If anyone should be punished, it should be him alone!" Choza boomed his agreement from next to him.
Ino, who had always been her father's spoiled princess, threw Inoichi a dirty look. "Naruto can't coerce me into anything, Father, Lord Hokage. Team 10 stands by its previous statement." Choji, always docile, took a look at his father's angry face and swallowed heavily, before he nodded in agreement.
"The brats have all thrown their lot in, Lord Third," Kiba's mother spoke up, her teeth bared in a grin. "I say let them all be punished!"
"Just so," agreed the Hokage, even as Sakura's father protested and the Aburame clan head buzzed a little loudly. "Very well. Since the details of this mission will be henceforth an S-ranked secret, all of you will receive an unexplained black mark on your records."
Shikamaru's heart slid down into his stomach. The Hokage continued speaking. "Of course, the records themselves shall remain unsealed, so all the village will see is the blemish on your records. I daresay lips will wag and gossips will gossip, and wilder and wilder stories abound until every one of you are looked upon with suspicion by your fellow Leaf ninja, even by the civilians. Teammates will decline to work with you, missions will be rerouted away from you, and of course, all of this will reflect on your individual clans. That sounds about right, doesn't it, Jonin Hatake?"
Kakashi's lone eye was directed straight forward as he stepped forward and nodded. Shikamaru was perhaps the only genin who realized why the Hatake had been specifically singled out, but he couldn't be bothered to feel any sympathy, as his mind tried to process the full implications of the Hokage's words. The ashen faces of his friends reflected what was probably visible on his face as well.
"No."
Naruto cleared the line of genin and knelt in front of the Hokage, his fist clenched on the aged wooden floor. "No, Lord Hokage. I was the only leader of this mission. I did ask them to join, and even baited many of them into action when they were hesitant. I…seduced the Kazekage's daughter under the guise of a fellow leaf Ninja, and I still sent him into the mission as a distraction with my own teammate. I scouted out the entire mission and made the plan, and I asked for Shikamaru's help to make it better only because I knew how smart he was. The fault is mine, and mine alone. I will take all the punishment alone."
Shikamaru opened his mouth again, and Sasuke furiously did the same to his left. The Nara felt a sharp prick in his neck and slapped his hand to his side, pulling out a thin senbon. He opened his mouth but no sound came out.
A lone ANBU dropped down from the ceiling, senbon arranged like claws in his fist. "Decorum shall be maintained in the Hokage's office," he said quietly. None of the adults said a word.
"Thank you, Wolf," said the Hokage. "Very well," he continued. "Genin Uzumaki will make the choice, then. As my punishment stands, all the rookie genin will be fined the fees of their twenty next D-ranks, or five C-ranks, whichever comes first. The jonin-sensei of Teams 7, 8, and 10, as well as Elite Teacher Ebisu, shall forfeit three months of their salary for their failure in teaching their charges proper procedure and chain of command."
Shikamaru couldn't bring himself to look at Asuma-sensei.
"Genin Uzumaki will forfeit every mission pay for the next eighteen months," Shikamaru inhaled sharply. For a clanless orphan like Naruto, that was tantamount to a death sentence. "Furthermore, an official Letter of Reprimand will be added to the file numbered 012607, citing dereliction of duty and undisciplined conduct. Said Letter will be available on public record, and will preclude you from ever taking any post in the village's administration, up to and including Hokage."
All the tension seemed to seep out of Naruto's body, leaving only his hand supporting his body. The blond looked like he was about to keel over, his blue eyes staring unseeingly at the floor.
"Do you understand the terms of this punishment?"
Naruto blinked once, slowly.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," he said, his voice quieter than Shikamaru had ever heard it. It echoed around the room, stabbing straight through the Nara's chest.
"Do you agree, or are you willing to share it with your team? The Letter of Reprimand shall be converted to 8 black marks, as discussed."
Sasuke screamed in silent anger, restrained by his teacher. Sakura collapsed to her knee like Naruto, her eyes shining, her hands clasped together in a prayer for mercy from the Leaf's commander. Even Shikamaru found himself screaming inside his mind, yelling at Naruto to decline, to tell him that they would figure something out, that he shouldn't have to give his dream up for their sake.
The Hokage remained unmoved, his attention only on the kneeling blond.
"Can they -" Naruto cleared his throat wetly. "Can I take the fines for the others as well? I didn't listen to my teachers, and I talked my friends into it. They shouldn't suffer for me."
Something flashed in the Hokage's eyes, but passed too quickly for Shikamaru to analyse it.
"Yes," said the Hokage. "Considering the stipend of your teachers, and the cumulative fine, the time period will be doubled to three years. Do you accept it, and all the rest with it?"
Kiba burst forward with his fists raised, intent on pounding sense into the stupid blond. His mother smoothly grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and bashed his head, even as he mouthed ugly words and struggled.
Shikamaru's hands felt cold. Only hours ago, he'd felt drunk in the success of their op, satisfied that they'd managed to prevent a fellow ninja from dying, smug that they'd outsmarted the Sand and protected the Leaf in a single stroke. Now, even as he understood why the Hokage was punishing Naruto, his heart, an organ he barely paid any mind to, rebelled, thinking uglier and uglier thoughts.
"Do you accept the terms, Genin Uzumaki?" the Hokage repeated, his voice as unyielding as stone.
"I do, Lord Hokage." Naruto's voice cracked, a terrible, wrenching noise.
"Then it is settled. Scribe, note the terms and see that it is done."
"Lord Hokage," shouted Choza. "The boy has put my son, and all of our children at risk. A reprimand isn't enough, he deserves a demotion or a suspension at the very least!"
Ino shrieked in silent rage, racing at the man and pounding her fists ineffectively on his chest. She might as well have been a fly for all it affected the man.
Inoichi grabbed her by the waist, even as she kicked and raged. "Stand down, Ino, or I will recommend a suspension for you too!" Ino mouthed something rude enough to turn Inoichi's ears pink. Incandescent with rage, the man kicked the door of the room open and dragged his struggling daughter out of the room.
"Well, that was dramatic," said Jiraiya, coming to stand next to the Hokage. "Pulled at my heartstrings, it really did." Shino buzzed so loudly that it almost drowned out the ringing in Shikamaru's own ears. "While the Yamanaka and the Akimichi do have a point, the boy has still shown some measure of talent. Even a loose cannon has its uses in an army, I say. Besides, the plan may have been ill-advised, but it was one that even a new chunin could've been proud of."
Another elder stepped out of the darkness, his cane tapping as he walked. "I'm forced to agree with Jiraiya," he said, his voice cold and rasping. "The boy is a liability, but he is not as useless as his records would show. Perhaps some corrective training might be in order, Hiruzen?"
"That will be for me to decide, Danzo," replied the Hokage. "But for once, I am in agreement with you too. Genin," he said, "prove to me that this was the act of a soldier with some measure of potential, instead of that of a careless child, playing at heroics and ninja. You have one chance," the Hokage raised his finger, "to be promoted this cycle. Do so, and you have some chance at recouping your honour and improving your record. Fail, and you will be barred from promotion for the next decade, and you will not be allowed to participate in the Chunin Exams for the same time period. Is that acceptable?"
Naruto might have been deaf for all that he reacted, still staring at the floor. Shikamaru realized with a start that there were tears running down the side of his face, and felt even worse than he had in the moment prior.
Slowly, the blond nodded, indicating that he had been paying attention after all.
"And is that satisfactory to you, Jonin Akimichi?" the Hokage asked Choji's father.
"The boy fights the Hyuga prodigy in the first round, yes?" Choza sneered, drawing hateful looks from Sasuke and Kiba. "I agree, Lord Hokage, and I will look forward to the weekend."
"Very well, then," said the Hokage. "One final thing. Since Genin Uzumaki has agreed to take on the punishment for his cohort, my hands are tied. However, there will be a festival on the occasion of the chunin exam finals, and the fairgrounds will need to be arranged and put into order. With over a thousand guests camping in the area, latrines will need to be dug and connected to the sewers, and the river diverted to flow underground. Normally, several D-ranks are given out to accomplish this task, but I think some pro-bono work will be in order for the other seven, yes? Any objections? Very well. The material is arranged, and all of you can report by noon tomorrow at the very latest to get started." The Hokage suddenly sounded worn out and weary. "As unbelievable as it may seem, it pains me to censure the budding leaves of Konoha's own tree. One day, you will realize why I came down so harshly on all of you, but until then, I can only ask that the quality of your service not suffer. Your captains and parents will discuss the matter with you further. Until then, you are all dismissed. Uzumaki, stay behind. Kakashi, take Uchiha home and ensure that he remains there."
"That will be all."
Naruto's world had ended about ten minutes ago. He held himself up by his knee and his fist but the ground seemed to be spinning out from under him, the walls tilting and twisting.
"Naruto," the old man's voice came to him faintly, as if he was speaking from very, very far away. The blood was pounding through his ears so hard it was difficult for him to make the words out.
"Naruto," repeated the Hokage. "Look at me."
Naruto did not lift his gaze, he couldn't have, even if he tried. He swallowed once, painfully, but kept his eyes on the floor, looking unseeingly at the grains on the wood.
"Naruto, please."
He kept his position. He felt like any little movement would end with tears, his traitorous eyes burning and itching. He squeezed them shut, forcefully, grinding his teeth together.
He heard shuffling, then the sound of Sarutobi's footsteps as he rounded the desk. The Hokage knelt next to him and put a shrunken hand on his back.
Ever since he was a child, Naruto had craved these little touches, from Kakashi, from Iruka, but most of all from the Third, the first person who'd ever touched him with something other than disgust. Right now, it felt like the tables were turned, that it was his skin that was churning and rebelling at the contact.
"I am sorry, Naruto." He clenched his teeth together even harder at those words, unsure if a sob or a yell would spring out if he opened his lips.
The Hokage continued speaking. "I know the punishment is hard, my child, but I want you to understand why I had to do it."
Those words did it. Like a drunk, he jerked away from the Hokage's touch and tottered aside. He looked at the wretched man still kneeling on the floor, his face solemn and sad and he wanted to take his fists and break that nose, beat his cheeks in, rip that stupid tuft of hair off his chin -
"You are angry. Deservedly so."
Anger overtook the hurt even more. He felt it rush through him, burning like the Nine-Tails' chakra and he wrapped his fingers into a fist to stop himself from charging the man.
The Hokage seemed to take his silence as permission to continue. "Precedent, Naruto. Do you know what that word means?"
The bastard had taken his dream away, the one thing that had carried him through every moment of loneliness and contempt and neglect, and he had the stones to now speak riddles in a kind voice that would make him feel better? Naruto trembled with rage, every fiber of his body telling him to ruin the man sitting in front of him.
Hiruzen sagged, the lines of his face becoming even more pronounced. "You will not listen, as you are now. Sometimes I forget how young you still are. One day, you will understand why I did what I did, my boy." Naruto stopped himself from replying to that, to tell him to not refer to him with such familiarity. "Very well." The Hokage waved his hand, the door to his office swinging open. "Come find me when you wish to talk, and to understand. I know it may not feel like it, but I am prou-"
Naruto did not let the old man finish his words, he refused to hear those words from the bastard. Like the hounds of hell were nipping at his ankles, he ran out of the room and leapfrogged the window out onto the roof, jumping off the shingles and clean across the street.
He ran blindly over the rooftops, ignoring the surprised exclamations of the ninja on patrol. His body felt like it was bursting with energy, overflowing with injustice. He'd forced himself to do the right thing, sell out the last of his dreams and dignity to protect his loved ones, but where did that leave him?
He cursed the day he met the old bastard, Team Seven, Iruka-sensei, even Haku, who'd convinced him that strength lay in protecting others. He was back where he started - Uzumaki Naruto, demon fox container, son of none, motherless, alone. The boy that stood in the shadows, neglected, the one whose name was not spoken.
He had no dream, no goal, no ambition. He was nothing.
He pushed himself to the limit, his muscles screaming and stretching. He savoured the burn, focusing on it, going harder and faster. Like a wounded animal, he threw his head up at the moon and howled, trying to force the crushing weight that was binding his chest, grinding his ribs to dust. Bringing his hands up in a half tiger, he channeled his chakra, bursting open the seal on his thigh and then he was moving even faster, running, vanishing from where he was and appearing blocks away. The godforsaken Leaf village where he'd been cursed to be born vanished into a blur as he moved, his chakra pathways joining his muscles in their pleas for mercy.
Thirty-seven times in a row,he flickered, moving faster than most ninja could ever perceive, not thinking about where he wanted to go, just allowing his anger to drive him forward. He felt something pop in his ankle but he kept pushing, he felt his calves get burnt as his chakra pathways overloaded and flooded his muscles, but he did not let himself stop.
Finally, he collapsed onto wet grass, allowing his lungs to take the air they'd been screaming for. He spared himself a moment before sitting up again, half chuckling and half sobbing as he realized he was on Training Ground Three, before he pushed himself up and made his way to the nearest tree. He channeled his chakra like Ebisu had taught him and cursed sharply as he felt his palms jolt in agony, every one of his tenketsu aching from being overloaded.
It didn't matter. He abandoned his chakra and wailed on the tree with his bare fists instead, barely remembering the motions Ebisu had drilled into him. He jabbed out, lightning fast, his fists automatically coming up to guard his face, his knees bending to make himself a smaller target and then he lashed out with hooks and crossed, going faster and harder until he was sending bits of bark flying and leaves falling in showers around him. The skin over his knuckles split open and wept rivers of blood but he did not let himself stop, intent on enjoying the pain of his body if he wouldn't let himself feel the hurt in his very soul.
"Bit of a drama queen, aren't you?"
Naruto didn't miss a step. He whirled around and lashed out, raining punches into the stomach of the bastard who had the galls to mock him when he was at his lowest. He moved with prejudice, hitting with a force that even Rock Lee would've been proud of.
"Good form," appreciated the tall man, whom the Hokage had called Jiraiya, making him one of the three legendary ninjas his erstwhile teacher had taught him about. The older ninja looked like he was standing in line at the grocery store for all that he was being attacked. "Ebisu was right, you are a diamond in the rough. A natural fighter!"
"Shut up!" The words came out hoarse and raspy, half choked with his blinding fury. Abandoning hand-to-hand, he sped through a series of seals and reared his head back like a viper, letting the hot chakra fill his throat, ignoring the way his anger made him lose his control and char his gullet.
He spat out a fireball directly at the junction of the interlopers legs, uncaring of the morals or propriety. A large, gloved hand came down and batted the attack away like it was nothing.
The Fire Bullet landed on the ground and scorched the grass around it black, and Naruto was shocked enough to stop for a second and look at the white-haired giant in disbelief.
Jiraiya snorted at the look on his face. "You'll have to do better than a little flaming bullet to hurt me, kid."
Naruto scowled. Instead of answering, he formed another, longer set of hand seals and converted the chakra raging into his core to fire, uncaring of the way it blazed uncontrollably up his stomach and his throat. Before he could open his mouth and let it explode from his body, he felt a large hand grasp around his throat.
He landed heavily on the grass, coughing out smoke and retching. His throat burnt in agony until he felt a gentler touch and a rush of soothing chakra that numbed the tender flesh.
"I'm no Tsunade, so you'll have to let the fox sort the rest out. Props to your ambition for trying to master your opposing nature first, but using Fire nature in anger, specially when you're a natural wind user, is a spectacularly bad idea."
"How -" Naruto coughed, hocking up a disgusting mess of soot and mucus.
"How do I know your chakra nature? Kid, like I told your little friend - always assume I know everything." Naruto glared up at the man, even though it was somewhat diminished by the fact that he barely came up to his knees from his position on the ground.
"Well?" asked Jiraiya, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"
"I'm fuck off and leave me alone."
"Unfortunate, your mother must have really hated you. Now, Fuck Off, as I'm sure you've realized, I'm Jiraiya of the Mount Myobokuzan, so a little respect might be in order, yeah? I'll let the first one slide because you've had a rough day -"
"Fuck off and leave me alone, Lord Jiraiya."
Jiraiya threw his head back and laughed, his hands shaking on the stomach Naruto had just attacked like a rabid animal.
"You're a feisty one, aren't you? I'm sorry, I thought this was the angsty meeting for ninjas with reprimands on their files, but I guess I'll get going then."
It took Naruto a moment to process his words. "Wait," he gasped, "You mean? But you're -"
"Jiraiya of the fucking Sannin, right? I guess that makes you a member of a really exclusive club right now, huh? Between the two of us, we've completed a hundred and sixty-two S-class missions."
Naruto gaped at that man, making him laugh again.
"I guess stunned awe counts as respect if I squint," said Jiraiya. "Come on, kid. You think this is the first time something like this has happened?"
"But you're Jiraiya of the Sannin?" asked Naruto dumbly. Even Ebisu had been in awe of the man, who'd single-handedly fought back Hanzo the Salamander in the Second War, who'd held the border between Waterfall and Rock single-handedly in the Third War while the Fourth had massacred the regiment at Kannabi Bridge.
"Correct."
"Then how did you -?"
"I deserted the village for half a year after the Second War," answered Jiraiya, turning up to look at the moon like it was particularly interesting that night.
"What?!"
"Don't look so surprised. Many ninja vanish for a while after a war, I was only the biggest name to do it. Tsunade still hasn't returned from her self-imposed exile. And no," he said, before Naruto could open his mouth, "she isn't on a long-term mission to research better methods of healthcare and push the frontiers of medical techniques, or whatever bullshit the Academy's feeding you nowadays."
Naruto snapped his lips closed. "Why did you do it?" he asked instead.
"That's not the right question. The administration didn't mind that I went AWOL for a while, the War was already over." Jiraiya paused. "The correct question is what. I trained three ninjas your age from Rain, one of whom had a terribly powerful bloodline limit, and then returned to the village without even convincing them to defect. Rain wasn't even our ally in that War, we'd run them ragged with our skirmishes with Rock and Lightning."
"Why did you do that?" asked Naruto, his anger temporarily forsaken for the story.
The moon went behind the clouds, obscuring Jiraiya's face for a moment. The giant ninja shrugged. "It felt like the right thing to do in the moment."
"The right thing," Naruto scoffed.
"Yeah, you thought you were doing the right thing too, didn't you?"
"Thought?" asked Naruto. "I know I did the right thing, but it didn't stop the monkey from fucking me over anyway."
"No, you thought you could get the plans for the invasion on your lonesome, a team of rookie genin." Jiraiya snorted. "Sure, your heart was in the right place, and you did some really impressive mental gymnastics to arrive at the location of the plans, but what were you going to do to get the plans from the One Tail? Yeah, don't bother, because you had nothing. And even if you did, it wouldn't work. Your improvisation with the makeup kid was great - nice taste in movies, I approve," he added, offhandedly. "But it fell into your lap. Your mission would've been a bust the instant you ran into the little psychopath."
"That's not true -"
"Yeah, yeah," Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively. "Free advice, kid. Deception is the lifeblood of a great ninja, and from what I hear, you've got a knack for it. But the instant you deceive yourself is the instant you need to start digging a shallow grave for your body. Don't do it."
Naruto had no reply to that. The man was brusque, his dialect rough even as he explained things, but he had a certain charisma that made it hard not to listen to him.
"Good. You can listen. Another piece of advice, don't ever lose that skill. Now, since I've answered your questions, given you some free advice, even lessened the horror of your burden by sharing my own sad tale, why don't you answer a couple questions for me?"
"Lessen my burden?" Naruto laughed bitterly. "I don't see a Hokage's hat on your head, so don't think you're on the same level as me!"
That set Jiraiya off again. "Kid," the older man said, between bouts of laughter, "the only reason I'm not Hokage is because I refuse to wear that stupid hat. Admin would put that hat on me yesterday if they could."
"So I can still be -?"
"Ah-ah." Jiraiya raised a finger. "You answer my questions first. Those rain ninjas, all three of them," the Toad Sage's face turned solemn, "they died. They never hurt the village, they never even made it out of their teens, from what I hear. So what's that Letter still doing on my profile? Why did they never rescind it?"
"Because it was the wrong thing to do in the first place!" challenged Naruto.
Jiraiya gave him an unimpressed look.
Naruto hesitated. "Precedent?"
Jiraiya chuckled. "You're a cheeky brat, aren't you? You're right. That is the right answer, but you're not off the hook."
"Tell me, kid," the toad sage peered down at him, making Naruto shift a little self-consciously. "What is the good of the village?"
"Eh? Anything that helps the village, right?"
"Helps it? So if I tell you tomorrow that killing your friend Shikamaru's entire clan will help the village, would you do it?"
"What the hell?! How could that ever benefit the village?"
"That's beside the point. Say I take it upon myself to kill the last Hatake so that we can recruit the Explosion Release Bloodline from Iwa. The Hokage hasn't signed off on it, but it makes sense to me. Trackers? We've got them up the wazoo. With the Byakugan and the Aburame, you don't really need the Hatake as a tracker. He's powerful, but not better than an entire corps of versatile ninjas. A fresh clan with a powerful attacking bloodline? Invaluable."
"Why would you need to kill Kakashi-sensei to bring them in, anyway?" protested Naruto.
"Maybe they're rivals, maybe that's their criteria to join. Besides," Jiraiya pointed at him, "you're missing the point on purpose. The Hokage punishing you sets down a marker - fresh genin cannot run off and do what they think is good for the village, even if it really is. Good, bad, these are all subjective matters. To someone like Danzo, this decision to throw over the Hatake for a fresh bloodline would be simple ten times out of ten. The Third would refuse to do it. Who's right, who's to say? That's for you to judge. But in a world where we can breathe fire and call down storms, it means that we can't run on an individual's moral compass. There needs to be a military, a hierarchy, a clear chain of command. The instant you let a rookie run off and do your own thing is when you invite anarchy."
"So he put me into the ground just to stop other genin from doing what they want?"
"Not just other genin, but anyone. But there's also a lesson to be learnt from this. What do you think that is?"
Naruto thought about it, he really did. "Not to run off on my own?"
"Correct, but not what I'm getting at." Jiraiya huffed. "I guess it was a little too soon to expect such insight from a kid. Deniability, kid. You ran a good mission, you really did. But things like this - black ops - it's always a gamble. And rule one of gambling - you only bet what you can afford to lose. You do this mission with some no-name ninjas, members of black ops, you report to the Hokage in private, no one ever finds out. You're a hero, but no one ever knows. You do it with clan heirs, without masks or subterfuge, their parents find out, they raise hell, the entire village raises hell - you're a villain."
"They aren't worth more just because they're from a clan!" Naruto protested. "We're all the Hokages ninja!"
"Aren't they?" Jiraiya smirked. "Like I said, kid. Don't deceive yourself. Your little friends are going to be monsters one day, renowned across the nations for their daring, but outside the spare Inuzuka and the civvie, none of them are going to be sent to do the dirty stuff. Assassination, infiltration, there's nothing they offer that other ninjas from their clans won't. Only difference - they're too valuable to the structure of the village to lose. And for that matter, so are you."
"Because of the -" Naruto gestured.
"Yeah, that. It's a shame, because you were a shoo-in for infiltration with your smarts. For you, deception will be of a different kind."
"Like what?" asked Naruto curiously.
"That's something I'll teach you later. Oh yes, wipe that stupid look off your face," Jiraiya winked. "I do plan to teach you some things. Consider it a bit of payment for good services rendered. But I don't want a downer of a student, it'll really hurt my whole aura. So tell me -"
"What do you think you gained from this?"
"Gained?" Naruto's mouth hung open. "What did I gain? I lost everything I've been working for!"
"Didn't we just go over that? Open your eyes kid. Name one good thing that came out of this clusterfuck."
Naruto reigned in his disbelief and thought about it. "I guess…I don't have anything to lose anymore?"
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at him. "Hmm. I can see why they call you unpredictable. That's a dangerous mindset to have, but it's not completely wrong. Not what I expected either."
Jiraiya turned and faced him fully. "Eight ninjas. A civilian, let's put her aside. The new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho. The last Uchiha. Tsume Inuzuka's kid. The Hatake, the Sarutobi, Konoha's best illusionist. You gained their respect, and for some of them, I'd say you even earned their loyalty. A favour, even, for a future time."
"That's not why I did it!"
"I know, I know," Jiraiya waved his hand casually, making Naruto snarl. "But the end result is the same. Sure, you did good in the second phase of the exams, but you were still just a clever prankster to them. Tonight, you went from the guy with a wacky plan to a dependable commander in their eyes. A little too honorable for a ninja, but we really like that stuff for a profession of killers. You, my friend," he peered at the blond, "just entered the radar of some very important people."
"That's cold," said Naruto. "They're my friends."
"And? Were you their friend before this?" Jiraiya challenged him. "You don't have to calculate every single thing you do for others, but you've also got to accept the outcomes of your actions, both good and bad. This is just one of the good. Your friends know you didn't do it to hold it over them, which is even better. But some day, you will have to."
Naruto bared his teeth,silently promising himself that he never would. Admittedly, Jiraiya's words did make him feel a little warmer, but he refused to be that cold guy.
"Won't the village hate me even more, now? All they'll see is the reprimand in my paperwork and think the worst of me. They won't even know what we did, just that I got punished for something bad."
"Kid," Jiraiya said. "This is a ninja village. A secret S-ranked mission isn't worth the paper it's sealed in. Ninja gossip worse than fishwives, the real story will be all across the place by the time the sun rises. I thought you'd know that better than anyone." He mimicked Naruto's gesture over his belly.
"What do you mean?"
"That the only real secrets in this village, the kind that would keep you up at night, are never sealed, never put down on paper, and never known by more than two people. Don't worry, it never makes it out to the other nations - I make sure of that. Not a single Kage knows who our jinchuuriki is, let alone that we have one." The old man waggled his fingers. "As for your answer, well. I feel like you'll see it for yourself, soon enough."
Jiraiya extended his hand to Naruto, who took it and lifted himself off the grass.
"I can't do much more for your throat, but I know a nice ice-cream parlor that's open this time of the night. Since you're about to be broke as hell, I guess I can treat you just this once. I'll be leaving on another mission soon enough, gotta make sure the itty bitty Kazekage makes his way to Konoha without any…issues. We can go over the stuff I'll show you in the meanwhile. Might even have a gift or two for you."
"Why are you teaching me?" asked Naruto, even though he felt warm at the prospect. "Besides, I've already got a teacher."
"Taken care of," said Jiraiya, who reached over and ruffled Naruto's hair, leaving it a mess. "Besides, there's one other thing that has come of this event, and it's something you won't realize for many years. You'll need to be prepared for it when it comes, amongst other things. Let's just say I'll help you along until then."
"Has anyone told you that you're super vague and annoying?"
"More than you'd think, less than you'd expect."
"Where is the idiot?" hissed Ino, balling her fists. "I can't believe he's late today of all days!"
"He's probably decided to give up," Uncle Choza commented to her father behind her back, chortling. Ino ignored him completely. She'd set her own father straight over the past few days, but Choji's father seemed to take special delight in Naruto's misery. Misery that he'd piled on himself to protect the grumpy man's own son, thought Ino.
"I doubt it," drawled Shikaku, voicing her own thoughts. "Kid's got his own problems, but he's not got any quit."
Her own father wisely decided to stay quiet. After a blowout fight, Ino had spent the last week, telling him in many, many ways, how she was a ninja of the Leaf village, not a helpless princess to be sheltered and protected. Judging from the way he'd been tip-toeing around her the past couple of days, she'd gotten her point across.
"He really is very late," muttered Sakura, her green eyes roving over the grounds as if Naruto would magically pop up next to the row of contestants coming out to be cheered by the crowd. "He better be here -"
"He will," Ino cut in, more confidently than she felt. Her heart fluttered inside her chest, remembering the blank, empty look on Naruto face when he made the decision to give up on his dream to protect their futures.
"Naruto's not going to quit." Kiba came up beside them to lean on the railing, his feral face carved into a permanent scowl. "That guy's going to be Hokage, after all."
"Kiba…" Sakura's face turned pained. "We shouldn't give him false hope, you shouldn't say things like that anymore." Choji nodded nervously from her other side.
"I know what I'm saying! I won't be beaten by some quitter. Naruto's gonna turn up for sure!"
"He will," agreed Ino, secretly glad for Kiba's easy faith. "Naruto bounces back from everything." Her cheeks felt uncomfortably warm, and she turned her head quickly to avoid Sakura's curious scrutiny. "He'll definitely come."
"He better," said his mother. "They're going to be ready any moment now." She clapped politely along with the others, but she was also on alert, the line of her shoulders tense as she looked around the stadium in a manner that was heavily reminiscent of a guard dog.
Ino clenched her fist. The past week had been a ride and a half, from her first kiss to her first time desludging sewers. She'd grit her teeth and done the latter, much to the surprise of her peers, only because she refused to let Naruto get ahead of her, the stupid, noble fool. Fight or not, she was going to wring his neck once she got her hands on him.
Sacrificing his dream and his livelihood wasn't the sort of responsibility she'd wanted him to take.
"Look!" gasped Sakura, who'd been downcast and morose all week. "It's him, he's walking out."
Ino did a double take at the small figure clad in grey walking out to the middle of the grounds. She'd expected his usual bright orange, not standard issue pants with a sober, green-striped jacket on top.
She wasn't alone in her shock. Choza choked spectacularly on the takoyaki he'd been eating. Her father stood up out of his seat and opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water.
"Troublesome," said Uncle Shikaku. "It seems like Jiraiya's been doing more than beat away snakes from the Wind Shadow."
"What - but that's -" Choza whirled around to glare at the reticent Nara Clan Head. "Is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"Don't joke around, Shikaku," said Inoichi. "Did you know?"
"Was it really that hard to guess? A year-long mission for Kushina, really? His surname, given in honour of a refugee? Don't make me laugh."
"But -" Choza seemed to be lost for words, flapping his jowls uselessly. A fresh wave of applause swelled the crowd.
"All of them look so shocked," muttered Choji. Not just in her block, but all around the stadium, jonin and elders were surging to their feet, their eyes on the Uzumaki standing uncharacteristically still and looking up at the stands. She spotted Hiashi Hyuga whispering furiously with an old man next to him, across from where they were sitting. "Why?"
"They've just had their eyes opened to something they've been willfully ignoring for years," answered Shikaku. Ino's father scowled, but his conflict seemed to be written clear all over his face. "I must say it was a masterstroke on Jiraiya's part."
"A masterstroke?" Inoichi's face was pale. "This could be a catastrophe if word got out."
"The Toad Sage controls both the incoming and outgoing whispers from the Leaf with an iron fist. Besides, what's there to talk about? He isn't wearing that, just his childhood clothes. Nobody other than the people who worked with him as a child will know," answered Uncle Shikaku.
"Hey what's the big deal?" asked Kiba, wrinkling his nose. "Why is everybody acting like Naruto walked out butt naked to fight the Hyuga bastard?"
Shikaku smiled. "The little Uzumaki's just looking very similar to the last genin who got a formal reprimand on his record. I suppose it's something of a statement from him."
"The last genin to get a formal reprimand? Who was it?" Ino asked suspiciously.
"He's not around anymore, so it doesn't really matter." Shikaku waved her off, signaling that they wouldn't talk about it.
Ino scowled, but Sakura spoke up. "What was he reprimanded for?" She straightened her back. "Er, Lord Nara, sir."
Surprisingly, it was her father who answered, even as the proctor dismissed the other genin and Naruto and Neji squared off. "Good question, how do I put it? He saved a princess from some Cloud Ninja by himself, without bothering to notify ANBU, or taking any backup along." Inoichi and Shikaku both smirked. "He always acted cooler than he really was."
"Fine, if you don't want to tell us, don't," huffed Ino. "Naruto's going to kick Neji's ass better than any wannabe hero ever could."
Somehow, this sent the two men into a fit of laughter, while Uncle Choza just stared silently at the arena, pale and unmoving like he was in the middle of a séance. She turned her back on them deliberately.
"Will he really win, though?" asked Sakura quietly. "Neji is stronger than even Sasuke, his were saying."
"He has to," answered Ino. She refused to think of the consequences if he didn't. "He will," she added.
Sakura nodded. "We need to put our faith in him. I swear I'll treat him to ramen every day if he manages to pull this off."
Ino laughed, but she noticed the way Sakura's eyes flicked up to the heavens in silent prayer and promise. She clasped her hands together like she was brimming with excitement but secretly copied her rival.
For all of them, but most of all, for himself, Naruto needed to be promoted. It was the least he deserved after everything he'd done for them.
Ino silently prayed that he would find a way to match his talent at trickery. This would be nothing short of a deathmatch, and there would be no chance to repeat his actions against Kiba.
"Come on, idiot," she muttered, shaking her legs restlessly. The guards around the place activated their jutsu and a barrier went up, and Neji's voice became audible all around the stadium.
"You are destined to lose," the Hyuga's voice carried clearly across the seats. "You are the dead last of your cohort, talentless, from a clan who are nothing but dust and memory. Before the might of the Hyuga," on the giant screen, Neji activated his Byakugan and stared coldly at the blond, "you are fated to lose. You should just give up."
"Amazing," answered Naruto dryly, refusing to react in a manner foreign to those who knew him. "The Hyuga bloodline limit." Neji jerked his head in apparent acknowledgement. "The ability to spew horseshit instead of words when you open your mouth."
Kiba guffawed with laughter as Neji lost his temper and charged. Naruto darted back and a small army of clones appeared between him and Neji, getting mowed down as the Hyuga dispatched them with prejudice.
"Those are Shadow Clones," Choza gasped. "A genin, making corporeal clones?"
Naruto retreated all the way back to the walls, and brought his fingers together to make more clones.
"He's coordinating them," observed Sakura. The clones broke into groups, engaging Neji in close combat while others leapt back and showered the Hyuga with shuriken.
"His hand-to-hand is also a lot better," said Choji. "Look."
Naruto, or his clones, was moving faster than Ino had ever seen, swinging and dodging and moving in and out of Neji's reach. The Hyuga was still destroying them with ease, but they were still attacking him in groups of two and three, flanking and trying to come up from behind.
"He's making them fight like a team of genin," she said aloud. "Look."
One of the clones swept his feet low, trying to push Neji off balance. Another clone jumped off his back and aimed a heel at his head. Neji jerked aside and then twisted sharply to avoid and parry a brace of shuriken. And then a third clone came in, his fists raised in front of his face, before striking two jabs straight into Neji's chin and darting out, getting popped despite his best effort at evasion. Three more clones immediately jumped into the fray.
Kiba oofed in sympathy. "Neji's going to feel that," he said, "even back at the Academy, the bastard hit like a ton of bricks to the face." Sakura nodded in agreement.
Ino watched in some disbelief, despite her previous statement, as the dead last of their class took the fight to Neji and actually kept him on his toes.
"Lee said Neji's the strongest genin of our generation," said Sakura. "But genin working together can take out a chunin, and Neji's still just a chunin." The pink haired girl smiled. "Naruto…"
Down in the arena, Neji had had enough. With a growl of anger, he shifted up a gear. His hands blurred as he took out the entire group of clones near him with lightning fast fingers, then charging through the smoke at the outer ring. He darted under the trees scattered in the center of the arena, and then -
"It's a trap!" crowed Kiba. The morning sun glinted down on the suddenly visible threads of ninja wire as a clone pulled, and suddenly, an entire web of glistening wire sprung up around the Hyuga. Ino leaned forward in anticipation.
Neji reacted immediately. Flinging his hands out around him, he spun on the spot, visible blue chakra bursting out around him to form a dome that pushed away the wires and easily weathered the storm of kunai that flung itself at him.
"I don't believe it!" gasped Inoichi, as the Hyuga section of the crowd burst into whispers. "That's the Main House's move!"
Naruto sprung into action, a short tanto appearing in his left hand while he made a half-tiger with the other and vanished in a body flicker.
"He's fast!" gasped Choza. "No, he's slipped!"
Ino groaned as Naruto appeared just as Neji stopped his move, but seemingly balanced and tripped backwards as he came out of the body flicker
"No!" exclaimed Sakura. "Watch!"
Silver flashed out, and Naruto thrust his sword forward. Neji spun again, his dome blowing the other, charging clones away, but Naruto had already rolled to his knees and slipped back with another flicker.
"Did he get him?" asked Choji anxiously, munching loudly on a bag of chips.
"He has," said Ino. "Look at his sword." The ends of the weapon were dripping crimson. Naruto tossed it to a clone and made more hand seals with his favourite cross sign. Neji came out of his defense and hissed, his pale eyes looking down to assess the damage. The clones immediately charged forward, forcing him back into the fight.
"When did he get the sword?" asked Sakura. "Even in our training sessions, he didn't have it…"
"You've been training with the two of them?" Ino asked sharply.
"Not for the past week," Sakura admitted. "I think he's been avoiding us."
"Well we won't let him, will we?" asked Kiba. "That idiot better know we're with him, even if he's getting stronger and stronger. Ma! I need a sword, pronto!"
"For what, cutting Akamaru's meat up for him?" Tsume shot back. "It's a smart tactic, though. Blondie's a shrimp, so it increases his reach without putting himself in range for a counterattack. The Hyuga are famously open-handed fighters, he's done his research."
"The Hyuga's a genius, still," insisted Choza. "For a branch member to learn the Kaiten, who knows what else he's got up his sleeve?"
Neji fumbled another block and Naruto's clone jumped in and kicked the back of his knee in, bravely taking a hit to the throat for his efforts. Neji stumbled again, but still kept up his defense.
"The way I see it, Uzumaki's winning," admitted Inoichi. "He's fast enough - of course he is, the little shit - to go in for blitz tactics, and he makes up the difference in speed timing and great blocking by his clones."
"Enough!" Neji roared, silencing their conversation. "Your weak efforts will not defeat me!" Hands lashing out, he swept a swathe of destruction through the doppelgangers. The clone with the sword brought his hands together and ten more clones appeared. "These eyes can see you mold chakra!"
"He fell for it!" gasped Sakura, her words mercifully blocked by the barrier.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms!" The crowd roared again as Neji surged forward, his hands moving so fast that Ino could only make out the blur of his limbs. Clones popped like party balloons, until he reached the clone with the sword and slammed his palms into its chest.
The clone popped, the real Naruto brought his hands together from somewhere to Ino's left, and the ground under Neji exploded. The Hyuga was sent flying, clones piling for him, pulling out kunai and shuriken.
"A trap underneath a fakeout," Shikaku clapped his hands slowly. "Masterful. That's the promotion in the bag, eh, Choza?"
Uncle Choza swallowed. "Careful, Shikaku. Forty-six members of my clan, I do not forget -" Ino's ears perked up.
"Not here," said her father, throwing her a dirty look. Ino scowled. "But his son isn't to blame, and maybe it's time to understand that."
"You're not going to tell us, are you?" asked Ino flatly.
All three men shook their head.
"Well, guess I'll just relay all of this to Shikamaru," Ino said brightly, as Naruto launched Neji into the air and then sent him back down in a devastating combo.
The Hyuga crashed in a cloud of dust and earth, barely getting up on his feet before Naruto was on him.
"He's gotten so strong," said Choji in wonder. "To think he's come so far since the Academy."
"All it took was a good teacher," said Sakura, her eyes downcast. "Naruto's leaving us all behind…"
Neji seemed to be of the same mindset. "How?" he gasped out, desperately fending off another salvo of clones. "How are you beating me? You're nothing, you're a failure, how can you -"
Naruto was lost in the crowd by now. His clones only attacked, over and over again. Neji didn't move fast enough, and a kunai slashed through his calves, sending him down to one knee.
One of the many Naruto's strolled up to him, bloody sword in hand. "I might be a failure, but I don't hide behind fate because I'm too afraid to try and change things," he said, lifting his sword like an executioner. "I will achieve my dreams, no matter what."
Kiba whooped, but it changed to a cry of horror as Neji roared and lunged forward in one last blow, his palm slamming into Naruto's stomach. Naruto's face crumpled in pain and shock and Ino screamed in panic as well, watching Naruto's plan crumble in a single moment of laxness.
Naruto popped into a cloud of smoke. The sword in his hand did the same. The real Naruto put his sword to Neji's throat from behind, the sharp edge resting cleanly on the Hyuga's pale throat. Neji tiredly tried to bring his hands together for a substitution but two more clones leapt forward and slashed at his hands, making him cry out in pain.
"I guess I'll keep it short, then," said the Uzumaki, his voice even, as he raised the kunai in his other hand.
"Fuck fate."
The ring of the kunai came down on Neji's head, and the Hyuga prodigy crashed face forward into the ground. Silence fell around the arena as everyone tried to process what they'd just seen.
"Neji Hyuga is unable to continue. Winner: Naruto Uzumaki from the Leaf Village!"
And then Ino was screaming and shouting with the rest of the crowd, yelling herself hoarse as the barriers came down and a wave of sound swept over the arena and rolled over the blond standing victorious over his fallen enemy.
Author's notes: Holy fucking shit, another 10k+ chapter. Was this a hard chapter to write or what? I wanted to skip directly to the finals but I got so many comments about character interactions and people staying in character that I decided to push my writing skills and write more of that difficult stuff. I'm still agonising over my creative choices as well as some of my decisions here - canonplot and canonNaruto are both out of the window here, if you can't tell.
Why did I go this route? A. It actually is the proper military fallout. B. I needed something to actually bond the rookies together. Sure, missions and trickery are nice, but they needed, imo, something solid and real. More than that, a few conversations didn't feel right for someone as driven as Sasuke to change his entire worldview, and Sasuke is Naruto's (platonic) other half in this story. For them to lay down their dreams and lives for each other, it would take something big.
Hopefully I don't lose too many readers with this gambit. If you can't tell, there won't be any Konoha crush in this story, and Jiraiya got to the Kazekage before Orochimaru did. As for why Hiruzen was so harsh on Naruto, I've enumerated the reason but there is still another future plot in the works. Hint: it appears in the chapter.
With that out of the way, some quick notes and observations I made while I was writing this:
It is hard to get voices right for every character. People speak, think, act differently. Writing good, tight conversation is a struggle, and I still don't know if I managed it. Either way, I can only improve
I love the first bit of this story. If it isn't clear yet, I love writing about people around OP ninjas. Jiraiya and Shikaku just dropping in is one of my favourite things I've written yet
I'm unsure if I made the punishment scene and the bit after it too emotional/exposition heavy. I'd save it for later plot, but fanfiction is a bit by bit format. I balanced not blowing my load early with giving out enough to keep my readers. Sorry, I'm insecure T.T
The fight with Neji was agony to write. On the surface, the Hyuga abilities in part 1 are absolutely broken. Ultimate short range attacks, long range is useless against the Kaiten, the Sixty Four palms is the ultimate finisher unless you're a jinchuriki, which I didn't want to invoke. I went back and watched the fight and saw how close Naruto was getting - but I don't know if it's intentional, he's a very one dimensional attacker. His clones will both try an axe kick instead of going high and low, respectively. But he does get close to Neji several times. The difference here is time with Ebisu and none wasted trying to summon toads he won't use. So I thought about the shadow clone instead. Even without the recall ability, it is absolutely OP, as demonstrated. Hopefully I kept with the theme of the story in the principles of the fight. Did you like it? Let me know!
Also, I know revealing Naruto as Minato's son is a common trope, but I absolutely love it. As you read, I tried to be clever about it. Secrets in Konoha are strange. Everyone knows the S class stuff, but Naruto's not in a single Bingo Book outside Fire Nation? I tried to put my spin on this absurd logic. Jiraiya. Speaking of, I know Jiraiya hasn't had a chance to be pervy yet, but believe you me it'll come. Meanwhile, I hope you like his voice. I've always imagined this is how he trained Naruto in the gap years, trying to make him use his head.
So, why is Naruto using Fire Chakra when he is wind natured in this story? What jutsu (wink wink) could he possibly be trying to use if he's been training with Brosuke? How is Naruto going to beat Gaara without his toads if he gets to the semis? I'm gonna say it beforehand - with the Kazekage alive, I don't think Gaara's going to go full One Tails in the middle of Konoha. The fallout of the failed invasion will be explored more as well. How is Naruto going to survive his brokeness and soon to be homelessness?
One final question: I'll write Sasuke vs Gaara, but do you guys really want a rehash of Shikamaru vs Temari? Idk if I want to get into it again.
Hopefully you didn't hate this! Now more than ever please tell me what you think, even if you did. I will take all criticism and do my best to improve!
Quick edit: This is a rough chapter, but I want humour to be a major part of it going forward. I couldn't fit both humour and meaningful dialogue into this chapter without either cutting straight to the fight and ignoring the fallout, or flanderizing the characters. Besides, angst/romance/mystery or any of the others, don't really fit what I want. Normal service will resume, but it won't be unabashed laughs straight through the story.
Edit 2: I noodled around with some horror when I hit a roadblock with this chapter. I uploaded it as a new story on this profile, give it a look? Updates for that will be super sporadic, though, but I'd love some feedback!