Chapter 18: Prepare for the Exams!

  AN

  Remastered: Not in love with this chapter. It isn't poorly written unlike the earlier ones but it's all over the place. If I was doing outright rewrites I'd add some more meat to the scenes, but as it was merely made it as smooth as transitional chapter as possible. Hope you enjoy~!

  Naruto's POV ((Timeskip Three Months) - Hyuga District - Hidden Leaf)

  Rarely would a soul witness a truly exhausted Naruto. His mother often said it was due to being both a jinchuriki and Uzumaki, both being known for their superior stamina. However he had simply been worked to the bone as of late. Once they had arrived home and been given time to rest, Kakashi had come into his house late at night. He quickly restrained Naruto and walked out the front door, kidnapped from his own damn home. His mother had merely smiled and asked that he be fed. So much for mothers being protective!

  Late at night, Naruto had barely been awake before Kakashi had dropped him in their training field. An equally bemused duo of Kakashi's held both Ino and Neji as well. Then he had simply said with his normal casualness that they were going on a training trip for two months and two weeks. Naruto remembered Ino's despair when she looked at Naruto and Neji. However, like Naruto, Neji was smiling and nodding. Naruto felt terrible for leaving her hanging on it. But all that time focused on training? How could he pass that up? They had all stretched as the academy had taught them before a heavy workout. Before Kakashi told them to run around the village wall. Not when to stop or how fast to run. The group, knowing better than to question sensei, had done so.

  Oh, it had been quite the mistake. Ten laps around the village, Kakashi showed no sign of stopping them. Naruto's infamous stamina held, but even after her growth, Ino ran behind. Naruto had attempted to help her like before. Before Kakashi had warned him off. As such, Naruto watched as they struggled. Five laps later, Neji's brisk jog had become a sagging stomp. Naruto himself was breathing heavily as well. Ten laps later, the three all collapsed. Naruto and Ino cursed at Kakashi breathlessly. If only he had known, he would get it worse from there. He had given them what seemed like ten seconds of rest before he quickly ordered them to their feet.

  Naruto could only describe what happened next as a bone-crushing beating. Kakashi had engaged all three and beat them around with even more ease than normal. As always he allowed them to attempt to hit him or counter-attack, but it would never land. Merely be countered with machine-like precision. Usually, he would go until he got tired or surrendered. But on this day, he held no such rules. If they collapsed or tried to quit, he would merely continue the fight. Only stopping once the three were fully grounded and unable to move. He had given them some bentos at this point and let them eat peacefully.

  Eventually, once they were rested, he tested their elemental affinities and started their practice for the elements. Neji had been earth and showed immediate prowess for it; Ino had been water and was struggling with the exercise due to insufficient chakra. Kakashi, seeing this, has her tree walk until she is unable to continue. Finally, Naruto has wind. Naruto had tried to demand to learn a jutsu, but instead, Kakashi had him holding leaves onto his body, using chakra to build his control. Warning that wind jutsu required precise chakra control.

  The trip lasted days, each harder than the last, and each crammed full of training. Some absurd exercise till they nearly passed out, followed by vicious sparring against the Jounin, finally ending with some targeted exercise for the three. Days became weeks, and weeks became months. In time, the three could feel their growth. Critical flaws of the bunch were ironed out. To Naruto, it was clear they were on another level. So when Kakashi informed them to spend a week relaxing, he did so happily. Neji often missed their get-togethers and this time was no different, leaving the blondes on their lonesome. Naruto would never admit it, but he preferred it usually. Ino had quickly become one of his most favorite people. She could have fun, was supportive, funny, and certainly attractive. Apparently, Mom loved her as well. Seemingly gushing whenever he brought her up. But clamming up when he asked why she cared so much.

  Ino and Naruto approached the Side House building where Neji lived. They had a team meeting, but once the Hyuga had failed to report, Kakashi asked them to go grab him.

  The Hyuga were widely considered the largest, most prestigious, and powerful clan of the Leaf. They were once rivalled by the Uchiha, but now that their main challenge was missing in action they had risen to the top unopposed. So rich were the Hyuga they now owned an entire district of the Leaf. All private property of theirs they did as they pleased with. The Side House was dutifully set up to guard and work the place daily. Making even visiting the Hyuga quite the hassle. Luckily they were known teammates of Neji's, allowing them easy enough access.

  The guard at the front gate asked for their names, recorded them, and asked them to remove their weapons. Naruto had almost rebelled before Ino had hugged his arm and swayed him to hand over his tanto. Naruto smiled lightly as they walked in, silently missing the contact from his teammate. He had been truly blessed with his team so far. Kakashi might be a weirdo, but he had shown himself to be a good sensei. Naruto could feel the difference in strength even now. Neji, while initially someone who infuriated him, had become something else. They, indeed, weren't best friends, but they got along. They still bickered constantly, but now Naruto never felt earnest malice towards him. He liked to believe Neji held none, either. Yet, his greatest surprise had been the blooming friendship between him and Ino. They had gotten along initially due to their uniting against Neji. Afterward, they became friends and were relatively friendly toward each other.

  But recently something had changed, though; it wasn't something Naruto could put his finger on. But during the training, the friendship between the two seemed frictionless. Being around each other as much as they were, the two's comradery had grown. The two spend their resting hours talking. Naruto had never realized it, but Ino had been subtly holding back personality wise. She may be friendly and social, but he hadn't noticed that she kept it impersonal. She never mentioned much about herself or dived too deep into conservation. Now, she is more willing. Often beforehand, Naruto had been the one to engage. He was a rather talkative guy, after all. But now Ino seemed to seek him on occasion. She even seemed to enjoy herself around him. He had been fearful she would treat him differently. Either hatefully or with pity. It was what he expected after his secret had been revealed. But things had remained the same, in fact even better!

  Shikamaru's POV (Team Eight's Training Ground - Hidden Leaf Village)

  Shikamaru had a rule that he tried not to worry too much. Often, worrying about things provided no relief or gain in knowledge, so it was simply not worth his time. Yet, with the Chunin Exams coming up, he knew his goose was cooked. He had always been unremarkable in his books. But one noisy teacher tricking him into taking an IQ test had ruined that for him. With his two teammates being powerful and competent, paired with his "inherent leadership ability," his team was almost sure to participate in the exams. His hopes were further crushed when Asuma started running them into the ground. The man was nearly as lazy as he, if they were training hard it was because Asuma thought they needed it. Life could be a drag.

  "Pineapple?" A voice interrupted his misery. He looked up to see Sai facing him. A Plastic smile locked onto his face as always.

  "Pineapple? Are you trying to roast me or something?" Shikamaru asked lazily.

  "Not quite. My book here says that nicknames can help friends grow closer," Sai said, holding up a book titled "Making Friends for Dummies!"

  Shikamaru sighed, attempting for a moment to ignore his problems. He tried anyway, and when it didn't work, he attempted the doomed effort of explaining this to the naive Sai: "Can it at least be a better one?"

  "Sorry, Pineapple, but the book says that the target disliking it can be even better." Sai apologized. "It means we have progressed to friendly banter!"

  "Pineapple it is!" Tenten chimed in, sitting next to the Nara. "Wanna argue about it?"

  "My life is such a drag."

  Yuno's POV (Team Nine's Training Ground - Hidden Leaf Village)

  Yuno smiled happily as she watched her two teammates spar. Her team had come a long way. The fight between Naruto and Neji had been brutal. It had made it abundantly clear that they were behind. Neji was to be expected; he had always been a genius. But Naruto was shocking. Shocking enough to where Yuno had wanted to play with him a bit. Ino, of course, had vetoed this. But afterward, her team seemed to have a fire in them. Choji was determined to show that he, too, could be a powerful shinobi. Muttering about being tired of watching Naruto win? Shino simply seemed to dislike his friends outclassing him. So, the two had trained like demons. Yuno, ever the good teammate, had matched their efforts. After all, it fit her purpose to become Chunin. And in the process, she would meet many more interesting shinobi. But more than anything, she wanted to see Neji. Seeing him cut loose as he had that night had caught her attention. His typically cold and unflappable persona simply made it more appealing. She always preferred them to be a bit more complicated.

  Lee's POV (Team Ten's Training Ground - Hidden Leaf Village)

  Lee continued what seemed to be an endless assault on the training post before him. Gai was often known as a task masker but recently doubled their efforts. Lee had never truly minded; Youth rewarded hard work. But his teammates had seemed less willing. Lee had faith in Gai's methods and had assured them of such. Being a bit temperamental, Kiba attempted to get through it all using nothing more than spite. And to his credit, it had worked to several degrees. Sakura had met it head-on, and they had increased the amount they could train using her healing. It's not the most brilliant idea, admittedly. Gai had merely worked this into training to get them even more mileage. Gai had decided to give the two weights similar to what he and Lee used. The two had significantly struggled and were free of them for the first time in three months. The two had seemed doubtful but, upon removing them, had shown a devastating level of speed. Not faster than Lee, but now their Youth shined. Lee had no doubt they would ace whatever problems lay ahead. After all, they were still at the pinnacle of Youth.

  Neji's POV (Hyuga Manor - Hidden Leaf Village)

  Neji's plan to make up with and influence Hinata was doubtlessly working to some degree. In the months he had to train her, she had grown considerably. Her Gentle Palm taijutsu allowed her to now even trade blows with him. Briefly, but considering his considerable strength, it was expected. What hadn't been expected was for Hinata to grow in other ways. She had created some techniques to bridge the gap, as it were. Her confidence had grown as well. She had stuttered less and now even fought earnestly against her sister.

  Neji flinched as Hinata launched Hanabi across the room with a palm strike. Much more earnestly, he supposed. It appeared even the ever-gentle Hinata could hold a grudge. And years of the younger woman mocking and beating her had done it. To her credit, the fifteen-year-old girl raced to her feet. She looked awfully like Hinata. Though with longer hair and fiercer eyes was enough to tell the two apart. Unlike Hinata, she wore the garb of the main house, making her appear somewhat above the older woman. Yet despite her normal snide and arrogant behavior, she could do little more than a desperate retreat from the new and improved Hinata. Each strike was slapped back. Punished with a finger jab here and there.

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  It was surprising how far Hinata had gone with support. Trying certainly, he was simply used to conducting himself harshly. Often leading to him snapping toward her. Hinata was ever forgiving but seemed doubtful of the arrangement. But upon earning the woman's trust, she had sprouted. Still over-polite and meek. But now powerful in her own right. Hanabi seemed to lose balance for a second before Hinata swept her legs from beneath her. Hanabi cried out in pain and held her leg. Neji raised an eyebrow at this. The chances she had been hurt from that kick seemed low. Before he could ponder this more, Hinata ran to her sister, worriedly checking on her. Even in her anger, she wished no ill will on her sister. Before she could even ask if she was okay, Hanabi, like a snake, struck forward with all her weight and a palm thrust. Hinata's head snapped back as blood flew from her nose. Leaving her open to a crushing kick to the ribs, sending her flying back. Neji dashed in between the two before Hanabi could capitalize.

  "What is the meaning of this? You may be my sensei, but your still-"

  "Lady Hanabi, it was a taijutsu sparring match. Feigning an injury should be saved for serious fights or full spars." Neji interrupted simply.

  Hanabi looked, thinking of a response, before growling and heading for the door. As she did, it opened, and a large Hyuga walked in. She backed up, allowing him entry, and immediately stood beside him with a smile. The man stood easily seven feet tall, garbed in the Main House robe. He had no eyebrows and a buzz cut. He was sneering cruelly, and Neji knew there would be an issue.

  "In case you don't know, servant, my name is Hirat Hyuga. Unlike yours, my blood is pure, Main House. Which is why I am confused? Side Branch is beneath us, yet they are talking back to the heir." The man's excitement seemed to drip from his voice. "Guess I'll have to show you what happens when you don't play your role!"

  Hinata gasped and called. "P-Please don't hurt him!"

  Neji, being experienced, quickly removed his headband and put it in his mouth. It would ensure he wouldn't bite off his tongue during the event. The man roared angrily as he formed the hand sign. Neji didn't remember falling or screaming; it was merely the feeling of his every fiber being lit a flame. His vision started to black out as he howled, his voice hoarse. Somehow, in the chaos, he could hear the screams of Hinata begging the man to stop and the laughter of Hinabi. It soon turned into Hinata attempting to rush the large man but was blindsided by a chakra strike from Hanabi to her legs.

  "Sorry, sister, but this is happening!" Hanabi said with a cruel smirk.

  "Naruto Spear!" His friend voice suddenly boomed cutting through the chaos.

  A blur of Naruto flew by, a flight path not unlike a spear. Both of his fists smashed into Hirat's face. Naruto roared angrily as he poofed away, revealing a clone that had hit the man. Hirat flew back and into the wooden wall with an audible crunch. Caving it in slightly as he slid down it. The man angrily crawled to his feet as two shinobi walked into the room. His face was now covered in blood from a gash on his head.

  "Who the hell are you to hurt my friend?" Naruto yelled furiously as he sneered at the man.

  "Hirat! Now die, peasant!" Hirat called as he charged forward. Neji, still grounded, flinched as he witnessed Naruto effortlessly slam a knee into the older man's face. Ino seemingly decided to back the blonde up. Following up with a power roundhouse to the large man's face. The man flew back, and Hanabi charged forward towards Ino. The two briefly traded attacks before Ino threw the more petite women into the broken wall. Roars sounded as two more main house members flew in, hearing the commotion. Met quickly by a squad of Shadow Clones. Naruto roared angrily as Hirat snuck in a jab to his ribs. Naruto had lowered his guard while summoning clones. The blonde ate the blow however, smashing him back with a hard elbow. The two engage in a flurry of counters and dodges. Ino dodges a flurry of palm thrusts from Hanabi before she aims a finger at Hinabi. This somehow makes the young girl stumble low to the ground, allowing a knee to smash into her face. She flew back from the blow. Ino's original jutsu was scary with its speed and lack of hand signs. It was liable to catch most off guard. Neji shook his head as the shock faded. He needed to break this up! Neji crawled to his feet, testing his muscles. The two main Housers just about dived into the fray. Having finally bested the clones summoned. Before the brawl could truly kick off, Neji appeared in the center of the room, spinning silently.

  "Kaiten." The technique had grown twice as large after his training. Filling the room and separating the combatants painfully. They all rose and glared at each other. "Enough to behave yourselves like adults." He chided.

  "Bold of you to chide those you serve." A voice cut through the noise. Hiashi Hyuga, the leader of the Hyuga, walked in calmly. "Do you perhaps need a lesson?" He walked into the room. He and Neji could've been twins. Yet his father had died for this man.

  "Now, that would be bold of you, best friend." Kakashi is somehow interjected behind the clan head, with an arm around Hiashi. "After all, I'm known to kill people who hurt my cute little Genin."

  "Cute isn't the word I would use for these brutes." Hiashi countered, spinning to face the man. The room grew silent as the two influential men faced off.

  "Interesting, when your men attempted to gang up on Genin, suggest you Hyuga are the brutes. Though the fact that my cute little Genin gave them a run for their money suggests you aren't very good brutes." Kakashi countered with a false friendly tone.

  "It seems to me that our Neji overstepped. I can appreciate you all not understanding the relationship. But Neji belongs to the Hyuga to serve our whims. For him to disrespect my daughter is shameful." Hiashi said calmly as he stepped closer to Kakashi. The two met mere inches away from each other. Their subordinates were silent as they faced off. At some unseen sign, the two started to release an intense killer intent. Making the room of shinobi flinch at the powerful aura of the two Jounin.

  "One mistake there, Hiashi-san. He is, above all, a soldier of the Leaf. Which the Hyuga are in service of. All to say, that we have the final say. I am his higher-up, and we are equal in rank. I need him for a meeting; if you have a complaint, you can file it." Kakashi said simply as he gently shoved Neji towards Naruto and Ino.

  "Ya screw you, bastards! If I catch you doing that again, I'll kick your ass!" Naruto roared.

  "Ya, who the hell do you think you are?" Ino added defiantly.

  "Tell your Genin to hold their tongue, Kakashi," Hiashi stated, and his Byakugan was activated with a scowl. Kakashi exposed his Sharingan.

  "I told you how this is going. You have no legal right to deny it. You know full well you want this over with. You can't afford the attention. Too fearful of the barbaric seal you use being outlawed once someone looks closely at the cruelty. The last thing you need is someone with my sway as an enemy. You'll live to regret it if you do." Kakashi said as if offering the man candy.

  "You truly intend to make an enemy of the Hyuga?"

  "If I gotta!" Kakashi said happily. Hiashi glared for a second longer before holding up his hand and signaling his men to fall back for now. They all fell in line behind him. Hanabi stood at his side, seemingly ready for more combat.

  "Take him and remove yourselves from this premises. I will warn you once you stay out of Hyuga affairs." Hiashi silently warned.

  "You wretched shinobi were fortunate to escape Hiashi-san's wrath—" Hirat didn't finish as Hiashi casually shoved his hand towards him, somehow sending him through the wall.

  "I will remember this Kakashi Hatake." He vowed as he and his men left. Leaving the unconscious body of Hirat behind. Kakashi waited until he was sure they were in the clear.

  "Let's go have our meeting, shall we?" he asked merrily. The three sighed. Kakashi had proven himself to be quite the sensei, but he was still an oddball.

  Yahiko's POV (Akatsuki Headquarters - Hidden Rain Village)

  In a large, dark, and eerie cave stood three people calmly. Each is garbed in the cloaks of the fearsome Akatsuki. The one in the middle was the tallest of the three; he had short, spiky, orange hair. Brown eyes that seemed to gaze confidently into the void. To his left stood a nervous-looking man with shoulder-length red hair. A large bang covered half his face. He had purple eyes with rings throughout that seemed to almost glow. And to the man's right stood a woman with purple hair reaching to her shoulders, a purple paper flow pinned in it. She had serious orange eyes that scanned the area studiously. The three were the leaders of the Akatsuki. Yahiko, the Kage of the Village Hidden in the Rain. Known for his fiery passion, he overthrew Hanzo. Defeating him in one-on-one combat. Konan is an advisor to Yahiko and often the voice of reason for the group. Finally came Nagato, the right-hand man of Yahiko and the rumored muscle of three. Using his powerful Rinnegan, he seemed unbeatable. Together, they had brought the Rain out of the wartorn state they had been in. But now Yahiko had been preparing a plan. A plan with global consequences.

  "Hmm, Konan, when will the others be calling in?" Yahiko asked patiently.

  "It'll be soon. I will warn you before they arrive." She replied.

  "I still don't understand why we brought them on. Most of them are despicable people." Nagato said worriedly.

  "There is no doubt about that, but it isn't something I'd worry about. I have a plan to change everything," Yahiko declares happily.

  "You intend us to do something about the world as a whole? Is this about the peace Jiraiya had taught us about?" Konan asked.

  "A bit, but peace requires sacrifice. Jiraiya intends to achieve peace simply through good intentions. We shall achieve it by paying the necessary cost. But first, we require power." Yahiko retorted.

  "I'm assuming this is why you had my order, Juzo, and Kisame, on that mission? It is risky to potentially make an enemy of the Leaf. We know better than most just how murderous they can be." Nagato said with a raised eyebrow.

  "Of course, we warned them to not take any significant risk. Even if the Leaf classifies us as marked men, they have no clue about our location in Ame. Besides, it may prove necessary for what I have in mind." Yahiko explained.

  "They will be arriving soon, Yahiko. It is time to leave unless you intend to expose yourself as the leader?" Konan asked.

  "No, as a Kage, there can be no trail leading to The Village Hidden in the Rain and the Akatsuki. Have them garner funds, at least for now. Our next move will come soon. First, I need to prepare some things." Yahiko stated as his body flickered away.

  "Remember Nagato, you can't afford to show your vulnerable side. You are arguably the strongest shinobi in the world. Act above it all; these types only respect power." Konan offered. As she finished, various forms beamed in. All prepared to listen to the man who had defeated them all before.

  Naruto's POV (Team Seven's Training Ground - Hidden Leaf Village)

  Naruto, Ino, and Neji sat against trees as Kakashi stared them down. They all knew their sensei was a unique man, often having his own thought process and quirks. Truthfully, the three were not sure what to expect but knew to be on guard.

  "Well, the time has come… it's time to decide if you'll join the Chunin Exams…" Kakashi started happily. Ignoring the excited cheers of the three at the news. He had intended to ask them. But it seemed all three were keen on testing themselves and growing stronger. He was not surprised they seemed so instantly keen. It seems Team Seven would make their introduction to the world as rookies.

  Jiraiya's POV (Nearby Kazekage's Manor - Hidden Sand Village)

  Jiraiya was often a busy man. It seemed to always be the case these days. While some preferred to kick back, Jiraiya preferred to get things done… and kick back! See, some dreaded the cruel, hot desert. For good reason, Jiraiya knew plenty about those who had perished in the sun. If only they knew what he knew however. The Hidden Sand was full of beautiful women! He supposed technically he was heading to enemy turf. The Village Hidden in the Sand, we're allies of the Leaf. But his sources here whispered of unrest due to the Leaf "scalping customers." But in the shinobi business, you didn't go off mere conjecture. Underneath the underneath, as it were. Truthfully, it was merely the nature of the Sand to struggle a fair bit. Throughout his years, they always had. But the struggle had formed a hardy people. They are known for their powerful wind jutsu, dangerous poisons, and unique puppet users.

  Jiraiya watched as he walked through the village, noticing but ignoring the two squads of Sand Anbu trailing him. Earnestly, he thought they were arrogant enough to send only two. But it mattered little since he was here for diplomacy. His guide led him into Raza's office. The two stared at each other intently as the guide quietly excused himself. Jiraiya subtly took a deep breath, smoothing his nerves. Rasa was an intelligent and shrewd man. He respected formality and loyalty. Neither of which Jiraiya could offer the man. He would have to do a bit of a balancing act to convince him to solidify the alliance. A bit of the carrot and stick.

  "Rasa! My old buddy!" He roared as if across the building and not a mere room. He saw the man subtly sigh. Right, so far.

  "Jiraiya, it is shocking to see a legend like yourself conduct yourself like a fool."

  "I know when to play it straight, Kazekage. I just prefer to start things lightly."

  "You arrive in my village unannounced. Do you realize you are a walking security risk? Do not waste my time here, Sage."

  "So you're worried about me?" Jiraiya asked with some mirth. By the quick scowl, Rasa showed he was going in the wrong direction. "Alright, my bad, Kazekage-sama. I'm here to offer you a new contract for our alliance."

  "Why should we update our alliance? We are still foreign entities to each other, and we would gain relatively little." Rasa countered.

  "Well, we certainly are two separate nations. But we have years of cooperation under our belt at this point. Furthermore, don't you think gaining a little show muscle for upcoming events could be valuable?" Jiraiya asked.

  "You are hosting them; it would be only for the Leaf's gain." Rasa retorted, his voice showing his impatience. Before he suddenly grew a smile of his own, " unless, of course, you knew something I didn't. Otherwise, why even offer? You're well aware of my attitude and would know I wouldn't bite on that."

  Jiraiya mentally flinched. Rasa caught on quickly. "Correct you are! They are discussing holding it in the Land of Iron."

  "Samurai…" Rasa said quietly. "They won't tolerate nonsense and are quite formidable themselves. With the other villages being forced to behave there, subtle threats like an alliance are ideal. Especially since it would put pressure on the others to join it."

  "So, do you accept?" Jiraiya asked.

  "Fine, I will accept; little risk and decent benefits. I'm assuming he'll send a draft?" Rasa asked. Jiraiya tossed him an envelope. "Leaf shinobi are always too confident for their own good. I will resend the agreement with any changes I need. Remove yourself from my village now, Jiraiya. My Anbu is on edge. Also, remember," The room is filled with golden blades surrounding the Sannin. "Warn us next time you wish to visit, please."

  "Sure thing, just had to ask," Jiraiya said with a smile. Body flickering away confidently.

  "I hate that man." Rasa muttered as he got back to his work.

  AN

  Remastered: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed such reading, and if you did or didn't maybe offer some feedback. Hope your doing okay! Also happy to see remastering the early chapters have seemed to effect things. Makes it a lot easier to retain readers when your first few chapters aren't full of grammar and continuity errors lol. Peace~!