Chapter 19
JUNE- 26 MONTHS
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"You need to focus your chakra into a singular point and then make it move into a line to take the shape of a thread. Imagine a needle, straight and sharp." Explained Orochimaru and Naruto grit her teeth in annoyance. Not because it wasn't working. No, she was annoyed because it was working- partly.
Jiraiya and Kakashi were amazing teachers, as was Kushina, however the three of them preferred the hands-off approach whereas Orochimaru preferred the hands-on approach.
Granted, it made learning a lot easier and faster however there were so many lessons to be taught when one had to find answers on their own and that made her appreciate the method her previous sensei's preferred.
Another reason for her annoyance was the fact that the hebi was teaching her when she specifically recalled Kushina and Jiraiya being her teachers.
She let out a groan of frustration when for the eleventh time she burst the ball she was using. Chakra control was not her strong point.
Orochimaru crouched down and looked at the ball with squinted eyes, "You are doing everything right…" his yellow eyes seemed to be dull yet as the same time they gleamed. She wasn't sure how he did it but he clearly did and that unnerved her more than his being less than half a metre away from her.
She shrugged her shoulders and looked to the burning ball, "I have a lot of chakra and its' corrosive as much as it is dense and vast. Inryo ninjutsu and genjutsu are things I'll never be able to do because of my crappy control but I think I make up for that pretty well with my ninjutsu, taijutsu, kinjutsu, kenjutsu and fuinjutsu. As well as my aptitude for senjutsu." she wasn't sure why she was explaining things to the hebi, most likely due to having her memories returned and she wasn't happy about it.
Life was so much easier when she could just hate him.
He placed a thumb under his chin as he hummed quietly. She looked over to see Shisui who was apparently having more success with his kenjutsu than she was with the chakra control exercise.
She looked back to Orochimaru when she heard him snap his fingers. "Come." With that one word he took a gentle yet firm grip of her upper arm and dragged her over to one of the trees in the training field. "Stay upside-down on one of the highest, sturdy branch and keep your hair and clothes on you. No dangling hair and no floppy clothing."
He folded his arms and Naruto withheld a sigh as she made her way up and did as he requested. It took a few moments for her to focus. Her clothes were easy enough however her hair was a slight issue as she had long hair- and lots of it.
She was so focused on her task at hand she was unable to pay much attention to her surroundings and only managed to dodge the kunai which came her way by Kurama forcing her to move.
Without losing concentration she started wide-eyed at Iruka who also had the dignity to look wide eyed with his mouth agape. Neither of them said a word and instead it was Orochimaru who snapped at the poor boy, "Watch your aim. You could kill an ally rather than an enemy like that." He paid no further attention to Iruka and instead focused solely on Naruto.
An hour later Naruto found her at the edge of her patience. She was bored but wasn't allowed to do anything else, that was until Orochimaru spoke up, "Now, come down for a short break then continue this exercise but with a twist."
Not bothering to ask what the twist was, she made her way down walking backwards as her own added twist before taking a seat and slowly eating the bento she had made in the morning.
Shisui and Iruka had been given a break at the same time as her and the three of them ate leaning against the tree she had been using for practise. They were silent until Shisui pointed out one of her seals, the new one she had done only recently after having returned from a B rank mission.
She recalled as a genin in her time genin weren't allowed to go on missions above C rank without proper training yet that rule apparently didn't apply to war time. Yet another thing she had made different during her reign as kage- short as it may have been.
It was an intricate seal to say the least. It started from her left wrist to her elbow and it allowed her to use clan techniques rather easily. That was, if she had the blood or chakra of someone who was in those clans. For example, if she had a sample of Shikaku's blood or chakra infused into the seal she would be able to use shadow manipulation.
Of course, after five uses the seal would disappear and she would have to go through the whole process all over again.
Once she had explained that to Shisui and Iruka, Orochimaru leaned over to take a closer look, causing the three of them to jump back at his sudden proximity. "An interesting seal. That is if you can manage to handle the overload of each technique."
Naruto scoffed before crossing her arms, "I won't be undone by something as stupid as overload. I won't try a jutsu I don't fully understand- however I fully know all the current clan jutsu's in Konoha and even a few outside the borders of Hi no Kuni."
'I call bullshit.' Grumbled Kurama and Naruto mentally slapped him. She couldn't exactly say she knew all clan jutsu's across the five nations as well as ones that hadn't been made yet.
Orochimaru raised a brow and leaned back slightly, a frown marring his face, "Jiraiya tells you too much."
This time Shisui and Iruka raised their brows and both said, "She just reads too much." Before going back to their meals.
Naruto puffed her cheeks out at them, it wasn't her fault she liked reading. No. Liked wasn't the correct word. She had spent two years as kage as well as her years in the Hunter Corps- so she had to read day-in and day-out in order to know everything about the five nations and keep up with the hokage's paperwork. Reading was soothing to her as it was part of her norm.
Deciding to ignore them she went back to her bento only to realise she had already finished it. She frowned, not recalling having finished it before sighing and packing it away. Taking her bottle out she drank a few gulps of water and cringed when she realised that in her haste she didn't smell it was sake.
She turned to glare at her two teammates who were pointedly not looking at her, failing miserably to conceal their amusement. She decided to kill their buzz, "I can't get drunk. Alcohol has no effect on me." she smirked as she watched their faces worked to scowls.
She straightened her back when she heard a hiss and looked up to see Orochimaru looking at her intently. She slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand, shaking her head at him. It was typically Orochimaru to get so intrigued about such things.
Just as she raised her head to retort she snapped her head over to where her mother was running over to them. She stopped just a meter away from them, chest heaving yet the red head paid it no mind as she thrust a piece of paper in Naruto's hand.
Naruto recognised the sheet of paper she was holding, even if it was very different to the one she had received in her own time. The thing that made it really obvious was the title.
CHUNIN EXAM APPLICATION FORM
Slowly she looking up at her jonin instructor, confusion marring her face as she wondered why she was the only one receiving a paper.
"Sandaime-sama and Jiraiya-sensei were discussing who was most qualified of the current generation for the upcoming chunin exams and we both nominated you." She explained hastily that Naruto had a hard time making sense of her elder.
"But why not Shisui and Iruka?" she asked, curious since they were practically studying the same things. Even if she didn't nominate Iruka just yet, at the very least Shisui had the capabilities to participate.
Kushina rubbed the back of her head with a nervous grin on her face, "There were several factors we bought up during the meeting and a few of the main ones were your aptitude in almost everything and the fact that you've had your first kill." Both girls saw the boys flinch at the memory, not that Naruto could blame them. After all, she had killed one of them by ripping his heart out of his chest.
Not a very pretty sight but a quick kill.
Kurama purred in her mindscape as he recalled all the people she had killed and she made a mental note to figure out how to get the bijuu therapy, because damn did he need it.
Frowning she looked back at the paper and the boys before looking at Kushina again, "I can't participate in the exam alone… who will I be paired up with?"
Kushina's eyes began to sparkle and if it hadn't been for the fact their backs were up against a tree, they would have gone back further. "Ebisu hasn't made it to chunin yet and I heard from a little birdy that Tsunade-sama will be bringing Shizune to the upcoming exam as well."
Naruto mouth opened slightly as her eyes widened slightly. "Lady Tsunade's coming back?"
Instead of Kushina replying, instead it was Orochimaru who was leaning against the side of the tree, reading a book that Naruto swore he got from her pocket, "Jiraiya managed to convince Tsunade-hime into coming home. At least for the exam. Whether or not she decides to stay depends on whether or not she can be convinced in doing so." For whatever reason, the hebi was looking very intently at Naruto, as if he knew something she didn't know he knew.
In fact, as of late, Orochimaru had been acting like that quite often. Ever since their mission in Shimugakure one month ago he seemed to be… friendlier. Of course Naruto still didn't like him very much yet she had been- and still was- willing to try.
She squinted suspiciously at him and simply received a very innocent look that didn't belong on the face of any of the sannin.
Naruto blinked as she regarded the form, deciding whether or not it was worth taking part in the exam. She was seven, the same age Kakashi had been when he became chunin- however she was technically older than that. With her current knowledge and capabilities she should be able to make it to the final exam even if she didn't make it to chunin. At the very least it would give her a good insight on the people partaking in the exams.
She nodded slowly, "I'll think a bit longer on this… where is the exam being held?"
"Here in Konoha. Since we are at war with the other nations each village will be holding their own chunin exam, since none will take the chance of losing their shinobi."
Naruto nodded as she recalled reading about such things during her kage training. It wasn't something her generation had been subjected to considering they had managed 14 years of peace by the time she had taken her first exam.
She turned to look at her two teammates, "You guys don't mind if I did tae the exam?" she wanted to be sure. There was no point in taking the exam if her friends didn't like the idea, she could always wait to take it with them.
Iruka just shrugged, "You're been given the option so why not?"
"Yeah, if it was I a foreign nation I might suggest not taking part, but since it's in Konoha there should be no problem. Besides, out of the hundreds that apply for the exams, only five or six maximum make it to chunin. There have also been times when no one has made chunin." Added Shisui and everyone stared at him as if he had grown a second head, a look he was sort of used to.
"You know…. Naruto I think the next time you go the library I may… possibly need to go with you. Being surrounded by you, Shisui, Kushina-sensei, Orochimaru-sama, Jiraiya-sama, Kakashi and ya' now, everyone else… it makes me feel quite dumb."
Naruto reached over and put her hand on his shoulder, as did Kushina, "Don't worry. Shisui just knows too much." Even Orochimaru nodded his head. Sure they all knew those things, but the fact that Shisui who at this stage has no business knowing this knew this merely proved the Uchiha liked reading more than he should.
Shisui's indignant yelling over how reading was important fell on deaf ears.
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Jiraiya raised a brow as he looked at Naruto. She was leaning over the living room table, glaring heatedly at the fuinjutsu scroll in front of her as if she planned on burning it.
Going over to his adoptive daughter he took a peak at the scroll and understood her frustration. Whilst he was nowhere near as good at fuinjutsu as Naruto, Minato or Kushina he was good enough to know that the seal in front of him wasn't going to work for whatever it was made to do.
Tilting his head to the side he also squinted at it, "What's it supposed to do?"
Naruto banged her head on the table hard enough to make him wince yet she seemed unfazed as she did it another two times, "I don't know! Iruka gave me this blasted thing yesterday and I still can't figure it out! It could be anything from an explosive to a freaking contraceptive for all I now?" she raised her arms in the air to show just how frustrated she was at it.
"Have you tried breaking down the layers?" he asked as he took a seat next to her, trying to help her make sense of the bloody thing.
She whimpered as she nodded, and Jiraiya was certain that if she had the mangekyo activated she would have burnt it with the amerterasu.
"I've tried braking it down and it just makes me even more confused." She pointed to the top right, "This part is a bomb-like explosive." She then pointed to the bottom right, "This is a smoke screen." The bottom left, "this part explodes itching powder." Top left, "This part forces water out." The centre, "And this part looks like a contraceptive! It's got so many parts to it that I don't get it!"
She growled in frustration and began to tug at her hair before Jiraiya patted her head, "Why not ask Iruka what it's supposed to do?"
The look she gave him made his inside want to melt as if he was a civilian. "He's with his mum in the hospital. Apparently she's caught a really bad virus from her espionage mission in Kusa, and is staying by her side as his dad is still out of the country."
Jiraiya nodded, he had heard about that. The whole thing was a cover up. The shinobi had all been poisoned with a slow deteriorating poison that eats at them from the inside. The first stages were mild and gave the person a temperature and a bad stomach with vomiting.
It was the main reason they had called Tsunade back, to help heal those who had been infected. Those who came into close quarters also caught it though no one could figure out how. Most likely Iruka visiting her was a cover for having also caught it so the girl would be able to focus on the upcoming exam.
"Hey, why don't you focus on your training rather than this seal? I'm sure Iruka wouldn't mind if you prioritised an exam over his homework."
He could see the hesitance in her eyes before she sighed in resignation and got out some scrolls from the side of the table, putting away Iruka's scroll for the time being.
Getting up he informed her he had to go and see Orochimaru before heading out to do just that, meeting his teammate where they had planned to meet up.
His dark haired teammate was leaning against the memorial stone as he awaited his teammate, turning only when Jiraiya was less than a meter away.
Jiraiya waited till Orochimaru reached into his pocket and took out a scroll, "Tsunade-hime has begun her mission in the village, however she is adamant that she will not be staying." He twirled the scroll in his hand and gave it to Jiraiya who simply placed it in his hiori.
"I found your three brats and have bought them to the village. They agreed to remain here as long as they could bring some of their friends with them. Sensei has agreed to allow them to remain in the village but it will be some time before they will be allowed to become shinobi. However they will be allowed to train." They both went over to a tree and climbed it to the centre when they sensed someone nearby. "As for Iwa… Onoki has been sending out Roshi and Han more often. I was in a meeting with sensei and the council and they are demanding both Kushina and Naruto to be sent on to the front lines to fight the other jinchuriki." Orochimaru raised his hands as Jiraiya released some KI, chuckling at his friends antics.
"Of course I managed to convince sensei and the council to hold off on that just yet- however only for Naruto. Kushina will still be expected to go onto the front lines but she won't be alone. I managed to convince them to allow both Minato and Mikoto to go with her. Minato being able to teleport to her immediately and Mikoto being generally capable of handling her best friend."
Jiraiya nodded as he fumbled with a branch, "Kumo has been sending out B a lot more as well, they have even found a new host for Nibi. A young girl called Yugito. From what I've been told, once this war is over B intends to train the girl to have full control over her bijuu." Jiraiya shrugged, the girl wasn't currently a threat and if they played their cards right, she would never become a threat.
"For Suna…. I've managed to convince the council to reconcile with them, creating a new treaty with the other nation. This time the treaty will be more than a neutral agreement. It'll hold benefits for both nations, and a marriage to solidify said agreement. Most likely if Suna agrees, young Temari who was just born recently will be married to Asuma considering he is the closest of age. That is if they decide to rush things. If they decide to simply allow the prospect of marriage to draw the girl would be able to choose her own husband."
Jiraiya shivered as he thought about what Naruto's reaction would be if he told her this. She was a firm believer that Temari and Shikaku's none existent son- Shikamaru- were soulmates that were only meant for each other. He also recalled Naruto saying something about Asume having a kid with Kurenai, the red eyes genjutsu mistress he had met a few months previously.
"Any word on Kiri?" asked Orochimaru.
"So far, they don't have a jinchuriki. The previous two jinchuriki are both dead however if rumours are to be trusted then Yagura will be made a jinchuriki as will Utakata. Yagura is currently participating in the war however Utakata is simply a candidate since he's only a child."
"He may be a child but he is from Kirigakure, they should not be underestimated." The two carried on talking about things they had found out for a few hours before Jiraiya decided it was time they went back to their homes.
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