NHRK Chapter 56

“So it begins,” Naruto murmured into the air.

He watched as the teams sent by each village entered the village gates. Some were familiar. Others were not.

There were now additional groups from Kiri. Many of the genins Naruto did not know, but Chojurou was the leader of a cell that seemed to consist of the strongest Kiri had to offer.

He was excited to see Mei again, but couldn’t focus on it now that he was a proctor for the exams.

Even with his expanded senses, somehow Orochimaru hid his presence well.

He was like a snake, truly and utterly. Slithering past his guard like a silent predator.

It was of no matter, for the moment he showed his head, Naruto would be there to decapitate it.

“Naruto-sama,” Haku said as she appeared from behind him. “The Suna team has arrived.”

Naruto nodded and smiled.

He missed his old friend Gaara, and knew that he was currently suffering from the effects of insomnia. He couldn’t imagine the pain he was going through.

“I understand,” Naruto said, “I’ll go over and check.”

Naruto hopped off the rooftop he was on and started to casually walk towards the direction where he felt the Suna Jinchuuriki was. It was obvious to him as the red-haired boy’s chakra flared like the sun compared to that of regular shinobi’s. The gift and curse of the jinchuuriki’s. So hard to hide oneself but so intimidating to approach.

Naruto hopped onto a tree where he saw Gaara standing upside down from the branch of another tree a distance away.

He saw, funnily, that the interaction of his old world played out here as well as Konohamaru was running away from Ino, instead of Sakura, and bumped into the back of Kankuro.

With the face paint and the weird body shaped wrapped object on his back, Kankuro made an intimidating figure to most youngsters. Yet Konohamaru being Konohamaru, only took a step back and threw an insult at him.

Kakuro picked the brat up by the scruff of his shirt before Ino caught up to them.

“Hey!” She said, “Let him down! He’s mine to deal with!”

“Haaahhh?” Kankuro snarled, “And who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?”

Ino paused in her step, looking at Kankuro up and down before meeting his eyes once more, unimpressed by what she saw.

Kankurou looked irritated whilst Tenmari stood by his side, narrowing her eyes at the platinum-haired leaf-kunoichi.

“You should be careful in making enemies before the exam even starts,” Tenmari warned.

Ino glanced at her and gave her a once over as well, looking just as unimpressed.

“As if you two are a threat,” another voice said as a pink-haired, tall girl joined Ino’s side. “Also that’s the Hokage’s grandson, so do be careful of what you do.”

Kankurou blinked, before looking gleeful. “Wow, you’re a drop dead hottie. Didn’t know Konoha makes women as pretty as you.”

Sakura narrowed her eyes as Kankurou held out a poisoned needle to Konohamaru’s neck.

…Before finding his arm twisted in a direction it should not be able to go as Sakura, faster than the two siblings could see, broke his arm and retrieved the nervous bundle of the Hokage’s grandson.

“AArrhggghh!” Kakurou screamed as Naruto winced.

“Kankurou,” a chilling voice permeated the air. “Do not embarrass us.”

Kankurou immediately ceased his screaming as he bit his tongue.

Gaara was an even more intimidating figure than Kakurou, with bloodshot deadly eyes that stared into one’s soul.

He turned those deadly eyes at Sakura. “You, what is your name?”

Sakura only blinked as she walked over the Kankuro, slower in her approach this time.

The suna-nin looked like he was about to attack but found that he could not move, even when he was trying to command his body to do so. It was like someone was interfering with his brain signals…literally. His eyes shot towards the smirking platinum haired girl.

Tenmari, too, was helpless to the clan technique.

Sakura casually reset Kakurou’s arm to how it was supposed to be. Kakurou couldn’t even scream from the lack of body control despite feeling the immense pain from her actions.

Then Sakura healed him. It took three seconds before there wasn’t even a scratch on him.

Sakura then walked back the other direction before she turned to Gaara once more.

“My name is unimportant, I’m going to beat you all anyway,” Sakura stated as if it were fact.

Kankurou and Tenmari knew that from her actions just then alone, she fully meant it…and was likely able to do so if Gaara wasn’t in this exam…

“Shit…” Kankurou said as he felt his body moving again. “Looks like we found Konoha’s monsters. We’ve gotta look out for those two.”

Tenmari nodded, a bit miffed at being shown up. She was widely regarded as the most promising Kunoichi in the recent history of Suna, and she would prove it in this exam. She’d underestimated the girls in front of her, thinking that they were the same as the no-names back at home. She was wrong.

She would not make the same mistake again.

“Kankuro, Tenmari, let’s go,” Gaara commanded. He, too, knew who to seek. He had new targets, and mother would not be happy if he let them go.

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Ibiki Morino’s mind game of an exam eliminated about half of the genin teams, as was expected. The man was an expert in mental manipulations.

After Anko’s bodacious entrance–he says that from the force of her personality, not the shaking of her…assets–the genins were ready to begin the second part of the exam.

So begins his watch.

Naruto smiled into the air as he stood up from the tree.

He had his eyes set on one Kusa team in particular, with a member that just seems slightly off, though not yet confirmed to be Orochimaru.

He was patient. He would wait.

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His tongue flicked out to wet his lips.

It was a good day for one Orochimaru to begin his hunt. His devious plans and exalted purposes. True immortality was just at the tip of his tongue. He could taste it.

All he needed was a vessel suitable for his strength.

Kabuto had done his job well. His intel provided Orochimaru with the knowledge on precisely when and where he should strike.

First of all, he needed to rid the exam of its proctor.

Luckily for him, the proctor was none other than Anko Mitarashi, his former pupil. A foe whose tricks he’d already known and seen–he taught her of them, afterall.

His chuckle rang like a mixture of hisses and ‘kukuku’s.

He sniffed the air, or rather tasted it with his tongue, and got a sense of where this little wayward student of his was.

He made his way towards her.

It didn’t take long for him to reach her. She was atop a tree branch, looking below to observe the examinees. Little did she know that she was being observed herself, like an oblivious prey to a snake ready to strike.

Orochimaru contemplated playing with his food.

It was a day of celebration, after all, so he had no reason not to. He enjoyed squeezing the life out of his prey, especially one who escaped from the effects of his cursed seal.

That annoying Uzumaki woman was a formidable foe for a reason.

It did not matter. In the end, he would deal with this loose end today.

He struck, speed blistering.

Anko couldn’t even react before he had a Kunai to her throat.

From her sharp intake of breath and the adrenaline Orochimaru could taste coursing through her, she definitely didn’t see it coming.

“Hello my student,” he whispered into her ear.

“Fuck you,” she retorted as Orochimaru felt that she began channeling her chakra.

It was measly compared to his own.

He chuckled. “Kukukuku, don’t bother, little Anko, you are no match for me.”

A bright flash of yellow light then startled him.

“But I am,” a newcomer’s voice said.

Orochimaru could barely react to the new presence before he felt his face being caved in by a bandaged fist.

He flew through the air, crashing through multiple trees before landing in a small crater on the ground.

“Welcome home, Orochimaru,” the same voice said, “this time, we won’t let you leave.”

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Sarada scoffed as she handed over another exam scroll to Sakura.

The now stupidly pretty pink-haired kunoichi giggled.

“I do not see why people would keep targeting us like this,” Hinata muttered, almost sounding defeated.

“Stupidity, that’s why,” Sarada answered.

Sakura rolled her eyes and began to heal the latest bout of…overeager participants of this exam. She would leave them unconscious of course, but alive. Naruto had explained to them that there was no point in needless death, especially for shinobi’s right at the start of their careers, future enemies or not.

“I know you’re frustrated at not getting tougher opponents, Sarada,” Sakura spoke up from her work, “but do try to take it easy on these guys. No need to work up your frustrations on genin.”

“I don’t know if you realised, Sakura, but we are also currently genin,” Sarada argued back, “all is fair.”

Sakura scoffed. “We are far from mere genin, Sarada, just like Naruto-kun is far from a mere jonin.”

Sarada scowled even harder at that.

Sakura knew why. Even from the strength she’d gained from her new body and the constant chakra growth from laying with Naruto, she could not help but feel that she is barely even closer to him in strength than she was in her previous self. He was a mountain insurmountable, a sun that outshined the distant stars.

“We must be patient, Sarada-chan,” Hinata added, helping to calm Sarada down, “we will get there eventually.”

“I doubt it,” Sarada said, “but we’ll get close enough. Close enough to be useful to him.”

“You know that Naruto-kun doesn’t like that word,” Hinata scolded.

Sarada rolled her eyes. “Useful. Right. I won't say it again, mom.”

Hinata only looked cross for a moment longer before she started giggling to herself.

Sarada and Sakura joined in, too.

Then they all sensed the danger incoming before they scattered, each in different directions as a tidal wave of sand tried to engulf them.

“Mother…” a voice rang in the air as they landed in battle-ready stances. “She thirsts for your blood.”

“Great, the one guy Naruto told us not to engage,” Sakura said in return.

Sarada only had a glint in her eye that said she wasn’t going to listen.

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Orochimaru instantly knew that whoever this was, he would have to pull out all the stops.

In just a moment, a flash of yellow set his plans haywire.

He knew that flash.

He knew that jutsu.

He did not expect Kushina Uzumaki to take in a protege and trust him enough to teach him this.

He scowled.

“Rise,” he choked out, his broken jaw stinging.

A hand sign to accompany it and three coffins rose up.

Naruto hadn’t seen Orochimaru’s fight with Hiruzen in his world–he was far too busy dealing with Gaara–so he didn’t know what the old snake was trying to do.

He realised too late, then, as he was checking up on Anko and the distance Orochimaru had been sent, that the coffins gave out the sensation of trapped souls. His Uzumaki senses were blaring.

Edo Tensei.

Used in such a disgusting manner.

A flash of red blared by his side and it was none other than his own mother who was beside him.

“It has started then?” Kushina asked.

“Sooner than I expected,” Naruto muttered.

“It doesn't matter,” the man who accompanied Kushina said from her left. “I will deal with my student. As promised.”

Naruto could only give a shaky nod to the old man. “Be careful, Jiji.”

Hiruzen smiled at him. “I know. It seems that you have your own problems to deal with.”

Naruto’s eyes narrowed as the reanimated corpses of the first, second and fourth Hokage began to step out of their coffins.

They were exchanging words in the distance and for a second, Naruto froze at seeing the sight of his father once more. Not quite as shocking as seeing Kushina for the first time as he did have interaction with his real reanimated self in the fourth great war but even still…

Minato’s eyes were locked onto Kushina in shock.

“Kushi…” he said.

“Minato…” Kushina replied back, though her voice held none of the warmth that her dead husband gave. It was cold and…rather terrifying.

Never before had Naruto heard her take this tone. When she was angry, she would fire up in her speech, be more animated in her gestures.

This was like the cool currents of a blackened sea, hiding untold dangers from its depths.

She had hatred in her voice, in her very being. Naruto could feel it.

He could see his father wince before his expression became puppet-like after Orochimaru inserted a sealed kunai into him.

In an instant, he threw a kunai and flashed towards Naruto, intent on ending his life.

Before Naruto could even think of retaliating, his mother fist had already made contact with Minato’s face, not unlike what he did to Orochimaru just moments before.

“I’ll handle him,” she told him gruffly. “Be careful, Naruto.”

“Uhmm, you too?” Naruto said back to her but she was already gone.

He turned his attention to the first and second Hokage’s. “That was a bit awkward. Family reunions, right?”

They said nothing.

“I will handle my student,” Hiruzen said before dashing to engage with Orochimaru.

The two former Hokages tried to intercept him but Naruto was already there to stop them.

“Your opponent is me,” he said.

“And who, exactly, are you, brat?” Tobirama said.

“No one noteworthy,” Naruto chuckled. Then he gave a respectful bow and made the seal of confrontation with his hands. “Shall we?”

Naruto knew that they didn't have the motor control to return the gesture of respect but he did it anyway. It was the least he could do when facing off against two former legends. He couldn’t wait to see what they had up their sleeves.

It wasn’t a moment longer before they clashed blades, exchanged fists, and sooner rather than later, both Hashirama and Tobirama, even restrained from their full strength as they were, realised that even unrestrained, they would have been over in their heads fighting this blond-haired, whisker-marked youngster.

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“I apologise,” Minato said as his body continued to try its best to land a blow on his widowed wife.

“Save it,” Kushina snarled back, “I’ll send you back from whence you came.”

“Harsh,” Minato chuckled but the blow Kushina landed a fraction of a second later on his ribs knocked whatever pretence of playfulness he thought they were having out of his lungs.

Yellow and Red flashes could be seen from the forest of death. None approached to wonder what caused it.

It was an exchange of lethal cuts and crippling blows. Next to none, however, landed.

The two were fast, and they’ve danced this dance for a long time.

Once upon time, when she was at her most vulnerable, he had saved her from those that wished her harm. He’d earned her love that day.

Another time, when she was at her most vulnerable once more, he ripped away her baby from her arms and sacrificed him to seal a demon. He’d taken her love that day, and destroyed it.

Even more so now that she knew another option had existed, though it would have left their son an orphan.

Even still. Why had he chosen her life to spare when all that she loved was ripped away from her?

What once was a flame that burns bright in the significance of their romance, were now not even dying embers but ashes long swept away by the wind.

Now…she held a flame for another, inextinguishable even if it were to be drowned by the sea. Though not the type of flame that one held for a lover…or so she reminded herself every single day.

They met one final time, kunai clashing.

Their eyes met each other’s.

The blackened, tainted sclera of a Edo Tensei resurrected corpse, to a vibrant violet of sage-like qualities.

Minato’s eyes widened as he felt the pressure Kushina gave off. It was a strength unlike he’d ever seen in his wife before. Even at his full strength…he wouldn’t have liked his odds. As he was now…

“Kushina…” Minato said.

The bitter smile that she gave him felt like his heart was in her hands.

The next words she’d utter, however, was like she’d tossed it aside like a long forgotten dream.

“Goodbye, Minato,” Kushina said, “I…have another now, who makes me happy.”

Minato somehow was both glad and saddened. A wistful smile on his face was the last expression he gave before the world turned sideways, and his head was lobbed off his neck.

Kushina only stared as his corpse dissolved into one of an Oto-nin. She did not cry, neither did her heart ache of loss.

If anything, she almost felt therapeutic.

“Remind me not to get on your bad side,” a familiar voice said from behind her.

She almost yelped as she turned to face her son, before surprise turned into embarrassment. She blushed.

“Wh–when did you get here, Naruto?” Kushina stammered, which was so unlike her.

Naruto almost shivered from the complete one eighty that her mood was from a minute ago.

“I…was done with my fight earlier than I thought and you were the first I came to check on…” he admitted.

His immense worry for her above all else was one of the infinite reasons why she loved him unlike she’d ever loved anyone before. Kushina smiled at him.

“I can handle myself, dattebane,” she said.

“R-right,” Naruto gulped, sweat dripping from his brow, “we should go check on Jiji, then.”

Kushina nodded, and both were gone in a flash.

What came before them next was a one-armed Orochimaru and an exhausted looking Hiruzen and Enma. Anko was there as well, though she was more providing occasional assistance than being in the battle entirely. The two kage-level ninja were admittedly far too much for her to keep up with.

Then, to Naruto’s horror, three ninjas simply walked into the fight’s proximity.

Three people who he’d wanted as far from Orochimaru as possible.

It was none other than Sakura, Hinata and Sarada, looking a bit bloodied up but otherwise fine.

They’d just walked into a tiger’s den…or rather, a pit with the world's most venomous snake.

“Fuck,” Naruto swore.

“Language!” Kushina chided, though her wide-eyed shock was plain on her face.

Looks like he couldn’t allow this fight to drag on after all.

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