chosen of olympus

7/28/2019 Chosen of Olympus

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Chosen of Olympus

Chapter One: A Champions Beginning

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Moonlight fell over a sleeping village. Illuminated in the pale light, Konoha slumbered

on. A city at rest, peaceful and silent. It was not to last. Not one of the inhabitants were

aware of the events that had been set into motion earlier that very day events that

would forever alter the future of the village, the Elemental Countries, and the world

itself.


The moon was full and bright, and no clouds halted its luminescence over the clearing

in the woods. Uzumaki Naruto sat there, reading a massive scroll by moonlight.

Okay, just one measly jutsu, right? No problem! Ill be a genin by morning! His eyes

fell upon the first technique upon the Forbidden Scroll. .Not more stupid clones!


On the top floor of the tallest building of Konohakagure, the Hokage stirred. The last

thing he remembered was working yet another late night, before his aged eyes beheld a

blonde vision of loveliness that emptied his mind of all thought and his nose of much

blood. Then everything had gone dark Sarutobi chuckled quietly as he wiped the red

stain from his face, knowing that, once again, the most infamous prankster in the village

he was sworn to protect had beaten him. The boys creativity was remarkable, but this

was getting a bit old. Having the blood dry-cleaned from the traditional Hokage robes

was not cheap, after all.

Odd, though, that the boy had left without bragging about his victory. Odder still, that

he had launched this latest assault upon an old mans senses so late at night. Why would

he come here when Sarutobi would most likely be asleep at home? However, the

greatest oddity of all was the fact that the cabinet in the corner of the room was sitting

with the door slightly ajar. A minor thing, but no shinobi lasted to the age Sarutobi had

without learning that paranoia is a valuable survival skill. He rose to check the contents

of the cabinet, a sinking feeling reminding him of what was kept within.


Naruto once again formed the seal specified in the scroll. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! A

soft pop, a puff of smoke, and a rather sickly replication was revealed. Okay, making

progress at least this one can stand. He formed the seal again. Kage Bunshin no

Jutsu!


I want Naruto and the scroll found immediately! Bring both here, and remember, Iwillbe the judge of how much force is necessary. If Naruto is unduly harmed, rest assured


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that I will not be lenient. I dont know why he took the Forbidden Scroll, but I am sure

there is a reason behind this madness. Sarutobi looked over the gathered ninja,

consisting of a team of ANBU and a half-dozen academy teachers. He singled out a pair

of the latter. Iruka, Mizuki, the two of you know him best. If either of you find him

first, try to reason with him. I will search from here with the scrying stone. Now go, all

of you.


Naruto smiled with pride as he surveyed his creations. Three perfect replicas stood with

him in the clearing, all-giving themselves a once-over, surprise at being whole apparent

on their identical features. The three turned to their progenitor, their grins growing to

match his own. As one, the four Narutos pumped their fists into the air. One step closer

to Hokage!

Releasing the technique, Naruto turned to the scroll, still lying there on the ground.

Mizuki-sensei is late. Maybe I can learn a second technique while Im waiting! Theymight even promote me straight to chuunin, or even jounin! And then I could boss

Iruka-sensei around! He unrolled the scroll further, until ten feet of parchment lay

before him. Numerous techniques of incredible power were described within, but it was

the two at the end of it that caught the young shinobis attention. The second-to-last

entry displayed a large and intricate seal, a spiral that seemed oddly familiar to Naruto,

though he could not remember where he had seen it. The final passage, however, was

stranger still. A flat plate of bronze, about six inches across and perfectly round, was set

into the parchment of the scroll. Etched upon it were numerous characters in a language

Naruto could not understand, set around the edge. The middle was taken up by a

marking that resembled nothing so much as a horseshoe, with the rounded side at the

top and the ends pointing down.

The text around the plate was in an archaic form, but as best he could understand it, it

was words to the effect of:

If your need is great, and your soul is strong, pray for the aid of the Lord of War, Slayer

of the Hydra, the Seeker of the Ultimate Weapon. Summon He-Who-Climbed-Out-of-

Hades, Butcher of the Minoan Bulls, and Gouger of the One Eye. Call upon the Ghost

of Sparta, Savior of the City of Athena, Murderer of the Tyrant of Conflict. If your

courage allows, spill your blood across the Omega, and give voice to the name Kratos,

True God of War.

However, be warned, mortal, for if your soul is found wanting and your cause is

unworthy, you will be cast into the River Styx before you can say but a word.

Huh. What does all that mean? Naruto was cut off from further pondering by a voice

from behind him.

NarutoExactly what are you doing with that scroll? Do you realize how much

trouble youve caused?!

Iruka-sensei! Look! Ive figured out one of the jutsus! If I show you, I pass the extracredit test, right? Iruka stared at his favorite student with wide eyes. Seeing the dismay


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on his teachers face, Naruto began to realize that not all was as it should be. This is

the extra credit test, right? Steal this scroll from the Hokages office, and learn a jutsu

from it? Mizuki-sensei described the scroll, Im sure this is the one

Mizuki told you all of this?! But why would? Another voice called out from the

forest, this one filled with malice and dark glee.

Oh, Iruka, you got here first? Too bad for you


Naruto crouched in the brush, staring horrorstruck at the scene before him. Iruka was

wounded, the injuries inflicted by a traitorous comrade, all in the work of protecting

Naruto. The childs mind was still reeling from the things he had learned in only the

past few minutes. Mizuki was a traitor who wanted to kill Naruto and steal the scroll.

Iruka acknowledged Naruto as a person and as a friend, and was willing to give his life

to save Narutos. And the biggest shock of all: the true fate of the Kyuubi no Kitsune,the fearsome beast that had nearly wiped Konoha off the map twelve years earlier. So

much was explained now

But that was something to dwell on later. Right now, Iruka needed help, or he was going

to die. That was not an option.

Naruto leapt from his hiding spot in the middle of Mizukis rant on how powerful the

scroll would make him, interposing himself between the wounded teacher and the

traitor. Youre not getting away with this! Ill stop you!

You? Mizuki scoffed. The dead-last? And how exactly are you planning to do that,

demon? I could defeat a worthless fool like you in one blow.

Iruka struggled to stand up. Naruto! Run, take the scroll, get out of here!

Naruto, true to form, didnt listen. One blow, huh? He moved his hands into a seal.

Try this on for size. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!


Did you really think a few clones would be enough to beat me? Even if you did learnhow to make shadow clones, theyre still only as strong as you are! Even ten werent

enough! You would need an army of them!

Believing Naruto to be out of the fight for good, Mizuki turned to finish Iruka before

making his escape. But as he raised his preferred weapon, a massive shuriken, Naruto

awoke. Ignoring the searing pain in his chest and stomach, the deep wounds left by

Mizukis kunai bleeding freely, Naruto reached for the scroll beside him. He pushed it

open. Once again he saw the strange metal plate and its warning, and the twelve-year-

old boy made a decision.


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His need was great, and while he wasnt sure how strong his soul was, saving Iruka-

sensei was worth any risk. Besides, the punishment didnt sound so bad. Swimming

down a river never hurt anybody, right?

Hand already soaked in his own blood, Naruto reached out and grabbed the plate. A

patina of red coated the depressions on the bronze. Naruto looked upward, and shoutedto the heavens with all the desperation that fueled him.

KRAAAAAAAATOOOOOOOOOOOS

Both teachers turned to Naruto, wondering what that was all about. For a second,

nothing happened. But just as Naruto began to despair, the bronze began to glow. It was

soft at first, but it quickly grew into a white flash that obscured the vision of both the

teachers and the Hokage, who had located the disturbance with his crystal ball just a few

moments before. For them, it was merely a bright light, which died out after a few

seconds. But within


Naruto found himself floating in an endless void of white. He could see nothing in any

direction, but suddenly he stopped moving and could feel ground beneath his feet.

Whatever he was standing on had no visible difference form the rest of the emptiness,

so Naruto seemed to be standing in thin air. A disconcerting feeling, to say the least.

The pain was gone. So were his wounds. The genin stared at his body, then at his

surroundings. Am Idead?

If you were dead, you would be in the Underworld. I assure you that it is a far less

pleasant place. The voice seemed to echo from everywhere and nowhere. It was deep,

it was menacing, and it carried the conviction that everything it said either was true, or

would be made true by force.

Naruto whipped around, seeking the voices source. Who- where- what are you?!

I am Kratos. With alarming suddenness, a pillar of flame shot up from the ground a

short distance away. It disappeared almost as quickly as it had come, revealing a

massive humanoid form. Naruto stared wide-eyed at the tremendous man before him.

He stood tall, at least seven feet of solid muscle, and power seemed to flow off of him.

The man, if that was what he was, wore only a ragged tabard around his waist, sandals,and armored greaves. His skin was a pale, ashen white, with the exception of a large red

tattoo that spiraled around his left shoulder and over his bald head, to end over his left

eye. Over his right eye was a long, disfiguring scar that ran vertically from his scalp,

down through the eye socket, to end on the mans cheek. Naruto could see a pair of

weapons sheathed at his back. The boy could not tell the nature of the weapons, as he

could only see a pair of golden hilts above their bearers shoulders.

He looked down at Naruto, and raised a hand to stroke his goatee in thought. As he did,

the gold chains wrapped around his forearms clinked.

One so young? Why would a youngling that has never even spilled anothersblood have need to summon me? Bah, what a waste of my time. One so weak as


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you should never have summoned a God, boy. Since you are so young and

foolhardy, I will forgive your impudence this once-

Hey! Naruto shouted. Kratos paused, surprised that this whelp would dare interrupt

him in the middle of being spared. Stop talking like you know me! That scroll said that

if I needed help, I should call you! I dont care who you say you are, my teacher isgonna die if I dont do something, and Im not gonna let that happen! So either help me,

or send me back so I can try and do something, you big jerk!

The gods eyes narrowed. Bold words, mortal. None have dared speak to me in

such a manner since my ascension. But is your body as strong as your mouth?

Kratos swung at Naruto backhanded, a light bat by his standards. The full force of the

blow caught Naruto in the chest, and he was blasted into the air like he had been shot

from a cannon. He had no idea how far he flew, or how high he went. All he knew for

certain was that landing was going to hurt. And he was right.

The young shinobi felt sore all over, but he seemed undamaged for the most part. Kratoshad meant the blow merely to prove a point. Naruto raised his head, and all he could see

of the being that had struck him was a tiny speck off in the distance of the void. He

blinked, and opened his eyes to see sandaled feet just a few inches away. What say

you now, mortal?

jerk.

There is a fine line between bravery and idiocy, whelp. You would do well to find

it.

Hey! Who do you think you are, goin around judging people and calling them weak?!

You watch, Im gonna be the Hokage some day, and everybody will see how strong I

am! Then youll be sorry you insulted me!

As the child continued to rant about how everyone who laughed at him would see how

powerful he could be, Kratos studied him curiously.Hokage? Some sort of village

leader then? So, he wants to be a hero to his people. The god snorted to himself

quietly. Get in line, boy. What makes you so deserving of glory through the ages?

Then again, how often do I encounter a mortal that shows no fear in the presence

of a god? And to not only succeed in summoning me, but to survive the process,despite his age Perhaps there is more to this fool then first appears. I suppose there

is no harm in testing his soul. This decided, Kratos reached out and grabbed Naruto by

the collar in mid-rant. Before the shinobi-hopeful could make so much as a shout of

outrage, Kratos had raised him to his face, and the two locked eyes. As the saying goes,

the eyes are the windows to the soul


Images swam before Kratos as he delved in to the depths of the boys soul. Images of

pain, of sadness, of humiliation of a growing determination to prove himself to those

that hated him. Kratos had never seen one who could take such abuse for so longwithout snapping, either physically or mentally, and the god reluctantly found himself


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becoming impressed.Even childhood in Sparta is not so brutal as this. None of the

other children in these visions were treated in this manner. What could be the

reason ah. I see.

Kratos stood in a dank passageway, water sloshing around his feet. The tunnel lead off

into the darkness, and the Olympian immediately strode down it without hesitation. Hesoon found himself in a massive room, stretching upwards so high that the ceiling was

lost in the darkness, and at the far end was a gate that took up the entire wall. And

beyond the bars

A pair of massive red eyes opened, peering at the first visitor to the seal since it had

been formed. Serpentine silhouettes writhed in the blackness behind them. The Kyuubi

had awoken. Oh? I have guests? And who, pray tell, is so very kind as to visit the

prisoner rotting away in this damnable cell?

A fox lord? And you, strongest of the Nine Great Demons, no less? This boy is

interesting

Apparently interesting enough to draw the attention of one of the Gods of Mount

Olympus. And what brings the esteemed God of War to my humble abode?

Your vessel summoned me, hoping for my aid. I dont think he realizes what he

was getting himself into, even now. But how did you come to be here?

The foxs tails lashed angrily. I attacked the village, and was about to raze it to the

ground, when their leader attempted a suicidal attack. I was overconfident, and

have paid the price. The mortal sacrificed himself to the Death God, as they call such

beings. Whether it was truly a servant of Hades, or something else entirely, I do not

know. But my soul was removed from my corporeal form, and I was bound into an

infant. The last thing I heard was the human that bound me giving his final

instructions to someone. The child who bears this seal we are within was to be hailed

as the hero of the city, for being my prison and warden. And I suppose this boy is now

lauded for events he had no control over? Events that happened less than a day after

his birth?

Quite the opposite. I have read his soul, and this child has known greater

suffering than many five times his age. The people of his village, with the exception

of only a few, apparently believe him to be some sort of reincarnation or avatar ofyou, and that he will eventually try to finish your work. He has practically been

psychologically tortured since his birth, and several attempts have been made on

his life. His soul is so scarred, I am rather surprised that he has not broken by

now.

They believe he is actually me? You are telling me they believe this child is a

demon with power capable of challenging a god, and is planning to eventually kill

them all and yet they torment and harass him, thus ensuring that whenever he does

snap they will be his first targets?

You dont need to remind me that mortals are foolish. The surprising part,however, is that he seeks the respect of those who have hurt him and their


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admittance that they were in the wrong, rather than revenge upon them. I would

not be so forgiving. No one I know would be. The chamber fell silent for a moment.

Kratos was considering what he had learned of the boy, and contemplating a notion that

had seemed ludicrous before his trip down the vessels memory lane. The Kyuubi,

brooding in his cell, was wondering how a mortal could have the resilience and brute

stubbornness to live in the manner the god before him had described, and how he mightbest convince Kratos to destroy the seal.

Before the demon had come to any conclusions, Kratos made his decision. If I were to

offer you a deal, what would you say, fox?

I would ask the terms of the deal, of course. What am I to do, and more importantly,

what is in it for me?

If you uphold your side of our bargain, I will call in a favor from Lord Hades.

When this mortal dies and is sent to the Underworld, you will be released from the

realm immediately, rather than spending the next few decades fighting your wayout. On the other hand, betray our pact, and I will instead ask Lord Hades to

intensify the scrutiny placed on you. It will take centuries to win free of his

clutches, if you ever do.

Interesting stakes, God of War. And my task? What is it I must do to complete this

deal?

Listen well, demon lord


Naruto dropped from the God of Wars grasp, and fell unceremoniously onto his butt.

He glared up at the entity that towered over him, and yelled Hey! Whats the big idea,

you- But Kratos cut him off.

Boy. You say you summoned me to save your teacher, correct?

Naruto scrambled to his feet. Aw, crap! I forgot Iruka-sensei! What if Mizuki-

How much does he mean to you?

What? Whaddaya mean?

Would you give your life to save him?

Well, yeah! Of course I would! He got hurt trying to save me, so I cant just let him

die!

Why is he so valuable to you? Why would you give your life for his?

Sometimes sometimes, when Im with him, I wonder if its what its like to

have a father. Naruto had calmed down now, and was wearing a somber expressionthat only Iruka and the Hokage had ever managed to glimpse before. Hes the first


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person to really acknowledge me as a person. Hes done so much for me, I need to

return the favor somehow.

Then I shall accept the trade. In exchange for your life, I will save his. Stretch

your arms out to the sides, boy, and the pact will be sealed.

Naruto hesitated. Give his life? He was going to die? But he couldnt keep his promise

to be Hokage if he was dead But he had said that he would save Iruka-sensei, and

would give his life to do it. That promise was more important.

Well?

Naruto reached his arms out as he had been instructed. Kratos raised a hand above his

head, gestured towards the sacrifice before him, and gave a piercing whistle that seemed

to reverberate throughout the void. For a moment, nothing happened but then, a pair

of the most horrible creatures Naruto had ever seen appeared from nowhere and swept

towards them.

The creatures bodies were shaped vaguely like those of scrawny humans, but with

taloned feet and leathery wings. They were frightening to the extreme, but the faces

were the most terrible feature. They had heads that resembled human women, but with

fanged maws, and their eyes glittered with malice. From each monsters talons dangled

a chain, and hanging at the end of each was a weapon unlike anything Naruto had ever

seen.

Short, wide blades, two feet long with a slight curve, a foot wide at the widest point, and

at least an inch thick. Nasty looking barbs and jags ran along the edges, which were

sharp on both sides. The guards resembled fanged skulls of strange beasts, and there

was a glowing yellowish gem set in each. Though the weapons looked very heavy, the

hilts were only long enough to be gripped in one hand each. Accept the gift my

harpies bring you, and take the first test.

Naruto had kept his arms out to the sides through all this, too shocked to even reach for

a kunai, but before he could do so now the harpies released their burdens. The blades

landed at Narutos feet, but the chains seemed to change direction in midair. They

wrapped around the shocked youths forearms, and began to glow red hot. Pain unlike

anything the Kyuubi vessel had ever felt before raced up his arms, burning, searing,

immolating as a scream rose in his throat.

The pain faded, as did the glow. The sleeves of Narutos jacket had burned away,

leaving the chains wrapped around bare flesh. As he gasped, mind still reeling from the

horrendous pain, he realized that the chains now appeared to have bonded with his skin.

One loop of metal was bound around each forearm, and the rest of each chain was left

dangling, leaving about ten feet of slack between his wrists and the weapons. Burns in

chain-link patterns spiraled around his forearms where the chains had laid, but they

faded into scars almost immediately. Wha-what was that?! Why what about

what did you do to me?!


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I have given you the blessing of the God of War, and the power to save the those

you treasure. In surviving having the Blades of Chaos anchored to your body and

soul, you have passed the first test.

Test? Blades ofwhat?! You said you were going to kill me and

I said I would take your life, and I have done so. You are mine now, boy. You will

bear my mark and my weapons, and you will spread my name in your victories

or die trying. Now go. Go forth in the name of Olympus.


Before Naruto could say another word, there was a flash of light, and he found himself

back in the forest. He was startled to see that no time seemed to have passed since he

had summoned Kratos. Iruka was still alive, albeit wounded and barely conscious, and

Mizuki still stood in a battle stance facing the prone teacher. Both had frozen, and were

staring at Naruto, neither understanding what had just happened.

That was certainly understandable. The boy had been lying there, likely about to bleed

to death. Then he yelled something, there was a flash of light that lasted about a second,

and suddenly the near-dead dead-last was on his feet, chains around his arms, and a pair

of bizarre weapons in his hands.

Naruto was even more confused, not having understood the events of the last few

minutes in the slightest. All he was sure of was that the situation had changed, and no

matter what else that meant, it meant that things had gotten a whole lot worse for

Mizuki.

Or at least things would be worse for Mizuki if Naruto had any idea whatsoever how

to use the gigantic and rather unwieldy slabs of metal chained to his arms.

As this new problem struck him, Naruto realized that Mizuki was shaking off his shock,

and would be ready to attack again. Even healed and with enough chakra left to create

many more shadow clones, being weighed down by weapons he couldnt use or even

drop would leave him at a major disadvantage. But then, from the back of his mind, he

suddenly got an odd feeling, like he was being told what to do.

throw it throw

Why would I do that?Naruto wondered. These werent exactly balanced for throwing

the way kunai were, after all but the feeling became more insistent, as the voice

became stronger and clearer.

Throw the blade at the traitor

Why do I have a voice in my head telling me to do stupid things? What good would

throwing these things do?


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Because you have obviously gone insane as a result of meeting with a god. And because

crazy humans always listen to the disembodied voices that tell them to do things. Now

throw the damned weapon, flesh-sack.

Whatever you say, scary voice in my head.

Mizuki sneered at the boy he had already nearly killed once. I dont know what you

just did, or where you got those, demon brat, but it doesnt make a whoa! Halfway

through his dismissal of Narutos miraculous recovery, the demon vessel hurled one of

the massive weapons at him. The blade practically leapt from the boys hand, moving

much faster than one would expect, and the metal seemed to ignite in midair. The chain

wrapped around the guard unraveled from Narutos arm like a cable off a spool, as the

flaming short sword thundered toward the traitorous teacher. Mizuki barely managed to

clear its path before it impaled him, and in his stead it slammed into the trunk of an old

tree and sank into the wood.

The two teachers and one student stared at the blade. A foot of metal had disappearedinto the side of the tree. No academy student should have been able to throw something

that heavy with that much force. Mizukis gaze traveled back down the chain to Naruto,

eyes wide. Wha what was that?!

The response he got was the second blade being launched at his face. Mizuki wasnt

sure he could get clear in time, so rather than dodge, he whipped his oversized shuriken

in front of him, so as to use it as a shield. The blade slammed into the metal with a

clang, and with a grunt of effort, Mizuki managed to deflect its remaining momentum

upwards. The weapon disappeared among the leaves, leaving behind a massive gouge in

the steel of the shuriken. Mizuki grinned coldly at Naruto. Only a fool like you would

try something so stupid as to

Whatever Mizuki was going to say, he was interrupted by a loud CreeeeaakSNAP!

Mizuki stopped speaking and looked straight up, at the source of the noise.

Ever notice that the expression heads up really means whatever you do, dont look

up?

A tree branch, half-sheared off by the passage of the deflected blade, had collapsed

under its own weight. In strict compliance with the laws of gravity, the errant foliage

plummeted straight for the ground, with only Mizukis head to stop its passage. It wasnot up to the task.

OOOOOOOOOOO One major concussion and a well-deserved graduation later

OOOOOOOOOOO

Iruka stood at attention before the Hokages desk. He had sent Naruto home to rest after

all had been said and done, promising to bring both the Forbidden Scroll and the traitor

who had tried to take it to the Hokage.

After being briefed about the events that led up to Narutos theft of the scroll, Sarutobi

had agreed that Naruto was to be cleared of punishment for the theft. If a studentcouldnt trust a teacher, then who could he trust?


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Sarutobi was still rather concerned about the whole belonging to a god issue, though.

Who could blame him? The old man sighed, feeling his years for the umpteenth time

that day and it was only two in the morning. And you say the weapons are fused to

his body? There is no way they could be removed?

Not without causing serious damage to his arms, Hokage-sama. I doubt even Tsunade-sama could remove them without causing irreparable damage. And while I know his

story about how he got them sounds unbelievable, I dont know how else he could have

found them. After all, there is a bloody handprint on the disk set in the scroll

I suppose theres nothing that can be done about it. Unless these new developments

become a threat to him or to the village, we will simply have to wait and see. At any

rate, I agree with your decision to allow him to graduate. Learning the Shadow Clone

technique in a bare few hours certainly suggests that he is capable of acting as a genin.

Put him in a team as normal, and we will simply keep an eye on his progress. Ohand

one more thing

Yes, Hokage-sama?

The old man smiled for the first time since the theft. Get some sleep. You look like

hell.


Naruto awoke bright and early the next morning. Still groggy from a long night with

little sleep, he yawned as he raised an arm to rub the sleep from his eyes, and was

entirely surprised to feel an unaccustomed weight on his arm, and to hear a soft clinking

of metal on metal. His eyes shot open, and they followed the chain trailing across the

floor to the twin blades left in the corner. Last night it was all real and and that

means He glanced at the small table next to his bed, saw a Hitai-ate etched with the

spiral of Hidden Leaf in place of his normal goggles, and let out a loud whoop of

victory.

His elation was cut short by a second realization: What had happened afterhe had gone

to sleep last night had happened too. As that thought solidified in his mind, a voice, dark

and old and cunning, echoed in his head.Damn straight it happened, boy.


After falling asleep that night, Naruto had been tormented by strange visions. Some

were familiar scenes from his own life. Looks of scorn and hatred, punctuated by the

occasional beating, were played out before his eyes. But that wasnt what held his

attention, he had learned long ago not to dwell on such things. No, what really had him

confused were the visions he had never seen before in his life, and were of places and

things that he had never heard of.

He saw a massive army, resplendent in bronze armor and marching under banners that

had a triangle as the central image (though something seemed to suggest to him that the

insignia was called a lambda).


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He saw the same army being cut down like wheat before a scythe, iron discipline and

perfectly honed skills not enough to counter the berserk ferocity displayed by the fur-

clad barbarians that surged forward in a howling tide.

He saw the leader of the army fighting madly, slaying dozens of his foes even as his

soldiers died around him. Spurring his horse ever onward, he continued his one-mancharge against his enemies even as his army began to fall back.

Naruto watched in horrified fascination as the brave (or foolish) captain was met by his

opposite number, the leader of the horde. The captains sword, notched and dulled by

long hours of use, was shattered by the barbarians massive hammer, as was his shield.

The chieftains return swing caught his foe in the chest, and the man fell on his back, at

the barbarians mercy. As that enormous hammer was raised, Naruto finally saw the

face of the man who had been leading the army. Bald head, goatee, even the same tattoo

and distinctive scar. Though he looked younger and his flesh was a normal hue, it was

clearly Kratos.

Even as Naruto wondered how someone who called himself a god could be beaten by a

human, Kratos howled something in a language Naruto had never heard before, yet

understood perfectly.

Ares! Destroy my enemies, and my life is yours!

The sky opened up, and a titanic figure dropped to earth, its hair glowing like molten

magma and hellfire burning in its narrowed eyes. Kratos kneeled and bowed before the

massive man, and Naruto watched as harpies appeared and gifted Kratos with weapons

practically identical to those bound to the young shinobi.


The tide of visions ended, and Naruto found himself standing in what appeared to be a

flooded service tunnel, concrete walls and dripping pipes everywhere. Cold, dark water

sloshed ankle deep in the poorly lit passage. Confused as Naruto was, he decided he had

nothing better to do but explore a bit. No sooner had he come to this conclusion then a

harsh red glow began to emanate from some point off in the distance, down the hall.

This way, brat. We have much to discuss.

Naruto blinked. It was the same voice hed heard during the fight with Mizuki, but now

it was far louder and much clearer. And it was coming from the same direction as

the glow?

Naruto suddenly realized that he had followed the voice and the light back to their

source without even noticing. The hall opened up into a massive room, hundreds of feet

on each side and a ceiling that disappeared into the darkness above. At the far end the

room, a row of pillars rose from the ankle-deep water on the floor. Chains led from the

hall Naruto had just left along the walls of the chamber, and were woven among the

pillars until they met in the middle, connected by a scrap of paper that had a single word

inscribed on it: Seal. And as a massive form loomed out from the darkness, everythingfell into place.


13/54

So after nearly thirteen years, I finally meet my jailer face-to-face. Based on what

the Olympian told me, youve had an interesting life, runt.

Naruto was frozen, not moving, not breathing, not blinking. If the creature before him

were to be let out of its cage, it would stand at least as tall as the Hokage Monument

overlooking the city. K-K- Kyuubi

Oh, good. You arentcompletely oblivious to the obvious. Now listen well, because

you have much to learn, and I dislike repeating myself.

Much to learn? What the hell is going on?! Where are we?!

Quiet down, brat. Your questions will be answered in due time. As to where we are,

this chamber is your minds attempt to give recognizable form to something that has

none, namely, the seal. Simply put, we are in your mind which goes a long way

towards explaining why its so empty in here.

Naruto bristled at the insult, but before he could snap out a retort, the fox continued.

You have been chosen to serve as the God of Wars champion, and it is my task to

ensure that you dont die too soon.

Whatever Naruto was going to say died on his lips at that point, as he stared wide-eyed

up at the fox, once again rendered speechless.

Maybe I should start at the beginning.

Yeah. That would be good. Cause I am getting really sick of not knowing whats

going on!

Heres the simple version: When a mortal begs one of the Olympians for aid, they

are in essence offering an exchange of services. If the god is willing to do what is

asked of them, they will often give the mortal a task to accomplish or a price to pay. If

a god decides to become a mortals patron, they will give their favor and aid in

exchange for a lifetime of devotion and service. Since you called Kratos, the God of

War, and he accepted your terms, you are expected to spend your life moving from

battle to battle, fighting and killing and letting everyone know who you serve in the

process. Since you are planning to be a shinobi, you were going to be doing that formost of your life anyway, so this works out well for you. You understand so far?

Naruto nodded, his face scrunched up in his thoughtful expression. I think, but what

do you mean Olympians?

The gods that live on Mount Olympus are collectively known as Olympians. There

are many pantheons of entities that held sway over parts of the world at some point or

another, such as the Asgardians, but most of them now prefer to have nothing to do

with the mortal realm, for a variety of reasons too complex to bother explaining right

now.

You dont know why, do you?


14/54


15/54

over the pot. A few drops of boiling water landed on his wrist, and Naruto cursed

vehemently under his breath.

My my, such language from one so young? Naruto whipped around, instinctively

reaching for a kunai. His apartment had been broken into before, and he wasnt about to

be caught unawares again. Quite inventive, though. Ill need to remember that onefor the next time Dionysis throws a party. I take it youre Naruto?

Naruto stared at the newcomer with wide eyes. A handsome young man had apparently

appeared from nowhere, and currently seemed to be lounging in midair. A halo of fire

ringed his head of curly golden hair, a wide smile played across his lips, and each of his

gold-laced sandals had what looked to be a pair of tiny wings attached to the heel,

flapping furiously. Yeah yeah, Im Naruto. Who are you?!

The strangers smile grew wider. I thought youd never ask Who am I? I am the

Inventor of Fire, the Lord of Thieves, Patron of Travelers, son of Zeus, I am the

Messenger of Olympus! I am Slayer of Argus, the Great Persuader, the GrandTrickster! You ask who I am? Hermes is my name, he ended with an almost

mocking bow.

Wow you Olympian guys really like your titles, huh?

To Narutos surprise, the flying god threw his head back and laughed. Kratos was

right about you! You do have the perfect combination of self-confidence, bravery

and stupidity. Maybe youre good champion material after all. Oh, and that

reminds me why I came here to begin with. I believe this is yours. Hermes reached

into his satchel, a simple leather bag marked with the embossed image of a snake curled

around a staff, and pulled out a scroll. Kratos asked me to deliver this. It contains

instructions on how to use those blades properly, as well as a number of more

advanced techniques. Only a few, though. More will be made available as you

prove your skill and prowess.

So with this, I can learn how to use these Chaos Blade things without cutting off any

arms or legs?

The winged messengers smile took a turn for the nasty as he answered . Oh, I assure

you, if you use the Blades of Chaos properly, youll be removing limbs they just

wont be yours.

Um well, thats good. I just wish I had a way to carry them easier. I dont have a

sheath or anything, and the chains get in the way.

Hermes smile dropped away into a look of surprise. Kratos didnt no, I suppose

he wouldnt have. Sheathing the blades is simple. Didnt you see how Kratos stows

his set of chained blades?

Naruto put on his thoughtful face again as he tried to remember. He had them on his

back, right?

Mm-hmm. But did you see any kind of harness or sling for them to hang from?


16/54

Im guessing no?

Good guess. He doesnt need them. My step-brother Hephaestus made them that

way. Just cross them over your back.

Naruto picked the Blades up off the table, watching as the chains spooled up hisforearms. He raised the weapons over his head, and rested them against his shoulder

blades. As they settled into a comfortable position, he felt the chains loosen and detach

from the guards. For the first time since the Blades of Chaos had been grafted to his

body, Naruto had full use of his arms again.

Nice trick, isnt it? Hephaestus truly is the master of the forge. Now, heres one

more to try. Ol Limpy added something new to these he wanted me to tell you

about.

Another trick? Naruto was getting excited now that he realized that his burdens

werent as unmanageable as he had feared. Is it some awesome super technique, orsomething?

No, no, those are all in the scroll here. This is something else. Even hanging on

your back, the Blades can still get in the way. For instance, they have a tendency to

tear up whatever youre sleeping on, or maybe you wish to keep it a secret that

youre armed. Anyway, what you need to do is draw a little of your own blood. Do

as I do.Naruto mimicked Hermes as he raised both hands to his face, and bit down on

both thumbs. Though the Olympian didnt bother piercing skin, Naruto did, and blood

began to drip down his hands. The blonde then continued to ape Hermes actions and

drew his bleeding digits down his forearms, across the loops of chain. His only warning

was the growing heat the chains and blades were emanating before he collapsed,

writhing in agony, as a horrible burning spread across his arms and back.


I hope to have the entire bell test in the next chapter, so you can expect more action.

Hopefully Ill get the next chapter done in less time then it took me to write this one, but

it may still be two or three weeks. Of course, reviews give me greater incentive to work

on this

Until next time!


17/54

Chapter Two: A Deadlast Moving Forward

OOOOOOOOOO Last time OOOOOOOOO

His only warning was the growing heat the chains and blades were emanating before he

collapsed, writhing in agony, as a horrible burning spread across his arms and back.


Oh, right, the wracking spasms of pain. I forgot to mention that. Sorry. Hermes

didnt look sorry at all.

Aaauugh guh gah wha what was that? Naruto slowly rose to his knees,

still nearly nauseous from the pain. He grunted in exertion as he managed to reach a

sitting position on the floor. It hurt almost as much as when I first got these things?

His question trailed off as he finally noticed what was missing. The chains were missing

from his arms, only the spiraling burn scars left. A glance over his shoulder revealedthat the blades themselves were gone as well, but there appeared to be a red tattoo

shaped like the crossed blades across his back. Where did they go?

The Blades of Chaos have been drawn within your body. Its something new

Hephaestus came up with a little while back. He has yet to work out the fine

details, though like the unbearable amount of pain caused the first time you use

the feature.

Oh, really? Naruto shakily rose to his feet, his voice raspy and panting heavily. I

hardly noticed.

Tough little man, arent you? Well, youll be happy to know that the pain lessens

every time you summon or dismiss the blades. Eventually, it just becomes a dull

ache that goes away in a few seconds or so Hephaestus assures me.

Um thats reassuring sort of. Do I bring them out the same way I put them in?

Thats right. Oh, and I almost forgot special delivery! And with the final word,

Hermes rammed the scroll in his hand forward, slamming into Narutos gut with

incredible force but rather then double the boy over in pain, the scroll simply

vanished.

Okay, do I even need to ask?! What did you do now?!

I put the scroll into the seal. Now, it can never be stolen or lost, and the demon

can read it and instruct you. As you reach new plateaus of skill, more will be

revealed on the scroll.

Really? So how do uh-oh. Im late! Class starts in ten minutes, and the Academy is

halfway across town! Naruto tore around his apartment, searching the mess for his

shuriken pouch, his textbooks, and his left sandal. Hermes watched in amusement as the

boy finally finished getting ready, and reached for his customary orange jacket. What


18/54


19/54

Naruto raced into the classroom, and was happy to see that Iruka wasnt there yet. For

once, the blonde was on time! However, his elation lasted only a second before he

realized that all conversation had died upon his entry into the room. The blonde

jinchuriki wasnt sure why everyone was staring at him, so he just stared back. There

was a silent standoff for almost half a minute before Nara Shikamaru, the laziest kid

Naruto had ever met, spoke up.

Hey, Naruto, why are you here? Only graduates were supposed to come in today. And

what happened to your arms?

The blonde smirked at him, before reaching up and tapping the metal plate tied to his

forehead. I didnt get this in a cereal box! I took some extra credit and passed! And

what about my arms? It wasnt until those words had passed his lips that Naruto

realized that, without his jacket, he was only wearing a black T-shirt, and the scars

along his forearms were clearly visible. Oh. Those. Naruto had already decided he

wanted to keep his new weapons a secret, until he learned to use them properly.

A little help, fox?

Youre own your own for this one, brat.

Well, uh those are its kind of a I Look, a three headed monkey! Obviously

enough, the distraction ploy didnt work, but Kratos champion was saved from needing

to explain by the sudden arrival of two more classmates. Ino and Sakura, once again

racing to see who would get to sit next to Sasuke, blew through the door neck-and-neck.

They didnt care what collateral damage they caused in their rush, which led to a fair

amount of commotion as they raced through the room. This was a mixed blessing for

Naruto, as it distracted the class away from him but also left him picking himself off

the floor with a number of shoeprints on his back.

Saved by the stampede? Thats a new one to me.

A-ano Naruto-kun? A-are you alright?

Naruto looked up. Standing in the doorway with her ever-present blush gracing her

cheeks was the only person Naruto knew who was quieter than Shino: Hyuuga Hinata.

Oh, um yeah, Im fine! Just checking that the janitor cleaned the floor properly. He

pointed to a corner of the room. He missed a spot over there.

Hinatas blush deepened a bit as she tried to stifle a giggle at her crushs antics. Ano

N-Naruto-kun? Naruto climbed to his feet and dusted himself off.

Yeah?

Um wh-who was that w-with you earlier? Naruto froze mid-brush, his smile

plastered to his face. In the a-alley I thought it l-looked like he was flying a-and

his chakra was g-gold

Naruto glanced around, but no one else had heard what Hinata had asked. Oh yousaw him? Well that was Hermes. Hes a friend, I guess. It was at that moment that


20/54

Iruka arrived, and called for everyone to take their seats. I can explain at lunch, but

please dont mention it to anyone? The girl blushed again, and managed a small nod

before moving to her customary seat at the back of the room, but inside she was ecstatic.

I talked to Naruto-kun! Hes going to share a secret with me! Oh, I hope Im on his

team

Iruka ran through a much-abbreviated roll call, as only the graduating members of the

class were present. As he reached Naruto, he paused, eyes wide, as he saw that those

weapons hed been so sure werent removable were gone as if they had never been. The

only sign that they had existed at all were the scars on his arms. Iruka mentally vowed

to ask about it later, and resumed the attendance report. After that was done, he began

his prepared speech that he gave to every graduating class, the one about duty, honor,

and the fact that upon becoming genin, they were adults in the eyes of the village, and

that they should act as such. While his mouth recited the words on autopilot, his mind

wandered. This was the most bittersweet part of teaching at the academy: sending his

students off into the world. Knowing that he was at least in part responsible for molding

these children into the proud shinobi they would one day be was wonderful but thatthought was also a reminder that these were indeed children, and they would soon be

warriors thrust into a dangerous world. Iruka could only hope his teachings were

enough to help them keep alive.

And now for what youve all been waiting so patiently for the team selections.

Everyone sat up a little straighter at this, even the perpetually slumped Shikamaru. As

the teams were read off, varying degrees of cheering and cursing were audible from

different seats, as the students expressed their (dis)satisfaction with their teammates.

Team Seven Uzumaki Naruto

Naruto perked up. Lucky number seven! I hope Sakura-chan is on my team! Anybody

but Sasuke

Haruno Sakura There was an exultant shout from one side of the room, and a

Why me?! from the other. Iruka pointedly ignored both.

And Uchiha Sasuke. A fair approximation of all hell broke loose in the classroom

as Sakura squealed with delight and Naruto (along with Sasukes fangirls) roared with

outrage. Iruka ignored these as well. He continued reading off the list until the last

teams were done. You now have an hour for lunch before your new jounin senseis will

arrive. I suggest you spend it getting to know your team better. Good luck, all of you.Iruka left. Hed take Naruto out for ramen later and find out what was going on then.


Naruto and Hinata sat on the academy roof in silence. She was blushing and nervously

tapping her fingers together, as she always was, as she patiently waited for the boy she

so admired to collect his thoughts. He was currently begging his inner demon for advice

on how to handle this situation, but was getting little help. What do I say? What can I

tell her?

Thats your problem. Its not like its a big deal, just dont tell her about me andyoull be fine.


21/54

But what if she thinks Im crazy? Or tells the rest of her clan about me?

She saw Hermes herself, so if youre crazy, so is she. For the other problem, it all

comes down to trust. Now say something before she thinks youve fallen asleep.

So Hinata um have you ever heard of the Olympians?


They were sitting in silence again, this time while Hinata collected her thoughts. It was

a lot to take in. S-so you work for K-Kratos now?

Yeah

And h-he is one of m-many other gods?

Right.

This is i-incredible.

So you believe me then?

Hinata blushed even deeper. O-of course I do, N-Naruto-kun.

Naruto, for once, had a genuine smile on his face.

N-Naruto-kun m-may I see these w-weapons he gave y-you?

You want to see them? Okay like I said, this is supposed to hurt less each time I do

it, but Ive only done this once so far, so dont panic if I look like Im in pain. Naruto

stood up and took a position a few feet in front of Hinata. He took a deep breath, let it

out slowly, and raised his thumbs to his mouth. Once he had a decent blood flow going,

he quickly drew his blood across his arms before the wounds healed.

Hinata gasped as Naruto dropped to one knee before her, and smoke rose from his arms

and back. He was growling, biting his lip in an effort to keep from screaming. There

was a sizzling noise, like cooking meat, and chains seemed to grow out from the scars

on his arms. With a rather horrible wet ripping sound, first one, then another bronzehilts shot up from Narutos shoulder blades. Naruto reached up and grabbed them,

pulling the blades out of his body. After a few seconds, the pain had faded enough for

the Chosen of Kratos to stand. It did hurt a little less that time. And it didnt even rip

my shirt! Hephaestus really is a genius

Hinata didnt know what she found more amazing: the appearance of the weapons from

Narutos body, the story of how he got them, or the fact that despite that his skin was

audibly frying, Naruto hadnt cried out from the pain. No one should be that used to

pain N-Naruto-kun

So, pretty neat, huh? I still need to learn to use them, but once I do, Ill be unbeatable!Ill be made Hokage for sure!


22/54

She smiled for him, her worries, fears, and stutter momentarily forgotten. Im sure you

will, Naruto-kun. Youll be even better then the Fourth was.

Yeah! My face will be right up there on the mountain next to his, and everyone will

know he chose the right one to hold Naruto trailed off as he looked up at the Hokage

Monument, pure determination etched on his features.

The Kyuubi? Hinata supplied.

Yeah. Ill show em. Ill show them all Im no Naruto stopped and whipped

around, eyes wide with fear. How do you know about him?!

Hinata was wide-eyed as well as she realized what she had just said aloud. I-I I I

can see it. In you.

You can what?! How can you see him, hes sealed, hes hidden, you, you you have

that special eye thing. You can see his chakra?

She nodded, very hesitantly. The Byakugan. T-the seal i-is part of your chakra system,

and there is a t-tiny point of red chakra in the c-center. I s-saw it long a-ago, and worked

out w-what it meant. It w-was the only way to e-explain why so many people are m-

mean to you N-Naruto-kun? You y-you arent m-mad a-are you?

Naruto gazed at her in wonder. You know about the Ninetails but it doesnt bother

you?

You are N-Naruto-kun. Y-you were before I f-found out, and you w-were after. N-

nothing changed.

He gave her a small smile. Thank you. That really means a lot to me. It is weird,

though you knew about him for so much longer then I did, and Im the vessel.

R-Really? When d-did you find out?

Last night. He said it so casually, like it was no big deal, but Hinata was horrified.

L-last night?! You w-were treated so p-poorly for t-twelve years and didnt know w-

why until last night?! Oh, Naruto-kun

Naruto was astounded that someone he knew so little of could not only be so accepting,

but that she would show such concern for him. He decided that the Ninetails was right,

it was all a matter of trust, and Hinata was quickly proving herself to be someone worth

trusting. Hinata-chan theres one more thing to all this but not even the old man or

Iruka-sensei know this part

She blushed again. He trusted her that much? And he called her Hinata-chan?

If you know about the Ninetails and about Kratos then you deserve to know

this He swallowed nervously, his mouth felt so dry


23/54

Kratoscutadealwiththeninetailsandnowhesgonnatrainmetousethebladesandhownottobe

anidiot.

The Hyuuga heiress blinked. Ano what?

Naruto sighed, hope warring against fear, knowing that if anything would make Hinatahate him like everyone else, this was it. Kratos cut a deal with the Ninetails and now

hes gonna train me to use the blades and how not to be an idiot.

Youre l-learning from the N-Ninetails?

Naruto cringed. Yes. Or at least I will be soon. Here it comes

Whats he like?

What?

W-what is the N-Ninetails like? Is he m-mean? The blonde looked at her, astounded

once again by her instant acceptance of what others would have him killed for. He

smiled, and began recounting his few interactions with the fox so far. Before long, the

hour was up, and they had to return to class. Naruto sealed the blades within himself

again, and was happy to note that this time the pain wasnt even enough to drop him to

his knees.


As the graduates came back to the classroom in their twos and threes, Iruka was startled

to see Naruto return at Hinatas side. Had they spent lunch together? Did this mean

Naruto had noticed her obvious affections for him? Was he getting over Sakura? Yet

more to ask about when they went out for ramen later. A few minutes later the jounin

began arriving, and before long, only Team Seven was left waiting. Iruka frowned

deeply. "I should have expected this. Team Seven, you may as well settle in and get

comfortable. Your instructor has a tendency to lets be nice about it and call it lose

track of time. Hell be here eventually. However, there is some paperwork regarding

the graduating class I need to finish, so Im afraid I cant wait with you. Good luck, to

all of you.


WHEREISTHIS GUY?! Sakura screamed. When no one answered her question, she

sat down in a huff and began to sulk. It had been almost two hours since Iruka-sensei

had left, and still no sign of their Jounin instructor. After the first half-hour had passed,

the three new teammates had idly speculated as to what might be holding him up. Even

Sasuke had participated, suggesting two or three fairly-plausible possibilities. After an

hour had passed, Sakura had taken a break from cooing over Sasuke to berate Naruto for

something, possibly breathing in her direction, and to grill him about how he graduated

and where those scars had come from. Naruto, with a little prompting from his inner

demon, managed to deflect her questions and change the subject until she decided that

further inquiry wasnt worth the effort. For the last hour, Sakura returned to trying to getSasuke to talk to her, and Naruto put his head down and, as far as anyone else could tell,


24/54

slept. He was actually asking the Ninetails about when, where, and how his training

would commence, and what super-cool moves were described in the scroll.

A few minutes later, the classrooms sliding door began to open. All three students

perked up as their new instructor stepped into the room. He certainly was an odd one, if

his appearance was any judge. Spiky gray hair, a mask covering everything from hisnose to his neck, and his Leaf Village Hitai-Aite tilted over his left eye like an eyepatch.

His style of dress was normal enough- black fatigues and a jounin-pattern flak vest- but

the little orange book he was so casually reading from had a big, obvious Adults Only

warning on the back.

He stood there, reading his smutty little novel, while his students simply sat and stared,

waiting for him to dosomething. After a moment passed, the new arrival marked his

page, tucked the book into his kunai pouch, and finally turned his attention to his new

wanna-be shinobi. He spent a long moment sizing them up one by one, analyzing what

he knew of them and what he was observing.

Uchiha Sasuke. The only survivor of the Uchiha Massacre of five years ago, except for

the traitor who slaughtered the rest. Self-proclaimed Avenger, as emo as they come, and

constantly pursued by a horde of members of his fan club. Graduated at the top of his

class, with the best practical and second-best academic scores. Spent his life from the

Massacre to the present being told he was a prodigy, the best shinobi around, and

Kamis gift to girls. It would be fun breaking down that ego of his.

Haruno Sakura. First shinobi from her family in generations. As such, she had no

training from relatives or family techniques. Overcame those handicaps through diligent

study, giving her the highest academic record in the school. Practical scores were a bit

under par. Judging by her appearance, she was highly concerned with looking pretty.

While that wasnt really a bad thing, she should really be focusing on gaining power

and skill first. An active member of the Uchiha Sasuke Fanclub and on the same team

as Sasuke. Great, she would probably be more interested in asking Sasuke out then

training, which would interrupt the Avengers training as well.

Uzumaki Naruto. Oh, geez Worst grades in class, even worse then the people who

failed the graduation exam, which was why he was put on a team with two of the best.

Vessel of the Nine Tailed Fox, as well, and nearly universally hated for it. Looks so

much like Minato-sensei its painful. Total clown, and always seeking attention.

Understandable, considering his status, but not a great attitude for a spy or assassin.Apparently there had been some major changes to his situation over the past twenty-

four hours, but Hokage-sama was being quite close-lipped about them. Those rather

horrific scars on his forearms might have something to do with it There was no

explanation for chain-pattern burn scars that could possibly be good.

My first impression of you guys youre all idiots. Three sets of eyes widened, then

narrowed in anger. Meet me on the roof. With a swirl of leaves, the jounin vanished.

Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other, and leapt for the window, scrambling to get to

the roof first. Sakura simply sighed at the male species in general as she calmly headed

for the stairs.



25/54

Alright, I think its time for some introductions. Tell me about yourselves. Pinky, go.

Sakura looked at him blankly. Um, sensei, what do you want to know?

He made a dismissive gesture. Name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, hopes, dreams, fears,

shoe size, anything you feel like telling us.

Shouldnt you go first, since we all know each other?

Fine. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I like many things. I also dislike many things. My

hobbies (giggle) I have hopes and dreams. And I fear circus clowns.

Really?

No. Pinky, your turn.

She stared at him for a moment. All we learned was his name?

Today would be nice, Kakashi prompted.

My name is Haruno Sakura. I like she trailed off and looked at Sasuke with a blush.

I dislike she trailed off again and glared at Naruto, who looked hurt for a second

before brightening up again. I guess my hobby would be studying. I hope and dream to

one day she looked at Sasuke again, this time with a dreamy smile. The Uchiha was

beginning to look a bit uncomfortable.

Kakashi rolled his visible eye, it was as bad as he feared. Okay, Laughing Boy, go.

Sasuke glared as fiercely as he could at the poor excuse for a jounin. It was the fiercest

glare ever seen in Konoha, or any of the Hidden Villages for that matter. In years to

come, ballads would be sung of the fierceness of that glare but in the short term, it

simply made the Uchiha prodigy look like a petulant child. Uchiha Sasuke. I like very

few things, and dislike a lot of things. I have no hobbies, unless you count training. My

dream no, my goal, is to kill a certain man. And I fearnothing.

A real tough guy. Okay, sunshine, your turn.

Im Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen, and Sakura-chan, and my friends Iruka-sensei andHinata-chan,! I dislike the three minutes it takes ramen to cook, and uptight jerks like

Sasuke! And my dream Naruto stood up, striking a heroic pose. I willbe the

Hokage, and get everyone to respect me!

Kakashi gave a barely perceptible nod. The blonde runt was excitable, but surprisingly

he had the most normal introduction of the three. The other two had borderline

obsessions or cryptic ulterior motives, but Naruto seemed to be a straightforward

person. Didnt change his lack of skill or intelligence, though.

Alright, you three have passed the academy final. Now its time for the real work to

begin. Do you all know where training field seven is? He received three nods in


26/54

response. Meet me there tomorrow morning at six. You will be having a little survival

training.

Sakura tried to protest that they had already gone through that, but was shut down.

This is different from the academy training. This time youll need to deal with me if

you want to make genin. See, the test you just took the other day only weeds out thosewith no chance of surviving as ninja from those who might. Anyone who fails

tomorrows test gets sent back to the academy to retake the last year. Kakashi paused

to savor the looks of horror he was getting from well, two of the runts, at least. And

by the way, this test has a failure rate of sixty-six percent. Sakura and Naruto were

straight-out gawking as Kakashi turned on his heel, pulled out his little orange book,

and walked away. Oh, right dont bother eating breakfast unless you enjoy throwing

up.


Half an hour later, Naruto sat at the base of a tree in training field seven. The Ninetailshad told him to find a secluded spot to begin his training with the Blades of Chaos, and

pointed out that it would be worthwhile to get a look at the site of the next days test. It

seemed straightforward enough, it was mostly forest, with a few big clearings. The

biggest open space was bordered on one side by the road, another by the bank of a small

river, and on the other two sides by trees. There were three wooden training stumps off

to one side, and just beyond the training areas edge was some old statue Naruto had

never really paid attention to.

So what do you think the test will be? Naruto thought, directing his words to the fox.

Could be any number of things, its impossible to tell. This teacher struck me as the

sort who enjoys getting a rise out of others, so it will likely test your patience, among

other things. And about his advice about breakfast I wouldnt completely disregard

him, but you should definitely have something light. Cereal, or some fruit maybe

you do have something other than ramen, right?

Well, I uh are you sure I should eat? Kakashi-sensei said wed throw up, and I

dont want to disobey his first order

If you eat a big breakfast, you might, but if you eat nothing, you will be slowed and

weakened by hunger. Now that I think about it, thats probably his point Dontworry about it now, just get some apples or something on the way home later. For

now stand up and find an open space. Ive been reading through the basic

movements listed in this scroll, and I feel confident that I can teach it to you. Dont

get your hopes up about using them in your test tomorrow, theres too much to learn

to really become proficient enough in one night.

Naruto walked out into the field, so that the nearest trees were almost ten meters away,

and summoned the blades again. The pain faded very quickly this time, and was much

less intense then before.

Now, the blades can be used two ways. They are excellent weapons in close-rangehand-to-hand combat, and you should make use of them as such. Their true strength,


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however, is the great reach they grant the wielder when you use the chains. This is

what well be working on. Draw one blade now thrust it forward, like youre

impaling the target. Good, now when I tell you, do it again, but release your grip as

you do. Go.

Naruto threw the blade forward, and flame engulfed it as it reached the end of the chainand dropped to the ground. How does it keep lighting on fire like that? Is it magic or

something?

Sort of. Jerk your arm back, like youre elbowing someone behind you good. That

returns the hilt to your hand and spools the chain back up your arm. You see, the

blades use their wielders chakra to keep the fire going, siphoning it down the length

of the chain. It only requires a very small amount, though; even the weakest of

humans could allow the fire to burn for hours without significant drain. Now thrust

again, but let go sooner this time. Grab the chain just before it reaches full extension,

and pull back youre doing fine. Doing it this way makes the attack a two-stage

motion, the release and the return. Were now going to combine those into onesmooth motion. In this next try, I want you to lean into the cast, and as the chain

reaches out move your arm in a small arc, like youre waxing a table. No, no, still too

jerky. It needs to be one smooth transition from pushing the blade out to pulling it

in excellent. I must admit, you seem to be getting the hang of this more quickly

than I expected.

Really? Do you think I can try one of the advanced techniques tonight?

Not even close. Now, try the same motion using your left arm good. Now keep

doing it, alternating between arms. Establish a steady flow of thrusts, right, left, right,

left now reduce by half the length of the chain released. Feel the difference? Much

less range, but much greater speed. Youll be experimenting with this later.They

practiced for another hour before moving on to swinging the blade in a wider arc, to

make use of the edge rather than the point. The swinging motion required less finesse to

do properly, and it only took half-an hour to get basic control of. The magic of the

blades ensured that the leading edge stayed in front, rather then letting the weapons

twist on their chains mid-swing.

The next set of movements involved swinging the blades vertically, either in an

uppercut motion that would knock the target off his feet, or swinging downwards to

smash him into the ground. As the Ninetails explained, these sort of strikes were mostoften used to finish a combo, or to set up for a more advanced technique. Hours were

spent practicing all three attacks using one blade, the other, or both, and eventually how

to move from one attack to the next smoothly. The sun was setting by the time the

Ninetails called for a stop. Youre doing very well. Im surprised you picked up the

basics so quickly, its like youve been doing this for years.

Do you think I should show them to Kakashi-sensei tomorrow?

I think that depends on what kind of test he pits you against. Now, before we finish

up for the night, I have a test for you myself. On your way home, I want you to review

for me what we discussed earlier, about the Five Rules I explained to you.


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Rule one: Fighting honorably is for fools and samurai. A ninjas honor comes from

success. Rule two: Strength is useless if its slow. Speed is useless if its clumsy. Grace

is useless if its weak. Rule three: Even your opponents weapon can be your weapon.

Rule four: The environment is a tool that can be used by you or against you. And Rule

five: The greatest art is the art of deception. Did I get them all right?

Good, very good, you successfully memorized them all. Now, put them in your own

words. I want to be sure you understand why these rules are so important.

Naruto had left the training fields behind by this point, and was heading for Ichirakus

for his nightly ramen binge. He squinted as he thought, trying to organize his jumbled

mind. Well, uh rule one means dont worry about fighting fair, because winning is

what counts.

Good. Next?


At six the next morning, three shinobi hopefuls were waiting in training field seven.

At seven, three shinobi hopefuls were sulking (well, two were sulking, one was

brooding) in training field seven.

At eight, three shinobi hopefuls were downright pissedin training field seven.

And at nine, Kakashi finally strolled up, reading his book like he hadnt a care in the

world.

YOURE LATE! Naruto and Sakura both screamed at him.

Terribly sorry, The jounin said without looking up from his book of smut, I got lost

on the road of life.

There was a moment of silence at this announcement. Naruto finally spoke up. Lost on

the what the hell is that supposed to mean?! Kakashi ignored him, instead choosing

to tuck his book away and produce two tiny bells and an alarm clock. He tied the bells

to his belt.

Now then, the test. Im setting this alarm clock for noon. You have until then to take

one of these bells from me by any means at your disposal. Tools, traps, weapons, jutsus,

there are no restrictions. In fact, none of you will stand a chance if you dont come at

me with intent to kill.

Sakura looked up at him wide eyed. But sensei, wont you be hurt?

It was hard to judge their teachers mood with so much of his face covered, but it

looked like the thought amused him. No, no, you three couldnt cause me serious harm

if I was asleep, drugged, and suffering from chakra exhaustion. Academy fresh rookies

dont stand a chance against a jounin on their own. Thats why all you need to do is takea bell. Simple enough, in theory.


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But there are only two bells and three of us.

Mmm, and that would be a problem, wouldnt it? This means that at least one of you

will go back to the academy, if not all of you. Oh, and also, only the ones who get a bell

can have one of the lunches I brought along. Anyone without a bell gets tied to a post

while I eat your lunch in front of you. The jounin set the bento boxes and the clock onthe foot of the monument. Sasukes and Sakuras stomachs chose that moment to

rumble fiercely, as if in protest to Kakashis harsh decree. Naruto, on the other hand,

was mentally thanking his inner demon for his foresight.

Youre burning time, so I think youd better save the questions. Test begins now.

The genin scattered and vanished into hiding, prepared to observe the target until a plan

of action could be readied. Well, at least two of them did.

You know, Naruto, most ninja would conceal themselves at this point.

Yeah, well, Im not like most ninja, Kakashi-sensei! Im taking those bells right now!

A groan echoed from the back of Narutos mind.

You truly are a fool, arent you? Were you even listening when they covered the

shinobi ranking system in class? Jounin are considered the village elite for a reason,

idiot.

Hey! I can take him! I just gotta summon the Blades of Chaos, and Im gonna kick his

ass!

And exactly how long have you spent training to use the blades?

Umm half a day?

Thats right. Half a day. And he has been a jounin for how long?

How should I know?

Thats right. You dont know anything about him. So what makes you think you can

match him?

Kakashi cocked his head to one side as he watched Naruto. The boys eyes were glazed,

as if his mind was somewhere else, and his expression seemed to indicate that he was

arguing with himself. Uh when you said right now, you did mean today, right?

Naruto snapped out of it for a second. Be patient! Ill come over and kick your ass

when Im good and ready!

Well, fox, should I back down, if youre so sure I cant take him?

No, no backing out now would be cowardice, and thats worse then foolishness.

Besides, I think seeing firsthand exactly how outclassed you are may cool thatimpulsive streak of yours. Go for it, and try not to be humiliated too badly.


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the real Naruto on the other. He left some clones in position, then swam down river to

flank me. Not bad. The lone blonde had in his hands a pair of rather wicked looking

weapons, which had a chain connecting each to his arms. Where did those come from?

Ive never seen anything like them, and he didnt have them when he arrived here. This

is getting more interesting by the minute.

Ready for a beating, sensei? Im gonna get you back for that stupid technique you

used, and then Im gonna burn that stupid book of yours!

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye.No one threatens Icha Icha Paradise. He was so

caught up in deciding how best to humiliate his subordinate that he almost didnt notice

the clones behind him sneaking forward. Almost.

That sneaky little he found what buttons to push, then got me mad enough to lose

focus. Almost was enough, too. I suppose Ill humor him. The clones leapt into action,

one latching on to each leg, another putting Kakashi in a full nelson. Kakashi knew he

could escape their hold easily enough, but he waited to see what the brat did next. Theoriginal Naruto shouted Take this! and thrust his sword thing towards the cluster of

clones and their prisoner, and Kakashi was surprised to see it hurtle forward like a

razor-edged meteor. Okay, I definitely need to look into those weapons. Deciding hed

humored the boy long enough, he used the old standby escape: Kawamiri no Jutsu.

Naruto panicked as the Blade sank into Kakashis belly, but was both relieved and

confused when the man disappeared in a puff of smoke, replaced by one of the Shadow

Clones. The clone disappeared, as did the one that had been gripping him in a

submission hold, as the blade continued forward. Hey, whered he go?

Naruto and his doppelgangers whipped around, searching in every direction for the

teacher. They all began shouting at once.

It was Kawamiri! He swapped with one of us!

Did anyone see where he went?

He must have run off!

Did anyone get a bell?

Sorry boss, I nearly had one, but he swapped out just before I got it!

The real Naruto sighed before releasing the jutsu. Well just need to do better on the

next try. Its gonna be hard to surprise him again, though.

Even if you didnt succeed, you did very well, brat. You certainly exceeded my

expectations, as well as the one-eyes. Now do you see the benefit of a little planning,

as opposed to charging straight in?

What planning? I was making that up as I went. I just thought, Hey, I could use clones

to distract him, and go around behind! Then I thought, Hey, if I have one clone


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Three but the jounin sensei makes four.

And they balance the teams so that the grades of the team members average out.

They put the worst with the best and the second worst with the second best, and so on.

Am I correct?

Yeah. Where are you going with this?

Why would they go to such painstaking efforts to put together well-balanced teams,

then immediately split them apart? Especially in a manner that all but guarantees

that the bottom half of the graduating class will be on the outs?

An expression of wonder dawned on Narutos face as he grasped what the fox was

trying to tell him. They wouldnt! Kakashi lied about one of us getting sent back! Its

all or nothing! But then, how do we pass?

I think you need to figure that out. But heres a little hint. What is the point of therules of this test?

Naruto sighed, and flopped down at the base of a tree to think. To tell us what to do

except that the rules lie. So the real mission is the opposite of what the rules say. So

we need to not get a bell? But that would prove nothing, so that cant be it. What the

rules make us do is go after Kakashi fast, because we need to get a bell before theyre

both gone. But none of us stand a chance on our own, Kakashi-sensei was just toying

with me and no way Sasuke-teme will do any better!

Naruto shot up straight. His eyes widened as everything fell into place. The rules pit

us all against each other! Were supposed to work together!

The vessel could hear the laughter of his tenant echoing around the inside of his head.

Good! Much faster than I expected. That lump of gray pudding you keep in your

skull is more useful than you let on! Now hurry. You have little time, and much to do

if youre going to pull this off.


Naruto walked into a clearing, Sakura unconscious in his arms. He had reassumed his

search, now looking for his teammates, when he heard the girl scream in fear. He boltedfor her location, but when he arrived, all he found was Sakura laying on the ground,

uninjured. As near as he could tell, she had fainted. And now, as he carried her limp

body in search of Sasuke, Naruto stumbled upon what had to be the funniest thing hed

ever seen.

Uchiha Sasuke, heir to the famed Uchiha Clan and Rookie of the Year, had been buried

far enough underground that only his head was visible. Naruto barely managed to keep

from dropping Sakura, as he shook with laughter. As it happened, the shaking of his

body was enough to wake the girl in his arms, and when she saw who was carrying her,

she punched him in the face, and he did drop her.

Naruto! What the hell did you think you were- Sasuke-kun! No!


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The prodigy glared at his teammates, the idiot was rolling on the ground laughing, and

the fangirl was sobbing for some reason or another. Sakura. Shut up. Youre too loud.

Sakura shrieked with joy as she realized her beloved Sasuke wasnt decapitated, and

began desperately clawing at the ground trying to get him out. Naruto finally regained a

little control, and sat up to watch. After a moment, he spoke up. Hey, Sakura-chan.Sasuke-teme. They gave no sign of having heard him. Hey! Guys! Its important!

They still had no interest in what he had to say. Kakashi lied to us! That got their

attention.

What are you babbling about, dead-last?

Yeah, Naruto! Just because you couldnt beat sensei doesnt make him a liar!

As Naruto struggled to explain what he had worked out with the foxs guidance, Sasuke

finally managed to get an arm free, and was able to pry himself out of the ground. He

ignored Sakuras tittering, fought back the surge of jealous anger when he again sawthose bizarre, but obviously strong weapons Naruto had hanging from his back, and

interrupted the blondes chain of logic. I dont need teammates. I dont need yourhelp.

All I need is to grow stronger, and you two are holding me back.

Naruto sneered at his arrogant teammate. Oh, right, me and Sakura are the reason you

were enjoying a gophers-eye view of the world. Kakashi kicked your butt just as much

as he did mine!

Sasuke turned away with a snort, dismissing the blondes statement (because he didnt

want to admit he was right). Sakuras response was less restrained.

Where do you get off talking to Sasuke-kun like that! Hes a better ninja now then you

could ever be!

Naruto sighed. Times like this he had trouble remembering what it was he liked about

Sakura. Look. If Im right, we all win. If Im wrong, we still have the bells. And if

only two of us can pass well, I guess I could get the most out of another year in the

academy. Ill take the fall.

The other two stopped and stared at him.

Here. Naruto pulled a pair of apples out of his bag. I had a few before I came to the

meeting. They may not be ramen, but they arent bad. We need to be at our best if any

of us want a bell.

After a seconds hesitation, Sasuke wordlessly took an apple, and Sakura mimicked his

action. After the fruit had been reduced to mere cores, Sasuke shot Naruto a look.

Whats your plan, dobe?

The Champion sheepishly scratched the back of his head. Uh I dont have one yet. I

was more worried about getting you guys to help first.



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Kakashi allowed a small grin. So, the one whos supposed to be a dummy figured it out

first. Better make sure the others get it too. And where exactly did you get that idea?

Narutos expression changed from excited to fearful.

But But

Now The teacher turned and gave them a hard look. Sasuke has both bells, so he

gets to decide who passes. Cmon, Uchiha, live up to your reputation as a genius, not

your reputation of being a cold-hearted jerk

Sasuke looked at Naruto, who was sighing dejectedly, then at Sakura, who had a

pleading look in her eyes. Hs resolve hardened. Neither. Teammates are a waste of

time and would only hold me back.

Sakura dropped to her knees, fighting back the urge to cry, while Naruto roared with

outrage. You lousy back-stabbingjerk! You wouldnt have gotten any bells if it wasnt

for us! Now you give Sakura-chan one of those bells like we agreed right now or sohelp me Ill

Kakashi hid his disappointment in Sasuke, but was a bit confused by Narutos outburst.

Why is he so intent on behalf of Sakura, but not himself? Did he volunteer to take the

fall? Well, if I really was able to pass one or two of them, Naruto would definitely be

one of them. Lets see if we cant get two out of three.

Alright, if Sasuke refuses to choose Sakura. You choose. Which two of you pass?

The girl with the bubblegum hair looked up suddenly, unshed tears moistening her wide

eyes. M-me? She looked at Sasuke, who was spitting her with a death glare. She

looked away, toward Naruto, who was alternatively looking at her and at Kakashi-

sensei, an unreadable expression on his face. Sasuke will hate me forever if I dont

choose him but Naruto deserves it more! We never would have made it without his

help I cant believe I just thought that about Naruto. Ohh I need to choose Sasuke,

but if I dont also choose myself, I lose the chance to be on his team forever! Sorry,

Naruto

I pick Sasuke and She looked downcast as she said myself.

Kakashi sighed. Close, Sakura. If youd picked Naruto and Sasuke, or even Naruto andyourself, you would have passed. Still she knew what was right, it was only her

infatuation that stopped her. If she spends long enough around Sasuke, she might get

over it and become worthwhile. Sasuke If he goes back to the academy, hell become

even more bitter and not learn a thing from

chosen of olympus

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