The Test (Patreon)

Danzo eyed his informant critically. "Are you sure about this?"

"Hai, Danzo-sama. There have been talks; he's been seen using the Fourth's techniques, even Hiraishin," the Root Anbu said plainly.

"Hiraishin? That's quite advanced. And about Deidara of the Explosion Release?" he asked.

"There have been talks of Hokage-sama claiming his kill to collect the bounty, but there's no evidence, so it has been dropped," he said.

"These news are dire. Such unrestricted talent can't be allowed to run wayward," Danzo said, rubbing his chin.

"The news of Sasori of the Red Sand being killed is also true. Tsunade-sama's student and Elder Chiyo of Sand Village were responsible," the Root Anbu said.

"It's fortunate then that Hokage-sama has accepted to add Sai to the team," another Root member said.

Danzo looked up sharply. "Until now, they've been mere promises. Sai hasn't joined the team on their latest mission, and there have been talks of Uzumaki being tested for Jonin. If he gets the rank, then he could easily shake off any responsibility to the team."

"So, do we have to rig the examination?" the Root Anbu beside him asked, a bit eager.

"And risk your identity? There are going to be at least four Jonin and three Anbu. Konoha is at peace time; we can afford such a crowd now," Danzo scolded, his voice tight. "We do nothing for now. If Tsunade wants to force my hand, then so be it.

He placed the compass on the desk of the office. He had forgotten about the trinkets he had collected from Uzushio.

The summoning scrolls and the scroll with the Second Hokage's technique were already secure in the latch in the wall. He had been fortunate that his father depended on his seals and blood more than on hiding the latch. He had also sealed the weapons there; only his blood could unlock it, as he was the last Namikaze.

But the things that had given him pause were the masks—the eerie-looking masks that had decorated the wall of the chamber he had retrieved them from.

He sat down. There were six of them, carved intricately, but they seemed to hold chakra that felt off. He didn't dare to unleash that chakra; he was hardheaded but not a fool, and now a scroll lay open in front of him.

A technique was on display: the Mask Soul Sealing. A terrifying prospect if he had ever seen one. He had learned the hand signs and seals, but the details were here. Sealing a soul sounded terrific, inside a mask, no less.

He nodded to himself before standing up. An inscription tool in his hand, he moved to the wall where the latch was with other things, except the masks, the broken compass, and fuinjutsu scrolls. He started carving a second space there; it would hold the soul masks.

An hour later, he was done. This required his chakra as well as his blood, a lock that only he could open, not even his descendants if he had any. The masks were secure now; he would look into this soul sealing more.

For now, he was more interested in a cup of ramen and a bath.

"Not that way," Naruto said, copying the seal himself on a paper. "See the curve here, it's necessary. A wrong brush stroke and you'll destroy your seal completely."

Hinata and Konohamaru looked up, the latter nodding while the former chewed her lips with a frown. The Sarutobi had decided that if Naruto was teaching Hinata, he would be taught too. After all, he was Naruto's first student; the tantō he had been gifted was always present at his waist.

He was here today to learn with Hinata, and the girl had not objected to it, so Naruto had agreed. But he could see Hinata sending furtive glances to Konohamaru.

"I told you to practice your handwriting, Konohamaru. Do not peek at Hinata's lessons; they are far above your current level," he admonished, and the boy gave a sly grin before copying the characters he was handed.

Naruto sat back, the fresh air from the garden flowing in, his stomach already full with the pastries Hinata had brought with her. He had to admit that the girl had amazing cooking abilities, be it cakes, ramen, or any other dish.

At least his stomach was thankful for taking her in as a student.

Naruto glanced over, eyeing her brush stroke against the seal paper. He had bought her a purple utility belt just like his to store her seals. She had been hesitant at first but had accepted eventually.

His mission pay was good, and the rescue mission to Suna was termed an S-rank. The payment for S-rank was good enough to feed him for months on end, and nowadays Hinata would bring something to snack on when she came to learn.

"Is this satisfactory?" Hinata asked, derailing his train of thought.

He took it, examining it for a second before drawing a stroke to test it.

Suddenly, it fizzled, and he looked up alarmed. He had just left the house with a shunshin before he was stark naked.

The woman passing by shrieked; he shrieked louder, cursing his luck, before a shunshin carried him to his room.

"Naruto-kun? Are you alright?" Hinata asked from outside.

"He shrieked like a woman, aaaaaaah," Konohamaru copied his scream.

"Shut up, Konohamaru! And yes, I am alright, Hinata. Wait in the living room, please," he said, redressing himself.

"I am sorry, Naruto-kun." She said, and stared at the harmless-looking seal paper in her hand as if it had personally insulted her.

"Ne..Ne, Hinata-nii-chan, Can I get that paper?" Konohamaru asked innocently. "I might need it,"

Naruto came in the room a bit of pink in his cheeks, "No, you'll not. You'll only cause chaos."

"Come on, Nii-chan. Also, you can't lecture me on chaos, you caused your half at my age." The boy said with a pout.

Naruto ignored him taking the paper again, "Let me see, this is here and this right here, it looks good. But this," He pointed at a circle, "This is misplaced, it should be here."

This stroke didn't cause a sizzle, and Naruto relaxed only to scream as the hair in his body, all of it was shaved at once, even his eyebrow and eye lashes.

A stunned silence fell, thicker than Konohamaru's usual rambunctious antics. Naruto stood there, utterly smooth-skinned, his eyebrows and eyelashes conspicuously absent with his hair.

Hinata's jaw dropped, a soft gasp escaping her lips.

Konohamaru, initially frozen, burst into uncontrollable laughter, rolling on the floor. "Nii-chan's a bald monkey! A bald, bald monkey!"

Just then, the door to the house creaked open. Shikamaru, having finally found Naruto's new, quiet residence, sauntered in, yawning lazily.

He took one look at Naruto's shiny, hairless head, the seal paper still in his hand, Hinata's mortified expression, and Konohamaru howling with laughter on the ground.

His eyes widened. "Troublesome," he muttered, though the word lacked its usual tardiness, replaced by genuine shock. "What in the world…?"

Naruto, now more embarrassed than angry, pointed a trembling finger at the offending seal. "It wasn't supposed to do that, it's an appearance changing one. Not like this though."

Hinata, regaining some composure, nervously wrung her hands. "I thought it was just a small error, Naruto-kun. I was trying to just copy..."

Shikamaru slowly closed the gate behind him, as if contemplating a strategic retreat. "So, you have invented the ultimate grooming jutsu? This is… surprisingly efficient, in a terrifying way." he asked, trying to stifle a smirk that was fighting its way onto his face.

Naruto wailed, rubbing his smooth scalp. "I look like an alien! Or a peeled potato!"

Konohamaru, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, pointed. "More like a shiny, pink egg, Nii-chan!"

Shikamaru just sighed, he eyed the seal paper. "Don't tell me you're going to try fixing it again?"

Naruto shook his head, "I'll deal with it later."

He formed a hand seal before clasping his hand together. "Ninpo: Lion's mane jutsu."

The hair that grew out was shiny.

Konohamaru was practically vibrating with excitement. "Do it, Nii-chan! Grow it all back!"

Naruto focused, pushing chakra into the technique. A faint, green glow enveloped his head. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a faint fuzz appeared, rapidly thickening.

Within seconds, it wasn't just fuzz. His head hair began to sprout at an alarming rate, quickly forming a dense, unruly mop.

His eyebrows reappeared, then overshot, becoming thick, bushy caterpillars. His eyelashes grew long and luxurious, practically tickling his cheeks. And, to his horror, a dense, dark stubble exploded across his chin and jawline, turning into a thick, tangled beard in mere moments.

Naruto's eyes, now almost hidden by his overflowing brows and lashes, widened in panic. He tried to cancel the jutsu, but his fingers, now obscured by thick, rapidly growing knuckle hair, fumbled.

"It's... it's still growing!" Hinata gasped, taking a step back as Naruto's entire head seemed to be consumed by an ever-expanding mass of blond fur. He looked less like himself and more like a very confused, very fluffy, golden-haired beast.

"Nii-chan's a giant furball!" Konohamaru shrieked with delight, pointing a finger.

Shikamaru facepalmed, a long, drawn-out groan escaping him. "I knew it." He began to slowly back towards the gate. "I think I hear Chouji calling for me."

Naruto, now resembling a frantic, golden yeti, finally managed a choked sound from beneath his new mane. "Fuck, it's not supposed to go like this."

Half an hour later, Naruto stood in the Hokage's chamber, his usually spiky blond hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes now a chaotic, overgrown mane of golden fur.

Fortunately, his shunshin was flawless as ever, so nobody else had witnessed his bizarre transformation—except, of course, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Konohamaru. Two of the three were now enjoying the show from just outside the office door.

Inside, Tsunade and Shizune were openly giggling at his predicament from behind the Hokage's desk.

"It's not funny, Baa-chan! Please do something!" Naruto whined, his voice muffled slightly by the sheer volume of hair now engulfing his head.

"It is, actually, Gaki," Tsunade managed to say between peals of laughter. "The hairy problem strikes back. Minato and Jiraiya both found this issue with the Lion's Mane, and now you."

She wiped a tear of mirth from her eye. "Your father nearly suffocated himself trying to explain to Kushina that his 'new look' was an accident, not a fashion statement. And Jiraiya… well, he just embraced the wild man look for a few weeks."

Shizune, still chuckling, added, "Minato-sensei eventually had to get a specialized barber, Naruto. He couldn't even use regular scissors."

Naruto slumped, his overgrown hair flopping comically around his face. "So, there's no jutsu? No medical ninjutsu to just... poof it back to normal?"

Tsunade finally composed herself, though a smile still played on her lips. "Well, there is a way, but it's going to require a delicate touch. And a lot of patience. This particular side effect is caused by an overactive chakra response to the hair follicles. We need to reset it without, you know, making you bald again permanently."

She leaned forward, her expression turning more serious, though her eyes still held a twinkle. "It's a tricky procedure. It's going to involve me carefully channeling my chakra to stabilize yours. It'll be slow work."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Slow? How slow? I have the test tomorrow! I can't show up looking like a giant golden mop!"

Tsunade burst into laughter again, joined by Shizune. "Oh, the irony! The great fuinjutsu master, undone by his own hair! Don't worry, Gaki. We'll get you presentable. Eventually. But for now," she gestured grandly at his head, "you're going to have to embrace your inner lion."

Naruto tugged at his hair. It was an accurate size now, only if a bit longer. His face was clean of any residue of the beard he had grown, and his eyebrows and lashes were at the right length. It seemed that was the only thing that took the hit. Nodding to himself, he washed his face.

Today was his test, for what he didn't know. Didn't he already take one after entering the village?

He was excited, though. Unlike the previous test, this one was to remain scheduled, aside from peeking eyes. Maybe he would be able to unleash his full potential.

It had been a few months since he had gone all out. Jiraiya had encouraged him to do so, but with him gone, his only option was Kakashi.

But his sensei was on a mission and was only supposed to return yesterday. Sometimes it seemed Kakashi was just too busy with his missions, and his record showed it. He was one of the few who could take on consecutive high-ranking missions, just like Jiraiya and a few others.

Sakura had discussed with him how the extermination of the Uchiha clan and the ninja wars had robbed Konoha of some of its best. Even the rampage of the Nine-Tails all those years ago had left its mark, and nobody knew that better than him.

Speaking of the fox, it had remained silent. Since he had returned from Uzushio and to Konoha, it had remained silent. But he couldn't say he was unhappy about that.

He got himself dressed in his mission attire, a new chunin vest and black shinobi sandals. Adjusting his utility belt, he walked out of the door, locking it behind him with a seal.

The walk was slow as he headed toward Training Ground 12, his location today. The training ground, as he had found out, was more like a building surrounded by a lush green forest on three sides and a grass ground on one.

It was said to be used for the training of Jonin and Anbu. For what, he didn't know. He found eyes looking at him, peering at him with curiosity and a bit of awe.

More than one, mainly from small genin he could see walking to the academy. The civilians mostly ignored him or shifted a little as he passed. He ignored them all; it was a habit ingrained from childhood.

The village was still half asleep. The shinobi population was milling around, but the civilian population was mostly sleeping. Fortunately for him, his destination was just a short walk away.

The training ground was just as described: a lone, T-shaped building with blue panes that reflected the sun's rays. It seemed to be twelve stories or more, though he didn't count properly as he entered.

Empty.

Nothing was there. The walls were painted white on all sides, as were the floor and ceiling. As he glanced back, he found the door had disappeared too.

He looked around the room, transfixed, a voice urging him that he was relaxed. It urged him he was at peace. Was he? Why not? What was out there to search for?

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he was jolted, a hot chakra pooling around his stomach. A very familiar but vile chakra. The voices inside his mind were kicked out.

"Huh, if it takes only a measly genjutsu to distract you, then you are undeserving," a voice laced with disgust said.

"Kyubi?" he asked inside his mind, but there was no answer.

He opened his eyes that he didn't remember closing. The room was still stark white, but a door at each end was visible now.

"Welcome to the Jonin Exams, Chunin Uzumaki," the words read on the right wall.

He walked forward. The genjutsu had nearly enveloped him. It had never happened before; his natural aversion to genjutsu due to him being a jinchuriki had always helped him.

The gate was locked. He was confused for a second before looking around. It wasn't going to be easy to enter, it seemed.

He regulated his chakra, but the natural energy wasn't there, masked by the building. It could be suppressed; the building didn't have naturally flowing chakra like the forest, after all.

The next hour was spent checking every nook and cranny for any latch or hidden space. Buttons, hooks, and anything that could be used were checked. Nothing.

He rubbed the top of his head, looking around the room critically until his eyes fell on the door he had entered from. There, just beneath the doorknob, was a small space, just the size of his fingernail. He bent down, picking at it until it clicked.

A slip of paper was ejected. It read: "I call you to enter a space, But to truly succeed, you must leave that place. Your journey's not done, for a new path's in store, Through a dozen clear panes to unlock the true door."

He frowned. Riddles were never his forte. "Not enough brain cells," Ero-sennin had said as much. "Enter a space" surely meant the building, but to "leave the place" and then "a dozen clear panes"?

On instinct, he walked out, closing the door behind him. It was still morning, and the birds were chirping. He looked around, not a single clue. Then he looked up and narrowed his eyes.

There, on the twelfth window pane, the surrounding clay was white and not blue like the others. He regulated his chakra to his feet and started climbing, reaching the twelfth glass pane.

He crouched down, checking the pane. The clay seemed fresh, and he picked at it, finding it stuck to his finger. Slowly, he removed all of it, and the window pane came out. He squeezed his body in, walking only for the tiles to crack under his feet.

Another hesitant step and it shattered, and he fell down. Throwing his hand forward, a gust of wind cut his momentum as he landed. The space was small and congested. There were steel walls around him, buzzing with faint chakra.

He took a step and the floor beneath him shifted. He jumped back, looking down at the uneven floor. There were holes in some tiles, others looked loosened, while a few had red markings.

Another puzzle? It was getting on his nerves.

He walked again and the floor shifted, but this time his foot landed on the tiles with holes.

There was a rattle beneath Naruto that made him gulp; that was familiar, too familiar. It was mere seconds after he jumped that a ten-foot rattlesnake shot out of the tile, its cover destroyed. That snake was wrongly sized; rattlesnakes never got that large, only summons could grow larger than average.

He threw two kunai, but the snake moved to the left, the kunai hitting a red tile, which then exploded.

"Damn, this is a booby-trap filled room and I'll have to fight here?" he said to himself, jumping back as the snake lunged. He threw more kunai, which the snake avoided by slithering to the right.

The snake was too close to his face for his comfort. Eyeing it moodily, he threw a wind jutsu in its face, pushing it back. He formed another hand seal. "Fuuton: Wind Spear!"

The transparent spear passed through the snake like a hot knife through butter. The snake fell and, unfortunately, hit a red tile. Explosive chains ignited around him. Fortunately, a white platform appeared on the other side of the room.

He vanished and reappeared on the platform, the room behind him collapsing. He stood there, eyeing it, but found no way forward. The platform was as barren as a desert, but he noticed a switch on his left, barely visible as it was transparent.

The click resonated in the empty room. A gate opened beneath him, and he fell. He tried to apply chakra to the metal walls, but they were greased, making them impossible to grip.

He needed to do something; if he didn't, he would die. He tried sending a gust of wind beneath him, but it disappeared as if sucked by a vortex. He grunted. Maybe his father's special kunai were reinforced; could they help?

He took out a pair and threw them beneath him. One bounced off the wall and fell down as if it hit a rock. The second pierced the metal wall. He landed on it gracefully, and a door opened in front of him, from the wall. Was it a coincidence or luck that he had used the kunai just in front of the gate?

He jumped in and the door closed behind him. Suddenly, a light source appeared from the ceiling. A platform shaped like a table rose from the ground. He walked forward carefully, eyeing it curiously.

There was a paper slip on it. It read: "You've stepped inside, the first part done, But two-thirds more, before victory's won. Your next great feat, in shadows deep, Is data to secure, a secret to keep. Then find the one whose face is red, And place the prize within his stead."

"Why is all of this in riddles? I fucking hate riddles," Naruto grumbled, picking up the white scroll that appeared out of nowhere.

And in that sudden moment, a shadow appeared above him. As he looked up, the scroll was snatched from his grasp by an Anbu. He swore and raced behind him. With his restriction seal off, he ran as fast as he could.

He jumped above the falling barrels and swung past the hanging ropes, but the Anbu was faster, it seemed. He grunted as his leg slipped on the greased floor, but he applied a minimal amount of chakra to stabilize himself, and it worked.

He glanced up to see the Anbu waiting by a door. As he reached him, he disappeared behind it. And as he crossed the door, Naruto was in a maze. A maze with iron walls, dark blue in color and ominous looking.

It seemed he had to track the man, which honestly wasn't his forte. He looked around, there no hints, two ways he could go but which one to choose?

There was a soft click to his right, and he sharpened his ear, walking that way. He looked up at the walls connected to the ceiling, meaning he couldn't jump above them to look around. A shadow clone appeared beside him. "Go to the left; dismiss yourself if you hit a dead end. I will create two more clones." The clones rushed in.

It was like an information network. Every time a clone was dismissed, its memory returned to Naruto, and two more took their place. It took him a few minutes, but he found the door he was to cross. A left, then right, another right, a left, a right, a left, another left, and he was there.

The gate opened to two Anbu standing guard, both holding a scroll. White in color.

"Find the real one and take it to the red face. If chosen wrong, you'll be out," one said gruffly.

He looked at the scrolls; they were similar enough. There was no sign, no symbol, or anything to distinguish them. They both were wrapped around a black wooden stick. He frowned.

If he looked closely, he could see some difference. One was a bit crumbled, creases formed around its corner as if someone had handled it roughly.

"You on the right," he said, and the Anbu passed him the scroll.

He looked up only to see both had disappeared. There was a ninja at the end of the hall, dressed in a red Anbu suit.

He walked forward and handed him the scroll.

The man took it and unfurled it. He read it before looking up. "You have cleared the second level. You infiltrated, and then tracked. Now you need to combat."

Another voice said, "Three names. Give me three names you want to face."

A ninja in regular Anbu attire entered, and as Naruto looked back, the Anbu had disappeared unexpectedly.

"I can name a genin, you know?" he said, looking smug.

"Would you? I don't think you're a coward, Uzumaki Naruto, but you'll have an easy way out," the man leered.

"No, I would not. But don't I get a list or something? I can name the Hokage, can't I?" he asked.

"Yes, you can. But can you defeat her?" the Anbu asked pointedly.

"No, so I have to defeat all three?" he asked.

"You do, so choose wisely. Too weak and you'll be named a coward. Too strong, and you could be defeated. Three names, Uzumaki," the man said.

Naruto frowned. He didn't have a list of Jonin, and he knew few personally, but he had a few names he wanted to test his mettle against. "Mitarashi Anko," he said.

"My, my, you've chosen a dangerous foe, Uzumaki," the man chuckled.

"Genma Shiranui," a name from his father's journal.

"Anbu Bear," he said, the last name.

The Anbu stilled. "You want to compete against the three-faced Bear?"

Naruto nodded.

"Very well. Mitarashi Anko versus Uzumaki Naruto, begins." The man said.

Naruto looked around, the room stretched out, a vast space of polished, dark tiles that shone under an unseen light. It felt strangely familiar, like the big hall in the Forest of Death's tower where they had the Chūnin Exams preliminaries.

But some important things were missing. There was no big statue in the middle, and no high-up ledges for people to watch the fighters. The walls were smooth metal, reflecting the plain light and showing no way to grab them or any features.

The air felt still, with a faint metal smell, hinting that this contained, almost heavy, room was not natural. It felt less like a test area and more like a clever trap.

"It's a surprise that you chose me, Gaki. Thought I'm an easy-picking, right?" The purple-clad shinobi said with a smirk that reached from ear to ear.

Naruto said nothing, just got into his stance. Anko didn't disappoint as she rushed forward, coming with a high kick to his right. He ducked and moved into her guard with an elbow to the face; a forearm stopped him from connecting with her nose.

She bent down at an unnatural angle, twisting her body sideways to send a punch at his face. He moved his head to the other side.

"You're quick," she conceded, but her second hand was thrust forward, and three snakes burst from her sleeves, racing toward him.

With a slight movement of his hand, the snakes were pinned down by three kunai. He looked up sharply, but she wasn't there. His instincts kicked in, and he crouched down as a kick passed over his head.

He glanced back, a scorpion kick aimed at her gut. Anko grunted, jumping back, but Naruto was already on her heels. The clang of two kunai clashing rang around the arena. Naruto overpowered her, but she jumped back, forming a few hand seals.

"Katon: Fireball Jutsu!" She bellowed.

"Fuinjutsu: Water Geyser Jutsu!" He said.

The water spouting from the seal collided with the fire and covered the area in steam. Visibility was low, and Anko became dependent on her senses. Fortunately, her senses were sharp.

A kunai flew past Naruto's ear; a centimeter to the right and it would have taken his ear off.

"Ninpo: Needle Jizo!" A barrage of yellow, quill-like hair flew into the mist, but it didn't connect with anything.

It wouldn't do. He closed his eyes, regulating his chakra, feeling for nature's energy. The metal walls made it hard, but not impossible. He ducked to the right as a kunai headed his way. His eyes still closed, he revealed a paper seal from his belt.

"Fuinjutsu: Twin Sealing Chains!" Four chains shot out of his seal and rushed toward the mist. Anko, swearing like a sailor all the while, surely jumped off from the other side, glancing back as the blond stood stiffly, his eyes closed.

The brat was skilled, she couldn't deny that.

She shot a ball of fire at the chains, but it dissipated, not harming them even in the slightest.

She glanced back, but the blond wasn't there. She was about to summon one of her bigger snakes but found her chakra haywire.

"Fuinjutsu: First Level Chakra Disruptors!" he whispered just beside her. She looked at him sharply but found a kunai at her neck.

"Yield, Anko-san. You're good, but not enough," he said with a smirk.

"Well played, Gaki," she said before sighing. "I yield."

"First fight—winner: Uzumaki Naruto. Next round: Uzumaki Naruto versus Genma Shiranui," the Anbu said.

Genma Shiranui appeared in a shunshin, hands in his pockets and a toothpick in his mouth, which he chewed on lightly.

His father had regarded Genma as a skilled Tokubetsu Jonin, one of the best. He wasn't from an important clan; his father had been a seasoned chunin, and he followed his lead to become a Tokubetsu Jonin. Genma had made a name for himself in the Leaf on his own, rising to the rank of Hokage Platoon. He had been taught the Hiraishin, to execute it in a group of three.

"It's surprising that you wanted to face me," the man said, his voice light and a bit amused.

"I heard you were favored by the Fourth, and that is rare in itself. I've only known of Might Guy and Kakashi who got there," he admitted.

Genma's eyes widened a bit. "Who told you that?"

Naruto eyed him, amused. "I don't think it matters, but I will tell you if you can defeat me."

Genma smirked. "I like you, kid, you've got guts. I saw that in the Chunin Exams, and now here. Let's get ready then, I am not Anko."

An indignant "Hey!" from somewhere was ignored.

Genma moved first, and he was fast. Faster than Anko for sure, and better at taijutsu. The punch that connected with his jaw was proof of that, but Naruto wasn't going down that easily.

He returned with a punch of his own, which was blocked. A kick to his stomach threw him back, and a punch to his head put him down.

"You're disappointing me," Genma said.

"Am I now?" A voice replied behind him. Genma turned, but as fast as lightning, a kick connected to his chest.

He flew back a few meters before righting himself. Naruto was already above him. A dropping axe handle connected, and he went down to one knee. But the knee that came next was met with a toothpick; no blood came out. Instead, the Naruto in front of him disappeared in smoke.

A shadow clone, clever.

He stood up; the boy had improved, that much was clear to Genma. Now, how much? That was for him to find out, and he would.

This time, Naruto made the first move. A slight of his hand and two seals were placed on the ground. Too quick for Genma to strategize, sealing chains rushed out, two from each seal.

Genma moved between them. He had sparred with Kushina-nii. She was terrifying with her chains, and she had full control over them, unlike Naruto's that came from a seal and needed precise control.

He was past them and heading toward Naruto, his favorite weapon now drawn. He wanted to dance, and his tantō wouldn't disappoint.

The first slash from the right was blocked by a kunai. A familiar kunai.

He looked up sharply, a downward slash pushing down Naruto. The kunai could withstand his strikes, he knew that. Minato-sensei had done this before, and was more skilled at it.

"You recognize them, don't you?" Naruto asked a bit smugly.

Genma spun around, slashing at his feet. Naruto was quick, though; he jumped over it and moved into his guard. Genma was on the defensive.

No, he wouldn't give him a chance. He jumped back, the tantō returning to its previous place.

"Ninpo: Senbon Shower." Genma said, shooting out the senbon that everybody mistook for a toothpick.

One divided into two, two into four, and so on.

Naruto disappeared, a shunshin, just like with Anko. He was as good with that as Minato-sensei.

A blur to his left, and Genma threw his senbon there. The clone disappeared as soon as it had appeared. Another to his right, and it got the same treatment.

"How can you predict them?" Naruto asked, disgruntled.

Genma looked quickly to his left; there he was at a distance, a frown on his face.

"The slight blur, you can never hide it," Genma replied.

Naruto eyed him thoughtfully. "So, you want me to use that?"

Genma's eyes widened. "You knew that?"

Naruto grinned. "Wanna see it in action?"

A kunai was in his hand the next moment. He threw it, and Genma saw in slow motion. He disappeared in a shunshin; he wanted to see it, but that would mean the end of the fight. A second kunai was beside him. How did the brat predict his location?

And there was the infamous yellow flash, the same flash that had given his father a reputation, but Naruto was slow and unused to the movement. Genma took advantage of it and kicked him aside.

Naruto grunted, his eyes wide. "You're slow, brat. The Fourth was quick as a flash; you telegraph your entry."

But as soon as he was above, his tantō positioned, the Naruto on the ground smirked, literally, and winked at him. And then, decided to disappear in smoke.

There was a rustle of cloth above him, and a weight that pushed him down. A leg pushed his tantō arm down, a knee was placed on his back, another hand gripping his shoulder, and a familiar whirling sound above him.

"Yield, Genma-san. You're quite adept at fighting me, but not fast enough," he said.

Genma chuckled. The brat had duped him, strengthening his clone with extra chakra, faking his speed and capabilities. Genma understood now, he was never going to win.

Naruto was said to be an expert in fuinjutsu, but he had only used one seal until now. He was even affronted that Naruto had not used even a wind jutsu; all he had used was taijutsu and his shunshin. But even Genma hadn't used his best jutsu, underestimating the blond was a fault.

He had allegedly defeated Deidara of Akatsuki single-handedly afterall.

Genma sighed and nodded. "I yield."

Naruto stood up, his Rasengan fading.

"Winner of round two: Uzumaki Naruto. Last round: Uzumaki Naruto versus Anbu Bear."

Anbu Bear was a big man, easily six and a half feet in height. He was strongly built and used a staff, just like his late father. Naruto smiled. Sarutobi Sora was one of the guards that protected Naruto when he was a child. Konohamaru had the coloring right, but he didn't think the brat would reach his father's height.

The man stood in front of Naruto, twirling a staff in his hand, and Naruto knew the Sarutobi was grinning behind his mask.

The man moved, and though his size wouldn't suggest it, he moved like a gust. In mere seconds, he was inside Naruto's guard. The staff connected with empty space; Naruto had shunshined away.

"Don't run away, brat. You chose me as your opponent, now face me. Where are your famous guts?" the man said.

Naruto gulped but moved forward with resolve.

Bear was in front of him in seconds, and this time Naruto just sidestepped as the man brought the staff down. He ducked under it as it was swung horizontally.

"Hold still, brat!" he grunted, hacking at him again.

Naruto jumped back.

"Fuuton: Great Breakthrough!"

"Fuuton: Air Blast!"

Naruto's wind jutsu was blocked as expected. He revealed two familiar seals.

"Fuinjutsu: Eight Sealing Chains!" Four chains rose from each seal.

Bear batted aside the seals like they were ropes. "Don't mock me, brat."

Naruto grunted and formed a hand seal; two clones appeared beside him and formed a few hand seals.

"Fuuton: Wind Spear Barrage!" Three wind spears sped toward him.

Bear batted the first aside with his staff, the second glanced off his shoulder, and he ducked down from the third, all while battling the chains.

"Fucking hell, go down!" Naruto yelled.

"Not so easy. Heard you fought and defeated Deidara of the Explosion Release. Why don't you really show me what you can do?" Bear asked.

Naruto stood up straight, his previous jolliness all gone. "If you really want to play like that, then let's go."

A kunai appeared just in front of Bear, a seal inscribed on it.

"Fuinjutsu: Second Gravity!" he said, and Bear grunted.

Naruto was mere meters away from him, his shunshin as fast as ever.

The sealing chains were slowing him down. He had only two options: either to power through or retreat. He chose the second, jumping back, the gravity making it hard.

As soon as he left the perimeter of the seals, Naruto was there, trying to separate him from his staff. Sora had taken to them like a fish to water.

The chance came when Sora went overboard to catch him. A slap of paper, and the staff was sealed.

"Smart move there. My staff is my first and best weapon. But I am a Sarutobi, Naruto. Versatile to boot." The Anbu Bear said gruffly.

"Katon: Fireball Jutsu!" he bellowed.

The fireball was larger than average.

"Ninpo: Lion's Mane Jutsu!" The strengthened hair protected him from the fire.

Naruto receded his hair back, and Sora wasn't there. A kick to his back propelled him forward, and a knee to his back put him down.

As he looked up, he saw Sora's feet. He glanced at his face, hidden by the mask. Naruto smirked and disappeared in smoke.

Sora felt his breath hitch as a kunai was placed at his throat. "You didn't think I would go down that easy."

He grabbed the hand and tossed it over his shoulder, only for the Naruto in his grip to change into an exploding tag. A substitution, and a fast one at that.

The resulting explosion threw him back, his arms already burning due to the exposure.

He righted himself, favoring his right leg. It seemed the exploding tag had damaged his leg too.

Suddenly, a Naruto appeared in front of him, and one from his back. Each had a Rasengan in hand, aimed at him.

"Doton: Earth Tomb!" he said.

The shell-like structure of the tomb felt the full force of the Fourth's famed technique. It seemed his son had taken up his legacy and was doing better for it.

The tomb had two big holes. After all, the Rasengan was said to be able to withstand a Tailed Beast Bomb. And Sora had seen one; if it could do that, then he was lucky Naruto hadn't used it at full power.

There was a kunai in front of him, and he could see one to his back, left, and right. He was surrounded on all sides, Hiraishin markers clear as day to see on them.

And sure enough, three Naruto came this time. A glance behind proved there were four. All had a kunai poised at him, ready to strike.

"Yield, you're injured, and I have applied chakra disruptors on you." Sure enough, there was a seal stuck to his left calf; he never felt Naruto applying it there. "Also, your chakra is low. Forfeit now."

He smiled under his mask. It seemed the blond was catching up to his father at a rapid rate. In a year or two, he would reach that level and maybe surpass him.

"I accept my forfeit," he said.

"Winner: Uzumaki Naruto. You're finished. Take the door to your right. An Anbu will inform you if your presence is required," the Anbu said.

Naruto nodded, glancing at Sora, surely to chat with him, before walking out. His steps were mindful, but his posture was relaxed.

"How did he do?" Tsunade asked Kakashi.

"He passed, Hokage-sama. His timing wasn't that bad either—above average but under the limit," he said, leaning against the wall beside the window.

"And his deduction skills?" she asked, a bit hesitant.

"Surprisingly adequate. He was frustrated, though, gritting his teeth the entire time," Kakashi said, a smirk on his lips.

Tsunade laughed. "At least he passed. Are you in favor?"

Kakashi nodded. "It would be better to allow him more freedom. The advisors and the war hawk wouldn't be happy, though."

"I wanted him to gain more experience, but defeating Deidara has changed that," Tsunade said, getting somber. "We're already short on high-ranking shinobi. Sarutobi-sensei fumbled with them. Sakumo, Hizashi, Fugaku, and others were war veterans; their experience was valuable, and their presence a deterrence."

Kakashi looked away, not ready to voice his own thoughts, especially when he agreed with her. The Third had fumbled with high-ranking shinobi, at least in his second term as Hokage.

"We need capable shinobi," Kakashi said lowly.

"Yes, we do. Hand him the vest yourself, Kakashi. In Jiraiya's absence, he would appreciate that," she said, handing him a green vest.

"Are you sure, Hokage-sama? He would get a lot of leeway," Kakashi said.

"Leeway that Kushina didn't have as a Jinchuriki? Yeah, I'm sure. Hand it to him tomorrow," she said, determined.

Disclaimer: All rights are reserved to Kishimoto.