Hi guys and gals! Here's the next update!
Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, the Force hasn't given me the power necessary to own anything for this story. I require more training…
Star Wars: The New Republic
Chapter Seven: The New Naruto
The next morning came too soon for Naruto, for it meant having to get out of bed and away from the warmth he was holding close to his body. He fought a groan and cracked his eyes open, looking down to see Revan sleeping peacefully against him. A serene smile was on her face as she rested, making him smile as well.
Ever since he and Revan had admitted what they were feeling for one another, their relationship blossomed rather quickly. Within a month, they had started sharing a bed. A couple of months following that was when she helped him become a man and took his virginity. That night was one he wouldn't ever forget, because it was the greatest experience of real intimacy that he had ever felt.
He gently brushed away some stray locks of hair from her face, making her lean into the light touch his fingers left on her skin. Slowly, her eyes opened and they immediately sought his own. Orange met violet and they both regarded one another with unwavering affection.
"Good morning," he greeted, getting a kiss from her in response.
"Good morning," she returned, snuggling back into his chest and enjoying how he pulled her closer. "…You have your test later this morning."
"I do," he confirmed.
"What do you think your old team will say about your changes?"
He shrugged at that, showing that he didn't know and didn't care. "They can say what they like. If they can't accept what I've become, then tough."
She chuckled at his typical response. "Good point," she agreed. "At any rate, you need to get ready for it. As much as I love being close to you, we both know that this test is important."
He sighed in defeat before pulling her closer so that he could kiss her softly. "There," he stated with a grin. "Now I'm ready to get up."
She rolled her eyes in amusement as they both got cleaned up and dressed for the day. Instead of one of her kimonos, Revan decided to go with her uniform; minus the mask. Naruto was in his own robes, cloak and all, but he had his headband tied around his left bicep instead of on his forehead; letting his wild hair shadow his eyes minutely.
"Ready to go?" he asked her as she clipped her two sabers to her belt.
"Of course, love," she answered before they both left the apartment Jiraiya had let them use, making sure to lock it with both key and seal as they left.
They decided to enjoy the walk to the training grounds, taking the time to enjoy the simple pleasure of the morning warmth and crisp air. They were greeted by some of the more amicable villagers, to which they responded in kind. It was a wonderful feeling for Naruto since it was the acceptance he had longed for as a child. Revan was just glad to see that the man she loved was happy.
When they finally arrived, they found themselves to be the last ones there; much to Naruto's surprise. Sakura Haruno – Naruto's old teammate and apprentice to Tsunade – was talking with her master and Shizune while Kakashi Hatake – his old sensei – was leaning against the tree Jiraiya was seated in, reading the Toad Sage's latest book.
Tsunade took note of their arrival and dropped the conversation with her apprentice to go greet them. "About time, brat. What, did you both take the scenic route?"
They both looked to each other before answering simultaneously, "Yes."
This made the blonde Hokage sweatdrop at the casual response, but on the inside, she found it humorous. It wasn't often that someone was later than the man known for never being on time, after all.
"Alright, I've decided to test both you and Sakura in multiple categories. We'll have Kakashi test your taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu to see what level you both are at. Then, we'll test any other arts you chose to study; such as your fuinjutsu, Naruto."
He nodded in understanding. "And what about the lessons Revan-chan gave me?"
"I'm going to have Jiraiya help me come up with something for that as you and Sakura go through your other tests. But, from what you and Revan told me about it beforehand, it might be something that would consist of showcasing everything you learned in one setting."
"Then, can I request for that test to be given to me by some of the ANBU?" asked Naruto, earning a raised brow from Tsunade. "I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I'd like to be tested by the village's elite forces; just so that I can see where I measure up."
"I don't see the problem letting them test him, Tsunade," Jiraiya commented, walking up to them with Kakashi in tow. "The kid has always enjoyed testing his limits, and what better way than with our special forces?"
She took a moment to consider it while Kakashi and Sakura got a good look at Naruto for the first time since his return. Kakashi was surprised at how much he looked like Minato after only three years; even if the eyes and clothes were different. Sakura was fighting a blush at how handsome he had gotten, as well as wondering why she felt her stomach churn at the sight of him and Revan being so close together. The woman had a natural beauty that made her old insecurities from the past come back.
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea to have ANBU test you. Just don't waste their time with it, brat," Tsunade warned, giving her answer to his request.
"I wouldn't dream of it," Naruto promised before he and Sakura were led to the center of the training field. Along the way, Naruto unclasped his cloak and let Revan hold onto it for him while Sakura put on a pair of thick leather gloves, making sure they fit snugly.
"Well, I suppose I shouldn't hold back this time," Kakashi mused with his infamous eye-smile before he lifted up his headband and revealed his Sharingan. "Same rules as back then; two bells, come and get them, and make sure to come at me with all you've got."
Naruto smirked before taking a deep breath to calm his growing adrenaline. It was stressed on him many times during his Jedi training with Revan. Emotion was good, but you had to know when to use it.
Sakura cracked her knuckles in excitement, eager to show that she wasn't wasting three years of her life while studying under the Hokage. "Ready when you are, Kakashi-sensei."
The Jonin was impressed already with his blonde student. In the past, the young man wouldn't hesitate to rush in without even waiting for the starting signal. Now, he looked calmer, and he was showing great self-control over himself. Sakura was definitely showing how she had grown as well. As a young Genin, she looked greatly unsure of her own abilities; but now, she had gained some confidence.
"Alright then. Ready… Start!" Kakashi declared before he vanished in a burst of smoke.
Sakura tensed at this while Naruto took a quick look to his left and right before looking up. His brows furrowed before he reached out with the Force, smirking when he felt his sensei's life force respond. "Sakura, strike down," he ordered, catching her by surprise before she nodded and, with a battle cry, punched the ground and cratered it.
Revealed from the impact point was Kakashi, whose eyes were wide with well-placed fear. 'W-What ridiculous strength!' he thought, mentally face palming at not taking that into account.
She was trained by someone known for ridiculous strength for three years, for Sage's sake!
"Found you, sensei," teased the pinkette before she took the initiative and engaged him, fist reared back for another devastating hit.
Naruto smiled in amusement before he too charged, showing his newfound speed thanks to his training. As soon as Sakura threw her punch and missed, he was already leaping over her and aimed a diving kick at Kakashi, to which the man back-flipped away from to evade. Naruto didn't waste a moment when he landed, kicking off the ground for a spinning kick that was blocked by the Jonin's forearm.
Sakura recovered from her swing and moved to flank the man, but he grabbed Naruto's leg and swung him into her path. She wasn't prepared for that and couldn't stop her hit, but it only struck a log and it splintered immediately upon impact, shooting wooden shrapnel towards Kakashi.
This caught him off guard and he took a rather sharp piece to his bicep before he replaced himself with another log and reappeared in the trees, hidden from view. 'That was a new one,' he mused, taking out the piece of wood. 'Nice use of the basics, and a great way for a surprise answer to my counter.'
"Damn," cursed Sakura, standing up straight from her battle stance as Naruto calmly walked out from the foliage. "I thought I was going to hurt you."
"Nah, I had it covered. Nice swing, by the way. Glad to see that Granny taught you some of her cooler moves," complimented the blonde, making her a little flustered.
"T-Thanks," she replied. "That was a good move on your part too. But now we have to find him again."
"He's in the forest, most likely. Knowing him, unless we're gonna burn the trees down, he wants us to take the fight to him."
"But, wouldn't that be playing into his hands?" she asked, crossing her arms. "I don't think that would be smart on our part."
"If we weren't Leaf Ninja, it wouldn't be," he retorted, grinning as he tapped the metal plate wrapped around his arm. "We're just as much at home in there as he is. The only real thing he has on us is experience. Besides, I'd rather we see if we could turn the tables on him. We could call that a victory even if we don't get the bells."
She shook her head in amusement, but she still agreed with the notion. "I guess that's true. A Chunin and a Genin getting one over on their Jonin teacher would be a nice victory. Shall we take it to him, then?"
"Ladies first," joked the Uzumaki, standing aside for her.
"Wrong place for chivalry, Naruto," joked back the pinkette, though she still took point as the two entered the forest. They walked with their guards and senses up for a few minutes before stopping in a clearing. "Do you hear that?"
"Yeah; I feel it too," replied the blonde, just in time for someone they least expected to show up.
"Naruto… Sakura…" weakly called out Sasuke, looking no different than how he did as a Genin; save for the many wounds and kunai stabbed into his back. "Y-You gotta help me," he continued, stumbling for a second just before catching himself on a tree. "I got away from…Orochimaru… I was…able to escape… Please, help me…"
Naruto frowned at the sight. "That's rather cruel, sensei," he muttered, only letting Sakura hear him.
Her green eyes closed sadly as she too muttered, "Too bad he's not real… I'd give almost anything to just be able to talk with him face to face…"
Sasuke groaned in pain as he weakly met their eyes, only for his image to be wiped away when Naruto flared his chakra. The flare was dense enough to break the genjutsu and make Kakashi stumble forward, showing that he was behind a tree ahead of them.
"Sorry, sensei," Naruto said with a straight face.
"We don't want to play with your illusions," finished Sakura, though she looked put off by the illusion used. Her ire was made shown when she charged the tree without any warning, breaking it with one punch before she performed a perfect spin kick and blasted the broken plant at her sensei.
He used the Body Flicker to get out of the way, only to have to use it again when he found Naruto right in front of him, Rasengan in hand. He avoided the jutsu just in time for it to destroy another tree, making him sweatdrop nervously. 'Maybe using him as a genjutsu wasn't the best idea…'
Hmm… The boy – now man – who left Sakura heartbroken and nearly killed Naruto multiple times being used an illusionary jutsu. Yeah, not the smartest decision on his part.
"Hey, sensei," called out Sakura, making him look down at her from his new perch while Naruto landed beside her. Both were looking up at him with narrowed eyes. "Is there something you wanted to say? I'm not sure I heard you clearly the first time."
Deadpanning, he answered, "Shinobi Tactics Part Two: Genjutsu…"
"Taijutsu was Part One then, wasn't it?" Naruto asked, earning a nod. "Guess that leaves Part Three," he mused, grinning wickedly as the wind picked up around them.
Kakashi's Sharingan eye caught the chakra in the air and he turned sharply just in time to see a clone direct his palms at him, a drilling tornado taking shape behind him and taking aim at the Jonin. "Shit!" cursed the man, replacing himself with a log that took the hit for him, blasting apart immediately upon impact.
"Whatcha think, sensei?" Naruto asked aloud. "My Tornado Piercer is pretty effective, wouldn't you say?"
'Damn,' Kakashi mentally cursed, seeing the log's shattered pieces drop down to the ground below. The largest piece was no bigger than his hand. 'That's devastating on its own, but where did he learn that jutsu?'
Back with his students, Naruto asked his teammate, "How much damage could you cause with a punch?"
She blinked at the question. "I've never measured it out before. Why?"
"I need you to throw down your strongest punch. I'm hoping it'll be enough to create an opening we can use to-"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Kakashi's voice rang out, and the two saw a massive ball of flames roaring towards them and setting any trees and bushes it moved through aflame.
Acting fast, Naruto blurred through handseals and slammed his hands on the ground. "Earth Style: Mud Wall!" In front of him and Sakura, a large slab of hardened and smoothed mud rose up while the face of the wall that stood against the Fire Style technique had a fox's head poking out of it with its jaws open in a roaring fashion.
The offensive jutsu hit the defensive one, and the defense proved stronger when the fireball erupted and fizzled out while the mud wall stayed strong with only a few scorch marks here and there. Curiously, the fox's jaws were also closed after the impact.
As soon as the fireball was rendered useless, Naruto had a kunai out and was locking blades with Kakashi. With their free hands, they went for simultaneous punches, but their fists met in the exchange and left them both without a hand to use.
"Sakura, now!" yelled Naruto, prompting the pinkette to move in to flank the Jonin. Kakashi retaliated by kneeing Naruto in the gut, pushing him back so that he can leap away. "Oh, no you don't!" roared the blonde, reaching out with the Force to lock Kakashi in place, surprising the man since he felt his body lock up.
'What is this?!' he thought in surprise before he only knew pain. His vision blurred at the impact of Sakura's fist and he was already blacked out midflight before being caught by a clone of his male student.
"Nice shot," complimented the Uzumaki with a grin, making Sakura smile back bashfully. "Would you like the honors?"
Her smile became a smirk as she reached out and snagged the bells, handing one to Naruto. "Guess we won, huh?" she asked rhetorically.
"Looks that way," he answered with his grin softening to a smile as he hefted the unconscious Jonin over his shoulder, his clone replacing the headband over the man's implanted eye. As they walked back, Naruto felt Sakura's thoughts and asked, "Something on your mind?"
"It's just…I don't know what made Kakashi-sensei just freeze up like that. My punch was telegraphed horribly, and yet he took it like a chump," she commented, confusion oozing in her voice.
"That's because I had him unable to move," the blonde answered, sending her an amused smile. "I learned some really handy tricks over the years, and I used one of them on sensei for your knockout."
"What'd you do?"
"Can't tell you," was the immediate response. "It's something Revan-chan taught me, and I can't just explain it to anybody; even a teammate."
This made the pinkette frown for two reasons; both of which were read by the blonde Jedi. "Am I so untrustworthy?"
"It's nothing to do with trust in you," he explained calmly. "It's the trust Revan has in me. She taught me how to do that, but she doesn't want me to just tell anybody. Think of it like how you've been trusted with Granny's strength technique. You wouldn't just tell someone how to do it, would you?" She didn't even get to respond as he continued, "Of course not, because it would be a betrayal of trust. That's exactly what this is for me; the weight of Revan's trust in me."
Slowly, Sakura nodded in understanding. "I suppose that's fair… Sorry if I sounded pushy."
"No need for that. I'd probably be the same if our roles were reversed," he said in reassurance, lying to her slightly. He was a man of his word, and he'd never willingly betray the trust of anyone; nor would he ask someone to betray the trust of another.
He was one of the few ninja who held strongly to that moral; just like his parents before him.
"Nice work," complimented Tsunade after the two of them gave her their report of the exercise. Kakashi had been woken up and supported their reports while Shizune healed the man of any injuries. "Glad to see that the years have been good to you both. Now Sakura, I'll be having you be tested in your medical jutsu by Shizune. She's been with me for many years, so she knows exactly what I'd be looking for in your performance."
"Yes, ma'am," the pinkette Chunin replied with a respectful bow.
"As for you, brat," continued the Hokage, "I'll be having your sword work be tested by one of our best. You might recognize her from the past, but don't think she'll take it easy on you."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Naruto stated as he unsealed his Ō-Katana. "So, when should I expect Cat?"
"Now," came a woman's voice in response, prompting Naruto to turn and draw his blade in a flash, blocking a strike from her. "Nice reaction there, but don't think that this is all I'm going to do."
He grinned in reply, showing her his sharpened canines before they both blurred away. The only sound that filled the air was the clashing of metal and sandaled feet occasionally touching the ground.
"Well," Tsunade began, "looks like they're going to be a while. Anyone up for a little sake?"
Jiraiya chuckled at the question and nodded. Kakashi took the offer as well, joining them as they sat on the grass. Revan sat beside Jiraiya, declining the sake. "No thank you. It's probably best if I didn't have any."
That captured Tsunade's interest. "Oh, and why not?"
"Nothing you need to really concern yourself with yet, Lady Hokage," politely answered the woman. "Just know that I appreciate the offer and the interest in my well-being."
"You never turned down sake during the trip," the Toad Sage commented, downing his first dish. "You can't expect me to drop the issue."
"There is no issue," Revan replied tersely, showing her discomfort. "Can we please just drop it?"
The two Sannin gave her searching looks while Kakashi wisely decided to stay out of it and just enjoy his drink. He enjoyed the taste of it as it went down his throat, enough to give a soft sigh of comfort. It had been a while since he enjoyed a drink of the alcoholic beverage.
Meanwhile, Naruto had pushed Cat back as the two stared one another down from up in the trees. Their spar had moved from ground level to a higher vantage, the trees adding extra challenge for them.
"You have excellent form and reaction timing," complimented the ANBU. "You also have great speed that is only back up by your strength. If I had known you would take to kenjutsu so well, I'd have sought you out a long time ago."
"Thanks. It's nice to know that my time with Lord Mifune was well spent."
"You've experienced a great honor by having him teach you."
"And would you say that I've respected the man's efforts?" Naruto asked as the two went for another exchange.
Between clashes, the purple haired woman answered, "Most definitely!" She ducked beneath a beheading swipe and retaliated with a rising slash that he spun away from. "I'd say that you would make him proud with what you're showing me."
"That's good. Then let me show you the most important technique he taught me," the Uzumaki declared, sheathing his sword as he used the Force to steady his chakra from a raging see to a gentle tide.
Cat immediately sensed the focus the blonde was letting out, and she took a defensive stance, ready to intercept whatever he would dish out. Her eyes narrowed when she saw a faint wisp of silvery blue energy leak out of his shoulders, like clear smoke was being exuded from his form.
'What is this feeling?' she mused, body tense in preparation.
It wasn't long after that thought that she blinked, and he was suddenly out of her sight. Her eyes widened and she moved to turn around, but she found herself frozen in place; unable to move as the sound of a blade slowly sheathing was heard behind her.
"That was a fun fight," Naruto commented as his sword clicked inside of his sheathe. As soon as it did, Cat's body had a long, shallow cut that started from her waist and went up, cutting her mask in two from the bottom right through the left eyehole. "We should spar again sometime," finished the Uzumaki as his opponent staggered backwards and he caught her before she could fall.
Panting, she let herself be eased onto the ground as she tried to catch her breath. "Iaijutsu…" she breathed out. "I've always…tried to perform it…but I never…had as much power…with it as you…"
"It's not about power, Cat," explained Naruto as he had a clone go fetch the others. "It's about speed and precision. Once you have those down to an instinctual level, power comes along for the ride."
Her breathing slowly calmed as she mulled over his words. "Hayate-kun tried to teach me it before he…"
"I heard about him before the Chunin Finals. I'm so sorry for your loss, Cat. He was a good man."
"He was… I miss him every day," she stated as he sat across from her. "That woman with Lady Hokage… She's special to you, isn't she?"
He smiled softly and nodded. "Yes. I love her very much."
"Then do whatever it takes to keep her safe. This pain I feel is not something I want to see you go through," she stated, giving him a serious stare. Once he nodded firmly, she allowed herself to smile back at him. "Good. I'll be sure to take you up on that spar offer sometime. Maybe you can help me perfect my own Iaijutsu?"
"I'd be happy to," he replied, shaking hands with her in agreement as the others showed up.
"So…?" Tsunade asked, raising a brow at the long cut one of her best ANBU had on her person.
"He's easily able to match me thanks to his training with Lord Mifune," reported the woman. "When he showed me his best technique, he left me defenseless and nearly knocked me on my ass. I'd recommend him for helping me instruct ANBU, but I doubt the samurai would appreciate us stealing their techniques."
"Yes, that wouldn't be the wisest choice," agreed the Hokage. "Still, great work, Cat. Go get yourself patched up and take a couple day off."
"Thank you, ma'am," the ANBU replied, standing up and bowing before leaving in a blur.
"Alright, so what's next?" Naruto asked.
"Fuinjutsu," Jiraiya answered. "Go ahead and show her your best seal, kid."
Nodding, the blonde summoned a trio of clone and unsealed his ink and brushes before the four blondes got to work. It took a few minutes before a large sealing array that was twenty feet in diameter was seen in the clearing with the Uzumaki's famous spiral in the center of it all.
Clapping his hands together, Naruto had the seal light up a brilliant orange before it rose into a cylindrical pillar that reached the clouds and left the inside bathed in the same orange light. "Uzumaki Sealing Jutsu: Tower of Yang," stated Naruto calmly, moving his hands back to his sides.
Tsunade walked around the tower, paying close attention to the orange light and warmth that it gave off as she moved closer to it. "So…what's this supposed to do?"
"It's powered by pure Yang Chakra. Anything that is inside the seal will be bathed in the chakra and find themselves revitalized fully. It also has a curious effect on plant life," explained the Uzumaki before pointing to the ground bathed in the orange light, showing that the grass was a healthy shade and that flowers were growing and blooming within seconds.
"That's incredible," the woman gasped out. "How were you able to isolate pure Yang Chakra into the seal?"
Naruto turned to Jiraiya, and the man nodded before taking over. "Naruto's made great strides in his connection to the Kyuubi. Turns out that when Minato sealed her into the kid, he split her power in half before doing so. Minato, before he was taken by the Shinigami, sealed the Yin half into himself while Naruto here has the Yang half."
"So," continued Naruto, "I made this seal with her help, since her Yang energy is full of what could be best described as life. It's why the seal is meant for revitalization and how it has such an effect on nature."
Tsunade crossed her arms beneath her bust and processed the information slowly while Kakashi looked just shy of amazed at it all. "How often can you use this seal, and how effective is it on an injured person?"
"I can use it based on how much chakra Kisaki has available to lend me. If I take too much, she needs to siphon some of mine to replenish her reserves before she takes in natural energy to do the rest. As for how effective, I'm honestly not sure. I've never tested it beyond healing Pervy Sage after some of our more unrestrained spars."
"And at most, I had a few broken bones, some bruising, and some cuts. The seal healed them all within reasonable time; about five minutes was the longest I needed to be in there," Jiraiya noted, making Tsunade mentally file away that information.
"Alright then, I'll have you help me test that seal's limits at a later date. Is there anything else you wanted to test yourself in before we move onto the test with my ANBU?" asked the woman.
Naruto shook his head. "Nope. I'm ready to go whenever you…" he began to answer before stopping himself and looking up. The others followed suit and saw that a messenger falcon was nearing them. "That bird's native to Wind Country," the Uzumaki noted with a frown.
The bird landed on a branch low enough for Tsunade to remove the scroll from its back. She read it quickly before making a noise of annoyance and rolling it back up. "Change of plans. Naruto, get Kakashi into that seal of yours to replenish his chakra reserves. Jiraiya, I need you to get Sakura and have her meet us at the main gates of the village in half an hour."
The man rose a brow but left to get his friend's apprentice. "…Gaara's been taken by two members of the Akatsuki," Naruto spoke up with a hard look, having used the Force to read her most surfaced thoughts.
"Yes. I'm sending Team 7 – who will go by Team Kakashi from this point onwards – to the Hidden Sand so that they can assist in his retrieval. You leave in half an hour."
Naruto and Kakashi nodded while Revan stepped forward. "I'd like to accompany them on this mission. We can use my ship to get there much faster than standard ninja travel would allow. And time is of the essence, if I'm not mistaken."
Tsunade frowned in thought. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Tsunade," Naruto spoke up, getting her undivided attention with the use of her name, "the Ebon Hawk will let us reach the Sand in under an hour. Not to mention that Revan-chan is the one who taught me the ways of the Force." He ignored the curious look Kakashi had from within the glow of the seal. "She'll be a big help to us."
The Hokage locked gazes with her fellow blonde before nodding. "Alright then. Kakashi will be in charge, though. And as of this moment, you're officially recognized as a Chunin. Keeping you a Genin is a waste after what you've displayed, and something tells me that you would've given the ANBU a run for their money if we had the luxury of testing you." She tossed him a scroll as she continued, "Your vest is in there, but you don't have to wear it. Get Gaara back, take down the Akatsuki members if you can, and get back here safely. That's an order."
"Yes, Lady Hokage," replied the Jonin, Jedi, and new Chunin in synch.
The Red Dawn wouldn't know what hit them.
And there you have it! I hope that the chapter was worth the wait, and I apologize for said wait.
Things are pretty hectic over here on my end. I'm starting to feel several issues with my body (namely my ear and my chest), my job is a pain, I'm trying to get myself ready to hopefully become a Corrections Officer (Wish me luck guys!), and family matters are never out of sight (or mind).
And so, Team Kakashi and Revan will be going to rescue Gaara next chapter. How will the Akatsuki handle two people so in tune with the Force; one of whom being a level beyond that of Master Jedi?
Until next time!
~pain17ification~