Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own Okami. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto, and Okami is owned by Clover Studio and Capcom.

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Naruto-Okami Crossover

Kaikinisshoku: Total Solar Eclipse

Book 1: Whirlpool Chronicles

By Cyberweasel89

Chapter 12: Sweat

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The trip back home was uneventful. Team Nine didn't run into anyone else, save for a few travelers they walked past.

It was as Team Nine was approaching the Konoha gate that they ran into a curious sight. Hatake Kakashi and Team Seven returning from their own mission.

"Yo! Kakashi!" Anko called to the copycat ninja and his three wards. Sasuke was his usual brooding self, but this was the first time the purple-haired kunoichi had seen the Akugouhou twins up close. She'd worked with some of their relatives before, but this was the newest pair to graduate the academy.

"Hi, Inko. Hi, Youmaru." Naruto greeted, choosing to ignore Sasuke.

Youmaru was the male half of the duo. Taller than his sister by several inches, he was pale like her, but that was where the similarities ended. His hair was white, shaggy and tied in the back for a low-set, whip-like ponytail that reached his rear. His eyes were red, but they were gentle, the young man smiling at Naruto and offering a wave.

His clothes were highly unusual. Dark gray slacks with a black long-sleeved button shirt, brown loafers on his feet. Around his neck was a Yin-Yank necklace, hung from his neck by a simple string. Across his chest was a brown belt that holstered his sword on his back, a large double-edged blade almost as long as he was tall and as wide as his shoulders.

Inko was the female of the pair, and aside from hairstyle and skin tone, couldn't be more different. She was several inches shorter than her brother, with black hair and blue eyes, but hers were narrowed in a glare, her arms crossed over her flat chest.

She was dressed in a white sun dress and white sandals, an identical sword to her brother's strapped to her back with a brown strap. She also wore an identical yin-yang necklace.

"Can it, Uzumaki. A dead-last isn't worth my time."

Hinata's hands tightened into fists. She was trying to work up the courage to defend her crush, but a hand on her shoulder from Naruto himself stopped her. She turned to the blonde ninja to see him shake his head at her, though she could see the sadness in his eyes.

"How'd your mission go, Kakashi?" Anko asked him. "You went to Wave Country, right? Bodyguarding a bridge builder from bandits?"

Kakashi sighed. "Yes. But it turned out the bridge builder was really being hunted by a criminal kingpin. We ended up fighting a rogue Swordsman of the Mist and a girl with an ice Kekkei Genkai."

"Really? You fought one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?"

"Yes. And the girl would have taken the hit from my Lightning Blade had Inko's explosion kenjutsu not shattered her ice mirrors.

The girl blushed. "Awww, I just helped. Sasuke-kun did most of the work. Right, Sasuke-kun?"

She turned to the Uchiha survivor, who just crossed his arms and scoffed. It was obvious Inko was just one of many girls with a crush on the boy.

"Unlike my idiot brother, who didn't do anything." Inko quipped, turning to glare at her brother. Youmaru just gazed down at the ground sadly.

"What happened to the ice girl?" Anko asked.

"That's classified, I'm afraid."

"Wow. That's surprisingly uptight from you, Kakashi. Anyway, we better head for the Hokage to collect our payment."

As the groups turned to part ways, Naruto gestured to Hinata, slowing down so Anko and Kyan got ahead. Hinata did the same.

"You were going to defend me, weren't you?" he asked, his voice soft.

Hinata simple nodded. "Um... Y-Yes. I'm sorry..."

"It's okay. Thank you, actually."

Hinata tilted her head slightly. "Th-Thank you? For what?"

"Not many people are willing to defend me. It's just... You know, I always thought of you as..."

Hinata's heart welled up.

"A dark, timid, and weird person..."

Then it sank to the deepest depths of despair.

"But you know something? I like people like you..."

Then, as fast as it fell... Hinata's heart soared.

It was several minutes later when she realized she had froze in place. Shaking away the blush from her face, she ran to catch up to her sensei and teammates.

They reported back to the Hokage and received their payment. Mitarashi Anko, however, felt a stop by Hallowed Ground was necessary. It was time her wards met Hallow.

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Anko pushed open the door and walked into the bar and restaurant known as Hallowed Ground, stepping up to the counter with her genin right behind her. A woman stood at the counter. She looked fairly young, maybe late twenties, with long, straight black hair and red eyes. She was dressed in a corset and long skirt, which seemed to do wonders for her impressive figure.

"Yo!" Anko called to her.

The woman paused in wiping down her counter, looking up at the sound of the jounin's voice. "Anko-chan! Great to see you! Where have you been? And who are the little ones?"

"Oh. Old Man Hokage made me take on a genin team. This is Naruto, Hinata, and Kyan."

"Nice to meet you three." the woman greeted them with a smile. She turned back to Anko. "So, the usual, Anko-chan?"

"You bet!"

The jounin took a seat at the bar, her wards taking stools beside her, while the woman went to prepare their food.

"Hey, Anko-sensei. I thought you said we would meet Hallow." Naruto pointed out.

"Idiot." Kyan scoffed. "Don't you get it? She's Hallow."

Naruto nearly fell off his stool, making Hinata giggle. "What? Hallow is that lady?"

"Think about it, Uzumaki. Anko-sensei never said whether Hallow was a boy or a girl."

Naruto couldn't help but be reminded of one of his teammates... Wait a minute... He was the only guy in a team of all girls! What happened to the odd conspiracy of only one girl per team?

"Um... Anko-sensei..."

"Speak up, maggot."

"Um... Are we just here to eat?"

"Pretty sharp, maggot. Nope. Hallow is gonna help you train for the Chuunin Exams."

"What? But didn't you say Hallow was crippled in some big mission? How can she help us train?"

Anko smacked Naruto on the back of the head. "She's not going to help you fight, maggot! She's going to teach you how to control elemental chakra."

Naruto stopped rubbing the back of his head, his face brightening. "Really? Is she gonna teach us some kind of, of... explosion jutsu, or something?"

Another smack on the back of the head from Anko. "Patience, maggot. You need to find out what your elemental alignment is first. I'm, of course, fire. Hallow's gonna help you find out what your specialty is."

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"See this paper?"

Hallow was holding four slips of paper between her fingers. They had nothing written on them, and were rectangular in shape.

"This is a special kind of paper made from a tree grown and fed with chakra."

"What does it do?" Naruto asked.

"Simple! Hold it in your hands, put just a little bit of chakra into it, and it'll tell you what your elemental alignment is. I'll try it first."

Hallow held up a piece of paper in her other hand, which wrinkled and crumpled up.

"What? What does that mean?" Naruto asked.

"It means I'm lightning-type, Naruto-kun. Now, watch Anko-chan try!"

She handed Anko one of the slips of paper. The jounin held it in her hand, focusing. It soon caught aflame and burnt to ash.

"Um... I guess that means you're fire type, Anko-sensei." Hinata pointed out.

"Yeah, but that one's obvious." Anko explained, folding her arms behind her head.

"You next, Hinata-chan."

Hallow handed the Hyuuga heiress one of the slips of paper, which she gently took. The girl focused on it a little... and it promptly sagged and turned damp.

"Um... Does that mean I'm water?" she asked.

Kyan chuckled. "Lucky you. I'll bet I'm water, too."

"Oh? Then why don't you go next, Kyan-kun."

Hallow handed the raven-haired boy one of the slips of paper, which he focused some chakra into. The paper crumbled away and turned to dirt.

"Strange reaction for water..." Kyan complained.

Hallow let out a laugh. "That's because you're not water, Kyan-kun! You're earth!"

The raven-haired boy's eyes widened. "I'm... I'm... dirt?"

"Um... Well, yeah, earth is dirt. But it's mostly rock and stone. It's a pretty strong element if you use it right."

Kyan's face fell. "I'm... dirt..."

"My turn, my turn!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"Sure thing, Naruto-kun."

Hallow handed Naruto the last slip of paper, which he held up and focused on. After several moments, the paper mysteriously split in two.

"Huh? I can cut things with my mind?"

Hallow laughed again. "No, silly! You're wind!"

The blonde ninja's face brightened. "I'm wind? Really?"

"Yeah! Be proud of that. Wind is a really rare affinity, and only those who are wind-aligned can shape wind jutsu into blades."

"Wow! That sounds awesome!" he cheered. Hinata giggled at her crush's enthusiasm.

"Follow me, maggot. There's only one other wind-affinity shinobi in Konoha I can think of. I'll set up a training session."

"You can do that, Anko-sensei?"

"Sure. How do you think I arranged that Genjutsu training with Kurenai, or your Taijutsu training with Guy?"

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As everyone turned to leave, Hinata tugged on Kyan's sleeve to get his attention. The raven haired boy sighed, turning around to face her.

"What is it, Hyuuga?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

The Hyuuga heiress looked around to make sure Anko, Naruto, and Hallow had left. "Um... I have a request..."

"Spit it out, Hyuuga. I might listen."

She swallowed hard. "Please, Kyan-kun! Show me how to be strong like you!" she begged.

But the raven-haired boy just sighed. "It's not about strength or power... You have to be fluid."

The Hyuuga heiress gave him a perplexed look.

"You have to be like water. Get it?"

"Um..."

A sigh. "That's what I thought. Follow me."

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Kyan led her to the backyard of his family's seafood restaurant, of all places! It was a small yard. Fenced in, with a gnarly bare tree and a stump that looked to be used for chopping wood.

"Why are we in your back yard, Kyan-kun?"

"This is where my father trained me. Now I shall demonstrate. Come at me."

Hinata gave the raven-haired boy an unsure look.

"Trust me, Hyuuga. Come at me with a regular attack."

The Hyuuga heiress nodded and lowered into a Gentle Fist stance. She thrust a hand forward, her index and middle fingers outstretched to mimic a Gentle Fist strike, but she wasn't planning on expelling any chakra. But the raven-haired boy just smoothly and effortlessly sidestepped the strike. With the force Hinata had applied in her strike, she was sent toppling forward and rolling onto her back. The raven-haired boy stood over her and looked down at her strained expression with his usual bored face, his arms crossed.

"How... How did you do that?" the Hyuuga heiress breathed.

"You're tense. I'm calm. You apply excessive force, I control that force through fluid motion. That means relaxing the whole body so that it could react instantly without resistance. You know, without thought. See? It means becoming like clear water."

"Um... Water?"

A sigh. "Get up, Hyuuga."

Rather than helping the Hyuuga heiress up, Kyan went to sit down on the grass in a meditative position. Hinata got up and sat down next to him, trying to mimic the position.

"Water can take any form. Solid ice, flowing water, flying vapor. It drifts without effort one moment, then pounds down in a torrent the very next."

"Um..."

"Water can be a calm pond, or a raging tsunami, changing without any warning."

The raven-haired boy brought his hands to his knees and closed his eyes in a meditative pose. Hinata tried to mimic it.

"Imagine a river. Trees, boulders, even mountains may stand in its way. Yet the water continues to flow. Patient. Persistent. Water finds a way around, eventually wearing down any obstacles in its path... Until only the water remains."

"But... What does it...?"

"Be the water. Go with the flow. Stay within yourself. Let your opponent expend his energy, then dish out what you were holding back. Understand?"

"Um... I think so."

The raven-haired boy sighed sadly. "You're lucky, Hyuuga. Your elemental alignment is water. I am sure mastering it will be even easier for you. If only I had been water. Instead I am..." he shuddered. "dirt."

"Don't think of it like that, Kyan-kun. The soil gives birth to new life. And the rocks, mountains, and caves provide protection to those who seek shelter from storms."

"I suppose..." he mused, though he still sounded unsure. "But I am more concerned about keeping clean when my Jutsu pertains to the earth."

"Kyan-kun... Do you have an obsession with cleanliness?"

The raven-haired boy blushed. "No! I mean... No, I don't. I just don't want to coat my clothing in filth. More work for my mother."

Hinata just gave her teammate a small smile.

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Naruto was led to the leader of Team Ten, the son of the Third Hokage known as Sarutobi Asuma. The cigarette in his mouth emitted a thin trail of smoke. The blonde ninja could smell it from where he stood just a few feet away, even though he was upwind. It was really rank…

"So, you're a Wind Release type, huh?" the jounin asked him.

"Uh-huh." Was all he said in response.

"And I thought I was the only one in Konoha. Well, ready to get started?"

"I guess."

"Show more enthusiasm! Anko-chan said you'd be a little bundle of energy. Something wrong?"

"Uh..."

"Go ahead, spit it out."

"You smell..."

Asuma's face blanked. "I smell?"

"Yeah."

"Smell like what?"

"Cigarette smoke. Do all jounin have some kind of… weird thing?"

"Weird thing? Speak up, Naruto."

"It's just... Kakashi is always late and reads porn books. Guy is obsessed with youth and refuses to use jutsu. Kurenai wears those weird clothes and reads late into the night because she has insomnia. You smoke those... cancer sticks. And Anko-sensei eats pretty much nothing but dango and gets turned on by blood."

"I'm surprised you didn't mention Guy's spandex suits."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "What about them?"

"Well... Him and Lee are the only ones who wear them."

"Yeah. I always wondered about that. How come I'm the only one who sees how awesome those suits are?"

Asuma sighed. Anko warned him, this kid was unique, and would end up surprising him in many ways.

"Look, just... Take a leaf, focus on it in your hands, and see if you can cut it in half with your Chakra alone."

"Awww! But I wanna do some cool Jutsu!" the blonde ninja whined.

Ah, here's the Naruto he was told so much about. That quip about jounin quirks was oddly perceptive, but now he was back to the immature bundle of energy he'd heard of.

"Sorry, kid, but you need to start with the basics. Grab a leaf and get started. If you can't do it by the time I've gone through a pack, we'll call it a day."

"You're just going to stand there and smoke while I train?"

"Yes. Now get started. Your sensei demands it."

Naruto grabbed a leaf from a nearby bush and squeezed it between his palms, grumbling all the while. Asuma chuckled and went to lean against a nearby tree, taking a long drag from his cig. He'd have to ration this pack if he expected it to last throughout the day. From what he'd heard, this kid was fairly inept.

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"So, you're Hinata, right?"

The Hyuuga heiress nodded.

"I'm sure you've heard of me. Izumo. Kamizuki Izumo?"

She merely shook her head.

"Well... Okay, then. Now, I'm going to teach you a thing or two about Water Release jutsu. You with me so far?"

She nodded.

"Good. Now, water is probably the most versatile of the five chakra elemental natures. It can take many forms, including..."

With a few hand signs, Izumo brought his hand to his mouth and blew a large, beach ball-sized bubble, which floated forward before hitting a tree and popping, peeling some of the bark away.

"Gas, or..."

A few more hand signs, and a small black cloud appeared over a nearby bush, which promptly rained black rain on top of it. Izumo did another hand sign, promptly snorting inward and hocking a lugee, only... when he spit it out, it was a golf ball-sized fireball that hit the soaked bush, setting it ablaze. Evidently, the black rain was flammable oil.

"Or even..."

Izumo did two more hand signs before spraying a glob of semi-transparent gel at Hinata's feet. She found herself struggling to remove her feet from the gunk.

"That's my Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field. A jutsu I created myself after seeing a friend of mine spill some syrup. It can also take the form of mist. I can teach you all of these, and I have some friends who can help with some other Water Release jutsu. Pretty cool, huh?"

Hinata merely nodded

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Um... I, uh..."

"Oh! You must be shy. Well, I'm sure you'll warm up to me."

"I-If you say so... Um..."

"Yes?"

"What was that you used to set the bush on fire?"

"Water Release: Black Rain Jutsu."

"Um... No, that... fire thing."

"Oh. That was Fire Release: Spitfire Jutsu. Simple E-Rank jutsu. Completely useless in battle, but useful when just a little bit of fire is needed."

"So you're water and fire type?"

"Nah. As an E-Rank, even Genin can learn Spitfire. They just don't normally teach it in the academy because letting kids play with fire is dangerous."

"Are E-Rank elemental Jutsu common?"

"Not really, no. Most elemental jutsu are at least D-Rank. The very few elemental E-Rank jutsu, like Spitfire or Shocking Grasp, are usually only used to help get newbies familiar with their elemental affinity."

"Shocking Grasp?"

"E-Rank Lightning Release jutsu. Basically just gathers electricity to your hand to zap whoever you touch. Doesn't do much but make your hair stand on end."

"Um... I see..."

"Well, ready to get started? We'll start with the Water Release: Bubble Jutsu. It's the easiest to use."

"Um... Okay..."

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Kyan was now face-to-face with an ANBU in a blue hooded cloak and a mask that vaguely resembled a boar.

"So you work for my father?"

The ANBU member nodded. "Yes. I'm a Captain in ANBU under Commander Sushiaki Ryoushi. I'm his top Earth Release user, so he called on me to help train you as a personal favor."

"I see..."

"Well... To start off, Earth Release is the steadiest of the five elemental chakra types and has the most raw power. You can swim through the ground like water, summon walls to protect you, phase in and out of rocks, and even coat yourself in rock armor."

Kyan grimaced.

"Something wrong, boy?"

"Nothing. Let's just get started."

"Good. For starters, Earth Release: Underground Projection Fish Jutsu is the first step to learning the second most basic of the Earth Release Jutsu."

"Second most? Why not the first?"

"According to Commander Ryoushi, you already know the Earth Release: Tremor Jutsu. He taught you a basic Jutsu from each of the five elements to give you a starting edge for whichever your affinity would be."

"How much has my father told you about me?"

"Just that you're his only son and the future of the Sushiaki family rests on your shoulders."

"Only son... Right..."

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"I did it!"

"Say what?"

Asuma was shocked. He had only just started the second half of his pack. "How'd you do it? Did you cheat?"

"Sort of."

The jounin crossed his arms. "You cheated? Did you use a kunai?"

"No, nothing like that!" Naruto defended. "While you weren't looking, I deployed some Shadow Clones and had them work on leaves, too."

"You did? Why?"

"I dunno. But sometimes when my Shadow Clones poof away, I somehow know what happened to them to make them poof."

"Really, now? And if you concentrate, can you recall what happened between summoning them and their dispersion?"

"Um... Sometimes. But it's kinda hard to concentrate for me."

Huh. The experience transfer ability of a Shadow Clone was a pretty advanced technique. You needed serious concentration for a clone's experience to carry over to the user. But maybe this kid could get his elemental training done in half the time this way.

"Summon a few more Shadow Clones, then. I think you're ready for the next step."

"Really? Awesome!"

Heh. Anko was right. This kid was surprising.

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Hinata fell to the ground for what seemed like the umpteenth time. She was so dizzy, she felt like she might vomit. Kyan stood over her and sighed.

"Face it, Hyuuga. I just don't think you're cut out for the Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin jutsu."

"Why?" She asked, panting.

"Well, my theory is that your anatomy throws you off balance, or you have a weak equilibrium. Possibly even an inner ear problem. Regardless, I don't think you'll ever be able to learn it."

"Oh..." Hinata sighed, crestfallen.

"Hang on, Hyuuga. There's still hope. I've noticed you're naturally flexible. Probably something to do with your water affinity. You might be able to adopt a variation of Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms that serves the same function as Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's just a theory, though. I won't know if it's possible until we give it a try. But it might just give you a fighting chance in the Chuunin Exams."

Hinata gave a small smile. "Thank you, Kyan-kun."

The raven-haired boy blushed, looking away. "Whatever. Just get up so we can get back to work." Evidently, he wasn't used to being thanked... or doing things for others.

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A knock on the Third Hokage's door alerted him from the papers he was signing.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Your next appointment is here." he heard his secretary say from the other side of the door.

"Good, good. Send him in."

The door opened, and a face he hadn't seen in a long time walked in. Sarutobi lit his pipe, as he was sure he had some explaining to do.

"You wanted to see me, nya?"

"Yes. Thanks for reporting on such short notice. Were you briefed?"

"You bet, nya! I even did some extra research, nya."

"Good, good. That speeds things up. But, please. Stop that."

"Stop what, nya?"

"Stop saying nya."

"Sorry. Momoko likes when I say it."

"Is she with you right now?"

"Nya. I mean, nah. She's napping. I didn't wanna wake her. But I feel kinda naked without her..."

"Well, not to worry. I won't keep you long. Are you ready to lead the second phase of the Chuunin Exams?"

"Yeppers!"

"Good, good. Report to Morino Ibiki. He'll let you in on what he's planning for his first phase of the exam. Gekko Hayate can tell you about the third phase."

"I'll go there right meow!"

The Hokage was about to tell him about his slip, but the young man was right out the door before he could stop him. Hm. He was always the black sheep of the Inuzuka Clan. But he was the youngest tokubetsu jounin they had. Not the best, but he was incredible for his age. Sarutobi just hoped he'd be ready for the Forest of Death. Not to mention this batch of genin. Most talented generation yet.

After all...

The Chuunin Exams were just around the corner...