Chapter 20
Kakashi looked at Kurenai as he finished watching the tape that was to be sent to Konoha this morning, “I realize all of the Konoha team are clan heirs, but…” looking up in thought for a moment, “I don’t think most of our Genin’s could survive taking this kind of test. And Naruto said that the easy parts were over,” the easy parts he snorted.
“All the other nation s have always viewed Whirlpool as second rate when it came to their ninja forces, and yet the mythical Dragon Warriors are from here, it just doesn’t make sense,” Kurenai shook her head.
Walking in on the tail end of the conversation with more popcorn Naruto grinned, “Of course it does,” sitting down behind his desk he hesitated to push the play button again, “According to my family’s clan histories that I have been reading, around two hundred years ago the last Dragon exam was held. And the Uzumaki back then felt with the start of the Hidden ninja villages there would not be the need to keep sending our Dragons out into the world to stop the atrocities from happening; the new ninja villages could handle it. I think that was the start of the downfall of the old Whirlpool,” frowning with the last comment he mumbled out he bounced back with a grin, and offered, “Popcorn? I hear this next part is very entertaining.”
Hiashi had gotten up early because he had trouble sleeping, his image of his eldest daughter had been challenged as he watched her participate gracefully in the first part of the Chuunin exams, an exam that if he was truthful with himself was much harder than the one he had taken or that Konoha put on. Snorting in derision he looked over the training grounds of his family’s compound as the first hint of light, the false dawn sent shadows around the training posts. Sensing movement he activated his eyes and caught sight of a branch family member rushing to his side.
“Excuse me for interrupting your thoughts Hiashi-sama,” the guard bowed low for fear of not being respectful enough. “But you asked us to keep watch and inform you of the next messenger’s arrival, there is another Dragon Warrior at the west gate, one that is brown this time.”
“Are you sure they are not the same person and just changing masks?” Hiashi turned to face the branch family member.
“Hai…We are sure Hiashi-sama, all three so far have been of different heights and builds, their voices do not match; plus I believe the last one was female,” the branch guard bowed again as he saw the signal to leave.
Hiashi frowned in thought; he had searched the earliest clan archives after the first Dragon Warrior appeared. His ancestors had speculated where the Dragon Warriors were from, but now he knew for sure. It was some of the other information he had found locked in the secure vault only the head of the clan could access, information he had not bothered to read when he was made clan head that was troubling. Slipping his sandals on he calmly made his way to the Hokage tower and the council room, he had just enough time to take his seat before Hokage-sama finished greeting their guest and came into the room to watch the next part of the exam.
Shocked as another different Dragon clad Warrior walked into his office the Third took a moment to wonder just how powerful Naruto's forces were, “Good morning Dragon-sama, may one presume you have the next part of the exam for us to view?”
Nodding his head slowly Roka looked around the office as he pulled the tape out of his pocket, “indeed I do. And I was requested to pass along a message from one of your Jounin, he told me to tell you that the third and final seal set had been applied and that Minato’s legacy had been completed with success.” Tilting his head to look at the Third who practically jumped in his chair he wondered what it meant, though he was not worried as Uzumaki-sama was in the room at the time and just grinned and nodded when the Jounin gave him the message.
“Oh my…” the Third fanned himself with some papers as he smiled, “He did it, it’s finally over for good.” Startled to see actual confusion on the Dragon helmed mans helm he grinned, “The message was to tell me the Kyuubi is truly dead now.”
“Ah,” Roka nodded, “I remember the daylong celebration.” Frowning he shook his head, “the next morning though is another story that I wish I did not remember.”
Chuckling softly the Third stood up, “Indeed, I too remember both the good and bad of Sake.” Waving towards the open door he smiled, “Shall we, I am intrigued to see what the next test turned out to involve and how well my Genin did.”
Nodding his head Roka entered the room behind the Hokage and glanced around at all the clan leaders seated around the room, most had eager expressions on their faces, a few had some worry under the outward eagerness. Moving over to the machine he put the tape in and turned to face those gathered, “I should warn you that Uzumaki-sama chocked on the popcorn he was eating when he viewed this.”
Tsume narrowed her eyes not sure she liked what she had heard, then again she did remember some amusing incidents when Kiba started his training with Akamaru.
Turning on the machine Roka stood next to it and prayed to the gods he could keep from chuckling, several of the incidents while dangerous at the time were hilarious seeing it from another perspective.
The television blinked on and the picture on the screen showed Naruto standing in front of the Chuunin candidates as he finished his speech. The group could see how the Konoha four were seriously considering Naruto's words as they took their places in line to receive a sealing scroll and a map.
“This part of the test is rigged to place burdens on the teams,” Roka informed them as not much of anything was happening on the screen. “The Genin’s have only had time to relax for two hours and eat as much as they wished before being informed the next exam started immediately without having time to prepare. Each Genin was given a map of the Wild with their present location noted once they were taken to the starting point. Also all the scrolls handed out were nowhere near being a fraction of what a team would carry with them in the Wilds for a mission. We wished to test their inventiveness and their ability to do a mission without the correct resources. At the same time they were placed in a life and death situation and given unique orders surrounding the other teams, orders that if they were on a true mission and they came across a fellow Whirlpool team that was injured they would have to deal with stabilizing their fellow countrymen and still be able to carry out their mission.
Pointing to the screen Roka smiled, “As you can see, your Genin have discovered that Logic does not make a good base to make assumptions in real life. And they have discovered that they are inadequately prepared for the mission and how they dealt with it was superb.”
Shibi winced as his son made a rookie mistake in assuming all the scrolls would be the same, though he had to admit it was a valid assumption as he did not know the test was rigged not in their favor.
Hiashi frowned as his daughter deferred to the Uchiha in leadership, though he watched her closely as she made the divisions of their supplies without input. It seemed the Uchiha trusted her to do her job without input, actually as he watched the Uchiha interact with his daughter’s team he wondered how and why he changed so much.
Shibi was mortified as he watched his son shake as he stared off into the morning lit forest glade, hearing the snickers from some of the other clan heads he could understand their conclusion, though he knew that the behavior being seen was not from that act, but from his son’s colony being worked into an excited frenzy. Seeing something as the camera panned around to include the other males on his son’s team he yelled out, “Pause the tape…”
Quickly moving to the front of the room where the television was he bent down and stared at the screen, his son had the right to be overly excited, “Scent bugs…thousands of them…how is that possible they were almost wiped out.”
“What is so important about these bugs your son would look like he is having blissful relief,” Hiashi asked his eyes narrowed as he watched the Aburame practically drool at the television.
The Third stared at the screen as he remembered the use of the bugs in the second war during his youth, “those bugs are unparalleled trackers, in fact by using the scent bug it is impossible not to find your target. During the second and third war they were thought to be wiped out as they were used so heavily.”
Making a note to actually go to Whirlpool Shibi returned to his seat, “Thank you for allowing me to confirm what my eyes told me Dragon-sama.”
Nodding Roka turned to look at the screen as he pushed play once more, to him a bug was just a bug, oh well he thought.
The tape started up again and this time it flashed to the group stopping for a break, suddenly the ground erupted around them as giant cattle sized ants exploded out of the ground attacking the team.
Hiashi was shocked to see his timid and useless daughter fall into the Juuken style by reflex and attack with a ferocity he had never seen before, “How…”
Gazing with contempt at the splinter clan, Roka sneered, “And if you had her spar against someone other than her sister or cousin who she loves she might have shown you her true potential.”
The sound of a scream brought all eyes back to the television as Kiba howled out as he dodged another strike from a giant ant before putting a kunai through its eye into the brain killing it.
Tsume watched her son lose a little bit of his arrogance as he fought with the ants before skidding to a stop near his partner and scooping him up before taking to the tree’s. Then a great fireball from the Uchiha cleared the attacking ants long enough for his teammates to escape before he took to the trees.
She chuckled darkly as the team learned never to assume they were safe in a battle as the Uchiha looked down the tree in obvious shock.
“I don’t believe it,” Sasuke looked down in disbelief, “Their climbing the trees. How in all that is holy can something that big climb a tree.”
Sweating slightly Shino looked down before quickly grabbing a panting Hinata and leaping to the next tree, “Very…very…”
“Big ass ants,” Sasuke shook his head before helping Kiba up, “We need to be elsewhere.”
Looking skyward before he leapt to the next tree Kiba growled out, ‘Naruto I’m so going to punch your lights out when I see you.”
“I have never seen such large ants before,” Shibi looked at the Dragon Warrior as he remembered the size of the rabbit Kiba had taken down. “Why are not those dangerous creatures destroyed?”
“They have their uses, so we manage them,” Roka shrugged, the tape was getting to the good part.
Lost in thought Hiashi wondered about the skill he saw his daughter displaying, it was in direct opposition to everything he knew about her. Maybe he should try to find a way to…shaking his head he knew it was a lost cause without the clan elders seeing her skill through this tape which would be taken back shortly, there was no chance to make them believe she was strong. Turning back to the television he watched it flicker again showing a new scene before he jumped out of his chair as the Genin team and his daughter walked out of the forest to see the edge of a desert. A desert full of Lizards the size of small houses, and they were breeding.”
Shibi looked on in horror as he saw the danger his son and teammates walked into, lizards like to eat bugs. Shuddering he sighed as he saw the team retreat so quickly and run all out before collapsing in a clearing a good distance away.
Tsume saw the shy girl look dazed on the screen, now that her son and teammates were out of danger their follow up words were hilarious, not able to hold it in any longer she broke out in large guffaws as she listened to their antics.
Hinata was still in a daze as she looked over at Shino who had taken off his coat, taking a sip of water she looked around not mothering to remember to be shy, “Were…were those lizards doing…”
Rubbing his eyes on horror Kiba yelped out, “No…No…No, please don’t repeat that. It was horrible I tell you…The things those lizards were doing…AHHHHH.”
Shino nodded as he looked at his teammates, “I did not know some of those sexual positions were even possible.”
Dropping his head Shibi shook his head; Shino’s mother would kill him if she ever saw this tape and heard his words. Breaking out into quiet laughter he had to admit it was funny though.
The Third was stunned as he watched his Genin walk into a death trap, so much so his pipe slid from his lifeless fingers as he watched their escape.
“Are you telling me those creatures have use?” Hiashi was embarrassed that his innocent daughter experienced the sight of something so far beneath her station.
Roka chuckled as he nodded, “Oh yes indeed. Those lizards are very valuable, the blood in very small amounts is used by the pharmacy’s in many drugs and curatives, the most popular we sell to other countries though have to do with curing a certain rising problem.”
Hiashi fell into his chair as he stared clueless at the meaning behind the Dragon words.
The Third watched in silence as the rest of the tape was shown, thinking about the skills all the Genin had shown so far. They more than showed enough skill to be promoted to Chuunin, and the exam was only half over.
Pulling out the tape Roka smiled as he looked at the stunned group, “The easy parts of the Chuunin exam are now over. From now on they will be taken to the very edge during combat and asked to go further.” Pocketing the tape he moved in front of the television, “Are there any more questions before I leave?”
“Yes…” the Third looked up and nodded as he came to a decision, “I have several. For the first I wish to know what the next tests are. And why you are taping the tests for us?”
Nodding as both of those are valid questions Roka tilted his head, “The next test will take place in two days time, unless all the participants finish today instead of tomorrow. We generally let them rest overnight before we put them through a team combat test using the Maze. After that the following day will be the final phase of the exam, each candidate must show proficiency in three different elemental Jutsu’s before entering one on one combat.”
“As for why we taped your team,” Roka bounced on the balls of his feet to loosen up, “We tape every team going through the tests so their Jounin Sensei’s can see where their students are week and need further work. Even if and when they pass they will remain with their Jounin Sensei for another four weeks and they will work intensely on their weaknesses. So it was no extra work to allow you to view the tapes before they were erased to be used over again, your Genin’s sensei’s have already viewed the tape this morning.” Not hearing any other questions from the old one Roka asked for courtesy,” Any other questions?”
“I have one,” Shibi stood up so he could easily be seen, “During the final phase of the Chuunin exam hosted here in Konoha and elsewhere the parents of the candidates are allowed to watch. May we also watch our sons and daughter,” Shibi pointed to Hiashi, “take the final exam in person?”
“I do not see a reason why not,” Roka started slowly, “I shall ask Uzumaki-sama as soon as I return. If so special preparations will have to be made and you will have to be ready to leave tomorrow night, also like all other parents you may have no contact with a candidate before the exam is complete.”
“Understood and for myself agreeable,” Shibi bowed slightly, if the Hokage would also leave to go with them it would allow the quiet withdrawal of the people who they were going to use to set up the secondary clan houses in Whirlpool.
Naruto watched Sasuke help train team eight so they would have a fighting chance to actually pass the exam. In a sense he was proud of Sasuke and how easily he brought team eight into the test, gone was the arrogant self centered prick he used to be. Looking over at Hinata he shook his head; how anyone’s own father could do what he had done to his own flesh and blood infuriated him. At least now he had a way out for the shy girl. Seeing that they looked like they were finished for the moment he walked down the stairs into the training pit, “Hello guys, how are you guys holding up so far?”
Growling from his position on the floor Kiba turned his head to look at Naruto, “Naruto, if I wasn’t so exhausted I would punch your lights out.”
Laughter turning into a wide grin Naruto sat down across from the group, “I did warn you that you were about to meet hell on Earth, so don’t go blaming me.” Glancing over at the bug user, he thought he looked good without his coat on, and he wondered why he kept covered as he did not see anything freakish. Shrugging he smiled, “Hey Shino, your bugs are on the corner of my desk, so far they look happy. Well as happy as anything can be that just crawls around, it will probably be another three days before you can claim them again, do they need anything special or should I get them to your father?”
“You would be willing to send someone to Konoha just to deliver my specimens,” Shino sat up in wonder as he saw Naruto nod.
Nodding Naruto grinned as he saw the others move so they were sitting across from him, “I’ll send it to your father after I get back; just give me his name so I know who to send them to.”
“Thank you Naruto,” Shino bowed his head slightly, “My father’s name is Aburame Shibi.”
Nodding Naruto looked over at Hinata, “Now to keep within the rules of the exam I can’t help you at all, not even hints of what will be coming up.” Rubbing the back of his neck he sighed, “I came here about some clan stuff that really should not be put off any longer.” Looking at Hinata he shook his head, “there is no easy way to say this so I’ll just blurt it out. Hinata one of the scrolls you guys delivered to me the other day was from your father, he offered me…” looking away so she could not see the rage in his eyes, “Well he offered me you, to use to make babies with.”
Looking at the shocked look on her face with sadness Naruto felt for her, and seeing the rage on her teammate’s faces he thought he might not be making the wrong choice. “I need to know something,” seeing the angry eyes look at him he shrugged them off, “I need to know if all four of you are willing to keep and S-Class secret, from your family, from your friends even from the Hokage if he asks you to tell him about it.”
“This will only be for a short while until I can tell the old man it face to face and in a secure location of my choosing,” Naruto looked at them seriously.
Nodding slightly as he thought about it, Kiba decided he owed Naruto, “You have mine and Akamaru’s word.”
Shino knowing what was most likely going to be said nodded, “I give you my word not to divulge the secret until you tell me I can.”
Sasuke shrugged, it was not like anyone was going to go to him for secrets, the few times they did they did not get anything, “My word Senpai,” he smiled at the grin he got in return.
Looking at Hinata who was still in shock Naruto sighed, if this was going to work like he hoped she would need to give her word, “Hinata can I have your word not to tell anyone about what I am about to say until I tell you it is okay?”
Torn and not sure which way to go Hinata looked at the ground feeling like crying, her own father had given her to someone to make babies, not to be married to just as a thing only good for one thing. Nodding her head as she resolved to help the only person who believed she deserved more and all the chances she could handle she looked up, “Naruto-kun you have my word.” Blushing at his smile she quickly looked down and fought the urge to tap her fingers together, a nervous habit she promised herself she would break.
“Thank you…All of you,” Naruto sat back and rubbed his shoulder, he might have overdone it training this afternoon. “The first thing you have to know is a little bit of history, and then I’ll tie it into how I think I can save Hinata from her father.”
Closing his eyes he thought back, “First off you should know that the Hyuuga clan is a splinter group from the main clan with the Kekkei Genkai of all seeing eyes. Or the Byakugan as everyone knows it as.” Seeing the shock on Hinata’s face she smiled, “The main clan is called the Mika clan. And a long time ago when it became obvious that others wanted to steal their eyes and bloodline the clan came together to find a solution. One of the more outspoken and arrogant group created a seal that could be placed on people to deny the use of their eyes in death and to rapidly deteriorate their DNA after death.”
“The problem is the faction that created the seal was not honest about it, it had another function a more sinister function. It would enslave those with the seal on their heads to those who did not have the seal, thus enslaving part of the family to those the group considered to be the superior from the others.” Naruto paused as he frowned, “When the Mika clan leader found out that the seal had been placed on several members of his clan without his permission he confronted the group and after a fight the group fled and eventually ended up in Konoha. Changing their name along the way to Hyuuga,” Naruto saw the shock and disgust flash across Kiba’s face before it went back to worried.
“The main part of the Mika clan was able to retain not only all of the family technique scrolls he was also able to seal away the knowledge of the female form of the Juuken from the minds of the newly splintered Hyuuga, so when they left they only had half the knowledge they should have.” Naruto looked at Hinata and smiled, “The reason the female form was created was so it could be taught to the females of the Mika clan as their reach made it difficult for them to truly excel at the regular Juuken style. Eventually the Mika clan ended up immigrating to Whirlpool and the Uzumaki clan did something for them that caused them to pledge their eternal loyalty to my clan.”
Naruto turned and smiled at the proctor’s standing near the door, “Proctor Mika Seiba please join us.”
Stunned Hinata looked at the person Naruto-kun called over, looking closely she did not see the telltale eyes of the Byakugan she should have. The person had regular eyes not the white of her clan, “How…”
“Is he part of your clan or the main clan as it were,” Naruto answered for her. When she nodded wordlessly he looked at Seiba, “Mika-san would you activate your eyes please.”
“of course Uzumaki-sama,” Seiba smiled, the girl was very cute and if he could convince her to stay she would make a formidable Mika after being trained up. Pushing chakra into his eyes he activated his bloodline limit, veins around his eyes and along his forehead bulged to become prominent as all the color faded from his eyes as they turned pure white.
“Remember I said my family had done something for the Mika that earned them their loyalty,” Naruto pointed to Seiba’s eyes. “Well this is what we did; we gave the Mika clan the ability to hide their eyes unless they activate their bloodline limit. Most importantly,” he winked at Sasuke, “We made it impossible for anyone to steal their eyes. And since their eyes are not pure white they blend in with everyone else, making it harder for someone to kidnap them to breed the gift into their own people.”
Reaching out hesitantly Hinata touched Seiba’s face and felt the bulging veins, pulsing her chakra like she had been taught to dispel illusions she still saw the same image. Unreal her mind told her as she stared at the person in front of her, so many lies her clan had built up around themselves. Eyes narrowing in anger as she realized how terrible the main branch of the family was to enslave the rest of her family she decided right then and there she wanted to stay. ‘Naruto-kun, may I defect to Whirlpool, would you accept me as one of your Shinobi so I could be free.”
“Thank you Mika-san,” Naruto smiled and nodded at Seiba who returned the bow before getting up and going back to the door to watch. “Now we get to the secret that needs to be kept from everyone.” Naruto scooted closer and lowered his voice, “Shino know part of this as he and his father are the keeps of the gates in Konoha. I gave them the job before I left after they agreed to it,” looking up he knew if they kept this secret they would become some of his most trusted friends in the future. “During the third great Shinobi war my father was not even Hokage yet, but he had met my mother and he had a motto they lived by. Prepare for the worst, expect it to be worse than you could imagine. After the destruction of the original Whirlpool during the beginning of the third war, my mother and father along with their summons rebuilt my mother’s country in secret. They hid the lands in a caldera valley which their summons expanded and built the small mountains into the high peaks you see today. My father was the greatest seal mast of all time and his greatest work would not be the sealing and eventual destruction of the Kyuubi, but the protections he placed high upon and through the center of the mountains that surround Whirlpool. The seal is so great it goes so far down below the mountains into the bedrock that no man would be able to dig under it, and the seal is a line of death.”
Seeing their shocked looks Naruto swallowed hard, this was important information that he did not want to get out, “If a person would reach the top third of the mountain he would encounter the seal, a seal which would rapidly remove all chakra from their body, and without chakra a person dies. Try to tunnel through the base of the mountain, when you reach the death line you die.” Slumping over Naruto looked lost for a moment, “The only way the people of whirlpool would be safe was through another of my father’s creations, a reverse summoning seal, it is how you were brought into the caldera and my city.”
Smiling again as he thought of his scheme he saw Shino’s understanding of why this place was chosen, “To get back to the original point, during the war my parents not only rebuilt whirlpool and protected our scattered people, but they enlarged it so all of Konoha could easily fit in if the worst would happen during the war and the village was overrun and about to be destroyed. This was to be their staging area for when the recuperated to take back Konoha,” pointing at Shino he grinned, “Reverse summoning seals were carved into hidden locations around Konoha so they could be used to evacuate. And Shin and his father know of them and how to find them if the worst would come to pass, it is part of their promise to my father.”
“And part of the promise,” Shino interrupted with a smile, “Was to take advantage of the ability of moving part of our clans here to safety so we as a clan never died out.” Pointing to the pin on his jacket, “this symbol was given to my father by Namikaze Minato, Naruto's father when he asked if we would be willing to create a sub clan to join whirlpool permanently. I wear this as my father’s answer of…of yes.”
“Those leaving Konoha and joining Whirlpool are retired Shinobi, or are families of Shinobi, those that have no active ties to the village and the Hokage so it would not be desertion.” Naruto saw that Hinata was fascinated but depressed still since he had not answered her, “The only exceptions to the rules of course are marriage, Shinobi that marry someone from another village are free to move to that village without being declared missing-nin, instead they are quietly retired or transferred.” Leaning forward and grinning at the shy girl, “And I am not above using that polite fiction to get Hinata and an appropriate entourage of branch members away from the main branch family and here where they can be reunited with the main clan once more.”
“And having that detestable slave brand of a seal removed safely,” Naruto sat back and watched the play of emotions on their faces.
