Inheritance

CHAPTER 25

However, Fukasaku was one step ahead, and spun in the air, catching the blond with a crashing roundhouse kick, dispelling it instantaneously.

Naruto and another Bunshin pounced the moment Fukasaku hit the ground, trying to attack before the toad had set himself, but he hadn't accounted for the anatomy of the Elder, as he used the springy nature of his rear legs to immediately launch himself right through the middle of the Bunshin with a single two fisted blow. He hadn't however, expected Naruto's next move, a Kaminari Muchi wrapping itself round his ankle, dragging him back towards the blond, off-balance, and unable to set up an attack.

He smiled internally. He was holding back, of course, but all modesty aside, he was incredibly powerful, and Naruto seemed to be coping admirably for one of his experience and age. His technique and form were obviously well practiced, and for the most part flawless; and his taijutsu style, or rather the way it was created out of small parts other styles that meshed well together, seemed to accentuate the blond's natural unpredictability.

Fukasaku was fast enough to compensate without the blond realizing he was doing it, but more than once already he had set himself to block a right hook, only to find Naruto lashing out with a left-legged roundhouse and so on. It spoke well of Naruto's instincts and knowledge that he had been able to piece together such an effective style out of the most basic parts of others, and then go on to use it to it's fullest potential.

Good fortune willing, and with a lot of hard work, there would be few ninja capable of standing up to Uzumaki Naruto in a few years. Unfortunately for him, most of those ninja also happened to be in Akatsuki.

Still, the toads had already pledged to Jiraiya to help in any way he can, and the Elder certainly intended to do his part to ensure that Naruto survive what was to come.

The punch that Naruto had primed, met the arm of Fukasaku, and the toad used the momentum Naruto had provided in order to spin in mid air, landing a heavy blow with his heel that sent Naruto tumbling back along the grounds, nursing a bruised jaw.

"Very good my boy, very good!" The toad exclaimed overly cheerfully, even as the Genin dragged himself to his feet, muttering under his breath. "As you know, Jiraiya-chan left to report to the Hokagbout your successful missions. What he didn't tell you, however, is that he has asked me if I would be willing to whip you into shape for the Chunin exams that are coming up - I hear you have a tough opponent after your head, my boy. Whaddya say? A two week, all round, intensive training course under the famed Toads of Mt Myoboku? Or is that too much for you to handle, Naruto-chan?"

Naruto grinned and assumed an easy taijutsu stance.

"A better question, Old Man, is whether or not you can handle me for that long."

One Week Later

Hana slumped to the floor, another day of back breaking work finally over. Her spar with Naruto had been a bit of an eye opener for her, in all honesty.

She hadn't held back.

She, in the end, had gone at Naruto with every thing she had, and he had brushed her aside at a canter. He of course had said otherwise. He was much too kind not to have done so, but she knew it was true nonetheless. Of course, she had accepted that in out and out fights, because of her role as a medic, and all the extra training that brings, she would fall behind as a combatant slightly because her role was different.

But Naruto had been a newly minted Genin. She had been taking missions for three years. Granted, Naruto worked freakishly hard, and was a natural fighter, but even so, Hana's showing in her opinion, had been dismal.

And so, she had vowed to get better; and, only a week ago now, she had been given another source of motivation - she was to be partnered with Naruto, who didn't have a team, for the Chunin exams, and only had a fortnight to prepare.

There was now way she could let Naruto down after the way he had fought on their first mission together, and given her recent ponderings, she felt as though she needed to prove herself a capable fighter as well as medic, if not to the rest of Konoha, then to herself. The week had passed, and during it, she had thrown herself into training with her old sensei and her mother, determined that she would be better, both for herself, and for Naruto.

Shikamaru grimaced as he blocked a fierce punch from Asuma, and stepped back out of range of the follow up kick.

Naruto's warning had been brief, a small uttered sentence as they passed on the street. Dangerous enemy. Chunin exams. Be ready. But that had been enough for Shikamaru to take heed. The blond was uncharacteristically serious as he spoke, and the genuine worry that he practically radiated was so out of place on Naruto that Shikamaru decided that it was likely that not increasing his own level of training again would be the more troublesome of his options.

So a word in Asuma's ear about it, and Team 10's training had gone up yet another excruciating notch. Worryingly, Asuma seemed to understand the blond's vague warning, which meant that whatever Naruto had been talking about, was severe enough to be a threat to village security, and as the Nara had decided would be the thing to expect from Naruto, the blond was sure to at the fore whenever whatever it was, struck.

The only thing Nara Shikamaru knew for certain, was that this time, he would be standing alongside his friend when it did happened.