A Growing Affection

Chapter 66: Jonin Trials, Day 4

"Nah, that went great," Naruto admitted,  though his demeanor did not change, "Temari even accepted the  staff-blade as a real weapon."

"Then what is it?" Iruka pressed.

"It's this Genjutsu test," he complained, "There's no way I can pass."

"It can't be that bad," the elder Shinobi tried to deny him.

"Honestly?  I would have to say I haven't improved at all since the academy,"  Naruto claimed, collapsing further into despair. His teacher watched him  for a minute, and then came to a decision.

"Naruto, I'm going to  tell you something," Iruka said conspiratorially, "You know that before I  became a Jonin two years ago, I was a Chunin, right?"

The younger man nodded.

"Well,  two years ago wasn't the first time I underwent the Jonin Trials,"  Umino told him, "When I was nineteen I took them. I was trying to keep  up with Anko, who became a Tokubetsu Jonin two years earlier. But it was  a fiasco. I totally screwed up my Genjutsu and Taijutsu tests, and  though it was close, I also failed the skills test. I was so mortified I  didn't think about trying again until you left the village to train  with Master Jiraiya. So even if you make a fool of yourself here, I'd  say you're in pretty good company."

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei," Uzumaki managed a smile.

"So let's get started," the Jonin prompted, "After all, the only thing worse than failing is failing to try, right?"

"Right," Naruto perked up, finally wearing his normal grin, "It's not like I've been ever been afraid to mess up before."

"Good," Iruka smiled broadly at him, "First, you have to show that you can break Genjutsu used against you. Are you ready?"

Naruto's smirk slipped, but he nodded the affirmative.

"Ok,  we'll start with something simple," the proctor offered evenly. He  signed quickly, and whispered the name so the Chunin couldn't hear it.  Then he took out a kunai, and turned it over in his hand. As Iruka  displayed the weapon, it appeared to transform, growing longer, and  sprouting a hilt, until finally it was a two-handed sword with a kunai  shaped blade. Naruto placed his hands together, and rotated the Chakra  in his body.

"Release," the blonde ordered, but nothing changed.

"RELEASE,"  Naruto proclaimed more loudly, pressing his palms together. His 'uncle'  shook his head, and took a step closer, raising the weapon.

"Come  on, release," Uzumaki begged as the kunai-sword started to descend. No  longer sure it was an illusion, Naruto jumped backwards to avoid the  blade.

"Naruto," Iruka scolded him again, "There's no way this kunai could cut you from so far away."

Naruto  blinked, and the sword was a dagger again. He realized that had he held  his ground, the real blade would not have even come within a foot of  his body.

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei," he rubbed his finger under his  nose shamefully, "But when you started swinging that thing, I suddenly  wasn't sure if it was really a Genjutsu or if it was some sort of  Ninjutsu."

"That was Butchering Dagger Genjutsu," Umino explained  to his student, "It is an D-Rank Genjutsu, though an uncommon one. Well,  let's try another one."

He signed quickly, and then split in two.  Except the two Iruka's were far from identical. One looked normal, but  the other was only about eight years old, wearing a white t-shirt and  jean shorts.

"Two of me, right?" Iruka asked. Both copies moved  their lips in unison, but their voice emerged from between them. Naruto  nodded.

"And which one is real?"