It was a year before Uchiha Massacre, in the apartment where no one wanted to live except for someone who was treated like a monster. Thou it wasn't his fault for getting the status as a human sacrifice or also known as Jinchuriki.
It was 5 a.m, he was about to do his daily routine again. The blonde get out of his bed went to the shower. Having a shower during this time was bliss! The cold water splash all over his muscular body made him feel energetic.
He gets out of his shower cover himself only with his towel. He looks on his wooden table to see an envelope with his name on it. "A letter for me?" he opened the envelope noticing the name of the sender. He smiles knowing that his other grandpa sending his letter to him.
He opened unfolded the letter and read,
Dear Naruto,
How are you today, are you healthy? Did that Sarutobi and that war hawk treat you well? How about that old hermit Jiraiya? I hope he takes good care of you and not always lusting on the women's hot bath or I will come straight to him and make him suffer!
Today, I just arrive at Land of Waves. Since this place is near Konoha, I send the letter through the fox summon. No wonder, that fox let me sign the fox contract even though we have bad blood between us.
During this year, I have been visited many countries from around the world. In those nations, I searched for new material to write for my next book, eating some unique food, enjoying the hot bath and also relife my old memories as the shinobi.
I didn't get to enjoy any of this in the past since most of frightened when seeing my face only my face. That is why I usually spend my time in Konoha and the forest alone.
I hope you take care well of yourself and we will meet again in the future.
From Illusion The author and your grandfather.
Naruto snorts a bit. "Always use your author glamour name instead of your real one. I bet he knows that I will be an author too" He puts the letter back on the table side with the opened envelope.
He walks towards his wardrobe to wear his not so favourite attire. He does not like the jumpsuit at all! It looks ugly yet he must wear it as part of his cover. He would prefer to wear decent shinobi attire or normal civilian clothes because it's simple.
He opened his wardrobe with a shock! To see most of his jumpsuit colour turn lavender and pink.
Worse than the original one.
A tick mark appeared on his head holding his anger back. He has made an alter his plans for today to be more... different. He would have a nice talk to the one who coloured this jumpsuit.
He knows so well who is behind this...
Oh, he knows her so well...
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Itachi sighed look at his student as she headed while carrying two bottles of lavender spray paint in her hands. He knew both of his students were a prankster yet she pass the blonde with her ...talent.
Now, he looking at the Hinata the hidden prankster of Konoha
"Hinata, do you know where Naruto is?"
"I don't know. Maybe he sleeps" Hinata shrugged. She started to walk fast towards the store to evade more questions from her teacher.
A hand was put beside her. She sweat heavily knowing that she couldn't fool her sensei.
"Hinata please tell me. I know it was you're doing" Itachi said with a knowing smile.
Hinata begins to tremble hoping not to get the harsh punishment of non-stop training. She stare at his face which could make any person receive the nightmare.
Even he is 8 years old, he become a most promising prodigy not only in the Uchiha clan but also in Anbu. He and Shisui break the records as the first young person to join an Anbu despite the age and maturity that he has shown.
Now, he is teaching his new Anbu students in mastering their skills despite they joined the Anbu at the same age as him. Yet, he dealing with the sweetest troublemaker looking faces of all Konoha and also innocent...
He then felt the presence of his other student. It was Naruto. He saw him shushin in front of him, His constant attire wearing Anbu gear was not surprising but something fell off. He notices shortly when he saw his mask. His mask was once white was painted into lavender colour.
Itachi with his killing intent turned to Hinata this time mish more violent than earlier. "Hiiinataaa"
Hinata was scared heard him call her name with a deeper voice. He made him angry again, didn't she?
"Naruto, I hereby you to choose any suitable punishment for our little bunny here" Itachi pointing the culprits with his right thumb finger which he holds Hinata with all of his right arms.
"Gladly" Naruto only responded.
She swear she could hear a pleasant in his tone. Hinata had a bad feeling about this.
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Naruto and Itachi relaxedly slurp some tea from his cup. Both of them were leaning on the beach chair with an umbrella that protect them both from the sunlight. They slurp the tea again while watching Hinata brush the monument of four Hokages.
The monument was not scribbled at all just dusty and now she must let the monument be as clean as they just built. "Clean it until I can see some flashiness on the monument" Naruto yelled to Hinata.
She grumbled at the blonde who give her this punishment earlier. "Wait for you Naruto I will have my revenge"
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End flashback
Naruto just finished recalling his old childhood memories and surprisingly he had asked him minutes ago about the punishment she got from him and Itachi but she didn't remember any of them or didn't want to try to remember at all.
Or maybe the seal that conceals Hinata's memories is still intact. He will meet her father and asked about this.
"Okay, it is time for your last question. Put down your pencil and keep your eyes on me." Ibiki gave orders to the participant of the exam like he was the commander of his battalion. Naruto grumbles in his mind, putting his pencil and looking at the proctor 'Ibiki, you shouldn't be so hyped about getting more people to drop your test'.
The Gennin looked stern for the last question and concentrate on the scar-faced shinobi. Ibiki smirked notices some of the students is sweating anxiously for the next question. He has been years of experience in interrogation and torture.
"I think we have shakes more losers than we have to. Then, let us move to the main issue. It is been 45 minutes. Then, lets we started. Now, this is the last question!" His voice gets the attention of all people.
Sakura was smiling, she knows that the last wasn't going to be the easy one yet she was glad this is the final of her exam "Finally, the last obstacle". Satsuki's expression doesn't move a bit since she uses her genjutsu to hide her identity, it is hard to read her expression with naked eyes.
Temari looks around her realising that one of her teammates was still in the toilet. She knows he using his puppet disguising as the proctor to let him cheat easily while he is in the toilet.'Kankurou comes back early. If he started the last question your cheating sheet has no meaning'
Gaara didn't quite care bout him but it is still his responsibility to look after his teammates so he was concerned about him...a bit.
"But, before that. I think I have to add additional rules to it." The scar bandanna proctor said.
Kankurou opened the door, entered the room by the door from the toilet with his puppet and noticed that everyone was looking at him including the scary proctor that stand in front of the room.
"Aren't you lucky?" His proctor puppet closes the door. "After all, playing with dolls wasn't a waste of time, right?" Kakurou looking at him with shock and a bit defensive. He knows the guy in front of him can't be underestimated. 'This guy he figured it out.'
"it doesn't matter, please sit down" Kankurou headed to his place following Ibiki orders. He silently sits in his place, paying attention to the proctor.
Ibiki takes a step forward and continues giving his explanation. "Let me explain, These are hopeless rules"
Naruto, Shikamaru and Hinata were deadpanned by the named rules 'wow, what a dramatic name' they sarcastically thought.
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At the outside of the room, Kurenai and Gai were waiting for the exam results both of them peaking towards the room to spectate the live situation. Asuma however enjoying his cigarettes while looking at both of them. He snorts.
"Asuma, aren't you worried about your team?" His girlfriend turned to him with twitched eyebrows asked.
"Yeah, even I care about them. Why are you so relaxed?" Gai said.
"That is because I have high hope on them. They can take care of themselves" Asuma answered, blowing the smoke into the air. 'To be honest, I don't have much fate in them but with Shikamaru experience as an Anbu. I am sure he will help his teammates' Asuma looking at them convinced.
"That is sweet of you. Wait, where is Kakashi?" Kurenai notices his presence is missing.
"He went to café to buy some coffee, he says" Asuma answered. Kurenai was furious with that lazy Jounin. 'Is this the kind of teacher that they should follow? What kind of the teacher that didn't take care of their students?' Kurenai grumbles innerly.
"That is not youthful," Gai said disappointed with the grey-haired ninja.
Asuma didn't care what will happen to Kakashi's teammates, he knows that his team will be passed. But wait, if he was so relaxed like him since the beginning of the exam doesn't mean that his team has Anbu too. Shikamaru was once said about this. Why didn't he notice it sooner?
Kakashi was sitting on his chair, sneezing twice in a row, he was glad that he didn't drink it right away or he would choke. "I wonder if they get to pass or not. Never mind, I believe Naruto would back it up, right?"
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Naruto sneezing during the exam, he swears it must be Kakashi talking at his back again.
"Okay, all of you. I will explain the rules to you. One is if you refuse to take the last question you will be qualified immediately." Ibiki explained gaining various reactions from the crowd.
"If you said something like that of course we would be volunteered to take it" Kiba's outburst give his opinion. Akamaru his dog that laying on the top of his head bark agreed with him. The loudly discussing it most of them agree.
"There is another rule" Ibiki announced. Sakura was innerly annoyed with these rules lately 'come on split it all out'
"If you choose to answer and got wrong you and your teammates could never take the exam ever again" He announced another rule.
This new rule gets all of the people to their nerve. Most of them were thinking deeply about it. Even, the Hyuuga prodigy holds his hand together while pondering about the question. The despair looked was clearly written on Kiba's face. 'If I stop here how would I become clan and marry Hinata' He thought as it was the highest priority.
Gaara didn't care about this damn last question, if he was about to fail so be it. He still can use his ability to wreak havoc across these lands.
Most of the participants have left the room since they didn't want to take the risk and tried to to repeat the next chunin exam.
But from the other side....
'What the heck is he talking about? There is no way, Hokage would let you do that. That is just obvious' The three young Anbu thought blankly.
Naruto scouts around the room to notice the people are getting lesser and continue to be less more. He thinks he should wait for the time is right for him to intervene with Ibiki's plan.
Satsuki even in her male disguise could see sweat flow down on her face. 'Damn, who is he to make rules like that' Satsuki was nervous to participate. She didn't was to risk herself and her team to get failed.
Then, suddenly a hand was raised to the sky. The remaining participant is looking at the person that raised her hand with tremble.
Naruto casually looks to his side noticing Hinata is the one that raised her hand. "Hinata, what are you doing?" He whispers to her.
"S-sensei, I w-want t-to answer the tenth question" Hinata in stutter showed her bravery in answering the question.
"Oh, really. Even with the risk of not participating in this exam for the whole life with your teammate. I am sure your teacher would disappoint if you failed this last question. You may make her mad" He taunts her giving her an attack through her mind.
"No, she would be mad if I didn't participate and try! She always said to be brave into stepping into the unknown. If we didn't brave to see the truth what lies within. How we could be called ourselves as shinobi. We the shinobi fight for what we desire and our dream. We also fight to protect our loved ones. If we cowardly sit and do nothing how we could accomplish something like that?". Hinata's speech was affected by many people giving them hope in the end.
Hinata sits back in her seat. She was known to be timid but today she become something different today. Brave...
Kiba was speechless. The kind of encouragement speech that came from her was the last thing on his mind that he thought he would get.
'You really screw that Ibiki badly, Hinata' Shikamaru smirked knowing there is no hope for Ibiki to scared the participants again.
Ibiki looks at his subordinates that collect marks for the participant of the exam nodded giving him the green light for letting them pass He ends up giving up and letting everyone pass. "You all pass" He exclaimed with a bright smile.
"EEEEHHHHH" The unison confusion came from everyone in the room except the proctors.
"The purpose for the exam was to see if you were a willing risk to answered the last question or not," Ibiki explained.
"Then, how about the tenth question?" The blonde girl from Suna asked.
"There is no such thing as the tenth question."
"Then, what about the exam paper earlier"
"It was all to see how you can obtain information in your ways without getting detected by the proctors. The question of the exam paper was hard enough to force to make you cheat" He explained again.
"Your next proctor will come in three, two..." The smoke exploded in the room. After the smoke cleared to see a woman in an unzipped jacket can be seen his net shirt underneath and purple hair.
'Show off' The undercover Anbu thought in unison again.
"Hello, brats. Wow, they were so many. Ibiki you become soft" she lightly punched his shoulder. "Huh, it was their luck" Ibiki defend himself.
"Right" She responds not clearly believing him. " Now, all of you go to the gate entrance to The Death Forest in 30 minutes. I will meet you again there" She then disappeared again in a puff of smoke.
"For some reason, I felt amused to see her cheerful attitude" Naruto muttered.
"You think I can be like her," Hinata asked him with rip off her act for a moment.
"NO, it would be disastrous. Your prank and cheerfulness are much more fearsome than her" He said with a horrified expression on his face.
"That is the point" She retorts with a cheeky smile on her cheeks.
"I hope you didn't wreak havoc across Konoha as you did once when Itachi give you his permission once" He murmured despairingly and went to the gate of the dead forest that located another side of Konoha.