The Red Flash Chapter 52 (Team Konoha) (Patreon)

Naruto

He raised his eyebrows at the challenge coming from the bushy brows, just the way he was posing and his green jumpsuit made the redhead question his sanity, but at the same time, he knew just who exactly could be his sensei.

"I have an eternal rival, and his only reason to exist is to be a pain in my ass"

Naruto chuckled slightly as he remembered Kakashi's words about Guy.

Naruto returned back his attention at Lee who still had his eyes on him, Naruto had heard from  Guy himself that he had a prodigy of hard work on his team. Naruto knew the one in front of him was the one prodigy.

Knowing that he knew this one couldn't be underestimated, a smirk spread on his lips.

"Very well Lee,  Guy-sensei had mentioned you, let's see how good his special student is"  Naruto accepted the challenge much to the surprise of everyone around him.

Lee wondered how Naruto knew Guy-sensei while Neji was interested to see how strong was The Senju.

Tenten had to admit that the redhead wasn't bad looking and his whiskers marks made him look quite cute.

Neji's eye twitched when he saw TenTen looking at the redhead as if he was some important guy,  his face turned cold again, fate had declared him the winner.

"Naruto perhaps you should leave this for later, the exams will start within an hour" Ashara suddenly suggested as her eyes analysed the weird Jumpsuit freak, at first glance he looked like he belonged in a circus, but Asha knew well to not understate her opponents, and she could see clear visible bruises around his foot, while his hands were covered in bandages.

"Don't worry Asha-chan, we will finish this soon" Naruto replied and made his way towards a training ground near.

Sasuke noticed the girl with red hair like Naruto's and he had to admit she looked much stronger than Sakura.

While his eyes checked the redhead girl, Sakura was visibly fuming, how dare that girl catched the eye of her Sasuke, but as she glared at the redhead, the words of her sensei ringed in her ears like a bell.

"Do you want your friends to die because of you?"

Sakura felt a cold shiver in her whole body, her arms crossed, her skin felt cold and the image of Sasuke from Sensei's genjutsu showed in her eyes again.

No, I- I will protect him, I will protect both of them, she thought and her mind returned to the issue in front of them.

Naruto and Lee stood a bit far from the others, the redhead knew he wasn't the best at Taijutsu, he knew Kenjutsu.

From the audience,  Sasuke activate his Sharingan, while Neji looked interested in the redhead, he wondered if he was just as a loser as his teammate. While  TenTen looked concerned for Lee but couldn't help but wonder how strong  Naruto was.

Fuu and Ashara stood silent, while Ikashu, the third teammate of Fuu's team had his eyes on the redhead.

Lee suddenly moved in front of Naruto, who used his forearm and blocked the attack, Naruto moved again with Low Jonin Speed towards Lee who looked surprised before dodging to his right and showing up behind Naruto.

Hitting him in the back,  sending Naruto flying, Lee jumped with his arms and legs and showed behind Naruto ready to kick him, when a fist hit him straight in the face sending him crashing against a wall, the debris flew everywhere and the smoke covered the area around the small crater.

Naruto made sure to not use his full strength otherwise he might accidentally harm him a great deal.

Sakura and TenTen sighed in relief that the fight ended but the others knew, Lee was still in the game.

Lee suddenly ran towards  Naruto, the redhead raised his hands to block but the bushy brows started running around him, Naruto's eyes followed him, as Lee started throwing small attacks for any opening to exploit, Naruto saw another attack coming but didn't move to block it, Led hit his chin, as Naruto spit out blood before Naruto could crash with the wall, Lee showed up underneath him and kicked him up in the air before jumping in front of him with a leg coming down like an axe towards his chest.

Everyone was surprised when a huge explosion hit the centre of the training yard, creating a much larger crater.

"Naruto" Sakura screamed in fear, the smoke cleared and her eyes widened to see, Naruto standing above Lee, the brushy brow's leg was on Naruto's left hand caught in an iron grip. The Uzumaki's right hand in front of Lee's face, the bushy brow spit out a bit of blood but still smiling.

"What happened?" Sakura found herself asking not being able to see much of the fight.

"Naruto grabbed his leg before it hit his chest and with his right hand grabbed his chest and smashed him down against the floor" Asha explained much impressed by the jumpsuit guy, she had to admit Lee was faster than her, the only thing she thought she could exploit from his fighting style was his massive lack of Chakra, she knew he couldn't use chakra but that didn't stop him from being incredibly fast.

Naruto stood up and smirked at the hidden weights around Lee's legs, he wondered how fast was Lee without them.

While Lee couldn't see Naruto's weight seals around his arms and legs he knew Naruto hadn't given it all.

"That was a good fight  Lee, I'm looking forward to our rematch," Naruto stated and pulled out his hand for him to shake. Lee smiled back and shake his hand, but before anyone could see anything, a new white smoke appeared near them.

Team Fuu and Team 7 looked in confusion at the sudden appearance of a Turtle?!

They all could see the emblem of Konoha around his head, but Naruto couldn't remember ever hearing of a Turtle Summoning contract.

"How dare you, you know  that Move is forbidden!" The turtle suddenly exclaimed much to everyone's shock except Team 9, who looked embarrassed except Lee who looked ready to cry.

Lee bowed his head in apology, "I'm sorry...I got carried away." The turtle glared at Lee,  causing him to flinch. "B-But I wasn't planning to  use the r-reverse  version..."

"Baka!" the turtle exclaimed, causing  Lee to flinch again. "You think that excuse will work?! You should know what it means for a shinobi to expose his move."

While this was happening  Sasuke and Sakura wondered if this Turtle was their sensei, both had to admit that Lee's weird attitude made more sense now, who wouldn't be weird if they had a turtle for a sensei.

"Guy-sensei will kick your butt for this Lee" the turtle suddenly stated and on top of the turtle suddenly showed up what could only be described as a big copy of  Lee. Sakura held her tongue from the screaming at the absolute madness,  she couldn't fathom how someone could have such big eyebrows.

Guy made a pose, his teeth shining and a twinkle suddenly shined for a moment. Naruto knew from the first time that Guy was a weird one but why did had to act like this every time was beyond him.

"Lee, you fool!" Gai shouted at him, punching him in the jaw so hard that Lee flew back. Lee quickly recovered, though.

Gai then proclaimed,  "For breaking the rule and fighting before the exam,  you must complete  500 laps around Konoha before sundown!"

The whole team 7 and  Team Fuu gaped at the absurdity of the challenge, believing it to be nothing more than a joke. However, they were further shocked into disbelief at Lee's reply.

"Hai Gai-sensei!" Lee's eyes were burning at the challenge. Probably at how youthful it was, Naruto mused.

Naruto decided to intervene before even more weirdness took place. "Excuse me, but don't  you think that you should focus on the chunin exams right now?"

Gai-sensei turned to them for the first time, looking a bit sheepish. "Oh, my bad...."

Turning to Lee, he coughed in his hand and said, "Lee, you will fulfil your punishment after the chunin exams, got it?"

Lee stood at attention, "Hai, Gai-sensei!"

Gai then turned to the other team, "Ah, so you guys are from Kakashi's team?"

Sasuke rose an eyebrow condescendingly, "You know Kakashi?"

Gai chuckled as he rubbed his chin, "Kakashi and I are eternal rivals! I am  leading  currently, with my 50 wins to Kakashi's 49." The whole team seven sweatdropped at that.

Guy then turned to Naruto, "Ahh, Naruto is been some time, how is my second youthful student training?" Guy asked full-on smile.

Naruto itched his ear and turned his attention back at Guy. "Did you say something?"

This caused both Guy and Lee to scream in pure horror.

"Damn you Kakashi and your hip attitude"

"Damn you Naruto and your hip attitude"

Both cried anime tears and hugged each other as the others were wondering what was wrong with them, Neji just wanted to get over with, while Tenten just smiled already used to this kind of reaction.

Fuu smiled at how much they loved each other while Ashara was thinking just how weird were grown-ups in this village.

While Ikashu was sleeping while standing, his snor the only sign that he was sleeping,  Naruto raised an eyebrow at the strange guy, he wondered how much would  Shikamaru give to know his secret of sleeping while standing.

As they were hugging,  Guy moved away and raised his fist, "Lee since you clearly lost, you  will do one thousand push-ups at the top of the Hokage mountain with  only your right hand"

"Yes, Guy-sensei"

"Lee"

"Guy-sensei!!"

Now suddenly in front of them was a perfect beach, along with the sun shining. Everyone screamed in horror at the unbreakable genjutsu except Fuu who was smiling cutely and her hands clenched together in front of her chest happy for their happiness.

"Kurama, what is this Genjutsu, Why aren't my seals destroying it" Naruto mentally screamed, despite doing his hand sign, his seals weren't protecting him from the SSS-Rank Genjutsu.

"I don't know, Close your EYES Naruto" Kurama screamed in pure agony.

While Sasuke had deactivated his Sharingan since it had started hurting, while Neji was looking downwards to avoid getting blind.

Finally, they stopped,  Naruto sighed in relief, his heartbeat finally going back to normal. "As much as I hate to stop your love, the exams will start soon," Ashara said as her eyes were barely visible from the orange book in front of her face.

Guy's eyes twitched slightly at the book but decided to deal with Kakashi later, he needed to stop infecting the new generations.

"She's right, now Make me Proud" Guy stated and disappeared with Elite-Jonin Speed, no one was able to follow his speed except Naruto who was able to.

Soon team Fuu and team 9  left them but Naruto couldn't help but have a feeling in his chest, the same feeling he once got from Toad-Jiji Yesterday.

'Training ground 44,  also known as the Forest of Death was a  nightmare for most ninjas of any rank. Many mysteries were surrounding the forbidden training ground, rumors amongst the civilians were that the First Hokage,  Hashirama Senju, created it to house all 9 Bijuu when he caught and tamed them. Rumours among the shinobi were that Training  Ground 44 used to be the old academy test back when the village was first constructed.

Whatever the rumours,  the fact of the matter is that for the last hour the usual inhabitants that call the Forest of Death home, have been scurrying to their dens,  cowering in their caves or have taken flight high above in the canopy of the ancient trees of the forest, because of the two high-class shinobi who have turned the Forest of Death into their battleground.

"Earth style: Swamp of the Underworld!"  Jiraiya's voice echoed through the forest as he slammed his hands down into the earth in front of him. Jiraiya knew an obvious move like that wouldn't ensnare his opponent he was just using it to get some space between the two of them and perhaps by sometime for his next move.

As expected, his  opponent did a series of handsprings away from  the quickly spreading  mud swamp and finally landed on the base of a tree  trunk where he went  through a quick succession of hand seals, "Fire Style: Great Fireball jutsu!"  Naruto inhaled deeply filling his chest with chakra converted flames and then expelled it in a continuous red-hot stream of fire aimed at the ever-growing swamp made by the Toad Sage.

Jiraiya released his swamp jutsu in shocked amazement as he watched it be turned into a  field of clay. Jiraiya's shock didn't last long as he saw Naruto go through more hand seals, not wanting to take the chance of getting hit with any jutsu his godson was about to send his way, the white-haired  Sannin took off into the foliage of the surrounding trees before Naruto could finish his seals.

"Water style: Pressure Canon!"

As Jiraiya ran through the forest, he took a glance behind him to see the damage he just escaped from when his eyes widened.  Cutting into tree trunks and solid rock like a hot knife through butter was a stream of water about an inch thick. The Toad Sage poured on the speed to avoid being cut in half. Jiraiya made a sharp right turn in the direction he estimated Naruto to be, he threw a handful of shuriken ahead of him,  disrupting Naruto's jutsu before bursting out the foliage and attacking  Naruto with a dropkick to the chest. 'Gotcha brat!'  Jiraiya thought with a smirk as he took great satisfaction in the shocked look in the redheaded haired ninja's eyes.

As Jiraiya landed on his feet his smirk was replaced with a look of shock of his own, when the Naruto he kicked burst smoke and was replaced with shattered wood pieces. The Sannin's danger sense kicked in and he jumped away just in time to avoid a heel drop from Naruto that left a crater in the ground.

Naruto didn't want to give Jiraiya even a second to think, so he sprang forward and threw a  right hook that would have taken off  Jiraiya's head if he hadn't leaned back to avoid it. Jiraiya may not have been known for his taijutsu but he wasn't a slouch, he came right back at Naruto with a jumping knee strike that the redhead had to quickly side-step. At the same time, both men connected front kicks to each-others chest that sending them sprawling to the ground in opposite directions. Jiraiya went with the momentum of Naruto's kick and rolled ass over tea kettle until he was back on his feet, fist raised ready for Naruto's next onslaught.

Naruto kipped back to his feet into a ready stance; he was sweating and panting but not too heavy as he eyed Jiraiya up and down looking for a weakness. "You know,  you're pretty spry for an old man,"  Naruto said with a smirk as he started to circle Jiraiya.

Jiraiya chuckled lightly with a smirk of his own. "You're going to wish you looked as good as I do when you're my age."

"You forget I'm an  Uzumaki, by the time I'm 50 I'll still look  25," Naruto said with a  full-blown smile as he and Jiraiya continued to circle and inch towards each other.

"No one likes a smart-ass you brat." Jiraiya and sprang forward with a straight right punch.

Naruto side-stepped the punch and rolled along Jiraiya's arm and countered with an elbow strike aimed at Jiraiya's back, but the more experienced ninja dropped to his hands a delivered a double mule kick to  Naruto's stomach sending him skidding along the ground.

Jiraiya ran forward to press his advantage but was tripped up by a  hand coming from beneath the ground, causing him to fall to one knee.  The one second it took for Jiraiya to dispel the clone was all Naruto needed to press his advantage; he was already back on his feet and back on the attack. He stunned the white-haired ninja with a low kick to the inside of his right knee and followed it with a spinning backhand that sent the older ninja on his ride into the dirt.

The Toad Sage recovered quickly and the two clashed together in a  symphony of meaty thunks and whacks as they traded hit after hit. Pained grunts echoed throughout the clearing as Jiraiya and Naruto continued to decimate the landscape in their intense sparring session.

The two ninjas sprang apart, panting and bloody but with smiles on their faces.

The smiling Jiraiya swiped a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth and spread it on his palm.

Naruto raised a  surprised eyebrow as he crossed his arms in an X  over his chest.  "You're going to summon one of the toads? I thought this  was supposed  to be a spar?" Naruto said in amusement.

"I guess I'm having too much fun. It has been so long since I  didn't know the outcome of a  battle that the old warrior blood is  starting to heat up." Jiraiya said as he started going through the seals for a summoning jutsu.

Naruto's entire body tensed as he prepared himself to go to the next level.

"Summoning J..." "Gravity Seal: Rele..."

Both ninjas paused as they felt a chakra signature fast approaching their location.

"I guess that's the end of round one, Old Man," Naruto said as he dropped his arms to his side.

"Whoever that is just saved you a world of hurt, Redhead," Jiraiya said as he stood up from his crouching position.

Naruto laughed before he noticed that his godfather's eyes became serious all of a sudden, he felt his eyes had focused on his Uzumaki Symbol on his right arm.

"Toad-Jiji, Is  everything Ok?" Naruto asked slightly wary of what was happening. His godfather instead smiled and start rubbing his white hair.

"Nothing Naruto just remembered something" Jiraiya lied, Naruto knew immediately. He wanted to ask again to know if he could help.

"Why don't you go to your home, tomorrow is the chunin exam," Jiraiya said with a slightly commanding tone that Naruto had never heard before. The redhead said a 'good day' before leaving.

As Naruto left,  Jiraiya remembered something. "Nagato" he whispered to himself remembering his Red Hair. Jiraiya knew he wasn't much of a sensor without Sage Mode, but he could feel the similarities between Naruto's  Chakra and Nagato's chakra.

"Rinnegan is that it?!" '

Naruto escaped his thoughts when they made it to the real exam room, they were surprised to see Kakashi-sensei there waiting for them.

"Glad you came Sakura,  for your sake and the others," he said. "Now, you can all formally register for the Chunin Exam" the silver-haired man continued.

"Why, what do you mean?" Sakura asked in confusion, "well you see, only groups of three are allowed to apply for and take the Exam, that's the way it's always been"  Kakashi explained.

"But Sensei, you said  the decision to take the exam  was up to the individual?" Sakura asked.  "That's right, I did" the silver-haired Jounin replied.

"Was that a lie?" the lone Kunoichi of  Team 7 asked. Kakashi turned to look out the window of the hallway.

"Sort of. It is an individual decision, but it affects all of you. I  didn't tell you before, because I didn't want the other two possibly pressuring you. At the same time, I didn't want you feeling obliged to participate because of any feeling you might have for Sasuke or Naruto. I  wanted you to decide your own free will" the Jounin said.

"Wait a minute, do you mean if the others had come, but I  decided not to come with them-" Sakura paused.

"It would have been the end of the line. If you hadn't come along, I couldn't have let the others in. But it's a moot point. You're all here and for the right reasons,".

There Sensei smiled at them, "I'm proud of you, I couldn't ask for a better team!" Kakashi stepped aside so that his Genin, hopefully,  soon-to-be-Chunin could enter the First Exam room.

"We won't let you  down  Sensei, or at least we'll do our best not to!" Naruto said determinedly. As the trio entered the room Killing Intent blasted them from too many places to pinpoint, but Naruto just pushed back.

"Alright,  let's get started now, shall we, Sasuke? Sakura?" he asked casually.  Sasuke smirked, while Sakura was feeling nervous, but calmed herself knowing that they could do anything as long as they were together. Both nodded to the redhead' words, feeling their own determination spiking.

"Right!" Sakura exclaimed. Sasuke nodded in response to her teammates'  words.

"Yes, let's do this Team 7!" he replied.