Chapter 9: Chunin Exams Interrupted

As Iraia sat down in the resting area Hiroshi ran up to her questioningly and asked, "Iraia? Are you alright?"

Iraia simply nodded. "I'm fine Hiroshi. Stay focused. Your match against Sarada is next."

Hiroshi nodded but still questioned, "But sis...how come you gave up? You didn't even activate your Sharingan. On top of that you didn't even really use your Lava Style. With only your Byakugan you still had more than enough chakra to continue the match."

Iraia shook her head at Hiroshi's comment. "Hiroshi, sometimes it isn't about winning, but rather principle. Maybe if papa was here I wou-...no...even if papa were here watching me personally compete I would still make the same decision. You should make your own decision yourself when you face Boruto."

Hiroshi could only glance at his sister's confusing answer and shrug his shoulders as he dashed out onto the arena stage for his match against Sarada. As they both stood there in the middle of the stage gearing up for a fierce fight Hiroshi gave a look of serious determination and said, "Yo! Sarada! Let's give it our best!"

Sarada smirked and replied with just as serious of a determination. "Yeah! I'm aiming to become Hokage one day Hiroshi so I can't afford to let the Chunin Exams be an obstacle for me!"

With that the start of their battle began.

As Iraia watched Sarada and Hiroshi fight on the TV monitor in her resting room she heard a knock on her door. Curious she walked over and opened it only to be surprised at who it was. "Z-Zen? What are you doing here?"

Zen lightly smiled and replied, "I...I was wondering if you could use some company?"

Iraia was a bit stunned at his answer but nodded and let him inside. As they both sat next to each other watching the fight Zen commented, "Hiroshi's pretty strong. Especially his ability to use the Wood Style. The only person in the competition who's left that can give him some sort of trouble is probably Shinki from Sunagakure...and I guess Boruto."

Iraia raised her eyebrow questioningly at Zen's last comment. Did he guess that I gave up on purpose?

After a few moments passed she said, "I'm sorry…"

Zen was startled and confused at her sudden apology. "Sorry for what?"

Iraia bit the bottom of her lip in shame. "For suspecting you...for doubting my papa. For bringing up a painful memory of yours. I didn't know. About your parents."

Zen just let out a small laugh. "Heh, that's all?"

Iraia turned to face him a bit panicked inside. "I-Is that not good enough? Should I-" Before she could finish her sentence Zen just smiled at how this expressionless girl was finally showing so much emotion and it was in front of him. He cut her off as he interjected, "No, it's not that. It's just that you have nothing to apologize for. You had every right to be suspicious of me."

Iraia's facial expression softened as she turned back to the monitor screen and said, "I'm still sorry."

Zen just smirked as he felt a feeling that he never thought he'd feel again. Happiness. From the bottom of his heart. Just a few words from Iraia made him happy. Being around her made him feel that there really is something other than the darkness and evil in the world. Something other than meaningless killing. Being around her made him feel like he could move on from the nightmares that plagued him of his mother's death. He glanced at her as she watched the fight and replied, "Although there's nothing for you to apologize for, if it'll make you feel better...then I accept."

At hearing Zen's words Iraia's lips curled in a slight smile. She didn't know why but she felt that they just connected well. Almost as if they were in sync with each other. Then that curious feeling that nagged her at the back of her mind of whether or not they met before surfaced. She hesitated for a moment but still decided she should ask and said with a whisper, "Zen...Do you think...Have we met somewhere before?"

Zen flinched at Iraia's question. He didn't know how he should feel at this moment. He felt a bit conflicted unsure of how Iraia would take the truth. Would she find it strange? Would she be happy? Would she feel too pained at the memory and not want to meet him anymore? Would she feel guilty for that day? Anguish? Sad?

Zen gritted his teeth and furrowed his brow in seriousness. Iraia felt her heart pound in expectation at Zen's answer, however just as Zen was about to give his answer the loud sound of the crowd and Lee's announcement of Hiroshi's victory was heard. Then the door to Iraia's room swung open as Chocho, Shikadai, Inojin, and several others waltzed in discussing the match. When they were watching the match earlier they realized that Iraia wasn't with them so after the match finished they left to go find her.

Shikadai tilted his head as he saw Iraia sitting alone watching the match on the TV, but for some reason he felt something off so he questioned, "Sorry we barged in Iraia. Was there someone else in the room?"

Iraia just shook her head. "Just me." However she inwardly smiled amusedly at how quick Zen was to disappear and hide in the shadows. It wasn't long after as Asuka had her battle against Shinki. She did her best to breach his iron sand defense, however it was too tough to break through. Her current arsenal of techniques wasn't enough to pierce his armor. While she had overwhelming speed on her side Shinki kept himself cloaked in his iron sand armor making it difficult to land a solid hit. Avoiding Shinki's attack was easy for most of the battle, however eventually Shinki was able to spread out his iron sand to most parts of the arena boxing her in. In the end it was Asuka's defeat.

Hiroshi ran as fast as he could to Asuka's side in the arena and grabbed her battered form as Asuka mockingly smiled in defeat and said, "H-Hiroshi...you idiot. What are you doing here?"

Hiroshi just smiled softly. "Heh. You just fought a tough battle yet you still got enough energy to cuss me out huh? That's good."

Asuka smirked. "Good that I lost?"

Hiroshi shook his head. "Good that you're still so spirited." He then piggy backed her back inside the resting area and helped slowly lay her down on a mattress to rest. Iraia quickly arrived and held onto Asuka's hands reassuringly. Asuka just smirked at the twins and just as she was about to say something the door to the room burst open revealing Haku and Akane. They both made their way over and looked at Asuka lovingly. Asuka had a small tear well up in her eyes as she quickly turned her head away from them and grumbled, "I lost."

Haku just smiled and softly stroked her head comfortingly. "It's okay Asuka. It's not about winning or losing. It's about doing your best."

Asuka scrunched up her face and replied, "You're not disappointed in me?"

Akane frowned and pinched Asuka's arm causing her to yell out. "OOOWWWW!"

Immediately Asuka's feeling of shame was replaced with a feeling of pain and annoyance. "Mom! What'd you do that for?"

Akane just smirked and quickly pulled Asuka into a hug. "This idiot daughter of mine! Do you really think that your dad and I care if you win or lose?"

"Hmpf. But you were cheering so loud earlier. I didn't want to disappoint you."

Haku just smiled brightly. "Asuka, that's just how your mom is. She'll cheer for you loudly no matter what you're competing in. You should have heard her scream at the TV during part 2 of the Exams."

Akane quickly glared at Haku and growled, "You don't have to tell her everything!"

Asuka just let out a light laugh feeling completely better about the results of her fight. Iraia and Hiroshi just turned to look at each other and nodded in silent understanding as they both discreetly left the room leaving the trio alone in their happy and strange banter. It wasn't until the next day when the final round of the Chunin Exams were held. It would be a three way match between Shinki of Sunagakure, Boruto of Konohagakure, and Hiroshi, also of Konoha. Everyone arrived and took up their respective seats in the stands as they awaited for this prospective battle. The Five Kage sat in their seats high above the arena as they waited for the match to start.

Chojuro pondered a bit and commented, "So, a match between the 5th Kazekage's adopted son, the 7th Hokage's son, and the 6th Hokage's son. This should be quite the match."

Kurotsuchi nodded in agreement. "Shinki can use the Magnet Style to mix in his magnetic chakra with his iron sand giving him a formidable offense and defense. It's also a good technique for fighting multiple opponents. Boruto has shown himself to be able to use some pretty formidable Ninjutsu. And Hiroshi seems to have mastered his Wood Style to a very high level. I wonder how this match will go."

It was then the three contestants stepped into the arena. Shinki, Boruto, and Hiroshi stood opposite each other in a triangular formation as a palpable tension was filled between them. Shinki smiled with anticipation and said, "Now, show me! Show me what you can do! Son of the 7th Hokage and 6th Hokage!"

Boruto frowned and replied, "Heh. If that's what you want then you got it!"

Hiroshi just had one thought pass through his mind and that was the conversation he had with his sister. What did sis mean when she said that she'll let me make my own decision regarding Boruto? Tsk. And this sand guy named Shinki has a troublesome Kekkei Genkai as well. Sister hasn't mastered hers yet.

Without wasting time for words Lee signaled the start of the match. Immediately Shinki created hundreds of iron sand feathers and shot it out straight at Boruto and Hiroshi. They both furrowed their brow in focus and dashed around the arena dodging left and right to avoid being hit. Just before several tens of iron feathers could crash into Hiroshi's flank he jumped in the air and twisted his body performing a twisted backflip while weaving the signs of Ram and Snake. Then just as he landed back on the ground he shouted, "Wood Style: Grand Garden Emergence!"

Whoosh!

Before more iron feathers could hit him several small and thick wooden trees appeared blocking the attack, however it didn't end there. Many more wooden trees, vines, and bushes erupted all over the arena attempting to bind, strangle, and ensnare Shinki and Boruto. Shinki narrowed his eyes and quickly spread out his iron sand around him into two large iron blades and sliced anything that approached him preventing his capture. Boruto frowned and jumped in the air as he climbed up the wall of the arena and stood there to avoid being captured on the arena floor. Hiroshi then activated his Byakugan to help increase his field of vision and awareness of the battlefield, however he widened his eyes with surprise and confusion as he saw exactly what Iraia had seen. Some strange ninja tool attached to Boruto's right arm. Without having more time to contemplate he quickly formed the hand seal of Rat, Dog, and Tiger shouting, "Wood Style: Wood Dome Jutsu!" A thick shield of wood quickly formed around him just as one of Shinki's large iron sand blades flew out to hit him.

Bam!

The iron blade sunk a few inches into the wooden dome, however the wooden dome was successful in blocking Shinki's attack. Shinki had also shot out his remaining iron sword straight at Boruto who frowned in shock and frustration and quickly dodged just in time landing back on the ground. As the iron sword flew back at him he quickly created 4 Shadow Clones and began dashing around the wooden filled arena stage, but it wasn't long before his clones fell prey to either Shinki's attack or Hiroshi's wooden terrain. Hiroshi was also in a bit of a bind because the iron blade sunk deep enough into his wooden dome that he could see it sticking inside his protective shield. The iron blade then began transforming into the shape of a thin sharp spear to fit through the hole it made. Hiroshi widened his eyes in alarm and quickly dashed out of his protective wooden dome to avoid being stabbed. He knew that if he left his dome then Shinki was waiting for him with a giant iron fist just outside of it thanks to being able to see Shinki's move with his Byakugan, however he had to make a choice. Either meet Shinki's fist head-on or get stabbed by the iron spear. And exactly like he predicted the moment he stepped out of his dome the iron fist slammed straight for him. Hiroshi narrowed his eyes in focus as he prepared to counter it.

Tsk. Damn this Shinki guy! He's good I'll give him that! However, don't look down on me! Sis isn't the only one who's trained her Hyuga Taijutsu skills!

Just as the fist was about to reach him he quickly spun expelling chakra outside his body as he shouted, "Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"

BAM!

The giant iron fist was deflected the instant it made contact with Hiroshi's spinning chakra shield. Hiroshi used that moment to quickly dash backwards and distanced himself from the giant iron hand. It was then that Boruto dashed over and jumped above him bringing along with the giant iron blade that was still chasing after him. Hiroshi widened his eyes in shock as Boruto dodged the iron blade making it swing down towards him so he quickly formed the Dog hand sign and clapped his hands shouting, "Wood Style: Golem Fist Jutsu!" Quickly a giant wooden fist erupted beside him and knocked the iron blade aside as Hiroshi shouted at Boruto's retreating form in the distance, "Oi! Boruto that was underhanded!"

Boruto smirked and retorted, "Hehe! I thought I'd let you two Kekkei Genkai users fight it out for a bit. This is a free for all Hiroshi."

Hiroshi just clicked his tongue in response but quickly formed another giant wooden fist to intercept the iron fist that was aimed straight at him.

Bam! Boom! Bam!

At this point Shinki had transformed his iron sword into another iron fist making two giant fists and was currently boxing against Hiroshi's giant wooden fists.

Bam! Boom! Bang! Boom!

Both Hiroshi and Shinki were currently deep in focus on their battle. Neither one wanting to lose to the other in this boxing match. Boruto grinned to himself on the side and quickly fueled his lightning nature into several shuriken as he threw them at Shinki and shouted, "Lightning Style: Triple!" This move forced Shinki to disengage one of his iron hands against Hiroshi and block Boruto's attack. Hiroshi didn't miss this chance and quickly shot forth one of his giant wooden fists with great speed straight at Shinki. Shinki widened his eyes in shock and quickly after his iron hand deflected Boruto's attack he moved his iron fist to block Hiroshi's attack, however the speed and force behind Hiroshi's attack was too great for Shinki to properly prepare for it and so the wooden fist struck the iron fist before smashing it right into Shinki causing him to fly through the air and crash into the arena wall.

Boruto smirked as he watched this play out, however a wooden vine stretched out from the arena stage and wrapped around his ankle. Just as Hiroshi smirked at his success he was stunned at what happened next. Boruto used a Jutsu that no one in the competition could have seen coming. He heard Boruto shout, "Sexy Jutsu!"

Poof!

In place of Boruto was a slim, beautiful, naked, and as the name of his Jutsu implied, sexy woman. Hiroshi widened his eyes completely stunned at this new development as his mind went blank. He didn't know what happened next because all he saw was black after that. Boruto smiled at his success as he had knocked Hiroshi out while Hiroshi was momentarily stunned.

"Hehe! Sorry Hiroshi but I gotta do what I gotta do."

It was then that Shinki reemerged from the cavity in the wall he created by crashing into it earlier. He narrowed his eyes in shock and confusion as he saw that Hiroshi was knocked out and eliminated. During the fight he was 100% sure that Hiroshi posed a much greater threat than Boruto did so he couldn't fathom how Boruto had defeated Hiroshi, however everyone else who was watching simply had an awkward expression on their faces. Shikadai, Inojin, Iwabe, and Denki were completely speechless when they saw everything play out as Shikadai face-palmed and commented, "T-That Boruto...That was kind of an underhanded trick, but I suppose it worked…"

Inojin covered his eyes in shame and remarked, "That Jutsu must be S-rank or something...I-It's too powerful…"

Iwabe and Denki simply nodded their heads in agreement. Meanwhile all the girls simply frowned and disapproved of how all the boys were reacting as they all had the same thought. They're all idiots!

They were all snapped out of their thoughts and returned their attention to watching the match because they were incredibly shocked at what happened next. Boruto was using a powerful Jutsu that Commander Kakashi had created a few years ago. The Purple Lightning Jutsu. And with that Jutsu he successfully defeated Shinki.

Shikadai just let out a sigh and said, "Haaaaa...Heh, well it looks like Boruto won. He's just full of tricks and secrets."

Inojin nodded. "Who knew that he was actually able to learn Commander Kakashi's Jutsu Purple Lightning. He's gotten pretty strong."

Just as everyone was celebrating Boruto's victory Naruto jumped down from the stands with a disappointed look in his eyes. Iraia simply closed her eyes and knew that at this moment Lord 7th had discovered the truth.

Now then...Boruto...What will you do? And Lord 7th, what will you say?

As everyone was cheering and waiting for Naruto's speech, the speech that Naruto gave was not what everyone had expected. He exposed Boruto's scientific ninja tool which exposed Boruto's cheating. He then proceeded to remove Boruto's ninja forehead protector and disqualified him as a ninja. As they were having an argument in the middle of the arena something happened that shocked everyone there. A powerful aura struck the hearts of everyone in the vicinity as two beings floated in the air above the arena. They were exactly two members of the Otsutsuki clan. The large brawny one with a damaged horn and carrying a large red chakra axe was named Kinshiki while the other slimmer, more refined looking one with a Rinnegan in the palm of each hand was named Momoshiki.

Naruto and Sasuke quickly stood before the kids shielding them from Momoshiki's attack.

Haku who was still in the stands frowned at this new development and was about to help Sasuke and Naruto when he caught sight of another Otsutsuki member who was carrying some strange red fishing rod with a red gourd on his waist. That Otsutsuki member thrust out his fishing pole and pierced Mitsuki's chest before Mitsuki had a chance to activate his power. He then successfully captured and retrieved the chakra within Mitsuki's body. Haku took one quick glance at Naruto and Sasuke before deciding to chase after this third Otsutsuki member.

Naruto and Sasuke are both incredibly powerful. I'll let them handle those two Otsutsuki members in the arena. I'll go take care of this third one. Big brother, if only you were here I'd feel better about the situation.

Swish!

Just as that Otsutsuki member approached Mitsuki he smirked and dashed back before Haku could hit him. Haku stared at this Otsutsuki and asked, "Who are you? And what do you want?"

"Heheheh! Who am I? I'm Otsutsuki Urashiki. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Yuki Haku."

Haku widened his eyes in shock. "You know who I am?"

Urashiki simply chuckled. "Of course. My specialty lies in investigation." He then quickly dashed away from the arena prompting Haku to chase after him as they both arrived in an open grassy area. Haku furrowed his brow with deep focus and asked, "What is your purpose here?"

Urashiki smiled sinisterly. "Well nothing really. Besides, is it really okay for you to chase after me and leave the 7th Hokage and Sasuke alone?"

Haku sneered. "If your specialty is investigation then you should know just how powerful they are. I believe in their strength." Without wasting time for more words Haku instantly entered Sage Mode. The wave tattoos on his cheeks appeared and two koi fish tattoos appeared on his forehead as his eyes turned a deep blue color. Urashiki frowned as he sensed the change in Haku's aura.

"That is a dangerous power. My investigations led me to believe that you could use some strange power, but being in its presence is truly different. It'd be best for me to take it and kill you here." He then threw out his fish hook straight at Haku who simply spit a Sage powered icicle from his mouth knocking the hook away. He then dashed into the air and formed the Tiger sign shouting, "Sage Art: Ice Style Swallow Snowstorm Jutsu!"

Fwish!

Hundreds upon hundreds of icy swallows circled the area and aimed right for Urashiki who frowned and quickly shielded himself with a bunch of sand from his gourd. Haku widened his eyes in shock. "That's the Jutsu of the 5th Kazekage! How is that possible?"

Urashiki smirked. "Surprised? I stole the chakra of the 5th Kazekage a few days ago. I guess he hasn't told you." Urashiki then created a giant sand spear aiming right at Haku who simply condensed a giant frozen fist on his hand and threw out a strong punch at the sand spear. Instantly the sand spear shattered into nothing but disorganized sand. Haku then followed up with a Sage powered Ice Dragon. Haku's moves were simply too fast and powerful that Urashiki didn't have time to react or counter. He was instantly hit and became frozen in Haku's technique. Just as Haku breathed out a sigh of relief he widened his eyes in shock as Urashiki disappeared from his frozen prison. He saw Urashiki appear in the distance with a Rinnegan stepping out of some sort of dark portal causing Haku to frown and become incredibly serious as the aura around him changed. The wind began to pick up and the trees and grass began to sway as a powerful energy condensed around Haku.

This foe is of the Otsutsuki clan. If he's anything like Kaguya then he must be crazy strong. I don't know what technique he used to escape the ice but the portal he appeared from looks exactly the same as how Kaguya kept disappearing in and out of dimensions. On top of that he possesses a Rinnegan. There's no telling what other powerful techniques he has at his disposal. I must ensure I kill him here and now and that means I can't hold back. I'll have to enter Heavenly Ocean Sage Mode.

Urashiki was incredibly shocked at what he was seeing before him. He felt a power surrounding Haku that he hadn't felt in a long long time and it slowly brought back some old memories of his. He frowned deeply and warily at Haku as he asked, "You...what is that power? Why does it feel like Owatatsumi's power?"

Haku was shocked at what he heard. "Owatatsumi? How do you know master Owatatsumi?"

Urashiki widened his eyes in shock and a bit of fear. "Judging from your answer your power really does come from Owatatsumi! Impossible! He should be dead already!"

Haku furrowed his brow as he was even more curious and wary now. "You said your name was Urashiki correct? You're going to tell me how you know Owatatsumi."

Urashiki frowned and instantly opened a portal and entered it. Just before it closed his voice could be heard. "I'm afraid not. Time is up and you're too late. My superiors should be finishing up now so I'll take my leave. But truly...I never would have imagined that that old dragon was still alive. What a crafty old creature." With that the portal closed as Urashiki disappeared. Haku turned to look towards the arena only to see Naruto shield the area in his powerful chakra cloak preventing the blast of a giant Tailed Beast Bomb from devastating Konoha.

BOOOOOM!

A blinding light filled the area and the shaking of the earth could be felt. Naruto was successful in containing the blast with his powerful chakra cloak, however the entire arena and some of the nearby surroundings were left in complete ruin. Haku frowned and quickly made his way to where he sensed Sasuke who was currently watching over an unconscious Boruto, Sarada, and Hiroshi. Sasuke turned and saw Haku approach so he nodded his head acknowledging Haku's presence. Haku just frowned. "I can't sense Naruto's presence. Did they take him?"

Sasuke nodded. "You can't but I can. Your Sage mode doesn't let you sense his presence across dimensions. But with my Rinnegan I can still feel his presence, although it's a bit weak. My Rinnegan can see the distortions created by someone using a space-time portal. The more someone uses it the more clearly my Rinnegan can find it. And the closer I am to one the easier it is to connect to the same dimension. I was close when Momoshiki took Naruto. I'm certain I can reach him. Let's get the kids to a safe place first and convene with the Five Kage before heading out."

Haku furrowed his brow in deep contemplation before responding, "Will that be okay? Leaving Naruto in their hands like that for now?"

Sasuke simply replied, "They are after Kurama who is inside of Naruto so they won't kill him until they extract it. Plus it's Naruto. He won't go down so easily. We can't face them unprepared. For now let's just put our faith in him. Besides, we'll be quick about it on our end."

It wasn't long before the Five Kage gathered as well as Sasuke and Boruto who had quickly woken up. The seven of them quickly gathered around Sasuke as he opened a portal leading to Momoshiki's dimension to go save Naruto. Haku, Shikamaru, and Sakura watched as the seven of them left.

Fwish!

Unexpectedly some scientists had also quickly snuck through as well leaving Shikamaru, Haku, and Sakura a bit speechless. Shikamaru awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Well...What a pain."

Sakura frowned as she asked, "Now what?"

Shikamaru just sighed. "Nothing we can do. The portal's closed. We can only leave things up to them now. And hope that those scientists don't do anything rash."

Haku just frowned at the whole situation. "Tch. If only I could go as well."

Shikamaru patted Haku's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry too much Haku. The Five Kage and Sasuke went. They should be able to handle it. We'll have to put our trust in them. And we need you here since Lord 6th Hokage isn't here. There's still one more Otsutsuki member out there. If he decides to come back and attack the village then I'm afraid you might be the only one around who can counter him."

Haku just let out a sigh. "Haaaaa...I know. If only Izaya knew what was happening right now I'm sure he'd return in a heartbeat."

Shikamaru and Sakura simply nodded in agreement…

Hiroshi stirred in his unconscious state as he slowly began to open his eyes.

Ugh...What the heck happened? I remember Boruto using his underhanded Sexy Jutsu before everything went dark. Then when I came to Lord 7th and uncle Sasuke were in front of me. I remember Boruto and Sarada being there too. Also some weirdos were flying high in the sky and shot this gigantic mass of chakra right at us. It was then that Lord 7th did something to shield everyone from the blast, but the wind force generated from the impact knocked me back into the ground and I hit my head again.

Just as Hiroshi slowly sat up he felt someone drag him into a tight hug, but he knew exactly who it was. "Ughhhh...Mom...You're squeezing too tight! Can't breathe!"

Hanabi quickly let go as she wiped away a small tear from her eyes and smiled softly at Hiroshi. Hiroshi only rubbed the back of his head and asked, "What happened? Is Boruto and Sarada okay? What about Lord 7th and uncle Sasuke? And who were those two weirdos flying in the sky?"

Before Hanabi had a chance to answer Asuka spoke first. "Konoha was attacked."

Hiroshi widened his eyes in shock. "What?!"

Asuka just let out a sigh before continuing, "Just listen if you want to know what happened. I'm not repeating myself. Apparently the attackers are from this so-called Otsutsuki clan. The same clan as the one who appeared during the 4th Great Ninja War. These guys used some sort of Jutsu and in order to protect everyone Lord 7th took on the brunt of their attack. I don't know much more. Only that they were somehow able to capture Lord 7th. The Five Kage as well as uncle Sasuke and Boruto gathered to chase after them."

Hiroshi frowned but let out a sigh knowing there wasn't anything he could do right now. "So...then how long was I out?"

"About an hour."

Hiroshi widened his eyes again in shock. "A-An hour?!"

"Hmpf. That's what I said."

Hiroshi just let out another sigh. He looked around the room but couldn't find Iraia so he asked, "Where's sis?"

Hanabi comfortingly stroked Hiroshi's head and replied, "She's helping the relief team. Luckily no one died in the attack, however there were some who were injured and the arena plus some of its surroundings were destroyed. But I want you to stay here and rest Hiroshi. Almost everything is done and we already have enough helping hands. Focus on getting your strength back." Hanabi then kissed Hiroshi on the forehead before standing up and headed out the door.

Hiroshi watched his mother leave the room before turning to face Asuka and questioned, "So…-" Before Hiroshi could complete his sentence Asuka's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink as she turned away from Hiroshi and interjected, "Someone needs to watch you and make sure you don't go off doing something stupid. Got a problem with that?"

Hiroshi could only smile goofily and felt a bit happy inside.

It wasn't long after when Sasuke returned alongside Naruto, Boruto, and the other Kages as they had successfully defeated Momoshiki and Kinshiki. In but a few days after the attack everything in the village had nearly returned to normal. Only the area that was left in ruins after the attack needed to be reconstructed. Naruto sat in his office along with Shikamaru in deep contemplation alongside Kakashi and Tsunade. Shikamaru broke the silence first. "So? Any thoughts?"

Tsunade clicked her tongue in annoyance before replying, "Tch. Why does something always occur to interrupt the Chunin Exams? What a mess."

Kakashi let out a sigh as he nodded in agreement before chiming in, "Well...Nothing we can do about it. We can only accept what has happened and try to figure out what to do from there."

Naruto furrowed his brow and also let out a sigh. "Deciding who gets promoted to Chunin huh?...And on top of that we have to worry about that other Otsutsuki guy named Urashiki."

Shikamaru just nodded in agreement. "Well we did get to see most of everyone's skill even though the Chunin Exams didn't get an official conclusion. We should decide based on how everyone performed. As for Urashiki we'll let Sasuke and Haku handle that for now. Sasuke's the only one who can track him down right now with his Rinnegan and apparently Haku said that when he fought Urashiki he discovered that there may be a connection to Ryugu-Jo Palace so he left to go search for some information."

Kakashi nodded. "Shikamaru has a point. Since we aren't really of much use in the search for Urashiki we should focus on what we can do. And the only thing we can do right now is deciding on what to do for the Chunin Exams."

Tsunade tapped her fingers on the arm of the chair she was sitting on before saying, "Well...although the Chunin Exams were interrupted, just like in the past when these situations occurred certain Genin were still promoted to Chunin based on how they performed overall. Although Boruto has made public his apology for cheating in the Exams and has been pardoned thanks to his contribution in defeating Otsutsuki Momoshiki, it is definitely much too early for him to be promoted to Chunin. In this regard I do think that there are some Genin qualified for promotion."

Naruto raised his eyebrow curiously and inquired, "Such as?"

Tsunade thought for a moment before responding, "For starters I would say that Shikadai and Zen have shown they are plenty capable. Shikadai for his intelligence and strategy as well as his leadership role in guiding his team throughout the competition. He has also shown that he possesses the combat skills necessary for a shinobi. As for Zen I already know about his situation from Izaya. He has already taken up Anbu missions for Konoha and is really only taking the Exams as a matter of formality. While his team didn't make it to the last round of the Exam I have a feeling that he wasn't using his true skill when he fought against Izaya and Haku's daughters. Perhaps he didn't wish to injure his sensei's daughter. Anyways he was the one who led his team in successfully passing the first round of the Exam and they were the first to make it to the Exam site for part 1."

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "I believe you are correct Lord 5th. It would seem a bit of a waste to keep Zen as a Genin, therefore I support the idea to promote Zen as a Chunin. As for Shikadai, I believe that he is ready to be a Chunin. What he lacks is field experience, but that should come with time."

Shikamaru nodded and asked, "What do you both think about Iraia, Hiroshi, and Asuka?"

Kakashi furrowed his brow in contemplation before responding, "I think that Hiroshi might be a good choice as well. Despite the fact that he fell victim to Boruto's S-S...Sexy Jutsu...Ahem...He has demonstrated his ability to strategize and demonstrated how skillful he is at staying aware of his surroundings when in combat. I'm not too sure of Iraia yet. She definitely has the combat skill, but she gave up too quickly against Boruto when she clearly still had enough chakra to continue. I'm not sure what she was thinking at that time. I say we observe her a bit more and perhaps have her take the Exams once more next year. Same for Asuka. She still seems a bit too hot tempered."

As everyone gave a moment to take in what Kakashi said they soon all nodded in agreement. Naruto let out a sigh and wrote something in his documents before saying, "Very well. Then Nara Shikadai, Yagami Zen, and Hyuga Hiroshi will hereby be promoted to Chunin."

"Mn." Everyone else consented. Kakashi coughed and cleared his throat grabbing everyone's attention at this moment. Shikamaru turned to Kakashi and asked, "Is there something else you'd like to add Kakashi?"

"Yeah. Actually I have an announcement. It's not just me but for Guy as well. We both are going to officially retire from our positions as Jonin Commander and Vice Jonin Commander."

"EEEHHHH?!" Everyone exclaimed and widened their eyes in shock. Naruto had a complicated expression as he commented, "B-But Kakashi-sensei, who's going to take Guy-sensei's and your place? And are you sure you want to?"

Kakashi just smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Guy and I have been in our positions for more than ten years already. We have already chosen our successors. I'm giving my position over to Neji and Guy is naming Lee as his successor."

Shikamaru thought about what Kakashi said for a moment before nodding his head. "Mn. I suppose you and Guy have been in your positions for a long time. You both deserve to be more relaxed. Neji and Lee are more than qualified as well. Kakashi, if you and Guy truly want to retire then I support your decision."

Naruto let out a sad sigh but nodded in agreement. "Haaaa...I'm a bit sad to see you go, Kakashi-sensei, but Shikamaru is right. You and Guy-sensei have done enough and deserve a more relaxed lifestyle. Very well, I'll have a formal talk with you, Guy, Neji, and Lee tomorrow morning so we can get the necessary documents signed for the official transfer of duties."

Kakashi smiled gratefully at Naruto's answer. "Mn. Thanks Naruto."

888

At this moment Haku was walking within the grand palace of Ryugu-Jo. He stopped right before a giant silver blue gate that had intricate designs and patterns on it. After taking a deep breath he walked up to the gate and knocked. The sound of his knocking resounded throughout the entire palace like the loud ringing of a ceremonial gong. In but a mere few seconds the gate opened revealing a giant hall filled with large embroidered pillars. A grand silver and blue carpet ran through the middle of the floor leading up to a giant silver and blue throne. And on that throne sat perfectly coiled a large dragon, the Heavenly Ocean Sage Owatatsumi. The master of the Ryugu-Jo Palace. Haku stood before the Grand Sage and bowed once in respect before he took a seat and waited patiently for Owatatsumi to say something. After five minutes of complete silence passed by Owatatsumi finally opened his eyes and stared down at Haku.

"Youngster. You have returned. It's been five years since you have mastered Heavenly Ocean Sage Mode."

Haku nodded and replied, "Yes master Owatatsumi. It has been quite awhile. I'm glad to see that you are recovering well. I've come seeking some answers."

Owatatsumi looked at Haku with curiosity before letting out a sigh. "Go on."

Haku cleared his throat before asking, "Ahem. Master, recently three members of the Otsutsuki clan have invaded this planet. Two of them were defeated. They were Otsutsuki Kinshiki and Momoshiki, however the third has disappeared somewhere in hiding. When I fought him he utilized strange weapons and techniques and even possessed the powers of the Rinnegan. He recognized my Heavenly Ocean Sage Mode and claims to be familiar with you."

Owatatsumi narrowed his eyes at Haku's words. "What is his name?"

Haku quickly replied, "His name was Otsutsuki Urashiki."

Immediately the entire palace shook as Owatatsumi flared up his chakra in anger after hearing the name Urashiki, however he quickly calmed down and let out several loud coughs. Haku widened his eyes in alarm. "Lord Owatatsumi, are you alright?!"

Owatatsumi simply let out a soft sigh. "I'm fine. I'm fine. Haaaa...It's been so long I shouldn't be getting riled up like this. So Urashiki is it? He's still around then. What a pest."

Haku tilted his head confused and intrigued. "Who is this Urashiki?"

Owatatsumi let out a sigh before speaking again. "Urashiki is a member of the Otsutsuki clan who specializes in infiltration and investigation. He is one of the more eccentric members of the Otsutsuki clan and likes to pull the strings in the shadows. In this regard he is quite dangerous, however due to his eccentric nature he doesn't quite carry out the orders from his clan very well or very quickly. And because of that his position within the Otsutsuki clan isn't very high. Urashiki was one of the members of the Otsutsuki clan who attacked me and raided Ryugu-Jo Palace back when I was still in the Heavenly Plane. He managed to steal many of my treasures. One of them being a black box that unleashes a powerful gaseous substance able to seal someone in time for 10,000 years. He's a despicable character. During my battle against the more powerful members of the Otsutsuki clan he managed to pierce me with that special rod of his that can steal chakra greatly weakening me. Before he had a chance to use my chakra I successfully caused it to explode. That bought me enough time to use a special treasure of mine to fake my death and escape. To think that one of the invaders is Urashiki. Haku, be careful of him. To think that three members of the Otsutsuki clan were actually sent to this planet. Momoshiki possessed a higher position than most amongst his clan members back in the day, but his standing may have improved even further since then and it isn't because of his power, but rather his connections. Anyways be wary and cautious. There are those who are even greater than him. I fear the Otsutsuki clan are beginning to turn their eyes towards this side of the world. Be prepared for the worst Haku."

Haku frowned at Owatatsumi's narration but nodded in seriousness. "I shall Lord Owatatsumi."

A few weeks passed since the incident with Momoshiki and Kinshiki but there was still no word from Sasuke about Urashiki's whereabouts until this moment. Naruto and Shikamaru stared at the scroll on the desk in front of them that Sasuke had sent through his hawk.

"So, what should we do about this?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto furrowed his brow in seriousness. "If what Sasuke sent is true then Urashiki is going after the One Tails, Shukaku. He said that he already informed Gaara and that he's also heading towards Shukaku's location. With Gaara and Sasuke they should be able to safely protect and ward off Urashiki, but then again we can't rule out the possibility that something unexpected could happen."

Shikamaru nodded. "I agree. We still don't really know the true strength of this Urashiki guy so it's better to be more cautious. We should send reinforcements."

Naruto nodded. "Mn. But everyone's currently on break. Boruto left on a family camping trip. Sarada is also heading off with Sakura somewhere and I believe Mitsuki is heading back to see Orochimaru. You said that Shikadai is going to Sunagakure to visit Temari's hometown. And Haku left on a trip with Akane and Asuka."

Shikamaru let out a sigh. "Haaaa...What bad timing. Most of the Genin's are all busy going on family trips and their parents just so happen to be some of the most skilled shinobi in the village, but that doesn't mean we're out of options. Out of the three Genins that were promoted to Chunin, Shikadai and Hiroshi are busy. I believe Zen is still in the village. He's been performing his Anbu duties excellently gaining real experience as a shinobi per Izaya's request. So far he hasn't failed a single mission. He's even taken up Izaya's old Anbu name, Ghost. We could send him out to check things out and provide assistance if necessary."

Naruto thought for a moment before resting his chin on top of his hands. "Hmm...I suppose you have a point. We can't mobilize a large group of reinforcements because they will be within the territory of Sunagakure. If the feudal lords catch wind of this they could see it as a form of invasion. Sending a small group would be best. But just Zen? Is this okay?"

Shikamaru nodded. "He is Lord 6th's disciple after all. We only need him to provide backup if Sasuke and Gaara should fail, but this is Sasuke and Gaara were talking about. It should be fine."

Naruto furrowed his brow in deep contemplation before nodding in agreement. "Alright. Let's go with that. We'll send Zen to provide assistance just in case."

In but less than a few hours Zen was on his way to Sunagakure where Shukaku, Sasuke, and Gaara were supposed to be, however he frowned and stopped in his tracks. He was near the border of where Konoha and Suna met but he noticed footprints leading from the border pass off into the distance.

Whose footprints do these belong to? Judging from the distance of each step they were in a hurry. It belongs to a single person. Most likely a shinobi. Something might have happened in the few hours since Sasuke sent his message to Konoha. I better hurry!

Zen quickly tracked the footprints for several minutes at great speed. It wasn't long before he heard the sound of a battle taking place. Just as he leapt up on a giant boulder to get a better view he widened his eyes in surprise at what he saw. Boruto and Shinki were panting heavily on the ground injured and fatigued while Urashiki stood also seemingly injured, but still capable of fighting. Just as he threw his fishing hook at them Zen quickly took out two kunai and expertly aimed one at the fishhook and the other at Urashiki.

Ting!

Fwish!

The kunai expertly deflected Urashiki's attack, but Urashiki quickly dodged the one aimed at his body. Zen quickly jumped down from the boulder he was on and stood before Boruto and Shinki. Boruto fought to catch his breath and commented, "Zen...Why…" Huff "...Are…" Huff "...You...here?"

Shinki also commented, "You are…" Huff "...The 6th Hokage's..." Huff "...Disciple?"

Zen didn't take his eyes off of Urashiki as he replied, "Both of you have exhausted your chakra and physical stamina. Sit there for a bit and rest. I'll take care of this guy named Urashiki. What happened to Shukaku?"

Shinki took a few deep breaths and answered, "I managed to safely deliver him to one of the Konoha Jonin. He should be on his way to the 7th Hokage."

Zen nodded in understanding.

Urashiki simply smirked and said amusedly, "Hahahah! Well now this is unexpected but it's fine. Even if Shukaku is gone I can use Uzumaki Boruto as a hostage. The 7th Hokage would definitely have to give over the One Tails then. As for you two, you aren't needed. I'll just kill you both." Urashiki quickly thrusted his fishing rod through the air as he shouted, "Amenosubaruboshinomikoto!" Instantly several red fishing hooks shot through the air straight for Zen who quickly placed his hands in the Tiger sign and said, "Ghost Flame Style: White Fire!"

FWISH!

A brilliant white flame erupted around Zen in a protective shield. As the fishhooks made contact with the white flame they were instantly knocked aside unable to penetrate the white fiery shield. Not only were Boruto and Shinki shocked, but so was Urashiki. Boruto stared at the white fire and asked, "W-What is that Jutsu?"

Zen simply replied, "This is my Kekkei Genkai. Ghost Flame Style. It combines my Fire nature with my Yin nature."

The white flames surrounding Zen quickly disappeared before a blue flame appeared by his side as he shouted, "Ghost Flame Style: Blue Fire Scorching Heat!" He clapped his hands before aiming his palm at Urashiki causing the blue flames to gather and condense before it shot out straight at Urashiki with an intense heat that was only surpassed by the black flames of Amaterasu. Urashiki widened his eyes in shock and alarm as he quickly escaped by entering into a different portal. Urashiki secretly reappeared behind Zen and stabbed him right through the chest, however he was shocked at the scene that played out before him. Zen's body turned into a flock of crows as the crows simply flew off into the distance. He frowned and took a look at where Boruto and Shinki were supposed to be as well, however they soon turned into nothing but a flock of crows.

Urashiki simply licked his lips and smiled both sinisterly and amusedly as he said to himself, "Interesting. Very interesting. Genjutsu? Or was it simply Clones? He managed to escape with both Boruto and Shinki. Hahahaha! Not bad. I really wanted his chakra. Whatever Jutsu he was using earlier seemed very interesting. Well...Guess I'll bide my time a bit more. Hehehe!"

He then disappeared into a dark portal.