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Spectral Ninja	By : Nescafevh Category: Naruto Crossovers > General Views: 15262 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Legacy Of Kain or any of the associated characters or make money from them, credit goes where credit is due!!!

Chapter List
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Sakura smiled as Chiku tugged her hair affectionately. It was his sign, he liked either grooming or tugging her hair and if she was upset, he rubbed his wing against the side of her face gently, like he was stroking her with fingers. He even had once nuzzled her chin with his head. Naruto told her it was an mixture of things. He would nuzzle or groom her because birds were very sensitive to their owners-or companion in this case-and the human moods affected them, so Chiku being an intelligent animal unable to talk yet would try to comfort or communicate in a way he could. If Sakura could learn too distinguish his actions or moves NOW, they would have a bond stronger than others outside their team and Naruto's family.

Another reason was being unable to talk yet, he was relying on actions to communicate with her.

Add those to as an young summons who had never been called before, Chiku was unsure HOW to communicate really, so was just following instinct.

Birds, like cats, spent a lot of their time cleaning (or preening) themselves, necessary for removing damaged or old feathers, and part of bonding was preening each other. So Chiku was following instinct in bonding with Sakura to 'preen' her. He was intelligent and knew she couldn't preen him back because she was human, but his instinct to do so to her was still strong and as long as she didn't mind him doing so, he would obey it.

Sasuke had been a help in a lot of this, having grown up with his clans crow summons and Shikamaru's owls, so Sakura was learning a lot about her companion. His personality was started to show more the longer they were around each other and while he was highly affectionate to her and fiercely protective, he had an firery temper as well, and when he let loose his fire element came into play.

An example was what happened a few weeks ago with two jounin boys.

For some reason they had decided that they were going to turn their bullying onto her and every time they saw her would start up about how she was 'just a stupid Rookie' and they were jounin, how she had an 'useless pretty bird' for a summons and how he was 'useless, just like his mistress'.

Sakura didn't care they mocked HER, but when they bad-mouthed Chiku, ARGH! She wanted to rip them apart, she wanted to show them what an 'useless pretty bird' could really do.

But Leaf ninja don't attack Leaf ninja, and so far the worse they had done besides words was occasionally circle the two.

When Naruto and Sasuke found out about the bullying, Sakura had to soothe Sasuke from going off and finding them and beating them to a pulp, assuring him she was fine and could take care of herself. When she managed to talk him down, telling him he'd get into major trouble if he did and touched that her teammate cared about her and was so defensive of her he'd willingly do so, Naruto spoke to her when she mentioned how Chiku had already tried.

He asked why she hadn't LET him teach them a lesson yet and when she mentioned the fact Leaf ninja couldn't attack fellow Leaf and that included a summons he snorted. "Summons are smart, they have their own mind. If one acts to defend their summoner without a signal, well, what are they gonna do? You didn't signal it, it was merely doing it's job. That's what it's summoned for."

After this Sakura rethought the idea of Chiku defending her. It was all he wanted anyway, she could tell it upset him when she held him back from doing so with the jounin. Was it really so different then against enemy nin just because they were Leaf?

They threatened her, upset her and whenever they circled her she not only felt physically threatened but emotionally. Maybe she SHOULD let Chiku teach them a lesson. They worked out a signal between the two of them, something anyone else would see as just a normal action, just in case, Sakura was still unsure about it.

However a few days later the two idiots made an major mistake, they pissed both her and her summons off. Convinced they had sufficiently cowered her they started circling her again, this time pulling at her hair. The leader then made one mistake. He pulled Chiku's tail feathers, HARD.

Sakura may have been unsure about defending herself against fellow Leaf, but NO ONE TOUCHED CHIKU BUT HER!!!

Snapping her head around to glare behind her her cheek brushed the fire birds wing.

Given the signal finally, Chiku shrieked in fury and indignation, lifting off her shoulder and into the air, his comb and tail feathers bursting into flame.

The jounin screamed in shock and let the birds tail feathers go as the instant flames burnt his palm, followed by a grunt of air as Sakura's backwards kick knocked him away.

Once Chiku was in the air Sakura acted instantly, kicking back at him, her furious cry of "chiiiaaa!" echoing the birds. The ninja behind her 'oft', the air knocked out of him long enough for Chiku to get behind him and set his pants on fire.

Sakura turned on the second ninja beside the first. He looked panicked "no, wait a minute..." before he could finish, Sakura had round-house kicked him into the nearest brick wall, her scream of fury echoing the first.

He slid down, unconscious.

"You bitch!" the leader snarled at her, able to put himself out with an water jutsu "you'll pay for that!"

"I wouldn't if I was you" came another male voice, familiar to her. Across from the man, standing among the gathering crowd, was her two teammates, Sasuke looking at the man in anger, Naruto stubborn and calm, but Sakura felt the building anger in his KI.

The jounin spun, the palm of one hand burnt and blackened, trembling in his pain, the other red from panicking and trying to put himself out before he thought to use the jutsu.

"What are YOU gonna do about it?!" he snarled.

Sakura snorted as Chiku landed on Sasuke's shoulder, playfully pulling his hair before flying back to his summoner, making sure to touch Naruto on the way back and Sakura knew since both boy's had a connection to the fire element in some way, they were unharmed by the flame.

However the idiot took another swipe at him on the way back, burning his hand even further when the kunai he used instantly melted, hot metal running down his arm from his hand.

He'd be lucky to ever use that hand again and Naruto KNEW there was no way Shizune or Tsunade would heal the fool. He had not only started it, but threatened the blondes apprentice, Tsunade would be pissed and probably pop the idiot through a couple of walls herself. There MAY be a rule against ninja harming each other in the village, but no one had the nerve to question the two sanins, not even the Third and funnily neither did Kain (however his was he never had any reason to).

"I remember you" Naruto developed a sudden amused but sarcastic grin reminiscent of his adopted father "you tried to get one of the RANK weapons but were rejected, I wonder why" he looked around at the crowd "it seems if he would have, it would have just bit him on the ass."

The crowd rippled with uncertain laughter. "You bastard!" he snarled "I'll get you for that!"

"To use your own words, 'what are you gonna do about it?'" when the ninja opened his mouth, Naruto interrupted "you REALLY should pay attention to those around you" and motioned to his left.

There, standing among the crowd and fuming mad, was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage of Konoha.

The jounins' eyes widened all the way, "hokage-sama...."

I don't care for your excuses, jounin. I was told there was an shinobi picking on rookies, but I didn't want to believe it. Then, on my morning stroll around the village, what do I see, but exactly that."

"But Hokage-sama, she...."

"I said I don't want to hear it!" four ANBU popped in suddenly, sarrounding the village leader in the crowd. The old man motioned them towards the two jounin "take them to Ibiki."

"NO!!!" the coward screamed as two ANBU gabbed him by the arms while the other two took his unconscious companion and with a swirl of leaves all six were gone.

The Hokage turned to the watching crowd "my shinobi are protectors and representatives of Hidden Leaf, bullies are nothing but cowards who pick on those they see as weaker, but it is not always the case, as you saw here. Sometimes it takes more courage NOT to fight back than it does to do so."

Naruto stepped forward with Sasuke "c'mon Sakura, Kakashi-san is waiting. He says he has something in mind for us."

Eagerly she stepped forward to join them, leaving the crowd to the Third.

They soon reached training ground 7, sitting around talking until their sensei showed up, Sakura and Naruto yelling "YOU'RE LATE!" in perfect union while Sasuke smirked "what's this something you have got planned for us sensei?"

"Have you heard the ho-ha lately about the upcoming Chunnin exams and how Kohona is hosting them this year?"

The three nodded, Naruto cocking his head at him "you put our names in, didn't you." Kakashi nodded.

Sasuke frowned "are you sure that we should? I mean do you think we could actually do that? That we're good enough against the best from other villages?"

"I think you're all more than capable, even Sakura at this point. However..." he handed them an sheet of paper each "in the end the decision is yours."

Naruto cocked his head looking vacant for a second, then flopped down to sit cross-legged on the ground, pulling out a pen and beginning to fill out the form. They looked at him curiously "Naruto?" and he glanced up to answer "the others are entering too" before turning back to the form.

Sasuke's reaction was to join his Skulk brother, borrowing another pen from him.

Sakura however hesitated, looking at Kakashi in uncertainty "you REALLY think we're ready sensai?" The cyclops reaction was to eye-smile at her and nod. Sakura's smile back was shy but determined "then I'll do it" she turned to her teammates, asking Naruto for another pen.

"Here" he gave her his own and jumped back to his feet, handing the completed form back to his elder, who took it from him but waited until the other two were done before folding them together and placing them inside a pocket of his flak jacket.

He eye-smiled at them "now that that's done, on to training!"

Sakura frowned "'what training? We aren't due to train today."

"Arh but since you three are now going to go in the exams, we need to pick up the training to harder. You will be going against teams from many other villages, ones who won't hesitate to try and kill you. You have to be prepared to be the same level. I've been watching you three closely for any flaws in your fighting and have found the areas you need work on."

He looked at Naruto "for instance, Naruto I noticed that when you use your strength you tend to hold back, a lot. Why is that?"

He answered "Neesan's chakra makes me stronger than an average human or ninja, then there is niisan's vampirewraith strength that enhances that further. If I let it go completely I could pulverize bones with one tap. I can't let go fully during training, spars or against allies or I could permanently cripple them."

"It's true" Sasuke nodded "he broke Kiba's arm once just after we started training together, and that was just a tap. That was when he was seven, imagine how his strength has increased since then as he grew and started to mature."

"Far enough" Kakashi nodded "against allies and friends as well as family, but against enemies, don't be afraid to break some bones."

Naruto nodded.

He went on "I also noticed you tend to abandon speed for the Spectral Jump. You need to train in that area as well. Even if it's your stronger area when you use your ability, if someone was to learn how to anticipate where you'll appear, you're stuck. Speed is then in your favor."

He looked at Sasuke "I noticed YOU rely on Naruto having your back too much" when both males opened their mouths to protest, the silver haired sensei held his hand up, stilling their protests "while it's not necessarily a bad thing, relying on it too much will weaken you. What would you do if Naruto was knocked out or you were on a mission of your own? How will he defend your back then?"

Naruto did NOT like what this implied "I will ALWAYS have his back sensai, no matter what, just like he'll have mine."

"No, he's right Naruto" Sasuke said "if I'm gonna become an ANBU like anki when I get older, I gotta learn to fight on my own. Anki's been trying to teach me too, but I haven't been listening. YOU can do it, but I rely too much on you backing me up and always being there."

The blonde reluctantly nodded.

"As for Sakura, she relies too much on the strength technique." He raised his voice slightly "that's why I've organized you three to have an sparing partner to help in those areas. You'll help them, and they'll help you."

One of Naruto's fox ears cocked towards the entrance to the grounds and he sweat-dropped "NO, sensei, not them."

Kakashi grinned "they will help you all improve in the areas you need, just as YOU will help them in theirs." Before the other two could ask they became aware of loud boastous voices, one adult and one preteen.

"No" Sasuke protested.

"Oh yes" Kakashi grinned behind his mask.

Before Sakura could question the approaching voices rounded the corner and came in sight "Kakashi sensei-my beloved rival!"

This time Kakashi sweat-dropped but didn't protest, just said softly "Gai-sensei, so glad you could make it this fine day."

Gai immediately started proclaiming how it was an beautiful day and the will of fire was strong in their students today, but Kakashi just turned to his students and said "Naruto, you're with Lee. Sakura with Tenten and Neji with Sasuke. This is training, not actual battle so no genjutsu, chakra enhancements, weapons and no spectral jumps or using Kyuubi or Raziels abilities. No summons or enhanced strength. Naruto, withdraw the Spectral Reaver. I want you fighting as yourself not the three of you."

Sakura and Sasuke obeyed. Naruto's lips thinned and he looked like he was going to be stubborn, but after a few seconds he reluctantly complied with his sensei. The glow about the sword withdrew, creeping up his arm to the seal on the back of his neck. He sheathed it on his back followed by Sasuke and their sparing partner approached them, Neji and Sasuke eying each other with obvious distrust. Despite their growing up around each other, Neji seemed to resent the fact Sasuke and his brother didn't have an caged bird seal despite living with and among the Hyuuga's-plus the usual UchihaHyuuga animosity.

Luckily Hinata wasn't one of those with mixed negative feelings among the clan.

Neji was hanging around with the wrong crowd among the clan. Typical preteen.

He wouldn't hold back.

Sasuke smirked at him, he'd show him who the superior clan was.

Kakashi obviously saw it "NO Sharingan, Sasuke." The Hyuuga gave him a look that said 'hah! Got you now!' but Sasuke just continued to smirk, showing the other boy he was entirely confident in the strength of the Uchiha clan's superiority over the Hyuuga's.

Naruto rolled his eyes, they were at it again, jeeze. If those two so-called geniuses just forgot their prejudices then Kohona would have a force to be reconned with, but nooo, that would be too easy.

Naruto found that it wasn't as easy as he thought to beat Lee, the guy was strong for a human with no chakra and slippery as an eel, faster too than he imagined he could be and he found himself enjoying the spar. He might even ask Gai and Lee san if they could spar some more when he was free, even though the teams had only been together a little more than a year, they had surprising stamina.

He wanted that too.

In his head even Kyuubi and Raziel were praising his skill-for a human of course-and agreed with him he could use the additional training. "You're good, Lee" Naruto praised as he blocked an fist coming at his face and a leg to his side "I haven't been this this evenly matched in some time."

"Yosh!" The green clad boy managed to strike the 'good guy' pose in the middle of a swing (how did he do that?) and kept going "the Spirit of Fire burns in me!"

"Right you are, my precious student!" Gai yelled loudly from Kakashis' side where they watched the spars "the flame of youth burns brightly inside you!!"

Lee immediately began to cry manly tears of joy without loosing pace or force "sensei, thank you!"

Naruto and Kakashi both sweat dropped and the scarecrow cleared his throat with "good work, all of you, continue" he turned to Kohona's Green Beast "perhaps you and I should spar as well, Gai-sensei."

"Yosh!" Gai answered with a thumbs up "let's spar, My Rival, and show our beloved students how it's done!!"

Hours later all six students were seated around the training ground in exhaustion, panting and trying to recover, watching the two Jounin spar STILL, even Neji and Sasuke forgetting their differences long enough to watch their teachers let go on each other.

While obviously both were evenly matched in stamina, Gai had strength on his side while Kakashi had flexibility and BOTH had the speed. It was obvious to his three students that Kakashi had developed his speed and stamina from previous training with the green beast and Gai had increased his speed from fighting with and against the silver-haired 'scarecrow'.

And both were just using Taijutsu.

When they kept going the six separated to do their thing in little groups, Tenten and Naruto discussing weapons as only fellow blacksmiths could do, Sasuke practicing some Kata's with his sword, Neji meditating (or at least pretending too since he was also glaring across at Sasuke occasionally who was ignoring him completely) and Lee and Sakura sat together, talking in low tones (who knew Lee could do low), Chiku out and seated on the boy's shoulder, playfully pulling his hair.

Sakura would watch her fellow student thoughtfully, Chiku liked Lee, he seemed drawn to him, what was it about the boy that drew him to him? Chiku only liked her and her teammates and sensei, putting up with everyone else but not letting them anywhere near her-even her parents received an warning glare. What was it about the obnoxiously loud and idiotic boy that pleased him so much around her?

As she watched bandaged dexterous fingers rose to scratch lightly at the feathers of his back, expertly without even thinking about it, finding a spot that made Chiku all but melt on his shoulder, cooing in pleasure and happiness.

A twitch started above her eyes, that little traitor! He was enjoying someone else's attention!

But that stopped her suddenly. She loved birds, loved Chiku, but she had no practical experience with one up until now and most of that was either trail and error or learnt through her teammates. It was possible that Lee had had actual experience with one or more-like with an family member or someone close owning a bird or having a bird contract.

What sort of things could she learn from him? What knowledge did he have that she could use just by talking to him, hanging around him?

She had seen his speed and agility against Naruto and while she knew he had been holding back because of sensei, could SHE learn that? She had been concentrating mostly on her strength with Tsunade-chans training, but she wanted too be more for her team. The others had their advantages, Sasuke had the sharingan and his extra training with Naruto and their friends, Sensei had hundreds of jutsu as well as an sharingan that would never had the side-affects of the Uchiha clan-plus his feirce white chakra. And then there was Naruto......

What did she have to give their team? She was more of a burden than anything else.

What would she be like if she could not only do Tsunade-chan's strength technique AND had agility, speed and stamina as well? She would be more of an match for them and would be able to contribute more to the team. She could be their muscle but also hold her own in a fight, the others wouldn't have to worry about her as much.

She vowed there and then she would persuade the boy or even his sensei to give her extra training, she would do whatever it took, no matter how difficult. She would NOT be a burden to her teamates.

Any further talk or fight cut of when an ANBU appeared in the field, stopping any conversations and catching the two sensei's attention.

"Kakashi Hatake, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto UzumakiNamuzaki, your presence is required by the Third in his office immediately."

The three frowned and looked at Sakura who saw the opportunity and smiled at them, waving them away "I'll be fine, I'll stay here with these guys for a while, then go home."

The three nodded and reluctantly left.

Once gone Sakura turned to Gai and asked softly "Gai sensei can I talk to you about something? Seriously?"

SKNSSKNSSKNSSKNSSKNSSKNSSKNSSKNS

The three entered the Hokage's office to find him alone except for Kain and his two new bodyguards.

Over the last few months of their clearance in the village both Haku and Zabuza had settled in and found their own niche. Haku had been taken as an apprentice by Tsunade when the woman found out about his knowledge of wild herbs and healing. In fact it was said he was now her prized pupil, his experience and knowledge had given him the woman excitement, meaning everything about him gave her stimulating conversation and alternate opinions to use or consider.

She still taught Naruto, Sakura and Hinata, but Haku was to her a full-time serious pupil. And as a pupil of Tsunade, Haku enjoyed the respect and acceptance of civilians and fellow ninja alike.

Zabuza, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. Not only did he get legal protection from Hidden Leaf, but steady pay, food and other such necessities, but he had steady challenges. When he wasn't being Kain's bodyguard he was doing various things, from sparing WITH Kain or even occasionally Naruto, he could spar with Ibiki.

Being Kain's bodyguard outside the village gave him a chance to challenge himself against other nin outside, assassins, mercenaries, Ronin or the like.

But what he enjoyed the most was training Black-Ops. There wasn't a day go by when Naruto could find him fighting ANBU or Kohona Hunter-nin. Both departments had taken to using Zabuza to train themselves against outside ninja and jutsu and he enjoyed the attention and ability to let loose.

One day a month ago, Zabuza had even come to thank him for persuading Kain to take them on as employees.

Now every person in the room looked gravely serious.

"What is it?" Naruto asked in concern, looking to the Hokage "jijisan?" Then Kain "chichi?"

Sasuke's eyes widened in horror and fear "It's Itachi isn't it." He began to panic "he's dead isn't he, he promised me! He promised me he'd come back alive!"

"He's alive, Sasuke" Naruto said firmly "I know."

"How?" his Skulk brother pleaded "HOW would you know, Naruto? He's not one of us."

"No but he IS you brother and that gives me a connection to him, however slight, and I would know if he was dead. I think I would know if he was gravely wounded too."

Sasuke turned begging eyes on Kain and the Hokage. "He is alive and unharmed" Kain reported, causing Sasuke to relax "however this meeting IS about him."

Sasuke tensed again "what is going ON!?"

"Itachi went to the place you found, the one with the symbol of the Mangekyô Sharigan" the Hokage said "it was indeed his and he was able to enter and complete the test."

Naruto frowned "it was some sort of glyph, wasn't it."

The Hokage nodded "indeed it was. Although he has no idea what it allows him to do yet, he reports that he suffer momentary agony in his eyes and it mutated the sharingan into something new. What that entailes he has been unable to find out yet because he is keeping it a secret from the group he is spying on, but he claims the glyph HE received was taken in a different way."

"What do you mean?"

"Instead of a stone block or tablet of some sort he absorbed into his body, it was a small stone amulet, about 2cm long and round he was able to place around his neck. After he first touched it.....marked him, the symbol is branded into the center of his left palm and that allowed a jutsu of some sort to enact. He can neither remove it, nor anyone else actually see it or remove it."

"And why are we here then?" Naruto frowned "you could have called Sasuke by himself to tell him this, knowing he would have told us later."

"Inside the temple was the exact location of the next of these different glyphs, the symbol of the clan of it's bearer and who it belonged to. Itachi gave this information to Kain-san just hours ago. I want you three to escort this ninja to the location and do whatever it takes to help him gain it."

Naruto frowned "we COULD take him, but I have two questions and one comment, jijisan."

The Hokage frowned "go ahead."

"What about the Chunin exams?"

"The location is not far from here, it should take you all no more than a week there and back, the exams are not for a couple of months. You can resume your training when you return."

"What about Sakura?"

"Your teammate has asked Team Guy for special training. I think she will not mind being left behind for a week or two."

"We can escort the ninja there and back, but we can't help them, Jijisan, the test is for them and them alone, the Ancients way of ensuring that not only are they worthy, but no one else can try and claim it."

"WHO is it?" Sasuke asked.

The Third rapped on the desk and immediately an head popped into the room "Hokage-sama?"

"Send him in now."

"Yes sir" and the head popped back out ass he went to fetch the waiting figure. A few seconds later the door reopened and a figure walked casually inside.

"YOU!"

KSNSKSNSKSNSKSNSKSNSKSNSKSNSKSNSKSNSKSNS
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Spectral Ninja