Ch2 - Graduation

My eyes opened and the first thing I see is a roof of the hospital which I had visited due to harsh practice and chakra exhaustion, this time was different I had a spar with THE Yagura with THE Mangetsu, I hope Yagura doesn't kill him or me for the slash he got I believe he could of dodged that.

"Arashi, you have far exceeded my expectations, you will train under Juzo for his blade until you graduate from the academy, the academy graduation exam has been changed which you will see, Mangetsu and you figured out the test which gives me hope for strong nin, fail me and you will die" The all too familiar and terrifying voice of the Mizukage Yagura stated.

"Y-yes my lord I will not fail you" I stutter in reply as I hop off my bed and kneel.

"Good" is all he said as he left the room.

The day went as boring as any hospital stay was and I had just been told I was in there for three days to make sure they didn't miss any injuries and I am ok to continue training, during my time in the hospital I went to see Mangetsu which we chatted about the fight and how decently we worked together and that hopefully we get to work together in the future. I hope we do.

"Arashi, you are to train under me from now on until you graduate from the academy, If I see you are still worthy of my blade then I will still train you for you to become one of the seven swordsmen" Juzo's voice came as he entered the room and looked me up and down.

"Yes sir i will not fail you, when does training start?" I ask hoping it is in a week so I can relax.

"Tomorrow at 4 am, do not be late, if you are you will be punished with my blade" The terrifying man known as Juzo stated as he left my room, I knew he was going to defect I just didn't know when and then there is Zabuza, he was supposed to get this blade but I really wanted it for myself so I think I will just take it, sorry Zabuza.

The next day I was discharged from the hospital and geared up and went off to the training grounds a half an hour early just to be safe which luckily helped as I arrived there at the same time as my now sensei, Juzo and I do not want to aggravate a swordsman such as himself.

"You are here early twerp, surprising, we will now start with a light spar both using normal Tanto since my Kubikiribōchō would destroy your Tanto and you if I used it" Juzo stated causing me to sweat drop and thank Jashin I did not have to face Juzo with his blade.

We stand 20 feet from one another and watch as a falling leaf hits the ground which initiates our spar, I rush at Juzo unsheathing my blade and going for a downward slash which is blocked and using it as momentum to push into the air above his head as I 'drop' a kunai from my pouch which is attached with a paper bomb into the hood of my opponent and use Juzo's back to leap a distance and wait for the explosion .

*BOOM*

The explosion sends Juzo flying and into a tree which he gets up and looks at me.

"Impressive, most impressive that would have done more damage had I not realized last second and cut my hood off, very sneaky you are." He sated grinning at me as his arm was limp from covering his face from the explosion as I just smirked back and winked which was a mistake as he dashed right behind me and went to swing for my neck and with little time to react

I used a substitution jutsu with a nearby log and hid in the trees suppressing my chakra and stalking my sensei, waiting for an opening.

A few minutes passed as I sensed his guard lower and created two water clones and ordered them to distract him, I circle around to the back of my sensei and dashed at him in a low position and henged myself into one of Kiri's natural rabbits which was hard due to the animal being so small

I only had one chance as my sensei tore my clones in half and turned around to see what he thought a suicidal rabbit which turned back into my original self and I threw a sideways slash knocking his arm with the blade to the side and jumped up kneeing Juzo in the side of his face as Juzo's other arm was limp and couldn't deflect my knee then before I knew it I was on the floor with Juzo's Tanto to my neck.

"W-what happened, how?" I state stunned on where I was.

"Genjutsu, you are weak to genjutsu, and I am not someone who Is proficient in it and I still trapped you in one" he stated which made me think on my abilities and how easily I could die on the battlefield to a more experienced foe.

"When did you place it on me?" I asked hoping to know where I can rectify my mistake.

"When you knocked my blade aside for the knee to my head, my limp arm made the hand seal for a basic genjutsu which made you think you landed the hit but I dodged and knocked you on the ground and here we are" the man sheathed his blade with a smirk and continued.

"We will broaden your knowledge with ninjutsu and work on your strength and speed as well as your Kenjutsu and get you use to a bigger weapon like my Kubikiribōchō, now lets check your chakra nature shall we." He stated making me excited, I hope I have water.

Juzo pulled out a piece of paper and told me which reactions means which chakra nature. " If the paper turns damp it means you have water, if the paper burns that means fire, if it wrinkles then you have lightning, if it turns to dirt that's earth and if it splits into two pieces you have wind" I hope I have water but if not I want lightning like Kakashi had.

I grab the piece of paper and to my shock the paper turned damp and then wrinkled meaning I had water and lightning release, which is a great combo and good for jutsu, I yell in joy and jump around. After a minute I regain my composure and look at my sensei.

"You got lightning and water release that's one hell of a combination for a Kiri nin, I have a plan to train you in both water and lightning, but first go onto the water we are going to train your chakra control and reflexes and after that I will give you weights to push your speed and strength to new heights" He stated as he grabbed some kunai and shuriken, I had a bad feeling about this.

The next six months went the same, spar, chakra control, weight training and lightning and water jutsu training and after awhile he made me wear weights as I dodged kunai and shuriken on water. After the first month Juzo commissioned for a smaller look a like blade of his Kubikiribōchō to be made without the repairing ability of the original of course and as I grew, I was to get bigger blades commissioned.

Five months left till the graduation exam, and I watched the exam after the start of my training with Juzo, I just about puked when I saw the blood of not even fully fledged ninja only twelve slaughter each other to graduate and become a Genin ninja it was horrendous but I had to get over that fear which I was with the help of Juzo who took me hunting on animals to get me used to spilling blood.

I had to get used to it, it was kill or be killed and the third great ninja war was going to peak with Minato the 'Yellow Flash' becomes known throughout the nations, which I will have to face Konohagakure (The hidden leaf village) and the other nations and I was not going to die before then, I will create my story in this deadly world.

The last five months flew by, and I was high chunin to low jonin in strength, I was nine and I was facing kids three years older than me to graduate and I had to kill them and be the last one standing.

I entered the arena to see cheering from all the viewers and looked to the Kage box which held the swordsmen who were left and not killed by Might Guy's father and the esteemed Kage with all his glory.

His violet eyes piercing my very being, I look into the stand to see my parents looking stern at me, my father just nodded at me and my mother was on the verge of crying hoping I wouldn't die, I opened my mouth to say something but instead I grinned and put a thumbs up showing them I would live through this.

I was wearing ANBU style pants with ninja sandals I had light chainmail under my padded shirt and above it all was a plain black cloak to hide what I was pulling out, I had my smaller replica of Kubikiribōchō on my back above the cloak so it could be seen and a smaller Tanto on the lower part of my back which was hidden by the cloak.

"Attention, this year's graduating class If you are not stupid you should already know what is about to happen, but if you don't I will remind you, no rules, last one who is alive graduates, START" The young Kage stated as the match started.

I jump back to prepare myself but unlucky for me I was the main target of my class, maybe I should of made a better impression, oh well, I dodge kunai being thrown at me with ease as I do a low spinning kick to trip up the closest person next to me and use him to take the blow of an incoming slash from another student.

I push the now dead student into the one holding the blade and grab one of his kunai since he won't be using it anymore and slice the neck of the other, the sound of flesh being cut and the spray of my now victims blood staining my face scared, but also excited me for the battle to come, maybe I was a monster.

I probably was but this is the life I am in, kill or be killed world. I rush out to the middle of the field as I start a lightning jutsu.

"Lightning style: Lightning Cloak" I yell as a stream of lightning chakra flows through my body and my speed and strength grow, I was already faster than any of the other students, some would say this is overkill, but I would say a good ninja uses all that's available to him.

I rush at a group of three students as I pull out my mini replica of Kubikiribōchō off of my back and with one big slice all three of the students heads are then rolling on the floor as the bodies hit the ground.

I am already rushing to my next group of victims as most of the students hesitated to kill the friends they had made in the academy, I did not hesitate as I was not friends with anyone from the academy, I was only there for glory.

This cycle of killing with my blade and then running to the next group continued until I was the last one standing. I looked into the crowd to see my parents cheering for my victory but what caught my eye was that of a little version of Zabuza that looked to be at the age of six who had a demonic glint to his eye as he walked and left the stadium.

The exam was done and I could finally relax for who knows long and the feeling of nausea over took me and I vomited in the middle of the blood stained arena, the shock of killing for the first time caught up with me as the last thing I hear before I pass out was the Mizukage.

"You pass, Genin Arashi" the world went dark.

I woke up the next day feeling queasy as I once again saw the hospital roof and got up to see my sensei enter the room with the Kage Yagura.

"Lord Kage, Sensei" I say as I get up and bow on one knee to the Kage.

"Arashi Suiryu, you have become a Genin of Kirigakure, serve this nation well" The Young Kage stated with a stern gaze, I knew in a few years he would be being controlled by Obito if he wasn't already, then he would truly become a devil of a Kage, still I would serve as he will die soon anyway.

"Yes my lord, I am yours to command" I stated still on one knee ready to fight for my country at any given time.

"Good, Arashi you will be with me as a duo nin group until you are to be put on a team as the number of Genin does not match up" stated my sensei.

"Sir, what happened with the other two graduating classes?" I ask as each year there was three classes and the winner of each one would team up to be with a jounin instructor.

"They were all butchered by a young kid by the name of Zabuza" The Kage stated and continued "That will be the last of those types of graduation as Zabuza has killed to many shinobi candidates and we are in the last stages of a war" This I knew about the war ending soon as the peak and abrupt end to the war with Minato is about to happen, meaning Kakashi is older than me by three years and the Nine tails attack on the Hidden Leaf Village is going to happen in three years.

"O-okay my lord, I will not fail you" I state preparing for what is to come.