"Uh?!" managed Naruto, startled into being still for a moment and looking for the sensei who had been in front of him a moment ago.
Kakashi brought his hand up in the tiger seal.
"Naruto! Run away!" yelled Sakura. "You're going to get killed!"
"Too late," said Kakashi, thrusting his hands forward. "1000 years of death!"
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" screamed Naruto, launched into the air by the force of the technique and igniting in orange flames.
"Wha-?" asked Kakashi, as he hadn't expected that. Had Sakura or Sasuke done a genjutsu?
"Ahhhkkkkkkkkk!" managed Naruto in midair as his clothes burned away. Skin. Muscle and tissue. Bones hung there in midair for a moment before they came apart in shatters of bone and ash.
"Ohhhhhhkay." Kakashi straightened. No. No signs he was under a genjutsu.
"AHHHHH!" managed Sakura before she clamped a hand over her own mouth. He KILLED Naruto just like that! So the 66% who fail this test are KILLED?! It's one thing to face dying on a mission but our SENSEI decided to kill us?!
Sasuke frowned and settled down into his hiding place. The casual violence reminded him way too much of That Man.
Kakashi considered for a moment before moving his headband up. The Sharingan picked up the swirling of water, clouds of particles that were moving around.
Bones formed visibly, tissues following, skin and hair appearing at the end.
At which point an unconscious Naruto hit the ground.
"The test will be put off for now," said Kakashi to his two other students. "Meet me here tomorrow and we'll try again."
"THIS is what resulted?" asked the Sandaime. "How?"
"I have no idea," said Kakashi. "I held the book like this. I did the manuever like so-"
FWAM!
A large burned spot appeared on the wall. Somewhere in the hospital, someone screamed.
The Hokage, the doctors, Kakashi, and two nurses all stared at the scorched area.
"Kakashi," said the Hokage. "DON'T do that again."
"I don't think I could, this time I felt the chakra drain and it takes quite a lot out of me," said Kakashi, getting up and then having to hold onto a wall to keep himself upright.
"You invented a new jutsu on the plus side," said the Hokage. "On the other hand, I'm not sure Naruto will ever forgive you if there's not a way to reverse this."
"The blood tests will still take awhile to properly analyze, but the physical examination is complete." The doctor directed a glance at the burned spot before continuing. "The patient is a girl, skeletal structure, organ placement, everything is exactly as one would expect of a twelve-year-old girl. Mostly. For some reason her skin seems unusually resistant to needles."
The Hokage nodded in acknowledgement. "Well. Look at it this way, Kakashi. You're fortunate that Kushina is no longer with us. Can you imagine what the Red Hot Habanero would do to you for changing her son into a daughter?"
"I..." Kakashi's expression changed as a window apparently decided to open itself by about five centimeters.
The Hokage smirked slightly and held up a hand.
"Hokage-sama?" asked a doctor.
"So, Naruto will be okay?" asked the Hokage for the benefit of the two team-mates listening outside the window.
"We will have to check further with tests, but so far there's nothing to indicate anything wrong with her. Other than she's a her of course."
"Wha-?" mumbled Naruto, sitting up. "That... I lost? I have to go back to the Academy? Oh man. That sucks so bad."
His eyes went over the tubes and wiring, the beeping doohickey by the bed, the little gizmo that was hissing over there. He shifted around, thinking about how he'd finally passed one test only to fail another. Waitaminute. What? Why do I feel 'off' like...
The nurse asleep at the station woke up abruptly at the shriek of the patient in 204.
"Test results don't normally take this long, do they?" asked Kakashi.
"There are things that are off, it's still the same child other than the gender, but there are differences we're still trying to understand," explained the doctor.
"Will he, I mean she, be ready for a genin test this morning?" asked Kakashi.
"Physically, yes. Mentally or emotionally? Not so much," said the doctor. "Neurochemistry, different hormones - expect mood swings. Extreme mood swings."
"So 'yes'," said Kakashi.
Sasuke frowned at the shivering wreck over there. It seemed almost unnatural. Not so much the gender change. That wasn't readily apparent with the oversized dark blue clothing and at twelve years age. Well, that and practically being curled up into a little ball of denial.
No, it was Naruto being quiet and withdrawn and shaken emotionally to the point where the loudmouth who'd out-louded Kiba Inuzuka was quieter than when he'd been ASLEEP for crying out loud.
They had to pass a test today. A test only two of them could win. It was kind of apparent that Naruto was NOT in any shape to participate anyway.
Still, Sasuke was tempted to do SOMETHING - if nothing else because he could appreciate someone going through a complete change of worldview and facing a future that was now more uncertain than ever.
It was obvious that she and Sasuke would be able to get the bells and move on. And frankly that might be the best for Naruto either because Naruto was quite obviously a wreck.
The sound of crying came from that huddled ball of misery at one point, and it was difficult for Sakura not to go there and try to offer comfort.
Honestly, she wasn't sure that wouldn't do more harm than good. Not to mention it might hurt her chances with Sasuke.
"Okay," said Kakashi, appearing suddenly. "Same drill as yesterday. Hope you have used the time to come up with a strategy."
"Just a sec," weakly said Naruto in a voice that was a bit higher and softer than the previous morning. "Got to... do something."
Naruto got up very shakily, her eyes somewhat glassy and very red, and went off into the bushes.
Sakura blushed as she realized what was about to happen. Yeah, that was a concern after all and-
"YAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" screamed Naruto.
Sakura winced and started over there. Yeah. Different plumbing. Probably not used to it. Probably making a mess. Someone had to talk the new girl through the process.
"Ba-ba-BLOOOD!" screamed Naruto, her jacket hanging down far enough that some decency was preserved despite the absence of pants. "I'm bleeding out here! It's all coming from THAT! Bandages! First aid! Medic!"
"Wha... oh," said Kakashi. He had a prepared script to stick to. "Well, if you're willing to just quit here and give up being a ninja-"
Kakashi's voice stopped as Naruto's head whipped around and the new girl's eyes focussed. Were her eyes... glowing?
"YOU," said Naruto, her voice a rough growl. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!"
"Well, about that, see - ninja. Unexpected things happen all the time," said Kakashi.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" screamed Naruto, throwing her head back. A red aura began bubbling up around her. "GIVE IT BACK!"
The head popped down again and Kakashi noticed that Naruto's eyes were now red. Those sharp teeth, thicker whisker marks, and the sheer bloodlust being radiated were indications that maybe just maybe he should have given the girl a couple more days.
"Naruto, it's just your period," tried Sakura, who was intelligent enough to not be in-between their jonin and the currently enraged-beyond-all-reason twelve-year-old.
"You DID say that we were to come after you with killing intent," stated Sasuke, also intelligent enough to stand well to the side. "Somehow I doubt that'll be a problem for some of us."
The next sound coming from Naruto's throat wasn't very human-sounding at all. A roar of inarticulate rage and pain and fear that somehow managed to convey all three and a significant desire to cause grevious bodily harm.
Then Naruto was moving as a blur of red and Kakashi was doing what any jonin would do in his situation.
Dodge and wince as a perfectly innocent tree was hit hard enough to reduce it to airborne shrapnel.
The red blur came after him, requiring a substitution that left a log pulverized.
"Okay, I understand you're a bit angry," said Kakashi, dodging further. "On the other hand, you're attacking a superior officer before he gave a start signal."
Naruto screamed and gave a slash with a hand now coated in reddish chakra.
Kakashi noted the slash had missed him by a good six inches. That he now had a cut going through his flak jacket that was at least a foot long indicated he was going to have to up his game a bit.
Chakra began bubbling up into a tail shape.
"Oh. Hell." Kakashi could summarize a situation when he felt the need.
Another scream, even more animalistic, and suddenly Naruto was in his face, slashing away wildly.
Two more cuts on his flak jacket even as he substituted out of there. And that poor log looked to have been reduced to dust in the wind. Yeah, he was going to have to do THIS.
Wait for Naruto to charge again like a red meteor. Duck out of the way, and smash down hard enough to knock Naruto completely out.
And apparently have to follow that up with two more hits as she was still trying to get up.
She started getting up a third time out of her crater before finally collapsing.
Kakashi looked down at the defeated genin and shook his head. Nothing was going per plan lately.
tinkle tinkle
Kakashi turned his head skyward, letting out a deep sigh. His hand sought out the appropriate area but he knew what he'd find already. The strings had been cut during the assault.
"One bell each, right?" asked Sakura as she handed one to Sasuke. "Uhm, Kakashi-sensei. Is Naruto going to be all right?"
"I thought you hated Naruto," said Kakashi, still facing skyward.
"Well, yeah," said Sakura, not sounding very sure of that. "But - really - I don't hate him enough for THIS. Her. Whatever."
"What about you, Sasuke?" asked Kakashi.
"I don't EVER want you to do that jutsu to me," stated Sasuke. "Or around me."
"It would probably piss your brother off no end if I did," thought Kakashi out loud.
"Even so," said Sasuke, though he looked very thoughtful about that.
Sakura was silent for a moment too. "Kakashi-sensei. You zapped Naruto with that and turned him into a girl. What happens if you use that jutsu on the same person a second time?"
Kakashi shrugged. "No idea."
"Could it possibly turn him back?" asked Sakura.
"Hmmm," hmmmed Kakashi. That thought hadn't occurred to him. It DID sound like something to try. "Well I could try it - but I'd have to fail you two."
Sasuke tossed the bell back. "If that's your condition." Besides, he might hit me with that thing sooner or later.
Sakura looked crestfallen for a moment, then apparently came to a decision and lightly tossed her own bell back at her sensei.
"Hmmm," hmmmed Kakashi again.
The Hokage went into the room, noticed the two other genin there as well as Kakashi, and then glanced towards the occupant of the bed. "Two days in a row, Kakashi? And I'm told the nurses were panicked about sexual assault."
"That jutsu disintegrates clothing," said Kakashi. "And she was bleeding because..."
"Apparently Naruto is having her period," said Sakura.
"I wouldn't have expected that for another year at least," noted Kakashi. "Or a month after the transformation at the very earliest."
"What was that red aura anyway?" asked Sakura.
"S-Class secret," said Kakashi.
"So it's not a side effect of your jutsu? Why did you turn Naruto into a girl anyway?" asked Sakura.
"New jutsu, still trying to figure out what it does and why," said Kakashi.
"She's being thoroughly sedated I see," said the Hokage. "We'll have to see how this comes together."
"I told you," said Hana. "I heard a rumor and I wanted to disprove it. That's all."
"Yeah, yeah," said Kiba. "It's just that Hinata heard about Naruto being hospitalized and wanted to see him. And I remember the idiot. Loud and annoying but we got along okay. Mostly."
"I hope Naruto-kun is okay," said Hinata softly.
"Hang on, I'll go talk to the nurses," said Hana, moving towards the station.
"Byakugan," said Hinata, quickly doing the handseals. There. There was Naruto, but there was something wrong with his chakra lines. They were skewed about in several...
"Hinata?" said a startled Kiba as he saw Hinata dart towards a particular room. "Hey, we haven't been cleared."
Hinata quickly went to the bedside and stared, activating her Byakugan and dropping it twice more as she tried to understand what she was seeing.
"Hey what was all that..." Kiba stopped and sniffed. "Huh. What? Wait a minute. Did... Naruto have a sister?"
"It's Naruto... but why is he a girl?" asked Hinata, beginning to freak out a little.
"He isn't one of those that, no, that's weird," said Kiba. "What the hell?"
"Nggg?" asked Naruto, eyes flicking open. "Oh. Hiiiiiiiiii."
"Hmph," said Kiba, looking at the various bags of IV drips. "Yeah. High is the operative word. Man, you ain't feeling much of nothing are you?"
"Eh?" asked Hinata.
"Nope nope nope," agreed Naruto.
Kiba frowned down at the former boy who seemed to be drifting in and out. "I seen some of these before - Hana keeps some of this around for when she's doing a surgery. I dunno what some of 'em does though."
"Naruto-kun, what happened?" asked Hinata.
"Sensei's test," said Naruto brightly. "He turned me into a girl. Such a meanie. Mean old scarecrow guy. Not genin yet, so tested. Getting testy."
Kiba watched as the happy Naruto went straight to crying. "Oh hell. Damn. Kurenai-sensei only tested us on teamwork. Glad I didn't end up on that team."
"That doesn't make any sense," complained Hinata. She wasn't sure what to do, and eventually decided that she'd just try making soothing noises and patting Naruto's shoulder.
"I'm gonna see what's going on with Hana," said Kiba. "You stay here and keep an eye on... yeah."
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(Posted Tue, 03 Mar 2015 23:48)
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