Chapter 25: Exams and Plans

                                    

                                          
Iruka dodged a punch from Naruto and responded with a quick jab towards Naruto's ribs with his kunai. Naruto grabbed the arm as it was striking for him and used his superior strength to throw Iruka into the air. Naruto flipped through the hand seals and finished Futon: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough) as Iruka was still flying through the air.
                          
Naruto's academy teacher swiftly used the body substitution technique with a pack on the ground and then charged Naruto. "Ahh Iruka-sensei that had my food in it!" Naruto made a shadow clone to deal with Iruka as he chased after his precious pack that contained a seal scroll with ramen in it. Iruka couldn't help but smile even as the shadow clone started attacking with vicious speed.
                          
Iruka was now backing up against the furious assault. Meanwhile Naruto caught his pack clutching it making sure the scroll was safe. Iruka was barely able to keep up and was hit with a kick to the ribs which sent him flying a good seven feet. In mid air he threw a pair of shuriken at the clone that drew a kunai and deflected them away. Iruka hit the ground and rolled up into a defensive stance. He sensed another Naruto clone behind him and dodged the roundhouse.
                          
The real Naruto watched on analyzing Iruka's moves looking to see where improvement could occur. Finally Iruka managed to peg a clone and it dissipated. The second clone however came in and delivered a sharp blow to his short ribs that winded Iruka who was now exhausted and collapsed on the ground.
                          
Naruto walked over and helped him up. Iruka was a bit embarrassed, he knew Naruto could make dozens of clones and he was defeated by just two. Naruto said, "Iruka-sensei you didn't do anything wrong in the fight but you are just too slow. You have to work on speed, have you tried wearing weights?" Iruka responded, "It isn't typically recommended. You have to put insane hours into conditioning with them and there have been plenty of shinobi who have used them and then tore a ligament or even broken bones. Typically only taijutsu specialists do it."
                          
Naruto scratched his head, "Yeah you have to be careful. Kakashi-sensei said I have a huge advantage by healing so quickly. But he also said that every good shinobi should work on speed and strength. He started Sakura on really light weights and she was careful with them and now she could probably beat you in taijutsu. I really think that's going to help the most."
                          
Iruka decided he would take the advice. Kakashi was a prodigy who had been made a chunin before most children even graduated from the academy. He knew what he was doing. They sat down to eat lunch and Naruto ate his ramen like he always did, with childlike joy and abandon. The sight always brought a smile to the teacher's face.
                          
"I'm also going to work on my elemental affinity. I learned that I had a Suiton affinity and never really pursued it. If you remember your academy lessons water jutsu counters fire jutsu but Katon users aren't that common outside of Fire Country. I didn't see much of a point." Naruto thought that idea was silly but he could understand if Iruka was content with being a chunin who taught in the academy there wasn't a need to go beyond that.
                          
"Well you got to fix that Iruka-sensei! A lot of jonin use two different elements."
                          
"I know I know, after you explained what Kakashi taught you about how often war occurs I feel a bit embarrassed about not pushing myself harder."
                          
After finishing the meal Naruto said, "Well I have team practice. Sakura-chan wants to use my clones as test dummies again. I want to see some cool water jutsu next time we spar!" Iruka nodded amiably and asked him to say hi to Sakura and Sasuke for him.
                          
***BREAK***
                          
The chunin exams first couple of rounds had mostly gone as Temari had expected. Her team advanced to the final rounds of course. The sensei with the too heavy eyebrow's team had also passed. That team was pretty dangerous in Temari's eyes. The other team that had made it through was the one with the other Hyuga. She, the Aburame and the Inuzuka were also skilled. Temari had been surprised when Shikamaru's team hadn't made it. She supposed it had something to do with their lack of confidence at what happened in the previous chunin exams.