• Published 30th Apr 2012
  • 32,796 Views, 1,646 Comments

Friendship Contract - Demeristraz



A contractless summoning lands Naruto with quite possibly the strangest/coolest summon's ever seen.

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Road to Higher Rankings

Team seven made great time getting back to Konoha, reaching the gates with enough time to spare in the day that the genin were given time off. Kakash went to file the official reports, and request that the mission be made at least 'A' rank. Naruto decided to check on his friends on the other teams, Sasuke and Sakura excused themselves, citing other responsibilities.

Taking to the air, Naruto floated over the training grounds, looking for familiar shapes below. The first group he spotted was team 8, and he swooped down to greet them. "Kiba! Hinata! Shino!" He called, dropping down off his cloud when he was 10 feet from the ground.

"It's rude to watch people training, Naruto." Kiba growled, catching Naruto offguard.

"Oi, you aren't still mad about that time I replaced Akamaru with Pinkie's alligator under a transformation technique, are you?" Naruto said, scratching his head.

"Even I must admit I found your reaction to that humorous." Said Shino.

"Kiba's just been working hard on his clan techniques. We've heard that the chuunin exam is in Konoha this year." Provided Hinata, trying to diffuse the sudden tension between Naruto and her teammate.

"Relax dog-boy, I was just stopping by to tell you guys I'm back from my first C rank mission." Naruto said, to mixed responses. Shino welcomed him back, Hinata congratulated him on the milestone, and Kiba scoffed.

"We've been on three in the time you've been gone. I even took down fifteen bandits myself." He boasted.

Naruto ignored him, trying not to think of what 'take down' meant to the boy. "Ah well, you know how missions can be, you leave on a C rank, get attacked by chuunin level missing ninja, and then have to face an A rank and fake hunter ninja. Suddenly the mission is A ranked, and you have to bring a hundred thugs to justice just to get a bridge done." Naruto shrugged. "That sort of thing takes a bit of time to accomplish."

Hinata's face filled with a mixture of worry and awe, Kiba seemed to get even more angry, Shino was Shino. It was their sensei who broke the silence. "Lying about missions is not a good habit to get into Naruto, I seriously doubt even someone as irresponsible as Kakashi would bring genin along with him if the mission became A rank."

"A condescending attitude is the sign of a bad teacher, and I don't appreciate being called a liar. Nor do I appreciate you slandering my teacher, considering you just made jounin yourself." Naruto bristled, he was used to getting attitudes like this from civilians, but to consider someone he may fight alongside would act this way.

"Kakashi is a pervert, that spends more time with his head in a book or staring at a monument, than he does training his students. Everyone knows that." Kurenai countered.

"A true ninja looks underneath the underneath. If I wanted abuse I'd talk to civilians. Have a good day you three." Naruto said, turning and hopping back onto his cloud.

The next group he dropped by was team 10, as a joke he fiddled with his cloud, making it resemble his own head as he floated over their training ground. Even from up high he could swear he heard Shikamaru grumbling about 'troublesome blondes'. Drifting down until his cloudy visage could easily be seen grinning down on them, he paused for a moment. Sure enough, "Naruto! I know it's you up there, get down here." Came the voice of their female team member.

A messy blonde head of hair popped out the side of the cloud. "Oh, Hey again! I'm sorry I forgot your name."

"Ino! It's Ino Yamanaka! How can you keep forgetting who I am?" She shouted up at him. "Anyways, get down here you're being rude."

"Alright alright, calm down." He muttered, hopping down from his perch. "I just wanted to say 'hey, I'm back from my C rank mission.' "

"Yeah, and we've done two while you've been gone. What took you so long." Chouji said, stepping forward.

Naruto had to twitch at that. "The mission got bumped up a few ranks, the old fart we were escorting had a hit out on him." He shrugged. "Where's your teacher anyways?"

"We're a pretty laid back team, most days we just do teamwork exercises then go to get barbeque. Anyways, you really just got back now? I bumped into one of your summons the other day." Shikamaru said, from his spot in the shade.

"Oh yeah? Which one?" He said, genuinely confused.

"She was grey, with blonde hair and... weird eyes." He gestured weirdly around his head. "I found her asking my family's deer for directions. I think she was trying to deliver something to you?"

"Ah, that'd be Derpy, she's a bit odd but a good pony, thanks I'll go find her." He nodded to the trio and poofed out to Equestria.

O~O~O~O~O

Ponyville was the same as it always was, as Naruto set about finding the mailmare. He wasn't searching long when he heard "Naruto! This One was wondering when This One would see you again."

Recognizing the speech pattern, he turned to greet his latest friend. "Glimmer, great to see you again. How are things, are you adjusting to Ponyville?"

"This One has found everything desired within the confines of this village. This One has made wonderful, accepting friends, who even now share with This One their love." Glimmer said, falling into step beside the boy.

"That is great news, I'm certain there would be room as well, if you have family that wished to join you. " Naruto said knowingly, seeing the unicorn turn her head to the side and look away.

Up ahead he saw just the pegasus he was looking for leave a bakery, muffin in tow. "Derpy! Hey! I've been looking for you!"

"Naruto! I've been looking for you too!... but I forget why." She said, looking glum.

"That's alright, I'm glad you made it back to Equestria alright, I heard you were in Kon-"

"Glimmer!" Derpy yelled, dashing past Naruto and glomping the coal black unicorn, much to the latter's embarrassment.

"I heard you were in Konoha." Naruto continued, as the grey mailmare continued to nuzzle the overwhelmed not-a-changeling.

"Oh, that's right! I have a package for you! Sorry I didn't get it to you right away, I couldn't find you and the two-horned unicorns wouldn't tell me where you were." She said, turning to rummage through her saddlebags. "Nope, Nope, Not it, Oh a muffin, Nope, Nope, Nope." She said, throwing packages and letters out of her bag, which Glimmer struggled to catch in a pile for her. "Aha! Here it is, no charge for postage, sorry again it's late."

Naruto took the offered package and thanked the mare as she took to the sky again. Glimmer ran after her, levitating the mail she had left behind. Shaking his head Naruto left Equestria, and went to find a spot to open the package.

O~O~O~O~O

The package was covered in nondescript brown paper, bound with ordinary twine. Naruto sat on the top of the Hokage monument, looking it over. "To Naruto Uzumaki" was written on it in block letters. He had no idea who would have sent the package, but decided to open it anyways, whatever he was expecting, this wasn't it.

It was a box, dark lacquered wood with a stylized D on the top. Sitting next to it was a note:

Naruto,

I've been hearing a lot about you lately, rumor has it you are one interesting person. That's a good thing, I like interesting, ordinary is so boring don't you think? It always pays to think outside the box, and I think you are someone who really appreciates that. You are an element of Change, Naruto, much like me, and like the elements of Harmony, we should stick together, so I've decided to keep an eye on you. You won't understand this gift at first, but I'll be seeing you soon enough.

D.

Puzzled by the odd note, Naruto opened the box. Inside sitting in the middle of a red velvet cushion was a single marble eye. As he gazed into it he got the unmistakable feeling that the eye was looking into him. He made to shut the lid of the box, but before he could do so, the marble eye blinked, and was gone.

Not knowing what to make of it, he put the note into the box and brought it home.

O~O~O~O~O

As months passed and nothing happened to Naruto, the mysterious package was pushed to the back of his mind. Questioning Derpy gave no results, as she simply picked up the package from the mail station. Training continued, and soon enough the time for the chuunin exams rolled around.

Kakashi arrived late to the meeting as usual, none of the jounin present expected otherwise, although some were annoyed. "This brings us to our final order of business." he leveled a glare at the tardy jounin. "Nominations."

"It goes without saying, my team will be entering." Kakashi replied evenly.

"Your team hasn't been out of the academy for more than a year! I know entering while it's in Konoha will be safer, but honestly-" Kurenai's objection was quickly cut off.

"I know your opinion of me. You think I'm unfit to be a teacher right?" Kakashi replied.

"This isn't a personal attack on you, people die in those exams." Kurenai argued.

"Ninja die every time they leave the village. I have confidence that I trained my students well, they are all gifted ninja and will pass with flying colors. That's all there is to it."

"Yosh! Then I shall enter my youthful team in these exams as well! I have no doubt that mine shall triumph against the team of my hip rival!" Came the boisterous voice of Gai.

"I believe mine are ready as well." Came Asuma's relaxed response.

Everyone's eyes turned to Kurenai, and she felt pressure on her to say something. She knew what they were thinking, 'She was the only jounin instructor from this year not nominating her team?' 'Did she not train them? Simply because they all have clans?' 'She's a genjutsu specialist, she must not know anything else to teach.' "I nominate my team as well. They are all talented clan heirs, they will do fine."

The look she received from the Hokage made her cringe. It was one of crushing disappointment. "Very well, your nominations are all accepted, the exam begins in one week."

O~O~O~O~O

The cutie mark crusaders were in Konoha for the day. They had begged and pleaded with Pinkie until she used one of the chakra batteries to summon them. She was already at work creating a gateway so that other ponies could do it without pestering her. It was bad enough that Derpy would fly in all the time to ask to get summoned, and then get distracted by the baked goods present at her work.

Naruto had the week off, as the chuunin exams were coming up, and was spending the day hanging out with Konohamaru and his two new classmates. The two trios had serious friction, with Konohamaru and Apple Bloom butting heads over almost everything, eventually Naruto got them to agree on playing hide and seek, and it was Naruto's time to find them. Finding Scootaloo was easy enough.

"What the hell? What's this stupid looking horse doing here?" Came a voice from a nearby alleyway. Naruto ran forward to investigate.

"Who are you calling a stupid looking horse you make-up wearing idiot?" Was Scootaloo's oh so diplomatic reply. There was a reason Sweetie Belle was captain and not her.

Naruto rounded the corner in time to see the two begin fighting, and actually had to laugh at the sight of Scootaloo holding her own for a few seconds, she had really taken Rainbow Dash's lessons to heart. Still, the foreign ninja was a genin, here for the chuunin exams, and it showed as he quickly closed in with a right hook she had no chance of dodging. Naruto moved to intercept but was beaten to it by a green blur.

"Please calm down my youthful friends, your flames of excitement, though admirable, are likely to draw unforeseen consequences." Said the boy. He was wearing a green spandex suit, and had a hideous bowl cut hairdo, with massive eyebrows.

"What the hell, do you want some too?" Said the boy in cat pajamas.

"Kankuro, enough." Came a calm voice from a nearby tree, a redheaded boy with a large gourd on his back.

"Yes, brother." Kankuro replied, voice now shaking with fright.

"Hey! Sorry about all this, she's my responsiblity. We didn't mean to go picking fights, right Scootaloo?" Naruto said, rushing forward. The filly had the good grace to look ashamed.

"Yeah, sorry about bumping into you." she said.

"This is your... summon?" The redhead said, eyeing the creature carefully.

"That's right. I'm Naruto, I'll be in the chuunin exams in a few days."

"I am called Gaara. Mother has taken an interest in you Naruto, don't drop out of the exams, or I'll have to come find you." With that the boy turned and disappeared in a swirl of sand.

"Thanks for stepping in, I'd hate for Scootaloo to get hurt." Naruto said to the green clad boy. Odd looking though he was, he knew better than to judge on appearances, and he seemed to be a good person.

"I'm Lee, and I am impressed by her courage and enthusiasm, I take it she is attempting to become a ninja summon?" The boy replied.

"I would, but I don't seem to have any chakra, Celestia isn't certain any pony does." Scootaloo replied, looking down.

"Fear not my little pony, I have become the ninja I am today without the use of any chakra at all, and using purely taijutsu I shall become an even greater ninja than I am today by merit of hard work!" The boy was shouting by the end of his speech, drawing the attention of most of the market.

Scootaloo, it's worth noting, had a bad habit of hero worship. "Teach me! You can teach me to be a ninja! Like you! I'll work super hard I promise!"

The boy was struck speechless for a moment before recovering with even more enthusiasm. "Yosh! Let us be off then, Master Gai will no doubt have a training schedule for you to start on while I am in the chuunin exams. It will be tough, but I'm certain you'll become a ninja to make ponies everywhere green with envy!"

Before Naruto could get a word in edgewise, the two were off in a blur, leaving a dust trail down the market road.

O~O~O~O~O

At long last the day had arrived, Naruto and Sasuke stood ready outside the academy. "You know, the CMC once suggested I try and tame a Cerberus as a pet." Naruto said, seemingly out of nowhere. "I only mention it because they suggested I could keep it in a spare room in the academy. Sweetie suggested I name it fluffy, as if that would make it nicer."

Sasuke shook his head, now familiar with the CMC and their antics. "Beast taming?" He suggested.

"Nah, they just thought I needed a pet. I mean even Princess Celestia has a phoenix." Naruto laughed.

Sasuke actually looked envious about that.

"I do have plans to see if I can wrangle a timber wolf next time zap apple season comes." Naruto continued, Sasuke nodded like he understood even a fraction of what had just been said.

"Hey guys, we ready to do this?" Sakura shouted, running up to meet her teammates.

"You cut your hair." Sasuke noted.

"Yeah, it's been a long time coming huh?" Sakura joked.

"It looks good." The boy said, not giving any emotion behind the comment. Sakura did look good though, the months of hard work had really developed her body from scrawny teenager to lean fighting machine, the hair was the last thing between her old self and the soon-to-be chuunin.

The entered the academy together, Sasuke's eyes picked up the genjutsu immediately, and the trio quietly slipped past the crowd to the upper floor. Coming face to face with the bowl cut boy from a few days ago. "Guys, let me introduce you to Lee, a personal hero of mine." Naruto said with a bow to the green clad boy.

His teammates were used to the odd behavior, the boys teammates however, were not. "How can this idiot be anyone's hero, he was dead last in his class and can't even use chakra."

"And yet he's here, taking the chuunin exams, an I'm sure he'll kick some major ass, against ninja that don't have that handicap." Sasuke said, catching on to what Naruto meant, and nodded his head to the boy as well.

"You're his teammate, and you put him down like this? Who are you to say stuff like that, you probably have one special skill you rely on, probably throwing weapons judging by the storage scrolls you keep on you. When you hit an opponent who negates that, then what? People like you shouldn't harass people like him." Sakura added in, giving the green boy a full bow, which caused little hearts to appear in his eyes.

"Maybe she doesn't have the right to say it, but I do, Lee is a loser, he is fated to lose, just as prodigies like me are fated to win." Said Lee's long haired teammate. "It disgusts me to see the last Uchiha reduced to such a level."

"If you mean I'm not like my brother, I'll take it as a compliment. The good thing about being the last Uchiha though, is that I can do as I please, say what I please, and respect who I please. I've got no strings to hold me down. You, I don't respect people like you. I can tell from your attitude, you have talent, and you think that it makes you better than everyone around you. You think its Fate being cruel, that someone so awesome is stuck in a branch clan, where the main branch can make you bark like a dog." Sasuke said, putting on his best disgusted scowl.

Naruto shook his head at his friend's antics, he was a good guy, but he could be such a jerk sometimes. Sure what he said made sense, but putting it that way was just going to start a fight. "I look forward to fighting you, Sasuke Uchiha, one prodigy to another." the Hyuuga said through clenched teeth.

Team seven moved away, and headed over to the door to the first exam room. Kakashi appeared to give them a last minute pep talk, and then the way was clear. Naruto gave Sasuke a small smirk, and then transformed into him. Sasuke shook his head at his teammates antics, and then transformed into a copy of the blonde.

The trio entered the room, and Naruto, in disguise, was immediately glomped by Ino. "You made it! Long time no see cutie!" She squealed, pressing up against it. The grin on his face seemed disturbingly out of place to the real Sasuke.

"Ino! I didn't know you cared!" Naruto replied with a smirk, letting the transformation drop. This got a few laughs out of their friends, as Ino sputtered in disbelief.

"You guys should quiet down, some of the other contestants are getting annoyed." A silver haired boy said, stepping towards the group.

"Like I care." Naruto said, scratching the back of his head.

"That's a good attitude to have, you must be confident. This is my seventh time taking the exam, they really aren't designed for support types like me, but I have plenty of information on them. I keep them on these Ninja Info Cards." He said, pulling out a deck.

"Do you have a catchy song about them?" Naruto asked, again for no apparent reason.

"No. It never occurred to me to make one." Kabuto deadpanned. "If you agree to help me out, I'll share some info with you."

Team seven did a quick huddle, then decided since Kabuto was a Konoha ninja, it was worth making the deal.

"I want info on Gaara, from the Suna team." Naruto said. Kabuto flipped over a card and showed a multitude of impressive stats, from several A rank missions completed to interesting details such as "Has never come back from a mission hurt."

Sasuke went next "The Hyuuga, on RockLee's team."

"Let's see, Neji Hyuuga, Branch Family, lots of C ranks completed, hailed as a prodigy in clan techniques, he's the nephew of the clan head. Not much more info on him it seems, clans tend to be protective of this sort of thing." Kabuto said.

Sakura opted to save her question for later.

Neji stepped forward, to question the silver haired genin. "I don't speak for my team, but I'll take any info you have on Naruto Uzumaki."

Kabuto shrugged and pulled up the card. "Naruto Uzumaki, clanless. Several C ranks, an A rank, and an S rank? That's a surprise. Several defensive techniques, mastery of air element, capable of flight? Holds a summoning contract." Kabuto gave the orange boy an appraising look, Neji looked murderous.

"How does a clanless loser accomplish all of that?" he asked, narrowing his white eyes on Naruto.

"Ask your teammate, it's no real secret." Naruto replied.

Sakura next asked about competing teams, and who would be a good target, which prompted a small scuffle with a sound team. A scuffle that was witnessed by several teams.

'Naruto is here, good, I am interested to see if he will validate my existance.'

'An Uzumaki... A real live Uzumaki...'

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Came a voice from the front of the room, snapping everyone out of their thoughts. "The First Exam is beginning now, there will be no more fighting or I'll throw you out. Everyone line up and take a number, the first exam is a written test!"

Naruto's confidence evaporated like a cloud in a heat wave. He was doomed.