Colors
by Canis Black

Chapter 1

Hatake Kakashi was a ninja of great skill – perhaps the most skilled in the entire village with the obvious and notable exception of the revered Third Fire Shadow – and, as befits a ninja of his caliber he had to make a conscious effort to make noise as he trekked through an isolated section of forest within the boundaries of Leaf Village's walls. Not too much noise though, barely a whisper of fabric as it brushed across the leaves and the slightest crinkling of grass as he stepped on it, but more than enough to announce his presence well before he arrived at the meeting place.

The deliberately stealth-less approach also served another purpose. By making his own approach so obvious it made it easier for both himself and Lord Sarutobi to identify and divert any followers they might have picked up on their way to this meeting. It didn't seem to be necessary today, but a little caution is a good thing for anyone engaged in politics to exercise, especially those involved in ninja politics.

There was no set meeting place, simply a general area within which they would meet and speak. It made it easier to shake pursuers and ensure privacy. Kakashi also suspected that the city's chief administrator also used it is an excuse to get out from behind his desk and stretch his legs. So, when Lord Sarutobi appeared beside him without any kind of forewarning he was somewhat expecting it and only startled enough to activate the Sharingan in his left eye. Outright attacking the strongest ninja in the village because he was startled by the man's appearance was one of the single most embarrassing thing's he'd ever done; made even more so because he'd never even touched the man with an impressive array of techniques that would have leveled a small army.

"You called a meeting," Kakashi stated blandly once he'd ascertained that it was in fact his superior that he was now walking with.

The old man, still stronger than any four members of the village put together despite being at least two decades past his prime – no one really knew how old he was because Sarutobi Sasuke had doctored his own records to show no less than twelve different dates of birth scattered across a decade and a half – nodded his head in acknowledgment of Kakashi's unspoken question yet made no move to answer it. Instead he pulled out a pipe and a bag of tobacco. With practiced motions he stuffed filled the pipe and put away the bag, smoothly replacing it with a match and lit the pipe without breaking stride.

For several minutes they walked in silence, Kakashi resisting the urge to pull out his book and the Third puffing away on his pipe while gathering his thoughts. When he finally spoke his words were filled with the weight of office and told Kakashi that the old man didn't care for what he had to say much more than Kakashi did when he heard it.

"I'm assigning Uchiha Sasuke to your team. I'm well aware that you almost withdrew your name from consideration for this particular class, however next to Maito Gai you're the best suited to help him learn what he needs to beat his own blood-gift."

Sarutobi didn't have to state the obvious, Kakashi knew as well as anybody that Uchiha Sasuke was gunning for his older brother because of the role the man played slaughter of their family. Kakashi was also aware of the threat Itachi posed to the continued safety and existence of Leaf Village and the belief that only Sasuke possessed the potential to end that threat. Kakashi did not agree with that belief, but he was among the minority and so Sasuke's self-destructive obsession with ending his brother's life was encouraged rather than discouraged.

"Why? There are others that are better suited to teach him what he needs to know to accomplish his goals. The Sharingan I possess isn't even real."

That too was the truth. When he'd received left eye of his dying friend all those years ago during the Third Great Shiobi War his friend hadn't even activated his bloodline yet and by all accounts Kakashi shouldn't have been able to either. Yet he had. Due to his clan's own pseudo-bloodline the Sharingan possessed by Kakashi had different properties than the Uchiha clan's blood-gift.

"I am aware of that," Sarutobi replied, "However, you are among the minority that does not believe that another Sharingan user is needed to kill Itachi." The old man paused and gave Kakashi an amused smirk, "You're also the third strongest ninja loyal to the village and the only one in a position to teach. Sasuke can learn much from you. I also believe that you might be able to undo some of the damage done to him by the headless chickens that run the council."

Kakashi couldn't help but snort at that. It was quite true that Leaf Village's Council of Elders was often ruled by fear. More soberingly though was the thought that the majority of the time it was ruled by greedy, power-hungry men and women more interested in advancing the status of their own clans than with the well being of the city and it's primary workforce, the ninja.

"Who else is being assigned to me, and do I retain the option to fail them if they do not pass my evaluation?" The question was asked in a flat bored tone, very similar to that of the conversation's opening statement, yet there was an underlying of current present that was blatantly obvious to a trained observer and Kakashi silently cursed himself for his slip.

"Ah, yes." Sarutobi smiled at Kakashi as he responded to the other man's question. "The other two members of the team are to be Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto. I've also made it clear to the council that while I'm bending to their will by assigning Sasuke to your team that I will not order you to pass the team. The fate of their evaluation remains in your hands."

Upon hearing that the one he had intended to teach all along was to be assigned to his team was at once surprised and irritated. Surprised because he had been under the impression that Naruto had once again failed to graduate and irritated because he knew he'd end up making the evaluation easier to improve the chances that the team would pass.

"Naruto? I thought he failed again."

"He did."

Kakashi once again cursed the old man's sense of humor. He took entirely too much amusement in making his subordinates jump through hoops.

"If he failed then how is it that he's been assigned to my team?"

"He received a field promotion," Sarutobi paused for a moment, as if considering making Kakashi drag the information out of him bit by bit, then continued his explanation with a somewhat more subdued expression. "After he failed the exam Naruto was approached by one of his instructors and told of an alternate method of passing."

"Wha?" Kakashi started to ask but was interrupted by the Third's upraised hand.

"There actually is a little known alternate method of passing the exam, one I had intended to inform Naruto of myself if he failed this year, but the teacher in question did not inform Naruto of that method. The instructor, Kano Mizuki, was interested in obtaining a scroll of forbidden techniques and used Naruto to do his dirty work. I'll allow you to read the full report later if you so wish, but the important part is that after being informed of his burden Naruto utilized one of the techniques that he had learned from the scroll in the span of a single hour to defeat Mizuki in direct combat. After his victory Umino Iruka, whose life Naruto saved, gave Naruto the forehead protector from his own head and told Naruto that he had graduated from the academy."

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow. "He can't actually do that can he?"

Sarutobi chuckled in turn and answered once his mirth had died down to manageable levels. "Yes and no. Iruka was unable to give Naruto a passing grade as such, but since Naruto placed his life on the line to defend a citizen of Leaf Village from a superior foe he demonstrated that he does indeed have what it takes to be a ninja and Iruka act accordingly. So worry not Kakashi, Naruto will become a ninja whether you pass this team or not. You will simply have to wait a while longer before you are able to teach him."

Kakashi nodded his acknowledgment of Sarutobi's words and began to mull over what he'd been told. The two continued to walk in silence until Kakashi had completely digested and dissected what he had been told. His final conclusion was that there was more tell for it did not make sense to call him out for a secret meeting when there were no secrets to be shared.

"Why, exactly, did you call me out here? It can't be to tell me this, that could have been accomplished much more easily at your office."

"Yes," Sarutobi's voice was weary as he spoke now and Kakashi knew that it was because he had very, very bad news to deliver. "I called you out here to tell you that, so long as you and your team are within the village walls and within the sight of Leaf-nin you cannot directly help Naruto. The council is still convinced that he is a threat to the safety of the village and do not wish for him to become any stronger than he already is."

Kakashi cursed. The phrases he used to describe the council were vile and cast them and their ancestors in a most unflattering light. When, after fifteen minutes the curses turned to vague, then not so vague threats Sarutobi intervened.

"Peace Kakashi, I am not so old or senile as to let them tie your hands completely. I have arranged for Sasuke to be taken from your hands once he has achieved Chunin and be trained as a hunter. Once that occurs you can help Naruto all you like. Until then you simply have to be discreet and indirect in your instruction. Between scrolls and perhaps a few Chunin-level tutors Naruto should be able to advance just as well as if you yourself taught him."

That brought the man up short. His rage ebbed away to a more manageable level though it did not leave him completely and he thought over the Fire Shadow's words. In truth, he believed that this arrangement, though unorthodox, may end up working to Naruto's favor if he approached it in just the right manner.

"Oh and Kakashi," the Third's voice interrupted his musings, "Naruto has yellow chakra."

That comment signaled the end of the conversation as the Third, or rather his shadow clone, raised its hands to form a seal and disappeared in a burst of hazy smoke. After a few startled seconds at the abruptness of the departure Kakashi's shadow clone did the same.

Slow and steady was the order of the day for Uzumaki Naruto. Practicing his taijutsu forms in an unused academy training ground he was focusing on his form as he moved through each motion as slowly as he could. It was a form of control training, slowing himself so that a punch that would normally arrive at its target in less time than it took to blink an eye wouldn't arrive for upwards of a minute. Further, it allowed him to carefully analyze each and every motion, to feel each and every muscle as it moved in sequence.

He knew, that few ninja ever took the time to develop their taijutsu skills to this level, but he was different. He'd been accepted into the academy at the age of nine, three full years early because he'd managed to learn, by observation, every single one of the seventeen styles of taijutsu taught at the academy. More than that though, he'd practiced until he was proficient in using each and every style and even begun to lay the ground work for his own, personal style.

It had been his proudest day when he'd crossed the academy threshold as a student for the first time, and he'd busted his butt day in and day out to learn everything there was to learn. He hadn't had the best grades, he just wasn't built to be a scholar, but he'd scored at or just below the seventy-fifth percentile on each test, and his homework assignments had always been completed and handed in on time earning him good grades there as well. His only weakness had been ninjutsu and genjutsu.

As part of their learning all academy students were taught three basic techniques: replacement, transformation, and illusory clone. Each technique corresponded with the three basic branches of ninjitsu – taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu – respectively. Introduced in the first year each student had several years – 4 for normal students, 3 for the fast-tracked – to master the techniques. They were also used as a way to identify which branch the student had the most potential in.

Naruto himself was already listed as a Taijutsu Specialist and should have passed after completing his third year (if you got in early you were obviously good enough for the fast track), and his grades and evaluations were good enough, but the test was changed at the last minute. Instead of being a comprehensive test of the hopeful's skills and abilities they were expected to be able to demonstrate at least a basic mastery over one technique chosen randomly from the three basic techniques. Naruto, who had not an ounce of ability for genjutsu and thus was never able to properly perform the illusory clone technique, ended up with that very technique for his test.

The next year it had been the same technique, and the year after that he'd begun to suspect that the selection was not quite so random when it once again came up as a test of his ability to cast genjutsu. Now, now he knew that he had been set up to fail, and furthermore he knew why.

Not wanting to follow that line of thought he stopped his exercise and glanced over to the small pond that was the reason he'd chosen this particular training field. Seeing his shadow clone standing there coaxing the water up into a humanoid shape that only vaguely resembled himself he remembered the conversation he'd had with the Old Man the morning after he and Iruka-sensei had beaten down that damned traitor Mizuki.

Naruto was sitting in the Fire Shadow's sealed office with his mind racing in furious circles. Shortly after Iruka had given Naruto his forehead protector a member of the ANBU had shown up to take possession of the scroll Naruto had acquired from the restricted section of the Fire Shadow's personal library. As he or she, Naruto couldn't be sure as the high necked robes hid any telltale details such as the presence of an Adams' Apple or a pair of breasts and the mask muffled the voice sufficiently to make it impossible for one of Naruto's skill to determine it's gender, was leaving they were also given a message. Iruka was to escort Naruto the Fire Shadow's office as soon as they'd finished their ramen.

Naruto had only been too happy to go as he had several questions that needed answering. In fact, he'd wanted answers so badly that he only ate one bowl of ramen before rushing Iruka to finish his. When they'd arrived the Old Man had sent Iruka on his way and then sealed the office before getting down to the business of discussing the very large cat that Mizuki had let out of the bag.

And discuss it they had. Naruto had every question he asked, and many he didn't, answered. Still, it would take time and thought before he could fully digest everything he'd learned, but at least his biggest fear had been laid to rest. He was Uzumaki Naruto, a human child with a demon stuck in his navel; not the fox forced into the body of an infant with its memories sealed away. His attention was not to remain focused on that problem, however, since the Old Man seemed to have something to say.

"Naruto, that technique you used against Mizuki, the Shadow Clone Technique, is a very dangerous technique. It was placed in that scroll because it has some very undesirable side effects when used in combat."

The Old Man's face was grave as he said this and Naruto couldn't help a nervous gulp as he was fixed underneath a stern gaze. He rallied quickly enough though and threw his challenge at the strongest man in the village without any fear or hesitation.

"What's that then Old Man? What makes that technique so bad?"

"It gradually decreases the user's fear of death until he or she no longer believes that death is anything more than an inconvenience, a temporary setback, when it is in fact the most permanent of setbacks there is," Naruto found himself transfixed under the man's stern stare and merely nodded to show that he was listening when the Fire Shadow paused. "The reason this happens is because every time a shadow clone is dispelled, no matter the method, everything that shadow clone ever experienced is transferred to the original and any other clones still active."

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto really didn't want to speak up, but something told him that he needed to understand this so he interrupted the Old Man's speech with the question.

The Fire Shadow paused when he heard Naruto's question and held his chin in one hand while stroking his beard with the other as he contemplated how best to answer Naruto's question. "Say that you created a clone and had it prepare your dinner while you took a shower. When the clone was dispelled you would remember making dinner even though you yourself did not. Is that sufficient to answer your question or do you need another example? Take your time, it's not exactly an easy thing to grasp, even for me."

Naruto nodded and thought for a few moments. After a time he believed he had it, but to be sure he posed a question. "So, say I had a clone set up a prank on someone and the clone was seen doing it. I couldn't actually deny performing the prank and get away with it because I would actually remember pulling the prank once the clone dispelled?" The Old Man chuckled softly at the question, but answered in the affirmative. "And if I used it against an opponent to quickly gauge his fighting style without actually getting in the way of harm myself I'd still have the experience of fighting him even if I don't have the evidence on my body?"

The Third nodded. "That's right, and that's also how the nasty side-effects of the technique came to be known. After all, if you remembered dying dozens, or in your case possibly hundreds, of times how afraid of death do you think you'd be?"

Naruto's eyes went wide and shuddered as he suddenly understood what the man in front of him was saying. "That...that does sound bad. Really, really bad, but that's the only good ninjutsu I have."

The Third's eyes met Naruto's for a moment, "You mean you didn't learn any other techniques from the scroll?"

"No, I didn't even look at anything beyond the first one."

The Third let out a sigh and his shoulders slumped in obvious relief. "Thank goodness. The Shadow Clone Technique is probably the safest technique stored in that scroll. I'm going to have to ask you to not use that technique in combat, however using it to aid your training is perfectly acceptable though having it train in any kind of taijutsu would be a waste of time. Only the memories and the experiences of the clone transfer. Physical training does not."

Naruto closed his eyes and thought for a moment, but when he opened his mouth to speak his objections the Third interrupted. "I know that it is your only combat effective ninjutsu, and to that end I am prepared to offer these," the Third reached into his desk and pulled three scrolls out and placed them on top of the desk, "To replace it. They are all three clone techniques, fully broken down into component equations as well as step by step instructions on how to perform them and notes on how to correct any problems you may run into while learning them. You will only get them if you give me your solemn promise that you will do all you can to avoid needing to use the Shadow Clone Technique in battle and only use it in combat situations when it is needed.

Naruto had agreed of course, and now he had a shadow clone working to master the first, and easiest, of the techniques, the Water Clone Technique. The second easiest was the Earth Clone Technique which made a clone of the user from solid rock, and the final technique actually mixed water into dirt and created a clone made of mud. Not so surprisingly it was known as the Mud Clone Technique.

So far he'd only attempted the Water Clone Technique, and after several hours of practice he believed that his shadow clone had made fairly good progress in managing to get a humanoid shape of water to form. At the beginning his clone was unable to do more than warp the surface of the water upwards. Satisfied with that he turned his attention to his other shadow clone.

This particular clone had the hardest job of all. Sitting underneath a tree with a notebook and several technique scrolls he had been tasked with studying the mechanics of the various clone techniques and comparing them with a few other ninjutsu to try and either improve the techniques he did know, or create a totally new one. If the vile epithets that suddenly began spilling from his mouth were any indication of its progress then things were not going well.

"What's the problem?" His response was a glare that would have made even the class prodigy have second thoughts about approaching, but Naruto ignored it since he was in no danger from the clone. A single, focused thought was all that was needed to dismiss it though using a hand seal was quicker and easier. "Don't look at me like that. I'm simply offering my help."

The clone's glare got frostier, but this time it decided that simply glaring wasn't enough. "And what help could you offer? I'm you in case you've forgotten." Irritation spent the clone looked down at the notebook he'd been scribbling notes in sadly, "Anyway, it's not that anything is actually wrong, I just can't seem to focus on this, my thoughts keep drifting back to-"

"Stop!" Naruto's voice was sharp, harsh as he commanded his clone. The copy had been about to give voice to the very same problem Naruto had been having, and apparently his clones were having the same problems as well. It only made sense though, if Naruto was distracted by what he'd learned from Mizuki just before the man tried to kill him, his clones, completely identical to himself up until the point that they entered the world, would also have the same troubling thoughts.

His clone didn't seem to share his thoughts on avoiding the issue and, after the shock of the interruption had worn off got pissed. "No! I won't stop, you've been avoiding this for a week now, and if you don't stop running away you're going to be distracted and make an ass out of yourself in front of everyone! Again."

Naruto himself was pissed and was itching to bury a kunai in between the uppity clone's eyes, but his promise to Sarutobi was holding him back. Idly, a part of him wondered if maybe he was somewhat crazy since he seemed to dislike the clone enough to actually want to kill what amounted to himself. He pushed that thought away from himself and lifted his hands into a seal and growled out a terse, "Good riddance," as the clone disappeared from existence with a small pop, leaving behind nothing save for a book full of notes and a rapidly diminishing cloud of smoke.

Ignoring the rush of memories he'd obtained from his clone for the moment he turned and looked at the other clone, his attention drawn by a muffled cough. He barely had time to take in the fact that there was another copy of himself – though looking as if it had stepped out of a black and white photograph – before the other clone banished itself from existence. It did not do so without saying its piece though.

"He's right you know."

Author's Notes:

Here it is boys and girls, the first chapter of what will hopefully be many. I'm sure many of you have questions, but at this point I can't say I'm entirely sure what they'd be. So, if you want answers leave reviews and if I feel like I can answer the question without giving too much away then I will.

That said, I have plans for this story, plans that while borrowing from some of the biggest cliches in the fandom will, I hope, be played out quite differently from anything you've yet seen.