There's a thing as being too outstanding …
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The middle-aged man peered at the note he had received, analyzing its contents, and grunted. He had expected exactly that which he was reading, even though he had had no say on the actual outcome.
Nonetheless, he had heard about the three young ninjas. They had only recently graduated, but each seemed to have a reputation following them. One was the top of the class, without a single grade below perfection. The second seemed to possess a strength that could make the earth tremble. Quite literally. And the third made himself heard all over town, quite loudly for that matter.
He had studied all three in some detail, surprised at the amount of potential all three showed. Especially the raven-haired boy. Calm, oft silent, and incredibly intelligent, a genius even, the boy had the makings of one who would rise to something great.
Being their new Sensei, the man would have a chance to study this in even more detail. Getting up, he sighed. Whilst enjoyable, this additional workload would put some strain on him, adding to his other duties that needed attention.
Nevertheless, the thought of training the next generation of shinobi brought a smile to his lips, as he strolled down the road, heading for the academy.
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"YOU'RE LATE!"
The two voices blasted the third Hokage's ears as he entered the room, causing him to wince. "Well," he said, scratching the back of his head, " my alarm clock wasn't working right…"
"It's four in the afternoon!" The white haired boy yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the older man. The markings around the boy's eyes creased as he glared at the Sandaime, nearly matching the girl's furrowed brow. The third member of the team remained silent, as ever, his eyes in the direction of the newcomer.
"I, uh…right…" the older man said, clearing his throat. "Let us get to business, all right?" His smile seemed apologetic, but remained unconvincing, as two sets of eyes continued to glare at him. "Okay… how about a round of introductions?" he asked the group, successfully distracting them from their anger.
"Huh? What do you mean?" the girl asked, confusion apparent on her face.
"Your likes, your dislikes, your name, your dreams… things like that." He said, waving an arm to convey the sense of generality. " I'll go first. My name is Sarutobi, and I am Konoha's Sandaime. I like… a lot of things, really." He smiled, then frowned as he continued. "I dislike war. I know it seems odd, considering the times we are in… " The third Hokage paused, as all three wore surprised looks, even the raven-haired boy, who had merely raised an eyebrow. "But I wish for peace. I will do whatever is necessary, whatever the times call for, but I wish for a change. That is also my dream. I wish that the lands could live in tranquility…" he finished, his face a somber mask. Blinking, he looked up to the astonished faces of his new pupils. "Sorry… I tend to ramble. So, who's next?"
"Me!" The white haired kid exclaimed, waving an arm. "My name is Jiraiya! I like women! All sorts!"
A loud smack sounded through the room, as the girl hit Jiraiya on the back of his head, driving his face into the floor. Slowly, the latter got up, rubbing his face. "I dislike her, though." He continued, glaring at the girl. "And my dream is to become a great ninja!"
Sarutobi stared at the pair, a sweatdrop hanging from his head. "O-kaaay… next?" He asked, turning his eyes towards the blonde girl.
"My name is Tsunade! I dislike Jiraiya. And I mean, really, really dislike him." She said, glaring daggers at the boy. "I like playing with my brother," she continued, turning back towards the older man, who now wore a kind smile on his face. "And I want to grow strong enough to defend him! And everyone else!"
The Sandaime smiled even wider. "That's very good, a very nice wish." He finally turned towards the last member of the group, who was now staring into his own eyes. "Now you."
"My name…" the boy calmly stated, staring back into the third Hokage's eyes. "Is Orochimaru."
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Hello hello! I've decided step into this fanfiction section… although the rampant Yaoi is quite disturbing to witness :P I'll still try to bring to you a story worth your time.
If you haven't guessed yet, it will be not a story set in the present… nor in the future, but one of times past.
One where the times where troubled, and the wars raged on.
This is the story of perhaps the most interesting character of the series (note, interesting. I didn't say best.)
This is Orochimaru's story.