Ancient Power: Lonely Courage
Naruto had been walking through the village looking for a place to buy him some new ninja gear as he thought about the story that Iruka Sensei told them in history class. It was the story of the Origin of Chakra and it had always been his favorite story when Old Man Hokage told him bedtime stories. He wants to be just like Kaguya the Rabbit Goddess and to be a great leader.
He eventually found a shop while he was thinking about it and walked inside. The interior of the shop is roomy and rectangular in size while also being well organized, noisy, warmly lit and has a few paintings of ninja and the like using a few tools that are for sell. The current occupants include an elderly man shopping with his grandson, the Hokage with two guards, a monk, a few genin, a dozen chunin, and about seven or so Jounin. The security is made of five capable ninja and the reputation of the place has proved that the owner is an honest person.
This place sells a wide selection of combat weapons and protective gear. The merchandise is of good to nigh epic quality and is somewhat under priced to fairly priced. Most customers report that the staff is extremely nice. The wide variety of the items is nigh epic since there are several highly rare ninja tools. Haggling is looked down upon depending who you are but it is also normal. The haggling effectiveness is fairly decent. They normally have a Monday Special which is 35% off of a certain combination of items according to the sign.
Dashing through the crowd he almost makes it right up to Old Man Hokage before a civilian, the grandfather, grabs his arm and wrenches it earning a pain filled cry. The Hokage turns toward the old man with a heated glare but a man none too carefully grabs the old man and picks him and his grandson up before walking out of the shop. He tosses them onto the dirt pathway before growling, "You aren't welcome here if you're going to hurt my customers, asshole. Besides that he is just a child, wretch. Begone, you are henceforth banned from all of my shops." A ward flared up around them dragging both the old man and the child with him off the premises.
Naruto shuffles closer to the Hokage who quickly begins checking his arm and the obvious bruise that was forming. The Shopowner walks back inside and sees the bruise before turning to the people who were glaring at Naruto. "If anyone else has a problem with the kid or me allowing the kid inside you are welcome to take your business elsewhere since I am a very hateful person to child abusers. I don't want any excuses, child abuse is what it is and that is that." More than half of the customers left and one went as far as to try to steal a valuable katana before a large python was suddenly on him squeezing him tightly.
The man froze in fear before the shopowner and a few patrons noticed and the shopowner calmly walked over to them before hissing at the snake in a very weird way. It turns its head toward him before hissing back in a lisping way. The shop keeper glares at the Genin and hisses back. The snake nods eagerly before releasing him almost completely other then his arm which it began squeezing even tighter until the kid was crying and they heard a loud crack and the boy screamed. Harry make a come signal as he held his arm out to the python allowing it to slither onto him and he glared at the kid.
"You are not welcome here thief. I want my katana back now, or I will sick Salazar on you. He is the snake." Salazar hissed at the kid threateningly with bared fangs as the kid threw the sword and its sheath onto the floor before fleeing. "You are also banned for life!" The wards flared again as he turns to the Hokage who looks at him with a raised eyebrow. Naruto found that though the man could be cruel he was very likeable in his own way. Bounding up to him Naruto looks up at him with a smile.
"Hiya, I'm Naruto. Who are you?" The black haired youth simply sighs as if tired. Gently raising Naruto's sleeve he reaches out and points at the bruise causing a green glow to emit from the tip of it and it flowed across his skin leaving a warm feeling. Naruto stares at him in awe as he gently flexes his arm. The black haired, green eyed, lean man simply prods the arm some as he says one simple sentence.
"I am Hari, if you ever need anything let me know." Naruto sheepishly scratches the back of his head. Hari waits for an explanation for the nervous habit the boy had and was rewarded with a detailed explanation.
"I was hoping I could get some of the equipment at 35% off since that is what the sign said. I need equipment for the ninja academy and I only have so much allowance given to me every month and all. Plus I could use a point towards a tutor to use the weapons." Hari frowns at him as he hums turning toward the Hokage he smiles thinly. Looking back at Naruto he kneels until they are the same height before the snake pokes him with its tail. It hisses at him briefly before Hari frowns and his eyes suddenly go wide as he looks at his belly. Lifting his shirt he pokes his belly and a seal appears.
Whistling sharply he stands back up. "I would be happy to help. However, I also plan on having a small cafe and need help foraging. I will teach you how to do that as payment for the equipment. I also have other things I could have you do that can pay for any lessons I decide to give you. How does that sound instead?" The Hokage drops his pipe and barely catches it earning a mild glare from Hari as Naruto nods eagerly before he hugs him tightly around the waist. Hari flinches for some reason before patting him on the shoulder.
Naruto senses that he is hiding something and steps back to stare at him with narrowed eyes. "Why did you flinch?" Everyone looks at Hari as he looks at Naruto with sad eyes. Hari motions for him to follow him toward the back and he does. Going into a business alcove meant for conduct deals with providers he isn't surprised when the Hokage follows him. Motioning for the two and a silver haired anbu to sit in the allocated seats they reluctantly obey other than Naruto who was purely curious.
Hari sighs as he knocks on a panel and it clinks a few times before it rotates. A tea tray with a strange pastry comes through and Hari pulls the strange cups down off the cabinet to the side of the corner. Pouring some in one cup he quietly takes a sip as he accesses the three people in front of him. "Almost nobody knows my history. Not event he the Kage of any village. To be honest I prefer it that way but seeing as I have just inserted myself into the Hokage's... Honorary Grandson's life I have no choice but to explain at least a little to you and the Hokage. I've heard people can tell if a person is lying if they feel their heart beat." He reaches his arm over toward the Anbu who quickly reaches forward and taps his pulse.
The Hokage was now suddenly far more interested, 'If no other kage knew than how bad of a secret was it?' was a question running through Naruto's mind. Turning toward Naruto he responds to his unasked question. "I was born to a wealthy linage of nobles in a land that I refuse to return to. Apparently there was a prophecy saying that I would defeat a great enemy of the country and the adults were so fearful that they refused to fight. Instead they depended on me and somehow, when the man used a 'one hit kills' technique on me it rebounded. He was thought to be dead but some how he learned to split his soul binding him to the earth." Harry sees the Anbu nod at the Hokage and the Naruto looks on already immersed into the story.
"Why did he split his soul? Did he not want to see his family?" Hari scoffs for some reason. Tightening his focus Hari continues in a way they didn't think about.
"No, he never knew his family. His mother had used a technique similar to the Genjutsu to force his father to love her and once she freed the man from it thinking that he would care for his son he left and showed her a violent hate. He divorced her and left her out in the cold to die with their child. Then when she gave birth at an orphanage she told them what she wanted her son to be named before she died on the spot." Naruto has tears in his eyes at the thought of the lady being left to die while the Hokage received another nod and just puffed on his pipe knowing it was the way of life.
"Why did he just leave her like that?!" Naruto was close to crying.
Hari shrugs. "I don't know, his son killed him. Hated the fact that he abandoned his mother whom they called a pureblood, a direct descendant of the sage on both sides." The Hokage jerks toward the Anbu as he gapes at him behind his mask. Turning toward the Hokage he nods.
"Why would anyone want to kill a direct descendant of that man?!" Naruto cries in horror. Hari laughs slightly behind a cough.
"He had never heard of the sage. He was a dumb civilian and, somehow, he didn't have the energy she held at all. Anyway, The bad man stayed hidden until he slowly started doing things to try to kill me which was when I began civilian school. Every year for six years he tried to kill me. In the seventh year of my schooling he conquered the government and eventually was killed. After that the sheep began trying to get me imprisoned and claimed I was just as bad as he was. All of that time I had been loved or hated, loathed or adored at random intervals."
Naruto tilts his head in confusion as he nds encouragingly and the anbu nods to the Hokage. "Either way the country turned against me say the abuse I was forced through at my own family's hands would have made me insane so I packed up and left with all of my vast fortune. I was even able to pack a large supply of weapons that my family had collected and most of it is here. What is not here is a few heirlooms that had been with the family for generations upon generations all the way back to the time of the Ancients." Naruto froze as he realized why Hari hated abuse so much. 'He was abused, he is like me.' Naruto looks at Sarutobi who looks quite relaxed about the whole thing before he realized that abuse was everywhere on earth.
The Hokage simply nods before looking at Hari sharply and glancing at Naruto out of the corner of his eyes. "I don't like it. Why is the world so cruel to people like us?" Hari shrugs as if nonchalant before picking up a piece of paper and a quill and writing a quick note on the paper. Stealing a pastry he notices that more than half of them are gone and looks at Naruto knowingly. He grins sheepishly and scratches the back of his head again. Putting the note on the tray he knocks again causing it to rotate and disappear. Seconds later the turner turned again and a book was given to Naruto. "What is this?" Naruto looks at him in confusion as Hari points toward the opening behind the counter in the major area.
"That is a book showing all of the edible plants n this region. Some of them are for medical uses but most of them can be eaten alone. I want you to go behind the desk and begin studying for when we go foraging. This will also help you on longterm C-Rank missions since some people who hire only have a limited amount of food and you will have to help gather some." Naruto, at hearing it would help his chosen career, snatched the book and took off to where he pointed.
Naruto sat behind the desk and immersed himself in the book memorizing the exact details of the first plant for several long minutes before turning to the second page as Hari walks back into the open. Naruto only notices Hari and doesn't notice much else in his enthusiasm of learning important ninja skills. He did notice when Hari plopped down next to him loudly because he jumped and looked at him as he jerked into attention. Hari looks at the page number before frowning and taking the book from him, "What does the leaves of the Nut Grass look like?"
Naruto goes into lengthy detail about the image he seen of it and describes it down to the root and telling of a few grasses that sometimes looks like it. Hari hands him the book back before motioning for Naruto to follow him.
"I was just making sure you weren't just faking anything; you were farther along than I thought you would be." Naruto nods as he is led up the stairs and down the hall to a basic room that was completely furnished. Looking at Naruto Hari points at the meal on the dresser along with a few Nut Grass tubers. "Eat and go to bed. Tomorrow you are going to be up at the break of dawn foraging with me. I've thankfully convinced the Hokage to direct a few Hyuga here to both guard the place and to be shop keepers while we are out. When I don't have you gathering edibles or helping me for equipment and lessons you will get paid for what you do. I will make sure it is enough to pay for your needs and I will have you living on the premises as a Apprentice of sorts." Naruto stares at him in slight shock as Hari guides him over to the desk in the corner of the tiny room. Naruto quickly looks down at the food before mumbling something.
"I don't deserve this yet..." Hari pinches his arm earning a yelp. Naruto looks at Hari with confusion and irritation. "What was that for?!" Hari stares at him before telling him something he doesn't expect.
"I do not want you putting yourself down or acting like that. Even though you haven't earned it yet the fact that you gave me a way to differentiate between the good people deserving of my goods and the bigots is already something that puts you high on my importance list. Besides that I have decided to adopt you, thus I am going to make sure that you are strong enough to defend yourself in every way possible once you do become a ninja. If you don't want to work for me after you become a ninja I understand but I will still consider you as a friend of mine and welcome you back at any time." A loud puff of air was heard as Naruto launches himself at Hari and hugs him tightly around the waist. Hari doesn't flinch this time but he does smile softly at the happiness he senses coming from Naruto in waves.
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Naruto woke at ten minutes til dawn and nearly shrieked at the alarm clock's shrill noise. He had never had an alarm clock of his own before and wasn't used to them. He slowly reached over toward the clock and gently switches it off before getting up and peeping around the room he hadn't had a chance to look at before. Seeing two doors leading further into the small suite he walks over to one and finds a closet. Picking out a decent outfit that was made entirely out of the tough fabric that he seen Hari's clothes were made of he walks out of the closet and heads toward the other door.
Peeping inside he seen a small library of sorts with a few dozen scrolls on none other than ninja techniques. Ignoring them as he sees Hari in the room organizing it he walks over to him and is surprised when he greets him with seeing him. "Good morning, Naruto. I was able to hire three Hyuga, two Uchiha, and three Senju to help keep the store running while we are gone. They are down stairs but I told them not to go up the stairs since it is a locked house that has seals that shock those who are uninvited. The bathroom is across the hall form your 'front door' to your small suite. This room is also part of your suite but it will have techniques at certain levels ands theoretical information."
Naruto nods as he looks around the room and sees something he didn't notice before, a summoning scroll was on a small pedestal in the corner of the room inside a glass case. Hari turns toward the Summoning scroll and points at it. "That Summoning scroll is going to be a reward. It has three major goals for you to complete as to earn it. First of all, you must master the knowledge needed to differentiate between the local herbs and edible plants. Once you have these two things I will tell you the second thing that I need you to do to earn it. It is basically a provocation to get you to listen and get into your studies."
Naruto nods and slowly walks over to it to look at the scroll through the case. When he touched the case he yelped as if stung before jumping away with slightly inflamed fingers as he glares at the case. "What was that?!" Naruto shouts worried about the scroll and he reaches forward.
Hari laughs lightly causing Naruto to look toward him. "That was the blood seal making I am using to make sure you don't get it ahead of time. It has enough force to convince anyone that it is a bad idea to steal it and even then it would be highly difficult to get through those wards without three things. First is the Key in a Vault-Box within a random bank within the city. Second is my lood and third is my chakra." Naruto pouts for a few moments before he goes back to looking at the large scroll in the case with a determination in his eyes.
"I'll earn it, no matter what I have to do! I'll go to the ends of the earth if I have to. Believe It!" Hari laughs brightly and calls to him.
"You've got five minutes to get ready for the day. Also, the Hokage was ind enough to allow me to be your Mentor and for you to be an 'honorary genin' of sorts. This means instead of going to the academy you are to learn things from me and tone those skills until they are at least at the standard of the Chunin. That is the term I added but he did agree to allow you to go on D and E rank missions when you reached the skill level of a Genin. Now go get ready!" Naruto quickly books it across the room, back into his bedroom, and into the bathroom on the other side. Taking a simple sponge bath he quickly cleans himself and gets changed before rushing out of the bathroom to find Hari outside his door.
He has ten scroll on him in a belt that has several pouches. He has two baskets in his arms, one of which is a simple woven basic while the other is a more sturdy enforced basket. Handing the second one to Naruto Hari began leading the way downstairs. They quickly pass through the shop doors and wave the the hired personnel before Hari begins walking toward a certain training ground he had bought to breed the plants a few months ago. This is where he will train Naruto to gather the herbs and edibles. They were able to travel fairly quickly considering that most shops were still too busy preparing for the day.
As they arrive at the Training ground, number seventy seven, they find a few snakes guarding the place and keeping a group of medic ninja out by lethal force. Hari takes Naruto's hand into his own and approaches without worry and Naruto knows that they will let them through. When they walk by the ninja they see them blink at them before they begin glowering. The snakes part for them and Naruto is careful not to step on Hari's friends. The ninja try to follow but the snake hiss as they rear up violently.
"Hey, how did you get past they things? We want some of those herbs." Hari turns toward them and see that they are very aggressive and he simply stares for a few moments.
"This is my private property. I bought this training ground before planting these herbs so you will have to buy them at my shop." The ninja growl as they storm away but seconds later a young girl comes forward from the edge of the forest surrounding the area. Naruto waves at her eagerly as Hari waits for her to state her business.
"Um... If I... I help you... could I have a little bit? I know Naruto isn't very good with herbology and... Um... I could help you harvest more then the two of you... I mean if you did it alone... Um... Sorry..." Hari smiles softly at her bashful nature before looking at Naruto who is just waving at her eagerly. Giving the Hyuga girl a brief look over he sees that she has very low self-esteem and decides to help her with that.
"Hari is a nice guy, Hinata. He has made me a Apprentice to him and I'm sure that if you help us he will be willing to share. But it is up to him how much you get and all." Turning to Hari Naruto gives him a grin before explaining. Hari looks amused with him for some reason, "Hari-Sensei, Hinata is a hard worker and she is training to be a ninja like me. She mostly like medical studies since she doesn't like hurting people very much and she is really good at making herbal remedies."
Hari raises his hand and points one finger up, "I understand what you are saying. I'll let her in for now but this is only to observe her and see if she really does know which herbal plants are good to be used in medicine. I'll have her show you and if she picks a fair amount that may reflect on how much she gets. Okay?" Naruto cheers as Hari makes the lisping sound again causing the snakes to part to make a path to the training ground's core.
Hinata quickly enters the training ground before pausing and bowing to the snakes with a quick "Thank you." She turns to the plants and begins picking a few while bashfully explaining the uses of them to Naruto. Hari watches the two of them closely as they quietly talk to each other about the herbs. "This one is also good for helping with bowel problems, or bathroom problems. It is a rarer one though which means we will have to be careful not to damage the plant too much. By taking some leaves we do damage it a little but they normally are able to recover with ease." Naruto nods as he watches her pick some. Seeing that they were able to get along well he considers taking Hinata as a second apprentice. However, she would be an apprentice in making medicines and healing techniques.
"Oh... a frog..." Hinata whispers causing it to croak at them before hopping away. When Naruto starts to chase it Hari bops his head lightly.
"Leave it, in my homeland they are heard to signal good things. The frog symbolizes doctors, healers, seers, and fortune telling. Sometimes they tell you when fresh water is near or when it will rain. It is often good for a person to take them to a safe place and to protect them." Hinata stands and walks over to the frog with a shy smile. She gently picks it up and carries it over to a small stream that she seen when watching the snakes for a way inside. Placing it on a large stone she watches it hop in and swim away. Glancing to her side she sees Naruto looking toward the place where the frog went and he briefly sighs.
Naruto suddenly gasps and jerks toward Hinata. "Was you thinking about being a medic?! Maybe it was telling you something!" Hinata shakes her head with confusion earning laughter from Hari. They both turn toward him and sees him pointing at himself.
"Actually, I was thinking about Making Hinata an Apprentice to my healing arts. I have a broad knowledge of healing and if we meet with her father he might give us some terms before he allows her to be my apprentice." Hinata blushes bright pink at the thought as Naruto cheers.
"See, it was telling him that it was a good idea!" Naruto beams with excitement at the idea before Hinata sways with a very happy smile on her face. "Maybe he will teach you to be an awesome Medical Ninja too!" Hinata Sways some more before Hari splashes some cold water onto her face earning a shrill cry. Naruto glares at Hari before he keels and asks her a question.
"Are you okay? You looked like you were going to faint there for a moment. I'm glad I snapped you out of it before you got soaked in the stream." Naruto looks at Hinata with confusion as she watches her nod.
"Um... I'm fine now... I just never thought anyone would want me for an apprenticeship. It sounds exciting..." She responds shyly. Hari and Naruto smile at her as Hari stands.
"Good,because I need more medical plants and I'd hate to be unable to pay you. When you feel lie fainting let us know and we'll tone ourselves down. Okay?" Hinata nods and she goes back to the garden to work again.
This is how Hinata Hyuga and Naruto met, it was also the start of both of them changing from being mostly lonely to being courageous. It would take time but it was the small beginning of a fruitful relationship.