Jack of Spades
This is just something that has been bouncing around in my head for a little while… I am actually quite busy right now and shouldn't be doing this but I just couldn't get it out of my head! I was inspired by a story called "The Interrogator" I recommend it… its worth reading.
Disclaimer: just an idea I had while reading another story. I don't own the original story and am making no money from this one… just in case you didn't already figure that out.
Summary: during the time of the war there was an incredible interrogator in the village of the leaf, her name was Kushina and now her only remaining student has risen to the position that she once held. The sadist of Konoha will not rest until he repays his teacher for everything she did for him.
"He's her son." It wasn't a question; it was a statement of fact.
"He is." The elder man replied cautiously.
"I want him," the scarred young man looked over at the boy who was solving a puzzle on the floor of the Hokage's office.
The aged ninja stared at his best interrogator in shock, "whatever for?"
The man chuckled, "you didn't see him this morning, he is a true monster when it suites him… he may look nothing like his mother but his personality is identical." He replied, "He drove a man into the depths of terror and despair without even knowing what he was afraid of! He sensed his fear towards him, and heard the things they call him and just used that alone to terrify and interrogate a grown man."
His superior stood stock still, his complexion pale. "He knows then?"
"Sure does, took him a few minutes to piece it together from his victim's babbling. Of course I clarified the difference between the fox and him after having the fool arrested so you don't have to worry about that."
"You want to adopt him?"
"Not fully, I want to take him as an apprentice. If it helps I will take over as his legal guardian as well." Morino Ibiki declared with finality, "I would not dare consider myself a proper substitute to his parents."
The Hokage sighed and reached into his desk, "I suppose if he is willing then I can provide you with the paperwork."
-
The six year old boy had proven to be more than willing to learn the way of torture and interrogation. He had agreed instantly on the condition that he gets to know more about his family.
Ibiki had been happy to tell the boy about his mother and about his apprenticeship under her, but his father was a dangerous topic and it was decided that the information would become accessible when he had learned more about the art of secrecy.
Time passed swiftly and the ANBU agents of Konoha quickly grew to respect the young boy for his talent and willingness to learn even the most subtle ninja skills. Where most children dreamt of the days when they would be saving princesses (or princes as the case may be) and causing vast amounts of (non-lethal) damage with overly flashy ninjutsu; Naruto dreamt of new ways to obtain the secrets which hid within the hearts and minds of his foes and the days when he would could prove his skills to the people of his village.
He grew over the years into a strange child, far more mature than a child had any business being and gifted with a keen eye and a sharp tongue. His appetite for knowledge was only surpassed by his appetite for ramen.
His combat skills were superior to most ninja students but not by that much, his true skill in battle was the ability to read his opponent's emotions and use his wickedly sharp tongue to force them into making mistakes.
He was quite well in the Torture and Interrogation department ever since the first solo interrogation he preformed.
-Flashback-
Naruto strode into the interrogation room then paused and looked around in a nervous fashion, wearing the look of a child who had entered a place he wasn't supposed to.
Once he was sure that there was no one there except for his victim he practically skipped over to the table that stood before the captured ninja. Then he reached into his pocket and withdrew a deck of cards and after shuffling they began to deal out two hands.
As the interrogation victim starred blankly at the child that had somehow snuck into the interrogation department of a hidden village, the other interrogators stood behind the hidden window and observed with equal curiosity.
When he had finished dealing Naruto motioned for the man to pick up his hand (he had his hands in manacles which were attached to a chair but he could still move them a little) he then sat across form the man and began a game of poker.
"Wow, I am so glad I found someone around here to play with. All the ninja just refuse whenever I ask." He declared loudly in the voice of a naïve child.
The prisoner capitalized on this opportunity to learn more about his circumstances, "how did you get in here anyway? I didn't think there were any children allowed in here."
"I have always been in here." The boy replied, "My mom was some kind of big time interrogator and the guy in charge of this place thinks something bad will happen to me if I go outside with ought him." (Ibiki chuckled at the half-truth)
"Oh, then you must know the building pretty well." The prisoner pushed at what he thought was an opportunity.
"Sure, but it's really boring and not interesting at all… Hey! You're from outside right? You must have seen all kind of cool places right?" the excitable child declared with wide sparkling eyes.
This exchange continued for over an hour and all the while the boy was hiding behind the mask of an innocent (and particularly inobservant child) while slowly getting more and more information out of the man.
By the time the interrogators had all the information they needed the game was at an end (they had been betting poker chips the boy brought with him).
Finally he asked his opponent, "What have you got?"
The man put down a five of hearts and all four fours; with a smirk he said "can you beat that kid?"
The boy rose with a smile and put down a ten of spades followed by the nine, eight and seven of the same. As he held up the last card he declared, "Thank you for being so informative, Ninja-san; straight flush."
With these words the boy left the room and a very confused and rapidly paling foreign spy. As a pair of ANBU strode past him into the room he turned to his teacher, "so how did I do sensei?"
The man smirked in response, "your questions were thinly veiled and your acting was a bit off. But for a first attempt I would call that a success… now you just have to refine your technique, cause if you weren't so damn cute he would have seen right through you."
-End-
The story had spread quickly in the department (they are experts in gather information after all) and he was soon being greeted by his Senpais (upperclassmen/ more experienced co-workers) as the jack of spades.
He had practically jumped on that particular nickname and begun cultivating a reputation (with a little help from his sensei and some ANBU he was particularly close to you) around the village and by extension around the world.
Already the name was being gossiped about in bars and spies were including it in their reports, the Sadist of the leaf had taken an apprentice.
-
AU: just to clarify Naruto won't be overpowered… he will be weaker than a lot of the other characters but that doesn't mean much where ninja are concerned.
His main trait will be his ability to say just the right thing at the right time and analyze his opponent's emotions and thoughts based on slights movements (like Neji)
Pairings are already decided and the story will mostly follow the original set of events but from a different point of view… I will warn you that quite a few characters will be out of character.
Ex.
-Shikamaru will kick ass. (He is my favorite character and will be treated accordingly)
-Kakashi won't be quite so useless
-Jiraiya will behave in a more responsible way (but he is still a perv)
-Ino … no that would be telling
-Sasuke will be different… but that would be spoiling the surprise!