Authors Note: I do not own Naruto.
The History of Konoha's Noble Green Beast
CHAPTER ONE
Konoha: The hidden ninja leaf village.
This is a village that is revered for having some of the most powerful ninjas in all the land. Though caught up in the turmoil of the Great Ninja War, it was hard to tell how difficult the times were with how peaceful the village looked so early in the morning. The sun began to lift up over the horizon, spilling gently onto the quite village as the first signs of life began to stir. To many of the men and women in the village, today was just another day. Shopkeepers began to unlock their merchandise and set up displays, women began the morning tasks for their houses, kissing goodbye their husbands as they went off to work.
However, for one young boy, this was no ordinary day. No, today was the day he would meet the teammates for his three-man ninja squad. A day that nearly had him vibrating out of his skin. How he longed to be a ninja. To bond with his teammates, to share in adventures and work under some of the best Jonin the village had to offer. It was such an exhilarating thought that he practically burst at the seams with youthful joy. He was going to be turning eight soon, and the fact that he would be the youngest member of his class to graduate was nothing short of a thrill for him. Now they would see how truly talented he was!
Just then, his dream filled slumber was rudely interrupted by the sounds of an alarm clock chirping across the room. Like a flash of lightning he sprung from his bed and slammed the top of the clock, albeit a little too forcefully. "Damn" he cursed. "That's the 5th one. Mother is going to kill me." He picked up the small device and frowned at it. "They really need to make these things more durable."
"Gai-chan!" Called a whimsical voice from outside the door. "Are you awake my dear? It is time to get ready for school. Today is a big day for you!"
Gai's eyes ignited with a fiery light. "Yosh! I will be down in a flash mother!"
"Alright dear. Don't go too quickly though." His mother chimed through the door. "I don't want you to break your alarm clock again."
Gai flinched at the statement. Another frown crossed his lips at the idea of having to buy a new alarm clock with his allowance. He knew he had no choice though. As sweet as his mother was, if she found out that he had broken another alarm clock; she would smack him all the way to hot springs. He shuddered at the thought and quickly hid the broken device in his closet to deal with later. "As important as it is to replace that clock, there are far greater things on my plate today." Gai walked over to the mirror and pointed at his reflection. "Today, you my friend shall become a member of the greatest ninja team that has ever graced Konoha! Yosh! That's right, you my friend. Now go out there and show them what the great Maito Gai is capable of!"
Gai gave a loud cheer and charged towards his bedroom door. He swung it open with a violent pull and sprinted down the stairs, nearly barreling his mother over in the process. "Gai!" she cried, catching her balance on the railing.
"Sorry mother, but I have to get to class!" Gai said, waving behind him as he swung the front door open.
"Gai-chan wait!" She cried.
Gai marched proudly out the door, his head held high, knowing his destiny was just down the street at the academy. He took in a deep breath of the chilly fresh morning air, opening his eyes wide to take in the sights of the morning. That's when he noticed the strange looks the people on the street were giving him.
"Gai-chan!" His mother cried from the door. "Get back in the house, you need your clothes!"
Gai looked down in horror as he realized he was standing in the street in his turtle print boxers. The pedestrians stared on in disbelief at the sight of the young boy standing half-naked before them. One of the merchants gave a snicker, which was soon followed by other snickers. A mother quickly slapped her hand over her young daughter's eyes and gave Gai a dirty look before ushering her child down the street. Gai felt the crimson flush across his skin.
He flew quickly as he could back into the house, slamming the door shut behind him. He could hear the people outside start to break out into laughter. "That's Gai for you!" he could hear one of the merchants shout through the door. Gai cursed silently too himself. Such an uncool way to start the morning, he thought. The laughter continued as Gai stomped up the stairs to his bedroom, hanging his head in shame. His mother stared up at him with sympathetic eyes and was about to follow when a strong hand landed on her shoulder. "Don't worry about him honey; I shall take care of it."
She nodded and watched the strong figure walk up the stairs towards her son's bedroom.
"Son!" Came a bang at the door. "Son, allow me to speak with you for a moment."
The door slowly slid open. Gai was now fully dressed; wearing his black pants and sandals. He was sporting a white top that opened at the front but was securely tied with a white belt. It was nothing extraordinary. He preferred more color, but it was what his mother had chosen for him the other day as a special gift for graduating from the academy. He would at least wear it for a while, until he could come up with something to better suit his style.
He gave his father a radiant smile. "Do not worry about me father. I will be fine. A small embarrassment such as that is nothing to a ninja like me." Gai pounded his chest with his fist and puffed himself up to look tougher.
His father's eyes began to well with tears. "Oh Gai, I could not feel luckier to have such a radiant and youthful son!" He wrapped his arms around Gai who only returned the tears and hug in full force. "Father!" he cried. They held their form in the hallway for what seemed like an eternity to his mother, now tapping her foot at the end of the hall.
"Gentlemen, I just wanted to let you know that you have 20 minutes to eat and get to the academy, if you plan on joining your new team today."
Gai's eyes lit with fire again. He could not miss such an important event! Like a flash of light, Gai leapt from his father's arms and took off down the stairs, double-checking himself to make sure he was dressed this time. He spun into the kitchen and grabbed a handful of hard boiled eggs from the center of the table as well as the hot sauce bottle off the shelf. Cracking the eggs furiously he began shoving them into his mouth, and then quickly took a swig of the hot sauce. Oh how he loved the burn of hot sauce. Unfortunately, he took on a little too much a proceeded to choke on the sudden sensation heat and overload of egg in his mouth.
"Gai-chan, slow down! You'll choke to death before you make it to school!" His mother cried, wide-eyed from the doorway.
By some miracle, he finally managed to swallow the food in his mouth. Panting slightly he turned to his mother with a smile. "Do not worry mother, I will not die from something as silly as an egg."
His mother clutched her chest with her free hand while the other adjusted the laundry basket on her hip. "You may not die, but your mother will die from a heart attack if you keep doing such ridiculous things!"
She barely managed to get the words from her lips before her son was out the door and on his way to the school. She peered out after him and gave a sigh as she watched the young boy tear through the crowds, bumping into strangers as he went. "That boy will be the end of me." She moaned, dropping to her knees in exhaustion. She then noticed the shadow of her husband towering over her. She looked up to see the tears still welling in his eyes as he watched their son dashing through the street.
"The true spirit of Konoha burns in our son my love." He looked down at his wife and offered her his hand to help her up to her feet. "It is only natural for such a youthful glow to be overwhelming to old folks such as us." His arm suddenly began to sting as his wife swatted him several times. She then brought the laundry back up to her side and gave him a rather harsh glare.
"Speak for yourself you old fart! I'm not some old hag!" and with that, she stomped down the hall, husband quick in toe scratching the back of his head. "No, my lovely flower, that isn't what I meant!"
Gai continued to dash through the streets, picking up the pace as he went. Once the academy was within sight, Gai could feel his spirits lifting further. "Alight!" He shouted. "Time for the final buuuuuuurst!" He picked up his pace even more so than before, oblivious to the people around him. He leapt over the lower fence surrounding the academy and quickly ran smack into another student.
"Yipe!" Cried the poor boy, shocked by the sudden weight careening into him. The two boys toppled like a couple of rag dolls before landing squarely at the feet of a group of young girls. Gai lifted his head up from the mess. "Hmmm…perhaps that was a little too much burst for such a short run." He mused to himself, scratching his chin.
"Get off me you bowl haired freak!" Shouted the spiky haired boy beneath him. The young boy pushed in vain to get the much larger academy student off him.
Gai looked down at the innocent bystander he had taken out. "Ah, Obito-san! Thank you so much for breaking my fall. You are a good friend." Gai smiled at the poor Uchiha that lay horrified beneath him.
"I didn't do it willingly, now get off of me!" He cried, giving one last shove to push Gai off him.
Obito quickly hopped to his feet and brushed the dirt from himself. He glared at Gai while trying to make himself as presentable as possible though be paused briefly when he became very aware of the young girls behind him that were now giggling at their little performance. He felt his cheeks begin to burn and quickly dashed off in the opposite direction to hide it before they noticed. He thought he was finally safe when a young boy standing off to the side shouted after him.
"Yo, Obito! Saying hello to your boyfriend?" A lanky boy with long black hair tied into a ponytail teased, giving him a wry grin. The boy nudged his friend beside him, who proceeded to chuckle at the comment.
"Shut up Ryota!" He screamed at the boy. He then turned his attention to the friend. He pointed his finger at him as if he was threatening him with a weapon. "And Asuma: I swear on your father's life if you say anything I'll stick that tooth-pick in your mouth right up your butt!" Both Ryota and Asuma put their hands up in feigned defense as they watched the Uchiha storm off into the school. Both started to chuckle again and went back to tossing kunai at an old tree next to the school since there was nothing interesting left to watch in the yard.
Gai finally took notice to the young girls giggling together.
"Oh, Kurenai-chan, Rin-chan, Riko-chan and Anko-chan. Lovely to see you." He gave a sheepish wave to the group, cursing at himself for looking so uncool in front of the girls. The girls continued to giggle. Anko gave him an evil grin. "Yo Gai! See you still haven't lost that silly hair-cut."
The girls continued to snicker. Gai frowned and felt his face begin to turn red. Why did he have to be so uncool with the ladies? "Oi." Came a male voice from behind him. "Pick yourself up already; you are not helping your bad image."
Gai noticed the young girl's faces turn from giggles to ogles as they stared at the boy behind him. Gai rolled over to stare up at another spiky haired boy that was towering over him.
"Good morning Kakashi-kun!" The girls shouted in unison. Kakashi continued to stare at Gai on the ground, giving a wave to the girls yet never making eye contact. Gai could not help but feel his inner rage boil. How was it that Kakashi was so cool? He could practically hear the girls behind him melting for the Hatake!
"I…I…uh." Gai furiously thought for an excuse. His eyes suddenly lit with a revelation. "I'm just getting ready to do some floor exercises before class. Part of my morning ritual to stay in top condition!" Gai then attempted to perform a couple crunches. "Come Kakashi! I challenge you to see who can do more sit-ups!"
Kakashi raised a silver eyebrow at the boy on the ground before walking off toward the class without saying another word. The girls were quick in toe behind him. Hatake Kakashi was a unique child. While he was the same age as the students around him, he was not actually a member of their class. Kakashi was considered a child genius and had graduated from the academy at just the age of five. The following year he had also made Chunin. The team that he had been working with had always kind of resented having the young Hatake on their team, thinking it looked ridiculous to have a teammate that was nearly 7 years younger than them. Furthermore, he could run circles around them with his skills, which only added fuel to the fire, especially when he looked so laid back and unaffected while doing it. Over time, they had learned to accept having the younger teammate. He was an excellent shinobi if nothing less. However, there was always a bit of a social barrier between him and the others because of the large age gap. Kakashi had never minded. He was always more interested in the mission than spending time bonding. Kakashi was now nine and there was already talk about making him a Jonin, though many believed the rumors to be merely talk. The village was certainly desperate for more ninjas but the idea of a 9-year-old Jonin was ridiculous!
Kakashi briefly paused at the entrance of the academy, taking a small note of the pack of girls trailing him without actually turning around. He had much-preferred working with his older teammates. With them, it had only been about the training and the missions. None of this weird giggling girl crap. Kakashi gave a small sigh and walked through the door. He was not happy about being reassigned to a new team, but his former teacher explained that it would be in his best interest to learn how to work with nin his own age. Kakashi thought back to the display in the yard he had just witnessed earlier. These nin were incompetents, not equals by any account! He doubted he would enjoy who his new teammates were no matter what his former teacher had told him.
Of all the girls following behind Kakashi, the four that had been giggling earlier huddled close to one another, never taking their eyes off him. They had all been informed of Kakashi joining up with a new team today and eagerly awaited to find out who was on his team.
"This is it girls." Anko said in a hushed tone, pumping her fist in front of her. "The day we have been waiting for!"
Riko nearly squealed. "Who will be on Kakashi-kun's team!"
Rin gave a sheepish smile.
"We all remember the rules right?" Kurenai looked at her friends with a warning eye. The girls nodded with enthusiasm.
"Whoever gets onto Kakashi's team is the one that gets to try and become his girlfriend. The others must accept defeat and search for another love." Riko said, giving a serious nod to Kurenia, who returned it.
"We are to remain friends with the winner no matter what, since we have all agreed to this." Rin added.
"And the others, as her friends will help by defending against other girls attempting to get his attention." Riko added, running her fingers through her long wavy blonde hair.
"By kicking the shit out of them." Anko grinned as she tossed her dango stick off into the bushes.
"That was never part of the deal!" Rin said, wide-eyed to her friend's violent tendencies.
"Yeah, but there is nothing in the rules saying we can't. Gotta get that frustration out somehow if I lose!" Anko mused with a wicked grin.
Kurenai sighed. Anko was so aggressive sometimes. "And the final rule?" she paused before the doorway, causing her friends to stop as well.
Anko sighed. "No cheating, flirting or stealing. If the winner fails, the others can try."
Kurenai placed her hand in the middle of the circle. "All in agreement?" The girls quickly added their hands to the center, locking eyes with one another.
"Wait a sec." Rin interrupted. "What happens if none of us get on his team?"
The girls looked at each other with horrified eyes. Riko shook her head and gave Rin a gentle nudge in the ribcage. "That's impossible Rin. The odds are totally in our favor!"
"Yeah, try not to be so negative." Anko gave her a toothy grin.
Kurenai looked around the circle one last time. "So…are we agreed then?"
The girls lifted their hands in unison. "Hai!"
Gai, now finished with his floor exercises, lifted himself off the ground as he watched the girls take their oath. He had yet to grasp what was so wonderful about Kakashi. Well, that was a lie, he knew exactly what was so wonderful about Kakashi. He knew all about him. Everyone did. The amazing Hatake Kakashi, renowned genius of the Hatake clan. Graduating at an incredibly young age and excelled to be a Chunin just as quickly. He felt his blood boil again with the jealousy that such a kid could have things come to him so naturally. Gai had been scraping just to get out of the academy at age 7 and it was this close to not counting, with his birthday not too far away.
Gai then returned his attention back to the girls at the door. Kakashi had totally ignored them and yet they acted like hopeless groupies. Gai figured there was not one person possibly more arrogant and super cool as Kakashi. How Gai longed for the girls to look at him the way they looked at the silver haired Chuunin, and for the boys to give him the same silent respect as he passed them by. Gai feared he would never understand women and how they could be into a guy with such an attitude problem, yet he felt that in order to win their affection, he would likely have to learn and master the 'coolness' that Kakashi had so naturally. As Gai walked towards the entrance to the school with a sigh, he felt a rough shove to his shoulder, causing him to stumble back a bit as another student pushed passed him. "Watch it fuzzy eyebrows!" snapped the boy before disappearing into the entrance.
Okay, so maybe the arrogant race was a close tie between Koji and Kakashi.
Minato sat peacefully on his stool at the Ichiraku Ramen Shop. It was still early, but Minato was such a loyal customer that the shopkeeper rarely complained if he came by looking for Ramen early in the morning.
"Here ya go!" The shop keep said, breaking Minato from his daze as he placed the bowl of steaming ramen in front of him. "One bowl of ramen with extra grilled pork and egg."
"Arigato!" Minato gave the shop keep a gentle smile, reaching out for a set of chopsticks. Minato drooled slightly as the smell hit is nose. Oh how he loved that smell. "Time to eat! This looks delicious." He said licking his lips and breaking the chopsticks apart. As he reached for his first bite, he paused at the sound of a familiar voice reaching his ears.
"That bowl of salt is going to kill you Minato-kun!" the young woman cried as she grabbed the chair next to him.
"Misaki-chan!" Minato gave her a soft smile. "Thank you for being so concerned for my health, but we all need some small pleasures in our lives."
Misaki gave him a skeptical look. "And as your best friend I am only telling you because your blood pressure is going to be through the roof before you're 30 if you keep it up!"
"Did you just come to lecture me on my diet?" Minato frowned.
With a sigh, Misaki turned her head toward the shopkeeper. "One beef and vegetable ramen please."
The shopkeeper gave a curt nod and went quick to work. Misaki gave a big stretch over her head and a loud yawn. Morning was definitely not her time of day. Kurakumo Misaki: Konoha Jonin and best friend of Namizake Minato. The two of them had been friends since they were in the academy together. Both were hard workers, determined to be the best at what they did. They were often seen training together when they were Genin, even though they were not on the same team. Both had been rising through the ranks together from the very beginning. Misaki often looked up to Minato, believing much of her success was due to him pushing her to be a better ninja, though she was sure Minato also gave her some credit for his success.
Misaki was quite a pretty woman. Her dark strawberry blonde hair fell in straight lengths around her face to just over her shoulders. Her green eyes sparkled the same color as her uniform, which was comprised of a dress that swept to one side and was pulled in at the waist by a belt that sported her Konoha head protector on the front. She also wore a pair of full length green pants under the dress, covering most of her body, except the arms, which had a long strand of tattoo markings running down the inside of each. Her wrists jingled as she moved from the small silver beads of her bracelets clacking together, matching the ones that ran across her forehead in bands.
"You are aware that it's 9AM?" She mused as the shop keep set the bowl of ramen in front of her.
Minato raised one eyebrow, giving her a quizzical look and then motioned to the bowl now in front of her. She gave a small huff. "I only ordered because it would be rude to sit here and talk to you without getting anything!"
Both returned their attention to the ramen in front of them. Minato quickly dug into his bowl, a content smile on his face. Misaki gave a poke to the food and took a small bite. It was not that she disliked ramen. It was pretty good stuff, but at nine in the morning it was a tad overwhelming. She soon felt her taste buds adjusting to the strong sensation of salt and actually began to enjoy her meal.
"So." Said Minato in between mouthfuls. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"
"Sarutobi-sensi informed me you grabbed my team assignment this morning before I got there and I was hoping to get it from you." She said, pointing to the two envelopes beside him on the counter.
"Mph." Minato said with a mouthful of Ramen. He reached for the folder and handed it over to her. "I'm so sorry! I usually see you first thing in the morning and figured I would save you the time of traveling there."
Misaki smiled. "We'll so much for that." She took the envelope from him and proceeded to open it. Her eyes perused the names of her students. The smile quickly turned to a frown. "What the hell is this?" She stared back up at Minato. "He's not on my team."
Minato gave a sheepish smile. "That's because he is on my team." Minato quickly hopped to another seat to avoid being hit. Misaki was generally a calm person, but he could tell she was on the verge of tearing down the ramen shop with this news. The idea of his precious ramen shop being destroyed also concerned him.
"How is he on YOUR team? I had specifically asked for Hatake Kakashi to be on my squad!" Her hands shook as she looked at the assignment in front of her, clearly lacking the picture of the young Hatake.
"Please Misaki-chan! Hokage-sama would not just reassign Kakashi to my team for no reason. He is a wise man, and fits teams together by personality as best as possible." Minato took a quick duck, thinking that Misaki was about the throw a punch, when in fact she grabbed his envelope sitting next to him. She opened it and examined his team.
"This is a good fit?" She slammed her finger on the pictures of the two boys in the file. "These two are liable to kill each other!"
Minato tried to provide her with a sympathetic smile. "I know how much it meant to you to have him on your team, but try to understand Misaki. All things happen for a reason-"
Misaki was practically shaking with anger now. "How? How could he? I made a promise. I promised I would help train that boy." She began to rise from her seat. "I must go speak with the Hokage and straighten this whole thing out."
Minato became very worried. It had been a long time since he had seen Misaki this shaken up. The last time she was this shaken up was at... "I understand your frustration, but perhaps you are too close to this situation emotionally. Look at yourself. You are one of the most collected women I know and you are breaking down like a child." Minato grabbed her wrist, preventing her from leaving.
Misaki glared at him, brushing the hair out of her eyes with her free hand. A moment of silence was held between the two, green eyes matching his blue ones. "I made a promise to that man." She hissed between her teeth.
Minato pulled the women back down into her seat and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know, and I respect your intention. But just because he is not on your team does not mean you cannot help him become a better ninja." Misaki stared back into her half eaten bowl of ramen with a look a defeat on her face. "Just look at this as an opportunity. You are a very talented ninja Misaki; you will be an excellent teacher to these other students. Do not give up just because he was not assigned to you." He pointed to Misaki's folder. "These students need you just as much as he would have. I promise to do my best with him and who knows, you may still get your chance to work with him still."
There was a long pause between the two again. Misaki seemed to be debating the issue over in her head. Finally, she let out a sigh and turned her face towards Minato with a dramatic look. "Oh, wise older brother, always ready with another speech." She drawled getting a smirk back in return. She placed her hand on top of his. "Thank you for setting my feet straight on the ground. I should try to be the best I can for these students, though I am still a bit disappointed." She sighed. "What would I do without you Minato?"
Minato crooked his head to the side and grinned. "You would probably still be running around in the Chunin exams." He teased.
She swatted his arms away, the atmosphere now completely ruined. "Without me, so would you!" She huffed. Minato lifted his hands in defense. "I know, I know!" He said, holding back a chuckle knowing he's gotten under her skin. Minato stood up and covered the bill for both his ramen and hers. "My treat for stealing your student." He said, giving her a wink.
A flicker of both shock and horror graced Misaki's face but she quickly recomposed herself. "Hmph." She stuck her nose in the air. "In that case, if you're trying to make up for it, you can buy be BBQ later this week AND sake." Minato quickly reached out and lifted her hand up. "Deal." He said, placing a quick kiss on the top before running off down the street.
Misaki pulled her hand towards herself and wrinkled her nose is disgust yelling after her best friend. "Thanks a lot Minato, now I'm going to have to burn this thing."
Minato turned around, pulled down on the lid of his eye, and stuck out his tongue before disappearing around the corner of a building. Despite his put together and polite appearance, Minato could act like such a child when he was around her, probably because she had been putting up with him since he was a child. He really was just as annoying as a real brother. Misaki returned to her bowl of ramen giving a low growl. "Idiot." She muttered. He had better not mess up that boy's training.
She then spotted the list of her students out of the corner of her eye on the table. She picked it up and began to reexamine it a little better than before, picking away at her breakfast. She perused the details of her new team and furrowed her eyebrows when she suddenly noticed the pictures of each student that had been provided. "What is up with that haircut?"
Hope to update again soon. Reviews welcome!