Chapter One- A New Beginning: Shikamaru's Genin Team
The Hokage's Mansion was one of the largest buildings within the boundaries of of Konohagakure. The building itself was red, shaped similarly to a half-circle with various wooden walkways around the side. Overlooking the mansion was the Hokage Mountain, a large rock surface with various Hokage inscribed on the side. The final face in the mountain belonged to the sixth and newest addition to the powerful lineage of Hokage, Kakashi Hatake.
"Glad you could join us," Kakashi smiled, taking a seat in his large blue chair.
The Hokage's Office had been a much cleaner place since Tsunade had retired a few years back. Kakashi normally kept the office very much in order, installing a large bookcase in the left side of the room to help remove most of the clutter. The room itself wasn't very large. Circular in shape, the room had three large windows on the far side, behind the Hokage's Desk, so that Kakashi could overlook the streets of Konoha whenever he saw fit. In the far center of the room, Kakashi sat behind his desk, which hung a banner with the Leaf Symbol imprinted directly on the front.
"Lord Hokage," Shikamaru said quickly, bowing his head in respect. He turned his attention to Guy and did the same.
Shikamaru's appearance remained similar to that of his adolescent counterpart. He possessed rather long, dark hair that was tied back in a pseudo-spiky ponytail. He wore clothing typical of Konoha ninja. A Jonin Level Flak Jacket sat atop a black full-body suit, allowing only his hands, head, and feet to be exposed to the elements. His forehead protector was sewed onto the left arm of his one-piece suit.
"Please," Kakashi said, raising a hand in protest. "Kakashi is just fine."
Kakashi had aged well in the twenty years since the Fourth Shinobi War. His gray hair had remained rather gray, and, even as the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi continued to wear most of his old garb. Like Shikamaru, Kakashi wore a full-body suit, albeit his was blue and had a facemask to cover the Rokudaime's mouth and the bridge of his nose. Kakashi still wore his headband so that it covered his left eye. It was interesting to note that Kakashi found his master's old cloak and had it restored to its former glory. Out of respect for the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, Kakashi wore the cloak proudly, making it standard clothing for the Hokage position.
"Sorry…Kakashi-sensei," Shikamaru corrected himself. "Kiba said you needed me."
Kakashi pulled a file from atop his desk and extended it forward, handing the object to Shikamaru. The Jonin opened the folder, scanning the contents contained within. Listed within were three names that and the words "Squad Twelve" written in big red letters on the top of the document.
"As long as those three pass their last test," Kakashi interrupted. "You will be their sensei."
"You're giving me a squad?" Shikamaru said in disbelief, raising a single eyebrow. "I'm not really cut out for this kind of work. Why not ask Tenten? She's been clamoring for a team for years."
"She's a Special Jonin," Kakashi replied. "And this team is a rather…special case."
Shikamaru looked back at the document. This time, making sure to pay close attention to the names written within. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, but this indeed was, as Kakashi put it, a "special case," one that required "special attention."
"So you want me to watch over the 'problem team,'" Shikamaru sighed. Everything about this screamed "troublesome," but he couldn't deny a direct request from the Sixth Hokage. If the Rokudaime Hokage felt he was the best man for the job, then who was he to argue? "Can you give me their names and scores on the first part of the exams?"
Guy took a packet of papers off the Hokage's desk, scanning through until he came across the first name on Shikamaru's list. He couldn't find it at first, but after a moment of searching, Guy was able to locate all three.
Might Guy hadn't changed a bit. He still wore his ridiculous green outfit and was prone to shout random phrases of passion and youth. He still donned his green jumpsuit and wore his read headband around his waist. Like the others, Guy wore a standard issue Konoha Flak Jacket. His bowl haircut had never been altered, even in the slightest.
"The first is Katsu Uchiha," Guy began. The words rung in the back of Shikamaru's mind like a massive gong. Sasuke had been exiled from the village only a few months after Katsu was born and her mother, Karin Uzumaki, had died from an infection during childbirth. Kakashi had taken the child in long ago, raising her as his own. Sometime after her seventh birthday, Katsu had moved out, claiming residence in another part of the village. She was the spitting image of her father, in looks and in personality, a fact that personally worried Shikamaru. "She ranked fourth in the field exam and placed fourth in the written exam."
"Out of how many?" Shikamaru questioned, suddenly more interested in the child.
"There were eighteen in total this year," Kakashi answered. Unaware if Guy already possessed that information, the Hokage decided to answer for him.
Four out of eighteen in both exams most likely placed her near the top of her class. Shikamaru knew his son, Shikawa, had outranked her in the written exam, placing second, but his fieldwork was much less impressive. If his other student's scores to be equally high, becoming a sensei could actually prove to be quite interesting.
"The second is Akira Uzumaki. Says here he placed fifth in the field exam, but was first in the written," Guy continued.
"People are calling him the Shikamaru of the new generation," Kakashi smiled, giving the Jonin a small smile through his mask.
Shikamaru had heard about Akira through his son. Akira had originally been just like his father; he was an overactive goofball who couldn't focus. That was when the other children began to make fun of him. Like Naruto, the child had no bark to back up his bite, but, unlike his father, Akira became incredibly introverted, choosing to spent most of his time in isolation so that he coud study and improve.
"And finally," Guy said, raising a single fist to show his excitement. "Is Kiyoshi Lee! Sixth in the field exam! And twelfth in the written portion! That's my boy!"
"Calm down Guy," Kakashi smiled, humoring his longtime friend.
Shikamaru hadn't heard much about Kiyoshi, a fact he thought was rather strange. He knew Lee's son had been in his son's class, Shikawa had never mentioned that child's name, at least, not a time that Shikamaru could recollect at the moment.
"If you don't mind me asking… why Lee's son?" Shikamaru questioned, sort of confused. Nothing seemed to add up. He understood why the Uchiha and Uzumaki were paired together, that made perfect sense. However, Kiyoshi's scores seemed average at best, creating a weak link on a team that needed to be strong for protection.
Normal teams were based on class ranks. The worst was paired with the best and the most average ninja to create a three-man cell. The only time this rule was ever broken was to create the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho. It was customary for Shikamaru's particular lineage within the Nara clan for each child to be named for the deer. The same went for Choji's son Choya and Ino's daughter Inoki. It was merely customary.
However, Kakashi clearly went to great lengths to break the rules once more. He put two of the strongest ninja from this year together on a team. Why not choose another high-ranked child to fill out the team. Both Akira and Katsu were valuable assets to Konoha, but Kiyoshi…
"Well…" Kakashi began, giving the Jonin a sheepish shrug. "Kiyoshi is nothing like his father. Iruka noted that he was a crybaby and has poor scores in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu."
"I don't follow," Shikamaru shook his head.
"Do you remember that fire a few years back?" Kakashi asked, tilting his head sideways.
How could Shikamaru forget? Iruka had taken his son's class to visit the Hokage's Office to learn to appreciate the role of the Hokage. It was unreported as to whom had originally started the fire, but everyone had a pretty good idea who was behind the burning.
'Who but the Uchiha would be practicing fire style jutsu?' Shikamaru frowned, shaking his head.
"Two children didn't make it out of the Mansion before we could subside the fire," Kakashi continued. "Katsu Uchiha and Kiyoshi Lee. Katsu had been closest to the door when the fire started and Iruka, not knowing any Water Style Techniques, ordered the immediate evacuation…"
*** "Alright, everyone out!" Iruka shouted, coughing over the smoke. The frightened children made a break for the door to the Hokage's Office. They were panicking, trying to only save themselves. They didn't give poor Katsu a chance.
Albeit a bit younger, Katsu remained rather similar appearance to her twelve-year-old counterpart. She had long black hair that fell about chest length. To the left side, her hair was rather straight and orderly, but the right had a spikey flare. This similarity in hairstyle seemed to be the only connection Katsu possessed with her mother, Karin Uzumaki. She possessed rather pale looking skin and onyx colored eyes. Her outfit consisted almost entirely of traditional Uchiha clothing. Her high colored, v-neck shirt was colored light gray whilst her shorts were black in color and fell just above her mid thigh. She also dawned a pair of arm warmers, also light gray in color and a necklace that fell just above her chest that had an Uchiha Fan pendant.
She was trampled, thrown down to the ground. Someone along the way took a wrong step, snapping the young child's ankle. Iruka didn't notice her, being one of the first to be out the door. She was in terrible pain, unable to stand. The fire was spreading.
"Help!" she cried, trying desperately to crawl to the staircase. Katsu could hear her voice echo down the spiral stairs, and the fire had not breached the outside hallway.
She felt terribly alone and, for the first time in her life, Katsu felt as though she might die. She called out once more, hoping that anyone would hear her pleas. She hung her head as the smoke began to fill the hallway, igniting the ceiling above her.
"Katsu-san!" a voice called out, coming up the stairs from the long hallway.
Katsu felt the rush of relief as she saw Kiyoshi's head creep into view. Kiyoshi's outfit was much more simpler than his companions. The boy had short, unkempt hair that frayed outwardly near the front and top. He wore black capris that fell to his mid calf and had bandages wrapped around his legs to assist with balance and control. He often dawned a bright green short in reverence for his father and his hero. The child also wore a short-sleeved jacket that was similar in design to Shikamaru's old jacket. On the sleeve sat the spiral symbol that was rather common on much of Konoha attire. To finish off his outfit, Kiyoshi had black gloves like his mother, Sakura Haruno, and metal bracers with green trim.
The young boy rushed to Katsu's side, helping the girl stand to her feet. Katsu couldn't see, but she could hear the boy whimpering as though he was crying. She knew how scared he must've been, but she was thankful that her lifelong friend had come to her aid.
Kiyoshi put Katsu's arm around his, helping the girl slowly take each step down the long hallway. With each foot, the fire would creep faster and faster along the ceiling until it had reached the staircase door on the opposite end. Each step was agonizingly slow and Katsu clung to the hope they would make it out all right.
The ceiling in front of them collapsed, blocking the two students from the exit.
"No!" Kiyoshi screamed, pausing their forward momentum. He didn't know what to do. If they stayed in one place, the smoke and fire would get them. They couldn't sit and wait for someone to rescue them. They had two, three minutes tops before they passed out from lack of oxygen.
"Kiyoshi…" Katsu frowned, trying to smile for her friend. "We'll make it through this."
Kiyoshi closed his eyes and fought back the rest of his tears. He took a deep breath, allowing himself to clear the storm in his mind. He was going to get them out of the fire. He was going to protect them. He just didn't know how…***
"Kiyoshi didn't find a way through the barrier," Kakashi continued. "He stayed there with her, allowing Katsu to use his jacket to breath fresh air. If we hadn't arrive to put out the fire, I'm not sure what would've become of the two."
"So the kid went back in to save his friend?" Shikamaru asked, tilting his head back slightly to indicate his surprise and approval. "Seems pretty brave for a kid of… how old was he? Ten at the time?"
"Guy spoke with him afterwards, making sure he was alright," Kakashi nodded, motioning for his confidant to finish the story.
"I asked Lee why he would risk his life for his friend," Guy said, his fist quivering. Tears began to form in his eyes as Guy could barely contain himself. "He said she his comrade. If he didn't protect her… who would?"
Shikamaru understood. The boy wasn't the strongest or the smartest ninja in the class. He lacked talent and even preformed poorly enough in Taijutsu that he would rank sixth in the field exam. By all standards, Kiyoshi would be an average ninja if he were to pass his final exam the following day.
It wasn't his talents that interested Kakashi. It was his strong sense of friendship and the lengths the boy would go to protect his friend. Kakashi hoped that, with time, Kiyoshi would learn to do the same for Akira because, of course, so much was dependent on his safety.
"This may be less troublesome than I thought," Shikamaru smiled with contentment.
"Hey!" Kiyoshi called, waving to his friend.
School had potential let out for the last time. Tomorrow, the children would report to the Ninja Academy one final time and perform the Clone Technique in front of their mentor, Iruka Umino, and the Hokage, Kakashi Hatake. It thrilled Kiyoshi to no end that Guy would also be present at the exam so that the young child could show off his skills to his favorite sensei.
Kiyoshi could make two clones which was better than most of the class. However, a few others were able to create much more. Katsu and Inoki were able to make four separate clones and control each one with their chakra. He was forever amazed by their rivalry- the loudmouthed Uchiha who wouldn't quit and the Yamanaka that was often seen and not heard. Of course there were other ninja in his class. There was Shikawa Nara, Kiyoshi's personal bully and tormentor, and Choya Akamichi, a close personal friend of both Katsu and himself.
"Hey Kiyoshi!" Katsu smiled, running to her friend in the courtyard. She was pleased to no end that tomorrow the two would receive their official Leaf Headbands and earn the rank of Genin. She had hoped the two would be placed on the same team, but she was well aware that notion was a long shot. "Nervous?"
"What, why?" Kiyoshi asked, trying to avoid the question. He didn't want to tell Katsu he was terribly afraid of performing poorly in front of his idol. "We've done the Clone Technique thousands of times."
It was true. The Clone Technique was the first maneuver the children were taught when they were admitted to the Academy a few years ago. If they hadn't mastered the technique by now, it was unlikely they were ever going to become successful ninja. Kiyoshi knew the test was merely to weed out those who would crack under pressure. A ninja was supposed to remain calm in the face of adversity; Kiyoshi had a tendency to panic.
"I've seen Kakashi perform a special technique called the Shadow Clone Jutsu," Katsu said, leading Kiyoshi down the streets of Konoha.
Konohagakure was the largest of the Hidden Villages, possessing the largest population of them all. From anywhere within the walls of the village, one could see the six faces chiseled into the Hokage Mountain. Each building was of varying height, shape, and color; the most prominent archetype was the large, cylindrical shaped buildings that were either blue or orange in color. In the distance, one could see the Hokage Mansion, the largest and most prominent building of all of Konoha which resided just a few blocks away form the Ninja Academy.
"What of it?" Kiyoshi asked, looking at Katsu as they passed by a food cart. Kiyoshi heard his stomach growl and the two decided to order something to eat while they walked.
"The techniques secrets are written on a special scroll of sorts in the Hokage's Mansion," she answered.
"And you obviously think we should steal it?" Kiyoshi frowned, displeased with his friend's disregard for basic rules and regulations.
"Not steal," she corrected. "I'm proposing we borrow it overnight and try to learn the technique for class tomorrow. We'll return it after our exam and we can surprise Kakashi-sensei with the technique."
Kiyoshi generally wasn't one to break rules, even if it was for Katsu. He typically tried to stay in line, but it was true that he was prone to goofing off. Kiyoshi couldn't turn down a chance to impress Guy however, and agreed that it would be pretty beneficial for the two of them to have a look at the technique.
"You know we could never get up there," Kiyoshi signed, taking a bite into his Onigiri. "Besides, I'm eating."
Katsu placed a steam dumpling on her tongue and turned her head, looking rather displeased. She didn't understand her friend's strange fascination with food, especially Onigiri. It was just rice and meat, nothing more. Katsu felt the dumplings from Ichiraku Ramen were much more delectable.
"Come on!" she said with an excited tone, grabbing on to Kiyoshi's arm. She broke into a run and caused the boy to drop his rice ball on the ground. He was devastated, feeling tears begin to well up in his eyes, but he didn't have time to cry. He was moving to quickly down the streets of Konoha. Kiyoshi looked upwards and could see that the duo were headed directly for the huge mansion in the distance.
"There are guards out front," Kiyoshi warned, pointing forward. The mansion possessed a large gate like structure around the front and sides. It was generally an ineffective obstacle as ninja were more than capable of climbing over the sides. Generally guards weren't stationed out front either, but in recent times such measure were deemed "necessary." As long as the threat of war lingered in the background between the Rock and Sand, Kakashi didn't want to take any chances.
"Distract them," Katsu commanded, taking refuge behind a crate on the side of the street. Kiyoshi joined her and the two children cautiously peered at the ninja guarding the front gate. They seemed to be casually talking about something; the children couldn't decipher precisely what they were speaking about, but it was clear their defenses were lowered.
"Why me?" Kiyoshi questioned, pointing to himself.
"Because you suck at Ninjutsu," she answered earnestly. "Distract them and I'll stroll in disguised as Kakashi-sensei! Fool proof plan."
Kiyoshi frowned. He wasn't pleased with the "fool proof plan" Katsu had suggested, partially because it seemed likely that he could be caught and punished. However, since the boy couldn't produce a better plan, he decided it was better than nothing.
Kiyoshi leapt over the crate, staying close to the walls on either side. It was getting late and Kiyoshi had hoped to use the shadows to his advantage. The guards appeared to be Chunin, but it was quite possible they were higher ranked in the Shinobi Corps. Kiyoshi was sure he could sneak up on a Chunin, he had done it millions of times before, but he had never successfully snuck up on a Jonin before.
Kiyoshi met no resistance, slowly approaching the two guards. They were too deep in conversation to care about their surroundings and Kiyoshi capitalized on their carelessness. One of the guards had been caring a stack of papers in his right arm, pressed slightly against his him for support. Kiyoshi's outstretch hand just managed to push away the ninja's arm as they became wary of his presence. By some luck, the wind picked up sending the lose papers flying in the wind.
Kiyoshi panicked, taking off into a fast sprint in the opposite direction, leading the Chunin past the crate behind which Katsu had hidden. He looked back to see the guards gaining on him just as Katsu managed to slip within the walls surrounding the complex.
Kiyoshi performed the clone technique, separating into three separate entities each taking off in a separate direction. The Chunin watched as one Kiyoshi continued down the path ahead while the others traveled down two separate alleyways. Despite Konoha's large size, the village only possessed a few main streets with various alleys to connect them. Children learn at a young age these passageways were the most practical and functional way to travel.
The Chunin followed the two Kiyoshi's that broke off down the different alleyways. In truth, it hadn't mattered which clone they had chosen. The real Kiyoshi had managed to duck into a nearby shop. As the ninja rushed by, Kiyoshi took a great sigh of relief, exiting the store in the hopes of meeting up with Katsu in the mansion.
"Idiots," Kiyoshi heard a voice form behind. Just as he attempted to turn, a single hand grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Kiyoshi was pretty sure he had heard the man's voice before. It was deep, and sort of raspy. The child tried to turn his head to get a glimpse at the shinobi, but whoever his captor was held him tightly in place.
"Here you are Kakashi-sama," the man sighed, letting go of Kiyoshi's shirt.
The ninja had taken the student to the Hokage's Office, rebuilt since the fire a few years back. Kiyoshi had swore he'd never step foot back in that place. There were so many terrible feelings associated with the narrow hallways that frightened the child to his very core.
The Hokage sat across a long wooden table, with a large tarp draped over front with the Leaf Symbol painted over front. Across from him sat a large red armchair where Katsu sat, her arms folded in defeat. Kiyoshi wasn't sure how she had been caught, but it was clear their plan had completely failed.
"Thank you Shikamaru," Kakashi waved. "I'll deal with these two and we can continue our conversation later. That will be all."
Shikamaru performed a rather lazy looking salute and gave the Hokage a small shrug. He looked at Kiyoshi momentarily so that their eyes locked for a mere moment. The Jonin gave the boy a rather sly looking smile, nodding his head slightly. Kiyoshi wasn't sure why, but he had never personally met Shikawa's father. They had very similar facial structure and build, but their hairstyles were polar opposites. While Shikawa had short, brown hair that he wore down, Shikamaru had a sort of spikey ponytail. He left the room, closing the door behind him.
"We're sorry Kakashi-sensei it was all my idea," Kiyoshi blurted out, throwing his hands down to his sides.
"Kiyoshi!" Kakashi's voice rang in the child's ears like a bell. "While protecting your friends is honorable, taking credit for their follies is detrimental for their success. If we cannot learn from our failures, can we ever really learn at all?"
Kiyoshi took a step back; a look of concern overtook his face. Katsu gave Kiyoshi a small smile, as if to say, "it's okay." The young child looked back to Kakashi, ready to take any punishment that might've come. She knew that she would most likely be severely punished. The Scroll of Seals was an Ancient Tome that inscribed all of the Leafs Forbidden and Hidden Jutsu. For a child to conspire to steal the knowledge within could cause grave consequences. If the tome were to fall into the wrong hands, unspeakable evils could be committed. Who knew what sort of world altering techniques could be found within its pages.
"I apologize, Kakashi-sensei," Katsu stood bowing her head to the Hokage.
"For?" he asked, grabbing a small, sky blue colored scroll from the bookshelf on his right. He tossed it up in the air, spinning it a few times before catching it once more. "There are techniques within this scroll- dangerous maneuvers that could bring about the destruction of the Leaf. However, the Shadow Clone Jutsu is not among them; it is a B-ranked technique that is seen as standard practice for most Chunin-ranked or higher ninja to master. It is the A-ranked version of this technique, the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu that is forbidden as it creates an unimaginable amount of stress on the user."
Kakashi placed the sky blue scroll on the table, showing the children a paper restraint tied around the parchment, keeping the scroll tightly closed. Kakashi removed the paper covering so that he could fully unravel the scroll along his desk. The Hokage took a deep breath, placing his right hand in the center of the scroll so that his hand took up most of the available space on the parchment.
From Kakashi's hand sparked red lines, running along the page in all sorts of strange patterns until it eventually formed a semicircle with both ends of the outline stemming from his thumb and pinky fingers. The word "fire" materialized on the top of the Rokudaime's hand in red lettering, indicating that his Jutsu was complete. There was a puff of white smoke and a strange "pop" noise that startled the children. When the smoke had cleared, the miniscule scroll at disappeared, in its place sat another scroll, considerably large in appearance. Instead of the pleasant sky blue that preceded it, the newer scroll was predominantly dull green in color. Around each end were dark green bands that gave the strange object a small sense of ornateness.
"Is that-" Kiyoshi questioned, extending his right arm as though to touch the object.
"The scroll of Seals!" Katsu exclaimed, finishing her friend's sentence. Katsu jumped to her feet, eager at the sight of the transformation that had just taken place.
"Learn the technique if you so desire. Who am I to forbid you from furthering your knowledge?" Kakashi shrugged. Katsu extended her hand to grab the strap that hung from the side of the scroll. However, just as she did, Kakashi shot her a stern looked that caused the girl to recoil back and drop her hand to her side. "But be warned, creating more clones than your chakra allots could mean your death. Be careful."
Kiyoshi saluted the Hokage, a trait that he had erroneously learned from his father. Katsu lifted the scroll up, placing the strap around her chest so that she could carry the heavy object on her back. The two children didn't look back, eager to learn such an advanced technique. They left without a word, not even a "thank you."
"Do you think that was such a bright idea?" Shikamaru questioned after reentering the room. He had watched the complete ordeal from just outside the doorway, lurking in the shadows. "You're trusting two young children with a dangerous weapon."
"Go after them if you're worried," Kakashi suggested, smiling slightly so that Shikamaru could see the contorts of the man's face through his mask. "Their your subordinates."
"Not yet," Shikamaru countered, responding to the Hokage's smile with a small chuckle of his own. "I'll keep an eye on them. Besides, I think I have a graduation test of my own to give them."
The duo found themselves in the shadow of the Ninja Academy. The playground offered isolation from the busy streets of Konoha, allowing the two children to practice their technique in silence. They had desperately wanted to utilize one of the training grounds, but they were reserved for ninja only; aspiring ninja had to find other places to train and practice their techniques.
The area was rather large and there was relatively little playground equipment to get in their way. To the right stood the school, a building about three stories high that retained a similar style to the Hokage's Mansion. The entranceway was rather small and reddish in color, while the majority of the building was white and possessed reddish shingles on the roof. To their left, stood the playground. At one point, there had been a slide and perhaps even a sand box; Kiyoshi couldn't recall correctly what had once been erected there. They had taken them out long ago to make room for rigorous training sessions, and the only piece of equipment that remained was the swing set as it only took up a small amount of space.
Katsu laid the scroll out along a bench as to not place the priceless artifact on the ground, and quickly scanned the parchment for any words pertaining to the Shadow Clone technique. After a moment, it didn't take particularly long, Katsu placed her finger on the desired maneuver, indicating she had found it and began to read.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu: B-ranked technique. Similar to the Clone Technique the Shadow Clone Jutsu requires exact placement of chakra. See Kiyo," Katsu smiled, looking towards his friend. "Chakra control's your thing. I'm sure this won't be too hard."
"Right!" Kiyoshi nodded, standing a few feet away from Katsu so that he could attempt to perform the move while his comrade read the instructions aloud. She read them slowly, trying to allow for each word to sink in individually so that Kiyoshi would remember them clearly within his mind. The boy, however, wasn't paying much attention. Terrible thoughts started to enter his mind.
There was so much the book had to offer, why stop with one technique? The words stomped around in Kiyoshi's head like a drum. The scroll compiled all the Kinjutsu that the Leaf had to offer; they could run with it, take it far away and master everything within the codex. It would be so easy too as there was no one around to stop them. If he could convince Katsu, the two could become the most powerful shinobi in all of Konoha.
"Hey- you listening?" Katsu asked, snapping her fingers to grab Kiyoshi's attention.
Kiyoshi shook his head in reply, making sure to nod as to not attract attention to himself. What was he thinking? Kiyoshi wasn't a bad guy and had always made a point not to do anything wrong and try to be helpful. He even made it a point to assist the elderly when they were having trouble. To think about stealing such a powerful and priceless artifact just seemed wrong.
'Besides,' he rationalized. 'Kakashi-sama and Guy-sensei would hunt us down in mere minutes.'
"It says here that creating a Shadow Clone is actually rather simple. Instead of making mere apparitions with a minimal amount of chakra, a Shadow Clone requires that chakra be evenly dispersed between you and it. So, I think the difference between making an illusion and an actual clone," Katsu stated matter-of-factly. "Is just more chakra, evenly distributed of course."
Kiyoshi nodded, taking a deep breath. He imagined himself literally splitting in half, becoming two entities. Within each entity, Kiyoshi picture his chakra dividing up evenly, as though chakra itself was some sort of concrete object that could be cut and split. Kiyoshi made the appropriate hand seal, crossing his middle and index finger from his right hand with the same fingers on his left.
Two shuriken flew from out of the darkness, landing near Kiyoshi's feet. The young boy panicked, expecting another flurry of projectiles and jumped back, cautiously glancing around the playground. Katsu did the same, jumping to her comrade's side. Two figures descended from the darkness, landing particularly close to the Scroll of Seals. Katsu began to dash forward to protect the artifact, but Kiyoshi grabbed her harm to hold the Uchiha back. He wouldn't let he run headlong into battle with unforeseen foe.
"He was right," a familiar voice said rather calmly. "He said I could find you two morons prodding about here."
Shikawa Nara was an odd one. He was skinnier than Kiyoshi, albeit slightly taller in comparison. He had short brown hair and eyes that were always glancing in different directions. Even at such a young age it was easy to tell his eyes were always calculating, always trying to decipher the world around him. He often wore a cropped, short sleeved jacket with green trim and a green shirt underneath. His pants, which were black, held a kunai holster around his right leg in a similar fashion to his father, Shikamaru.
Inoki Yamanaka was thin, frail, and quiet. She rarely spoke; even then it was only in mumbles and inaudible mutterings. Most importantly of all though, she was a genius. She had long blonde hair that she kept in a ponytail in a similar fashion to her mother, Ino. Her outfit consisted of a long sleeved, purple turtleneck and a beige skirt which was worn over her black leggings.
Inoki rushed to the side of the Scroll of Seals, scanning its contents as Katsu had done just moments ago. Instead of pausing when she came across the Shadow Clone Jutsu, Inoki found a much more interesting jutsu and began to intensively read the parameters regarding the technique.
"Guh, what do you want Shikawa? We're trying to learn a technique for Kakashi-sensei." Katsu frowned, folding her arms in a disapproving manner. She was in no mood for him to begin picking on Kiyoshi as he had done throughout most of their days at the academy.
"Hardly," he rebutted, grabbing another set of shuriken from his holster. "We're under direct orders from my father, Shikamaru Nara, to apprehend the two of you and reclaim the scroll you two stole."
Shikawa didn't wait for a response, throwing the two shuriken at his opponents. Kiyoshi's mind went a million miles a minute and he jumped back, narrowly dodging the projectiles. He rushed forward, aiming his assault towards Inoki whilst she had her back turned. As he contorted his body to perform his technique, Shikawa rushed to intercept the attack, planting his feet firmly on the soft grass floor and bracing himself for the inevitable strike.
"Leaf Hurricane!" Kiyoshi exclaimed, spinning to release a double kick combo. The first kick was nothing more than a feint, meant to force the opponent to drop their guard as the second kick was far more powerful and damaging. Shikawa had seen the move dozens of times in their Traditional Shinobi Sparring matches and easily blocked the first part of the attack, using the transition between the two kicks to counter. Shikawa delivered a decisive blow directly to Shikawa's chest, sending him back a few feet. Again Kiyoshi rushed forward, this time with the intent of disabling Shikawa. The young child jumped high into the air and performed a downward kick on Shikawa's position. The young Nara blocked the maneover with his for arm, and grabbed Kiyoshi's exposed leg with his free hand. Pulling the young boy down to the ground with one fell yank, Shikawa pulled his arm back to deliver the final assault on Kiyoshi. Just as his attack was about to connect, Shikawa was barely able to dodge the fireball sent hurling his way.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Katsu exclaimed after the fact. "Kiyo, get the scroll from Inoki. I'll deal with Shikawa!"
Kiyoshi nodded, flipping to his feet. Kiyoshi lunged forward at Shikawa once more. However, this time, just as he was about to attack, Kiyoshi sidestepped, running past the boy to attack his distracted teammate. Shikawa wanted to turn and help her, but he was staring down the front of another fireball attack. The boy grabbed another shuriken from his pouch and held it firmly in both hands. Shikawa then spun the shuriken out in front of him, similarly to the likes of a top a young child would spin for pleasure. In held its position in midair, spinning at an alarming pace as Shikawa performed the rat hand seal.
"Ninja Art: Shuriken Defense Jutsu!" the boy exclaimed. And, just as he did, the shuriken expanded in size, growing to the full width of a regular fuma shuriken. The spirling motion of the weapon doused the flames as they came in contact with the large fireball Katsu had emitted. When the fire styled jutsu had diappaited, Shikawa countered by grabbing the revolving fuma shuriken and tossing it in Katsu's direction. Without much pause, Katsu drew a kunai of her own, narrowly managing to deflect the projectile to land harmlessly on the ground.
Meanwhile, Kiyoshi jumped high into the air once more, attempting an aerial Leaf Hurricane on his unsuspecting target. All he had to do was take her out and he could retrieve the scroll. Perhaps once they had done so, Kiyoshi could find Shikamaru and explain this was all one giant misunderstanding.
"Done," the girl said, calmly. Without turning around, Inoki sidestepped Kiyoshi's attack, completely diffusing the threat of the second kick. She then swung her foot around, completely opening up her stance, and thrust her palm directly into Kiyoshi's face. With one strong push, Inoki pinned Kiyoshi to the ground. "Chakra Absorption."
Kiyoshi couldn't move. In fact, he found it terribly painful to breath and had trouble formulating thoughts. He could feel the chakra being slowly drained from his body and the child began to panic. He wanted desperately to be able to free himself, but no amount of struggling would produce any kind of response. His body was completely useless. Unless Katsu could free him, it was checkmate.
'How did she master a technique so quickly?' Kiyoshi's mind raced.
Katsu took notice of her friend's capture almost instantaneously and attempted to run to his aid. Shikawa threw a kunai in her path, stopping her forward momentum and reclaiming Katsu's primary focus. She knew at that moment, if she wanted to rescue Kiyoshi, she was going to have to go threw Shikawa first.
Katsu attacked, unleashing a flurry of kicks to her opponent. She was just as fast as Shikawa and left relatively few openings in her attacks. Each kick was followed up by another or supplemented with a few swings of her kunai to compensate for any weaknesses. However, when the moment presented itself, Shikawa blocked her kunai with one of his own. The momentary clash threw Katsu off, she hadn't seem him draw a kunai and the subtle change in dynamic allowed for her opponent to deliver a roundhouse kick to the side of her head. She was tossed through the air before hitting the ground, slightly dazed and confused.
"So much for the great protégé of the Sixth Hokage," he scoffed. "First you steal and then you don't even have the strength to backup your heinous actions."
Katsu flipped to her feet, running off the hand signs in her head to perform the Fireball Jutsu. Snake. Sheep. Monkey. Pig. Horse. Tiger! As she completed the final seal, Katsu took a deep breath, using his pointer finger and thumb to create a funnel like shape. When Katsu finally did exhale, a single fireball about a meter in diameter flew forward to Inoki. She couldn't defeat Shikawa alone and she had hoped the single attack would free her capture friend. Shikawa hadn't expected such an attack and managed to come throw himself between the fireball and Inoki. He attempted to perform his original technique, the Shuriken Defense Jutsu one again, but he hadn't given the shuriken enough time to expand. Just as the weapon was at about half of its full size, the fireball connected, sending Shikawa flying backwards directly into his teammate. Inoki's momentary loss in concentration allowed for Kiyoshi to flip to his feet and follow up with another Leaf Hurrican directly to Shikawa's chest. The extra two blows blew the child back once more, slamming his head hard enough directly into the brick gate surrounding the complex that he passed out.
Inoki jumped back, cracking her knuckles in anticipation. Kiyoshi rushed forward once more, performing the clone technique and splitting into three separate entities. Each descended upon Inoki from different angles and all the jumped high into the air to perform one final technique.
Inoki took a deep breath and extended her arm. From the palm of her hand extended a thin wire of chakra that attempted to lasso the middle of the three Kiyoshi's. Within the last few minutes of battle, Inoki had managed to comprehend the Chakra Rope Technique, another forbidden jutsu known by the Hidden Leaf. Luckily for Kiyoshi, she chose incorrectly, causing the apparition to fade away. However, the attack forced her off balance and left her completely open, allowing for Kiyoshi to perform his favorite technique, the Leaf Hurricane. She too suffered a similar fate as her friend, landing unconscious against the brick wall.
Katsu managed to look over to the scroll. Inoki had been reading the Impure World Resurrection Jutsu, a forbidden technique of the highest caliber. She obviously wouldn't have been able to perform the jutsu as it stood, but Katsu and Kiyoshi agreed that it was perhaps best Inoki hadn't learned the requirements for such an evil and powerful move.
"Let's just go home," Kiyoshi sighed, breathing rather heavily. Inoki had managed to drain a significant amount of chakra from the boy and he felt it nearly impossible to master the Shadow Clone Jutsu with such low remaining chakra. Katsu nodded in agreement as Kiyoshi closed the scroll and hung it over his back.
Omake #1
Katsu: Hey Kiyo?
Kiyoshi: Yes Katsu-san?
Katsu: You have some pretty big shoes to fill. I mean… well you're like the Naruto of our story aren't you?
Kiyoshi: And what does that make you? Sasuke?
Katsu: I never thought of that. Though, my did is pretty cool. Anyway, if you're Naruto, you'll need a catch phrase.
Kiyoshi: Oh, like Ttebayo or Believe it?
Katsu: Exactly!
Kiyoshi: Hmm… CHA!
Katsu: What was that?
Kiyoshi: It was my mom's catch phrase… I think I want to be the Sakura of the team- super strength and medical ninjutsu!
Katsu: Sakura is kind of cool. She didn't do much in part one though.
Kiyoshi: My mom is amazing! She's head of the medical corps in Konoha and part of the second generation of Sannin. Besides, I think you're the Naruto of the group. Smart, strong, stubborn- you're Naruto to a "T."
Katsu: Maybe… I'm not really moody enough to be my dad am I? Maybe our teammate will be the dark and mysterious avenger type. And our sensei, well as long as it's not Shikamaru-sensei I don't care. He scares me.
Kiyoshi: Me too. Anyway, I hope we get Choji-sensei. Choya's dad is so nice.
Katsu: Choya's dad doesn't fight anymore; he's a Peace Ambassador for the Land of the Fire remember? Besides, he's kind of chubby.
Choji: Did you just say chubby?
Kiyoshi: Ch-Choji-sensei? How did you get in here!?
Choji: I'll show you who doesn't fight anymore! Human Boulder!