Famous, but Nameless: Memoirs of a True Ninja
A Three Part One-Shot on a true ninja about his "beginning", his "middle", and his "end"...
I see Naruto Uzumaki walk in and instantly know that he's done something to earn his place in the ranks. Smiling to myself I go back to the book I've been reading. However a gathering of chakra pulls me from it seconds late, "Iruka-sensei is here…"
Shutting the book and putting it away as I watch him come in via body flicker, "Quiet!" He yells and the class instantly shuts up, "Now today we're here to divide you into teams as you enter into the world of ninja."
I drown out his speech in favor of continuing my book, "… Team 1…" My name is called along with three others and I can only smile at the names called with mine. We went through the training to become secondary Genin together and have a very close bond.
"Alright… Now we'll have an hour break for lunch." He pauses, "Use this as a time to get to know each other better."
My teammates quickly join me, "I guess Uzumaki made it after all…" The other guy in my team says. He's small, agile, and pretty dangerous in mid-range, "Good… He's a good kid at heart like my mom says... Naruto's just a little flakey."
I can only nod in agreement, "Too bad he got paired with those two…" My female teammate says. She plays the traditional female role only she's dangerous hand to hand, "She'll distract him and Sasuke will overshadow him for a while."
That's an assumption that has base, but I wouldn't count on it, "We'll see… I just wonder who our Jounin will be." I hear a window being opened and we quickly assume a defensive formation, "Not her…"
The woman who did our training, "Yeah… I'm your Jounin, so if you got a problem you can quit now!" She scowls, "But good reaction time." Her smile turns dangerous, "Now follow me and we'll discuss what your first mission will be." She puffs away and we do the same knowing exactly where she's going…
Ichiraku Ramen Bar…
With cleaned up bowls in front of us we wait for her to finish, "Our first mission is a C-rank Escort to Mountain Country." She tosses us each a scroll, "There are the parameters meet at the West gate at 0600 hours."
We unravel the pieces of paper and read them over, "Well you guys… This is it." I smile and let them stand up with me, "Showtime." We put our hands in the middle and leave all at once in a puff of smoke…
The Next Day at the West Gate...
Our gear is at our sides in our sealing scrolls, "Alright you're all here on time." Our Jounin looks us over, "Now we just have to wait for our client and we can be on our way."
For ten minutes we stand at attention until our client arrives, "Hello I'm guess you're all who's taking me to my home?" We nod and he smiles, "Alright let's head out." We leave the village ready for the journey ahead of us…
Somewhere in Mountain Country…
As we go along our course the sun is shining and there's not a cloud in the sky. However I keep on alert for anything out of the ordinary. Like the mass of weak presences huddled above us with a vile aura and I sigh, "You know what to do."
My male teammate makes hand seals and blows a small fireball at the mass. Screams come from the mass and our Jounin instructor looks at us, "How did you know that they were thugs? What if they had been foreign ninja?"
I laugh, "I can sense power levels and auras… Their power level together didn't equal one of us and they're auras were vile." She nods and we continue on with our guest feeling a little more confident in our abilities…
In Peak Village…
"Well you four I thank you for your services… If you'd like to you can stay the night in our village." We politely decline the offer and go on our way...
Back in the mission hall of Konoha…
"Good job Team One." Hiruzen Sarutobi says with a smile, "You delivered the client safely and managed to even take out a local bandit group." He hands an envelope to our Jounin and she distributes the money to us, "Now take a week to train before coming back for another C-Rank mission."
Iruka looks up at me smiling and the Hokage waves his hand, "You're dismissed." In a giant puff of smoke we leave…
Training Ground One…
"Keep it moving! I want to see you guys fight until you can't anymore!" I continue to trade blows with the female of our team and eventually she falls, "Alright break time!" The sadist known as our Jounin says and I help her up over to a shady spot.
"You alright?" I ask and she nods before smiling, "Alright she needs a blow… Come on pretty boy!" My male teammate scowls at the comment before lining up from me, "No ninjutsu pure taijutsu… Besides a shiner will make you look tougher."
He grunts and my instructor blows a whistle, "Go!" We settle into our respective stances and he comes at me from an angle. I block the feint he always starts with before grabbing his foot and throwing him away.
Collecting himself he prepares for round two, "Come on pusscakes." I say and we go at each other at full speed. Punches and kicks are blocked until he begins to fatigue, "Seriously someone needs more conditioning."
I sweep him off his feet with a kick and help him up, "Now come at me with all you got left." I begin to feel tired, but push through the desire to stop. We dance around each other's blows until I land a solid roundhouse to his head.
He flies back into a tree, "I'm alright…" He says groaning, "How about you take on someone a little above your level?"
I nod and my teacher lines up from me, "Kid… You better be better than last time we sparred."
"Oh you don't have to worry about that mess happening again." I remember that time and shudder, "25 percent and work up." She nods and charges at me quickly, but I can pick up her punch coming to my gut, "Alright 50." I redirect it her weight and she quickly handsprings away."
She smirks and comes at me a lot faster, "Shit!" I quickly adjust my speed and find myself being backed into a corner, but somehow I catch her off guard with a rising swallow kick. She somersaults back and she smiles the smile, "I'm guessing I'm fuck…"
A blow to my stomach makes me cough up my lunch, "I knew you'd do that." Shaking my head in defeat and wiping my mouth off, "Now I'm going to rinse out my mouth…"
Nodding at me and backing away I grab my canteen and swish around water before spitting out the bile, "Alright kids go home and get some rest." We don't even have the energy to body flicker and we stagger our separate ways…
That Night…
I finish the page in my journal and close the book before concealing it, "This is going to be an interesting journey for us all… Hopefully we make it through." Sighing to myself and turning out the light I head to my bed…
7 AM the Next Morning…
We stand at attention as our Jounin paces back and forth, "You three seem to be very in tune with one another…" She smiles, "That's good because today we're doing something a little more individual."
I feel a groan coming out from me, but stuff it before it can begin, "Today we're going to do a survival exercise." She reaches into her hip pouch and pulls out three flags, "Capture the flag… First one to capture the other two flags wins… Once your flag is stolen you lose and have to do conditioning until the time is over or someone wins."
All three of us gulp at the conditions as she hands us our flags, "Ready?" We prepare ourselves for a long day before she yells, "GO!" In an instant we've scattered and I know the others have opened up their chakra senses.
Their auras shifted from friendly to excited, "Now… I'll pick on pretty boy first." Hiding my signature the best I can I make my way over to him quietly. However I notice he's not casting a shadow meaning, "Clone!"
I spin around and put an iron grip on his hand, "Nice try." I throw him down before grabbing his flag, "That was too easy…" I feel relaxed and begin to let my thoughts wander, "Genjutsu! Release!"
The fog over my mind clears and I'm in the same spot, but I see my female teammate across from me, "Almost had you… I shouldn't have added in that last part until later." She smirks before cracking her knuckles, "I'll just have to beat your flag out of you."
Quickly I grab a kunai from my holster to combat her style, "Great…" Channeling chakra to fortify the weapon I prepare for her onslaught of chakra scalpels. She charges at me hands blazing with chakra.
I duck down to avoid her first blow and sweep her feet away. She tries to plant with her hands forgetting she still has the jutsu active and the branch begins to plummet down. I jump off of the branch and stick to the tree.
She lies down there knocked out, "Or is she?" I create and illusionary clone to take my place and as soon as it reaches her she swipes, "Knew she was still awake!" I smirk knowing that her attack has been weakened with another use.
Her face shows signs of fatigue and I hit top speed to phase behind her, "Take a blow before she finds you." I grab her flag from her hip pouch and she sighs. I body flicker away in the direction of my other teammate…
I see him crouching on a branch above me waiting to execute an ambush, "Nice try pretty boy…" I hear him sigh in annoyance and he jumps down in front of me, "Now come at me with all you got pusscakes."
His eyebrow twitches in annoyance before he comes at me with his full speed. I catch his haymaker and redirect his weight grabbing his flag while he falls down to the ground, "I'm done!"
Out of nowhere our Jounin appears with my female teammate, "Good job kid… Now all three of you tell me what you did well and what you did not so well." We take seats and think for a second.
Since nobody else wanted to start I take the lead, "I fell into a genjutsu… Had that been an enemy with that kind of time I would've been dead." My instructor nods, "Also I knew there was an ambush and was sloppy about how I dealt with it."
She smiles, "Good… You're free to go." In a puff of smoke I leave to go to my secret training spot…
I feel the cold water of the waterfall rush down on me and can only exhale. Eventually I forget about it and focus only on my chakra. I almost empty my reservoirs trying to break the waterfall's powerful current with a small stone spire.
Opening my eyes I quickly get out from underneath the frigid waterfall and into a warm blanket before using a little of my chakra to warm up my body, "Feels good doesn't it?"
I turn around to face the Third Hokage, "Hokage-sama." I go to kneel and he laughs before motioning me to get up.
"I can tell you're a very bright young Genin… You have an extraordinary talent many sensor types' envy." He smiles at me, "However I can tell you work on many other facets of the ninja arts." His eyes narrow, "Most people don't learn nature manipulation until they're a Jounin…"
I feel his aura shift to friendly to dangerous, "Hold on! I can explain!" His aura changes dramatically, "I'm not a plant if that's what you're thinking…"
"Please tell me then where you developed such tremendous talent…" The Hokage's voice is impatient and I can sense his ANBU squads coming close.
"My mother left me a scroll before she died… It contained everything she and my father knew." I pull out the scroll and open it, "But if you think I'm giving up one of the last things I have of them… You're wrong."
Rolling up the scroll and stowing it in my hip pouch his aura softens and so does his face, "So you are telling the truth… ANBU you're dismissed." I feel them vanish somewhere else far away, "Why didn't you display such talent before?"
I sigh, "Because that would draw attention to me… And believe it or not I hate attention because it creates conflict." I dryly laugh, "And even though I'm a ninja and it will always happen… I continue it because I don't want to disappoint my mother or my father."
The Hokage nods, "I understand… However you shouldn't practice those kinds of things at your age… It's a very large strain on your chakra system."
Smirking at him, "I know that's why I always leave a little in my system that way I can keep building my strength… One thing my mother said was I can't expect to get better leaving nothing in the tank." I look up at the stars outside, "I know my limits… I test them every once in a while when I can afford a few days off."
He sighs "Alright… Just make sure you stay safe and don't die…" He smiles at me, "I want to see you in a Chuunin vest by the end of this year, not a casket."
I nod, "I'll make sure to try… I can't guarantee anything." In a large puff of smoke he leaves me and I can only wonder how they found me…
A few days later…
My team and I stand before the Hokage and Iruka waiting for out next mission, "Your next mission is a C-rank retrieval mission…" Iruka looks over the scroll, "You need to obtain a scouting report from our guards at the border."
We all nod before disappearing at the wave of the Hokage's hand…
Later that night after a day of travel…
Sitting by the campfire I wonder about the Hokage's words, "I want to see you in a Chuunin vest, not a casket…" Looking up at the stars I feel a warm breeze against my cheek, "I know mom… I need to keep going and keep my eyes on the prize."
Getting up off the log I go over and lay down in an attempt to get some sleep before my shift…
I stand in front of the guard tower and sigh in relief, "Finally we're here…" We enter into the tower and are greeted by the Konoha ninja.
My Jounin instructor goes with some of the Chuunin and comes back with a scroll marked with a symbol of the Leaf Village, "Alright kids… Let's head home." We leave the building and hit top speed to make it back home…
Back at the mission hall…
"Mission complete Hokage-sama." Handing the scroll to the Hokage my instructor is given a wad of cash she distributes amongst us, "May we leave?"
"Yes except for the tall one." I feel my lips frown and my team leaves me alone, "Iruka why don't you leave too…" Iruka looks at the Hokage confused before doing as he's told. Making hand seals the Hokage shifts us into his office, "Neat trick?"
I nod hesitantly, "Yes Hokage-sama." The clock on the wall ticks and I feel a tense feeling in the air begin to develop, "If this is about last night…"
He laughs, "No… This is about a promotion." I shake my head in disbelief, "Yes… I'm promoting you to Chuunin."
Something in me doesn't want to accept this, "With all due respect Hokage-sama… Why and what do you plan on doing with me?"
He lights his pipe and takes a drag, "I'm doing this so the village can make better use of your talents."
Throwing me a scroll he motions for me to read it, "ANBU Tracking Division? Sir to be honest I'm not ready for that lifestyle… And I've heard of what the ANBU can do to you… I don't want to become like that."
"You have no choice." He says sharply.
"Then I hereby resign from the ninja ranks…" I throw my headband down, "I have no intention of being told what to do by a man whose lost touch with reality."
His face turns dark, "I'll make sure you can never get a job, have no home, and have no money."
"Go ahead… I'd rather be considered a traitor to a corrupt system, than be a traitor to what I believe in." Turning away from him I take my leave…
That Night…
I pack my things in my apartment into my sealing scroll and leave nothing, but a note and an official scroll of resignation…
Ten Years Later…
"I knew this place back when it was a shithole..." My attention is drawn to the Hokage Mountain, "I see Naruto Uzumaki finally made Hokage." His face is on the stone wall, but the first three are missing, "Hmm… I guess Uzumaki realized how bad those bastards really were… But as I recall he loved the Third."
I teleport in my usual fashion…
"Naruto Uzumaki." I say as I appear in the Hokage's office, "Do you remember me?"
The blonde man nods, "I can never forget you… You were the one who beat Sasuke in the academy all the time and you always shared your lunch with me… And you left a note that I read one day while going through files of all Missing-Ninja."
He hands me the sheet of paper and I laugh, "I made that the night I graduated… I thought it would be funny to outline all of the original goals of people, so we could look back and laugh one day… Too bad a few of us can never make the reunion."
Naruto looks down, "I know…" He pulls out the bingo book, "So I saw you made SS-rank in the bingo book like me... How did you do it?"
I smile, "It's all in this book." I show him my journal, "It's a memoir if I return as a ninja I want this published…" Pausing for a second I think of a title, "Call it… Famous, but Nameless: Memoirs of a True Ninja."
The blonde man laughs, "I'll make sure to do that… Good luck as the Fourth Co-Head of ANBU."
"Who are the other three?" He smiles and they appear, "You guys…" In a flash I'm bear hugging the three of them, "I'm back." They return the hug and I know I'm back home where I truly belong…
END
Alright it was a little sappy at the end and a little unrealistic... There was a lot left out, but it's a One-Shot what do you expect? I made the whole team nameless because I thought it made the title make more sense... And call them overpowered, but honestly... I thought I did a bang up job.