There was a knock on his door. He wasn't sure why, but it had to be important. No one ever went to see Naruto unless it was. Which just meant he was even more confused to see an anbu waiting for him. According the the masked ninja, the Hokage really wanted to see him. Was it because he purposely failed his exam mere hours ago? Maybe. Though he was sure the Old man would understand. He put his hand on the pocket where the bells still sat. They were a bitter reminder.
He shook his head as he hurried after the cat masked anbu. It honestly didn't matter anymore. What was done was done. Though he better find that guy, Kakashi was his name right? Yeah Kakashi. He better find him and return the bells when he could. No use in keeping them. Nor was there a reason to be bitter about going back to the academy… again. Seriously he knew he could pass now. Right? Use the shadow clones instead of the normal ones and he was set. Well and maybe freshen up on his throwing and taijutsu. The Hokage my not see him as a frontline fighter, but he still had to defend himself right? Though it also meant he had to wait longer before he could learn any cool or flashy jutsus. That was a drag in and of itself.
The sound of knocking took him out of his thoughts. He blinked in confusion at the door to the Old man's office. They had already made it over here? Wow, how fast time goes when you aren't paying attention. They were almost immediately given permission to answer. Of course upon entering the aged leader give a simple gesture which apparently was an order for the anbu to leave and close the door. Even so though Naruto noticed he wasn't alone with his surrogate grandfather.
In front of the Hokage's desk standing to one side was his former prospective teacher Kakashi. He probably recently reported the teams failure which explained why he was here. It would also make the returning of the bells easier too. However that didn't the two people flanking the desk. He didn't really know them. Though he was sure he had seen the one on his left around the village before.
The one on his left was a woman with purple hair pulled into kind of a pineapple style haircut. She had a dango stick between her teeth and was looking both curious and bored. She wore a tanned trenchcoat… and not much else. Would a mesh style armor body suit and a short skirt that didn't even make it to mid-thigh really be considered a proper outfit? Sure the suit wasn't exactly see through but… She was also wearing shin armor and sandals so it wasn't like she didn't know about protecting herself right? But then again it looked like an outfit like that would draw a lot of attention from perverts and didn't women hate perverts and want to hurt them? The poor blonde was very confused.
He turned his attention to the other figure and saw a very large man. He had scars on his face. One going from his left eyebrow down to his chin, and the other from the bottom of his right eye down his cheek. He also wore the tradition head protector but the band was more like a bandana covering the top of head completely. Where the woman wore very little he wore a lot. Under his black trench coat was what appeared to be a thin button up jacket or thick shirt that were a greyish blue, and pants of the same color. While his counterpart was bored looking he was very much a stoic stone. Just watching the blonde as he took in the room. It was kinda… okay it was VERY intimidating.
"Hey gr- er Hokage sir, you wanted to talk to me?" He asked. He didn't know why, but he felt that called the Hokage by his usual greeting wasn't a good thing. He even felt himself straighten his stance a bit.
"Be at ease Naruto. No need to get formal here." the Old man said with a light chuckle which put the young boy at ease. "But yes I did. Kakashi here tells me you kept his bells to yourself."
"Yes I did, which reminds me." He took the bells out of his pocket and tossed them to the masked man… who was reading that orange book. What was that anyway? "I was going to return them tomorrow but this saves me the trouble."
"Naruto I heard Kakashi's report but I wish to know, why did you keep the bells after taking them? Why did you keep the fact that you even had them a secret from your team?" the Hokage asked in an even tone. There was nothing upset or even disappointed about the tone. Just a simple calm voice of a commander asking for a report from a subordinate. It made Naruto a little nervous.
"I did it for the same reason the teacher brought them. Because it was a test. I knew that it was to test our teamwork, but I still wanted to show that it was simple to pass either way. So thats why I did my ploy to take the bells, but let everyone else believe Kakashi still had them. So that we could act as a team to atleast try and get the ones on our tester's belt. If we had failed to do it I was going to reveal that I had them then give them each one."
Naruto frowned but refused to look away from the Old man's face and eyes. He did nothing wrong and wasn't going to hide anything. "That didn't happen. I tried several times to get them to work with me, but they refused every time. Hell Sakura did nothing the whole test. Besides hide under a bush and faint. Not at the same time, but…" he shrugged as everyone else shook their head. "Because of that, despite knowing the choice that would let us pass… I couldn't do it. It wouldn't have been right, and I doubt we could have worked together. Thats why I made the three of us fail."
As he finished his report, he watched his surrogate grandfather nod with a small smile on his wrinkled lips. "Ah but my boy, you didn't fail. Only your team did. You after all completed both parts of the test." All Naruto could do was stare at him with confusion and surprise. "You both attempted teamwork AND took the bells. Meaning you passed, though I will want a complete written version of how you did it as well as all the traps you laid out. Later of course."
"Of course, Gramps. But… I thought… I was planning to…"
"I know Naruto. You accepted the consequences of your actions and showed an initiative that few would do. Few could have done what you did. And fewer would have made the decision you did with your reasoning. For that fact I am letting you pass with an apprenticeship."
That drove the blonde for a loop. He was still going to be a ninja? He was going to be rewarded, but… The smile that wanted to grow on his face died. "Thank you sir, but isn't that a little unfair? I know my team wasn't much of a, well… team. But…"
"No buts Naruto. As the Hokage I can decide these things. And You DID achieve the objective. In a creative manner. Kakashi has also given his recommendation that you should pass. As such you will."
"Does that mean that Kakashi will be my teacher?"
"No." Naruto could have sworn he saw the silver haired ninja stiffen as he looked up from his book. "It is unfortunate, as I'm sure he would love to teach you. However some of his abilities are required to teach Sasuke, when he hopefully graduates next year." Now the masked man was sagging a bit. That was odd. "Instead that is why these two are here." the Hokage continued gesturing to the two people flanking him.
"Anko Mitarashi," the now named woman looked at the Hokage in shock and confusion. "And Ibiki Morino." The man just nodded in understanding.
"But gramps, I thought I was suppose to be a stealth specialist. Sneaking in and setting traps. The big guy doesn't like like thats what he does."
"That is correct kid. My specialty is interrogation and information flow." The large man said with a smile. "Though I further specialize in psychological warfare."
"Psycho-"
"He messes with people's heads." Kakashi offered having returned to his book.
"Oh. What use is all that?" the blonde asked curiously.
"Its my job to get information from captured enemy ninja by any means necessary. As well as make sure any village secrets aren't leaked out for our enemies to learn them. The mind games just make it so I can get enemies to do what I want them to do by making them think what I want them to think."
Naruto nodded to himself as he assimilated the knowledge. So it… 'So its like making something there are ten people with you when its just you? Or making them think they drank a poison when its normal water?"
"In a way. Yes. Those are… possible examples. I am most likely here because as an infiltration specialist you will need to know how to collect and defend information. Such things are more valuable than gold in our line of work. And sometimes the only way to get it is from the mouth of others. It is not nice and what I will teach you is not for the faint of heart. You will need to know both how to break someone and NOT be broken in return incase you are captured and interrogated." That made the young blonde gulp. That didn't sound pleasant.
"Wait hold on. That means he will be mostly my apprentice?!" The purple haired woman called out, turning toward the Hokage who nodded. "No way. Huh uh. Not happening. I am not going to hold the hand of a snot nosed brat that happened to get lucky. Good or not, he is a kid. I'm not interested in babysitting." Okay, that was unneeded.
Naruto felt a vein pop up on his head. However before he could retort Sarutobi spoke first. "Anko, you heard of all the pranks that happened right?"
"Yeah but the brat was caught most times."
"But almost never by his pursuers." the Hokage clarified causing the woman to nod reluctantly. "And he was caught AFTER the fact. Which means that during his approach and setting up, he was pretty much NEVER caught."
"So? Like I said just because the boy has some skill-"
"He also stole the forbidden scroll from this very office remember?"
"Even so he was still spotted by the patrols."
"Actually no he was not. I happened to walk by and saw him by accident. He then escaped from me… and it was sometime before I could raise the alarm."
"Why is that?"
It was time for Naruto to shine. "Because I did this. SEXY JUTSU!" He crowed activating his ultimate self-made jutsu, turning into a tall, curvy, nude woman with twin blonde pigtails and smoke covering his naughty bits. The boy turned girl winked at the group and blew a kiss at the hokage. The Old man stood no chance as he collapse with a blood leaking from his nose. From the corner of his eye he noticed the same happened to Kakashi who had looked up from his book.
The only ones left standing were Anko, which made sense since she was a girl, who looked between the Hokage and Kakashi with a look of shock, and Ibiki who just looked him up and down once before nodding. The giant man wasn't blushing, bleeding out of the nose, or anything. That was very odd.
"Such a huge effect from such a weak technique." Anko mentioned… that tick mark reappeared on naruto's head.
'What do you mean weak?" He demanded with a pout on his lips.
"Oh don't get like that. You are still a kid so you don't fully know the powers with which you are playing. But you suddenly have a lot more potential." The grin she shot his way made him shiver with foreboding. "I bet you did a fair amount of research to find out what you did. And it's quite good for an amateur into the arts of sex appeal. Maybe I'll take you on after all."
"What? Why? I thought you didn't want to babysit?"
"That was back when you were just some brat playing stealth expert. Now you are a gem that needs polish. But first we need to get you out of the rock you're stuck in. Namely your orange jumpsuit."
The surprise must have been written all over his face because the woman smiled wider and walked forward. "Come on you had to know something like that had to go eventually? I don't care how good you are at stealth with that thing. Just imagine what you could do without it."
"But I haven't been able to get anything else for years. I've tried." He tied to argue.
"Really? Well than as my apprentice the first thing to do is to is get you some proper clothes." Than she wrapped an arm around his back and brushed the bottom of his breast which felt very odd. It also seemed to confuse the woman.. "Brat… why am I not wrapping an arm around your shoulder?"
"Because this form is taller." He replied.. wisely not adding on the duh that hung in the air.
"I can see that. But seeing how the transformation is just an illusion…"
"Kakashi did say that he had shadow clones henge into bells and never felt the difference." Ibiki commented still sounding unaffected.
"What do you mean illusion? I've always done it this way. Doesn't everyone else?"
The two still conscious adults shared a look then a nod. "Alright brat drop you jutsu so we can go shopping. we will discuss it later. I want to train you with it anyway."
"Umm okay" was his intelligent response as he dropped his transformation. His… teacher's arm settled onto his shoulders and she began to lead him out.
"Much better. Ibiki please explain the situation in case the Hokage wants to see me and my apprentice alright?" She called over her shoulder as they walked towards the door.
"I will. just don't break him too quickly." Ibiki replied sounding far too amused for Naruto's liking.
"Where is the fun in that?" Why was she smiling like that? What was she planning to do to him?
AS the door closed behind them and they started down the stares the poor blonde couldn't help but wonder… just what it was he got himself into?
