Treacherous Misinformation, Chapter Two: Affrettando
Naruto looked over his new Genin, and took careful note of their appearance and gear. He was still new to the whole Jonin sensei thing, and wanted to make sure he could pick them out in a crowd.
The first two Genin are Naomi and her brother Hiroki, both are orphans. Takeo, the third Genin, comes from a family of refugees from Earth Country.
Takeo is the biggest, and has messy hair the colour of dry grass. He's muscular, with a very bulky look. His clothes are simple, and consists of a dirty brown tunic and a ratty pair of pants. He has no shoes, and his headband is worn like a bandana. He carries his supplies in a leather over-the-shoulder bag.
Hiro was a little over a head shorter, and had black well groomed hair. He has a hungry look in his dark green eyes, and a smug look on his slightly gaunt face. He wore dark green jinbei with a Konoha symbol on the back, the jacket part was open and he was wearing a sarashi underneath. His headband was worn like an armband, and he had the usual ninja sandals. He wore a simple backpack.
Naomi was the shortest, and was rather wiry. She has hazel eyes, and black hair. She wore a brown gi and off white hand wraps, her headband was worn like an actual headband. She had wrappings on her feet instead of shoes. Her bag was large, and made for hiking.
Naruto had spent the past week evaluating them, and had deemed them ready to be Genin. He decided to skip the typical D-Rank mission nonsense and immediately began training them to be Chuunin. He made a request to take them on an extended training trip. The Hokage was initially against the idea, but relented after a bit of political finagling. Political skills are more useful than kunai if you know how to wield them, and Naruto learned from a master.
As we walked out of the village, Naruto began his lessons. "Hiro, have you been working on those techniques I gave you?" He nodded. "I haven't mastered them just yet, but I think I'd be comfortable using them in battle."
Naruto smirked, and pulled out his file. "Alright, I've added both the jutsu to your official list." Hiroki looked nervous. "Why haven't you told me their names yet?" Naruto looked back at him. "Remember when I told you that pride was your biggest weakness? Well, this is my solution. The two jutsu are really useful, and are the most powerful you know."
Hiroki frowned, but Naruto kept on talking. "Both jutsu involve channelling lightning chakra into your hands. In the first jutsu the chakra is extended out of the first two fingers on either hand, and in the second the chakra is pooled in your palms. Though simple to cast, they are extremely useful."
Hiroki rolled his eyes. "I know, you told me this already... What are their names!" Naruto replied in total deadpan. "Silly Kitty Ticklebelly and Happy Rainbow Sparkle, respectively."
Hiroki stopped. "...Why? Oh why, are they called that?" Naruto stopped as well. "Because no matter what happens after this point, your weakness is not going to be an issue. If you accept the jutsu as is, and call them out during battle it shows that you can do your job even if your pride gets in the way.
If you refuse to use the jutsu because of their names, then every single time a situation comes up in which they would be useful you will be reminded of exactly why pride is a weakness."
Hiroki nodded. "Good move, but what if I just rename the jutsu? Flash Point, and Demon Spark are perfectly good and fitting names for them. I could also just not call their names when I use them"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but that doesn't change the fact that you are using the jutsu in question, which are infamous around Konoha and are registered jutsu.
If you do learn to use jutsu without calling them then I still win, because that is a habit you all need to break anyway. I'd just have to come up with a new plan later. Just face it kid, no matter what you do, I win. Which means you lose. The only thing you can do now is pick your poison."
Hiroki said nothing, but he didn't really need to. Naruto stopped again just before they reached the next town. He directed his Genin down a less travelled byroad. When they were suitably out of sight Naruto ordered Takeo to make a doorway using his earth jutsu.
Once that was done they walked in, and found themselves in a hallway. "This, is the hall of doors. Stay close to me, one wrong move and you'll be lost forever. I have business here, my old master owes me a favour." They walked down the hall for what seemed an eternity, doors of every conceivable size and shape lined the walls. Eventually they came across a door that was made of leather and stone.
Naruto faced am earthenware bowl next to the door, then spoke. "In order to gain audience with the Firebringer, we must each give up some thing of great value." Naruto reached into his shirt and pulled out a lock of pink hair. "I give: A token of love." He put the trinket in the bowl, and it burst into flames. He then walked in the door.
Hiroki walked up with a sullen look on his face. "I give: My pride." He made a few seals. "Happy Rainbow Sparkle!" The ball of electricity turned into a beautiful crystal with a foul blemish in its core. He placed it in the bowl, and it burst into flames. He was granted entry.
Naomi was next, and she stood in front of the bowl for a while thinking. She shuffled stuff around in her bag, and pulled out a scrapbook. "I give: A memory of happier times." She dropped a picture of her and Hiroki into the bowl, it burst into flames and she was allowed entry.
Takeo, thinking he was alone stepped up to the bowl. With a wistful smile he pulled a filthy, tattered, and beaten rabbit with button eyes out of his sack. "I give: An old friend." The sacrifice was accepted, and he was let in.
Finally there was me. I moved out of the shadows, and approached the bowl. I of course have to buy my way in as well, luckily I am allowed a bit more freedom in this dreamworld. A chance to stretch the old legs out, feel the ground under my paws. I pulled myself up near the bowl so my snout is nearly touching it. "I give: A secret that nobody knows." I whispered it into the bowl, and as I did my breath turned to into a golden wine which then burst into flames.
I sauntered into the now open door, and just in time to hear the introductions! Naruto looked to his master, and then to his students. "Kids, this is Coyote. He's an old god." Coyote smirked from upon his throne as he took in his student's wards. No doubt plotting something, sneaky old bastard that he is.
Naomi looked in awe at the being in front of them. "An... Old god?" Naruto nodded. "Yes, they are gods whose last priests have died out but still live as shadows. However Coyote-sama is different. He found a pool of untapped belief to drink from. He is effectively the god of dreams, though that was never his domain."
Coyote was a bit miffed at this. "What is a dream, but a lie we tell ourselves?" Naruto looked him straight in the eye. "That's what makes him dangerous kids. He can blur the lines between truth and fiction. He is the Trickster. A being of grey in a black and white world. His domain is the twilight, the grey between two extremes. He is neutrality given flesh. The bridge between chaos and order, black and white, good and evil... life and death."
Coyote smiled his toothy smile in response to his student's words. "You always had such a way with words young one. No doubt you got that from my foolish nephew." I let the insult pass, if only because I didn't want the kids to spot me.
Hiroki looked at Coyote for a while. "So... Is he a dog?" Coyote's tail bristled ever so slightly, the young one will one day look back at this moment and the full weight of what he just did will come to him. I just wish I can see his face when that happens! My uncle calmed himself, and spoke to him in a chiding tone. "No, I am not a dog. I am a coyote. The American Jackal, the Prairie Wolf, Canis Latrans..."
The kids looked at each other will dull expressions. Naruto smiled awkwardly. "They don't know any of those words. They mean nothing to them." Coyote frowned, clearly at a loss to explain what he is to them. Naruto sighed. "He's like a half fox half wolf." The kids all nodded, and Naruto smiled. Coyote smiled too, but his smile was not a happy smile. It was a warning.
Naruto apologized, and explained to him that it really is the best way to explain what he is to them. Naruto bowed before Coyote. "I want you to bestow your favour upon the young ones." Coyote looked at them once more. "Why should I? Are you claiming a boon, or is this a trade?"
Naruto smirked. "Nothing of the sort. This is an investment opportunity! You see, these Genin are going places. They'll be heroes one day, people will believe in them. This is an opportunity to make a comeback, to officially claim this place. You'll be Coyote of the Dreaming, but only if your story is told. One day, someone will write of this day. Through their writings you will be given life once more."
Coyote thought about this for a time, but eventually relented. He loved stories of himself more than anything. Coyote approached Takeo, and gave him his eyes. He then moved on to Hiroki, and gave him his tongue. Then he trotted over to Naomi, to whom he gave his teeth. After that he moved to Naruto, and gave his nose. Finally, he approached me and gave his ears.
Coyote smiled a toothless grin, and told us without speaking that we will leave our original parts here when we leave. We left Coyote's den with our favours, and made our way through the hall of doors. The training had yet to truly start, this was just preparation.
With the Chuunin exam over a year away, the kids have a long journey ahead of them.