"Wassup?"-speaking

Wassup?-thinking

Anything in Japanese is probably a title, a ninja rank, a word like "Hokage", or a technique.

Konoha wasn't all that impressive at first sight. Of course, that might have something to do with the "improvements" someone had made upon the Hokage Monument. The most symbolic place in the village, and someone apparently got away with painting... interesting things on it. Apparently someone in the village did have talent. Hopefully, this person had a young, impressionable mind.

As I walked the streets, I became aware of two ninjas following me. They think they're undetectable. I'll let them have their fun for now. I had more important things to do, like finding who painted the mountain in broad daylight.

All I saw was a flash of orange. A minute later, two ninjas landed in front of me. After a few seconds of looking around, one of them turned to me and said, "Did a boy in orange come this way?"

"Yes," I replied. Pointing to the mountain, I asked "Is he the one who did that?" I received a nod in response. "What is his name?"

"Uzamaki Naruto, academy student."

The jônin became blurs as they ran off in search of the orange-clad ninja-in-training. It was time to ditch my stalkers. I strolled through the streets until I came upon the market. Once I had thoroughly lost myself in the crowd I stopped, took off my jacket and removed my colored contact lenses. I found an alleyway where I stashed my jacket and went to the ninja academy to wait.

The school day was over. Children were streaming out of the academy building like water from a hose, and I watched them. But the last student came and went, and there was no orange to be found. I waited. More than an hour later he came out, accompanied by a tan man with brown hair and a scar across his face. They spoke for a few minutes, then parted ways. This was my chance. I ran over, grabbed the boy, gagged him with my hand, and leapt away. When we arrived at a suitably deserted area I stopped and put him down. He proceeded to scream at me.

"Who the hell do you think you are, kidnaping the future Hokage like that? I oughta-"

"Be silent."

It was good to see I could still quiet such a loud person with two words and a look. It was somewhat amusing to hear the blonde midget rant, but I had business with him.

"How did you do it?"

He stared blankly at me.

"How did you paint the mountain without being noticed?"

"Well what do you expect from the future Hokage? I'm the best there is!"

I heaved a sigh at his idiocy. "I'm not very impressed. There are many people who could do that. What I want to know is exactly how you did it."

"Well, I just ran up the path to the top of the monument and got in the pulley-cart that lowered me down the face of the mountain so I could paint it. I had to go around the guards, though."

This, however, did impress me. The way he instinctually found the only route around the guards and somehow built a pulley system to lower himself down the face of the mountain was unexpected from someone so young. There were a few more things I needed to know.

"Naruto. That is your name, yes?" At his nod I continued. "Do you know what you are being trained to do?"

"I'm training to protect the village and beat up all the bad guys!" If not for my mental training, I surely would've cried at his stupidity. I settled for sighing and pushing the issue. "Do you know what protecting the village entails?"

He looked at me like I was stupid. "I just said what it means. I have to beat up the bad guys so they'll go away."

"No, Naruto. Ninjas are killers. Hired assassins. You send the 'bad guys' away in boxes so they don't come back."

"But killing is for bad people! Killing is for monsters. I'll never kill anyone, believe it!"

"Then quit. Quit the academy, don't become a ninja. If you are not willing to kill for your village, you will never be able to protect it. You think they teach you about the 8 points that are the easiest way to kill someone with a blade so that you can miss them? Even if you wish to be Hokage, you must kill many. Or, you can be a part of a recon squad. You will be asked to obtain information and capture enemies alive. However, it is much harder to capture than kill, and the only way to obtain that level of skill is to leave a trail of rubble and corpses. Remember this: the only monsters are those who enjoy killing. On the other hand, those who hate killing and only seek to temporarily incapacitate the enemy will not last long in battle. You must learn to emotionally detatch yourself from your job. Laugh, love, frown, and hate on your own time. When you have a mission, you are a machine. Now I ask you, are you willing to do this?"

Naruto trembled. I was obviously scarier than I intended. Finally he replied "Yes. Yes I am."

"Good. I will train you in the true way of the ninja. It is rare that even after having the job explained to them that an academy student that they are willing to continue. Under my tutelage you will become an excellent ninja."

The small one was nearly jumping up and down with excitement. "So I'm gonna be super-powerful?"

"No."

He looked like he had been slapped.

"You will become an excellent ninja. You have natural stealth abilities, and I will teach you how to use them properly. I will teach you the art of glorified murder. Speed, physical strength, and skill with weapons will be yours. You will be a true ninja."

With that I disappeared into the shadows of the forest and went into town to find a place to stay, ignoring Naruto's demands to come back and take him back to the village. He can find his own way.

I smiled. I had found my student.