A/N: Ohayo! To all of those that reviewed: thank you for taking the time to leave your thoughts behind, I really appreciate them! For those that have some lingering questions about the last chapter, I'll answer the few that I can without spoiling the rest of the story:
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(1) The reason that Shizune doesn't speak during Naruto's and Tsunade's interchange is because the Old Hag signaled her not too. Not only that, mainly it's because sometimes I will have to prioritize some characters over others, so even if they are in a group setting, I will highlight some, while others stay in the background. If nothing else, this allows me to concentrate more on the plot, especially during this first story, where I have to allow the main points of the plot to take root in your minds.
(2) As for the older version of Naruto, well, he has 15 years of information to impart, and seeing as he was the Hokage for one of those years, it would stand to reason that he would be well informed in many of the things that will happen, which mostly center around him, of course. After all, the first part of this story is based on the actions he takes and the changes he makes with that information.
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In any case, I should also say one more thing; Beware, as Naruto will be very powerful in this story. However, it will take him ten years of almost constant, supervised training to achieve this. This means that he will be able to match most Akatsuki members when he turns fifteen, which I don't think that the Naruto in cannon can do without Kyuubi's help.
For now I think that's all, so again, thank you all for reading! Enjoy this next chapter!
Chapter Two
Human Sacrifice
Gazing out at the panoramic view of the Hokage monument that her new office afforded her, she couldn't help but feel that a missing piece of her was finally found, such was the importance that a village made in a ninja's character and mind. It was home, and it was always welcoming after whatever struggles you could have encountered. And though only a few knew of her return, the trees that her grandfather placed all around the village when he created it seemed to, nonetheless, give her a warm welcome.
It took only a few days to reach Konoha after the newly named Nawaki asked her to take the position of Godaime Hokage. It irked her somewhat how easily she caved in his presence, but she understood that he just knew her that well, and knew what to do, and say, to make her accept.
The fact that she now had some memories of when he was twelve, when she had accepted the title during his time and later on in his life seemed to help, and she was certain that she would have declined the position had she not seen them. Those memories showed her and made her remember all that she had tried to repress along with making her realize what her own dream was. A dream that had died with her little brother and Dan, but one that Uzumaki Naruto had rekindled once more, even if it was trough memories that she hadn't truly experienced.
In a certain way, it was cheating that she already had proof that such a dream could become reality, but it also made her strive for it all the more. There was a young Naruto out there, one that needed some of her guidance to achieve his potential all the more quickly. It just made her wonder about the young boy and the difficulties he faced because of the village that he loved.
The Sandaime had filled her in on how harsh the boy's life was and filled the gaps about his future version as well. It was shameful how the village treated him, but she understood that her sensei was already doing everything he could, which was another reason why she decided to return. Memories of the state of affairs in Konoha when her future self had taken the leadership of the village had been swirling in her mind. The village had been a disaster then, and it was weakening now. Sarutobi had been too kind in his position and that caused the village to be unprepared and its inhabitants far too naïve.
It was a problem that she decided to fix and she was just itching to be announced as the Godaime to be able to give a few people a piece of her mind. Not to mention that the Council needed a good reminder of just who the head of the village was by whatever means necessary. Sarutobi-sensei had been pushed around for too long, what with wanting to keep everyone happy. Well, they would be in for quite a surprise, since she was not going to go easy on them. And if they didn't like it, well, they would just have to adapt or leave.
There was no place in Konoha for the weak, be it of mind, body or soul: especially within its leadership.
A knock interrupted her thoughts and she turned to see Shizune entering the office. It was quite spacious, and she had yet to take the time to arrange it to her liking, though she had at least prepared a little nook beside her desk for TonTon. It was also as Nawaki had said; after a few days with her old Sensei and current Hokage and she was almost completely up-to-date with all village affairs. Now she only had to check the records and rosters for the ninjas of each rank and their skills. In a week's time she would be more then ready to take up the post, knowing that her sensei would still be there to lend a hand whenever it was needed.
The old man was one of the greatest minds in the village, after all.
Besides, with a previous Hokage acting as an advisor, the two of them together held more power than the Council. That is, as long as both of them agreed, and Nawaki had seen that they would. Not for the first time in the history of the village would there be three Kages working together; past, present and future.
Just like when the village was first established.
Sighing, she just turned from the view to see that her attendant had the rosters for all the shinobi's of Konoha. Giving another mournful sigh, she resigned herself to her fate and just sat down with her apprentice and started to go over them. Taking notes on the Genin's and their teams along with the Chuunin's and Jonin's and what they specialized in. However, a part of her mind was still in the young man she just met a few days past.
Even if she didn't know any of his abilities, the fact that he had tamed such a powerful demon on his own and lived to tell the tale spoke greatly of his character. The fact that he could still smile after the life he has lived was nothing short of amazing. That he actually sacrificed what remained of his life so that his friends and his village could avoid what he suffered made him unique.
He would be an unacknowledged leader and his sacrifice would only be known by a few, and ultimately lost in history. He would be a Hokage that would slip through the fingers of memory and his deeds and accomplishments remain unrewarded. He would go without receiving the respect he and his actions deserved. Yet still, it was a willing sacrifice on his part, and one that he did without regret.
And for someone who has only wanted to be acknowledged, it was a sacrifice that few people could ever make.
However, he would leave a legacy and a way for his dreams to be fulfilled, and she knew that all the hope that he had, and all of his dreams would be given to a young Naruto to accomplish, even if the young vessel never knew of them. Nawaki had told her that he planed to train the young child to reach his potential so that he might surpass him and do what he, himself, could not accomplish.
She had a feeling that the young boy would be a force to be reckoned with, when the future blond was done.
Then again, she hadn't had the time to even see the boy and made herself a promise to go search for him before she was announced as the Fifth. She needed to see for herself, and without the villagers noticing who she was and what she would become, just what the boy had gone through. Moreover, she wanted to see and test his character; she needed to see if the determined boy from her new memories resided within the young vessel. She needed to know if her own dreams could be placed on his small shoulders.
Slowly, the hours passed and the records they were going through dwindled. Morning was coming to a close and she dearly wanted to get away from the damned paperwork. Sending a mild glare at Shizune, who just smirked at her and passed another log for her to read, she just resigned herself to finishing all of this as soon as possible.
One of the memories she received was of what happened when you ignore paperwork, after all.
Needless to say, it was not pretty. She shivered at the memory and tried to reconcile the yelling Shizune of the future (who looked extremely scary in the memory), and the quiet one that sat beside her. She wondered if it was because she was actually doing the work, but shook her head and just tried to erase the image of her apprentice looking that intimidating. She really didn't want to see the polite girl she raised in such a state, even if it was probably her fault that the young medic-nin was so frightening.
I raised her after all, she thought with no small amount of pride.
The Slug Tamer quickly turned back to her work, wanting to be done with it before lunch time while still absentmindedly thinking of the Time Traveler.
She marveled that he had developed such a technique, and once again thought about what a formidable opponent he probably was. Still, for whatever reason, she worried about him, maybe because of the memories she now had of him. Even if they were only a few, they were enough to make her care about the brat.
But those thoughts soon passed and she just wondered where he was at the moment and what he was doing. He had just escorted them to the gates of Konoha before departing, telling her and Shizune that he had things to take care of before disappearing from sight. The only thing that he told them before going off was to look for the Sandaime and to keep an eye on Naruto while he was away.
When she told this to Sarutobi, her old Sensei informed her that the Time Traveler had dropped in on him before they arrived, probably after he left them at the entrance of the Village, and reported that they were just crossing the Gates. She was sure that they talked about other things, since the old man was in a meeting with a few Jonin's when she reached his office, but whatever secret the Third had, he wasn't telling, even if she knew it had to do with the Rokudaime of the future.
It seemed that she wasn't allowed to know until she was sworn in as the Fifth Hokage, since it was a Kage-level secret, or so she was told. The fact that she'd never heard about such a level just made her ninja senses twitch and prickle at the obviously made up story.
They were probably just discussing the release of Jiraiya's perverted new book; though she hoped that the young Hokage was not a pervert as well and it was just Sarutobi-sensei wanting to cajole some spoilers from the brat. If Nawaki was a pervert, he probably already knew what those books were about and had poked at the old Hokage's curiosity. The fact that her Sensei was so tight lipped about the whole thing only gave credence to her theory. She remembered acutely when he told her one time that he was a scholar of all types of literature as an explanation for him reading those damned books. She didn't want to think that the Time Traveler shared such perverted interests.
He was too good for that.
Or at least, she dearly hoped that he was.
Regardless, he said he would return in a week or two and she would just find a way to trick him into speaking. She had some good memories of how to do it and she thanked her own intelligence at sending those recollections as well. If not for them, Tsunade was sure that the Time Traveler would have been able to walk circles around her, probably knowing how she would react in most situations.
It was cheating, of that she had no doubt, but thanks to some of her memories they were in a level playing field at the moment. They were ninjas after all; they were supposed to be sneaky and devious.
As she finished with the last of the reports for the moment, she stretched and dismissed Shizune, telling her to check out the hospital and see how it was working, along with checking with the status of the personnel, both ninja and civilian alike. She had every intention of establishing that medic-nin program even if it needed to be tweaked a bit. For now, she just wanted to know how things were and how they could be improved. If she remembered correctly, Nawaki told her that he had a few tips for that as well, and seeing as he was from a future where she was Hokage for several years, those few tips would probably be based on fact.
A ninja has to use every advantage at its disposal and having a veritable fountain of information on the potential future of the Village, well, they could easily use many of his suggestions and expand on them at the very least.
As she walked the streets, she noticed that only the older generation recognized her, especially since it was more then a decade since she had set foot within this Village, and even then, she just drew some curious glances as she made her way out of the Administrative Tower. Once in the village proper, she was overlooked and generally dismissed.
She didn't look like a ninja after all. There were far weirder and more interesting looking shinobi than her. Then again, maybe her transformation technique was to blame.
For now, she was glad for the anonymity.
Unhurriedly, she made her way towards the park where the Sandaime had told her she would find what she was looking for, but couldn't see her quarry. There were several groups of children playing around, running this way and that and doing what brats did the best. Make noise. Still, she kept a lookout for the head of short golden blond hair and kept her slow pace across the park, looking out of the corner of her eyes to see if she could spot him.
It took her a few minutes before she saw the small boy peeking out from atop one of the tree branches looking longingly at the playing children, his little legs dangling from the branch where he was parched at, trying to watch the park without garnering too much attention. If what she had heard was correct, most parents would glare at the boy until he moved out of sight, therefore Tsunade decided to approach him with care, not wanting to scare him off. She just kept walking, making it seem as if she were looking for a spot to settle in before seeming to pick the shade of the exact same tree the boy was hiding in.
She was sure there was a rule in the handbook that said that patience was amongst a ninja's greatest skills. So she put it to the test, making a show of looking this way and that, as if she were waiting or looking for someone; perhaps even sight seeing.
It surprised her, close to an hour later, just how quiet the child had been, almost like his counterpart had been in that bar, even as he sat there atop his branch, with his chin poised on his folded knees, his arms surrounding his legs and his sad blue eyes always watching. It broke her heart a bit to see him like this. From her memories, the boy should have been an energetic loudmouth and a noisily idiotic brat; it made her wonder what made him that way in the first place. So she stayed in place and continued to pretend and watch. He had not moved and she knew he was watching her, probably looking for a means to get away without alerting her. If what Sarutobi-sensei had said was true, and she was beginning to believe that it was worse then what he had told her, then the boy would probably avoid her at all costs; such was the reaction that the villagers had imprinted on him; To stay on the outside, looking in.
However, luck was on her side and a low rumbling growl was heard from the tree above, followed by a sound that resembled some kind of muffled squeak.
This was her chance.
Smiling a small triumphant smile, knowing that she had outlasted the little bundle of energy (after all, she knew that the boy had an ungodly amount of stamina), she quickly settled her face into one of curiosity before looking up. What she saw looking back at her were the most impossibly blue eyes, widened because someone had caught him, and a red face, probably from embarrassment. She started to smile but was taken aback when the boy's expression seemed to change, as if he was expecting to be yelled at.
He was bracing himself to be scolded, she realized. Or worse.
As her smile faltered, she swore on her grandfather's grave that the Council was going to suffer for this. But first things first, she slowly stood up, smiling at the little boy and joining him on his branch in one smooth leap.
Naruto looked startled, and a brief look of amazement crossed his small whiskered face before it was replaced with apprehension. He knew all about ninjas of course, since he wanted to be one himself, like Old Man Hokage, but he didn't expect this woman to be one too.
Crouching down on the branch to be closer to his eye level, Tsunade went about trying to ease the child a bit, so she didn't make any moves to get near him and simply said a soft, "Hey there," still smiling from where she was, a small quirk of the lips, while she looked at him.
"H-hello," he squeaked out, probably surprised that someone but the Hokage was talking to him.
"What's your name, kid?" she asked, her tone curious, seeing that he was getting passed his surprise, even if the apprehension was still there. Noting his stance, she knew that he was ready to run at any second.
A slight blush colored his whiskered cheeks before he spoke up, "Uzumaki Naruto," he said quietly, scratching the back of his head in an embarrassed way, but looking quite proud as well; not many had ever asked his name like that, in a kind way, after all.
Still smiling at the small not-as-loud version of the brat in her memories, she decided to speak, "Well, my name is Tsunade, Uzumaki Naruto, and I've been looking for you for quite a bit, the Sandaime Hokage told me everything about you, including that I could find you around here," she was saying, but the sound of his tummy rumbling and the red of his face interrupted her, "well, he also told me that you might be hungry this time of the day, how about going with me for lunch?" she asked, amused at his scrunched up face as he absorbed what she was saying.
However, the enormous, squinty eyed grin that he gave her after she finished speaking was enough of an answer. "Really?" he asked his voice so full of hope that it almost broke her heart a bit more.
Nodding, she gave him a small smile, "Really," she said firmly. And was not surprised to see just how happy he was after so simple a gesture, but she also frowned inwardly at the amount of trust that he was showing because of such simple a thing.
However, on a second glance, it seemed that his smiles were hiding his suspicions and hesitation, since it took a great deal of reassurance and kindness to get him to come with her and down from his branch, and even then, he stayed a good distance away and just out of arms reach until she proved her intentions to him. She got him to loosen up a bit by following Sarutobi-sensei's advice and taking the kid to a nice restaurant so he could get a good meal, even if it took one of her best glares and a few not so subtle threats so that they would serve him at all.
Thankfully, the boy didn't notice any of this and enjoyed the meal immensely, chattering to his new friend as any exited soon-to-be six year old would do, telling her about his favorite places in the village and how he was going to become a great ninja soon, seeing as he started in the Academy in a few months, even if a few years too early, along with many other things. She wondered again what happened to make him a loudmouthed brat by the age of twelve. His wide smiles and exited eyes melted her heart bit by bit, especially when they became genuine, and she knew after that day that he was still the same child as the one she saw in her future memories.
This time, however, he would not be neglected in the Academy and his potential would not be atrophied by prejudice. He would have a chance to grow and learn unhampered by close-minded teachers and cold unfeeling villagers.
Looking at his small smiling face as the boy spoke of his favorite Ramen flavor she made a silent promise to help him in whatever way she could.
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It was neither hot nor cold, even in this harsh environment. He made sure to avoid the worst of the weather while still remaining undetected, traveling at amazing speeds without leaving the faintest of traces. Time ticked against him but he knew what to expect and how to react. He would arrive close to five days early to make sure that his timing was perfect, and that every eventuality was taken care of. To achieve what he wanted required precision and strategy. He could not let any stone unturned or uncovered.
This was too important for his plans, which were made even before he arrived in the past. He had made a promise to do this and he always kept his promises.
It was his way of the ninja.
Slowly, he made his way within the city, avoiding the patrols by climbing the massive walls and hiding his presence completely. He made no sound, or gave off any smell. No pebble was moved out of place as he made his way inside; not even the sharpest of eyes could see him, since he could not be seen. Not even the shadows told of his passing as he looked for his quarry. How he wished he could just do this and hunt everyone who had made his life difficult. But he didn't have enough power or enough time to pull it off, and if he did that, as he selfishly wanted, it would leave Naruto defenseless in the long run, and that would result in an even worst outcome. At the moment, he was the only one who could teach him without making him complacent, the only one who could train him without making him arrogant, the only one who could help him achieve his full potential while allowing him to retain his humility, his humanity and his compassion.
Anyone else would simple try to mold young Naruto into the perfect weapon; cold, arrogant, emotionless. Controllable.
A tool.
But he knew that his younger self had to grow and experience the world, and learn from his mistakes. He needed to accept himself and make his own way, allowing him to forge his own path. If anyone else were to train him at this point but him, they would force their will upon the boy and put pressure in the wrong places, probably breaking him in a way that could not be repaired, and could not be reversed.
They would make him a monster and those who could reach him enough to help would not be able to do so.
He remembered from when he was made a Genin, and even before that, when he was still in the Academy. Many teachers had ignored him and his questions, allowing him to fall behind the class, subtly discouraging his learning and ignoring his lack of progress. He became stagnant in his education and was soon firmly stuck in the end of the class, and not even when he reached Iruka-sensei's class could he catch up. Only his rivalry with Sasuke had carried him through his first months as a Genin, and then his desire to fulfill his promise to Sakura and bring his teammate back had been all the motivation he needed. That was what allowed him to grow as strong as he was now.
Where the Academy teachers had snuffed his desire to learn, his determination to bring his best friend back had fueled his training. This time, with the right kind of encouragement, the young Naruto would be able to gain a better work ethic than he had in those years.
He would make certain of it.
Taking care, he quickly reached his location and prepared for what was to come and what he needed to do. He hoped that the Sandaime was not having problems with his requests since they were an integral part of his plans. If his request was not granted then everything could turn ten times more difficult. Still, he had faith in the Old Man, so he pushed that topic, along with the rest of his thoughts, out of his mind. At the moment he just needed to keep watch and gather information. After all, he had an assassination to interrupt and a child to kidnap.
This time, Sabaku no Gaara would not suffer for long; he would make sure of that. His innocence and humanity would stay intact. Insanity would not claim him this time around...
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"Hey, ojiisan!" a blond bundle of energy called out from the door of his office in greeting, making him look up just in time to watch Naruto run in and bounce around before stopping beside him even as Tsunade closed the door with a look of exasperated fondness on her face. It seemed that she had already fallen for the child's charm. "Is it true? Is it true?" the young boy asked pulling at one of the sleeves of his robe, rocking back and forth on the balls of his small sandaled feet.
Taking a puff from his pipe he closed the scroll he was reading with immense care, and avoided looking at the bouncing boy to avoid getting dizzy. What's more, it was greatly amusing to see when the blond child started getting annoyed, even if he did this to teach him some patience. Though, if he were truthful to himself, he would not be the best one to teach him that, because in the end he doubted that he even had half of the boys' energy.
When he finally stored the scroll and turned his chair in the direction of the incessant tugging, Sandaime could not help but smile at the pouting look that Naruto had on his face, which changed a moment later into a brilliant smile when he answered the child's question with one of his own. "Is what true, Naruto-chan?" he asked the boy.
Smiling sheepishly, Naruto simply pointed towards where Tsunade was standing, her mouth quirked into a smile and her hands on the backrest of one of the chairs as the brat simply rubbed the back of his neck, "Is it true that obaachan is gonna be Hokage?"
Quirking an eyebrow at his former student, Sarutobi could see by her twitch that being called grandma was not exactly sitting well in her mind, seeing as she would turn forty-five in a few days. Though is seemed that she wasn't completely adverse to it, what with Naruto still being alive and all and what's more, without a bruise on him. If he guessed correctly, he would say that Tsunade had to probably tell the kid about the Transformation Technique she used to keep her youthful face and hide her real age, allowing her to look less than half her age. Making a note of asking her later, he looked down to the scrunched up, disbelieving face of Kyuubi's Vessel and just nodded in answer, outright laughing when his whiskered cheeks turned into complete doubt while he still eyed the Slug Tamer with absolute awe.
None but a child could pull off such an expression.
Looking from the Sandaime to Tsunade-obabaa, Naruto slowly made his way to the Sannin, who was now sitting in a chair and stopped right in front of her, a wide eyed expression of his small face. "Are you really as strong as Hokage-jijii? 'Cause he's the strongest ninja in the whole Village," he asked, making wide arm motions and looking at her serious face as she nodded. And nodding to himself, Naruto scrambled up into her lap to give her the best hug he could, his face turning serious, or at least as serious as his mischievous face could get, "I'm gonna be Hokage one day too," he stated clearly, as if revealing a great secret.
"Is that so?" Sarutobi asked, extremely amused with how close the Slug Sannin had gotten to the little boy in such a short amount of time. It seemed that the future was looking up for the young blond.
At that question, Naruto almost jumped out of his skin and scrambled from out of Tsunade's lap with an embarrassed smile and looked toward to future Hokage through his bangs. The Medic-nin, for her part, just ruffled his hair and patted the seat right next to her, motioning for him to sit down, "And why do you want to be Hokage, brat?" she asked.
Puffing himself up proudly and almost toppling out of his chair in the process, Naruto just gave them a dazzling smile, "I wanna be Hokage 'cause that's the bestest ninja in the village, an' all of the villagers look up to him," he exclaimed, pointing at Sandaime, "and I'll be an even better Hokage then you, ojiisan!" he finished, his face full of determination.
"You know that it's not easy to be Hokage, right?" Tsunade asked, somewhat surprised that the kid already had such high aspirations, even if he hadn't started the Academy and the reasons were not all there yet.
"Yeah, yeah! But I'm gonna work real hard," Naruto said, "and kick lots of butt when I get to be a ninja," he finished with a vigorous nod of his head and a look on his face that promised that he would kick their asses as well— when he was strong enough, of course.
Tsunade just smirked, knowing that the kid never made false promises, even from an early age, it seemed.
"Well, I actually wanted to talk to you about that, Naruto," Sarutobi said, standing up from behind his desk, taking off his hat and placing it atop his desk before walking around and kneeling in front of the small boy so that they were at the same eye level, "just recently an opportunity opened up and someone who is stronger than both me and Tsunade asked me if he could be your teacher," he stated.
Wide eyed, the boy was speechless for a few moments before he whispered a question, "stronger then you, ojiisan?" he asked as if just that thought was impossible, and when he received a nod from Sarutobi, he slowly turned wide blue eyes towards Tsunade, "and you obaachan?" When he got a nod of confirmation from her as well, he looked back at the Third, his blue eyes reflected only amazement, hardly able to believe such a thing, "and he wants to teach me?" came the whispered question.
It seemed that the boy was stuck in disbelief.
"Yes, my boy," Sarutobi answered kindly, ruffling the child's messy hair, "he asked specifically for you," he said when Naruto's attention was back on him once more, "but you should know, you will have to work extremely hard and it will be very, very difficult," he explained, but quickly noticed the determined look in the boy's eyes, "it will be completely different from the Academy, you know. Not only because you will be learning a lot more things in a shorter amount of time, but because instead of just going to the academy in the morning and then having most of the afternoons free, if you accept, then you will be training and learning throughout the whole day, every day of the week for close to five years, when you will be allowed to take the Genin exam and become a Shinobi of Konoha. Do you understand, Naruto?"
"I understand, ojiisan," the boy said, sounding astonished and excited that someone would want to teach him personally, someone even stronger then the Hokage, at that. And he knew with every fiber of his little heart that Sandaime-jijii was the strongest ninja in Konoha. Wonder poured out of his very pores as he felt the beginnings of something that he had never felt before.
Acknowledgement.
Whoever this teacher was, not only was he being praised by Old Man Hokage and Granny Tsunade, but he had asked for him. Naruto. He wanted to teach him, when everyone else in the Village ignored him, gave him cold looks and acted as if he didn't even exist. Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands he looked up when he heard Tsunade talk to him again.
"You should also know, kid," Tsunade spoke up, getting the blond child's attention, "that your teacher already knows a lot about you and you should do everything he says and learn everything he teaches you, since you will never get another chance like this," she finished, brushing his bangs from his face.
Naruto opened his mouth to say something but seemed to decide against it before starting to speak again, hesitantly, "why me?" he asked.
The Slug Tamer just chuckled slightly as she saw the scrunched up face, "because you're a very special little boy, Naruto, and you deserve to learn from the best," she said, "besides, do you remember how most people treat you?" she asked gently, only to receive a nod as he looked at his hands on his lap, "well, we are not sure that it won't happen in the Academy as well, and we don't want to take the risk. We know that you could be the strongest ninja in this village if you work hard enough and we just want you to reach that potential," she finished and noticed his blushing cheeks, but left him to his thoughts for the time being.
Sandaime, for his part, just stood up and leaned against the edge of his desk, taking out his pipe and looking between Tsunade and Naruto with an obvious air amusement. A look, that, when noticed by his former student was returned with a rather stubborn expression. However, before he could speak up, his attention was once again brought back to the young child.
"And when will my training start, ojiisan? I mean the Academy starts in less then a year right?" Naruto asked, still looking at his small hands with a slight frown.
Taking a puff from his pipe, Sandaime just waited for the boy to look up from his lap before speaking, "Actually, Naruto-chan, your sensei will come and pick you up in just about a week or so," he explained, which gained a wide eyed, exited look from the child, "so you need to pack up your apartment and buy everything you need before you leave."
"Wait ojiisan, where will I be going and what about my apartment?" he asked.
"Well," his attention was brought back to Tsunade as she answered some of his questions, "your sensei is going to train you outside of the village, in a place where there won't be as many distractions, and since that training will last at least five years, it means that you won't need your apartment, and you can just get a better one when you get back, kid."
By the end of her little explanation, Naruto was out of his chair and bouncing around in front of them, obviously excited, saying how cool it was that he had a personal sensei, and he could get to see the outside of the village, and soon started asking a whole bunch of questions one after the other.
Sarutobi just shook his head and placed a hand on the child's shoulder, "Now, Naruto," he said to gain the boys attention, even if it didn't stop the bouncing, though it was better described like a general vibrating since the boy's feet were firmly planted on the ground. Leaving that thought for later analysis into the mysteries of the universe, the Third just looked down at the wide blue eyes, which were sparkling with suppressed energy, "Tsunade is going to help you with all of your shopping during the next couple of days. She has enough money that your sensei left to buy the supplies you will need for the next few months, along with a list of things that you will require, so you should go home and start sorting things out in your apartment and begin getting everything ready, okay? Tsunade will go get you tomorrow morning to see how you did and to take you shopping, how about that?" he finished smiling, as the vibrating had escalated steadily during his instructions.
When he finally released the boys shoulder, Naruto was off like a flash, bobbing around and almost shouting words of victory and amazement, but ended up sounding like a stream of exited babble. When the bundle of energy reached the double doors, he just stopped for a fraction of a second and gave a small wave to them both before pulling the door open and scurrying towards his apartment, but not before shouting a loud goodbye to his Ojiisan and Obaachan; leaving Tsunade's eyebrow twitching ever so slightly.
After the door closed and complete silence returned to the office ever since the young boy stepped in, Tsunade turned toward her former teacher with a slightly dazed look on her amber eyes, "Talk about energetic," she murmured.
Eying her, Sarutobi just took a puff from his pipe and walked toward the window, "Indeed," he stated, "But if what Nawaki said is true, then that energy was never properly directed in his years at the Academy. He said that the first step with Naruto is to grab his complete attention and keep him interested while teaching him," he paused, "how that can be achieved eludes me at the moment, but if someone could do it, it would be him, don't you think?" he asked his former student, not turning away from his place, "after all, he would be able to give Naruto his complete attention, and the boy is more of a hands on learner."
Looking towards the door from where the young blond departed, she simply shook her head and looked towards the Thirds back before standing up, "Well, they are one and the same, so it stands to reason that if there were anyone alive at the moment that would know how to direct that much energy, then it would certainly be him," she stated and took her leave. She had a lot to think about, much of it centering on a blonde demon vessel, both present and future. But first, she needed to head over to her office and finish up any paperwork that might have accumulated since lunch.
With a distracted farewell at the Third, Tsunade went in search of Shizune and maybe a warm bottle of sake after she was finished with work.
-
- o -
-
Time is a fickle thing, he knew, but at the same instance there was nothing as precious when certain situations arose, and at the moment he could say with absolute certainty that he would need every second he could get to accomplish what needed to be done. After all, he was going to kidnap the Yondaime Kazekage's own son and Sunagakure no Sato's very own Jinchuuriki during the assassination attempt that would have cost the young redhead his sanity.
The newly named Nawaki could not understand how a father could order the murder of his own son, especially one as sweet as Gaara was at the age of five. True, the boy could not control the sand that seemed to protect him or reacted to the fear and hatred directed at the young vessel from almost everyone in the village, but how can they expect a five year old to subdue and control a Tailed Demon without any help?
What was it that Gaara said? Ah, yes, he hadn't been trained until after this incident, since they became too afraid of him at that point. This was a defining moment for the redhead, when the Vessel of the One Tail Tanuki swore to love only himself, forsaking most of his humanity.
It took him the better part of three days to reconcile the cold, emotionless and hollow Gaara with his younger, very sweet if a little sad, version. And after seeing how the young vessel only wanted a friend to play with, a chance to rest, a hope to be like everyone else and simply be accepted and not feared, to understand why he was different and be cared about, only made his heart ache and his determination settle.
He would not fail, he could not fail.
Everything this past few days had gone according to what he had been told, he was glad that there are no permanent guards watching over the young boy, but he was sure that when Yashamaru, Gaara's uncle, made his attempt, there would undoubtedly be someone to see if the assassination mission was a success or not. After all, the man would be going for the suicide-bomber approach, which allowed Nawaki some modicum of freedom with his actions.
Still, as he watched the small boy, his eyes sad, staring at the moon and sky, unable to sleep for fear of loosing himself and his personality, he could only hope that his timing was right…
Slowly, he made his way toward the Sand-nin that had just arrived at the scene, taking an observational position, but paused when he noticed another two more ninja's approaching; one of them was undoubtedly Gaara's uncle, the traitorous bastard. Considering all of the possible problems and finding the best solution, his nine tails quickly appeared behind him, poised and ready, and with no more then a thought and his will molding his Chakra, his body distorted and first one and then two exact clones of himself stepped out of his body, taking one tail each and leaving him with only seven tails.
It was a technique of his own creation, and it was the sole reason why Konoha had not fallen sooner, and the attacks on the Village were kept at bay for so long.
Without a word, each of his Tailed Clones (1) disappeared in the direction of the two observers, where they would place a Genjutsu of what they wanted to see (basically the successful assassination of a five year old Jinchuuriki), and allow him to intervene before that bastard Yashamaru spoke, and in so doing broke Gaara's spirit and crushed his hopes. It was on this night that Gaara proclaimed himself a monster; it was on this night where he found his bloody path of existence, and where Shukaku found a firm foothold in his soul, eating away at his personality until he was almost empty.
However, that would not happen again, and with that thought he disappeared, not even leaving a grain of sand out of place.
Yashamaru had already attacked Gaara and the bastard became the first victim of Gaara's infamous Desert Coffin Technique (2) True, the technique was not even close to perfect and it needed some extreme fine-tuning, but it did the trick, and incapacitated his attacker.
Knowing that this was the moment he was waiting for, he quickly confirmed that the two observing Sand-nin's were completely under both of his clone's Genjutsu before appearing right beside Yashamaru and placing a particularly powerful Exploding Note on his chest, where he knew all the other ones were located, before standing slowly and walking toward the clearly unstable and distraught Gaara, who was watching him through tear filled eyes, his questions dying in his lips as he saw the tall blond step over his attacker, seven violet colored fox tails splayed out behind him, their white tips glowing with a clear, violet colored Chakra, even as a huge explosion engulfed all three of them, causing the small boy to close his eyes—
When the smoke cleared all that could be seen was a great crater with bloody chakra infused sand scattered all around as if in testament of the victim who died there; some of the sand had even turned to glass and shattered into different size pieces because of the incredible heat. Nothing bigger then a few inches and some drops of blood remained, and even then, those had quickly dried and burned in the heat of the explosion. The two witnesses would report that the assassination of Sabaku no Gaara was a success, and the Village Hidden in the Sand, Sunagakure no Sato, would celebrate the elimination of that particular mistake.
The vessel of the Suna no Shukaku was not mourned or missed by anyone.
…It would be more then six years later that those reports would be given a second glance, and by that time, when the reality of what happened that night is truly questioned, too much time would have passed, assumptions would be made and arguments would be raised. However, Sunagakure would be able to do little else, as Gaara had never been a registered student in their ninja Academy and could therefore not be persecuted as such, and even then, he would already be an extremely loyal Konoha Shinobi, completely pleased with his home and his friends in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
Somehow, the two Tailed Clones that stayed behind and made sure that the records and reports of the assassination were both misplaced and forgotten were never noticed, even as they disappeared with the wind a few days later.
Someone would say, later on, that Sabaku no Gaara found a place and a family in the majestic tree of Konoha, becoming a Sandy Leaf within the ever-growing, ever-green canopy of the Great Shinobi Village that resides in the Country of Fire; for he found peace within its branches.
-
- o -
-
It was with no small amount of awe that five –almost six year old– Uzumaki Naruto could, for the first time in his short life, claim true happiness. Yes, he had been glad that he would be able to become a ninja and go to the Academy; yes, he was joyful the few times when he had enough money left to buy Ramen at Ichiraku's; and yes, he was thankful when Hokage-ojiichan would visit him in the park or his apartment, or even invite him to his office when he had the time; even if it was only every few months. He cherished those few moments with the Old Hokage since he was the only one who even gave him a second glace.
The rest of the time he knew only loneliness, only cold hatred and spite. He was ignored and looked at with disdain, as if he were some irreparable stain upon the most expensive of tapestries. He had no friends, no family and only a small room to call home. His life was a living hell, not because he was beaten, since that had never happened, but because of the solitude, the absolute isolation that he experienced day in and day out. No human contact. No comfort. No love or care or even slight affection. Nothing. Where others could at least claim the companionship of friends, he had nothing but the trees of Konoha to keep him company. Where others can at least count on some kind stranger when in need of assistance, everyone turned their backs on him and in turn only spoke cold words about him. If he were ever in any danger he knew that the only people who would bother to help him could be counted with the fingers of one of his small hands, and even then, he would have fingers to spare.
He had his moments were he truly hated Konoha, and that hatred burned deep within his heart every time he was looked at with cold, unfeeling eyes. Yet, those moments, even if they were getting more frequent as the years passed, did not last for long and the memory of Old Man Hokage could always wash away those thoughts. Still, he refused to cry any more, he had already shed enough tears, and he had promised himself not even a few months ago that he would not give the villagers the satisfaction of seeing him weep. He promised himself that he would become a ninja and grow strong; strong enough to earn the respect of those around him, to make them see that he did not deserve their hatred.
At that time, Sandaime-ojiisan had helped him apply to the Academy and since that day he had been optimistic, even pleased, but never truly happy. He had long given up on wanting to know how happiness would feel. And even as each day passed he learned to see the good side of things and became accustomed to being cheerful. He would be acknowledged someday, he was sure of it; he would fight for it tooth and nail; he would shout and he would run and he would make the villagers actually see him, and not turn their backs on him.
But not in his wildest dreams had he thought that he would feel acknowledged quite so soon. He thought that years would have passed, and he would have had to wait until he was a great ninja with great deeds to his name, like the previous Hokage's, to achieve that particular dream; the dream of recognition.
But he was absolutely wrong and he couldn't be happier because of it.
It had been three days and he had already packed the few belongings he would need with Tsunade-obaachan's help. He had been to see Hokage-jijii at least twice a day, every day and he had helped Baachan arrange her office to her liking. At the same time, she also took him to eat to loads of different places, and while Ramen was still his favorite, he could now say that some things came in a close second.
All at once, she had also bought him new clothes and some cool ninja full-body training suits which were made from some black cloth and had mesh around the sleeves, collar and shins. He had tested it out and it was very comfortable to move around in.
Meaning that he jumped and rolled with the outfit on for at least two days.
Today, even as they ate, baachan had told him that now they had to buy the supplies that his new teacher had asked for, and that they would need not only for training, but for where they would be living as well. When he asked, she told him a few things about his new sensei, but mostly said that he would have to wait to meet him, which would be in about four days, give or take a few. So they had that time to get everything ready. After they started buying all the stuff they would need, and he asked her why they needed so much, he was extremely happy that two more boys close to his age would be going to train with him as well, and become part of his ninja team when they made Genin. Tsunade-obaachan even said that sensei had picked them personally so that they would match with him and become his friends.
Since he had never even played with anyone his own age he didn't get jealous that he had to share his sensei. He had been prepared for the Academy after all, and he was just happy that he would have some friends. He could just wish that they liked him too.
Almost vibrating with happiness, Uzumaki Naruto found himself with new hope welling in his chest as he thought of how his sensei and his new friends would be. He couldn't wait to meet them and get to know them. From what Ojiichan and Obaachan had said, his sensei was very similar to him when he was younger, but refused to say anything else. When asked about the other two boys he would be training with, they said that they still didn't know who they were, and since something like this (where the teacher specifically chose his students) had never been done before, they had not even the faintest clue as to who else his sensei would pick or even how he would go about picking them. But they did tell him constantly just how rare this was and told him that he had to work very hard, which he promised to do.
It was on that day, when he made that promise, five days after he was told of his sensei, that Tsunade told him that she knew he could become a great ninja and achieve his dreams. On that day she took her necklace from around her neck and gave it to him, telling him that it used to belong with her grandfather, the Shodai Hokage of Konoha. She told him that only a Hokage could wear that necklace and since she would be sworn in just a few days, that she wanted him to have it and wear it when he became Hokage as well, giving him a kiss on top of his head and leaving him stunned for a couple of minutes, telling him to take good care of it, which he promised to do.
She too acknowledged him; had faith in him.
The smile on his face from that day on was blinding. His determination to make both the Sandaime and the soon to be Godaime Hokage proud of him only grew, and he couldn't wait to be a ninja. He would prove to them that their faith and trust in him was not misplaced, and then he would prove it to the Village and its people.
As it was, news soon spread like wildfire across Konohagakure no Sato; their Village would soon have a new Hokage, as the council had finally backed the Sandaime's selection and announced that the inauguration of the Fifth Generation Fire Shadow of the Hidden Leaf would take place in two days, when Sarutobi would hand over the reigns of the Village to his previous student.
Upon hearing this, almost every inhabitant of Konoha was happy, but those who had confronted the future Godaime because of the Kyuubi Vessel's presence in their establishments turned white. A few reconsidered their views of the Jinchuuriki when they saw how he interacted with Tsunade; happily chattering away with the Slug Tamer, as a nephew would with a favorite aunt. Few had seen the boy so happy and cheerful as when he was with the Legendary Medic, and this gave them pause.
For the first time since the Nine-Tails attacked, some questioned if they had not judged him wrong. Maybe, just maybe, he truly was just a normal child with a great burden.
-
- o -
-
For his part, Sarutobi was already busy making the necessary arrangements for what Nawaki would need where they would be training. He had filled the paperwork and arranged for all of the things that had been requested of him for this particular project.
He was amazed at the level of detail and thought that the young man had placed for what needed to be done; from what council members should be informed to which ones should be left in the dark. He named two members of the Konoha Council that are a risk for the Village along with their subordinates, both present and future. There were even details and how to best do and file the paperwork as to not leave any trace, so that their little project could not be discovered until the time when they wanted it to be.
The lengths that Nawaki was willing to go through were nothing short of spectacular. But as he saw it, and with the knowledge of what was to come, he could not see fault in any in it. It was all necessary. They had indeed grown both lax and lenient in the last few years. The loss of the Yondaime Hokage and such a great number of ninja's during the Kyuubi's attack left the Village with other priorities, and as such, security suffered and Konoha could have reaped great consequences because of it. Still, there was hope yet to be found, and mistakes would not be made this time around. Luckily, they were now talking about what "could have been" and not what was. All thanks to the sacrifice of one person.
Sighing, he lit his pipe and thought about what he had already done. He had sent Tenzo to prepare the selected training site; with his use of the Wood Element, he would be able to have everything ready in a matter of a couple of days; and Kakashi, who would be able to assist him, especially with all that furniture and equipment that they took within four giant scrolls. As things stood, Konoha would have an isolated, specialized, out of the way training area for its use for years to come. He didn't know what modifications Nawaki would make to what Tenzo and Kakashi did, but he knew that when the young man was done, it would be the most secure training area that the Village would have, even if it was about a days travel from the Village Gates.
Taking a puff from his pipe, he hoped that the future Rokudaime's mission was going well. Even if he did not know all the details, he knew enough to be slightly worried. At the moment he was on a need-to-know basis, in case the subject was brought up before Nawaki returned. Not that if it was, he couldn't lie about it, of course, but the Village was still not secure enough, and as much as he didn't like the idea, any slip, however improbable, could cause extreme amounts of damage to their plans.
He just knew that Nawaki was searching for another Jinchuuriki, and nothing more. He was extremely curious though, but he knew that only when the mission was done and its success or failure proven would the Sixth Hokage of the future let him in of the finer details. For now, he just finished whatever work he needed to do and arranged a few meetings, two in particular catching his thoughts.
After all, he needed to meet with Umino Iruka to arrange for him to do monthly progress reports on the three boys that would be training under the Rokudaime and in so doing keep them listed in the files and records at the Academy. This way, when the time came for them to take the graduation exams, all their records would be there, even if not completely accurate. After all, they would only be graded and tested on Academy subjects.
Truly, the young Hokage was unpredictable, if nothing else. No one would notice what was happening until it was needed, and when that moment came, everyone would be surprised. Or at least everyone but those selected who would end up knowing what was going on.
Signing the last scroll on his desk and thus finishing his work load about four hours earlier then normal, the Sandaime Hokage, also known as "The Professor" around and outside of Konoha wondered why he never thought of selecting a successor earlier.
The paperwork gets done faster that way.
-
- o -
-
Gaara of the Sand, as he had grown up to be known, was sleeping peacefully for the first time in a long time, even as he was being carried at extreme speeds by a Tailed-nin. Had he been awake he would have marveled in the surroundings as the Deserts of Wind Country turned into the Forrest's of the Land of Fire.
Had he been aware, he would notice that he was particularly light and would have been able to see his pale complexion, which had been denied sunlight since he was born. He would have noticed that his whole body was covered in violet colored seals which surrounded another, incomplete seal that was done all in black.
Had he not been in blissful unconsciousness, his mind finally allowed to rest, he would have noticed that his thoughts were uninterrupted and tranquil. He would have known what peace of mind felt like for the first time in his memory. Still, after years of not being able to rest, when forced into a coma, his mind jumped with joy, allowing him to dream sweet dreams.
Had he been able to open his eyes he would have seen a peculiar sight, for the violet eyes of the person who was carrying him held a particular look in them, one of complete puzzlement and amazement.
After all, after knowing someone for so many years, it must be quite difficult to find out that they actually had eyebrows, when nothing had suggested it before. Huh, they must have been under all that sand. Weird…
It was a monumental discovery. It would be almost on par with the possibility of seeing both Fuzzy Brows and his Sensei without any eyebrows at all.
He shuddered at that.
And with that thought firmly pushed out of his mind, Nawaki kept up his pace. He would arrive at Konoha during the late afternoon of the next day. At the moment, mother night covered his speeding shape and only the reflection of his pupils, which almost obscured his irises, could even be seen.
To be continued…
(1) Tailed Clones: This is an improved version of the Shadow Clones due to the amount of Chakra they possess because of having about one ninth of the Kyuubi's chakra, the abilities that that Tail's worth of Demonic Chakra gives them and the fact that they actually share the same mind as the original. (More about this technique will be explained as the story develops).
(2) Desert Coffin Technique: I know that this technique is followed by the Desert Funeral Technique, but since Yashamaru isn't killed by it, only crushed by it, then I thought that it would be better described as a first attempt at the technique that would later be named "Desert Coffin."
(3) Jinchuuriki: (Also known as "Power of Human Sacrifice") A person within whom a Bijuu or Tailed Demon has been sealed at birth.
Thank you all for reading. Cheers!
