AN: Hi guys, so I write this about six hours after the posting of my first chapter and frankly, the response I received was really rewarding. Thank you guys for that. I'm not sure how much of it came from the quality of the story and how much of it came from the fact that it is a Naruto fic, which is itself pretty popular. Regardless, you guys rock. Quick shout out to SunlitSky21 for their review, they made some really good points that I shall try to work on. On another note, I intend to write this using one or two elements from rationalist fic, ignoring somewhat the whole "Super genius main character," thing. Instead, I want to focus more on having a very clear chain of logical events and making sure that things like ninjutsu, where possible, operate from a consistent set of rules and parameters. Peace and love, Obvious Pseudonym out ;P
Note: Once again, this chapter has now been re-written to remove some of the flaws in my earlier writing. I intend to completely update the entire story as time goes on. That said, for new readers, if you suddenly notice a reduction in the quality of this story's writing, you will have probably reached the point where I haven't managed to finish editing yet, so please just bear with it.
The following day, Hiruzen:
The third Hokage stood alone in his office, staring out the window overlooking the village. At times like these, he truly wished that he had been the one to die when the Kyuubi came. Minato would have been able to handle all of this so much better. The smallest of rustling sounds behind Hiruzen alerted him of the arrival of his pupil.
"Well, Jiraiya?" He asked. "How are they both?"
"Traumatized," came the response. "What else could you have expected? Was this truly the best solution you could think of, Sensei?"
The old man shook his head sadly.
"It was the only way I could think of to avert a war. Had I resorted to diplomacy as I planned, our chances of secrecy would have been lost. Had I used anyone besides Itachi, someone might have suspected foul play. What of the fox?"
The taller man moved to stand beside Hiruzen, his sandals tapping softly on the floor as he walked.
"It is as you feared," he murmured with a sigh. "Naruto awakened the Kyuubi last night and while the seal did hold, the danger is apparent considering his emotional state. If he finds himself wanting vengeance, the Kyuubi will not have to do much to convince him to let it out. It goes without saying that those boys need help, and fast, if they are to avoid the trauma of what they experienced getting the best of them."
"I may, perhaps, have a solution for that." Came a voice from the door. Both men turned to look at the new arrival.
"Hello Danzo." Said Hiruzen, working to keep his face neutral.
"Hokage," the man replied with a curt nod before continuing. "As you say, both of the boys are damaged in the extreme. Each of them is more than a little shocked and very, very hurt. Why not put them in my custody? The foundation could do great things with two recruits of such talent."
Jiraiya took a step forward, his face a picture of rage, but found Sarutobi's arm stopping him.
"I suggest you choose your words more carefully, Danzo," murmured the old man. "I happen to know for a fact that if you ever successfully took Naruto and Sasuke into the root, both Sasuke's brother and Naruto's godfather-" he placed a gentle hand on his student's shoulder. "-Would want you dead, and I can tell you in utmost honesty that I would not search too hard for the killer. This certainly is a battle you can win, Danzo. You have the political capital and I lack the power to refuse you forever. But you should consider that, for once, I am not your biggest obstacle here."
The room was deadly silent for a few long, intense minutes. Danzo Shimura considered his options carefully, looking balefully into the eye of the barely restrained Sannin.
"We are not enemies, you know." He said eventually.
"Touch my godson and you die," Jiraiya spat. "Get close to him in any way and you die, am I clear?"
Hiruzen did his best to smile apologetically. Despite the attempt, it came out as more of a winning grin.
"Please forgive my student. Jiraiya never really had a head for politics and so I am afraid he might react to your strategies in much the same way as a sledgehammer might react to a chess set."
After another long silence, the brown haired man turned to leave. Before he reached the door, Danzo gave a parting remark over his shoulder.
"Killing them was the right choice, Hiruzen."
Before Danzo could take another step, the third Hokage's fist connected with his face, knocking him staggering several paces before he regained his balance.
"If you ever force my hand like that again," the old man hissed. "Not only will I kill you, I will tear every last piece of your foundation away from this village and burn it. Am I understood?"
The two men looked long and hard into one another's eyes, before Danzo wordlessly turned and walked away.
"That went well," said the old man brightly, massaging his knuckles. "I always wanted an excuse to punch him."
"I swear I will end that man one day," Jiraiya grunted. "But the fact still remains that we have two traumatized children out there with the potential to turn into S class criminals if we aren't careful. What do you plan to do, Sensei?"
Hiruzen sighed once again, staring out at the rooftops all around him without really seeing them.
"For the moment? Damage control. The boys need to know that they aren't alone and I feel it would be best if someone their own age made the first move. I have made contact with a young man who might be able to assist in that regard. He's a bright enough lad to comprehend the delicacy of the situation."
Jiraiya grunted once again.
"Well, I suppose it's a start."
Both men watched the sun begin to set together in silence.
Two weeks later, Shikamaru:
Shikamaru Nara was very bored. Not only did this assignment feel totally unnecessary, but looking after a pair of kids, both of them apparently stronger than him, seemed like so many different kinds of drag. He sat back on the swing set as his father pushed him, not normally present during playtime, but here today to offer tactical support.
"Bishop takes your knight." Shikamaru spoke quietly as he swung forwards and back, waiting for the 'targets' to arrive.
"And my lance takes your bishop." Intoned Shikaku without hesitation, displaying that infuriating little quirk of showing he had anticipated the move. A gentleman would at least have pretended to be surprised by his stratagem.
Shikamaru considered the board in his mind's eye, analyzing the placement of the pieces and looking for flaws in his strategy. It wasn't long before he saw it. He groaned.
"I lose in five?"
"You lose in five." Shikaku agreed with just the faintest hint of amusement.
"Well then," the boy said, stretching. "Time to get to work, I guess." In the periphery of their vision, the pair watched as two blank faced boys arrived, followed closely by a lone medical ninja. As Shikamaru watched, the two children, moving in silence, headed for a sturdy looking tree. The blond boy pulled out a set of practice shuriken from his pocket and placed it on the floor between myself and the other boy. Still silent and moving with an eerie synchronicity, the pair began taking turns throwing sets of blades at the tree bark and retrieving them, their aim near perfect.
Shikamaru exchanged a glance with his father.
This really is bad, huh? He signalled to the older man, relying on hand signals over audible speech. Shikaku gave a curt nod.
The boy groaned in annoyance, he had been hoping to get a day off today. He hopped off the swing and approached.
Broken:
The two boys trained together in silence, driven by a single unspoken agreement. They needed to get stronger. With each throw, they took note of the errors in flight paths, made adjustments for wind variations. They were getting better, millimeter by millimeter. Their practice was interrupted in short order by a young kid around their own age, his unruly black hair tied back with a band.
"Hey," the boy called out as he approached, pulling out his own set of practice blades. "Mind if I join you?"
Shikamaru:
After watching for a few minutes, Shikamaru had devised his angle of approach. He needed to get them to speak with him and he needed it to be more than just a one off thing. In order for that to happen, he needed to have something that the other boys wanted, and that, he decided, would be superior skill. The boy signaled his father again.
Make me more accurate? He asked, and was met with a curt nod. Shikamaru took a deep breath, and approached. "Hey, mind if I join you?" He called out, walking over casually.
The other two glanced at one another before the blond boy broke his strange silence, his voice rasping slightly as though he hadn't spoken in days.
"Sure, I guess."
Shikamaru did his best to ignore the strangeness of the other boy's voice, as well as the indifference it made no effort to conceal. Taking up a throwing stance between the other two, Shikamaru prepared himself. He felt a strange tugging sensation as his father's shadow took control of him, feeling it pulling at his throwing arm, spacing his feet ever so slightly further apart. He didn't resist. With his father guiding the throw, Shikamaru placed three shuriken one after another in a perfect line. He noted the other two looking at him, gauging him.
"You're pretty good." Said the dark haired boy in that same, barely used voice.
"Can you give us some pointers?" Asked the other boy, his words tinted with just the vaguest hint of curiosity.
Good. Thought Shikamaru. If reports were accurate, that was the first sign of outward emotion either boy had shown since regaining their mobility. "Sure," he replied with a shrug. "Show me how you do it and I can tell you what you're doing wrong."
The dark haired boy went first, pulling Shikamaru's blades from the tree and handing them to him before taking up his stance and throwing. Shikamaru felt his hand moving in familiar signals. It was his father sending him a message.
Fingers misaligned, pulling blades to the left.
"You're holding them wrong, it's pulling you off target," Shikamaru said quietly, injecting just a hint of annoyance into his voice. "Try it like this." By his father's command, he felt his body moving forward, reaching out to correct the other boy's grip. Sasuke accepted the adjustment wordlessly, and tried again. This time, his shot went wide to the right, each blade a uniform inch off target. Sasuke glared at him. Shikamaru sighed. "And THAT," he said, not requiring his father's input this time. "Was because you tried to adjust for a problem that isn't there anymore. Try again." The boy scowled, but did so, this time striking home. He grunted appreciatively. Shikamaru turned to the blond boy. "Your turn."
The blond youth obediently took up his stance and threw. Before the shuriken even struck the tree, Shikamaru felt his hand signalling.
Tension in wrist. Foot position wrong. Facing wrong direction by four degrees.
"You need to loosen up a little, your arm's all stiff," Shikamaru waggled his hand demonstratively. "And you need to turn around a little bit." He felt himself step forward to reposition the other boy, holding him by the shoulders and turning him slightly. Naruto took a second shot, his aim improving fractionally.
"Nice one." Shikamaru said appreciatively. The three continued in the same fashion for an hour or so before Shikamaru decided it was time to test his approach. "Sorry," he said, apologetic. "I gotta go home. Wanna do this again sometime?" The blond boy nodded, the dark-haired one seeming a touch more subdued.
"Same time tomorrow?" Naruto asked. Shikamaru nodded, smiling.
"Sure, I might bring a friend or two along for some taijutsu practice," he said. This was good, he had proven himself to have value and could use it to build from there, he hoped. "See ya." Shikamaru waved as he ran off, grasping his father's hand.
"Good work." Shikaku murmured quietly as they walked.
"Yeah, whatever," Shikamaru grumbled. "Can we get sukiyaki for dinner?"
