Thanks to those who reviewed. Hey it's my birthday. I'm 18 now.
To Kali Minnamo: your first guess was correct, but it's going to come out later.
That's about it. On to chapter 2
Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Kitsune
Protégé
Ten years later….
The training grounds were not the place for those who couldn't take a beating. A brown haired woman stood watching the training grounds with fierce intensity. She was tall and slender, dressed in white gown that came to her toes. Brown Greek sandals adorned her feet, their straps encircling her calves. On both arms she wore gold braces. Her skin was tanned and her hazel eyes watched the training taking in any possible injuries she would have to treat later on.
Scattered on the training field were students and trainers. The sight was not a pretty one to watch, though the results seemed to be worth every hour of training. In order to be the best you have to be trained by the best. The training was what determined who would receive the honor of being deemed great or be known as the doomed failure.
Shizune was taught to be a healer, though her mistress did teach her the ways of the sword for self-defense. Still fighting was never something she would venture into. The beginning stages were often hard for her to watch, as the trainees were always of such a young age. It was never easy for her to watch grown adults beating up twelve and thirteen year olds. Her arms were folded across her chest, to force her not to interfere.
"Take it in boy," came a shout and Shizune turned to see Gai delivering punches to his protégé's abdomen. Gai was man with a grand exuberance who believed in endurance; his teachings always began with the infliction of pain, thus increasing a person's tolerance level. After that he would move to teach attacks focused on taijutsu. His methods seemed at tad extreme, but paled in comparison to some of the other trainers. Shizune looked at the boy Gai had chosen. The boy, like Gai, had a black bowl cut and huge eyebrows. Shizune watched the boy groan in pain, as his head began to tilt forward. She knew the boy was on the verge of collapse and saw his tear stained cheeks. Still she was forbidden to interfere, as it was not her place. She sighed waiting to be called. After two more blows the boy's feet gave way and he fell to the ground. Gai looked down at the boy in disappointment.
"The next time if you cannot take fifty of those punches you will run around the training grounds one hundred times and if you can not do that then the laps will increase by 50," Gai replied, as he watched the boy clutch onto his stomach in pain. Shizune waited to be called by Gai.
"Shizune," a voice called out. Shizune turned her head; her attention focused on a raven-haired man. He was dressed in black training pants similar to Karate pants and he wore a deep red karate like top with a black belt going around. He held his double-edged sword in one hand, while ushering a smaller form towards the healer with his other hand. The ten-year-old was dressed in a similar fashion as her trainer, only her top was white and her belt was silver. She was cradling her left arm. Her body was riddled in cuts and bruises. Shizune looked at the trainer with sullen eyes.
Uchiha Itachi was said to be the most ruthless and powerful ANBU around. He seemed to possess a mysterious air about him. Company was not something he was too fond off. Most other trainers left him alone his killing intent caused them to be nervous. His skill rivaled every shinobi in the country. Shizune had thought she had figured out the mysterious man, but he managed to stun everyone when he brought the blonde pigtailed girl to the arena and titled her his protégé to be. The fact that he had chosen to train her away from the normal training grounds gave birth to rumors on the type of training the girl received and the techniques with which he used to train her. Most called the child special, since he had chosen her. None had ever seen her in battle. She was the youngest and the last to arrive at the camp and that too, a year later from the others.
Shizune snapped out of her thoughts, as the two stopped walking towards her. Her eyes softened as the blue-eyed child approached.
"She sprained her arm," Itachi stated and Shizune nodded her head. She looked down at the child and smiled.
"Come little one," she replied and held out her hand to the girl. The girl looked back at her trainer. Itachi nodded his head and the girl nodded. Shizune had noticed that unlike the others, the two seemed to have a strange bond with each other. The small golden haired child looked at Shizune. Shizune gave her a reassuring smile and held her good hand, as they walked towards the infirmary.
--
Itachi watched as the girl went away with Shizune. The girl was indeed special. He scanned the field and watched as some of the others trained their own. He then frowned inwardly, as he gazed at Dora who was walking with her arm around her student. Like him, she too trained elsewhere. She was a gifted shinobi with a kekkei genkai to turn combatants's weapon against themselves. He watched her as she spoke to a young raven-haired boy; he had a gut feeling that this would be the only obstacle in his protégé's success. Inwardly he was planning strategies. He sighed knowing that his time with the girl was cut short by the injury.
'Tomorrow is another day,' he thought inwardly with a rare twinkle in his eye. The red haired kunoichi had caught Itachi's eyes. Ice gray eyes met electric green eyes. Itachi nodded his head to her and then left.
--
'What's he up to?' Dora thought as she wondered what he was doing.
"Who was that?" The raven-haired boy asked.
"One of the best shinobi this country has ever seen," Dora replied, as she watched Itachi's retreating form.
"His student is the one you must defeat." The raven-haired child looked up in question.
"Naruto?" He asked unsure of what his trainer wanted.
"Yes, I want you to be strong enough to beat her," Dora replied and her student looked at her quizzically.
"But she's so weak," the boy replied. Dora shook her head sideways.
"Don't be fooled by appearances. That is something you must learn now. You must never underestimate your opponent," Dora replied and the boy nodded, as he walked with his trainer.
He thought about the small blonde haired child. Unlike the others, the girl had no parents, no roots. He had seen some of the other boys bully her at times but blonde girl would run or hide from them. Still their taunts would continue. Other girls training to be shinobi looked down at her, as though she was a disgrace to the title kunoichi and they were often ruder to her than the boys were. His trainer forbade him to participate in anything involving Naruto. His trainer had sent that ruling to him and he had never questioned it. He sighed deeply as he slowly prepared himself. His goal before was to be his best, but he was now training to beat Naruto.
--
Shizune looked at the small blonde haired child, as she wrapped the child's sprained arm. The blonde girl whimpered a little and flinched slightly at the pain. Knowing that Itachi forbade the child to talk of her training, she decided to try a casual conversation in the hopes of distracting the girl away from the pain.
"It's been a while since I last saw you Naruto," Shizune replied while trying to make conversation with the small child. Blue eyes looked into a pair of deep hazel eyes. Shizune couldn't help but gaze into those blue orbs. The child did have very special eyes. It was so mesmerizing to look at.
"Last time I was here I had a broken nose," Naruto replied softly and Shizune frowned inwardly, but put on her fake, yet very convincing smile. She gently pinched the girl's nose.
"That's right," Shizune replied.
"Still there, neh?" Shizune replied as she wound up the bandage and Naruto smiled at the act.
"There all done now just be careful," Shizune replied, knowing full well that the child couldn't do much in the way of defending herself. The two were interrupted when Itachi entered the infirmary. His raven shoulder length hair was now pulled back into a ponytail. He seemed to possess the same kind of eyes Naruto had. It almost seemed that Itachi was related to his young student, but everyone knew that was not the case. Not much was known about that child, except that she was orphaned at a young age. Shizune nodded warily at the man, who simply nodded his thanks to her for helping the child.
"Make sure she stays here the night," Itachi replied, as he looked at the brown haired healer. She nodded.
"Get some rest Naruto, we'll continue this tomorrow," Itachi replied and the little girl nodded grateful for the time to rest. Itachi then left the infirmary. Shizune was pulled out of her thoughts by a large rumbling sound. She looked around wondering what could have caused such a noise and saw Naruto clutching her stomach. Immediately a sweat drop formed on Shizune's forehead, as she remembered Naruto's large appetite. The little girl was blushing.
"Hungry?" Shizune asked, hoping that there was enough food left over for the other patients.
The girl nodded her head up and down.
"Let's go eat," Shizune replied and held her hand out to Naruto, who took it with her good arm.
"Ramen," she asked hopefully. Shizune laughed.
"All right."
--
Half an hour later, Shizune helped change Naruto into her nightgown and helped tuck her into bed. The brown haired healer turned and smiled at the sleeping child. Like her trainer the child too was a mystery.
'How does she manage to stash away so much food?' the healer wondered, as like other things it remained yet another mystery to solve. She looked at the bed with its sleeping occupant and then switched off the lights before closing the door to Naruto's room.
--
The door to the discussion room at the palace burst open, as a very drenched and mumbling Ebisu entered and took his seat next to the other elite jonin. All eyes were on him, the jonin gathered together to discuss the progress of the new trainees.
"What happened to you?" Anko asked wanting to know what prank the recruits had played on Ebisu.
"Don't ask," Ebisu replied gruffly, adjusting his sunglasses.
Asuma, who was seated on Ebisu's right side, spoke.
"I think it's safe to say that the new recruits really do need some serious training," Asuma began leaving the statement open for anyone else to comment. There was a silence before comments began to pour forth from all.
"Guys, guys, one at a time," Tsunade replied as everyone started talking at once.
"I don't think anyone predicted that the ones to take up our position would be from powerful clans," Genma replied and all nodded.
"Yes... we each came from a background of a elite's. Our descendents serving the daimyo, but now we're heading towards uncertain grounds as the elders have chosen the new heirs of the most powerful clans in Konohagure. Eight new genin to train and all a royal pain and I mean that literally," Anko replied as she sighed deeply.
"Eight? Isn't it nine?" Kurenai asked as she looked at her comrades.
"There's Tenten, then Neji, Hinata, Shino, Chouji, Shikamaru, Ino, Kiba and..." Genma paused as she stopped at the vacant seat of Kakashi.
"The ninth," Kushina finished off.
"Kushina-hime-sama," everyone replied and then rose to their feet quickly, but Kushina raised her hand signaling them down.
"Please... No formalities. We're alone now," Kushina replied and everyone nodded as they sat back down.
Kushina took her rightful place at the center of the round table and looked sadly at the empty seat of her dearest friend.
"I have spoken to the temple priestess, it seems that she has informed me that the position of the eighth will be put on hold temporarily," Kushina replied as all the shinobi gasped in shock.
"Himi-sama, but how is that possible?" Ebisu asked.
"I don't know Ebisu, all I know is that Kakashi is not here," Kushina said.
"I suppose when the time comes we will choose the right person," Kurenai stated and Kushina nodded.
"Perhaps Kakashi is needed, as he holds that position," Asuma suggested, offering his theory as always to explain the unexplained.
"Perhaps, you're right Asuma," Kushina replied as she looked at him.
"I still don't understand why Kakashi decided to take some time off when we were supposed to start training the new recruits?" Anko said. Kushina was about to comment when Tsunade spoke.
"Speaking of the recruits..."
"...Yes... What's this that I hear about some of you having problems training the genin?" Kushina asked as she eyed her elite.
"Who said we were having problems?" Anko asked innocently.
"Don't even try to convince me that you're not," Kushina replied smiling.
"Himi-sama we're just not used to training heirs," Ebisu replied.
"Yes... I can see that," Kushina replied as she looked at her drenched elite.
"So the title is the main problem?" Kushina asked.
"Partly, like the rest of us who they were born into families of elite fighters. We grew up fighting in the Great War between the big five. These children have no idea of what war is really like, nor do they realize the value of fighting," Asuma began.
"Too spoiled?" Kushina asked.
"Very," Ebisu huffed.
"Pampered is more like it," Anko replied.
"Well, they are from a peaceful nation. It's their way of life. Give them some time to adjust. It's hard when you're away from home and are expected to act differently than the way you were brought up. Their parents were just as shocked as we were when they were chosen," Kushina replied softly to her frustrated jonin.
"That still doesn't help us with our problem," Ebisu sighed. Kushina smiled at her friend and then looked at the others who remained silent in the complaint department.
"What about you three? No complaints about your trainees?" Kushina, she looked toward the others.
"Well so far, training seems to be progressing. Not too many problems with mine, despite being young I think she seems to live for battle," Genma replied thoughtfully.
"Is that good or bad?" Kushina asked not sure of how to respond.
"I think a bit of both," Genma replied. "If you ask me she's a lot like Anko were when we were all training,"
"Hey... What's that supposed to mean?" Anko asked hotly; she always did have a quick temper.
"See, exactly my point," Genma replied with a satisfied smile on his face.
Anko grumbled as she looked at the others.
"What about you Ibiki? Is your genin giving you any problems?" Kushina asked.
"Well, not really. He's too reserved though, but seems to take the role as a sense of duty," Ibiki replied. "I think he would make a fine shinobi though"
"Kurenai?" Kushina asked.
"I find her weak for battles, but she possesses great determination," Kurenai replied thoughtfully.
"Yes... I did think she looked rather sickly, but I feel her potential," Kushina contemplated. Kurenai nodded in agreement. Last but not least Kushina focused her eyes on her old friend.
"For as long as I am wanted, I will continue to be here," Tsunade replied returning her smile to her beloved lady.
"What do you suggest we do to aid in the training of the new recruits Tsunade?" Kushina asked. Tsunade smiled.
"Perhaps what the others had done when they had trained all of you to take their place," Tsunade offered. Kushina's eyes widened.
"The Chunnin exams?" Kushina asked, as she remembered some of the most elite fighters going to battle and train in Mazzie, where the Chunnin exams were held, a village that belonged to the Amazon women, the fiercest fighters in the continent. To get into a battle with them was to have a death wish.
"I guess it's a good place to start. Once you make a connection with our trainees, then the training can advance," Kushina replied.
"Wouldn't the Chunnin exams be a little too advanced, even for them?" Asuma asked.
"We're only going as spectators," Anko replied.
"Yes, just spectators, no one is to take part in the event. Remember that you all are there to show your trainees the path to becoming a shinobi," Kushina said and looked at Anko.
"Anko try not to get into fight with one of the amazons. We're on thin ice with them as it is," Kushina replied.
"I won't if they don't," Anko replied.
"I'll make sure she stays out of trouble," Kurenai replied as she smiled at her lady.
"Good," Kushina replied as she let out a sigh of relief.
"Tsunade when's the next Chunnin exams?" Kushina asked, as she turned to the guardian of time.
"The exam has already begun my lady," Tsunade replied.
"How much have we missed?" Kushina asked.
"I would estimate it to be at least a week," Tsunade replied.
"Then we better get them off as soon as possible," Kushina replied thoughtfully.
"Kushina-sama, we can't just get up and leave. Who will stay behind to guard you?" Genma asked.
"I will," Tsunade replied.
"Yes but you will need back up," Kurenai replied.
No. That's not necessary. You all go. Tsunade will be here with me. Plus there are also the guards and the Silver knights. I have plenty of protection, just make sure you all come back to me once the exam's over," Kushina replied smiling and her shinobi nodded.
"Back in one piece Anko," Kushina replied grinning at her blushing kunoichi.
"Yes Hime-sama," Anko replied in a mocking tone. Kushina smiled.
"I better get going; I'll leave you all to sorting out the details of getting there. I have to meet with the Kazekage and his youngest son," Kushina replied.
"The little redhead?" Ebisu asked without thinking.
"Yes, he's very quiet. Ten summer's old, he's the same age as," Kushina paused in mid sentence, painfully aware of what she was going to say. She sighed deeply trying to forget the void in her heart. Realizing that she was still among her friends, she smiled and nodded her head.
"I mustn't keep them waiting," Kushina replied and then left through the doors.
No one spoke as the room was filled with a heavy silence and a grief that seemed to pass between each of the jonin. The lady's pain was their pain.
"Natsumi-hime-san," Asuma replied finishing off his lady's sentence.
The tension in the room mounted, as each jonin contemplated the loss of the princess, and of how their lady suffered.
"We better start preparing for the journey," Tsunade replied softly breaking the thoughts of each of the jonin. The others nodded and slowly one by one they all left the room.
--
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Edited: Sep. 11, 08
