A word on currency before we start. I don't know how yen and gil and any other currency in world works other than the US Dollar and how much Canadian money is worth in reference to the US money. I also know that the Euro is worth a lot more than the dollar. For Naruto's world its going to be like this:
Copper mark, which is paper money of low denomintation less than a US dollar, 2 would be more than a dollar though
Silver marks- five copper marks in a silver mark- these are the main denomination of the Narutoverse- with bills in single, five, twenty, and fifty.
Gold marks- one-hundered silver marks in a gold mark- which has the denominations in one, ten, fifty, and hundred. After this the money moves into Plates- flat plates made of precious metals
(This is going off the idea that the metals themselves will usually be forth more than what the government rates it at or it can be sold elsewhere for more as a universal type of currency recognized in all villages and countries
On average A thin silver plate is worth one hundred, thick silver plates- 200. A thin gold plate is 200 gold marks, thick gold plates- 400.
To Test and be Tested; true Genin of the Leaf.
Looking to either side of him he couldn't help but think of his teammates: a killer kunoichi and a dark and quiet boy with dark hair… well it could have been worse…
-H-O-K-A-G-E-S-A-M-A
Kakashi looked down at the three students he had, wearing his grey ANBU armor, a traditional face mask covering his lower half, and a white sword upon his back, his two black eyes staring at them, 'So this is team seven the Hokage has prepared me for?'
Yes the copy nin had been told by the Hokage of what team he would have five years ago, after the first full year of the ninja academy had passed by. And he had prepared properly for the task that would be set before him.
FLASHBACK! Nananananana
Kakashi Hatake stood in the doorway to the Hokage's office, at eleven in the morning, having been told to arrive at eight.
"Ah! Kakashi, your just in time, I thought you might be late." Said the benevolent Hokage, a knowing smile on his face.
"I was under the impression that I was late." Said the Jounin from behind his book, "You simply TOLD me to be here at eight didn't you?" he asked with his one visible eye narrowing. He didn't like being tricked.
"Why, where would you get such an idea from? I mean it is true, but why would you be so suspicions of me?" Motioning Kakashi inside he stood and turned to look out his rooms window, puffing at his pipe for a while, told the Cyclops to put his book away, letting Kakashi know that this would not be fun, "Have you heard the latest from the academy?" asked the gentle Hokage.
"Yes, students training at a young age, those with clans and without. The Hyuga and the Uchiha seemed to have started a little rivalry and Ume-sama's daughter has taken up the sword. The Ino-Shika-Cho have all begun training their children and the Aburame have started to expand their clan's style into the field of weaponry as well, at the request of their son. It would also seem that the Yondaime's legacy has failed his first attempt at the exam, though he did start a little too early anyway." Amazingly the jounin did not even move out of his lazy slouch and his voice was so bored he sounded like an answering machine.
"Yes, they will be an amazing group of individuals." He murmured as he took short puffs from his pipe, "and you," he said louder, "Kakashi Hatake, the man who has copied over a thousand jutsu and is known as the 'Copy-nin' and 'Copycat Kakashi,' son of the Silver Fang of Konoha: Sakumo Hatake, will be the man known as the sensei of Team Seven."
The Copycat's only visible eye was bulging in horror, as if it was trying to escape its socket. He couldn't believe this was going to happen, though he knew all along that it would one day happen, there was no way he was going to be made the captain of Konoha's next generation of leaders, for indeed, that is what team seven has always been. Mayhap some history is needed here.
In the beginning there was Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, and Hashirama's brother. During the first mission that they were sided together on, against the clan's that later made up the majority of Konoha's enemies and were already enemies to the Uchiha and Senju both, the three fought together under the code name of Team Seven, and their prowess in battle was unstoppable when combined. The Senju could manipulate the elements of water, earth, and wood with amazing skill and the Uchiha had his eyes which produced the blackest flame the world had ever seen, Amaterasu. And, while the brothers knew how to fight in battle together perfectly, the Uchiha had know his enemies well and could watch their movements and their enemies and could find the perfect place for himself in a fight alongside the brothers without disturbing the flow they had by means of his Eternal Mankyo Sharingan.
After the formation of the Leaf Hashirama ordered the formation of three man teams under a single sensei. In the end there had been Seven, one under each of the clan heads, the final one, team seven, being the Senju's own brother. This team consisted of Hamura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and Sasuke Sarutobi, the once and future Third Hokage of Konoha. All three of whom came into prominence in creating a better Konoha for the future and who's individual skills and accomplishments are told as legends throughout the world.
In turn Sarutobi trained the three Sannin: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. These three would become the prominent experts throughout the shinobi wourld in their respective arts of Sealing, healing, and science. They are renowned as 'The Three Shinobi' as they were titled after the battle with Hanzo of the Salamander: the Great Sage of the Rain during the Second Shinobi War.
In turn, Jiraiya, who later became the Great Toad Hermit of Myobokuzan, took a team that would be considered the first of the successfully failed Team Sevens, as two of the teammates were killed in their first mission outside of the village, to deliver a missive to the Daimyo of the Earth Country. They were caught in an assassination attempt on the Daimyo by Iwa itself, which succeeded, and in turn actually started the Third Great Shinobi War. Taking his only remaining student, Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya trained the boy, who hated the Hidden Rock, and eventually made a Hokage out of him, but not before he trained the fourth incarnation of Team Seven, and the second generation of the 'Successfully Failed' Team Seven's.
This team consisted of Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, and an orphan girl simply known as Rin. Kakashi Hatake was a rising star of Konoha's, who would eventually surpass his legendary father if his luck held true, until the tragedy at the bridge of Myakuraku in Grass Country. It was at that battle that, while the tide of the war was changed, Obito Uchiha was killed and Kakashi Hatake recived his Sharingan eye, increasing his resolve and will to train and be stronger. The next tragedy was at Mt. Makazein in the heart of Kumogakure, during the final battle of the Third War, when Rin was killed by the Jinnchuriki of the Eight-Tailed Bijuu, Kirabi Yotsuki.
Though the battle had proven difficult victory had been immanent, so Kirabi tapped into his Bijuu's power, taming the beast at the same time so it would not attack his home, and fired a powerful blast of chakra at Konoha's remaining Shinobi outside of the village. Rin, as well as several other well known and liked shinobi were caught in this blast, including Dan, Tsunade Senju's lover and fiancée, who managed to strike the great beast with her 'crazy strength' thus removing it from battle to prevent it from attacking again thus destroying the forces and crippling Konoha, and breaking off one of its horns, the father of Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga, leading to the premature ascension of Hiashi to the status of Clan Head, and Danzo Senju, who was injured to the point that ended his career as a ninja and sparked it as a politician and trainer for ANBU. It was after this that Kakashi's growth suddenly stopped, though he was still a legend in all rights and fought many of his most infamous battles.
The third and final tragedy came when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha and the Fourth died sealing the beast into his own son, Naruto Uzumaki. It was due to the after math of this battle that Kakashi's skill began to, slowly, but surely decrease until the point where he has been removed from the ANBU.
And now the Hokage was asking him to train the next generation of Konoha's government. "Why?" he uttered quietly, "How? How could you ask this of me? You know as well as I, that I am not fit to lead anyone. I have fallen from grace by letting my friends die in my place; I have failed where even my father did not."
"Because, Kakashi, you ARE fit to lead." Were the words the Sandaime said as he turned to look at the boy, for a boy he was when compared to the 'Professor,' "You were once the second strongest Shinobi in this village, bested only by your own sensei and on equal terms with the Sannin themselves. You managed to spearhead the assault into Kumogakure, leading an attack force of one-hundred shinobi into the Hidden Cloud against incredible odds, and destroyed the Watch Tower of Jinkourai with one attack. You are the man who led the ANBU to the capture and death of Tenchikaibyaku, the Sandiame Tsuchikage."
Kakashi hated being reminded of what he no longer was, but the Hokage went on, telling him of all the things he once was, eventually bringing the man to his knees when he mentioned the team that he had failed, tears stinging his eyes. Seeing that the man was finally broken, the Third chose now to start rebuilding him.
"You, Kakashi, have been holding so much in, never letting any of it out, but I know and will not let the last remnant of Minato's team to be blown away like dust into the winds of time." As he said this he walked behind the silver haired man and placed a hand on his shoulder, "You once told me of your fathers bloodline, one that you had inherited, the 'Gin-choushi' the Silver Vein. It was a secondary reserve of chakra far more potent and powerful than anything normal shinobi had access to. It was constantly growing the more you used it and seemed to affect everything in strange ways, giving way to the legend of the Silver Fang when your father added it to his kodachi. You said, right before the Kyuubi's attack, that you were making progress with the Gin-choushi to help assimilate the Sharingan into your body and make it into a fully functional bloodline. I want you to start training again; start learning to use the Gin-choushi once more, and try to recreate the sharingan fully."
Having said that he walked to his desk and pulled out a scroll with the crest of the Clan Sarutobi on it, "These are your new orders. You are to train for the next six months under the Inu Squad, after this they will test you and if you pass you will be re-inaugurated into the ranks of the Black ops, back into the Inu squad. While you won't lead them again until you have proven yourself, you will be placed in charge of one of the four man teams. I'm letting you know this because the first assignment you are to receive, if you are accepted, will be on a retrieval mission into Kusa," Kakashi looked up, a gentle fire burning in his eyes, "to retrieve the Shards of the White Light Chakra Sword"
There was long silence as Kakashi looked at the Hokage with that fire in his eyes, "Hai, Hokage-sama!" and he was gone."
Its OVER! THE FLASHBACK IS OVER!
"Alright," he began, "let's get to know each other. I want to know your name, something you like, something you hate, something you strive for, and show us one ability you possess. It could be a jutsu, or a bloodline, anything at all. Here I'll start, My name is Kakashi Hatake, I like sniffing things, I hate banana's, and I strive for… peace and love around the world." Here his eyes were flipped into full eye smiles that creeped the students out, "as for my one ability… hm, I know, I can fold my tongue into a clover." And so he did, though the students just saw a bulge in the man's mask.
Sasuke just looked at the man with his obsidian eyes, head resting on his folded hands, and thought to himself, 'So we have a tree hugging, banana hating, perverted pedophile named Kakashi for our sensei.'
Sakura actually looked on in hidden awe, 'Hatake? As in Sakumo Hatake of the Silver Sword?'
Kiba was wide eyed and had his jaw hanging, for he actually knew who their sensei was 'Copycat Kakashi, the two time leader of the Inu Squad, and second in command of the ANBU department is my sensei… FUCK YEAH!' then he had a thought and dared a quick glance at Sasuke, one that Kakashi noticed. When the boy looked back he saw the Jounin give him a little wink, chuckling to himself a little.
"Alright, Pinky! You first."
"My name is Sakura Haruno, Kakashi-sensei, and I would appreciate it if you did not call me pinky. I happen to like training in the Sakura style of kenjutsu, and dislike anyone who bears, but does not deserve the sword. I strive to one day be strong enough for my future husband." She said this with only the slightest of blushes on her face, "and as for my ability… this!" she said as she drew her sword and let it break into twenty shards that floated midair, separated slightly. Stabbing the sword forward, Sakura let the sword become whole again. Kakashi gave a small clap, fairly impressed that a girl of her age had progressed that far into the Sakura style.
"Broody! GO!" he said making a swish of his arm and pointing to the heavens. Yeah, the chakra had reached his brain a long time ago.
"I am Sasuke Uchiha, I like nothing, and hate much, and I strive to one day kill a certain man. As for my ability I will show you that once I unlock my sharingan…
Kakashi looked a little bored at this and was heard mumbling out something, "cheater…"
"I guess I'm next!" yelled Kiba from his seat next to Sakura, "My name's Kiba Inuzuka, I like my pal Akamaru here," as he hoisted up the puppy, "I hate flea's. I strive to prove the Inuzuka clan hasn't lost any of its prowess. As for my one ability…" he stopped here because of Sakura's laughing, "What's so funny Haruno?" he said, a slight sneer in his face.
"You, Baka! You want to prove something like that, but the Inuzuka clan has never been important to Konoha, all they do is care for our dogs and sniff on the trails they are given. Whats there to prove?"
As soon as the words were out of her mouth Kiba was out of his seat and lunging towards the girl, only to be stopped by Kakashi, who grabbed the back of his neck and hair. "Why are you stopping me?! She dares to mock my clan!" he yelled.
Sounding a little whistful, Kakashi pointed over to Sakura, who had her ninja-to drawn and had been ready to run him through the stomach, and said to the boy, "Oh, I know what a mistake she made, however I thought it was more prudent to stop your mistake before it was too late."
Surprisingly it was Sasuke who responded to this, not Sakura, "What mistake? She's right. It was the Senju, Uchiha, Aburame, Hyuga, and Akamichi that formed Konoha as we know it today. The Inuzuka came begging for scraps at the feet of the founders a year later. Their skills aren't even that great, I mean they can smell things… just like the dogs we could get from them, they are useless."
Still holding a snarling Kiba, Kakashi addressed the two students, "Wrong! They are the inspiration and founders of Konoha's ANBU Black Ops. and are the ones who make up a bulk of the Inu Squad and the Gravediggers Unit, or as you know them, the hunter nin. Do you know how effective it is to have a shinobi that can follow a trail with no need to rely on a dog and can then help engage the enemy without having to worry about how the animal will react in battle?" Kiba was glad to hear this coming from his sensei, he sounded so impassioned about this, "Well you better, because if you pass the test tomorrow, then you will have to work with one. You will be team seven if you pass, an assassination and attack squad in the makings… one I know can become legendary if you figure it out."
Kiba just looked up at their teacher and, in time with Sakura who was sheathing her sword, "What test?" and so Kakashi started to explain.
P-E-A-N-U-T-B-U-T-T-E-R-O-N-A-S-P-O-O-N-I-N-A-B-O-O-K-W-H-I-L-E-I-T-E-A-T-S-Y-O-U-R-B-O-O-T
Taking another swipe at the jounin with her bokken, Ino backpedaled as he slowly advanced, 'damn those knives of his, I can't get a good swipe at him! I'm sure that if I knew more of the Sakura style this would be so much easier. Damn you Ume-baita.' This was not the first time the girl had cursed Sakura's mother so.
Asuma had told them that, seeing as their fathers had worked together so perfectly, and seeing as they had grown up together, that he would not test them with teamwork as was traditional, but instead see what their personal skills were like in one on one bouts, only requiring them to land a single solid blow on him. Shikamaru had used a lot of quick thinking and strategy to catch Asuma in his shadow imitation jutsu and bring the man's own blades to bear against his neck. Choji had bested the man in a match of pure physical strength by making his arm expand right at the last minute of a point blank punch, so the man couldn't just sidestep it or grab the arm.
For her turn though, Ino was having a very tough time. The man had his knives back and was able to block any of the attacks she sent towards him. To add to that the girl was working off the incomplete basics of a style the man was very familiar with, even if she didn't know it yet. If it weren't for the fact that her bokken was inscribed with seals of strengthening then it probably would have been broken by now, something she was thanking the creator for doing right now.
At that moment, as if to emphasize his superiority over her to a new height, he attacked and when she brought her wooden sword to bear he sliced right through the wood, starting at the tip, then cutting it down two more times.
"That… that shouldn't be possible!" she said falling back a little, dropping the stub that was her weapon, "My bokken is as strong as iron, it had seals for strengthening the wood!"
Taking a deep breath, wishing for a cigirett, the man lifted his right blade to eye level, letting his chakra jut to the length of a full sword, "I got bored of this little game and decided to push just a touch more… this is all you can give? I though Ume-sama's style was stronger than this?" and so he went in for a kick, only to be pushed away by Choji's sudden appearance it the girls side, his enlarged arm in front of her. Next Asuma noticed that he could not move, Shikamaru appearing on the other side, picking up the pieces of the destroyed weapon.
"You know Ino," he said to her, "It has occurred to me, that in this moment you could land a very nice punch to our teachers un protected neck and pass this little test of his."
Ino just looked up at him, a little awe struck, "But, but we were supposed to show our one on one skills… you have him held down and Choji has already taken a blow for me… how can I pass now?"
This time Choji spoke up, "You know, Ino, he said that the only rule to these matches was that you had to win a single blow to him in order to win… not that we couldn't help each other in our endeavors to do so."
From where he stood Asuma laughed a little, "Congratulations… you three pass!" when he felt that he hadn't been released yet he looked up at them for a second, "Um, guys?"
Turning away so he wouldn't see anything Ino did, Choji mimicking him, Shikamaru said to the man, "You did something that even Choji and I would never do: you destroyed her weapon. Sakura and Ino have been very protective of those weapons since they started to train with them; they were gifts from the two rival swords smiths of Iwa. Sakura's bokken, and later her sword, were created by Okazaki Masamune. Ino's bokken was from his rival Sengo Muramasa. By the way, that makes the weapon irreplaceable, as Ino had neither the money to replace it nor does she know where to find Muramasa if she did."
Asuma paled at the thought that he had destroyed something made by Sengo Muramasa's cursed hands, and then paled farther as he saw Ino make several hand seals, ending with her thumbs meeting the fore finger from the opposite hand, "Say cheese Asuma-sensei!"
And he knew no more for several minutes, until he woke to the smell of sweat, beer, iron, and 'sexy' music. Beside him a fat man scratched his bared belly, sweat coated hair glistening all over it, and a set of handcuffs in his other hand. "I'm so glad you decided to go with the torture room, Asuma-chan!"
-O-H-T-H-E-V-I-S-I-O-N-S-T-H-E-Y-L-O-O-K-S-O-P-R-E-T-T-Y
Looking to either side of him he couldn't help but think of his teammates: a killer kunoichi and a dark and quiet boy with dark hair… well it could have been worse, "I could be stuck with the Uchiha." He mumbled quietly.
On his left was Shino, quiet and humble Shino in his light green jacket, who seemed to be getting a good look at Naruto and his getup, though Naruto wasn't sure with the glasses and all. To the right was Hinata, big breasted, bitchy, and scantily clad. This last was what held their teacher's and Hinata's attention.
"I'll ask you one more time." Said Kurenai, glaring at Hinata who sat with her back against a tree, legs crossed provocatively in spite of their sensei, "Change into proper shinobi wear or I will not let you take a single mission. Hiashi-sama would skin me alive if he knew I let you walk around like you are now."
"First thing, you may be my captain, but neither you nor my father have any control over how I dress, secondly, if you would have us as a team then you need me to be on the team, thirdly, if you refuse to let me be on a team because of such petty matters then my clan could easily remove its support from Konoha until the Hokage himself acts on the matter, which you wouldn't like, fourthly," she adjusted her legs so the other was on top, "I go by a simple code, 'to do one thing every day that makes you father ashamed of you.' If I didn't dress like this, then who knows what I would do to my family's name. That is why my father allows me to dress this way. Lastly, I must point out that you wear bandages for you daily outfit. How can you complain about my outfit when all it takes is a single kunai in the right spot to undress you completely?"
At this Kurenai was silent, her eyes wide with shock, awe, and loathing, "Fine, then let's get started. I will tell you all right now that teams are tested to see if they will really become shinobi, their Genin Exam's as they are called, simply getting rid of the truly hopeless. What we look for when we have to test a new batch is for teamwork. I want to see if you three can work together to form cohesive unit. To do that I want you three to attack me, full on. The only way I will pass you is if you three can best me… anything else and I will send you three to the academy!"
All three of the students grinned at this, unnerving the bandaged kunoichi a little. Though, Hinata was the only one of the three to be really happy. Naruto was a little worried on how he would perform, and whether he should use the Oboegan with Hinata around. Shino's grin was out of pure amusement at the thought of having to face a jounin, even a kunoich one. See, I always knew he had a sense of humor.
"Well sensei, we shouldn't delay then, should we?" said Hinata, settling into her Juken stance and activating her Byakugan, the veins practically throbbing with power. Shino removed his twin scythes and dropped down into his own style, summoning his bugs to form a little cloud around him. He decided that if this is what he had to do to pass, then he would not hold back in the slightest… I mean it was the only logical thing to do.
Then there was Naruto. He knew that kunoichi were strong, all he had to do was think of sparring with Yuffie, but he had some reservations on whether he should use the Oboegan and let the team know yet and on his own ability to actually fight. Sure he had fought some in the Otherworld's, but they were only spars against people he had never even needed to worry about hurting, Cloud, Yuffie, Tidus, Vincent.
Before he could even think further though, he realized something was coming towards him… his teacher. Stepping to the side he realized that she had started and chose to attack the distracted one right off the back. "Pay attention when you're in a fight! This is life or death." And she sent a side kick straight at him. Ducking under it he stood and received a punch to the punch to the gut. "Come on and fight! Whats wrong with you, you should have expected me to follow through with my attack." As he recovered she went in for another kick, only for Shino to step in front of him, one scythe catching her leg at the ankle right below the blade.
Pulling her leg back she went for a punch, this time having Hinata coming to the rescue, jumping in under Kurenai's fist and stabbing a chakra coated hand towards the woman's chest. Kurenai spinning to the side and out of harms reach, sending a chop to Hinata as she turned to face them. Using her eyes Hinata could easily see the movements and ducked beneath it. This went on for almost a full minute, with Shino often catching blows for Hinata while the girl ducked and jumped around sending in attacks when she saw an opening, never touching their sensei.
While this was going on Naruto saw stunned at seeing them fight, "Kid, if you don't get into that fight soon then I will give up on you completely! You can't just watch them fight… HELP THEM!" at the foxes urging Naruto realized that he had been just watching, so he quickly pulled off the Buster Sword and charged into the fray.
Jumping in he started with a vertical slash going down, similar to one of Cloud's favorite attacks, which his sensei simply side stepped and then leaned back to dodge one of Hinata's attacks, flipping over completely to land a solid kick on the girls jaw and grabbing one of Shino's scythes at the base near his hand as she landed, a quick jab to his stomach to immobilize him for a few seconds.
Jumping away the woman made a few hand signs mid air and landed on one knee, thrusting her hands into the ground when she did so. Doton: arms of the Earth lord. What she pulled out were a set of arm guards, four sharp spikes sticking about five inches from the outer sides of each one. The three students just stood there for a second, a few yards between each of them, watching for what their sensei would try and do now. Hinata rubbed her jaw slightly, a gleam in her eye, Shino stood passively, getting his breath back, and Naruto simply pulled the sword back up to rest at the ready.
"Use the eye's brat! After that little stunt she pulled its clear that she was playing around before and you'll need every advantage you can get."
Naruto only hesitated a second before he closed his eyes, which were hidden in the shadows of his cloak. Opening them he felt the world all around him. Thus he felt when Hinata briefly glanced towards him, obviously having noticed the change in his eyes.
This was all the moment Kurenai needed, as she rushed towards the girl, swiping at her midsection with the blades of the arm guard. Naruto had felt the killing intent of the woman before she even moved, it had lessened on him and Shino and increased on Hinata. While it wasn't true premonition like the Jedi or the Sharingan, it was enough for Naruto to realize where she would attack. Jumping in front of the woman he planted the Buster sword in front of him like a shield and felt as she altered her course for Shino instead.
The boy in question summoned a group of bugs to fly towards her, only for them to find out this was an illusion, the real one, bracers and all, having jumped above them and did more handsigns, using her, though they didn't know it, only other ninjutsu outside of the basic three and her bracer's. Katon: dragonic breath. Sending a broad burst of fire at them, heading to hit Shino and his bugs first.
All three of them moved, Shino turned to get out of the way of the fast moving fire, though he wouldn't make it at this rate, Naruto moved towards the flames trying to get in front of Shino, his arm brace bared in front of him, and Hinata, seeing Naruto's bared sword lifted the thing and placed it in front of her like a shield, as Naruto had.
Seeing that he wouldn't make it Naruto jumped forwards, straight into the flame, hoping that Yuffie was right about this thing absorbing the elements. Luckily for him she WAS right, and most of the flames quickly raced into the bracer and Naruto felt a rush of energy in his body and could practically feel the yellow material that glowed through the bracer.
To say the others were stunned was an understatement. Hinata, who saw everything through her Byakugan was stunned, having barely felt the heat of the fire in her secure spot, Shino stopped counting his hive numbers to actually process what Naruto had done, landing Kurenai had a small smirk, glade that she hadn't actually roasted them, even though she grossly underpowered the attack.
She had thought for little else though as she saw Naruto running back for his sword, throwing that strange shuriken on his back. The through was sloppy beyond belief and Kurenai saw that yes it would fly towards her, if it's edge could fly through a couple inches of earth on the way. But the slash-all shuriken was good like that, by using the materia the Shuriken rode through the earth like a wheel of death, slowly rising to come at the teacher.
Sensing her danger Kurenai waited till the spinning blade was almost upon her and then went to the side, not noticing the blade curve upwards then, for Shino was on her, blades dancing in an all out offensive. 'I guess I should seehow good he is with those things' and se she let Shino have his fun while Hinata and Naruto gathered themselves. She had to give them a chance to pass after all.
As Naruto reached for his sword Hinata stepped out from behind it, were he had felt some one was, obviously it had to be her, and grabbed his wrist, "What was that?" she said gesturing to his arm guard, trying to peer into his cloak.
"That," he said, stopping the his giant shuriken with chakra and then grasping onto it with this hand, not even needing to look at it with the Oboegan activated, "was very lucky. Now I believe we need to get back into things, eh?" Pulling his arm free, along with the sword, he turned to look at Shino in his offensive attack and would have rushed in like he was, giant shuriken in his left hand and zanbato in his right, save Hinata's words.
"No, not till I know what your bloodline does." This stopped Naruto cold, he hadn't had time to think about what he would tell people yet. 'Why did she have to do this now?' "You don't need to worry about that yet… just save it for later, alright?" Now Shino was going on the defense, he was tiring and apparently Kurenai was done testing his offensive skills.
"No! I will not be denied this!" spat the girl, grabbing onto his shoulder hard, "We need a strategy and with those eyes and sword I might have one, what do they do? Just tell me are they anything like the Sharingan or Byakugan? Their basic function!"
"It's more like the Byakugan!" He said finally, "Except I don't see anything, I feel them. A sixth sense if you will, along with a few smaller seventh and eighth sense's that work around the original, now lets GO!"
With that Naruto ran towards Kurenai and a kneeling Shino, Hinata yelling to him, close behind him, "Fight however you would, juts keep an eye out for Shino and his bugs, I can watch out for anything you might accidentally do with the byakugan."
It was a good idea, as it turned out, with Hinata and him using their doejutsu they worked together beautifully. After Shino had rested up a second, popping a soldier pill in the process, they had begun a three way all out assault. Naruto, with his big ass sword, was the main distraction, as Kurenai had to either dodge those or attempt to block with her arm gaurds, which she learned was risky at best, since the inertia of the weapon would pass on to her, or in layman's term, send her flying. When the woman did get some distance from him though he would throw his shuriken, which she had to dodge or die from. Next was Shino who's scythes could sneak in around Naruto without warning and who's bugs served a two point purpose, one to help him find out where his sensei was when she did a sudden substitution jutsu, and two to attack her, whether it be with pincers and stingers, which were a real nuisance, and to drain her chakra. While he couldn't swarm her like he would have liked, not with the other two there and attacking, he was still able to slow her down a little. Lastly was Hinata, who was supposed to deal the finishing blow, since it would only take one hit with the Juken, while she flirted around, never being touched by either friend or foe alike.
It was no surprise then, in the end, that Hinata managed a quick strike to their sensei's unprotected back, while she dodged between Naruto's sword and one of Shino's scythe, and then blocked the other, forgetting about Hinata for only a brief second. This was all that the kunoichi needed and with a silent tap their sensei fell to the ground wide eyed.
Looking down at her Naruto deactivated his eye's, as did Hinata, and Shino called his bugs to him. They just stood there, not quite believing what happened. The first to speak was Shino, "Nice getup Naruto!" This of course was a very un-Shino like comment, so the other two just started to laugh. When they calmed down a little Shino finished what he was saying, "Not only do you look every part of a shinobi, you are trained as one as well, though I might ask how this is possible? You were the dead last in the academy, in both practical and theoretical application, and I have never seen you so much as pick up a bokken outside of our first year introduction to weaponry lesson. And that's not even mentioning the fact that the gems you have in the weapons and arm guard or the new clothing when you live off of an allowance provided by the Hokage's office."
Naruto stared at the bug-user for a second, "And how would you know something like that?" he asked, while mentally screaming, trying to come up with a plausible lie, "I don't think I have ever told anyone about that… unless you've been spying on me!"
"Tell them they're family heirlooms! That the Hokage gave them to you after making Genin! You found them, your borrowing them from a friend, anything!"
"You are not the only orphan in Konoha, Uzumaki-san. The various clans and Hokage's office support an equal number of Konoha's orphans. Since the Hokage takes such an interest in you one would assume… I must ask again," he said, loosening one of his scythes, "While it is not nearly as important where you learned what you know, I in fact congratulate you for training so well and keeping it secret, where did you get the paraphernalia that you now have in your possession?"
Sweating, Naruto quickly, perhaps too quickly, told the boy the first lie that came to mind, the lucky bastard, "They were old family heirlooms! After I made Genin the Hokage gave them to me, that's… that's how I got them overnight!" quickly he wiped his forehead of sweat, hoping the other two's were not suspicious. Looking over he saw Hinata's Byakugan at full blast, while Shino talked with a few bugs.
"You're lying Uzumaki-san. My bugs can pick up on various influxes in your body heat as well as pheromones. Not to mention the fact that you stuttered when it came to the second half of the lie, about the Hokage, as if you had to think about it." The green cloaked genin raised his weapon a little, stepping over their sensei's prone form towards the blond, only to have a feminine hand placed on his shoulder.
"He tells the truth," she said smoothly, "While it may seem like he lies, even my Byakugan says it so, I have proof that supports his claim. Let it be enough for the moment that I say it so."
"And what might this proof of yours be, Hinata-sama?" came the cold response.
Sending a malevolent glance towards the hero of the story, "Why, the fact that he seems to possess a Kekkai Genkai, of course!"
"Indeed?" he asked, looking the blond over once more, "Why is he not registered then? Since the beginning of Konoha every bloodline limit user must register with the Office of the Elders. Either way, as members of the Noble Clans, we have a responsibility to take him into custody, whether it is for theft as I had thought or for being unregistered, as you claim he is."
'Fuck, I didn't even know people had to register their bloodline here! Why didn't you say anything about that fox!"
"Boy, I'm a giant nine-tailed demon fox that lives inside your belly… how am I supposed to know something like that? Do you think I would go around town to town, trying to learn new and exciting things? No, I would go around and eat people, step on people, and generally just kill people. While I was doing this they really didn't think it was prudent to start telling me about their everyday lives and the governing of their villages. Kay!?"
'Bastard!' Naruto just now realized that the two genin where looking at him expectantly, "Um, can I help you two with anything?"
Rolling her eyes, Hinata raised a hand as if to hit him, "Dumbass! Were you not listening to us, seeing as it does concern whether you are going to be detained and court marshaled?" Rubbing the back of his head she gust sighed in defeat and repeated what they said. "Shino and I have decided to solve this the Shinobi way. Your give us information, such as details on your bloodline and your weapons, the such, and we will forget that your ass is not registered with the elders like it's supposed to be. Now, spill it!"
Looking between the two of them he saw no way out, "We better sit down," he said, plopping to the ground, "This could take a while." And they sat, all of them, around the unconscious body of Kurenai.
And so he started, telling them first about his bloodline, so the kyuubi might come up with a decent lie to tell them and others. When he showed them the eye's he was amazed to find that they contained two triangles for the iris now, with the outline of a third one there, though not whole yet. How he could sense emotions and killing intent, as well as the basic abilities to feel anything around him, if still very vaguely, as he could tell if something was humanoid, but not if they were male, female, giant ape, mime, who they were or what the humanoid shaped being thing was doing at all, for all of those he needed to rely his actual eyesight. Most objects were beyond his ability to tell apart unless he was able to recognize the patterns in how they vaguely looked to other things, very hard for him to do.
Next was the arm brace which he told them would absorb four elements, "Which ones would those be?" asked a curious Aburame.
Placing his hand under his head in a thinking pose Naruto stopped for a second… "Not a clue!" he said finally, earning a smack on the back of the head from Hinata, "Hey, I've only had it for one day," he said honestly, he had indeed only gotten it the day before from his girlfriend… 'I wonder if she knows where I am?' he thought to himself.
s-a-s-a-s-a-s-a-samual--
On the wooden floor of a certain blonds house a young girl sneezed while she slept, her eyes fluttering open then closing again, "fried chicken." She murmured lightly to no one in particular.
-k-f-c-d-o-e-s-n-'-t-l-i-k-e-t-h-e-k-i-n-t-h-e-i-r-n-a-m-e-
"I would have assumed you knew you wouldn't be roasted alive when you jumped into the fire earlier." Said Shino, as he watched Naruto getting beat up by Hinata, for jumping into the attack earlier, muttering about him being just like every other dumb as shinobi out there. Shino went on, "Not knowing what your own weapons and armor do is just as dangerous as coming into a fight with only your fist and the cloth on your back; all the enemy needs to do then is pull out a kunai and you are at the disadvantage. If fire had not been one of the four elements you may well have died. Never try to absorb another element like that unless your sure you can take it on."
Next he went on to explain the material a little better. Yes they looked beautiful, but when you added chakra the right way they would produce pre rendered jutsu; or at least that's how he understood the concept. Once again he did not know what they all did, and would not let them take any of the orbs out of their proper place's so they might examine them. He did tell them what the slash all did, for instance, and how of the purple gems in the bracer should let him breath underwater.
Hinata decided she would test that one when their teacher finally woke up, 'I'll be damned, I hit her in the chakra point above the seventh disk, she should be out for a few hours, not fourty minutes' looking over at Shino she got a node of the head, "Why thank you Naruto, that was very enlightening."
Getting her baring the new jounin just stared ahead for a second, wondering why Anko had left her here with a couple of kids, 'wait, that's right… I'm their sensei! Anko and I went drinking last Tuesday… fuck.' "You know," she said to them, "If you had simply managed to hit me real good I would have passed you three. As it is you should be happy, not many can manage to best a jounin." This got a bunch of smiles, "Though you should know that I did not use my specialty against you three, nor did I ever strike out at you more than necessary, and the fact that other than ninjutsu, my weakest area is taijutsu."
The smiles were gone now, "Your trying to tell me that you made arm bracers out of solid earth that can block my sword," started Naruto.
"Helps my taijutsu."
"And breathed out a giant ass flame thrower,"
"Usually my last resort that I underpowered for you guys."
"And managed to avoid being hit at all till the end, yet those are your weak points?... How fucked up is that?"
Shino laughed, Hinata snorted, Kurenai grinned, Naruto cried and team Kurenai was formed.
-d-s-a-d
Sasuke Uchiha walked home, into the deserted Uchiha district, practically a village within the village. He had received an offer for a foreign clan to buy it off of him some years back, Orashi he believed they were called, but he just couldn't. This was the land of his family, where they had toiled and sowed the land to provide for them and make a life worth living for their children. His home, the one he and his family had shared when they still walked among the living, was a big building, three stories, and he wished he had the will power to leave the building behind.
Walking inside he removed his sandals, proceeding into the room where his mother and father had met their end. On one side of the room was a small shrine he had made towards the two. He always made sure to say pray before he left and when he arrived, lighting incenses and giving tribute to them on the holidays and their anniversaries. This shrine was probably the reason why Sasuke was so like he was: he refused to let go of the past.
Today there was something different though, as he knelt down before his mother and fathers picture. There was a letter there. Gingerly picking it up, noticing the stranger who had placed it there also made an offering of several flowers and berries, 'mothers favorites' he thought silently to himself.
Opening the note he read, eyes widening, a smile plying on to his face. The letter told him that the night his parents did he was given the power to kill Itachi Uchiha, that he had, that night, awaken the sharingan. He was not told this of course, but the letter said that if he asked to see his medical records from that night, as the writer had managed, he would see that the hospital had noted this down but said nothing of it due to him being an Uchiha: it seemed like common sense to him that an Uchiha would have a Sharingan. Lastly it told him that with this knowledge in hand he could reawaken it, all he needed to do was try and place chakra into his eyes in the right formation, eventually he would see the change.
Sasuke was overwhelmed for a second at the implications, 'I could have been training with it for years already! I very well might have had it mastered before I graduated! Who ever wrote me this just found out recently and knew to tell me… the WRITER!'
Quickly he looked for a signature, only finding addressed as being from: Youngest of your Elder's.
Did one of the elders write this letter to him? They did seem to favor him, especially the Counsel… maybe.
Sending chakra to his eyes he bent down onto all four, "Mother… Father… Revenge," and he looked up, "I will bring about your revenge with these eye's" a single tomoe in each of his blood red eyes.
-g-r-v-g-s-
The next morning Naruto woke up, his girlfriend in his arms, this time on their cot lucky enough. He liked living with Yuffie, she was spunky, and liked making out. Oh nothing 'serious' happened, but it was a very pleasant night none the less. Besides, Naruto wasn't quite… equipped for that yet, he just started puberty a few month prior and the surefire signs weren't up yet.
Yawning he sat on the edge of the bed and looked the girl with short cropped hair, her eye's fluttering open at his movement, "Morning!" she said quietly, sitting up behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck, which he nuzzled into, "So, what we doing today?"
"Well I have to meet with my team, then we should probably start practicing on how to use materia. The Slash-all works fine, but I have so much other things, not to mention the fact that I need to start training my Refiner now… I think. I really don't know how that will work."
Smirking, Yuffie stood up and went to through her shorts on, having slept in her tee-shirt and undies, "Well I know one thing we need to do."
"What's that?" asked Naruto, memorized by the body his girlfriend had.
Turning to him she tilted her head to the side and put on the biggest smile ever, "SHOPPING!"
-a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-i-j-k-l-m-n-o-p-q-r-s-t-u-v-w-x-y-z
That day Naruto was introduced to the D-rank mission. Team Kurenai had cut the lawn of every house in the Uchiha district, the earlier one's involving weeding the entire Hyuga Comlex's Botanical Garden, helping Shikamaru's mother clear out a dozen tree's for their dear to graze in, taken said wood then to Yamanaka's Flower shop where whey would sell it, and then of course watching his shop while he went to place an order for three dozen new flowers. After that he told them he would request them when they got the new shipment in.
The group found out that they would be doing this for the next who knows how long. As they walked towards the Hokage's tower they saw a girl waving at them: Yuffie. When they got there he introduced the team to her, getting a nod from Shino, a smile from Kurenai, and a… well, what went on between Hinata and Yuffie was more of a standoff, the likes of which are often seen on "Konoha's Most Wanted" and "The Konoha Report." Not pretty to say the least.
Walking inside the Tower the group came across another team, Team Kakashi, "I am amazed," started Kurenai, "You actually passed a team. That has got to be the first out of like thirty teams you managed to pass." The Uchiha, Haruno, and Inuzuka couldn't look prouder.
"Yup, and I got to say, I think my little orange book will come in handy more than even I thought!" his eyes gleaming with mirth, a smile hidden behind his mask. This, of course, led to his fellow jounin smacking her forehead. Placing his hands on Sasuke's shoulders, steering him towards a section of the tower named 'General Registrations' "Now if you don't mind, I need to get this rabid dog registered with the Elder's office. Seems like someone managed to open his eye's a little."
As they disappeared into the section of the Tower Naruto asked, "Wonder what he meant by that?"
"The Uchiha has awoken his Sharingan." Was Shino's cold response, quickly followed by Hinata.
"Anyone who holds a bloodline must register with the Elders, as we told you yesterday." Shino made a shift in his posture, the only sign that he was still uncomfortable with Naruto's situation, "I myself have been registered since I was three, and Shino here since he was five. Most every Akamichi registers at birth, since their natural build makes them the only ones able to use their body jutsu's."
Naruto looked at Shino, eye's wide beneath his hood, "I didn't know your bugs counted as a bloodline?"
Nodding the Aburame said slowly, "It is not so much the bugs as that few among my clan possess the proper physical setup to carry a host within our bodies, others are able to summon them with a contract, and a large majority possess the ability to talk with the insects, myself and my father among them. It is even said, though I have yet to find proof of it either way that we can become the bug's ourselves. This is likely a story based on our ability to perform clone and substitution jutsu's with the bugs."
The blond boy was going to ask more questions but was drawn away by his sensei's voice, "Come on, it's Dango Night and Anko doesn't like to wait!" and so the five shinobi entered the Hokage's office to get their pay, only for Yuffie to be kicked back out by Kurenai and the nice ANBU on guard duty who stood in front of the door. Once all the formalities were over with Sarutobi dismissed the others, motioning for Naruto to stay.
Though he didn't like it he had a job to do at this second, "Naruto, your rent is due on the fifteenth of every month, you can start paying through the Hokage's tower as of this month. You will be required to pay seven hundred silver marks a month to cover your rent and utilities, anything else is extra that is coming out of your pocket."
Eye twitching, the blond just kinda stared at the Hokage for a second. In the most jovial voice ever, his face never changing, he yelled, "Nice to see you too jiji! I'm doing great, thanks for asking! No, really, I'm fine!" then, lowering his hood he said in a very serious voice, "What is this shit all about? The Tower pays for all of this stuff, until I come of age, right?"
Sighing, he resigned himself to explaining everything out for the boy, "Naruto, when you made the rank of Genin you entered adulthood in the eyes of the law. As of yesterday you came of the legal age to drink, own land, get married, open a business, and hold legal contracts such as the one for leasing an apartment. Being such the Hokage's Tower will not provide for you anymore, since you are now officially working for it, and we provide you with pay."
Opening his wallet Naruto took stock of how much money he had made today, estimating how many days it would require him to work in order to get enough money for his rent and still support his ramen addiction, kunai and shuriken expenses, have clothing repaired… well in his case buy the material to repair it himself- he was quite practiced with the string and needle. 'Oh wait, I have to provide for Yuffie too now… and we're supposed to go shopping! Aw SHIT! May the Flying Spaghetti Monster's Noodly Appendages smite you Hokage-Jiji!' "At this rate I won't have any money left over at all! I mean I barely made a gold mark today, and the jobs I had to do to get it were NOT worth the amount of money I made! What are me and Yuffie supposed to do?"
"Yuffie?" asked the Hokage, arching an eyebrow. "Ah, yes, the young girl who was clinging onto you as you walked in, that must be her. She is living with you now?" concern etching into his voice, Naruto was visibly sweating, stuttering out excuses, "I know you think you're an adult Naruto, and in the eyes of the law you are, but don't you think it's a little soon to be dating someone older than you, and having her move in? This actually brings me to the next thing I wanted to ask you. Where did you get the clothing you're wearing now, and the weapons… and what is that wrapped around your arm… its practically covered in gems!" Standing up he began to walk towards the boy, ready to take the objects away and find who they belonged to.
Backing up quickly Naruto pulled the giant shuriken loose, "They're mine Jiji! Yuffie gave them to me as presents!" he yelled at the man, who stopped in awe that the boy before him would actually raise a weapon to him, let alone his voice, "You can even bring her in here right now and ask her, she gave them to me or paid for them herself, even the robes and cloak!" this was actually all true. When they were in Wutai Naruto had no money so Yuffie, who was very wealthy from her traveling days, paid for it all. Now their positions were mostly reversed, Naruto was far from rich, and he wanted to provide for her as she did for him.
Sighing the old man turned around and looked at the pictures hanging on the wall behind his desk, those of the Hokage's before him, "Naruto… please leave. I will see you tomorrow when you get your missions." Naruto scowled but put his weapon back and started to leave, "and Naruto… from now on I expect a certain amount of respect due to my office. By raising your weapon to me you have shown that you do not respect of trust me as you once did. Until you start to trust me again I cannot allow you to act so belligerent towards me. If you had trusted me enough I would have made sure that the property is not stolen and gave it back."
And with that Naruto left, storming past Yuffie as she followed along asking him what happened.
"I do not like doing this Naruto, but you must trust me. I will miss you, but I know we can be like we once were again."
At a quiet knocking Sarutobi beckoned in his guest Iruka, "Hokage-sama. I have brought some news concerning Naruto Uzumaki." Why was he not surprised, "When I saw him with new clothing and some… pricey looking objects I decided to send an ANBU to question the various traders and shop owners in the village proper and the outskirts. I am relieved to learn that nothing matching the objects he carried had been stolen from anyone, though a few did mention commissioning a few objects similar to the descriptions, but they wouldn't confide in the ANBU the names of who they were for."
The Hokage's stomach felt like ice… no ice would be to warm to describe this feeling.
--so-i-went-to-dunkin-doughnut-bought-a-doughnut-and-they-gave-me-a-recipt-for-a-doughnut
--When-am-i-ever-going-to-need-to-prove-i-bought-a-doughnut? --
As the Naruto stormed out of the Tower his thoughts were in turmoil, he was an adult now, he had to support himself and Yuffie, he had to pay rent, he had lost the trust of Jiji… this last hurt more than anyone would ever know. To lose one of the few bonds he had, and the oldest one at that, hurt more than being hated ever did.
As he came back to himself the blond boy realized he was on his knees, Yuffie's arm draped around his shoulders as he told her what had happened. "Guess we won't be shopping for a little while, huh?" he had been looking forward to it too.
As Yuffie's evil smirk spread across her face she reached into one of her pouches and pulled something out, "You forget," she started holding the object up, "I carry the universal currency." A shining blue orb. "Materia!"
-c-ha-r-g-e-i-t-!-
Sitting at the counter to the Yamanaka Flower Shop, Ino was… upset. Only upset since she had gotten her revenge against the black haired sensei of hers. Her bokken was broke, her weapon of choice gone.
Well actually it had never been her weapon of choice, now that she thought about it, she had always dreamt of a real sword, creating or discovering her own style, being like Ume-baita. She used the word so because of what had happened between the two.
Ume had been teaching the two girls the basics of the Sakura style, a very difficult style that needed control over self and control over your weapon as a separate entity, while at the same time treating it as if it were part of yourself. Ino had in fact been excelling at this and been farther ahead of Sakura in the basic kata's they had been taught, most likely due to her clan training. Then out of nowhere she tells the girls to stop and go eat lunch. When they returned Ume had told Ino that she could no longer practice with them, that from here on out it was considered clan training, and that she refused to give away her secrets.
The woman had given her the bokken then, as a gift for helping Sakura get serious about training and as a bribe, though she never came out and said it, so she would never teach the little she knew of the style to anyone else. It was, she knew, the inferior of the two Ume had been given, but she had used it as her own, training with Sakura, and bastardizing the little she knew of the style so she could get stronger. It was funny, she would never be able to use the Sakura style as her own, yet she probably knew more about it than any other person outside of the Haruno family, due to her training with the two pink haired women.
When Sakura's sword was being forged Ino had asked her father after one, only to be denied. He claimed that she should be content with the Yamanaka clan techniques as they would be best for kunoichi and missions of the type she would take one day: breaking and entering, abduction, infiltration, information gathering, and even assassination. She had yet to be taught a single jutsu that could be effectively used in combat.
Our green eyed beauty was thrown from her thoughts by the sound of the front door opening, the bell jingling, "Welcome to Yamana- Oh, it's just you sensei. What can I help you with, usually its only kunoichi who dare step into this shop… well them and the Akamichi. By the way obey the sign." This last pointing to a 'NO SMOKING' sign on the door her sensei was only half through
Taking a final drag on his cigarette Asuma tossed the butt out the door and walked all the way in, adjusting the cloth covered parcel in his hands. Ino just now noticed that, a long thin object, wrapped in a cloth of various shades of purple. She had seen something like this years ago…
"Ino, Shikamaru and Choji told me about that bokken, who made it, and what it meant to you. I really hadn't known. In return I bring you two gifts; the first a weapon and the second a… hint."
Unraveling the weapon in his hands produced a kodachi, its sheath a deep shade of purple. Pulling the weapon free from its sheath she saw the weapon, and a fin weapon it was, was made of the same black material as Asuma's trench knives. It must have cost him a gold plate to have it made so soon.
"Five actually," He said, and she realized she had spoken her thoughts, "and I had it commissioned ten years ago, though I never paid for it until today. I was young and had just bought my knives, didn't realize that this metal was so special, and decided to have a longer weapon made to help me out in battle. Before it was finished, though, I had discovered the use of the metal, the ability to convert elemental chakra into a useful form, and had joined the Guardians. I had forgot the sword altogether. I had been going to have a sword made for you but to my surprise the man had never sold the piece, saying that no one wanted such a heavy weapon but me."
As she took the weapon into her own hands she realized what he meant; it was probably three times as heavy as a sword the same size. 'It's the density of the metal.' she thought immediately, correctly, 'My bokken had density seals on it to prepare me for the weight of an actual sword, but this is going to take some training to get used to. It should help me work out though and when I swing it it'll have more weight behind the blow, more bang for my buck.'
"And as for my hint, I'm going to need you to channel some chakra into this card." He said, handing her a think yet stiff piece of paper.
--the Time's reports that sixty three percent of American families are dysfunctional… my god… we're the majority!--
It was that old time scene, a rugged bar, with men and women who had done more killing than whole armies sitting around rough wooden tables, a solid wood counter with a bearded man behind it cleaning out the bottom of a glass mug, placing it with the others, on the wall behind him was every kind of wine, whiskey, brandy, vodka, saki, and any other alcohol you could name or find under the elemental sun's. This man's patrons made sure he had anything a customer could want, for he served societies unrecognized heroes.
At one table, heeling stud, sat a man and two women playing a game of cards, the first in ANBU armor, no mask save the one he always wore over the bottom of his face, the next a woman in a brown trench coat, fish netting and a matching kaki tang top and short skirt, which was very short and had the optional utility belt sewn into it. The last would probably be considered the most beautiful woman in Konoha by many men, with her red eyes and what seemed like a dress made entirely out of a single strip of cloth. It wasn't, it was actually a strip of sealing paper around a plain white dress the same length, she had been trying to store chakra into a multitude of seals on the paper, but with her limited knowledge of seals she hadn't succeeded, but loved the way the outfit looked and HAD managed to seal her basic kunai and shuriken sets inside the paper at the hips.
As they sat there they quietly played, occasionally hitting the table or motioning with their hands on what they would do, throwing in a random copper mark to raise or throw down their cards to fold. Finally he walked in, the black haired jounin, a thick beard and sideburns, wearing traditional jounin attire, smoking a cigarette. Sitting down he waited for them to deal him in before starting the meeting. As per the agreement made between the four when they decided to get together, no actual techniques or use of weapons would be named.
"They did good on my part, Shikamaru is a fucking genius, Choji ain't too shabby, he was the only one to actually hit me on my own terms, Shikamaru on a close second. By the time I got to Ino I was wondering if they would even need to jump in and act like a team, but they did." Taking a long drag on his smoke he went on, "I gave her a little present today, something more befitting a shinobi than that stick she had… even if it was made by… him."
Kurenai laughed at that, and started telling them about her teams test, "They did great, once they got there. I had been worried because of some of the reports from the academy but they did good in the end. Uzumaki knows how to use the weapon he carries around, which is a relief, since I don't know what I would do with a delusional genin, and his other armament were more than just show. Shino bought time for the other two when they came up with a good plan, and when all three attacked they… they beat me at my own game." This time they all laughed, "If it weren't for that damn Juken nothing would have happened!" she said indignantly.
Next was Kakashi, hiding behind his cards as he took a bite of dango, "My team shouldn't have passed at all," he started, knowing only one man had actually failed one of the three chosen teams for the rank of genin. Ironically this opened the way for team Ino-Shika-Cho to become a team, who worked together so perfectly that they had passed despite their senesei trying to fail them for not being one of the three teams.
"The Inuzuka tried to get the other two to work with him at first, but gave up too soon for me to even try and pass them. The Uchiha just watched me for a while and when he did strike, he had his Sharingan active, most likely using it for the first time in battle. And while good he was nowhere near Jounin level, though he might give some Chuunin a run for their money. The Haruno girl was almost the saving grace then, when she attacked with her mother's style, and cut the bells free; I of course let them fall, what else could I do? With the bells down they could have gotten them, but she was so intent on fighting that she ignored them to help Sasuke in his losing battle against me. If it weren't for the dog boy getting them then they would have failed. I didn't even wait for them to see would get them, those three might have come to blows over it. I took the excuse and passed them." All the others found his story quite amusing. The team almost seemed hopeless, considering they would be leading the nation in a decade or two.
"Come on Anko, let's hear how you killed your team." Nudged Kurenai knowingly.
Shrugging the woman put down her cards and stood up, "I sent them to Ibiki for an interrogation session. If they could take the heat until I got back, and no one told him anything useful, then I would make them into genin… though if they CAN I may make them into jounin by this time tomorrow." With a grin she left her pale face companions.
--I am Anti-dad. The Most Negative super hero EVER!--
As Naruto and the hyperactive Kunochi he loved entered the jewelers they couldn't help but note this was a store for the finest and rarest of pieces. As they walked up to the counter they could see the man ant the counter, a tall thin man rich red robes with a long grey mustache and salt'n'pepper hair back into a pony that went down to his waist, sneer silently then quirk his eye, as if debating whether to throw Naruto out or not. The prospect of money won.
"Welcome to Shin's Fine Jewelry, curator to the vaults of the Daimyo himself, I am Lord Shin, how might I be of service to you today?" Pulling off her two pouched, which Naruto was shocked to find carried only material, she opened the top of one of them and let Shin look in, enjoying the sight of his eyes pop out of his head. Reaching into the bag slowly he raised his head, hand stopped on the edge of one of the gems, "May I?" at her nod she pulled up a blue orb, the sparkle of a mastered 'all' materia deep within the gem. The man's eye's clearly in awe of what he was seeing.
"I will offer you eight- no ten! Ten gold plates for this gem alone and the same for any others you have like it! You have other colors, let me see please!?" judging by the drooling of Naruto's mouth that was a lot of money. Chosing carefully, so nothing too strong got out, she pulled free a dozen mastered materia's.
Pulling out a handful of the others the man was soon satisfied, and there were more were these had come from. Right now he had a contract from the fire lord himself, to create necklace of the finest quality for his wife, worth one-hundred thick gold plates if the man is pleased, in addition to the cost of the materials he used. With the price he was offering these kids there was no way the Daimyo would think he used anything BUT the best. In the end he chose three blue stones, two purple, and three green. As the pair left, taking a check signed by the fifth richest man in the Fire Country, they never heard the sound as a single red orb fell to the carpeted floor.
Mr. Shin never missed a thing though.
"Maybe I should make a little present for the Fire Lords cat as well, one of the green and one blue. I can always buy more from those two treasure troves. She had to of had a hundred more of these little things in there." And he picked up the red orb, deciding to use it as the centerpiece for the Daimyo's commissioned jewelry, so the kids couldn't try and trace it back to him.
--yuck-fou-fother-yucker—
As Cloud Strife and Vincent looked down at Wutai from the top of the mountain they hoped they would survive this. Transforming, Vincent became Chaos… and Chaos become something else. The man had learned in his long years to combine his four forms, become one being. It was the secret power of Chaos… it would have been much more useful last year when fighting a certain crazy sword's man who's name I can't spell. His size was that of Gigas, he had horns and orange fur going down his back like the behemoth he now was, fire raging in his eyes and mouth.
Pointing forward, a ball of energy shot forth from his hand, and slowly expanded, a black nothingness in front of them. Then, invoking a name, the pair watched as the scene changed, and before them stood a land unlike any other. Before them was the Calm Lands…
"Cid! Get the fleet in the air, we think we know where Naruto took her, Vince is going to expand the portal as far as possible!" Indeed, behind the pair was a fleet of aircrafts, modeled off the Highwind and a perfected with each prospective model made. Fifty ships were ready to journey to this land.
Stepping through the portal, as Vincent stood there trying to expand it as far as he could get it, "YUFFIE! YOU CAN COME OUT NOW!" Naruto Uzumaki had kidnapped Yuffie Kisaragi… and they would be damned if he would get away with it… even if they had to leave their own world to get her back.
--BUFU… you mean FUBU right? No BUFU-- By Us Fuck U
Ok, so some may be upset by whats in here... tough cookies, eh? Complain if you like, say nothing if you like, review please. I do say I like it when I get some meat in my reviews though... something good for me to read.
