Chapter 3: A Glimpse of Power
Naruto sat at his desk going through his stacks of paperwork at breakneck speeds, moving so fast that the Chuunins bringing him documents were starting to tire just from bringing paperwork back and forth. As a new stack was placed on his right, it started to decrease in size as the stack on his left increased. It was a chaotic pace that only the Hokage was able to handle.
It was early in the morning as Emiko stared at Naruto in awe at his proficiency. It had only been a week since he became Hokage, and yet, Naruto handled it like he had been the head of Konoha for ages. Emiko almost let her clipboard slip from her hands, mesmerized by her Hokage's work. The recently turned thirty-two year old was the Fourth and Fifth's secretary at the time that they were instated, and she had to say that when it came to getting paperwork done, Naruto blew both of them out the water. The Third, in his return after the Fourth's untimely death, was already a pro at handling the job of Hokage.
However, both the Fourth and Fifth struggled in their first couple weeks as Hokage, coming to grips with the fact that their entire day would be work. From the early mornings to late nights, their schedule would be packed, and it took time to get accustomed to such a rigorous change. Ordinary ninja had missions to partake in, and some could spend days, even weeks on them. However, even with the never-ending list of missions, ninja still found a lot of time to relax. Konohagakure was a large enough village that there were times when a ninja could be left in Konoha with nothing to do for days on end.
Through the years, Emiko had learned that that all changed when one became a Hokage. Day in and day out they were required to work. To never show fatigue. To never show weakness. It was a grueling process that would by no means end. It made the ninja a workaholic, as it did with the Fourth and Fifth. However, Emiko noted, they were lucky to have people who loved them, and were able to pull them from the despair that was suffocating them. They were shown that relaxation and work could be molded together as one. They had the privilege of learning from their mistakes and becoming better for it. But when Emiko watched Naruto work, she could not feel the same despair that his two predecessors had experienced. He was just a ray of sunshine that did what was required, and knew to have a good time while doing it.
She did not know how the man had done it. She first thought it could have been the Kage manual. However, she then remembered that that book had been around even in the Fourth's time. The book did say that a great Hokage was made by juggling work and play, but that did not stop the Fourth and Fifth from getting overrun with just work. It was hard not to with the weight of the village on your shoulders, and the responsibilities that brought with it. With that kind of pressure, it was a marvel that none of the Hokages ever lost their minds. It only impressed Emiko more that Naruto was doing better than them, even with the added pressure of having a Jounin Vote in two months time.
Emiko watched the side of the man's concentrated face as a small blush graced her creamy skin. He was almost identical to her childhood crush, the Yondaime Hokage. However, Emiko had to argue that the boy before her had to be even better. She did not know why. Maybe it had been his work proficiency, or maybe because he just reminded her of her own youth. Either way, Emiko knew she was attracted to the man.
An hour later the clock hit 9:00 a.m., and Naruto decided it was time for his break. He expected Emiko to leave after saying her goodbyes like she had done all week. Instead, he was surprised to find her in front of his desk with a look of determination in her purple eyes. He also noticed the blush on her cheeks. He addressed her politely, "Yes Emiko-san?"
Her blush increased. It was weird how Naruto addressed people, which was another characteristic she had come to like. He talked to those around him a lot like how the Sandaime Hokage had done in his old age. It was the complete opposite from what she had heard of him before he became Hokage. Naruto spoke with power in a fatherly, and protective, sort of manor. Emiko spoke up, "Hokage-sama, I just wanted to know how you do it?"
Naruto quirked an eyebrow at the woman, "What do you mean?"
"How do you handle all the pressure?" Emiko found courage in her words, truly interested in her Hokage's ability to brush off such heavy responsibilities, "I was there when the Fourth and Fifth began their tenure as Hokage, and neither of them have handled the title with such- uh-… finesse as you have."
Naruto smiled at her words, causing the woman's heart to flutter for a moment, "Thank you for your words. You honor me." The Uzumaki stood and faced his window, overlooking Konoha as it was slowly rebuilt, "You wish to know why I can so calmly go about my business, knowing full well that the majority of Jounin within this village look at me as nothing more than an idiot."
Emiko and the Anbu in hiding, except for Bear, had to flinch at the man's words. While they knew better, they also knew what the ninja populace of Konoha thought of him. It was a sad truth. The ninjas of Konoha's opinions of Naruto had been increasing towards the Uzumaki's side since his return with Jiraiya. However, in a strange and idiotically ironic way, their previously sour opinions somehow seemed to rekindle after his ascension to Hokage. This was most likely due to the fact that many, while slowly coming to understand and acknowledge the blonde, still believed that the interim Hokage was not ready for such a position.
The Uzumaki continued, "I have given everything I have to this village. It is my home. I grew up an orphan, and was despised for something I had no control over." Those listening knew the truth behind the Kyuubi attack, but had never brought it up in his presence, "There was a point in my young life where I reached a breaking point. I knew that one bad move on my part would lead me to a life of hate and revenge. I did not care at that point, and I was ready to make a life-changing move. However, I was stopped. My first real friend and someone who truly believed in the things I could accomplish showed up and saved me from despair."
Naruto turned to Emiko with a fire in his eyes. Emiko had never seen a more captivating sight in her life as she peered into the Hokage's cerulean orbs, the sun coming in through the windows from outside outlining the Uzumaki, "That man was Sarutobi Hiruzen. He made me realize there was so much more to live for then just petty vengeance. I grew up from then on, trying to follow his example. I owe him more than humanly possible for saving me. I have vowed to the man that I will become the greatest Hokage that ever lived. There is no doubt in my mind that I will accomplish these things, because it is Hiruzen that put me on this path. He believed in me. So you ask me why I feel no pressure, Emiko-san?"
Emiko nodded dumbly, clutching her clipboard to her chest as the Anbu in hiding were at the edge of their shadows in anticipation. Naruto answered her, "What is there to fear when it was faith that got me here? Just as Jiji had faith in me to change, so do I have faith in the Shinobi of this village."
Naruto's toothy grin never faltered as Emiko slowly registered the words she just heard. She had a small smile and bowed, thanking him before leaving. Once she was gone Naruto walked over to his Sage Scroll and slung it over his shoulder, taking a single glance at the one framed photo sitting on his desk. It was the leaf he had had laminated at the beginning of the week. His smile was sincere as he made his way to his next destination. Unbeknownst to him, his Anbu team had found a brand new spark of encouragement for their duties. The Anbu team remained silent, but they all knew of the unspoken pact that the four had just made with one another. No matter where this man went, Hokage or not, they would follow him to the ends of the earth and back.
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Naruto made his way through Konoha at a leisurely pace, thinking about his first week into being Hokage. It had been very interesting to say the least.
To start, he was pleased to hear that three out of the five Daimyo he contacted had accepted his treaty, and had already sent their people to help. Toki had sent some of her own reconstruction crews that had arrived two days earlier. They were a needed welcome and helped quicken the rate at which Konoha would be rebuilt. Haruna was pleased to hear from Naruto after all this time, saying she was happy he took her offer of help. She sent a generous amount of people to aid them, some of which were not even construction workers. They were just sent to help out, and do what was told of them, as well as enjoy themselves in the foreign area. Her caravan of people arrived two days after Naruto sent out his letter of requests. Haruna also stated in her reply that she would like to come to Konoha and meet with him, wanting to see how he was. Naruto was happy to set up an appointment with her. He wrote back, saying he could meet with her in two weeks. His reply to hers was sent out a day after he got her message.
Chikara was more than willing to send his construction workers. Udon no Kuni was not a very large country, on the contrary it was one of the smallest, but the help was welcomed. He also sent several caravans of noodle venders to feed the workers, and whoever else was ready to pay. It was a great business opportunity for Udon no Kuni. The people from around the globe coming to aid Konoha would be likely to at least try the noodles, which would then make them more inclined to visit the Land of Noodles if they enjoyed the food. Udon no Kuni became known for their world famous noodles, hence their name, Land of Noodles. Naruto had gotten word that when they arrived three days ago, Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, had gone to try and snag the noodle recipe so he could add it to his ramen to make it all the more better. Naruto sighed in displeasure, having not tasted Ichiraku's ramen for almost a week. He got word from one of his Chuunin that the place was just starting to be rebuilt, so he wanted to go and see the two ramen makers.
Sadly, his duties as Hokage did not permit such things. The only time he took from work was used to train. The only time he actually ate was usually in his office, while he worked. After his first breakfast as Hokage, he learned he could not just go out willy-nilly and disguise himself all the time. It was weird and made him feel like he was spying on his village. After that first day he stopped going out, and instead opted to have food brought to him by Chuunin. It cut down the time he spent away from his desk, and helped to quicken the pace at which he did his seemingly never-ending paperwork. The only reason he never ordered ramen from Ichiraku through his Chuunin was because he actually wanted to see the two more than eat their ramen. Do not get him wrong, he was still dying to have their ramen, but again, he did not feel right if he did not eat at their store with them there. He thought about summoning the two to his office, but swatted that idea away, knowing they were busy with the reconstruction as well.
Thinking back on topic, Naruto pondered on the last two Daimyos' replies. Strangely, Koyuki and Sumaru had not accepted the deal. At least not yet. Sumaru said he would agree to the terms only after he met with Naruto, and quote, "See how far he had come", or whatever that meant. Naruto replied, and they would have their meeting in about a week and a half. Probably a day or two before his meeting with Haruna. Koyuki's reply came the day after Naruto sent his letters out. She was happy to hear from him, like Haruna had been. On the other hand, she wrote that she would only accept the treaty as long as he helped her with a part in her upcoming movie. The filming for it would take place in about a week, which meant he needed to leave by tomorrow at the latest because it took three days of travel to get to Haru no Kuni. He thought the request was weird, but thought nothing of it. If all he needed to do was portray a character for a couple of minutes so he could better help rebuild Konoha, he would not argue.
Naruto had already contacted his old team via Chuunin, asking for their assistance in the mission, since they were the ones that saved Koyuki's country along with him. The main reason he asked for their assistance was for the fact he had not seen them for what felt like ages. He had seen Kakashi at the graveyard the previous week, but that was too short of a conversation compared to when they had been together at other times. On the other hand, it had been over a month since he had talked to Sakura. He had seen Sakura the previous week when he went to visit Tsunade (who was still in a coma), and a couple days before that after he defeated Pein. However, he did not actually talk to her. He was so used to seeing and talking with the two on a daily basis that he was actually starting to miss Sakura's punches, which was bad. In fact, he had not really seen any of his usual friends since he became Hokage. This was actually the first time he had left his office, other than to train or get more scrolls from Konoha's Archives. Naruto slept, ate, and worked at the Hokage's tower, so it made his first stroll through the village all the more enjoyable. He had yet to go down to the mission department where he would probably have a chance of seeing people he knew. Usually he just made a list of missions and names, then handed it down to a Jounin that would hand them out so he did not have to spend too much time on it, which was the opposite of what the Sandaime Hokage used to do.
Naruto was surprised to see so many peoples' faces brighten up when they saw him. Smiles, waves, and kind greetings were thrown his way from people he was sure he had never even met. And some of the faces he could distantly recall in years past had previously been those filled with hatred, and loathing. People who were working would even go so far as to stop what they were doing just to say hello. It was a stark contrast to the way people used to act in his presence, but he welcomed the change with joy. The young Hokage would always smile and wave back at those who did the same to him. He even blushed a little when he overheard several different groups of girls, and women, talking about his attractive looks. Thanks to his "fusion" with Kyuubi, Naruto had come to find that his hearing had enhanced quite a bit, along with his other senses. Even over the hustle and bustle of commotion that overran the village, he could still hear the women's words about him. He was not surprised when they likened him to the Fourth. After finding that his item pouch was getting overrun with scrolls, Naruto opted to get a Jounin vest with pockets so he could fit several scrolls into them. He had to replace his jumpsuit with a long-sleeve shirt that matched his pants in color because his jumpsuit's collar collided with that of the Jounin vests. With the added Jounin vest, he resembled the Yondaime Hokage even more. Although the orange pants and shirt that extended past his cloak sleeves did give him his own flare.
Naruto continued his leisurely stroll through the village as he thought back to his previous week. His training was increasingly getting better. His control over wind was progressing at an exceptional rate. He started studying certain Fuuton techniques to add to his Ninjutsu arsenal. He had come to realize that most of his Ninjutsu were just variations of the Rasengan, which made him want to expand his repertoire. He had remembered what Kakashi said on one of their first missions as Genin. That a Hokage should have mastered over a thousand techniques. While there were certainly more important characteristics a Hokage should have, mastering over a thousand Jutsu was quite a feat one could make. Remembering his sensei's words gave Naruto more of an initiative to do so. He enjoyed the Wind and was thankful that that was the affinity given to him. From what he read from the scrolls in his parent's library, wind – out of all five elements – had the easiest time of overcoming its weakness, which was fire. However, that did not stop him from continuing to work on the Rasengan. He wanted to get it so he could use the Jutsu with just one hand like his father and Jiraiya could do. So far, it was going pretty well. He just about had it thanks to his new prowess with chakra control. He no longer needed a clone to create it, just two hands instead of one. However, the late and great Jiraiya had told him on several occasions that the Fourth Hokage could create the Oodama Rasengan in an instant with just one hand, and that's what Naruto was striving for. From what Jiraiya said, it was one of the things that made the Fourth so powerful. Using the powerful Oodama Rasengan in combination with his Hiraishin no Jutsu, the Yondaime could lay an adversary to waste in an instant without weaving even one hand seal.
Aside from Ninjutsu, Fuuinjutsu was getting gradually better. He was now on the intermediate level scrolls, which had the biggest part in his parents' section of Konoha's Archives. Naruto had come to realize that many of the scrolls he was reading were not actually teaching him specific techniques. In actuality, they were teaching the reader how to utilize Fuuinjutsu. Sure it gave certain techniques as examples, but the scrolls did a good job of just laying down the foundation for the user to build off of. They encouraged the imaginative mind of the user to make their own seals. Naruto had used his knowledge so far to put three clones that had Sage mode activated into time-suspended seals within his Sage Scroll. Each clone had their own seal, as they were too big to fit in a single seal. Seal size corresponds to the thing being sealed within it. That is to say, living things. Any number of inanimate objects, no matter the size, could be placed in any size seal you want. However, this did not apply to living creatures, clones included. You could only have a single living thing in a single seal at one time. Apparently, if there was more than one the two would unknowingly clash inside and destroy the seal. Though, it did not matter to the Uzumaki. He wanted to seal clones into the Sage Scroll from the beginning, so if they each had to have their own then whatever. He just did not know how to go about sealing living things, or clones before then. Where in the past he had clones reversed summoned through the Sage Scroll from Myoboku Mountain, which were constantly connected to him, these new ones were in a time-suspended seal, which severed the connection and did not continuously put a strain on him. This new method of activating his Sage Mode was a lot more effective.
He tried training in Genjutsu, his biggest weakness, but found it frustrating and trashed it. Genjutsu was just not his style, and the only reason he would have any use for it was just to repel other ninja's Genjutsu. However, he already had an idea on how to prevent Genjutsu. It required only Fuuinjutsu, which meant he could not work on it till he was better in that subject. So he scraped the idea of Genjutsu training and left it for later, until he found a way to counter it with his Fuuinjutsu. He was close to starting this technique as he had a general idea of how he would create an anti-Genjutsu seal.
Lastly, aside from the small amount of Kenjutsu he practiced, he decided to begin training in Taijutsu – or more accurately – the speed aspect of hand-to-hand combat. He only started Taijutsu training the previous day, adding some more clones so they could fight amongst themselves. This way he could see how his fighting style really worked and critique it until he thought it was good enough to handle the style he really wanted to work on. However, Naruto was more interested in increasing his pure speed. His father was known for his speed, and Naruto liked the idea of becoming the fastest man in the world, even faster than his old man. Though, he had a long way to go before even attempting the seal complexity of the Hiraishin no Jutsu. That technique was like the epitome of seals, and was not to be trifled with for some time. Even so, Naruto figured he should at least increase his speed to a certain degree. That led him to wear weights under his clothes. His wrists and ankles were strapped with chakra beads that would gradually increased in heaviness as his body adjusted to their new weight. They were both hidden by the sleeves of his orange shirt and orange pants. Under his Jounin vest, and shirt, was a thin blue vest that had adjustable plated weights. He went with a pretty heavy weight to start with and could easily feel the change. He had just put on his added weights yesterday, so it was taking some time to get adjusted.
Naruto's pace started to slow as he spotted his destination. The Yamanaka Flower shop, being a clan owned building, was one of the first reconstructed. He was happy to see its open sign as he made his way in, the doorbell letting off a light ding to signal someone's arrival.
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Ino was sitting on a stool as she laid her chin on her hand. She was leaning over the glass countertop of the shop's display case with the cash register beside her. Next to her, also on a stool, was Tenten. She mimicked the other girl's position. The two had become somewhat close friends after the two were put on a mission recently. The two mainly gossiped together about their villages and the boys in their lives. Tenten had finally found someone she could be girly with.
The two Kunoichi had been starring at the door to the flower shop in boredom. The two had been gossiping most of the day, but had recently run out of things to talk about. Besides Pein's invasion on Konoha, the hottest topic of discussion between the two gossip queens had to be Naruto becoming Hokage. After talking about Naruto so much they found it hard to talk about anything else. Every time they tried to gossip about something else, it somehow always was brought back to Naruto. They decided to go with it anyway as they talked primarily about Naruto, which meant Ino was the one doing most of the talking. She just told Tenten about her interactions with the Uzumaki and the select few times she had been on missions with him. The Yamanaka's thoughts on Naruto were not too favorable to say the least. Ino did say that he was very strong when he wanted to be, but apparently that did not count for much to the Yamanaka. The rest of what the girl talked about was mostly derogatory to the Uzumaki. While Tenten did not agreed with some of the things Ino said, it was becoming increasingly hard to see Naruto in such a good light as she previously did. Tenten held Naruto in somewhat of a high-esteem for saving Neji from his warped perceptions of fate, and for the several times he actually came through for her and her team on the select missions they did together. However, after hearing everything Ino had to say about him, she was starting to believe that Konoha had made a wrong choice in their selection of the Hokage.
Tenten shifted her eyes to the back of Ino's head, saying, "I'm bored."
Ino put her other arm on the countertop and her head switched hands so as to look at Tenten, "Me too."
Ding
Ino straightened up and stretched out her arms overhead with her eyes closed, unaware of Tenten's shocked expression at seeing who had entered. The Yamanaka brought a hand over her mouth as she yawned in boredom. She slowly opened her eyes as she said, "Hi and welcome to Yamanaka Hana. How may I help you?"
She realized who it was upon the end of her question as her eyes nearly bugged out her head. Naruto, her Hokage, was standing in the entrance of her father's flower shop, chuckling softly. The two Kunoichi were shocked to see him. He had been cooped up in his office for the past week, so seeing him out of the blue like this was baffling.
The young Hokage walked up to the cash register table with a bright smile, and said, "Yes I was hoping you could help me find a certain flower."
Ino was like a fish out of water as she gaped at the person standing directly in front of her. She did not even register his words as she just stared. Tenten was shocked to, but she was still coherent. She looked over to Ino and saw that she was frozen, so she looked back at Naruto and asked, "Hey there Naruto, how have you been?"
Naruto's face of confusion at Ino's constant look slowly turned to Tenten. At seeing her, his face brightened up, and he talked to her as if he had not noticed her upon his entrance, "Tenten! Long time no see! I'm great! How have you been?"
Tenten smiled back; glad the first thing out his mouth did not have something to do with her teammates. The two of them hardly ever talked and knew almost nothing about each other, so it was nice to know he cared about her too, "I'm good as well. Lee and Neji are also doing fine."
Naruto's smile returned, but with a little less vigor as before. It was not over toothy like before. This one was smaller, but more sincere, "That's good to hear."
Tenten's eyes then traveled up and down Naruto's figure. He was not embarrassed by her wandering eyes, having already experienced her actions from many of the passing women he had seen through Konoha. Tenten was still smiling as her eyes landed back on Naruto's face, "So I guess what they say is true. You are Hokage. Hard to believe a buffoon like you could do it." Tenten knew that Naruto was Hokage. She just could not help but toy with the man. Everything she had heard from Ino, and from the times they teamed together, told her that he would always get worked up easily, and she would not pass up this attempt. She was bored, and the cynical side of her would not pass up this opportunity. The weapon specialist knew she would be angry at her actions later on, but that was then, and this was now. She anticipated what was to come. An argument and shout about how he was awesome and great, and deserved the title.
It never came as Naruto's smile grew and he scratched the back of his head, chuckling, "I guess so. I tried my best, and was rewarded. I've got plenty of things I want to change, most notably the way Neji and his branch family are treated by the main branch. Hopefully I can keep my dream after the Jounin Vote, and help Neji along the way."
Tenten's smile faltered as everything she had heard of the man from Ino was thrown out the window. That was not the reaction she had expected. It was honest and understandable. The fact that the knucklehead still thought about his promise to Neji from over three years ago spoke volumes about his character. She was glad the person she had thought so highly of, was not what Ino had made him out to be. Tenten's smile returned shortly.
Ino had been watching the two's interaction, coming out of her stupor after hearing Tenten's first words. The Yamanaka was also surprised by how Naruto acted. Ino saw through the other girl's question and commended her on it. Getting to see a frustrated Naruto would surely lighten their moods. However, she was sorely displeased when no such occurrence happened. She was also surprised that Naruto answered her in a calm and collected way. She was actually impressed.
After the two's talk was over, Ino made herself known, asking, "What was it you needed again Naru- I, uh mean, Hokage-sama?"
Naruto looked back to her and said, "No need to call me "Hokage-sama", Ino." She nodded, and a part of her was humbled to know that she could refer to her leader in such a way. She never thought Naruto would be so kind to her, especially after how she used to treat him, "And I wanted to find a certain flower. As you know I'm pretty clumsy, and not good with flowers."
Tenten noticed how Ino did not disagree with the man when he referred to himself as clumsy. Ino stood and went around the counter, saying, "Of course. What are you looking for?"
Naruto turned as they walked around the isles of the small shop, side-by-side, "Something that would be good for a passed loved one."
Ino was already searching through flowers. It was common knowledge that Jiraiya of the Sannin had been one of Naruto's teachers, "For Jiraiya-sama I presume?"
"No. These are actually for someone else." Naruto turned his head towards the windows, watching the people that walked by the store. His words gained the attention of both girls.
Ino had to stop in her search to look at Naruto, surprised, and also greatly interested. She did not know anyone that was close to Naruto and dead, besides the Sannin, Jiraiya, "Oh? Who is that?"
A sad smile passed over Naruto's face, "A very old friend of mine. I owe him more than can be put into words."
The two gossip queens were a little annoyed that Naruto dodged Ino's question, but they took that as a hint to not talk about the matter any longer. He would have told them who it was if he really wanted them to know. Ino, being a wise flower dealer, noted his words about the dead friend, and how he owed him. She turned back to the flowers and instantly found the perfect one, "Ah-hah! Here we go!"
Naruto saw her pick up a plant that had multiple blossomed, purple, flowers running along its body. She picked it up by the pot housing the flower and handed it to the man, "This is a Campanula flower. They have long been the symbol of gratitude. I think it would be perfect."
Naruto smiled at her words and nodded, taking the plant and following her to the cash register. She rang it up and he paid. He held the potted flower under his arm as he made his way out, thanking the two. Ino made one last attempt at discovering who those flowers were for. She could not think of a way to outsmart the answer from him, so she just plainly asked, "Um, Naruto. Just who are those flowers for?"
Naruto looked at them over his shoulder with a smile, "Sarutobi Hiruzen." He turned back around and left the two in stunned silence.
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Naruto planted the flower in front of the Third's grave, using his hands. He was sitting on his knees as he finished up, leaning back and giving the slab of marble a look over. He smiled, saying, "There, even better." The Uzumaki stood and patted his pant legs to get the dirt off of them, "I miss you Jiji. I wish you were alive to see me now. You probably still wouldn't believe it. Heh. Me, Hokage."
Naruto's eyes wondered to his left as he said, "You know you don't have to keep hiding Kakashi-sensei. Just because I'm Hokage now doesn't mean I've become some sort of pariah."
Hatake Kakashi dropped down behind Naruto, walking up to his student. He had been hiding in the trees, watching the boy after sensing his arrival to the cemetery. The former Anbu captain was busy talking to Obito and Rin at the time, but was interested in what Naruto was doing here. His curiosity got the best of him, and he left for the day to see what the Uzumaki was up to. He was now standing next to the interim Hokage, looking at him out the corner of his one visible eye. Kakashi noticed that Naruto's attention was back on the marble tombstone in front of them, "Come to pay your respects to Sandaime-sama again?"
Naruto's eyes never left the tombstone as he nodded, "Correct."
Kakashi's eye never left the short-term Hokage's face. He noticed the new addition to the boy's wardrobe and had to mentally scoff. Seeing the Uzumaki and how he was dressed like the Fourth just annoyed Kakashi even more. Kakashi felt bad that his student's dream of being Hokage would be cut short after the Jounin Vote, but figured it was for the best. The Uzumaki was just not ready for it yet, at least in the Hatake's opinion. Kakashi kept his thoughts to himself, bringing up the topic of their mission, "I'm glad that we'll be going on a mission together again. It'll be just like old times."
Naruto had a small smile on his face that Kakashi could just not read, "Yeah."
Kakashi continued to stare at the side of his student's face. The Hatake had noticed since their last meeting, during the festival, that Naruto was not making eye contact with him. It confused Kakashi, "Why are you not looking at me, Naruto?
Naruto's smile grew a little bigger, "It's ironic, isn't Kakashi-sensei? That one can come so far, yet those closest to him will only see how far he has not gone."
Kakashi's one visible eye slightly widened at his student's words. The Hatake knew what was underneath the Uzumaki's words, "Naruto, don't take it personally. I know you've come far. You've even surpassed me in power. But you have to see where I'm coming from! You're only sixteen, and you're not ready for such responsibility!"
Naruto did not look at him as he chuckled at his sensei's words. His actions were easily getting under Kakashi's skin, "Gaara was only thirteen when they made him Kazekage."
"Yeah, but that was Sunagakure. Konoha is the biggest, and most prosperous out of all the world's villages. It requires the most from its Hokage, and you are not ready for such things, trust me. Give it time and gain more experience. I know that you'll make an amazing Hokage-"
"Thanks Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cut him off, speaking in a high-pitched voice that matched his younger self, acting as if his sensei had just praised him. He knew his sarcasm was childish, and probably was proving Kakashi's point, but Naruto did not care.
Kakashi continued with what he was about to say, ignoring the way Naruto just acted, "-but it will take some years before then."
Naruto's smile never faltered, and he just continued to stare at the Third's tombstone, much to Kakashi's frustration, "It's okay Kakashi-sensei."
The Hokage's words confused the Hatake even more, "I'll tell you what I'm going to tell you after the Jounin Vote, and after I am permanently Hokage. I will always be your student, so why would I ever stop thinking that you will treat me as anything but."
Kakashi's eye narrowed, not understanding what he meant, "Wha-"
Naruto's hand landed on Kakashi's shoulder as he turned to leave, not meeting his sensei's eye, much to the older man's irritation, "I will see you in a couple of days, Kakashi-sensei."
Before Kakashi could do anything, the weight of Naruto's hand left his shoulder as Naruto vanished with a Shunshin, smoke being the only indicator that the Uzumaki was previously there. Kakashi looked at the Third's grave, and then at Asuma's. He sighed to himself, realizing this was the first time he had actually visited their graves since Asuma's death. Kakashi looked up into the bright sky as it was about mid-day, thinking to himself, 'Sandaime-sama, Asuma. When was it that I lost sight of what the King truly was?'
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Sakura let out a heavy sigh as she stared at the ceiling of her room for what felt like hours. Today was one of the few days a month that she was off from Konoha Hospital, and she really did not know what to do with her time. She was happy to hear that she would soon be on a mission with the old Team 7 to Koyuki-san's nation for some diplomatic reason; she did not get the full story. She was just happy to know that she would finally have the chance to talk to Naruto. It has been over a month since she talked to the Uzumaki, and she was actually starting to miss the goof. His obnoxious behavior and way of talking was a daily occurrence she had grown accustomed to. However, she was slightly grateful for their time apart. The time apart had actually given Sakura the chance to see where Naruto was in her life. She had grown even closer to Naruto after he came back from his training trip with Jiraiya. When he came back from that trip, there was not a day that went by that the two did not see one another. She had not thought about it until now, but after he came back, she noticed that she would see him a lot more than she did before he had left. She attributed this to her having grown attached to him, and then having him leave, which made her a bit clingier. She already had abandonment issues after Sasuke left, so when Naruto did too, it just made things worse. That was why when Naruto left for his Sage training; she had to restrain herself from bombarding Naruto with questions relating to when he would be back and how long he would be gone. She knew a small part of her – the selfish side – would have asked him to stay in Konoha. However, she knew she could not do that to Naruto. It would be too wrong of her to ask Naruto such things. She had already asked too much of him by then. Plus, she did not want it to give the Uzumaki the wrong impression. She did not want to seem like she had fallen for him or something, because that was definitely not true. Although, she had not realized how much she would miss him when he was gone until after he left. She saw him every day, and had unknowingly grown attached to his loud and, if she was to be completely honest with herself, caring nature. Through the previous month that she had been apart from Naruto, she relived all her adventures with him, and realized that with him absent, she was thinking about him more than Sasuke-kun. However, she did not think too much into that, knowing that she loved Sasuke-kun and not Naruto. But she was aware that she did actually care for Naruto a lot, but in a more brotherly way. She realized that he was her best friend, probably even more so than Ino. He was always there when she needed him to be, and always seemed to know what to say to cheer her up. When she was around him, she could be herself, and did not care what others thought of them. It is one of the best feelings Sakura can think of. It was one of the biggest things about Naruto that she missed. However, she was unable to do anything about it. Sakura still saw Kakashi at least every other day, but Naruto had been absent from their daily meeting spots, which was to be expected since he was now Hokage.
The Haruno let out another sigh as that thought crossed her mind. She still could not believe that Naruto of all people was made Hokage. When she saw him in his cloak that was trademarked by the Yondaime Hokage, she had to admit he did look a little handsome. Nowhere near Sasuke-kun's level of hotness, but Naruto had his own unique features working for him. Sakura had to admit that the first time she thought Naruto was attractive was very strange. She had never thought of the "drop-out" in such a way, and she was still getting used to the close relationship that she had built with the blonde. Although she would never admit it out loud, she did love Naruto, but as a brother and sister would love one another. She was grateful to have that kind of relationship with him. She knew she could tell him anything, and he would always support her, it was just who he was. And the best part was that she never had to worry about having an intimate relationship with him. Sure he tried asking her on a date several times, but she knew he was just doing it in a playful manner, and to make her feel better about herself. He knew she loved Sasuke-kun, and Sakura knew that Naruto would eventually end up with Hinata-san once he wised up to her affections. That thought brought a small smile to her face as she giggled, 'They will make such a cute couple.'
The Haruno then sat up and turned so her feet were on the glossed, wood floor. She had been thinking about Naruto more and more recently, and wondered if she should try and go see him again. This was the first time she had time to do so during the day as she constantly worked at the hospital till nighttime. She had tried visiting him on several occasions after one of her shifts at the hospital, but found out that he leaves around five or six in the afternoon once his work is done to do who knows what. She did not get any more info from the secretary, who was a bit irritated by the Haruno's several appearances and interest in the Hokage. Sakura in turn did not like the secretary's tone she used whenever the pinkette showed up, so the two were not on very good terms to say the least.
Thinking about the secretary and her ugly attitude put a bad taste in Sakura's mouth, making her decide against going to see if Naruto was there. She would see him tomorrow, so she could wait. Her musings were brought to an abrupt halt as she heard a knock on her door, "Sakura! I'm going to need some help carrying the groceries I need to get. Can you please come with me to the store since your dad is still at work?"
Sakura sighed for the umpteenth time at hearing her mother's words. Leave it to her mother to make her work on her day off. She stood up and slipped on some sandals, speaking loud enough so her mother could hear her through the door, "Yeah mom, I'm coming."
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Naruto was currently sitting in his office, reading an old book. One could tell it was an aged book because of its withered state and crumbling texture. What was once a white and slick journal was now a brown and chalky to the touch piece of history. It was the Shodaime Hokage's journal, something Naruto had grabbed from the Kage section of Konoha's Archives when he visited the library earlier in the day to grab three more Fuuinjutsu scrolls. It was an interesting read. Although it was just an autobiography, Naruto enjoyed reading about the First's life. It went far deeper into the man's life than what the Kyuubi had told him. However, Naruto did note that Hashirama had kept some personal issues like Madara's rebellion under wraps, and did not put them into the book's contexts. He still talked about his fights with the man and his brethren, but never gave details about their friendship and how terribly it ended. In all honesty, the First primarily spoke highly about the old Uchiha clan head, and even went so far as to say that Madara had even surpassed himself at certain points in his life. Hashirama was even so humble in saying that his final victory over the man was attributed mostly to luck. Naruto had learned of the First's power from the Sandaime and the few academy lectures he had paid attention to, so to see the Shodaime's writings about Uchiha Madara made one thing clear for the Uzumaki.
He would never want to fight such a man.
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Kankurou was currently working on one of his new creations within the Kazekage's Building in Sunagakure. It had been a week since news of Konoha's destruction had reached their ears. Many throughout the Village of Sand were confused as to why their allied village had not sent distress signals. They soon found out that the village was destroyed within half a day, far too quick for any messenger bird to reach them. However, not all was lost. The enemy that challenged Konoha was brought down by none other than Uzumaki Naruto. Last they heard, Konoha was already rebuilding its once great village, but without a Hokage to lead it as Tsunade of the Sannin was still in a coma.
Kankurou continued to work on the arm of one of his puppets as he talked to himself, saying, "Damn, this is quite a challenge. All the more reason why it'll become a good puppet once I fully master it."
Temari came walking into the room, shrugging her fan off her shoulder and onto the ground as she put her hand on top of it, "I wondered why you were cooped up in here. New puppets?"
Kankurou gave her a glance over the shoulder before going back to work, "Yeah, it's a bit complicated to assemble." The boy then sucked his teeth and turned his upper body as far around as he could from his grounded position, snarling at the girl, "And I wasn't cooped up!"
"Getting ready for war?" A younger and mellower voice questioned, coming through the opening in the room. The Kazekage, Gaara, was in his robs and just came from a boring council meeting. Because of what happened between the leader of Akatsuki and Konoha, a war was sure to develop between the two so the council was discussing Suna's course of action when Konoha asks for their aid.
Kankurou saw his younger brother and then turned back to his work, "Sort of… You heard what happened to Konoha. At this point, nothing would surprise me."
"The Leaf Village belongs to our alliance." Temari said, making her thoughts known, "We can't shrug it off as someone else's problem."
"Nope. And rebuilding a village that's been destroyed is no easy task."
"Above all, they must fill the void created by an absent Hokage."
Kankurou nodded in response to his sister, "You're right."
Temari looked over to Gaara, "It's been a week, has there been any new development?"
The Kazekage shook his head in the negative. They had only been sent one bird from Konoha to arrive in the past week, and that one was about its destruction, Naruto's victory, Tsunade's coma, and other general info. But nothing about a new Hokage, at least not yet.
Kankurou spoke up once more, "From a political and psychological standpoint, being without their Hokage, their leader and pillar," One of the tools in the puppeteer's hand accidently slipped and cut across the opposite hand's pointer finger. Kankurou put the finger in his mouth as he finished saying, "-has got to hurt badly."
Kankurou looked back over his shoulder at his younger brother, resting his hand for a minute, "Do you think they can overcome the damage the Akatsuki caused without a Hokage, Gaara?"
Gaara opened his eyes slowly, having had them closed as he was in thought for most of the conversation. He did not meet either of his siblings gaze as he stared at the ground, thinking. "I don't know. But, that village has him."
The other two immediately knew who he was talking about. That brought a smile to their faces as they thought of the energetic Uzumaki. Gaara's two older siblings both held the Uzumaki in very high-esteem for saving Gaara from his despair, and then saving his actual life a couple years later. The three's thoughts on the blonde were interrupted as a messenger came walking in, "I apologize for the intrusion Kazekage-sama, but there are three ninja from Kumogakure here who wish to have a meeting with you. They say it is most urgent."
Gaara looked at the man who just came in and found this strange. Why would Kumo-nin be here of all things. The Kazekage nodded and dismissed the man before turning to his siblings and nodding at them in farewell as he made his way out. Temari picked her fan up and slung the strap so her one hand was holding it over her shoulder. She followed her brother close behind, but stopped when she saw Kankurou going back to work on his puppets. The fan-user puffed up her cheeks at the middle child of their family, "You coming?"
Kankurou did not even give her a glance, "Nah, I'm almost don- OW!" Something small hit the back of his head. He turned to see that Temari had thrown one of the tools closest to her at him, "What the hell!?"
Temari put her free hand on her hip, "Come on, this could be interesting. When does anything Kumo related ever come to Sunagakure."
Kankurou growled, "Tch. Whatever, just tell me about it later." The puppet-user turned back to his work before hearing Temari go for another tool, except this time it sounded like she grabbed a handful of them. The man instantly put his hands behind his head, trying to protect himself should his crazy sister throw them, "Alright, alright! I'm coming. Jeez."
Temari put the would-be weapons down and smiled so bright that her eyes closed, enjoying her victory as her younger brother stood and followed her out.
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Kankurou had to stifle another yawn for the umpteenth time as he stood listening to the three Kumo-nin go on and on about their Raikage and the Kage Summit. He knew he should not have listened to his sister. He would have been fine just hearing about this later. As he said earlier that at this point nothing would surprise him. So when the Lighting ninja started talking about a temporary alliance between all the villages so they could eradicate the Akatsuki, Kankurou did not waiver in the least. The thing about Uchiha Sasuke was a little surprising, if he was being truthful. The three Sand ninja were disappointed in the man, and were disheartened that Naruto had yet to save him from the darkness like he did with Gaara. However, Kankurou just wished he could go back to his puppets.
Temari, who was standing next to him behind Gaara's chair, jabbed her elbow into his side. It was probably because Kankurou's last yawn had not been as quiet as the previous ones, and was actually pretty loud. The middle sibling shrugged it off as the Kumo-nin were wrapping it up.
Samui, the leader of the three, asked, "So Kazekage-sama, what do you say?"
Gaara looked down to the top of his desk and thought about all the times that he had sent these kind of messages of peace to the other villages, and to build an alliance so they could eradicate Akatsuki. However every time he did he was always declined. He wanted to say no, but then the other part of him knew that another opportunity like this might not come again. He thought about what Naruto would do in this situation, and immediately knew his answer. The Kazekage blinked slowly as he looked back up to the three, nodding, "Very well, we will be there."
His words brought a smile to the three visiting ninja. Samui spoke, "Cool. The Hokage also accepted our offer, so that's three of the Kages. Just two more and we should be done."
The Sand siblings' ears immediately perked up when the word Hokage was thrown out. Gaara abruptly stood from his chair and slammed his hands onto his desk uncharacteristically. His actions surprised everyone, even his siblings, "Tsunade-san woke up?!"
The three Kumo-nin looked at each other, surprised by the Kazekage's actions. He had been very stoic and calm the enter time, so seeing him express such emotion was new. Samui shook her head in the negative, knowing of whom he spoke, but not knowing her condition, "I do not think so. There was a new Hokage when we were there."
Gaara's eyes widened, as did his siblings at the news. Gaara calmed down, a little uneasy as to who was crowned the Rokudaime Hokage, "Who is it?"
Samui cupped her chin, trying to remember the man's name. She remembered some of it, but not all of it. The news of her sensei Killer Bee being alive drowned out most of the other information. Karui picked up her slack and took a step forward, "I think his name was Uzumaki Naruto. He was the guy that killed the leader of Akatsuki."
Silence reigned throughout the room as the three were stunned silent. Gaara fell back into his chair, still not believing such great news. Kankurou cracked a smiled, saying, "That knucklehead finally did it!"
Temari was the next to smile, "Haha, who would have thought."
Gaara was still silent as he stared at his desk. When he remembered where he was, he looked up and waved off the Kumo-nin, "Well if that is all there is to discuss, I ask you to go about your mission. We have much to think about."
The three Lightning ninja nodded and made their way out. The two oldest of the Sand Siblings looked at Gaara and waited for what he would do. A minute or two passed before Gaara stood and walked around his desk, moving for the exit. He grabbed his Kazekage hat off a hook on the wall, ignoring the confused faces his siblings gave him. Temari and Kankurou followed him out the room closely from behind. Temari was the first to ask, "Um, Gaara. Where are we going?"
The two nearly fainted as their brother looked at them over his shoulder, a smile across his face, "I need to see for myself if what they say is true."
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Naruto sat behind his desk, just about to finish up his paperwork for the day and head to his training ground. There was a knock at the door, gaining the Hokage's attention. The blonde looked up from his work beckoning whoever was behind the door to come in, "You may enter."
He was slightly surprised to see Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, the two village elders, come into his office. All of his attention was averted to the two in front of him as his hands went to his lap and he straightened his back out on impulse. Naruto quirked an eyebrow at the two's appearance, "What can I do for the two of you?"
Koharu and Homura continued to stare at the youngest Hokage ever appointed with their stern facades. Naruto would be a liar if he admitted to not being a little anxious at what they would say. Koharu was the first to speak, "We merely wanted to see how you were adjusting to the new position."
Naruto smirked, trying to word his thoughts carefully, "It's… fulfilling."
Homura scoffed, but did not say a word. Koharu continued to speak, "As it should. It is the greatest honor a ninja can be given within their village."
Naruto agreed, but changed the subject, "Indeed, but I doubt that the two of you came all the way here just to congratulate me. Now what is it that you really wanted?"
"Behind mindful of whom you are talking to like that, child." Homura warned.
Naruto's gaze turned to the other elder, "I could say the same to you old man."
This time it was Koharu who scoffed, "You are certainly a lot like that girl Tsunade. We have yet to decide if that is a good or bad thing."
Naruto clenched onto his knees, his voice holding the smallest of edges to it, "Just what is that suppose to mean?"
It was Homura's turn to speak, "While Tsunade did do her job in protecting the village as best she could, some blame could be thrown her way for not being strong or prepared enough to deal with the leader of Akatsuki under her leadership as Hokage."
Naruto's hold on his knees got even tighter as he frowned, "Excuse me?"
Koharu spoke up once again in the elder's back and forth game, "You are young, and inexperienced. Where Tsunade was not strong enough to handle Pein, you may not be strong enough to handle the responsibilities of a village."
"That is enough!" Naruto's voice rose as he slammed a fist onto his desk. The two elder's expressions did not waver in the slightest. They kept their composer even after the Hokage's outburst, "You may say what you want of me, but if you continue to speak about Tsunade-obaachan in such a manner I promise you will regret it!"
The two continued to stare at their Hokage with their solid gaze. Homura then pushed his glasses further up his nose as he spoke, "It seems we were right about you Uzumaki Naruto." The man turned and made his way towards the exit.
Koharu continued to stare at the Hokage, "We would advise you to not leave the village tomorrow for a number of reasons, but we know you will do as you please." She then turned to leave before stopping at the door behind Homura, giving her Hokage a glace and some parting words, "Oh, and congratulations on becoming Hokage. However short it may be."
Naruto glared at the door after it closed, his clenched fist staying on his desk. He cursed himself for letting his emotions get the best of him. That was not the kind of first impression he had wanted with the elders, but he would soon get over it. He would change their minds, just like he would with everyone else that doubted him.
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Sometime later, at his training field, Naruto's Kage Bunshin were going about their business as the real Uzumaki finished up reading the last of the three scrolls of Fuuinjutsu. He closed the third scroll and put it in his left most Jounin pouch, making sure to button it securely. The Uzumaki jumped down from his perch to the field where his hundreds of clones were working. They looked over to their master and understood the meaning of his actions as they slowly began to dispel themselves. Because Naruto added more clones to his training regime, he made a point to have them deactivate themselves a few at a time so as to not faint from the mental strain. Once all the clones were gone, Naruto walked to the center of the open grass plain. There were trees that circled the plain about two hundred yards in each direction. Aside from trees, one could also spot several large rock protrusions that pierced through the grass. These were created from his hundred or so clones that were practicing Taijutsu.
Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated his Senjutsu chakra, pinpointing the location of each of his watchful Anbu. They were inept when it came to Senjutsu, so it was a shock to them when their Hokage all of a sudden pointed in the direction of Elephant, calling him out. Kenta body flickered from his hiding spot and landed a good distance away from his Hokage, his mask hiding his slight shock at being so easily found. Naruto opened his eyes and smiled warmly, "We are going to have a little spar."
Kenta nodded and wasted no time in grabbing the kodachi strapped to his back, before charging forward. The moment he was within fifteen yards of Naruto a tetragram appeared beneath the Anbu's feet. On instinct he jumped to the right, dodging the subsequent explosion that followed the insignia's appearance. However, it did not stop there. The moment he landed back on the ground, another black, circular, seal appeared in the grass. He was fortunate to dodge the trap once more. This occurred several more times as anywhere Kenta landed, a new seal was activated that would shortly explode. Luckily, Kenta was skilled enough to maneuver out of any harm. As he continued to dodge the explosions, he noticed that they became less frequent the further from Naruto he got. His theory was proven correct when he was over fifteen or so yards away from Naruto. There were no seals that appeared outside a fifteen yard radius around Naruto as Kenta made a large circle around the man to test this hypothesis. The Anbu was not really any worse for wear, other than the grim and dirt that clung to him from his proximity to the earlier explosions. His breath was slightly heavier from the quick movements he suddenly had to pull off, but the bald man was still just warming up.
The experienced Anbu member came to a stop after making a full circle around Naruto. Kenta noticed that his Hokage turned to follow him as he made the large arc around, and gave the boy credit for surprising the seasoned ninja that he was. Kenta assumed that Naruto had his clones place all those seals in the grass while they "trained", showing that the boy was indeed worthy of the title ninja. Naruto knew he wanted to spar with one of his Anbu beforehand and used this knowledge to his advantage as he prepared for the battle by setting up traps. Kenta doubted that his younger teammates had spotted the clones making such seals; most of them were too focused on the real Naruto to even care. However, he would not be surprised if Bear knew about them, nothing seemed to get past her keen eyes.
Kenta sheathed his kodachi, deciding to go a different route. He doubted he would be able to make it to Naruto unscathed, so he would force the Hokage to come to him. The earth user went through a set of hand seals before slamming his palms into the ground, "Doton: Dosekiryū!" A dragon made of rock and mud emerged from the ground in front of Kenta and raced through the air towards Naruto.
The Uzumaki leapt about twenty yards back, averting all damage as the mud dragon smashed into the spot he once was standing. While Naruto did escape unharmed, the dragon served its purpose of nullifying Naruto's minefield. The chakra laced within the Jutsu was spreading across the ground upon its collision, thus wiping away the chakra imbedded in the seals. This would completely wipe out Naruto's seals. Naruto did not seem too bothered that his entire clone's work was just destroyed as he landed back on the ground with a straight face. Even though he made his clones cut back the time they spent training today to create those mine seals, Naruto did not let that get to him. He knew that once his opponent understood what they were and where they were, they would be pretty much useless.
Naruto let the strap holding his sage scroll slip from his shoulder as it fell onto the ground with a thud. He used his foot to open it as the scroll unraveled far enough so his item storage seal was visible. He had put one there the previous day, after deciding his Kenjutsu had gotten to a sufficient enough level. He was not a professional weapons-user, but he could hold his own against the average Jounin. Naruto held his hand out in front of him and a sword was summoned from the scroll into his hand, smoke trailing off the blade. It was just an ordinary katana. Naruto left his scroll on the ground, jumping over it and charging the Anbu member.
Kenta did not reach for his kodachi, instead opting to continue with a Ninjutsu attack as he went through a series of hand seals, "Doton: Ganban Kyū!"
Immediately the earth at Naruto's sides rose above him and created a little crevice that Naruto continued to run through. Kenta clasped his hands together as the two large rocks on either side of Naruto started to close in on each other, intending to crush Naruto. The Hokage continued to run as he blew air onto his sword, from the hilt to the tip, encasing the weapon in wind chakra. For a split second the Jutsu fully encased Naruto, and his Anbu guards, except for Bear, were slightly scared that Kenta had accidently crushed their Hokage. However, the Uzumaki still had room inside the Jutsu for several seconds, letting him make one fluid spin as he lashed his blade out. In the next instance the two rock protrusions surrounding him crumbled as they were cut to pieces. Naruto did all of this without even breaking his stride.
The trained Anbu member did not even bat an eye when his Jutsu was destroyed. The man was already going through another set of hand seals, "Doton: Doryūdan!"
The earth beside Kenta became a dark brown and turned to mud as it spun, creating a perfect circle slightly bigger than the man beside it. The head of a dragon erupted from the slushy ground and opened its mouth. From the beast's gullet came numerous amounts of baseball sized mud bullets that shot towards Naruto. The Uzumaki saw the attack coming, dipping and weaving through the barrage as best he could. Naruto cursed himself for not taking his weights off prior to the fight, because they were holding him back far too much. Naruto barely made it by some of the projectiles, but he was slowly and surely making it closer to his target. However, Kenta was unfazed as he concentrated more chakra into the seal he was holding as more projectiles, ones slightly bigger, and a whole lot faster, started firing from the dragon's maw. Naruto was able to dodge several of the newer bullets, but soon they were starting to nick his sides, causing him to lose his balance. He grunted and used his sword to slice through a bullet aimed at his head. The thing split in two and passed him. Unfortunately there was another he had not seen slightly below the previous one. The mud bullet hit him dead in the chest and Naruto was sent tumbling back. Kenta canceled his Jutsu and smirked victoriously, knowing this was his victory. Any ordinary ninja would be knocked out by his enhanced Doryūdan. The seasoned shinobi watched as Naruto came to a stop on the ground, laid out unconscious.
Peacock and Armadillo looked on in surprise from the shadows, hidden behind their masks that their Hokage had lost so easily. Especially after everything they had heard about him. On the other hand, Bear looked on with a straight face. She scoffed, muttering, "Fools."
Naruto and his sword exploded into smoke as all the Anbu watching except for Bear were shocked. Kenta on instinct reached for his kodachi. He did not get to unsheathe it because as soon as he grabbed the hilt, another hand grabbed his wrist and held it in place. The next thing Kenta knew there was a sword pointed at his neck. The Anbu's head turned slightly so he could look out of the slits in his mask to see his Hokage's smiling face right behind him. Naruto closed his eyes, his smile getting bigger, "Seems we have ourselves a draw. That was a great spar."
Naruto looked down and saw Kenta's other hand holding a kunai pointed at his stomach. Because Kenta was so tall – the top of Naruto's head barely reaching the other man's shoulders – the kunai was pointed near the top of the Sixth's abdomen, almost at his chest. The Uzumaki was amazed at just how powerful the Anbu were. In the split second that Naruto stopped Kenta from grabbing his sword; the man had already used his free hand to grab a kunai in order to stop him. Naruto let go of his hold on Kenta and backed up so the man could turn to face him. Kenta let go of the hilt to his sword and slipped his kunai back into its holder as he nodded at the Hokage, agreeing with his leader's statement.
He knew he should not have spoken out of turn, but Kenta's curiosity got the best of him, "How?"
Naruto's smile got slightly bigger as he looked down at the sword in his hand, examining its details as he walked back to his scroll, "When you used your Ganban Kyū, there was a split second before I destroyed it that I summoned a clone to take my place. I hid in the rubble of the Jutsu, and waited for my clone to gain your full attention. Doing so allowed me to slip behind you, where I waited for the opportune moment to strike."
Kenta nodded once more, amazed at his leader's quick thinking. Kenta was more of a headstrong person, so he knew if he was in Naruto's position he would have just charged right through. Elephant believed Naruto to be that same kind of person, from the man's earlier reports, but apparently he was wrong. It took some smarts to come up with a plan like that almost instantly. Kenta then got the feeling that if their spar had continued, he would have surely lost.
Naruto sealed his sword back into the scroll before raveling it up and slinging it back over his shoulder. The Uzumaki turned to leave, saying, "You're dismissed."
Naruto did not have to look to know Kenta was already gone. The Rokudaime Hokage leisurely made his way home, knowing he had a long day ahead of him tomorrow.
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Author's Notes: A little on the short side, but it was best to end there. A little morsel of action at the end of the chapter to water your pallets. Expect a lot more action next chapter.
Naruto and his old team leave for the Land of Spring to see Koyuki next chapter. I wonder if some of you can guess what kind of role Naruto will play, I kind of hinted at it. ;)
Thanks for reading. R&R. Until next time!
Jutsu Description
Doton: Dosekiryū (Earth Release: Earth and Stone Dragon); B-Rank: The user creates a dragon made from the ground to attack the opponent.
Doton: Ganban Kyū (Earth Release: Bedrock Coffin); C-Rank: This technique allows the user to control multiple sections of rock and move them around their opponent. The user then forms two gigantic sections that crush the opponent.
Doton: Doryūdan (Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet); B-Rank: This technique can create a dragon-like head to fire balls of mud at an opponent.
