A.N. 1
Wow, the last chapter received so many reviews! I'm glad that people are reading this story and it makes me happy when I read the reviews. I'm actually four away from reaching 100 followers! Not bad if I say so myself. Regarding Naruto canon jutsus, I'm open to suggestions for replacements. That doesn't mean I would use them since I have a certain direction I want to go with this story.
Regarding guest reviews, if you vote under a guest account, I won't count them. My reason for this is because you could be the same person and I wouldn't know the difference. If you want to vote, please make an account. It's honestly not that hard to make one and you can talk to me via reviews or PMs. Remember that you're able to vote by the poll that's on my profile and by reviews. The voting will end when I post Chapter 6.
A.N. 2
This chapter has been edited as of 1/1/16. Added several details to the chapter.
Anyways here's Chapter 4 of Master of the Basics!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.
"Talking"
'Thoughts'
Jutsu/Biju
'Biju Thoughts'
Chapter 4: Darkness Be Gone
Silence engulfed the room as Naruto showed no outward reaction to the shocking revelation. Shikamaru had his head down on the table, waiting for Naruto's words to break the quiet. Shino had initially shown a reaction to the discovery but he schooled his face back to normal. The blond boy stared at the picture so intensely, it was as if he was trying to burn it with his eyes. What was he supposed to say after discovering the fact that his idol was actually his father?
'This woman is my mother and the Yondaime is my father. Mikoto-san said that my mother had red hair, which this person has. How do I know Shika knows what he's talking about?' Naruto shook his head free of those thoughts. 'Of course he knows what he's talking about. Why did my dad seal the Kyuubi within me? Did he hate me for some reason? Jiji told me that he loved me but what am I supposed to believe?'
"…ruto. Naruto. I said Naruto!" The jinchuriki was broken from his stupor and looked towards Shikamaru, who had been calling his name. "Do you want to talk about it?" The Nara heir asked. Naruto was unsure of what to do. He obviously trusted his friends. The trust had strengthened further when they accepted that he was the Kyuubi's jinchuriki. "I'll go grab some tea, you want some Shino?" Shikamaru got a nod from the kikaichu user and left the room.
Naruto collapsed back onto the tatami floor. Many things had occurred in such a short span. The Uchiha Massacre, the revelation of the Kyuubi secret and now the discovery of his parents' identities. Shikamaru came back a few minutes later, carrying a tray with three tea cups on it. Each boy took a sip from their cups and quickly relaxed. "Thank you for finding out for me Shikamaru. Hokage-Jiji told me that he would tell me their identities when I became a Chunin. I understand why now since they probably made tons of enemies that would do anything to kill me but I'm honestly glad that I was able to find out sooner." Naruto's words came out smoothly as a small smile spread across his face.
"What do you plan to do with this information Naruto? Will you ask for your inheritance or choose to remain silent?" Shino asked his friend.
"I honestly didn't even think about my inheritance until you mentioned it. I think I'll keep silent because I know I'm not strong enough to handle most of my parents' enemies. To get to me, they would target my closest people. There's no way they're going to attack the Hokage so that means you two." Naruto explained, pointing to his friends.
"Troublesome." The Nara voiced his displeasure. Naruto and Shino laughed at Shikamaru. Instantly the pineapple-headed boy and the whiskered boy stared at the third boy in the room.
'Oh Kami, the world's going to end! Shino openly laughed at something!' Naruto thought.
Noticing the stares, Shino instantly returned to stoic face and stood up. He glared at them from behind his sunglasses. "That doesn't leave this room…ever. Do you two understand?"
Shikamaru and Naruto caught the subtle threat that hung in the air. "Well you're right about one thing. No information is going to leave this room." Shikamaru said to ease the tension. They all nodded and left the room as if sensitive information wasn't discussed. Shino returned home for dinner while Naruto was forced to stay for dinner by Yoshino.
*Two months later*
Naruto ducked and weaved through buildings while trying to escape his pursuer. The blonde hid in the shadows and pressed his body up against a wall. Quickly catching his breath, he tried to think of an escape plan but his thought process was interrupted. A kunai grazed his cheek and his assailant was situated directly above him. The boy fled the scene without looking back. He needed to get to the Hokage Tower as that was one of his safe havens. He ran into the crowd and quickly used Henge to change into a civilian.
He casually walked, blending in with the villagers. Naruto headed straight towards Training Ground 7, hoping to shake off his enemy by going by an alternative route. As he passed the grounds, ninja wire surrounded him and the disguised Naruto was tied up. "Got you gaki!" The assailant declared. A devilish smile was on his captor's face as she walked towards him. Her outfit did little to hide her modesty from the world. She wore a revealing attire that consisted of a mesh body suit and an orange skirt. A tan overcoat was worn loosely over her mesh suit. Her purple hair was styled similar to Shikamaru's. "You almost had me, too bad I'm too awesome to fall for your tricks. Your posture was more of a shinobi's than a civilian's."
Naruto cursed his fate as the captor put him over her shoulder and used Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) to appear in the T&I building. He was dragged into a dimly lit room that was commonly used for torture. The blonde was placed on a chair across from two pissed off men. "Good job on catching Naruto, he's known to be able to escape from even ANBU." Inoichi congratulated the snake mistress on a job well done. Unlike what he wore to the birthday party, Inoichi wore his Jonin attire.
"Like he can escape from me after what he did." Mitarashi Anko smirked.
"Uzumaki." A deep voice that belonged to Morino Ibiki, got the blonde's attention. The chief of the T&I division's black jacket came into view. His blue bandana covered his scarred head from the world. "What were you thinking when you decided to replace our tools with non-harmful versions?" Ibiki glared at the boy. Naruto had decided to prank the place where criminals were regularly interrogated. It took him an entire week to prepare the tools necessary to accomplish the prank.
"Am I going to be punished?" Naruto asked innocently.
It had been quite some time since he was last punished for his pranks. "As long as you tell me what I want to know, there won't be any punishments." Ibiki said before leaning forward. "If you refuse to answer my questions, I'll make sure I'm the one in charge of your punishment." The scarred man threatened. Naruto immediately nodded, clearly getting the message.
"How were you able to get into this building and replace our tools undetected?" Inoichi asked the question.
"I used Henge to change into you Inoichi-san. I then went around talking about Ino with all of your coworkers. Ino told me that's what you usually do at work besides interrogating." The blonde boy replied. Inoichi looked away in shame, avoiding Ibiki's and Anko's gazes. Naruto continued his explanation.
"I left the building after memorizing the layout and where the tools were kept. I bought lots of clay and molded the clay to have the exact same shape and weight as your tools. I painted the fakes with a silver color and glazed it over to give it a metallic shine. I snuck back in Henged as one of your coworkers who had 'conveniently' gotten sick with a stomach ache that day. I stole your tools and replaced them with my clay ones before leaving. I got caught by this lady a couple of hours later." The jinchuriki explained. "Also, I should remind you that you weren't allowed to take me in since you have no evidence to use against me. If I didn't confess to my prank, then you guys would be explaining to the Hokage why you unlawfully captured and interrogated a civilian." The boy boldly told them.
"Why do you believe we didn't find evidence?" Inoichi asked since it was it true that they didn't find any evidence.
"Easy, you didn't call ANBU to bring me in." Naruto replied with a smirk. The three interrogators had a huge headache thanks to the little blond. No wonder no one attempted to capture him if they were even able to find him.
"Anko untie him so we can get our tools back." Ibiki ordered as he rubbed his temples to soothe the pain of being outsmarted by a 10-year-old.
"No need for that, Nawanuke no Jutsu (Rope Escape Technique)." Naruto escaped from his bindings and pulled out a scroll. From the scroll, several instruments commonly used by interrogators came out.
"Gaki, you were able to escape this whole time!?" Anko asked, bewildered by the kid in front of her.
"Of course. You aren't the first person who had managed to tie me up. I just wanted to see what it would be like to get interrogated by professionals." Naruto answered while explaining his reason. Inoichi could clearly see that Naruto's thought process was completely different from a normal 10 year old. "Hey, you never did tell me what happened when you used the clay to injure your so-called victims."
Anko decided to answer this question. "I was scaring the wits out of this guy and he was just about to spill. I grabbed a senbon, intending to stab him in the knee. Instead of drawing blood, the senbon bent from contact. Both the guy and I stared at each other before we started laughing. He laughed. I laughed. I then knocked him out with a punch to the gut and began hearing that everyone else was having the exact same problem." She recapped what happened earlier today. Naruto busted out laughing at their predicament.
"If there's one thing that we can get out of this, is that we can now psychologically scare our prisoners since they won't be able to tell the difference between the real and fake tools." Ibiki grinned manically for seeing the silver lining in this event. Inoichi and Naruto sweat dropped at Ibiki's happiness.
"Man you guys really know how to scare people." Naruto commented as an idea popped into his head. "Do you think I can help interrogate someone?"
Inoichi was flabbergasted at Naruto's question. "Why do you want to interrogate someone, if I may ask?" The blonde man inquired, not liking the fact that his daughter's friend wanted to interrogate a person.
Naruto smirked before pulling out a scroll that contained the book, 'Shinobi Basics 101'. "This book says that a shinobi must always control their emotions out in the field. If you let your emotions get to you, you're more likely to make mistakes. I figured that if I was able to manipulate my opponent's emotions then I'll have a better chance of winning."
Anko and Ibiki smiled at his logic. The ability to get under someone's skin was quite useful. An enemy could get distracted by your words, actions, or even clothing. That was why Anko dressed so scandalously and teased people. Ibiki had a hardened gaze along with an imposing build that deterred enemies. "Sorry gaki but you have to be a part of the division to actually interrogate someone." Anko replied as she killed Naruto's chances with that.
"Do you happen to have any books or scrolls regarding the subject?" Naruto asked since he wasn't going to interrogate anyone anytime soon.
"I actually think you have the right mindset regarding controlling your emotions but I don't think you should try to manipulate your opponent's emotions. If you accidently misjudge how a person is going to react, then that can mean your death. I have seen people taunt their opponent, only to be dead when their opponent went off in a rage." Inoichi reasoned with the fellow blonde.
"What Inoichi says is right. You should spend your time observing your opponent instead. Information is very vital to a shinobi due to the fact that any piece of information can save you from death. Of course, not all information is correct so you'll have to determine which one's real or fake. For example, when you look at me, what kind of fighter do you see?" Ibiki asked Naruto.
"To me, you're mainly a Ninjutsu expert that also excels in Taijutsu." Naruto answered after looking at Ibiki.
Ibiki smirked at the answer. "I'm actually a Genjutsu expert that excels in Ninjutsu." The imposing man replied. Naruto was perplexed because Ibiki didn't seem the type to use Genjutsu. Ibiki saw that Naruto was slightly confused. "That information is false. I simply wanted to see your reaction. I'm really a shinobi that excels in Shurikenjutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu but I'm not an expert in any field." Naruto was dumbfounded that he was tricked so easily. This time, Anko decided to chime into the conversation.
"As Ibiki said, to a shinobi information is very vital. The only way to counter that information is deception. Deception is the key to luring your opponent into a trap and tends to be more effective than taunting. As a prankster, you know about deception since you used a Henge to blend into the crowd. You took another route, knowing that I can't stop you if you're at the Hokage Tower." She informed. Naruto realized he was using deception without realizing it and how effective it was.
"So you're saying that if I look weaker, my opponents are bound to underestimate me. Since they underestimate me, it gives me more chances to deal a fatal strike." The boy summarized.
"Since you're a gaki, people are bound to underestimate you. Not to mention the fact that you look so freaking innocent." Anko commented as she pulled on Naruto's cheeks. The blonde boy pouted, which made Anko comment on cute he looked.
"Thank you for the lesson Ibiki-san, Inoichi-san, and crazy lady. You helped me learn an important lesson today. Since you helped me, I promise that I won't prank T&I Headquarters again, dattebayo!"
Inoichi and Ibiki sighed in relief while Anko was saddened. "Aw, that means I can't chase you around town anymore." The purple haired woman frowned. "Oh well, I can always go 'play' with the prisoners and my name is Anko, not crazy lady."
Naruto snorted at her. "Fine crazy lady, I'll 'try' not to call you crazy lady." He sarcastically replied. Anko pulled out a kunai, which prompted Naruto to bolt the hell out of there.
"Wait gaki, who told you that you can leave? Come back here!" Anko shouted as she gave chase, leaving the two male interrogators by themselves.
"I feel sorry for Naruto, Anko finally found someone to play with." Inoichi said while Ibiki agreed on the sentiment.
*Three weeks later*
Yugao was heading to Dangoya to meet up with her friends. The ANBU kunoichi was enjoying a rare day off from duty. Usually she would spend it with her boyfriend, Hayate, but he was away on a mission. This lead to her having a rare girls' day with her friends. As she entered the dango shop, her eyes spotted a patch of yellow hair. "Naruto-kun what are you doing here?" She asked the boy that had become like a little brother to her.
It had been almost three months since Naruto came under the tutelage of Hayate. Hayate taught the blonde a version of the Konoha Ryu (Leaf Style) that relied on Naruto's stealth ability and mastery of the Kawarimi no Jutsu, Henge no Jutsu, and Kakuremino no Jutsu (Cloak of Invisibility Technique). The original Konoha Ryu used distractions and illusions to overwhelm the opponent. Naruto's version attacked the opponent's blind spots from various directions before hiding again. The boy had promptly called his sword style, Kage Iai Ryu (Shadow Quick Draw Style). Yugao thought the name was fitting, considering that most of the attacks were those of the quick draw variety.
While Naruto was learning the style rapidly, the sword style had a major flaw. As the objective was to hit and run before the opponent could counterattack, fighting in an open area with no places to hide proved to be a weakness. A straight up fight wasn't ideal for someone of Naruto's skill set. Luckily Hayate had devised a way to avoid such a situation. Her boyfriend worked on his pupil's speed, acceleration, and ability to quickly draw out the wakizashi.
Speed was primarily used to catch up to or flee from the opponent. Acceleration was for when Naruto was ready to attack and needed to close the distance. Drawing out the wakizashi was used when an enemy was able to catch him off guard or to attack swiftly. If he was able to draw his blade fast enough, the blonde would be able to defend or attack.
Yugao would sometimes come by and help with the blonde's training. The ANBU woman told him about her and Hayate's past. She had gotten together with the sickly man due to the fact that she needed to know how to use a sword in order to enlist in ANBU. The Sandaime had recommended Hayate as her instructor. Over time, they got closer and started dating each other.
Since she saw Naruto almost weekly, they developed a sibling relationship. For Yugao, it was easy to see the young jinchuriki as a younger brother since she was tasked to watch over him when he was little. The same was true for Naruto as he also treated her like a big sister. It had gotten to the point where the purple haired woman would scold Hayate for overworking her little brother. Of course Naruto came to his sensei's defense every time since he wanted Hayate to push him harder.
"Hey Yugao-nee." Naruto greeted her. "I'm taking a break from my studies. What are you doing here? Is it another date with Hayate-sensei?" Naruto asked the ANBU woman.
"Yugao, I'm over here." A feminine voice called out to the purple haired woman. The Cat ANBU grabbed her little brother and dragged him to the booth where the voice originated.
"Kurenai, meet my little brother Uzumaki Naruto." Yugao introduced the Chunin to Naruto. The boy tried to escape from his sister's hold as he left his dango behind where he sat. Unfortunately she was stronger than him so he relented. The blonde turned to meet the red eyes of the raven haired woman sitting across from them.
"Hello Uzumaki-san, I'm Yuuhi Kurenai. I'm a friend of Yugao's." Kurenai introduced herself. She wore a unique outfit that seemed to be bandages that had a pattern of thorns on them. Underneath she wore a red mesh blouse with the right sleeve visible. The Genjutsu user wondered why the name Naruto sounded familiar. She also recalled that Yugao didn't have any siblings.
"Nice to meet you, Kurenai-san. You can call me Naruto, if you wish. I don't particularly care about honorifics." The jinchuriki replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll like to go back to eating my food. Which I was doing before someone dragged me away." He looked at Yugao, who seemed amused at his words. As he was about to get up, a certain someone walked into the establishment.
"Hey Kure-chan!" Anko shouted as she spotted Kurenai.
'Shit, why in the heck is she here?' Naruto cursed as he began panicking. The snake user walked over to the table.
"Who are you talk–" Anko stopped in the middle of her sentence as soon as she saw her favorite gaki. "I've found you, gaki!" The interrogator woman loudly announced, disturbing the patrons. "You can never escape from the great Anko-sama!"
As Anko was prepared to leap at him, Naruto knew he had to resort to his newest jutsu. "Yugao-nee, this crazy snake lady has been stalking me all over town. Every time I run away, she would throw kunais at me. If one of them managed to nick me, she'll appear behind me and lick my blood." Naruto whimpered out the words as he hugged Yugao. In addition to the kunais, Anko would chase him with snakes as well. This promoted her nickname to change from crazy lady to crazy snake lady.
"I didn't –" The Tokubetsu Jonin was about to deny the claims when Naruto cut in. The boy activated his newest jutsu, Koinu no Me no Jutsu (Puppy Dog Eyes Technique). Turning his gaze up to meet the ANBU woman's eyes, he spoke in a scared voice.
"I'm scared Yugao-nee, can you protect me?" Naruto sniveled, tugging at the woman's heart strings. Yugao melted instantly from her little brother's actions. She placed him behind her and patted his blonde hair as reassurance. An instant later, Yugao's katana was firmly pressed against Anko's neck.
"Anko you have until the count of five to explain why you sexually assaulted my cute little brother." The ANBU woman said as she leaked a small killing intent. Everyone gawked at the Kenjutsu user's words. Even Naruto couldn't believe that Yugao thought he was sexually assaulted by Anko. Somehow in his protective older sister's mind, she had twisted his words. "One." Yugao started the countdown.
"Listen Yugao. First off, I didn't sexually assault gaki here. Second, the reason I was chasing him was because he pranked our department. I was the one tasked to bring him in." Anko explained rapidly. Yugao's blade slackened at her words, much to the relief of the snake user. The blond boy wasn't going to have that so he pressed his advantage once more.
"But Yugao-nee, I already went and apologized for the prank. When I was leaving, she started to chase after me for no reason. Ever since, she's been following me around." Naruto whined to Yugao but he was snickering inwardly.
Anko couldn't believe it. 'The gaki's freaking acting but no one else knows that. You win this round but I'm definitely going to get you back this.' The Tokubetsu Jonin thought. Before Yugao can press the fellow purple haired female for answers, the earth underneath them shook furiously. "What in the world was that?" Anko audibly voiced everyone's thoughts. An ANBU came out of nowhere and approached Naruto.
"Uzumaki-san, the Hokage requests your immediate assistance. It's of the upmost importance." The operative told the boy. Worried about his grandfather figure, Naruto dashed out of the restaurant and towards the Hokage Tower.
"So you're on Naruto duty today, Lynx." Yugao spoke to the brown haired ANBU with the lynx mask. "I'm wondering why you're still here when Naruto has already left?" Her eyes narrowed at Lynx, causing him to flinch. The lynx operative used Shunshin to flee from her wrath. As the ANBU left, everyone went back to their activities. The purple haired ANBU walked back to the booth where her friends were sitting.
"Why do you have ANBU watching over your little brother?" Kurenai asked as she wondered if Yugao ordered her subordinates to keep watch over Naruto. The Genjutsu mistress wouldn't put it past the ANBU captain considering how protective she was with him in the debacle with Anko earlier.
"It was originally a volunteer duty because of his status." Yugao whispered to the raven haired woman.
Kurenai was confused at Yugao's words when it clicked in her. Naruto was the name of the boy that contained the Kyuubi! "I didn't even recognize him since he wasn't wearing that orange monstrosity." The Chunin confessed. Yugao stuck her tongue out in disgust as she remembered the horrible thing.
"He lost that thing over a year ago. Where have you been?" The ANBU woman inquired. Anko snickered at Yugao's disbelief. The snake lady had just returned after retrieving a plate of dango.
"Don't blame Kure-chan. She has to keep up her persona of the 'Ice Queen of Konoha' so she typically ignores everything." Anko explained, her snickering turned into laughter.
Kurenai groaned at the title. "I hate that name. I don't understand why people call me that. I'm a nice person and I don't ignore everything." The Ice Queen denied.
Anko held up three fingers at Kurenai. "One, you've rejected every guy that has asked for a date. Two, you glare at anyone who does anything remotely perverted. Three, you never smile when you're out in the town." The Tokubetsu Jonin put down a finger with every reason.
Kurenai fumed at her reasoning. "It's not my fault that all men are perverts that just want to into my pants. I hate perverts." She retorted. Many men around the elemental nations sneezed at the comment. "Anyway we're getting off track." The Chunin turned to Yugao. "You said that it was a volunteer duty. Does that mean it isn't anymore?" Kurenai wanted to know why a kid had someone watching his every move even if he was 'special'.
Yugao let out a sigh as she explained. "When he was younger, he was constantly pranking people around the village but someone was always able to catch him. That all changed when he threw away his orange jumpsuit and started wearing shinobi clothing. Ever since then, he has been virtually undetectable and began pulling pranks without ever getting caught. To make matters worse, whenever he pulled a prank, there wouldn't be any evidence left behind. Without evidence, he couldn't be accused of any wrong-doing. The people in ANBU, me included, didn't believe that he was untraceable. We believed that the Chunin and Jonin were getting lax or that everything was just a baseless rumor. That was until he pranked the ANBU Headquarters." She said as the other two women gasped. Kurenai couldn't believe Yugao's story.
"The ANBU Headquarters is supposed to have the tightest defense in all of Konoha. It's impossible to get in and out without someone knowing. Not to mention the fact that other than ANBU, no one knows where it's located." Kurenai stated. Despite several years of service as a Konoha kunoichi, she hadn't the slightest of an idea where ANBU HQ was located.
"It 'was' impossible but Naruto managed to find it. For his prank, he poured itch powder in our ANBU and training clothes. For good measure, he added itch powder to the detergent in case we tried to wash the itch powder out. Our masks were hidden in various different areas and when we found a mask, it was usually booby trapped. Some ANBU had bright colored paint sprayed all over them with glitter sprinkled in while others had syrup dumped on them and were covered with feathers. When we told Hokage-sama, he simply chuckled at our misfortune. In the end, we were punished for allowing a single civilian to get in and out of headquarters without being detected. Every ANBU was given gate duty for 24 hours without pay. Izumo and Kotetsu were quite happy to be relieved of their duties for a while. After that fiasco, the volunteer duty became a mandatory duty for all members. Despite someone constantly keeping an eye on him, he always seemed to be able to slip away." Yugao finished as she remembered the wretched gate duty.
Kurenai was unsure of what to say. "And this kid, that was able to hide from highly trained ANBU, is somehow still an academy student?" The Genjutsu mistress questioned.
"He's currently in the bottom four of his graduating class." Yugao told them nonchalantly. This shocked Kurenai and Anko, who almost choked on a piece of dango.
"How's that possible!? I expected him to be near the top of the class." Anko commented after drinking some sake to soothe the pain of almost choking to death.
Yugao smirked at the girls' reactions. "He was actually in the middle of his class before he suddenly plummeted. When I asked him the reason, he told me, 'before you can fool your enemies, you must be able to fool your allies'."
Anko grinned brightly. "I, the great Mitarashi Anko, taught him that deception was vital to a ninja and he obviously took it to heart." She boasted while puffing out her chest proudly, ignoring the fact both Ibiki and Inoichi also advised the boy. Disregarding Anko, Yugao continued to explain why Naruto hadn't graduated yet to Kurenai.
"Naruto has ANBU level stealth, trapping, and possibly espionage skills. His high level of intelligence and creativity makes him a tricky opponent. His stamina and chakra levels are that of a mid-Chunin but I expect him to have Jonin levels when he graduates. Naruto has a great mastery over the Kawarimi no Jutsu, Henge no Jutsu, Kakuremino no Jutsu, and Nawanuke no Jutsu. He's able to use the last three without hand seals. Additionally, he's a level two Fuinjutsu user and will most likely be level three in a few months." Yugao informed.
"Those skills alone makes him worthy enough to be a Genin. I still don't see why he hasn't graduated early." Kurenai commented but the purple haired ANBU shook her head.
"That's where the praise ends as his other physical abilities, besides stamina, are still that of an academy student. Years of nutrition deficiency doesn't correct itself that quickly, even with his 'condition'. His Genjutsu and Taijutsu are non-existent at the moment. Naruto has only recently started Kenjutsu training with Hayate and sometimes me. He also isn't able to perform the Bunshin no Jutsu, which is one of the requirements needed to pass the Genin exams." Yugao wrapped up her in-depth analysis of her little brother.
"I felt like I was the Hokage for a moment, with the way you reported Naruto's abilities." Kurenai laughed softly before pondered on something Yugao had said. "Do you think the reason he can't do the Bunshin no Jutsu is because of his 'condition'? It only requires a small amount of chakra after all." The Genjutsu mistress wondered.
Yugao sighed in her seat. "Hayate and I deduced that as well when we started training him. We told him there were elemental Bunshin that he can learn but he refused." The Kenjutsu user informed.
This time Anko spoke up, choosing to enjoy her dango rather than converse. "Why did the gaki refuse? If I was him, I would've pounced on the idea of learning elemental Bunshins. Especially if it allows me to avoid failing." The snake user reasoned.
Yugao's expression turned solemn. "The reason is because of a promise with his former teacher. He promised her that he would master lower ranked jutsus before going for higher ranked jutsus. Naruto told me that he would rather use a low ranked jutsu at full power than a high ranked jutsu at half the power." Yugao said, recalling the conversation that she had with Naruto.
Kurenai could see the reasoning behind it but he was doing more harm than good. Anko frowned at the former teacher part since it reminded her of a certain snake. "Who was his former teacher? She must've been someone incredible for him to respect her so much." The Genjutsu mistress inquired.
"It was the late Mikoto-sama." Yugao replied as she began wondering if she had the right to talk about Naruto's past with her friends. Sure they had gotten close in the past few weeks but he told her his past in confidence. Kurenai was shocked and easily saw why the blond persisted with the Bunshin no Jutsu. If Naruto gave up, it would be like breaking one of the few bonds he had left of her. The booth was silent even though the rest of the store was loud and rowdy. "Please don't tell this to anyone. I shouldn't have told you without asking Naruto for permission." Yugao pleaded to her friends.
They nodded at the request. "If it helps, why not tell him to make as many Bunshin as possible instead of the required three? It should be easier since he won't be limiting the amount of chakra he uses." Kurenai suggested. Yugao nodded and said that she'll tell Naruto the next time she saw him. The three ladies continued to talk about different topics well into the night.
*With Naruto after he left Dangoya*
As Naruto arrived at the Hokage Tower, he was greeted with craters on the floors and walls. The ANBU were on the floor knocked out while the secretary was shivering behind her chair. He raced past her, hoping his grandfather was safe from whomever that attacked. The boy busted the door open to see Jiraiya and Hiruzen, holding down a blond lady. A black-haired lady holding a pig was off to the side, away from the men. "Hokage-sama, are you alright?" Naruto asked even though he could see the situation was under control.
"Oh yes, I'm fine Naruto-kun. Please come in and close the door." The Hokage smiled at Naruto's formal way of addressing him. The blonde boy did as told and watched as the two men slowly got off the blonde woman. Upon release, she gingerly stood up and looked into the direction of Naruto. Her blonde haired was tied loosely into two ponytails while her forehead had a unique diamond-shaped mark. Both her gray kimono and the green haori, which she wore over the kimono, were in a disheveled state as she walked towards her fellow blond. Naruto's eyes were drawn to the green gem necklace around the woman's neck. Looking up at her eyes, he saw a mixture of emotions swirling in them. But the most prominent was that of remembrance.
'Have I seen this woman before? Only Jiji gives me that look when I visit, like he's seeing someone else in me.' Naruto mused before recalling his parents. 'She must've known my parents!' He concluded.
"Naruto, I want you to listen to me." Hiruzen spoke, drawing the boy's attention away from the woman. "The person in front of you is Tsunade of the Sannin and also your godmother. Before you get mad at her, she didn't know that you existed until today. Jiraiya and I hid the truth from her because she wasn't in the right mindset to care for you." Hiruzen explained while nursing the bruises he got from his female student.
"You didn't know I existed?" Naruto asked calmly.
Tsunade shook her head no. "You were presumed dead along with your parents. I figured that you died since my sensei would've told me if you were alive. At least I thought he would've told me." She scoffed out the last sentence. His godmother sat down on the floor in front of him. "Anyways I should introduce myself. My name is Senju Tsunade, one of the three legendary Sannin and the last of the Senju clan. I'm known as the best medic in the world." She said, hoping to give a good impression.
"Hime is also known as 'The Legendary Sucker' as she's the worst gambler in the world." Jiraiya butted in.
"Nobody asked you!" Tsunade rebuked her teammate. Clearing her throat, she turned back to her grandson. "Now tell me a little about yourself."
Naruto sat down on the floor as well. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the village pariah and one of the few Uzumaki in the world. My dreams are to one day become Hokage and to keep all of my promises. In my spare time, I like to pull pranks, train, and read books." Naruto started out softly but grew louder as he finished. A second later, the black haired lady sat down next to them.
"Hello Naruto-kun, my name is Shizune and this here is Tonton." Shizune introduced herself. She was wearing a long blueish-black kimono that was held together by a white sash. Tonton had a dark red jacket and a necklace of pearls.
"Buhi!" Tonton called happily as she stepped to Naruto. The blonde boy pet the pink pig, earning another buhi.
"I hope I didn't interrupt. I wanted to introduce myself since I'm Tsunade-sama's apprentice." The black haired medic-nin apologized.
"It's ok Shizune-san. I was wondering who you were." Naruto admitted.
"Please don't call me san, it makes me feel older than I actually am." Shizune sighed as she told the blonde.
"What shall I call you then?" Naruto asked, which made Shizune put a finger to her chin in thought.
"How about Shizune-neechan? I've always wanted a little brother." Shizune remarked.
Naruto's smile increased. "Hai Shizune-neechan, what should I call you godmother?" He said while addressing Tsunade.
"Hmm, how about calling me Tsunade-chan?" She suggested, which made Naruto look at her weird. He remembered reading that she was Jiraiya's teammate.
"Aren't you as old as Jiraiya?" He inquired, adding a tick mark to Tsunade's forehead. "How come you look so pretty?" Naruto asked, unknowingly saving himself from pain.
Tsunade smiled warmly at the younger blonde's question. "What you see is an advance form of Henge no Jutsu along with a small Genjutsu." Tsunade explained. Naruto wanted to learn the technique as well but remembered that he had no experience with Genjutsu. Plus he still needed to find a way to perform the Bunshin no Jutsu.
"Can't I just call you Tsunade-baachan since it's easier for me?" He questioned. The question earned him a light punch to his head from Tsunade. She nodded, nonetheless, to appease her godson. The three continued to chat, ignoring the two men in the room.
"Looks like we're being ignored sensei." Jiraiya voiced to his sensei.
Hiruzen smiled at the scene in his office. "It's fine, I like seeing them like this." The Sandaime replied. Jiraiya wished that he was a part of the group but he knew that Naruto didn't forgive him yet. "Did you hear his introduction as one of the last Uzumaki?" Hiruzen whispered to his student "Do you think he knows about his heritage?"
"Nah, he probably read about his clan in some history book." Jiraiya presumed, which the Hokage nodded.
"Sorry to interrupt Naruto-kun but can you take Shizune on a tour around the village? It's been quite some time since she's been in the village. I also need to talk to Tsunade about something." Hiruzen asked the young jinchuriki. Naruto noticed that it must've been important so he got up to leave with the black haired medic. He was stopped when Tsunade hugged him.
'He looks like a mini-Minato but he seems to have the personalities of both his parents.' Tsunade thought as a few tears developed. She quickly wiped them away. He hugged Tsunade back before waving his goodbyes, leaving with Shizune and Tonton. As soon as they left, Hiruzen ordered an ANBU to take his comrades to the hospital. "I really don't want to talk to you right now sensei. I'm tired and need some rest." Tsunade complained to the Sandaime.
"Tsunade I need you to stay because it's of utmost importance. I wouldn't have called you back like this if it wasn't. I also intend to keep my promise regarding the medical program and your debts. However that talk is for another day." Hiruzen replied, summoning another ANBU. "Summon Dog and Lynx to my office immediately and I want the entryway to be cleaned up." He ordered. The ANBU nodded before leaving to perform his duties. A few seconds later, Dog and Lynx appeared in the room.
"You called Hokage-sama?" The ANBU with gravity defying silver hair asked. Hiruzen nodded to Dog and then to Jiraiya. The toad sage surveyed the room before activating his privacy seals.
"The reason I called all of you is because my spies in Root has informed me that Danzo is meeting with Orochimaru early tomorrow in his underground base." The Sandaime informed. Shock could be seen on Jiraiya's and Tsunade's faces. Dog and Lynx were also surprised at the news but their masks covered their expressions.
"Sensei, do you know why they're meeting up?" Jiraiya asked before curiosity getting the better of him. "More importantly, how were you able to get a spy in Root? Danzo has everybody under his control because of the cursed seal on their tongues. If anyone with the seal tried to reveal Root's secrets or Danzo's involvement, they would die." The toad sage inquired. Jiraiya had tried to find a way to negate the seal but the men died before he had the time to study the seal.
Hiruzen chuckled at his student's confusion. "You're correct that a person with the seal cannot say anything but what if someone was capable of transferring his mind into a body without the seal?" The Hokage asked. Sudden realization struck the people in the room.
"Of course! A Yamanaka would be able to divulge the information to you while also being able to spy on Danzo." The seal master said in disbelief. Jiraiya couldn't believe he didn't realize such a simple bypass.
"Regardless, the reason that they're meeting up is unknown at the moment. The reason I called each of you here is because we're going to kill Danzo and Orochimaru for treason. I'll handle Danzo while Jiraiya will take on Orochimaru. Lynx, you will lead us to the base and direct us to Danzo. You'll then pair up with Dog to take down any Root members. I would've liked for you to spare them since they're simply following orders but I know that they would come at you with the intent to kill. Retaliate in kind and make sure to flee if you're being overwhelmed. My spies will help when they see the opportunity. Tsunade, you'll stay here and get the hospital ready for us. During that time, you'll also be serving acting Hokage. Should something happen to me, you'll be my successor." Hiruzen explained his plan to the group.
Tsunade wasn't happy with the plan. "Why am I staying behind while you go off to battle? Sensei I'm not a little girl that needs to be protected, I'm one of the Sannin." She said defiantly. Tsunade didn't like the idea of them going in without a medic.
"Tsunade while you're correct in saying you're a Sannin, how long has it been since you actually fought?" Her sensei questioned. "Forget fighting, how long has it been since you've trained? As a medic, you know that senses dull when not actively used. I've been training rigorously for over three months to get back in fighting shape and I know Danzo has always remained in shape even after the war. Orochimaru and Jiraiya constantly hone their bodies during their travels around the elemental nations. Let us not forget that you've developed a fear of blood since the end of the war." The Sandaime said, watching her winch. "As much of a help you can be, you can quickly become a liability the minute you catch sight of blood. You might think I'm being cruel to you but you must face the facts. I want to correct my mistakes while not making any new ones. I'm not going to my death. I still have to see my grandsons become shinobi before I can happily pass away." Hiruzen smiled kindly, which instantly relaxed the people in the room.
"Alright sensei. I understand your reasoning." Tsunade yielded. While she was unhappy, the blond medic understood that she was a potential liability out in the field. "I want you guys to come back safe. As long as you come back, then I'll do whatever it takes to heal you." The medic assured. The men was grateful that the world's best medic was at their service. "Make sure you come back sensei, I don't want to be stuck as Hokage." Tsunade said bitterly. Hiruzen nodded, knowing that she was still haunted by the demons of her past.
"Get your supplies ready and meet up at my estate in exactly one hour. We'll plan out our attack and rest before heading off to Root headquarters." Hiruzen ordered. The men did exactly as told and quickly left to pack their gear. The fight would be extremely difficult even with the element of surprise. Now Hiruzen simply had to wait for the day to end. When the next day arrived, he would make sure to end his former rival.
*Next day, Early Morning Hours*
Four figures made their way towards Training Ground 44 or by its more popular name, the Forest of Death. Everyone was in their typical battle outfits while Hiruzen had on his old Shinobi outfit. Lynx led them to one of the many entrances into Root. Lynx removed the Genjutsu that covered the ground to reveal a metal hatch. Jiraiya checked for any seals while Dog checked for traps. After disabling all they could find, the group made their way into the headquarters and navigated through the tunnels.
They arrived to a clearing where Shimura Danzo stood. "What a surprise to see the Hokage here. How are you on this fair night Hiruzen?" Danzo asked but was frowning that his rival was in his secret base. The Root leader had wrappings covering his right eye and parts of his shaggy black hair. The man had on a white tunic underneath his black robe. 'No wonder the snake left so quickly.'
"Shimura Danzo, based on reports of child kidnapping and associating with a known traitor, you're hereby sentence to death. This sentence will be effective immediately." The Sandaime cut the chatter as he got into his battle stance.
Suddenly 100 Root ANBU erupted from the shadows and surrounded the intruders. "Deal with the tag-alongs. I'll personally deal with Hiruzen." Danzo ordered.
"Jiraiya go after Orochimaru. The rest of you stick to the plan." Hiruzen ordered his men as well. Dog and Lynx dashed back to the entrance to get to another clearing while Jiraiya pursued after Orochimaru. The toad sage vanished before the Root ANBU were able to intervene. The Root members went after Dog and Lynx, leaving the two war veterans alone.
-Dog and Lynx vs 100 Root ANBU-
Dog and Lynx raced back to the entrance and activated the exploding tags that they placed as they fled. Bombs went off and the tunnel collapsed onto itself. Every Root member survived and quickly surrounded the two intruders. "Mokuton: Ki Eda no Jutsu (Wood Release: Tree Limb Technique)." Lynx sprouted tree limbs, hoping to capture or impale the Root members.
25 members fired off the same fire jutsu. "Katon: Endan (Fire Release: Fireball)." They shouted together.
The jutsus merged together, forming one huge fireball. The fireball turned the wood into ash and continued to head towards Lynx. "Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall)." Dog announced as soon as he was near Lynx. Dog's jutsu surrounded the duo and was barely able to withstand the attack. They heard a roar and turned around to see a Doryuudan (Earth Dragon Projectile) coming at them. Dog and Lynx was able to successfully dodge the attacks. They were entirely on the defensive and the enemy wasn't letting up.
"Raiton: Jibachi (Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder)." Several Root ANBU shouted. Bolts of electricity came from every direction and neither Konoha ANBU had enough time to form seals for a jutsu.
"Mushi Kame no Jutsu (Insect Jar Technique)." A stoic voice called out. Insects surrounded the two Konoha ANBU and protected them from harm. After the technique died down, two young Root members stood next to Dog and Lynx.
"It took you two long enough." Dog said rather lazily, even though he was still surrounded.
"It was rather difficult to apply my rinkaichu while everyone was moving around. However, you were able to buy enough time for me to infect everyone." The boy with the stoic voice replied to Dog. As if puppets with their strings cut, the other members of Root fell to the floor in agony. Many bodies twitched before finally succumbing to the microscopic insects.
The young Root members took off their masks to reveal Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Torune. Torune fell down to one knee from chakra exhaustion. "When the Hokage told us about the spies, I never expected you to be so young." Lynx voiced his opinion.
"When we were asked to join Root by Danzo's request, the Hokage gave us an espionage mission to discreetly spy on Danzo. Our abilities made it easy to access Root's secrets." Fu explained.
Torune stood upright and steadied his breathing. "Even the most secure places have insects within them. That includes Root Headquarters as well. I am able to talk to other insects which allowed me to spy on Danzo even though I am not a senior member. Fu would then proceed to enter my mind and memorize what I learned with his clan techniques. When we went on missions, Fu would go into the mind of a random civilian and relay the information to Hokage-sama."
"Good job you two but you have new orders from Hokage-sama. You'll lead me to where the kidnapped kids are located. We'll then flee with them and get them treated at the hospital. This was originally Lynx's orders but that changed when we collapsed the tunnel. Lynx, go assist Hokage-sama immediately." Dog relayed his orders. Lynx merged into the ground and quickly departed from the others.
"Follow me Dog-san." Fu said and the trio left, leaving behind the bodies of 98 dead Root ANBU.
-Hiruzen vs Danzo-
"Hiruzen it seems you've grown a backbone after all these years. I have to ask, what brought about this sudden change?" Danzo spoke calmly.
"I changed when you ordered the Uchiha Massacre despite my wishes. Now enough talk, today I shall bring your life to an end." Hiruzen spat out before throwing five shurikens. "Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique)." Instantly the five shurikens multiplied to twenty-five and flew towards Danzo.
"Fuuton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)." Danzo released a current of wind that blasted the shurikens aside.
Hiruzen, hoping to capitalize on the wind jutsu, released a fire jutsu. "Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique)." The stream of fire grew in size due to the wind jutsu. Danzo was barely able to escape to his left but the jutsu was able to burn the bandages on the right side of his face. There, in Danzo's right eye socket, was a Sharingan.
"Danzo how do you have the Sharingan?" The Sandaime asked before drawing his own conclusions. "Who did you kill to steal that?" Hiruzen was furious at how low his one-time teammate went in order to obtain power.
"I acquired this eye before the Uchiha Massacre. It was from a powerful shinobi, too bad he escaped before I could take his other eye." Danzo informed nonchalantly. Hiruzen's eyes widen in realization. Shisui's body was never found when he had committed suicide.
"Danzo you scum, what made you this power hungry?" The Hokage said in disgust. "I thought you loved the Leaf, yet you took an eye of one of our shinobi." Hiruzen was sicken by the man.
Danzo laughed at Hiruzen. The laughter soon became manically before ceasing. "I love Konohagakure but I believe we belong at the top. Your pacifist ideals make the other hidden villages look at us as if we're weak. That's why I should be Hokage. Under my direction, Konoha would rise over those pathetic weaklings." Danzo replied.
"That doesn't justify your actions. We're Konoha shinobi who bear the Will of Fire. Our job is to mentor the next generation to someday replace ours, not for them to be used as mindless tools." The Hokage refuted. Hiruzen was beyond disgusting by this human, no this demon.
"Shinobis are tools that are meant to be used by their superiors. What's wrong with me using the tools to make me stronger? If I'm stronger then Konoha is stronger, it's as simple as that." Danzo said as if it was the most obvious thing.
The conversation ended with that as both men went through hand seals. Danzo finished first and released his jutsu. "Fuuton: Shinkuuha (Wind Release: Vacuum Wave)." Danzo release arcs of cutting wind at Hiruzen's location.
Hiruzen slammed his foot into the ground. "Doton: Doryuu Heki (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall)." A slab of rock rose in front of the Sandaime. The rock wall was overwhelmed by the wind attack and was sliced to pieces.
This, however, gave Hiruzen enough time to dodge and slam his palm onto the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)." Out of the smoke came Hiruzen's summon, King Enma. Not to be outdone, Danzo summoned his own summoning animal. A giant Baku rose from the smoke. "Let's go Enma, Henge: Kongōnyoi (Transformation: Adamantine Staff)." King Enma changed into a black staff and was placed in Hiruzen's hands.
Hiruzen charged and swung his staff at a variety of angles. Danzo was able to dodge due to the Sharingan's abilities. Eventually the Sandaime relentless assault was able to hit Danzo across the neck, making it snap. Danzo turned to smoke and was replaced by a piece of rock from Hiruzen's Doryuu Heki. 'He used Kawarimi at the last possible second to replace himself with a rock. So that means he's currently behind me.' The Hokage quickly thought.
Danzo's summoning animal began sucking in the air. Hiruzen was placed between Danzo and his summon. "Fuuton: Shinkuu Renpa (Wind Release: Vacuum Successive Waves)." Blades of wind were aimed at Hiruzen.
"Shit!" The Hokage cursed at his predicament but was able to escape thanks to King Enma's quick thinking. The staff grew arms and threw Hiruzen's body into the air. Hiruzen then initiated his own attack. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Two solid clones appeared midair beside the caster. The first clone began his attack and was followed by the second. "Suiton: Hahonryu (Water Release: Tearing Torrent)." "Raiton: Gian (Lightning Release: False Darkness)." The first clone released a huge torrent of water from his mouth while the second fired a lightning spear from his hand at the torrent.
Danzo stopped his attack and tried to dodge when tree limbs restrained him. "Mokuton: Mokusatsu Shibari no Jutsu (Wood Release: Smothering Binding Technique)." A voice came from underneath the ground. Unable to escape, Danzo met the attack head on. The attack tore Danzo's body into shreds. The two Bunshins and Danzo's Baku puffed out of existence. Just as Hiruzen landed, a kunai pierced through his heart.
There stood an exhausted Danzo, with his Sharingan eye turned white. Just as Danzo smiled at his victory over his rival, he was struck through the chest. A staff had gone through him and the Hiruzen in front of him turned to wood, revealing aMoku Bunshin (Wood Clone). 'Kinoe!' [1] Danzo thought as he remembered the former Root operative. Hiruzen pulled out the staff and Danzo fell to the ground. His life flickered in his eyes as his body was too weak to move.
There was no monologue or rant on being Hokage. His dream on making Konohagakure stand above the other villages was gone. His quest was ultimately ended by the same man who took the Hokage seat from him. His eyes closed and the life of Shinobi no Yami (The Darkness of the Shinobi) was over.
However unknown to everyone, Danzo gave Orochimaru an order using Kotoamatsukami, the Uchiha's strongest Genjutsu. The order was to surgically implant Uchihas' eyes along with the Shodai's DNA into Danzo's right arm. But just as the deal was done, Orochimaru fled with the eyes while promising the surgery another time. It was thanks to Hiruzen's intervention that the surgery didn't take place. In the Sandaime Hokage's pursuit to end his rival, he had unknowingly gave his former student more power.
[1] Kinoe was Yamato's name when he was in Root.
Reviews:
Santa1 – Sorry to hear that you don't like harem. I hope you'll still give this story a try though.
Dark Neko 4000 – I hope his reaction was to your satisfaction.
NinjaFang1331 – Thank you sir! I hope I was able to portray it as such. After all, Mikoto was a big part in his short life.
Tarantul – Sorry, you can't vote for Karin. She'll play a different role in this story. You can vote for someone else though.
emilbootanimefreak – He won't have the Shadow Clones since it's a B-rank Jutsu. I have an idea how on how to replace it…kind of (elemental clones).
Sakusha Saelbu – Thanks for the review, I hope I kept your interest with this chapter.
skg1991 – Thanks for the help and I just reedited.
jhawk046 – Thanks for the review. Glad you think it's that good so far.
Ryuujin96 – WOW! Thanks for the super long review. I plan for him to have more skills in Kenjutsu to compensate for the lack of Ninjutsu. Taijutsu is a blank for me at the moment. I'm definitely open to suggestions regarding replacements for any of his canon jutsus. Yes, I intended for Naruto to use elemental clones now instead of Shadow Clones. Summoning Jutsu will appear more in this story since it can help greatly. I'm not sure about the power levels yet because I'm only on Chapter 4 and Naruto still hasn't graduated yet. That will be for the future. About the higher rank jutsus, I'm still trying to find a way for Naruto not to learn them. He's not getting another wakizashi because of something I'm doing with Haku.
Goodfella96 – No? Yes? Honestly I don't really know but Madara and Kaguya are a long ways from now unless I do a MASSIVE time skip.
sparrowhawk13 – Yeah! Shino and Shikamaru are my favorites of the rookie 9 excluding Naruto. I like to read stories with character progression so I want my story to have it too. Thanks for reading!
gual1 – Hope you enjoyed reading his reaction, byes