Howdy folks. Here's your next installment. Thanks for all the positive words and reviews. I don't say it often, but I really do appreciate the feedback. Even when I don't get a lot of reviews like someone noted, I still have gotten an insane number of emails from ffnet saying that people have added this story to their favorites, or put it/me on their alert list. That's just as satisfying, and actually gives me the urge to write more.

I know people are waiting for me to catch up to the storyline at the actual start of the Naruto story. I'm getting there, really. Most of this story will be taking place before the anime/manga's beginning and will run alongside that story until a little after the find Tsunade arc. I actually had a very different idea for how Nanashi was going to be in this story but that character 'design' has changed drastically since I actually started writing this. My original idea will still work, but a decent number of things will need to be tweaked.

Enough chatting, onwards and upwards.


Hatake Kakashi wasn't a man who was disturbed easily. He had seen so much shit in his relatively short life that he knew that eventually he would have psychological problems. He had grown up on the battlefield, and prior to Uchiha Itachi, was the youngest initiate into the ANBU in the history of Konoha. And he had stayed there far longer than it was recommended for someone, using the anonymity it granted to once again run from his teammate's death.

There were reasons that it was only recommended that someone do a stint of three years in the ANBU at once then leave. Staying too long in the shadow ops of Konoha tended to have horrible side-effects on people, leading to early retirement, mental breakdowns, and other nuances that were just plain disturbing to talk about. This little tidbit of information didn't bother him though. After all, he figured he'd be dead long before he ever reached that point. No one lives forever after all, especially shinobi.

But he could not help but feel slightly... more cautious than normal when around this 'Nanashi' character. He knew the man's loyalty was to Konoha, and even seemed to have the ear of the Hokage, despite his near non-existence three months prior. The man was skilled as well, proven beyond a shadow of a doubt in the few missions that he had been sent on with Kakashi. A Fuinjutsu specialist and a combat ninjutsu specialist, an odd combination to say the least and incredibly unsettling to the one-eyed masked shinobi.

Mostly because the blonde reminded him so much of Minato-sensei. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear that the man was related to him. That can't be it though. Minato-sensei had no family besides our team and Jiraiya-sama...

Even more unsettling was the fact that his tracking dogs recognized the scent that the blonde gave off. It was virtually identical to one that his dogs had learned a long time ago, shortly after the Kyubi attack. He had still been in ANBU at the time and had been assigned to watch over the boy that his sensei had sealed the demon into. He held no hatred of the boy himself, but simply seeing him was a reminder driven home that his sensei, his second father, was dead due to the rampaging of a raging fox of all things.

That disturbed Kakashi as much as his dogs. No two people have the same scent, or at least the scent that Kakashi's dogs picked up. They were able to distinguish between the normal scents of food, body odor, etc, and pick up on more... esoteric things, such as pheromones and the hidden differences between different blood. However according to Pakkun, the blonde's scent was exactly the same of as the vessel's, something that shouldn't be possible.

He broke out of his musings as he looked over his book towards the blonde who was leading the way towards the border with Wind Country. The blonde moved with the hidden grace that all shinobi carried within themselves, bouncing from tree to tree while keeping an eye out for enemies. The movements were ingrained, and the chakra fluctuation was near-undetectable as expected. After all, one doesn't grow old as a shinobi with gaining a mastery over their own chakra.

"Something wrong copycat?" The blonde asked, glancing over his shoulder back at him, still continuing on their path through the trees without needed to look in front of him. Kakashi shook his head as he put his book away. Nanashi's secrets are his own. Hokage-sama trusts him, so thats more than enough for me.

Though after that scene at the village gates, he did have to admit he was a little curious. "So, you going to explain Anko's little send-off gift or should I start looking into the rumor-mill when I get back?"

He could've laughed at the glare that was shot his way before the blonde faced forward again. So much like Minato-sensei... The blonde even reacted to teasing in the same way as his old sensei, once again making a vision from years ago ghost over the form of his comrade. He shook his head to clear the superimposed image away in time to notice that the blonde had stopped on a tree branch. He shifted slightly to the left, almost passing the blonde but using his chakra to latch onto the trunk of the tree that held the branch that the blonde was standing on. The sight of the two of them, one standing vertically, the other in a crouch horizontally, must've been mildly amusing to the nearby wildlife.

Kakashi's mind lost its idle thoughts as the blonde stared at him with a blank stare, the man's blue eyes dimming as he seemed to be considering something important. Then his eyes changed slightly, and somehow Kakashi knew that his quip was actually going to be answered, and the answer was going to be serious. The blonde started to say something but stopped for a moment before finally asking, "You still have 'Eyes Only' clearance?"

Kakashi blinked, scratching the side of his face as he thought to himself, trying to remember the last time he had actually been asked about his clearance level. "... I think so..."

Nanashi nodded, tilting his head to the side enough to create an audible crack that sent a shiver down the sharingan-user's spine. "I also assume you are aware of Mitarashi-san's curse seal?" Seeing Kakashi's nod he only finished with a stare. "I removed her curse seal a few days before we got this mission."

Now THAT caught the ex-ANBU's attention, the silver-haired nin turning his eye on the blonde as if trying to find falsehoods in the man's words. He removed that seal? I thought it was being suppressed by Fuin Hoin, but now he says he actually removed the damn thing? Is that even possible? Supposedly not even Jiraiya-sama had been able to do much more than that, and this guy claims to have removed the seal entirely? "..."

"Not a word about this gets out Kakashi. The second word starts getting out about this, that snake is going to be mighty interested in finding out who removed it. And, as ashamed as I am to say it, I'm not as strong as I used to be. I do not think I could defeat Orochimaru as I currently am, and have no intention of dying any time soon, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything about this. Supposedly Hokage-sama was going to be giving this lecture to the others who know of her situation as well. Neither of us is ready to make him aware of my existence yet."

Scary... It was only then that something clicked in Kakashi's mind. "Wait, you're weaker now? Since when?"

Nanashi only gave him a shit-eating grin behind that mask of his before turning back and continuing forward like before. "Since I died. Now hurry up you one-eyed bastard! Story time is over, get moving!" And with that cryptic statement, Kakashi decided he was probably better off not knowing as he pulled out his copy of his favorite novel and continued from where had left off.

-/-/-/

Yuuhi Kurenai was one of the few people in Konoha who held the dubious honor of being friends with one Mitarashi Anko. She had known the volatile kunoichi since they went to the academy together, but in reality the two really didn't start talking until after they had graduated. Kurenai had made it her goal in life to prove that kunoichi could prove to be as dangerous and efficient as their male counterparts, and this attitude had been borne of the ridiculousness that she had seen at that academy. Girls were treated as slow-learners, despite often being far better in control that their male counterparts, and were often treated with kids' gloves, so to speak, by the instructors.

Perhaps this was why when Mitarashi Anko blew through the academy like a tornado she couldn't help but feel a little vindicated. The girl was a raging firestorm, an orphaned street rat who often showed up even the 'prodigies' from the established ninja clans of Konoha. No family to speak of, and only was granted permission to attend the academy through a series of events that even Anko never discussed, even with her. A notorious prankster who even put Umino Iruka to shame, though she had heard in recent days that there was a boy who was fast approaching their level of pranking infamy. When Kurenai had been put on a standard three-man team and Anko was apprenticed to one of the legendary three, Kurenai couldn't help but be a bit jealous, despite her respect for the girl.

That respect would only grow as the two met once again, this time at the Chunnin exams. The exams were to take place at Kusagakure that year, and unlike the exams hosted in Konoha, no team of three was required. After the initial cut in Konoha, only Kurenai and Anko were designated to head to Kusa to represent Konoha. Two of the village's up and coming kunoichi, one a combat specialist trained under the legendary Orochimaru, and the other a genjutsu and stealth specialist. Kurenai had still held her stubborn streak back then, and fully intended to get through the exam on her own, asserting her own independence to all those academy instructors who never thought she would make a true shinobi. Perhaps she wanted to show up her purple-haired comrade as well, a little lingering trace of jealousy present.

Mitarashi Anko would have none of that. And Kurenai learned what the academy instructors always whispered to each other about firsthand. That Mitarashi Anko was practically an uncontrollable force of nature itself; a localized man-made disaster area that no one was safe from. One does not simply meet Mitarashi Anko.

No, one survives meeting Mitarashi Anko.

Kurenai had been totally taken off-guard by the happy and carefree girl she had met at the village gates that day. A girl, that if no one bothered to look deeper, would only appear to be a common teenager, her head filled with idealistic love stories and enjoying nothing more than a pint of ice cream. Blunt, crude and energetic; Kurenai swore that simply listening to Anko chatter on had been more taxing on her endurance, both physically and mentally, than the actual trip to Kusagakure. It didn't help that she couldn't stop herself from actually liking the girl and responding in kind. Thus began a very odd friendship. One that began out of one-sided respect and pride yet to this day, Kurenai still knew that Anko was her closest friend and that her friend felt the same way.

After all, when Orochimaru had left and her purple-haired friend had been all but devastated, it had been Kurenai that had prevented the girl from taking her own life. She still had the scar on her hand where she had grabbed the blade.

It had been Anko who had helped Kurenai ease her grief at the anniversary of the deaths of the crimson-eyed illusionist's parents, through the liberal use of sake that neither of them should have been old enough to obtain and the occasional hug.

It had been Kurenai that all but made Anko immune to nothing short of the most powerful genjutsu in preparations for her first Jounin examination. Even as a middle-level chunnin, Kurenai's illusions were particularly hellish according to her friend.

It was Anko who prior to a week and a half ago had been helping Kurenai prepare for the upcoming Jounin examinations, though an even more liberal use of taijutsu training that probably would make Maito Gai fall in love with the two kunoichi.

Thus the situation we find our crimson-eyed genjutsu specialist. She found herself once again knocking on her friend's door, but receiving no answer once again. Kurenai couldn't help but sigh again, already leaving her friend's apartment behind. Where the heck is she? She's not on a mission, and she hasn't been to her usual hangouts. It was only through the casual questioning of several of the village's dango vendors that allowed her to learn that Anko was still in Konoha, yet seeming to not be hounding their every step like she usual does. They statements only caused the woman to smile, her friend's dango addiction was amusing to her on a level she couldn't really convey.

She eventually found the woman laying back on a grassy hill outside training center 44, a.k.a. the Forest of Death. Anko was one of the only people who frequently used that training area, as even seasoned Jounin could find themselves dead if they were not careful in there. Usually one needed permission from the Hokage in order to use it, but Anko usually jumped the fence whenever she felt like it. She had been chastised on it numerous times by the Sandaime, but the woman merely shrugged and did whatever she wanted. In a way, it suited the woman's impetuous nature. Anko was straightforward, blunt, and not modest in the slightest. Kurenai often found herself compensating for her friend's eccentricities in her own behavior, and there were times where she wondered whose eccentricities were balancing out whose.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Kurenai walked towards her, already raising an eyebrow as she studied her best friend. Instead of Anko's usual scandalous clothing, she was wearing a simple pair of khaki shorts and a light blue t-shirt. A small purple scarf was wrapped around her neck, hiding the seal Kurenai knew scarred her friend for life. To this day, Anko had never let anyone in enough to ever even have a chance of hurting her that much again. It sometimes surprised Kurenai that after everything the woman had been through that she still trusted Kurenai as much as she seemed to.

Laying on the ground next to Anko were three things: a large sake bottle, a plate of dango on skewers, and a single, untouched, sake serving dish. The snake mistress was humming a little tune to herself, her eyes closed and both hands laced behind her head. Kurenai was somewhat surprised at the whole scene; she had not seen her old friend so relaxed in ages. So surprised by the sight, she almost missed Anko's voice. "Hey 'Nai-chan. What's up?"

Kurenai walked over and sat down next to her friend, her eyebrow still raised. She ignored the pet name that Anko still called her by, a relic from that historic exam they took toegether. "Perhaps I should be the one asking that Anko. What has Konoha's most unpredictable kunoichi done recently to be so relaxed? And without her exhibitionist gear as well?" Anko's clothing had been a running gag between the two kunoichi for years. Anko often joked to Kurenai that if she could get away with never waring clothing she probably wouldn't. Kurenai usually told her that the Hokage probably wouldn't mind, but she would probably attract Jiraiya-sama back to Konoha and if she did that Kurenai would have to find some way to reward her. Her friend knew full well of what she thought of perverts, and knew the joy she took in enacting female justice.

Anko merely chuckled, her eyes still shut as she reached out for the sake bottle. She poured some into the dish and handed the dish to Kurenai, already taking a sip herself from the bottle directly. Kurenai took the dish and took a small sip. She had learned years ago that trying to refuse a drink from the snake-using kunoichi was a recipe for destruction. Anko shrugged as she pulled the bottle back, "Dunno, just in a good mood for once."

Kurenai only gave her friend a smile, raising her eyebrow again slightly. "And I'm Hokage-sama's mother. Seriously, what's up Anko?"

Her friend finally opened her eyes and sat up to meet her gaze. An enigmatic smile crossed the woman's face, shocking Kurenai as simply how much younger her friend looked at that moment, as if years had simply melted away from the last time Kurenai had seen her. Without so much as saying another word, the purple-haired kunoichi pulled back her scarf slightly to reveal her now-sealless neck her. Anko gasped, dropping her sake dish in shock. Anko quickly caught it and chuckled as she replaced the scarf and took a sip from the sake still in the dish. "Careful 'Nai-chan. Don't you go and be wasting my celebratory sake. I've been saving this bottle for years."

Kurenai ignored the joke, or perhaps she simply couldn't process the woman's quip. "How... when?"

Anko pushed the sake saucer into Kurenai's hands again, reaching for the bottle and pouring a little more in for the crimson-eyed illusionist before taking a drink from the bottle. "Hokage-sama said I shouldn't talk about it too much, lest that bastard find out, but yeah. It's gone." The woman smiled once again, her gaze shifting past Kurenai's shoulder as if seeing something off in the distance. "For the first time since... well, you know, I feel... free? No that's not it..." Kurenai, still stunned by the revelation of what had occurred almost missed the few words that followed. "I feel clean... as if I've finally gotten the chance to soak in a hot springs for the first time in years."

Kurenai put the dish down and reached over and hugged her friend, a smile on her own face. Thats so good. I'm so happy for you Anko. Of course, Anko would never accept such sappy words without some sort of painful repercussion, but they were left unsaid as Kurenai embraced her friend lightly.

At least until Anko's michivous side made itself known again, her voice playful and carrying that undertone of seduction that all kunoichi were taught in the academy. "Careful there 'Nai-chan. You're giving a real show to that rugged Jounin you've been fancying for a while. Hey Asuma." She said the last statement, a little louder and her voice returning to its normal overly cheerful tone. Kurenai flinched back from her friend as if she had been made of hot coal, her facing burning at the woman's implication as she looked in the direction Anko was waving in. Only to find nothing and to hear her friend's laughter echoing loudly.

Kurenai only glared at her friend before saying, "You're a real bitch sometimes, you know that?"

Anko only winked at her with a grin. "Are you kidding? If that wouldn't get his attention, I don't know what would!"

Must not murder friend... Must not murder friend... The litany echoed in Kurenai's mind as she watched as her friend continued laughing. Still glaring, Kurenai finally scoffed. "You jerk."

"Bitch."

"Alcoholic."

"Ice Queen."

"Slut."

"Oi oi, I'll have you know that you've been to bed with more men than me 'Nai-chan." Anko said, still wearing that shit-eating grin that Kurenai had come to both love and hate.

Kurenai definitely glared at that one. "I've slept with two men in my life." She hissed out, her face flushing at Anko's implication. Her face then twisted as she realized she was the first to lose momentum in their little verbal battle.

"And I'm a virgin. Deal with it." Anko said cheekily, with no degree of pride or shame in her voice. Anko was the only person Kurenai knew who would discuss such things so freely. Even more so since Kurenai knew she was lying about that little tidbit. She had been on several missions with her fellow kunoichi that had required such things from the snake mistress. Anko had taken it all with a grain of salt, but secretly she was glad that Anko had done it so she did not have to.

Kurenai grinned, "I call bullshit." Anko's expression of feigned shock was amusing but Kurenai merely sighed, resigned to losing another verbal scuffle with her friend. If she didn't stop this now, Anko was more than capable of keeping it going for hours and right now Kurenai really just wanted some answers. "Enough with the wise-ass remarks. How?"

Anko cast a quick glance around the clearing as she sat up. She tied the purple scarf around her neck again and answered, "You ever see a guy in town that looks disturbing like Yondaime. Goes by the name Nanashi?"

Kurenai's eyes widened at hearing the name of the enigmatic Special Jounin she had gone on mission with a few weeks back. The man had been quiet, and seemingly nervous around her, Asuma and Kakashi. But not as if they were threats, but rather with some other emotion in mind. "Blonde hair, wears a mask all the time?"

Anko nodded, taking another drink. "Turns out the bastard is a Fuinjutsu specialist, and apparently knows how to remove the seal. Hell of a seal though, disturbing as all hell."

Kurenai blinked at that. "If it was enough to disturb you, then I probably don't want to know much about it."

"Yeah. One of the medics that was with us almost lost his lunch. Kinda pathetic really, considering they're supposed to be cutting people up and gluing them back together." Anko shook her head at the memory. "So yeah, its gone now..."

Kurenai leaned back on her haunches as took a sip out of the dish that Anko had handed back to her, trying to come to realization. "... I had a mission with him and a few others a few weeks ago. Seemed capable enough, but his behavior was odd. Said he used to look for traitors within Konoha and deal with them." She then cast a skeptical look at Anko. "And you say he looks like the Yondaime beneath that mask?"

Anko scoffed. "Like a cross between him and the nine-tails brat. Fuck, he even smiles like the kid does, and he's got the same whisker marks. If I didn't know any better I'd say they were clan markers like what the Inuzuka have."

Despite being well past the age where gossiping was casually accepted, Kurenai couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, you think there's something there?"

Anko shook her head, the playful tone in Kurenai's voice completely flying over her head, much to her friend's chagrin. "Nah, don't think so. Lot of other weird things 'bout him though."

"Such as?"

Anko took another drink before continuing, enjoying the light buzz she was beginning to feel. " His backstory doesn't seem to add up at times, as if he's making it up as he goes along. If what you said before is right, then he mostly worked alone when studying his targets. But when I asked him about how he knew how to remove the seal, he gave me this story about himself that definitely did not fit that picture. Supposedly something about one of Konoha's bloodlines running to my bastard of a sensei because of the seal. But if that had happened, then we would've definitely heard about it."

Kurenai frowned at that. "That is odd... you think that whichever clan it was might've kept it quiet?"

Anko scoffed at that. "From a whole village of shinobi, come on 'Nai-chan. No clan is that disciplined. Even that stick in the ass bastard Hiashi would've raised a stink." Anko shook her head, "No, something doesn't add up. I was curious so I did a little digging before they released me from the hospital. According to their records, except for one stay that occurred a few months ago, he had never even been in for a checkup. It's as if he didn't exist in the village prior to that. Hell, even ANBU are forced to undergo regular examinations that are documented." She commented dryly, letting her suspicions of the shinobi come forth. It's not that she didn't trust the man, but the facts were somewhat odd. She only mentioned it to her friend because Kurenai was much better at figuring out puzzles than her.

Kurenai gave her friend a speculative look before a small grin covered her face. It couldn't be... "It's not that strange. There's nothing about his story that could be disproved by anyone other than Hokage-sama. And its obvious that 'Nanashi' isn't his actual name."

Anko all but pouted when her logic was shot down by her friend. She then noticed Kurenai's little smile and raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly are you so amused by?"

"Nothing really. It just seems that you're interested in him." Kurenai said with a slight chuckle, her voice practically dripping with undertones of a different sort.

Undertones that went completely unnoticed by her friend. Anko rolled her eyes at the comment, "Well duh. I kinda owe him big time for this. I think I'm entitled to be a little curious, all things considered."

Kurenai blinked for a moment before letting out a sigh. Never mind then. So much for that possible source of amusement. Her smile returned however as she stood up, finishing off the sake in her small dish. "I think a true celebration is in order regardless, snake girl."

Anko only raised an eyebrow at that. It was usually her that suggested such a thing. After, she was the border-line alcoholic of the two. "Well, well, well. If I didn't know any better I'd say that little 'Nai-chan is looking to do some drinking tonight.:

Kurenai laughed at her friend's expression and mocking words before helping the woman up. "I was thinking some dinner too; I haven't eaten since this morning."

Anko could help but smirk as that, placing her hand on Kurenai's backside and stepping in close so that their faces were almost touching. Her voice once again dripped into a more sensual tone. "A date it is then. Better be careful 'Nai-chan, or you'll end up making that little crush of yours think you swing the other way."

Kurenai didn't even react to the other's joke this time, short of rolling her eyes. "You're horrible, you know that?"

Anko stepped back with that shit-eating grin on her face, causing Kurenai to smile herself. "I am what I am kid. But in all seriousness, dinner sounds great. I could kill for some good sushi right now." Her face then adopted a more stern visage before she added, "And don't think that you've gotten out of telling me about your bearded wonder. If you don't start making moves on your own, I'll have to get... creative."

Kurenai chuckled at her friend's shifting moods and enthusiasm for life, but also couldn't help but feel a little nervous at that declaration. Nanashi, whoever you are, you may have just made dealing with Anko a little more interesting... Here's hoping its for the best.

-/-/-/

Nanashi only sighed as he watched Kakashi deal with the group that Suna had sent to assist them in the missing-nin cleanup. When he had first heard about the mission from the old man, his mind already began wondering if this was a setup for the attack that would take place at that fateful chunnin exam in the future. However, according to Pakkun and Kakashi's other summons, it seemed as if it was a group formerly from Ame instead of disguised Suna nins. It didn't mean that they weren't disguised Suna nins, but it somewhat comforted the blonde for some reason. He half expected, half hoped, he would actually see Gaara on the mission, until he shook his head at the improbability of such an event. Besides, he'd just as soon try to kill me as talk to me. Actually, probably more likely to kill me.

He merely shook his head as Kakashi began heading back towards him. He had noticed the man watching him carefully ever since he let it slip about Anko's seal. He probably shouldn't have told his future self's sensei to be, but he trusted the man even if Kakashi didn't trust 'Nanashi'. "What's the scoop?"

Kakashi only gave the blonde a level gaze. "One of them' has some sort of vulture summon. His summon confirmed what Pakkun and the others told me of the shinobi in the settlement. Judging from the chakra levels Pakkun said he picked up, its a group of high-genin to mid-chunnin level shinobi."

Nanashi frowned at that. "How many?"

"About twenty to forty. Much more than we were led to believe. We may be all be jounin but their numbers are worrisome, especially if they're used to working together."

Nanashi nodded in agreement. "The settlement is our side of the border. If I remember the mission parameters correctly, that means you're in charge. What's our attack plan?"

Kakashi gave the blonde an amused look. "You consistently insult me and/or make cracks about my masculinity and now you're asking me for orders?"

Nanashi shrugged. "I said you're a pervert who needs to have his ass handed to him by angry kunoichi on a daily basis. I never said you weren't a good commander, former ANBU-san." He let that last statement slip out with a hint of amused sarcasm in his voice.

Kakashi took the barb in stride. "Let's hear your thoughts."

Nanashi closed his eyes for a moment as he leaned against a tree trunk, crossing his arms across his chest. After about five minutes of silence, he opened his eyes. "Approximately how large is the settlement?"

Kakashi raised his eyebrow at the odd question. "About 75 square meters, give or take."

Nanashi grabbed his chin in thought at that. "I could try... no, the field would require more preparation than time allows... and stabilizing such a field would probably..."

The thoughtful tone in the blonde's voice intrigued Kakashi. He had been around the special jounin long enough to realize that the man easily knew his limits, and didn't waste time boasting. Odds are if he had a plan, it was feasible. "What are you thinking?"

Nanashi gave his sensei from his past an even look. "Shinkuu no Shoheki." Kakashi only gave him a blank look before he explained. "Its a hybrid ninjutsu-fuinjutsu technique I developed a while back. Create the barrier edge-points and link them via a thread of wind-based chakra. Sucks the air out of the enclosed field until those inside suffocate due to the lack of oxygen. It's a slow and painless way to die, as those inside the barrier aren't even aware that the oxygen level is dropping."

Kakashi gave him a skeptical look. "That sounds complicated on a level I can't begin to describe. And impossible if you don't mind me saying."

Nanashi shrugged. "It drains chakra faster than you would ever believe. Air is not the most cooperative state of matter to work with. Hell, even on small fields it uses a good portion of my chakra. To use it with a field that size is probably not possible with our current team. Last time I performed it, it was over the course of four hours with a team of about ten shinobi, six who were jounin with exceptional chakra control. Not to mention the place we used it was probably a quarter of the size of the settlement." He then shook his head, "Forget I mentioned it."

Internally Nanashi was cursing himself for even mentioning it. The jutsu was complicated, but nothing beyond his abilities. He had lied about the jutsu requiring a team of shinobi. It simply required insane amounts of chakra, and with the Kyubi the blonde had previously been able to use the fox's near unlimited chakra to fully maintain the barrier. Even if it did knock him unconscious as soon as he released it. Though it would be worth looking into to modify it to work with a team of shinobi instead of just one focus point. Might actually make the jutsu useable to someone who doesn't have a demon lord sealed in them...

Kakashi only smiled beneath his mask, his eye curving into that familiar U-shape that Nanashi had come to hate in his youth. "Now that your impossible idea is out of the way, I don't feel bad about mine!"

Nanashi only rolled his eyes. "Glad to see I'm fulfilling my purpose as your court jester. Perverted bastard." He muttered that last part under his breath.

"Good, I wouldn't want you to feel ignored. It's so hard to find a good source of amusement these days."

"Keep laughing cyclops. Keep in mind I'm more than capable of shoving a shock tag where the sun doesn't shine." Kakashi only continued his silly grin before losing the smile and begin to lay out his plan.

-/-/-/

Sarutobi let off a smile of amusement as he watched the boy eat like he hadn't for days. Perhaps, he hasn't... The man crushed that depressing thought, making sure that it didn't affect his smile as he calmly ate his own bowl of Miso ramen. The boy simply would keep going until the bowl was done and then, knowing his appetite, ask more more. It was really quite a sight to watch Naruto practically inhale the salty noodles; one that never ceased to amuse and amaze him. Where does it all go? Must be some sort of compression technique being used.

The old man who ran the hole in the wall ramen stand, Teuchi was it..., merely chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "Slow down kid. Wouldn't want you choking on me now. I'd lose most of my business!" He said with a hearty laugh, prompting a small chuckle from Sarutobi and an embarrassed grin from the blonde boy.

The elder almost retired ninja was pleased that the boy was growing like any other child. The fears that the seal wouldn't be strong enough to hold back the demon's influence was one that had been ever present in his mind from the moment he placed the infant under his protection. Those fears had been mostly assuaged when Naruto's older self showed up, allowing the Sandaime to let that final sliver of worry into the boy's safety slip away. Although the boy's mental and emotional development was obviously going to affected, after talking to Nanashi at least he knew the boy would turn out mostly okay. That's all one can really ask for with shinobi I suppose.

He was actually rather surprised that Nanashi hadn't taken a more active interest in... 'his' life. He had expected some sort of contact between the two, and in a way was hoping for it, if only to better prepare Naruto for when he became a genin. However it seemed to be a moot point, as Naruto had no idea that someone else even lived in his apartment complex, let alone know Nanashi.

Nanashi had been in Konoha for roughly three months now. He had built up quite a mission profile; one such that Sarutobi held no qualms about the man's impromptu promotion from non-existent to Special Jounin. And with how he removed Anko's curse seal a week ago, he had proved his mastery over a subject that very few in Konoha, no in all the elemental countries, understood. He held himself to others as a combat ninjustu specialist, very rarely actually mentioning his specialty. If his sucessful mission statistic kept rising at the rate it was, his visibility would actually begin to cause a problem, as more people outside of the mission office were starting to become aware of his existence. That old warmonger Danzo had even been making moves to find out more, not that he was aware that Sarutobi knew this. Thank kami for Tenzou and the others. Though I have the feeling that if any of Danzo's dogs ever approached him that he would bury them before they could even say anything.

He shook his head slightly, dispelling his thoughts of the energetic boy's older self. He found himself often treating the young orphan to ramen whenever he had free time. Or rather, whenever he could free time up for the boy. He honestly liked the little blonde, and although neither Naruto nor his older self would ever really know, they were both the spitting image of their father. Although, Nanashi was probably a little more jaded and sarcastic than Minato ever was. The boy was simply one of the most happy-go-lucky children he had ever seen, and the boy never failed to bring a smile to his face. Well, at least when he's not doing some elaborate prank. Though considering that he wears a bright orange 'HERE I AM' outfit, I suppose it could count for stealth practice...

The old man sighed as he finally broke out of his musings and finished his bowl, placing the chopsticks across the top. As much as he wished he could just let the boy enjoy himself, he had come down here for another purpose. "Naruto, there is something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yeah, yeah, what is it Oji-san?" The blonde asked, a little annoyance present, as if Sarutobi was trying to come between him and his precious ramen. The old man had to fight a chuckle at the expression on the boy's face.

"Your birthday is coming up again soon..." The Hokage began, noticing the wince on the face of the ramen vendor. An odd reaction, but from what I can tell he genuinely likes the boy so I doubt its an issue.

Naruto's face seemed to even out, his hands lowering the bowl he had been slurping broth out of. It only lasted for a second before that grin came back full force. It saddened Sarutobi that the boy's mask was so well-honed that at times he honestly couldn't tell if the boy was faking or not. "Hey yeah, that's right! Teach me a jutsu then oji-san!"

He only shook his head in fond exasperation before placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We'll see. However, I felt I should ask that you remain in that apartment on that day." The boy's smile faded at that as he looked at the ground with a pout, and... a little guilt? It's not his fault... I'm so sorry child. "It's not your fault Naruto. You're a good child, and I'm sure that the villagers will come around one day." Actually, if what Nanashi said is true, they never fully get the chance... Stop that, don't think about it.

"It'll all fit into place once I take your job oji-san." The blonde replied back, his grin returning and a hint of mischief in his voice.

Sarutobi only smiled at that. "I'll see what I can do about getting you a jutsu scroll that won't be too dangerous for you. But I also wanted to mention to you that if you have any problems on that day, you should seek out the man who lives on the floor below you in your apartment."

Naruto only looked confused at that. "Someone actually lives in the same building as me?" His voice expressed his disbelief, sending a pain through the elder man's heart.

"Yes... He goes by the name Nanashi. He actually has been living in the apartment exactly below yours for about three months. He's a shinobi who has served Konoha for many years."

"Really? Is he strong? Can he take you old man?" The boy's enthusiasm was sparked anew, already eager to learn more about this mysterious shinobi who he never knew about.

"Well... I don't know about that." Sarutobi said with a grin. Who knows how strong he really is? According to the parts he's let slip, before he lost the Kyubi he had been at least Kage-level. With that loss, who really knows where his true strength is, considering I still have the feeling he holds back when on missions with others. "But he is very strong. He's a master of ninjutsu techniques, and various other more... unique disciplines."

The boy only looked confused, a thoughtful look on his face. "Like what?"

Sarutobi only let out a sigh. "Perhaps it would better to ask him. He's kept himself busy on missions and trains almost nonstop in his time off. It's not surprising to me that you're not aware of him." He shook his head, returning to his original point. "Anyway, just be careful during the festival. If you need help with anything that night, ask Nanashi-san. He's on a mission now but probably will be back by then. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to assist you."

Naruto only flashed the man an akward salute, with the opposite hand, with a grin. "Sure thing oji-san." Sarutobi only shook his head once again with fond exasperation before standing and asking the ramen stand owner to send a bill to the tower for his and Naruto's meal.He then began walking back to the tower at a slow pace, already dreading the paperwork in his future.


Began laying some groundwork for some Nanashi-Naruto interaction, like some of you have been hoping for. I have plans for this, but nothing like what most of you are probably expecting (at least I hope I'm not that predictable.)

New Jutsu:

Shinkuu no Shoheki (Vacuum Barrier) - Hybrid Fuinjutsu, ninjutsu technique. Requires a mastery of wind-based chakra and an enormous amount of chakra. Meant to be used in subtle kills for large groups. The barrier's 'edges' are created by linking specially crafted seals via wind-based chakra 'threads' and powered through one of those edges from Nanashi. Slowly sucks out t he air contained within the barrier, causing those within to eventually fall unconscious and suffocate in their sleep over a time limit that is directly dependent on the size of the field within the barrier. Currently is only in a form where one person powers the barrier, however Nanashi plans to try to make modifications so that it can be powered by a small group instead as without Kyubi's near unlimited chakra supply, he is no longer able to use this technique. Requires an enormous amount of chakra and incredible control in order to keep the field active and stable long enough to be effective. A-rank technique.