With his first C-Ranked Mission as well as his first kills now behind him Naruto walks into the house he shares with Raven and is actually surprised to find his Guardian at home having lunch in the middle of the day. "What are you doing here," he asks walking towards the cabinet and pulling out a couple cups of instant Ramen for his own lunch.
"I'm on my lunch hour," Raven replies as he finishes his sandwich before chasing it down with a soda. "How did the Mission go?"
"Successful Completion," Naruto replies as he puts the water on to boil. "We eliminated the bandits and rescued the prisoners."
"Eliminated," Raven asks, "Not captured?"
"No," Naruto answers with a slight edge of regret in his voice, "We killed them."
"I see," Raven says as he gets up and walks over towards the liquor cabinet and takes out a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. Setting the glasses down, he opens the bottle before filling the glasses. "I knew this was bound to happen sooner or later," he tells Naruto as he hands the boy one of the shots of alcohol before taking his own, "I was just hoping you'd be a little older when it did."
"What's this for," Naruto asks eyeing the glass carefully as the potent smell causes his nose to twitch.
"It's an old Sarutobi tradition," his guardian tells him. "After a young Shinobi or Kunoichi makes their first kill either one of their parents or a close relative has a drink with them as a type of Right of Passage."
"But I'm not old enough to drink," Naruto protests.
"Old enough to kill old enough to drink," Raven says quoting an old adage he'd heard many Shinobi and Kunoichi use since his own Genin Days. "Besides," he says holding up his own glass as if giving a toast. "Tradition only says that you have to have one drink," he informs his young charge, "Just one shot and you'll officially be a man in the eyes of the Sarutobi Clan."
Naruto gives a sigh of resignation before holding up his own glass then quickly downing the amber liquid in one gulp only to cough and gag at the burning sensation making its way slowly down his throat. "Kami that stuff is offal," the Kyuubi container hacks out.
"You and your father," Raven chuckles, "I swear you two are almost exactly alike. No taste what so ever and no appreciation for good whiskey."
"Did you and my father ever drink together like this?" Naruto asks.
"Hai," Raven replies pouring himself another glass. "After Minato and I made our first kills Jiraiya-Sensei and Otousan took us out to a small pub frequented by ANBU and a few other Shinobi for our first drinks," he tells his late friends' son.
"How did he do it," Naruto asks his father's Teammate. "How did Otousan kill all those Iwa-nin during the War and not go insane?"
"He'd drink himself sick," Raven answers putting the bottle away. "Then he'd spend the rest of the night puking in the bathroom before waking up in the morning with a killer hangover." As he puts the shot glasses in the sink to wash later he chuckles. "But that wasn't how he dealt with the killing," he tells the younger Shinobi, "He dealt with it by cherishing every moment he had with those he loved. He reminded himself everyday why he did what he knew he had to do and never looked back."
"If he dealt with it by reminding himself why then where did drinking himself sick come from?" the blonde inquires.
"As often has he reminded himself that what he was doing was for the good of Konoha and the safety of her people and our friends Minato always felt guilty whenever he took a life," Raven tells the boy. "It is for that reason that he felt the need to punish himself by drinking himself sick every time he took a life." As he prepared to return to the Academy he looks back at his Teammate's son. "I know you idolize your father and want to be just like him," he tells the Genin, "But I would advice you to find another way to cope with the pain of death."
"How do you cope?" Naruto asks.
"I used to drink myself numb, find a willing female and spend the night with her," Raven answers honestly. "I wouldn't recommend that method either," he says walking out the door.
0o0o0o0o0
Sasuke enters his house and finds his mother doing some paperwork at the coffee table in the living room. "How was your Mission," Mikoto asks her son.
"Successful Completion," Sasuke replies sitting down in a nearby chair looking down at the floor.
"Is something wrong Sasuke-kun," the Uchiha Matriarch inquires.
"Not really," the Genin answers.
"Tell me what happened," she says in a voice that makes it sound more like an order then a request. Sasuke tells her everything including his Assassination of the Crime Boss Gatô. "I see…," his mother tells him before she stands up. "Come with me Sasuke-kun," she says leading him to her bedroom. Once mother and son enter the room she motions for him to have a seat on the bed while she rummages around inside the closet. After a few moments she sits down beside him holding a large cardboard box. "Tell me Sasuke-kun," she says stroking the box almost fondly. "Is this really the path you wish to walk?"
"I don't know," Sasuke answers honestly. "When I was sneaking into Gatô's Mansion it felt almost natural," he admits. "I felt no doubt, no fear and no hesitation when I took his life and even after when I set up the exploding tags and blew the place up with his thugs still inside it felt natural."
"I know," his mother replies with a slight smile has she hands the box to him. "I thought Itachi would be the only one of my children to follow in my clan's footsteps but it seems you too are destined to walk the same path."
"Your Clan," Sasuke asks clearly confused, "What do you mean your clan?"
"I wasn't born an Uchiha," Mikoto laughs as she ruffles her son's hair. "My maiden name is Mikoto Meimeikira," she tells him. "Until the Kyuubi attacked my Clan was the backbone of the ANBU's Assassination Division which our Clan founded and trained using many of our Clan's own training techniques."
"So your Clan used to be Assassins," Sasuke asks. He receives a proud nod from his mother before remembering something she had mentioned earlier in their conversation. "You said Itachi-Niisan followed in your Clan's footsteps," he reminds her, "What did you mean?"
"Itachi-kun was an ANBU-AS Captain," she answers, "Following his graduation from the Academy I trained him in my Clan's traditions and techniques."
"Could you train me as well," he asks forgetting about the box in his lap.
"Hai," she replies placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It would be my honor. Now open it," she says nodding towards the box. Sasuke opens the box and finds what appears to be an all black version of the standard ANBU uniform. "That is the standard Shinobi attire for a member of the Meimeikira Clan," she tells him. "That set originally belong to your grandfather," she adds noting his reaction. "I know he would be honored if you were to wear it."
"I…I don't know what to say," Sasuke replies as he picks up one of the forearm guards and notices that it is slightly heavier then he remembers Itachi's being. Turning it around to get a better look at it he notices the grooves and odd tiny stones set on the inside. "What do these do," he asks pointing out the strange stones.
"They allow you to deploy and retract the blades hidden inside using your chakra," Mikoto tells him as she removes her old shinobi attire from the closet. "Go get changed and meet me outside for your first lesson," she instructs him giggling as he eagerly drops the armguard back in the box before picking the box up and rushing off towards his room.
0o0o0o0o0
Kiba enters his house with Akamaru resting silently atop his head. Ever since making his first kill he's been unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong with him. No matter how hard he tried or how much he and Naruto talked to Kakashi about it he just couldn't bring himself to feel anything about what he had done. He didn't feel guilt or remorse over the lives he had taken, he didn't even feel the least bit upset over the fact that he had killed. He couldn't exactly explain it but to him killing those men had felt like nothing more then swatting a mosquito and that was what had been bother him the entire trip home.
"How was the Mission," Tsume asks as she and Hana come out of the kitchen caring a cup of tea each.
"It was fine," Kiba replied as he began walking up stairs only wanting to get to his room and lock out the rest of the world until he could figure out what was wrong with him.
"Why do you smell like blood pup," Kuromaru asks his Mistress' youngest child.
"I killed some bandits," Kiba replies as if it was no big deal only to get forcefully guided to the couch by the scruff of his neck by his mother while his sister goes back into the kitchen. "What's the big idea," he demands as his mother deposits him on the couch as Hana returns from the kitchen with a bottle of whiskey and three glasses.
"You're not going to your room until you've told us what happened," Tsume tells him as Hana begins pouring the drinks. "We'll drink while we talk."
"Are you out of your minds," Kiba asks rather loudly, "I'm underage or have you forgotten?"
"Old enough to kill," Kuromaru begins lying down at his Mistress' side, "Old enough to drink."
"And old enough to Mate," Hana giggles referring to the Inuzuka version of the old adage.
"Start talking or start drinking," Tsume tells her youngest pup, "'Cause you ain't leaving here until you've done both."
Kiba tells them about his Mission leaving out none of the details as he sips the whiskey finding the slow burning sensation oddly comforting. "What I don't get is why I didn't feel anything after I killed those men," he tells them after finishing his tale.
"Because you're an Inuzuka," his mother says as if that explains everything. "Those men were cowards that preyed on those weaker then them and took pleasure in the pain and suffering they inflicted. Their kind is beneath your contempt and is undeserving of your guilt or pity. You know this instinctually and that is why you don't feel anything for their deaths,"
"I suppose that makes sense," he admits as he finishes his second glass. After thanking his mom and sister for listening to his problems and sharing a drink with him he and Akamaru go up to his room feeling better then he has since making his first kills.
0o0o0o0o0
Mother and son raced along roof tops and through trees completely masking their presence as they made their way towards an old supposedly abandoned sector of the village rarely used by anyone as most have no idea it even exists. Entering the once proud Meimeikira Compound Mikoto leads her only surviving son towards a surprisingly still standing tower showing only the faintest signs of disuse. "I remember when I first brought Itachi-kun here," she muses softly as she runs a glove clad hand over the weathered wood. Shaking off her thoughts of her late son she turns back to face her still living son. "You're training begins now," she informs him pointing to the first level of the tower behind her. "You're objective for today is simple," she says with a slight smirk. "Reach the ladder leading to the next level without making a sound."
"That doesn't sound so hard," Sasuke replies making his way towards the starting point. His confidence begins to waver as he notices the interwoven wires connected to tiny bells suspended of the wooden floor.
"That's what everyone thinks their first time," She tells him with an evil giggle. "Oh and if you make even the faintest sound you have to start the course all over again," he tells him, "Good luck."
Taking a cleansing breath to calm his nerves Sasuke begins to slowly make his way towards the ladder walking on the tips of his toes stepping as lightly as possible between the wires careful to avoid touching them only to curse his ancestors as he steps on a creaking floorboard after only the fifth step. "Start again," his mother tells him.
After an hour of failed attempts and much cussing on Sasuke's part Mikoto finally takes pity on the poor boy and tells him to follow her. They walk into a small dojo with a three foot wide by ten foot long section of floor missing. In its place is dried leaves covering the ground with what appears to be a large roll of paper at one end. "I think it's time you learned the first of the Meimeikira Clan's chakra techniques known as Silent Walking," she tells him, "All Shinobi in-training needed to Master this technique before they were allowed to even begin their official training in the Assassin Arts."
She unrolls the paper that she tells him is actually rice paper which is far more delicate then normal paper across the leaves before once again facing him. "To put it as simply as possible you create a thin layer of chakra between your feet and the floor to act as a cushion that absorbs not only your weight but also the sound of your footsteps," she tells him before demonstrating. She walks across the rice paper covered leaves and not only covers the distance without making a sound but also without tearing the paper. "Now it's your turn."
Sasuke tries over and over again to perform the technique but is unable to do so. Finally after two hours his mother calls a halt to his training for the day. "Don't feel bad Sasuke-kun," she tells him handing him a bottle of water. "Even the most talent of the Meimeikira Clan still needed a week to Master the technique."
"Who was that," he asks after taking a much needed sip of the cool refreshing liquid.
"You Grandfather," she answers with a smile.
0o0o0o0o0
A/N: And thus ends yet another chapter in our story. I know it was a bit of a filler but I felt like I needed to resolve some of the emotional pain left over from Naruto, Sasuke and Kiba's first kills as well as give a little insight into the inner workings of a few of Konoha's Clans. Sorry if it seems like I condone underage drinking but in all honesty they're not exactly what you'd call normal kids anyways and even Raven pointed out that Naruto would be better served finding another means of coping then getting drunk. I know
I'll probably catch a little flack for painting Minato as either a drunk or someone who can't hold his liquor but honestly that was not my intention. I was trying to paint him as human and not some God-like super hero that the citizens of Konoha see him as or the devil incarnate that Iwa perceive him to be. I wanted his best friend to show him as a normal man that makes the same mistakes and feels the same guilt and pain just like everyone else and to not allow Naruto to put him up on some pedestal like a holy idol.
As for Sasuke's new training I'll be going into greater detail about it as the story progresses and am trying to not only make it more realistic but more original then the other Assassination training regiments I have read on this site. The rice paper walking exercise was actually modified from an episode of Kung-Fu: The Legend Continues I saw years ago and thought was pretty cool. I added the dry leaves just to make it even more difficult.
Now since we actually know nothing about Mikoto's past I saw an opportunity to bring an interesting twist to the Narutoverse in the form of the Meimeikira Clan, whose name (I think) translates into Invisible Killer. I've read other stories, mostly future fics where there was a Clan of Assassins that had various Jutsus for Assassinations and while I liked the idea I thought I'd go a different route. While the Meimeikira Clan does utilize various skills involving Chakra they have zero Jutsus and actually condemn so called Assassination Jutsus believing that an Assassin should relay purely on their own skills and not on Jutsus.
As always please remember to read and review as it really is the only what that I know what you think of my story. And of course please feel free to check out my other stories and let me know what you think of them as well.
Later,
Raven…