Konoha no Senkou Arashi - Flash Tempest of Konoha
I've got two big thanks to give. First to The King In White for creating a tv tropes page for the Senkou Arashi. I had a real blast editing it. And I'd like to thank Ad Eb for giving me a recommendation on Naruto section. That meant a lot to me. Thanks guys.
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Sansa- three pronged
Hinata studied the pictures for several days, her eyes staring into a bygone era of war. The event itself was something precious few people could claim to have witnessed in person. She never imagined such a treasure sat idly within her clan's archives.
She once again flipped through the series of black ink sketches. The first page depicted the combatants. The Yondaime Hokage, his hair jutting out in every direction. His famous cape was missing. He held a sansa, a three pronged kunai in a tight grip. Across from him was a mountain of bulging muscles sculpted into the form of a man, dark skin and tattoos on his shoulders, blond hair slicked back. On his forehead was the symbol of Kumo shinobi. The Yondaime Raikage.
Illustrated by Hyuuga Koushou, who, along with Akimichi Tsuchi and Inuzuka Goro, composed three-fourths of the squad Minato-sama was a part of. A was accompanied by a similar looking man in sunglasses and another Kumo jonin. The Byakugan's omnidirectional gaze allowed Koushou to capture everything. He had also been a very talented artist.
Hinata was slightly mortified that she became sidetracked her first time reading the battle that ensued. Watching the Yondaime Hokage jumping around like a skittish grasshopper, teleporting to the sansa kunai littering the battlefield. She really admired his technique and skill, not to mention his godlike reflexes.
If she was fangirling, how many times would she have to let Naruto read it before the blonde calmed down enough to learn from it?
Hinata had spoken with Koushou, who had become an aged version of the man in the pictures. He admitted that he wasn't able to keep up with the sheer speed of the two combatants, and that the battle shown was equal parts what he had witnessed and equal parts what he gleamed from the Fourth afterwards.
Most importantly, Koushou assured her that his depiction of A's Raiton no Yoroi (Lightning Release Armor) was accurate. She had stared in wonder and contemplation when A became shrouded in a cloak of lightning chakra, as could only be seen through Hyuuga's white eyes. His element swirled around his body, creating a shield almost as impressive as the Kaiten, but with the added bonus of increasing his speed to absurd levels...
I have to help Naruto-kun emulate this.
She leaned against a tree, watching her teammates spar with bladed weapons. She smiled when Naruto performed a flip over Sasuke's head, slashing down, then kicking him in the back. Sasuke recovered with a smooth roll and gripped the wakizashi more tightly.
Both had been working up a sweat since hearing the outcome of the Council's meeting. Her father had informed her, and she had dutifully informed her teammates. They would escort Haku and Zabuza back to Kiri. The plan was set into motion to gain an ally. Hinata made a conscious effort to keep it from going to her head, but couldn't quite stifle a smirk at the thought of her success.
Her mind grew more occupied with her dilemma. Hinata wasn't certain how to proceed, how to turn Shippuuren into the deadliest nintaijutsu it could be.
The Raiton no Yoroi was very similar to the concept of the Kaiten: pushing chakra out to wrap around the body. But A's technique did this in a continuous outpour, something that would make her pass out after only seconds, if that long. Gai had been completely accurate about massive amounts of chakra nintaijutsu required. Koushou claimed that A had nearly as much chakra as his brother, who was the Jinchuuriki to the Hachibi. And elemental manipulation consumed even more stamina than standard chakra... It was insane that a human body could produce that much power, but, then again, her best friend was a chakra fiend.
If she could teach Naruto the basics of the Kaiten, pushing chakra out of her tenketsu, Naruto could combine it with her wind nature. Hopefully Naruto's execution of the technique would be precise and controlled, rather than the brute force exertion used by A.
But she had reached the limit of her ability to improve Naruto's chakra control. It hadn't been easy, but Hinata had weathered her friend's impatience to help her. Naruto's control was great, but not quite enough to perform a technique like the Kaiten without an enormous waste of chakra. Hinata didn't how to push Naruto to a level of excellence.
She sighed. Perhaps this was something she couldn't figure out on her own. She didn't want to bother Kakashi on his time off, but she needed more brainpower behind this. She still found herself somewhat hesitant to ask for help where Naruto's skills were concerned, as she alone had been supporting Naruto for so long. Hinata deathly feared someone disrupting or reversing the progress they had created.
Hinata smiled humorlessly at herself. Perhaps Sasuke wasn't the only one a bit possessive of Naruto.
She thought about testing her own blades against her teammates, but thought better of it, seeing how engaged Naruto and Sasuke currently were with each other. Usually Naruto would pause and check to see if she wanted to join the fray. Maybe it slipped her mind.
Maybe it wasn't that important when Sasuke was around.
Hinata eyed the spinning pinwheel in Naruto's hair before she straightened and began to perform advanced katas of Juken, slowly and steadily incorporating the Nanashi and its extra reach into her age-old style.
They ended training early and decided to wander the village aimlessly.
Sasuke didn't mind. He enjoyed walks. He usually did them alone, but found he enjoyed the company. The girls were worming their way into every aspect of his life and he couldn't fight it if he wanted to.
"I'm super pumped about Kiri! What type of souvenirs should we bring back? Oh! You guys think we'll get ambushed again?"
Sasuke shrugged. "Probably." He couldn't imagine his team taking a mission without someone trying to kill them. Even escorting a bridge builder revealed itself to be challenging.
"If everyone performs their tasks adequately, the enemy should be none the wiser of our presence," Hinata said. "It would be best if we could arrive and depart undetected."
"Preferably, yes," Sasuke agreed. "But we all know it isn't ever going to be that easy for us. There's a lot of interest in this from both sides. Yagura's people will want us dead. Not to mention what could happen if someone outside of Konoha or Kiri catch wind of this."
Hinata frowned. She could easily picture Kumo trying to sabotage the alliance. Its own people did as much during the peace meeting between the Leaf and Cloud years ago.
"We've covered our tracks perfectly; none of the other villages will know until it's too late for them to do anything about it. And the boat we've procured will conceal our travel."
Sasuke nodded, remembering the note he had forged in Gatou's handwriting. A sturdy boat would be sailing them across choppy waters to Mizu no Kuni's islands. He had no idea what a "submarine" was, but Hinata said it would be perfect for their mission.
Naruto laughed. "I say let 'em try it! I've got a few wind jutsu to try out."
"Naruto-kun. Don't you remember that old saying about seeking fights?"
"The greatest victory is the battle not fought," Naruto chanted. She frowned. "But we're not picking a fight here! At least not with the other villages. We're trying to end a civil war, a massacre." She glanced at Sasuke, before looking back to Hinata. "Why would anyone want to stop us from doing that?"
"The other villages are determined to keep a certain balance of power, one that begins and ends with the five great villages. A coalition between a great village and a minor one isn't of much consequence. But when one major village allies with another, it has the potential to reshape the world.
"After analyzing all the compiled reports, it's been generally agreed upon that Kumo is currently the strongest village. They intend to keep it that way no matter what they have to do."
Naruto tilted her head, peering at her best friend. "Hmm...You really don't like Kumo, do you, Hinata-chan?"
Hinata blinked and realized she was almost glowering. She schooled her face. "They won't be a problem for long," Hinata said.
She planted the seeds now for the inevitable battle. Hinata would make sure Konoha gathered its forces, strengthened itself until they could crush their greatest rivals' skulls underfoot. And her best friend, the future Hokage, would complete her predecessor's work. Someday, Naruto would kill the Raikage in open combat. She would be the ultimate ninja with the world's strongest army behind her.
Hinata giggled to herself.
Naruto exchanged a glance with Sasuke.
As they traveled through the village, the genin sensed they were being followed. Sasuke's hand discreetly dipped toward his kunai holster. Naruto slapped it away, rolling her eyes.
"Just play it cool, guys. I think I know who it is."
They walked as if nothing were out of place, as if they didn't spot the noticeable disruption in the pattern of the wooden fence. Sasuke quirked a brow as the girls giggled.
The mismatched pattern of the fence dropped, revealing a small boy wearing goggles and a long scarf. He tackled the blonde's knees. "Naruto-neechan! I got you!"
Naruto burst into smoke, leaving Konohamaru to trip.
"Gotta improve your cloaking skills, Kono-kun," Naruto said.
Konohamaru looked up at the tree Naruto was perched on. "A brilliant kawarimi with kage bunshin combo! As expected of my rival!"
Sasuke almost snorted. This kid couldn't rival a sack of potatoes. "I take it you know him?"
Hinata looked down at the young boy before saying, "This is Sandaime-sama's grandson, Konohamaru."
Konohamaru blushed and scratched his head. "That's right!" Finally someone who knew his name!
"I wasn't aware the two of you were acquainted," Hinata said.
Naruto scratched her cheek. "I never mentioned it? Well, it was just before teams were assigned..."
Sarutobi glanced over the photograph on the profile.
Naruto scowled. She knew that scrutinizing look. "What?"
"Don't you think this photo is a bit... cheery?" He looked back at the photo, the smiling, close eyed blonde contrasting the one currently scowling at him. "These files are what our clients will see, they're your first impression. You do want to be taken seriously, don't you?"
Naruto crossed her arms and muttered, "Sometimes it's better not to be."
Sandaime inclined his head toward her. Curious.
"Besides," Naruto said, her volume dramatically increasing to normal levels, "that's just me! I was happy 'cause I finally get to be a ninja. The pictures shows that. I don't know if I could flip through a book with a bunch of gloomy guys staring back at me. Everyone else probably looks miserable to be there, don't they?"
The Sandaime drummed his aged fingers on his nearly-as-aged desk. "It certainly stands out, however..."
Naruto's eyes snapped to the door as it slid open with a creak. She didn't see who opened the door. She didn't see what they looked like.
All she saw was the shuriken.
She flipped and landed in a handstand between the attacker and her Hokage.
From her position, Naruto thrust a kick at the attacker's head. It sailed over as they dove to the ground. She righted herself, still shielding the Sandaime. Naruto raised a kunai, prepared to finish the assailant. Upon seeing him crumpled on the ground, Naruto stared, wondering if she had taken him down already. Was she that good?
She then processed the form of the attacker. Naruto gaped, her grip on her kunai slackening.
"A brat?" she asked in a stupor.
"Young Master!" a posh voice called. The door was opened completely, revealing a man in a blue jumpsuit most jonin wore under their vests. He quickly located his errant student. His eyes hardened beneath his sunglasses when he noticed the Kyuubi girl.
The boy rubbed his head and sat up. He looked at Naruto confusedly. "Hey, you weren't there a second ago..." He pointed at the girl. "You tripped me, didn't you!"
Anger snapped her out of her revere. She had had quite enough of people blaming her for things that weren't her fault. "I did not! You tripped on your own scarf, dumbass!" She put away her kunai, saving it for more worthy targets.
"Yes you did! Stupid girl!"
That boy is about to learn some manners, Sarutobi thought, tugging his hat down.
Naruto's body flowed into a spinning leg sweep. She drew herself up before Konohamaru's rear smacked the ground.
The Sandaime blinked at the display of skill. It was a far cry from the abysmal reports of clumsiness the academy kept.
The man in blue gawked, words of indignation frothing and dying on his tongue.
Naruto yanked the boy up by his scarf. "That was me tripping you, brat. Feel the difference?" she asked, cracking the knuckles of her free hand. "I was gonna do a lot worse than trip you, believe me! What's wrong with you, attacking Gramps like that? You're lucky I didn't snap your neck!"
Konohamaru stared into her intense blue eyes. This girl is scary, he thought.
"You cannot assault the Young Master, you savage child! He is Hokage-sama's grandson!"
Naruto blinked. "The old man is your grandpa?" She squinted at him. There was a tiny bit of a resemblance.
Konohamaru crossed his arms. "T-that's right, go ahead and hit me, I dare you!"
Sarutobi sighed. He shouldn't have said that.
"I GIVE A DAMN!" Naruto whacked him on the head before turning her nose up and strutting out of the building. The nerve of that twerp!
At least he distracted the old man enough for her to snake away from the issue of her photo. She needed that picture the way it was. Naruto knew when people underestimated her, she had the element of surprise, and she wanted to keep that advantage. Let people think she was a harmless, cute, innocent little blonde girl. Such was the advantage of her sunny disposition.
Naruto picked up the sound of clumsy footsteps. Her mind flashed back to the "prowler" exercise in the Academy, when students would play an elaborate game of tag, hunting each other as stealthily as possible. She was being followed by someone very inexperienced.
Naruto stopped and turned. "Kid, you are the worst spy ever."
Konohamaru revealed himself. "Ah, so you've seen through my disguise. You know, you're pretty good for a girl. Maybe I could let you teach me some moves."
Naruto stared down at the boy, fists on her hips. "Did you just insult my gender while asking for my help?"
Konohamaru's eyes widened. "Um... No?"
Naruto rolled her eyes.
Taking the lack of pummeling as a sign to continue, the boy asked, "So, how did you do that leg sweep thing?"
"Years of cultivating my natural awesomeness. Look, what's your name, kid?"
"Konohamaru!"
Naruto tilted her head at his exuberant shout. It reminded her somewhat of how she introduced herself as a child. Very loudly. "Right, Konohamaru. Look, I can't take on a student. I'm just a genin myself and about to get assigned my team. So, see ya."
She started walking, only to stop when Konohamaru clamped onto the very leg that had tripped him. He looked up at her with shining eyes and a quivering lip.
"Please!"
Naruto scowled. "No!" She started walking, but Konohamaru held tightly, his tiny body skidding on the ground. Naruto lifted her leg and started kicking to shake his body weight. "Get off!"
"C'mon! If you teach me I'll let you be my boss!"
Naruto paused her flailing. "Boss?"
Konohamaru dropped, stood up, and dusted himself off. He looked up and smiled with the incompleteness of a child's teeth. "Yeah! Make me your disciple!"
The logical part of her brain said there was nothing she knew that the average chunin couldn't teach. But her ego purred at the idea of having an underling follow her orders. And the Hokage's grandson to boot. Hinata talked about political allies and stuff; Konohamaru would be a good one to have.
She stared down at him with a purposeful look of contemplation, as if weighing the pros and cons in her head, or deciding if he was worthy. His hopeful face was so adorable. "Well, I guess I can give you some tips, as one impatient student to another."
"Alright! What are we gonna do first?"
Naruto grinned slyly. "We're gonna play ninja. I'm it. If you can get away from me, we'll move on to something else."
Konohamaru wasted no time running away to hide. Naruto formed the cross-seal.
Half an hour later, Konohamaru panted on the ground. "It's like you were everywhere at once, Neechan."
"Yeah, how about that?" She got him a juice from a nearby vending machine, while getting milk for herself.
Konohamaru drank it like a fish. "Darn! If I can't get away from you, then how am I supposed to beat my grandpa? Uh, no offence."
"Hm? Oh yeah, why did you attack the old man?"
Konohamaru directed a frown at the empty can. "If I can beat him, that'll prove I'm good enough to be Hokage!"
Naruto almost choked on the milk. "You want to be Hokage?" Giving him a serious stare, she asked, "Why?"
"My grandpa named me after the village, but no one even calls me by my name. It's always Honorable Grandson this or Young Master that. When people look at me, they only see the Hokage's grandson. I want them to see me for who I am. If I become Hokage, they'll be forced to recognize me!"
Naruto smiled in a melancholy, reminded of a scared and angry little girl that had stared back at her in the mirror for years. She had dealt with being overshadowed her entire life, even though she only learned it recently. It was a little difficult for her to empathize since she wasn't universally seen in such a positive light...
"Being recognized as the Hokage's grandson." She thought of Hinata having to be the Hyuuga heiress anytime they were in public, constantly maintaining her image. "I guess that can smother your identity and all..."
"But, personally, I think it's a great thing, to be a symbol like that. You remind people of the old man. They know you can carry on his legacy. They're expecting great things from you." Naruto grinned. "Which they should; you are my student, after all."
Landing on a branch, Ebisu sighed in relief upon seeing Konohamaru. Found you. Ebisu scowled at the girl as she talked to his student. What poison is she filling his head with?
Konohamaru laughed. "Well, I just want to hurry up and become the Hokage as soon as I can."
Naruto wagged her finger. "Tsk, tsk. You can't be Hokage in a day. It takes a lifetime of training to be that good. If the base of the tower is weak, the whole thing will crumble." Naruto almost laughed at herself. As if she didn't rip those words right from a conversation she had with her best friend. But it had worked on her...
Konohamaru scowled petulantly. "You sound just Ebisu-sensei! I don't want waste time on all that boring stuff! I want to learn how to make dragon's out the earth and stuff!"
"Ebisu-sensei? You have a teacher?" Naruto questioned with wide eyes.
"Yeah, Grandpa hired a tutor to train me. But he's more like a nanny than anything. He only ever talks about beginner's stuff! Basics this and foundations that!"
Naruto thumped him on his helmet. "You moron! I would have killed to have a private tutor at your age! What are you doing asking a rookie like me for advice when you have an elite-jonin to train you? You have to go through the boring stuff to make sense of the really exciting stuff."
That's right, Ebisu thought, nodding to himself. When he realized what he as doing, he stopped and composed himself, looking around to make sure no one witnessed him agreeing with the Kyuubi girl.
"But Ebisu-sensei said listening to him was the shortcut to becoming Hokage! And it's still taking forever!"
Naruto rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, kid. There aren't really any shortcuts to becoming Hokage. You can just do it the smart way, or you can do it the dumb way. I did it the dumb way for a while, and believe me, it ain't very productive. Take your lessons seriously, Konohamaru. You have an advantage over a lot of other kids. Make sure you use it, okay?"
Ebisu adjusted his sunglasses. Perhaps shortcut is not the proper term... She is a bit more sensible than I've been lead to believe. I wonder if the Young Master will take that advice to heart.
Konohamaru sighed. "I guess if that's the only way..."
"It's boring, but it's worth it."
"So if I train really hard, then I can beat the old man someday?"
Naruto swiped her nose. "Well, by the time a runt like you could even be considered for the job, you'll have a different opponent if you want to be Hokage." Naruto looked Konohamaru in the eye and grinned viciously. "You'll have to fight me for it!"
Ebisu dropped in front of the two, causing Konohamaru to jump. "Ebisu-sensei!"
Naruto blinked at his arrival. She had only just sensed him before he revealed himself. That's the guy teaching Konohamaru? So he wasn't just some random ninja...
Ebisu glanced at the girl before speaking to his charge. "Young Master, it is time to return to your studies. You've dawdled enough for today."
Konohamaru's mouth reflexively opened to protest. Then he looked at Naruto, silenced himself, and trudged to his feet.
"Not so fast." Naruto possessively palmed the top of Konohamaru's helmet. "This little punk is now officially a disciple of mine. So I feel some responsibility for how he's trained. He's eight! How about a little less lecturing and a little more fun?"
The boy's face lit up.
"While I appreciate the input," Ebisu said through his teeth, "the Young Master has been entrusted into my care because of my credentials as a mentor." Ebisu smirked. "I have trained many potential Hokage candidates. I know what is best for him."
Naruto grinned and shook her head. "The proud type, huh? Alright, how about a challenge? I bet I can beat you with one move. If I win, you spice up the lessons. Deal?"
"Very well. I am not some middle of the road chunin, like Mizuki. I am an elite."
Naruto formed the cross-seal. "Okay, Kono-kun, I'll demonstrate my most devastating attack to date! Watch carefully! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Over twenty clones appeared in the field.
"Whoa! Boss, you're awesome!"
Ebisu smirked. "Impressive, for a genin. But that won't be enough to defeat me."
"You wish it were that easy! Oiroke no Jutsu!" A cloud of smoke enveloped each Naruto. When it cleared, it was apparent that the girl had been replaced by a much older figure.
Crisp, golden locks. Piercing blue eyes. Wisps of smoke just barely covered the neither regions, from which just a hint of firm buttocks poked out. The chest was left completely uncensored.
Ebisu's mouth fell open, his face coloring with blue and purple.
From every direction, the Yondaime Hokage stared at Ebisu lustfully, dripping raw, naked, wet sex appeal. They glomped Ebisu, whispering sweet nothings, or simply posed provocatively.
The elite ninja frothed at the mouth and twitched violently before falling back into an unmoving heap of traumatized ninja.
Naruto released the jutsu, a merry laugh bubbled out of her. "Guess he's down for the count."
Konohamaru prodded his comatose teacher with his foot. He didn't respond. "Boss... that was amazing! How did you do that?"
"I created that for fangirls, but it works on guys," Naruto explained with a close eyed smile. "The key to using this jutsu on men is to present the target with such a fine specimen of their own gender that they pause to question their sexuality."
"And it will work on any guy?"
"Of course! Everyone's gay for the Yondaime! Anyway, since your teacher isn't waking up, let's go have some fun!"
"Yes!" Konohamaru stopped as something dawned on him. "Hey, wait a sec... You cheated while we were playing tag!"
Naruto patted him on the head. "Of course I cheated, Kono-kun. I'm a ninja."
"So you've taken Konohamaru-kun as a student?" Hinata smiled. "You never cease to surprise me, Naruto-kun."
As she watched Naruto and Konohamaru interact like a big sister and a little brother, Hinata couldn't help but feel it was exactly the type of relationship Naruto was deprived of as a child.
However, the joy Hinata felt was also fueled by ulterior reasons. He's about the same age, just a bit older. Prestigious lineage; some skill from his grandfather is likely to have trickled down. Should my attempts to reform fail, marrying Hanabi-chan to him would shield her from the clan... It's a possibility. Perhaps I should start a list for Hanabi-chan...
Konohamaru then took notice of the male genin. "Who's this guy?" He squinted up at Sasuke before turning back to Naruto. "He's not your, you know, is he?" Konohamaru asked, holding his thumb up; the sign of a boyfriend.
Naruto scratched her head. Was she going to have to explain her relationship status to everyone? Not when she could avoid the question without telling a lie! "He's my teammate, Uchiha Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke cringed at her fangirl tone.
Konohamaru to a long look at Sasuke. He scowled, turned his thumb down, then crossed his arms. "Not good enough!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"My neechan deserves a super special awesome guy! Not some jack haired pretty boy!"
Naruto snorted in laughter.
Sasuke scowled, far from amused. "Like you can recognize true skill. A deaf coma patient could spot your crappy camouflage."
Konohamaru's eyes widened, he looked at Naruto with a wobbling lip. "My disguises aren't that bad, are they, Neechan?"
"Sasuke!" Naruto swatted his arm. "Don't be mean to him! Kono-kun's just a kid!" She looked down at the boy. "You'll get better with time, trust me."
Konohamaru glanced at Sasuke before sniffing pitifully. "I think I'd feel better if I had a hug..."
Naruto laughed as she scooped Konohamaru up and squeezed him.
Behind her back, Konohamaru gave Sasuke a smug smile, then stuck his tongue out.
Sasuke's knuckles popped as he squeezed his fists. Why that little...
"So what have you been up to?" Naruto asked after setting the boy down. "You've been going to your lessons, haven't you?"
"Yeah, totally... mostly. Grandpa just told me you got back from your mission. You were gone forever, Neechan!"
"I know, right? Let's go get some ice-cream." She took Konohamaru's hand, leading him down the street. "Come along, young apprentice! I shall regale you with a tale of treachery and assassins, all defeated by the daring heroine! With some aid from her assistants, of course."
"You hear that, Sasuke-kun? We're assistants."
Sasuke grunted, eyes on the joined hands of Naruto and the brat. She didn't offer to hold his hand...
Hinata rolled her eyes. "You cannot seriously even be contemplating jealousy over Konohamaru-kun. I'm fairly certain he's no threat to you."
Snapping his head to her, Sasuke said,"Of course I'm not jealous!"
Naruto paid for an ice-cream with two sticks, which she spit with Konohamaru. She gave him the informal run down of the mission. Not the report style, but the way a story should be told, with hand gestures and loud proclamations that may or may not be false. And maybe she lingered on her own exploits a bit.
She sort of glossed over the end of her fight with Aoi, but Konohamaru was so wrapped up in it that he didn't notice. By the time she told him about how she and Hinata took down the bandits, he was jumping.
Naruto just nodded with her arms crossed as Konohamaru gushed about how cool she was.
Since she wasn't entirely self-absorbed, Naruto wanted to hear about her favorite pupil's progress. "So what have you learned lately?"
Konohamaru grinned eagerly. "I made a small tweak to your jutsu, Boss." He looked or an unwilling victim, and found Sasuke. "Take this, pretty boy! Oiroke no Jutsu!" Konohamaru transformed into a curvaceous brunette, strategically places wisps of smoke wafting around her. She winked and cooed at Sasuke.
The Uchiha stared, unfazed, a disgusted curl taking his mouth.
Konohamaru pouted as he released the jutsu. "What gives? How come that didn't work on you? Oh!" Konohamaru thumped his hand with his fist in realization. "You must be one of those guys that, um, swings for the other team! I probably should have stuck with the original technique then..."
Sasuke ground his teeth as his temper threatened to push him past annoyed into psychotically enraged.
"Oh dear," Hinata said, using hand to muffle her laughter.
"I used to think so, too," Naruto admitted blithely, "but Sasuke is definitely shooting straight."
Konohamaru stared at Sasuke skeptically. "How can you tell, Boss?"
Naruto blushed. "Look, I just know."
The boy looked at Naruto, then to Sasuke, who smirked. He looked back and forth and put two and two together. "I get it..." He pointed at Sasuke. "You peeked on Neechan, didn't you!"
Sasuke's cheeks flared with indignation. "I'm not some little voyeur like you!"
"I don't care whatever girl you look at, but Neechan is off limits, ya hear!" Konohamaru ran at Sasuke with his fists flailing.
Sasuke put his hand on the boy's head as his arms windmilled uselessly. He gave Naruto a disbelieving look, which she missed entirely as she dedicating herself to laughing. Sasuke hefted the boy clear of the ground by the scruff of his shirt.
Hinata shook her head before attempting to defuse the situation. "I would think the two of you would get along better than this, considering your connection."
"The only connection I'm gonna have to this guy is my foot up his-"
Sasuke muffled the boy with his own scarf. He ignored the flailing legs as they wrapped around his arm in some kind of strangle hold attempt.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.
"Sasuke-kun, you are named after Konohamaru-kun's great-grandfather, Sarutobi Sasuke."
The two boys looked at each other in mutual surprise before looking away.
Sasuke dropped boy with a scowl. "Hard to see the resemblance."
Konohamaru panted as he stared up at Sasuke. "I'm surprised you're still on your feet after my assault."
Sasuke snorted.
"You may be a bit tougher than you look, but you're still not good enough for Neechan."
Sasuke glared. But it soon melted into a sly smirk. "Let me tell you a secret, kid." He leaned down and lowly said, for Konohamaru's ears only, "Anything I want to see, Naruto would show me willingly."
Konohamaru stood dumbfounded, mouth agape.
"Young Master!" Ebisu swooped down among the adolescents. "I believe I told you not to stray too far from... Naruto-chan?" He adjusted his glasses. "I should have known the Young Master would seek you out. How have you been?"
Naruto rested her hands on her hips. "Super fabulous as always, thanks for asking!"
"Ebisu-sensei, correct? You're an elite tutor?" Hinata inquired.
Ebisu eyed the girl for a moment before he recognized her face above the sea of white eyes in his mind. He smiled. "Indeed I am, Hyuuga-sama. It's a pleasure to meet you."
A kiss-up? Hinata formed a polite smile. That's perfect. "Ebisu-sensei, would you be kind enough to lend us your expertise?"
Ebisu smiled and pushed up his sunglasses. "I would be happy to, Hyuuga-sama. I specialize in raising an ninja's skills to their optimum level. How may I assist you?"
"Psst, Konohamaru." Naruto crouched down to her disciple. "While they talk about the boring technical stuff, we can go play."
Hinata's eye twitched. "You're coming too. This is for your sake, Naruto-kun."
Naruto and Konohamaru groaned in unison.
As Ebisu lead them to a private, expansive training ground, Hinata explained her goal and the dilemma preventing it from being achieved. Naruto, Sasuke, and Konohamaru trailed behind.
Sasuke wasn't sure what this guy could do; he didn't look too impressive, but learning what he knew couldn't hurt his chances.
"Ah, so you want to increase Naruto-chan's chakra control even further. Hm, creating a wind equivalent to the Raikage's fighting style. I must say it is an ambitious endeavor, Hyuuga-sama. Although I would expect no less, given what I have heard."
Between footsteps, Hinata's mind spawned numerous unpleasant possibilities. "What you've heard?" she asked in a neutral tone. "From whom, if I may ask?"
"Whenever he is at the jonin longue, Kakashi-san has taken to bragging about you three quite a bit lately." Ebisu looked at the blonde over the frame of his glasses. "You especially, Naruto-chan."
Naruto looked at him wide eyed and rosy cheeked. "He has?"
"He claims that you have some ingenious, revolutionary training method."
Naruto scuffed the ground with her shoe. "Oh, well, I don't know about all of that. It's probably just revolutionary."
They stopped at the shore of a vast lake. The grass and trees were immaculate even for Konoha, and the area seemed largely undisturbed.
"Well, I believe I can help Naruto with her problem. But first, I must quiz you."
Naruto sighed. "Aw man..."
"If you were to break down all shinobi abilities into two categories, what would they be?"
"Pfft, that's easy. Ninjutsu and taijutsu, of course."
Konohamaru nodded sagely. "Of course."
Ebisu frowned. "Not quite. Kakashi-san also mentioned that your academic skills really are lacking. He was certainly right about that."
Naruto crossed her arms as her face heated up. "Fine. Uh, uh, no I got this!" She snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah! It's physical energy and spiritual energy!"
"That is closer, but still incorrect."
Sasuke kept quiet. That was going to be his guess.
"Could it be... power and skill?" Hinata asked.
Ebisu smiled. "Correct, Hyuuga-sama. Power and skill. Every martial element of combat falls under one category or the other.
"Power would be strength, speed, stamina, and like aspects of ninja life that affect your physical composition. Individuals like Naruto-chan are born with more chakra than most people could dream of having.
"Skills are abilities that can be perfected with practice, whether they come naturally or not, such as your accuracy with kunai and shuriken, or the form of your taijutsu to take advantage of your power and speed. The ability to control your chakra effectively, or flawlessly performing hand-seals.
"Every ninja finds a unique balance between these two elements. There are generally three types of such ninja... And as luck would have it, you three genin each present a different type."
Ebisu directed his bespectacled gaze at the Uchiha first. "A ninja like Sasuke-kun uses a balanced style of about half skill, half power. Hyuuga-sama, on the other hand, uses about seventy percent skill to compensate for smaller reserves of chakra and less physical strength and speed. You surprise me, Naruto-chan. Usually shinobi with your stamina muscle their way through everything without concern for the chakra wasted."
"Well, if it works..."
"I wanted Naruto-kun to fully harness her stamina," Hinata said. "I realized what a tremendous advantage it would be someday."
"That is correct, Hyuuga-sama. I doubt your control could ever rival someone of, say, Tsunade-sama's ability, Naruto-chan. But if you properly control your, frankly, ludicrous reservoir of chakra, you may well be unstoppable."
"Heh, you won't get mad if my control gets better than yours, will you, Ebisu-sensei?"
Ebisu smiled and adjusted his sunglasses. "Not at all, Naruto-chan. It should be every teacher's dream to be surpassed by their students. And it's now my responsibility to see that you do.
"The best ninja are usually the ones who do not chose one over the other, but balance skill and power. Once a ninja has mastered both aspects alongside each other, legends are born: Sandaime-sama, Hatake Sakumo, The Sanin..." Ebisu coughed into his hand and adjusted his glasses before continuing. "Yondaime-sama."
Itachi, a voice whispered into Sasuke's head.
"Chakra control is something refined over a lifetime. However, with shadow clones and my direction, we can sharpen your control drastically." Ebisu smirked. "A shortcut, if you will."
Naruto giggled.
"What is the maximum number clones can you make at once?"
She had recently given the matter thought, and so Naruto decided on a safe answer. "I think about three or four thousand."
His glasses slid down his face a moment before Ebisu composed himself. "I see. Then I am relieved that this training ground will provide adequate space for such numbers."
Hinata poked her fingers together. "How will using the clones increase Naruto-kun's control? When they dispel, she will still be left with the same amount of chakra, will she not?"
"The less chakra one has, the easier it is to control. Inversely, the more chakra, the more difficult it is to control. When you use the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, each clone has a portion of the chakra. Between three thousand clones, each would have one-three thousandth of the chakra and the difficulty decreases significantly.
"By gradually dispelling clones during training, and allowing those left to become accustomed to the chakra increase until only you are left, you will gain a much higher level of chakra control."
"Hold up a minute. What's the point of having that much better control? I mean, I can already make more than enough clones, and I've never had problems with the chakra drain of a jutsu."
Ebisu's mouth curved into a cool smirk. "A reasonable question, Naruto-chan. Allow me to demonstrate the difference it will make. To begin with, we will each create one shadow clone. I want you to put your maximum concentration into creating the best clone you can."
Naruto nodded. She screwed her face up in concentration, carefully moderating the chakra she molded, and formed her favorite seal. A single clone puffed into existence. She crossed her arms proudly.
Ebisu formed a clone without ceremony. "Now we may proceed. Sasuke-kun, you are physically the strongest of your team, correct?"
Sasuke nodded. He smirked at Naruto when she rolled her eyes and muttered something rude.
"Then please assist my demonstration by sparring with each of the clones. I want you to attack them until they dissipate. Begin with Naruto-chan's clone."
Naruto's clone jumped back and cheerfully said, "Bring it, bastard."
Sasuke sprang forward in an attack. He was a little slower than normal, his punches dragging, his arms still adjusting to the ten pound weights he had strapped under his bracers. The twenty pound weights on his shins did the same to his legs. He had never felt so heavy and slow. It didn't help matters that the clone was just as slippery as the original, dancing around his blows like a breeze.
But Rock Lee had managed to defeat a contingent of clones while doubtlessly wearing considerably more weight, so Sasuke would manage one.
He dropped to the ground and caught the clone's chin with a kick he'd copied from Lee. Thanks to Tenrai's chastisement, Sasuke considered now that he shouldn't take skills from his fellow Konoha shinobi... even ones that made moves on his girl. But the damage was done; he had the move, no sense in not using it.
Blood flew from the clone's mouth as she flew in the air. She dispelled halfway through the arc.
Naruto winced from the feedback. She held a certain dislike for that kick, at least when it was being used on her.
"Very good, Sasuke-kun," Ebisu said, nodding. "Now, my clone, if you would."
Sasuke sized up the clone for a moment. He roughly knew what to expect from Naruto, as much as anyone could hope to get a beat on the sporadic blonde. But he wasn't sure what Ebisu was capable of. Definitely not on Kakashi's level, but it could be trouble.
Sasuke threw a brace of shuriken. The clone answered by throwing his own. Sasuke closed the distance, engaging in taijutsu. His opponent's style was textbook Konoha, but seasoned with age. He tried to abstain from using his Sharingan until his speed had increased to match his eyes as Gai had said. But with the weights slowing him down...
He activated his bloodline. Reading the movement, Sasuke slipped into the clone's guard and caught him with a jab to the solar plexus. He followed up with a palm to the chin that snapped the sunglasses off his face with a spray of blood. Sasuke stepped into the clone and delivered a punch to the kidney's.
His red eyes narrowed when it didn't dispel. That last punch should have done it.
The clone coughed, stumbling back. He wiped the blood from his chin, then reached up to his nose as if to adjust glasses he no longer wore. His placid, brown eyes blinked before he fell into a ready stance.
Sasuke frowned at the clone before reaching back and unsheathing his short sword. He made a stabbing motion at the chest. Ebisu's clone reached out; the blade cut into his hand. The clone grimaced, but continued, the steel sliding through skin and bone until he palmed the hand clutching the wakizashi. Sasuke froze, staring at the blood flowing from the wound.
A foot planted itself into his stomach, but the hand gripping his own prevented him from escaping. The clone punched, which Sasuke saw in slow motion. Sasuke grit his teeth and channeled fire chakra into his sword. The blood around the wound blackened and crackled, the clone yelping. Sasuke sliced through the clone's hand before slashing him down the middle. It evaporated instantly, the displaced smoke mingling with that rising from his blade.
To Sasuke's relief, the blood disappeared with the clone.
Sasuke let the blaze fade. He'd have to hold the blade a while longer as it cooled. He'd made the mistake of sheathing it too quickly before, and nearly lit his ass on fire. The echo of Naruto's riotous laughter was reminder enough.
He walked over to the others, his sword in a reverse grip. Konohamaru stared at him with wide eyes, evidently holding a new appreciation for his skill. He planted the smoldering sword into the dirt before facing the others, hands in his pockets.
Ebisu nodded to the boy, his right hand twitching a bit. "Very good, Sasuke-kun; I can see you are quite deserving of your Rookie of the Year title."
Sasuke grunted.
"Now then, what difference did you notice between my clone, and Naruto-chan's clone?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed in thought. "Yours was... sturdier. It took more to dispel it. A lot more."
"Correct, Sasuke-kun." The teacher turned to Naruto. "You see, the more precisely controlled the chakra used to make a shadow clone is, the more damage the clone can absorb. As you witnessed, it took a sufficiently powerful blow to dispel your clone; it even produced blood, which is a sign it was made well.
"My clone, however, survived being stabbed and the ensuing blood loss, maintaining its ability to continue fighting. Even this pales in comparison to Hokage-sama's control. Sandaime-sama can make clones capable of withstanding broken bones, organ failure, and even dismemberment. Anything short of decapitation may fail to destroy one of his shadow clones."
Naruto scratched her cheek. "The old man's really good, huh? So he uses Kage Bunshin no Jutsu too?"
Ebisu smirked and adjusted his glasses. "Part of the reason he was known as the Shinobi no Kami is that he appeared omniscient on the battlefield.
"Now, as I was saying... In short, Naruto-chan: the better your chakra control, the more sturdy your clones. This will add a new dimension of tactics for your shadow clones in battle, as they will not dispel as easily."
Naruto's eyes widened at the implications, the possibilities. She ran her hand over her sleeve, over the cool metal of Shishi. "So if I make, like, a thousand super clones at once..."
Ebisu shook his head. "I doubt you'll ever be capable of that, Naruto-chan. It takes immense concentration to form only one. Even I cannot create any more than eight clones of this caliber at once."
The blonde deflated slightly but nodded.
"And, Naruto-chan, this level of technique is not without its risks."
Naruto sighed. "When it is ever?"
"Quite correct; every jutsu has its downside. When a clone is made this well, it can sustain a great deal of damage, true. However, with this comes the feedback. When the clone disperses, you will have its experiences, as usual. This will include the experience of its pain. If you are blindsided by this sudden sensation, it may cause you to become disoriented during a fight."
Ebisu held up his palm. The genin stared at it until it twitched. It was barely perceptible, and they'd noticed largely because Ebisu went out of his way to show them. "Because of the injury my clone sustained, my ability to form hand-seals quickly and efficiently has momentarily diminished. The consequences of a moment's distraction could have lethal consequences. This phantom pain is partly why the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu is a kinjutsu, Naruto-chan. Do you understand?"
Naruto nodded sharply.
Ebisu stared at her a moment before nodding. "Good. Very good. Then let us begin the training. The first thing we will do is have your clones perform water walking in conjunction with the leaf exercise, one leaf on each finger tip. Start by creating two thousand clones, and dispel one hundred clones every minute." Ebisu shook his head, finding it a very surreal thing to say.
Hinata poked her fingers at each other as she scanned the water. "Ano, Ebisu-sensei, would it be alright if we added circle walking to the mix? It's very crucial to Naruto-kun's taijutsu."
"An excellent idea, Hyuuga-sama."
Naruto leaned to Sasuke and muttered, "Told you she was a slavedriver. Next she'll want me to balance a ball on my nose."
Sasuke snorted in laughter.
She held her hands up at her sides. "Yosh! Stand back guys!" Naruto generated enough chakra output to eclipse the present ninja put together, several times over. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
A massive cloud of smoke enveloped the training area. By the time it cleared, several trees had been picked clean, leaving bare branches. Ebisu sighed upon seeing them.
Two thousand clones treaded on the water, leaves on their fingers. Some clones walked circles independently. Some paired off to walk circles around each other. Some walked progressively larger circles around those walking smaller circles, the largest of such groups consisting of ten clones. The water beneath them rippled and splashed violently.
To Hinata, it was a chaotic, anarchic cluster of kunoichi. But after the first glance, looking deeper into the gathering, it seemed to fit together, like stars blanketing a night sky. They each stood out but none of them got in each others way.
The original Naruto meditated on land, legs crossed, hands in a seal.
Each blonde, sharing a portion of Naruto's total chakra, felt a difference from the normal struggle. None of them had to grapple with their chakra. There was no need to reign it in, no power surging through her loudly enough to muffle everything in the ears. The chakra simply flowed naturally inside them like steady streams of power. It was similar to the training for the wind element, but that had gone unnoticed. This time the ease was much more pronounced, an undeniable relief.
Was this a taste of what it meant to be normal?
Konohamaru stared in amazement at the thousands of blondes, knowing any one of them could kick his butt up and down the street. It was not going to be an easy fight for him to become Hokage. "Naruto-neechan is awesome..."
Ebisu adjusted his glasses with one hand and reached the other out to his pupil. "She became that way with practice, Young Master."
Konohamaru looked at the leaf and nodded before taking it. He pushed back his goggles to make room on his forehead and began channeling his chakra. The leaf didn't budge.
Sasuke smirked as he stared at the gaggle of blondes striding on the expanse of water. She was awesome; that, they could agree on.
Ebisu whistled loudly enough to cut over the noise of sloshing water.
Hearing the whistle from the deeper recesses of her mind, Naruto dispelled one hundred of her clones. There was pressure between her eyes, and she felt the chakra inside of her swell. But... it still felt more calm than usual, easily within her grasp rather than smothering her. It felt leashed.
One thousand abandoned leaves floated atop the water's surface. The remaining clones each felt their increase in chakra, as well as a proportionate increase in control.
For nine minutes it continued this way, hectic splashing, dancing, spinning clones, a moment of pressure followed by a swell of power and mastery.
When the final clones had been dismissed, Naruto meditated for another minute before opening her eyes. She looked to her tutor.
Ebisu adjusted his glasses and nodded, saying, "Again. Fifty clones a minute this time."
She did as instructed, repeating the cycle of two thousand. Most them recovered leaves from water.
Naruto could feel a drain on her reserves. If her clones were doing anything more strenuous, she'd probably be exhausted. Fortunately, water walking and the leaf exercise took almost nothing from her, but multiplying the effort to this extent did take its toll. Making so many clones left her at about half capacity.
But she could tell that it was so worth it. By the time the last clones dispelled, Naruto felt more in control of her energy than she had ever been.
"I believe that is enough for today," Ebisu said, looking at his temporary student in a new light. Enough is an understatement. She just crammed weeks of non-stop training into an hour. I was wrong about her. The entire village has been so wrong... "Let us have a brief test your new level of control. Create a shadow clone, the absolute best you can manage."
Hinata watched keenly.
Naruto formed the cross-seal. She commanded her chakra, feeling almost no excess energy, roughly a fourth of what had been normal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A single clone formed. Naruto grinned, as did her clone. It looked no different than normal, but it was her finest work yet. Naruto felt a faint rush in her head. She shook her head and blinked rapidly.
Ebisu turned to the Uchiha. "Sasuke-kun, as you tested the clone's threshold for damage before, would be so kind?"
He nodded and approached.
Putting her hands behind her back, the clone said, "Give me your best shot, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke reared his fist back. He hesitated.
The clone tilted her head. "What are you waiting for?"
Sasuke scowled at the dirt as he lowered his arm. "It doesn't feel right if you aren't fighting back."
The clone blinked, as did the original. Then she grinned at him. "Aw, you wanna get your ass kicked by me that bad?" She slid into a Shippuuren stance, limber and ready. "You must be some kind of masochist or something."
"Hn."
They flew at each other, white punches and orange kicks.
Sasuke noticed her blocks were just a bit sluggish compared to earlier. It made them about even, with his weights on. He glanced at the original. She must be exhausted from the training... The mental stress is a drawback to the training.
After the clone spun away from him, Sasuke unsheathed his short sword. In response the clone unleashed the quadruple blades of Shishi. Neither used elemental chakra, not wanting to be at the heart of an explosion.
As their blades locked, Sasuke stared deeply into her blue eyes, his outer pupils spinning. The clone's world shuddered and quaked under the genjutsu, snatching away her balance. Sasuke disengaged and dropped into a stance that was becoming increasingly familiar to him.
From the sidelines, Naruto groaned. Not Lee's move again...
Sasuke kicked her into the air. The clone didn't become smoke, so he followed through, pushing himself off the ground and through the air to shadow her. He threw his sword blade first into the ground before attacking.
With the aftereffect of his genjutsu piling the sharp pain to her jaw, she couldn't block his kick, or the backhand that followed. His other hand came around to clothesline her. Sasuke spun himself into a downward kick.
"Shishi Rendan!" (Lion Barrage!) His foot slammed her abdomen just as she landed on the hilt of his wakizashi. The ground cratered from the impact. Blood flew from her mouth in a scream with no oxygen to give it sound. The clone dispelled.
Sasuke landed on his feet. That combo worked out better than he had hoped. He had a few other ideas on how he could use the Kage Buyo (Shadow of the Dancing Leaf) that he was eager to explore.
But damn that was a tough clone.
Naruto felt herself fall into a world of hurt after her clone was destroyed. She swayed on her feet, pain flared in her chest and jaw, and stabbed her back. She took a few deep breaths and rubbed her temples.
Sasuke went over to her, faster than a walk but not quite a run. "You alright?" he asked.
"Peachy. You hit like a girl."
His frown melted into a smirk. "Hn."
"I see what you mean about the feedback," she said to her tutor.
Ebisu stared at the girl unblinking. In under an hour she had progressed to an astonishing level. He once believed he had trained many possible Hokage candidates. But Ebisu had the feeling he would now get a footnote in history as having assisted the ascension of the future Hokage, maybe the fifth.
Ebisu nodded. "The discomfort will fade momentarily. Sleep will help a great deal; your brain will need the time to process everything. Beware this sensation when making clones during battle. But take pride in your accomplishment, Naruto-chan. If you continue this training method, you will become even more skilled."
Naruto flashed him a dazzling smile and two-fingered salute. "Thanks for all the help, Ebisu-sensei!"
Ebisu nodded with a smile. "Teaching is what I do."
"And you do it well," Hinata said as she approached. "I'll be sure to pass along word to anyone seeking a tutor."
The bespectacled man's smile widened. "You are too kind, Hyuuga-sama."
Konohamaru tackled Naruto and wrapped his arms round her legs. "I don't really understand what all just happened, but you did it, Neechan! That clone sure took a beating!"
Naruto patted his head. "Yep! Another day, another tremendous step closer to becoming Hokage!"
"I'm certain you will go far, Naruto-chan. Now, if you all would excuse us, I believe the Young Master and I must get back to our lessons."
Konohamaru nodded, still fired up from watching actual ninja train and spar.
Hinata offered the elite tutor a light bow. "Arigato, Ebisu-sensei. Your assistance is most appreciated."
Ebisu returned it. "It was my pleasure, I assure you. Continue to train diligently, you three. I'm certain you will be wearing green vests by the end of the chunin exams."
The three genin shared a look between themselves.
"Come along, Young Master."
"See ya later!" Konohamaru said, waving as he walked backward. "Don't think I'm gonna let you leave me in the dust, Neechan! I'll be right behind you!" He stumbled over a tree root not seconds later.
But he didn't fall, so Naruto knew there was hope for him. She grinned at the boy. "I know it, Kono-kun."
Hinata waited until they were outside the range of her Byakugan. She turned to her best friend. "Naruto-kun, please give me your right arm."
Naruto rubbed her eyes with one hand and offered the other. In a groggy voice, she asked, "Watcha doing, Hinata-chan?"
Hinata stared at the chakra pathways she'd watch develop over the years. "This is the reason I wanted you to increase your chakra control. The final step in completing Shippuuren. We're going to start tenketsu training now."
"Oh. That sounds neat. But can't it wait 'til tomorrow?" Naruto asked through a yawn. "I'm kinda..." Naruto's eyes fluttered.
Hinata's fingers twitched eagerly. "Stay with me, Naruto-kun." She straightened the arm out.
Naruto's body followed the pull on her and collapsed against Hinata.
A squeak slipped through heiress' mouth as Naruto pressed down on her. She blushed beet red as her friend snuggled into her chest. "Naruto-kun!" Hinata shook her by the shoulder. "Come on, Naruto-kun, we're almost finished."
Naruto muttered something that sounded like "pillows" and sank deeper into comfort.
"Let it go," Sasuke said, standing over them, hands in his pockets. "She's obviously wiped out."
Hinata felt those words reel her priorities back in. She'd been too caught up in the progress being made to give due to the toll it placed on her indomitable friend.
"Yes, you're right, of course. She's earned her rest." Hinata smiled down at Naruto and patted her head, causing the blonde to sigh contently. "A Hokage isn't made in a day, after all. Help me get her up; we'll take Naruto-kun back to her apartment."
With their combined effort, Hinata and Sasuke managed to untangle the sleeping girl from her friend's chest. Hinata draped an orange arm over shoulder. She stared at Naruto's peaceful face.
"You know we're going to have to train even harder to keep up with her, right?" she asked.
Sasuke sighed, slipping the other arm over himself. "Yeah, I know. What would our ancestors say if we were beaten by the poor orphan girl?"
Hinata stopped, stared at Sasuke for a moment, then released a laugh.
"Kakashi."
The jonin lifted his eye from his adult literature. A woman with wavy dark hair and ruby red lips to match her eyes stared at him with a faint but restrained frown of disapproval.
"Kurenai."
There was a pregnant silence as she paused to give him a chance to put away his Icha-Icha novel. Kakashi didn't take it, raising an unseen, silver eyebrow.
"Can I help you with something?"
She glanced around before saying, "If I could have a moment of your time, there is something I wish to discuss."
Kakashi shrugged and waved lazily at the empty chair next to him. He pocketed his book and tried not to chuckle at the visible flood of tension leaving Kurenai's face. The reactions the book garnished were nearly as entertaining as the material itself.
He kept his distance from her, though, leaning back and making sure they didn't appear too chummy. He knew Kurenai and Asuma were, well, they were something. Even they didn't seem to know what.
Kurenai lowered her voice and said, "I've heard about the alliance with Kiri."
Kakashi gave a slight nod. Shikaku would have held the meeting for the other jonin and informed them of the Hokage's decision to aid the rebels.
"And that you will be the liaison between the rebels and the Hokage."
"Yeah, I'm lucky that way."
"I'll get right to the point. I want in, myself, and my team."
Kakashi blinked. "Is that so?"
"I've already spoken with Hokage-sama. He has decided it will be at your discretion."
Kakashi gave her a level stare. "Mind if I ask why?"
She folded her hands on the table. "I tend to set a high standard for my genin, and they've more than exceeded my expectations. I've been looking into a proper mission for them and this is just the type that can give them valuable experience for the future. To prepare them for... difficulties."
Kakashi looked underneath the underneath of her words. "You're considering nominating them?"
After a moment, Kurenai nodded. "You plan to do the same, don't you?"
"Of course. Though they don't know that yet..."
"Neither does my team. I'm keeping them focused on the here and now. But I digress. What's your answer?" she asked, cooly professional and detached.
Kakashi's eye crinkled in a smile. "A bit eager, aren't you?"
"I want to begin preparations as quickly as possible, should you agree."
Kakashi pocketed his book. "Are they going to be able to keep up? We're headed to the Bloody Mist. Going there even as escorts... This isn't a field trip for untested academy students. Combat is a possibility."
Kurenai narrowed her eyes, offended. "I'm fully aware of the risks, and I'm certain they can handle it. It is B-rank, but the two of us will be there, and our kids have worked together in the Academy." She frowned at him. "You aren't the only one with talented students, Kakashi. My kids are just as capable."
"I have serious reservations about that statement." Kakashi's eye glazed over with apathetic thought. He shrugged. "Well, I suppose it would be alright if you guys tagged along."
The kunoichi released a small breath. Although annoyed to be considered "tagging along", she accepted the aloof ninja's answer with a nod. "Thank-you."
"Don't mention it. Seriously, I don't want people to start thinking I'm less indifferent than I am."
"Wouldn't that be a shame?" Kurenai asked with a sardonic smirk. "So... what kind of training does the infamous Sharingan Kakashi put his students through?"
"Well, I make sure they eat their vegetables and get plenty of sleep. And that they drink plenty of milk."
"Kakashi..."
"But more importantly than my runts training... You and Asuma, you two are-"
Kurenai stood up, nearly knocking her chair over. "I have to go. Please excuse me."
Kakashi chuckled. That was key to interacting with people, knowing which buttons to push. He idly wondered what else the mission would throw at him.
I really struggled with this chapter. For the first time I had writer's block. Talking with Psalm helped me get over it, and I completed the chapter the next day. It was still somewhat sloppy, so it took longer to clean up. I'm a little behind on my 'schedule' to release at least one chapter a month, but not too much.
Also, I completed the first chapter in my original novel, so my time outside of fanfiction was well spent.
If you look at chapter 542 of the manga, the third person with Minato kind of looks like he has white eyes, very likely a Hyuuga. Of course, even if I'm wrong, that's how I'm slinging it in story. As a side note, I'm really surprised that I've never seen Minato's kunai called "sansa" kunai. Maybe it has been, but I would think it would be a popular name for them.
Greatest victory is the battle not fought? Jackie Chan Adventures, anyone? That's where I learned it
I have a rant. Something I've wanted to get off of my chest for a long time. This isn't directed at anyone save perhaps Kishimoto. It's basically the core reason that I, and many other authors on the site, write fanfiction in the Naruto section.
Naruto's abilities post-timeskip, or lack thereof. No, never mind, it's definitely the lack thereof.
Now, Naruto isn't the type to learn dozens of jutsu. That's Kakashi and Sasuke. His style is to use the few versatile jutsu he knows in increasingly adaptive fashions that best suit the situation. Much like his father, actually. Yondaime only used Hiraishin, Summoning, Sealing, and Rasengan. And he was off the walls a boss, no question. This worked for Naruto decently before the timeskip.
But let's review the (alleged) progress Naruto made during the timeskip
Shadow Clones. He started by using clones to move mid-air against Kakashi in the bell test. Uh, am I supposed to be impressed by that? Especially in hindsight? That was something Naruto already did against Gaara, and it was much more impressive then, and showed genuine innovation. So that wasn't new.
Now take into account that, in three years time, Jiraiya never explained the most important aspect of Naruto's signature jutsu. Or, Kishi forbid, Naruto actually figuring it out himself. I will concede that transforming his clone into a weapon was new, but he only used it once, on Kakashi (and later Pain, if you count the Rasenshuriken, but I'm talking about ninja tools: kunai, shuriken, etc). And he had already transformed himself into a weapon against Zabuza. Naruto was just never smart enough to do that with his clones, before or after the timeskip.
Henge. It's awesome almost every time Naruto uses it. Especially when he used it against Pain, and especially when he transformed his clones into rubble at the end. That was awesome, because he used it preemptively, thinking ahead, unlike when he used it reactively against Kiba. So when Naruto remembers he can transform himself and his clones (as in, when Kishi lets him remember) it's gratifying to see.
Rasengan. Naruto made no progress on this front, either. Not only does he still need a clone to make one, it's roughly the same size as it was pre-timeskip. Compare that to Minato's beach ball sized Rasengan that he creates instantly with one hand. And, despite that he was trained by Yondaime's teacher, who, logic suggests, should have known about Rasengan being incomplete, Naruto only creates Rasenshruiken after returning to the village. It would have been perfect for him to have already created it on the training trip, for it to have been that jutsu (and DON'T get me started on that!) and to have overcome its side affects after returning to Konoha. Also, he never uses Fuuton: Rasengan, despite it being more than viable.
(It hasn't been pointed out to me, yet, but I completely forgot about the Oodama Rasengan. Which actually says a lot about the technique, since Naruto used it once, and in the end it didn't even matter, because it wasn't enough not to be replaced by the Rasenshuriken)
Summoning. Good lord... Naruto might as well have not known it for most of the series, as he only used it once, against Gaara and Shukaku. The last time we saw him summon was pre-timeskip, against Orochimaru and Kabuto in chapter 166 (his attempt failed spectacularly, by the way, which I guess was supposed to be funny). He finally summons again in chapter 545. That is Three-hundred-seventy-nine chapters he went without summoning. One of his major skills. WHAT!
Sealing Scroll. The worst offender. A completely worthless skill for Naruto. He used it once, against Sasori and Deidara. And he was completely ignored as they continued to chat idly as though he weren't there. This moment pissed me off so much then, and even more when I think about Sasuke having to be taken as a serious threat against Deidara.
That more than anything boils my blood. I have a lot of personal hatred for Sasuke (he is an unapologetic douche of epic proportions, and arrogant beyond belief post-timeskip). So a bit of that bleeds over into my main reason for disliking the meta reason of why Naruto is lacking in asskicking abilities: Naruto's progress is held back for the sake of Sasuke being the more powerful of the two.
It's more than an egregious insult to Naruto fans, or people who want Sasuke dead for abandoning the village (or viewers like me who fit both categories). It is the cardinal sin of any author. It is a PLOT HOLE. It is never explained WHY Sasuke is stronger than Naruto. He just is. It is generous to Sasuke to say they were even at the Valley of the End. He was trying to kill Naruto the entire time, and Naruto wasn't trying to kill him. And it essentially ended in a stalemate. They had equal teachers (or so we believed at the time. Jiraiya pwns Oro). So how could Sasuke just be stronger? It's bullshit.
(I'm gonna add that the moment I realized this was the moment I realized Kishimoto completely fucked the perfect rivalry he had created between Naruto and Sasuke. And it was perfect. I don't know if it was the best, but it played off the contrasts between them, their origins, motives, fighting styles. But not anymore.)
The worst thing an author can do is to make a plot hole. Kishi hinged the premise of the second half of the story on one. The entire point of the training trip was to prepare Naruto to fight the Akatsuki. It didn't even prepare him for Sasuke. So a complete failure on Kishi's part (not Jiraiya, not Naruto. Kishimoto).
A lot of people like to say "Fuck Kishimoto, he doesn't know what he's doing!" I don't agree with that entirely, because, of course, without Kishi, we would never have this awesome world filled with so much potential to build upon. I would give Kishi a 2.5/5 in any category and a solid 3/5 in most (except themes. 1/5 there, right, Neji?).
But in this instance, of Naruto's skill (and several others), yes, I will say "fuck Kishi". Power levels are one of the most important things to me as a viewer and a writer. They are more important to shonen than to any other genre. I still haven't gotten over how much he screwed his main character to make Sasuke look cool/powerful, and I probably never will. It has forever dampened my enjoyment of the series. I just read for fanfiction material now.
This problem with Naruto the character is the core reason that there is a mind-blowingly overwhelming amount of Naruto fanfiction compared to One Piece fanfiction. Both Oda and Kishimoto are excellent world builders. But Kishimoto isn't a very good story teller (unless he is at his absolute best, which is rare these days). Kishi doesn't deliver. Oda does. Especially with the main character. Luffy get's to be a total boss and a badass, but he is far from unchallenged, and get's his ass keelhauled during the series.
So there you go, something that's been itching in my head for years.
If you got through all of that, then I request a review, please and thank-you.