Author's Note - Yosh! I don't own Naruto and will demonstrate the Lotus on anyone who claims otherwise! Gai-Sensei!
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Chapter Twelve – Wave Rising
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"I still don't believe you managed to do that." Kakashi said in a shell-shocked voice as they crested the ridge and came into sight of Tazuna's home. "I mean, I knew your stealth skills were good, but managing to sneak into Gato's mansion and place a spy-seal on him while he slept? That's just… even for you, that's…"
Naruto chuckled and reached down to scratch Kaze's fur. "Hey, sensei, I am unpredictable. And that outer wall wouldn't have been an obstacle even if I couldn't do the tree-walking skill."
"…and you managed to put a transportation-seal into his safe, so we can summon all the things stored inside whenever we want." Kakashi continued. "Kami, how do you come up with these things?"
Naruto shrugged. "It's be easier if I knew the Hiraishin, but that died with my dad."
Kakashi looked at him, an odd expression on his masked face.
"…didn't it?"
For a moment, Kakashi remained silent, then he looked round to check that they were still unobserved.
"There are three ninja in Konoha who were your father's elite guard. They know how to do a version of Hiraishin, but until you can reverse the council's decision…"
Naruto's face darkened, then he sighed. "At least it isn't a completely lost technique. Maybe I'll be able to get one of them to teach me some day. Until then, I'll try to complete the Rasengan."
"You never told me how you're getting on with that." Kakashi said and Naruto shrugged.
"After almost blowing myself up a few times, I set my Kage Bunshin to work on it. I've found ninety-seven different ways of not doing it, sixty-two of which are very, very painful. Briefly."
Kakashi blinked. "I… see. At least you're honing your Kage Bunshin skills."
"Yep." Naruto chirped. "I have no idea where that myth that it needs you to split all of your chakra comes from. As long as you give each clone enough to remain stable for a while, it's easy."
Kakashi nodded. "I see. When we get back, I'm recommending that Sarutobi promote you to chunin. Your skills are way too good for your current level."
Naruto sighed. "Won't do me much good, though. I still have too many enemies on the council for that to go through without one hell of a fight and with Kyuubi inside me and my super-strength control still slipping whenever my emotions get too powerful, no girl will want to marry me."
"One will." Kakashi said absently, then he clapped his hand over his mouth, but the damage had been done.
"Really?" Naruto asked, his entire posture reflecting his curiosity. "Who? Do I know her?"
Kakashi shook his head in resignation. Hiashi would kill him for this.
If he was lucky.
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"NNNAAAAANNNIIIII?!"
Anko's head turned as the exclamation sounded and she grinned before turning back to the trio of near-traumatised genin.
"Awwww, looks like I can't play with you any more." She mock-sighed. "Kakashi's back, so you're going back to him. And all three of you are still alive, I must be losing my touch. Well, off you go. Get a quick wash and changed."
The trio dashed inside before Anko could change her mind and Anko grinned as familiar shapes began to come down the hill. Anko waved and the taller figure returned it.
"Welcome back. How did you do?"
"We have a spy seal on Gato, and a transport seal in his safe." Kakashi gloated. "Your student is really something, you know that? How did you get on with mine?"
Anko smirked. "First, thanks, I'm quite proud of him, even if it was just a case of honing his skills. Second, they're still alive, but I think I got them to at least accept the concept of teamwork. They managed to dispel a few of my summons, and it wasn't just the ink-user. You know the little shit can create explosive tags? That got my attention. Pinky's good at planning when she's not in fangirl mode while Sasuke actually has some combat potential. Still, explosive tags…"
Kakashi hmm'd as he dropped down from the back of the tiger he had been riding. "Well, Sai was privately trained to at least genin-level before transferring across, so I have no real idea of what he was taught. His ink thing is a Kekkei Genkai, if that helps."
Anko turned and stared at the wide-eyed form of her student.
"Gaki? Gaki? Hey, what have you done to my student?"
"…she likes me that way…?"
"Kakashi…" Anko growled, a kunai appearing in her hand, "just what have you done to my student?"
Kakashi stared at her, then glanced quickly at where Naruto was still sat motionless atop the now-sniggering Kaze.
"…ummm, I just told him that someonehadabitofacrushonhimpleasedon'tkillme!"
Anko blinked as she mentally reviewed the rushed ending of the sentence, then her gaze sharpened.
"Who."
Kakashi backed up, raising his hands.
"You like her, it's Hinata who likes him…"
Anko relaxed slightly. "Hinata? Hyuuga Hinata? 'Nai-san's student? The one who I'm teaching as well? Oh, sure, that's old news. Wait. You're telling me that all this time, he had no idea? What the hell were you and Gai teaching him while you were raising him? You should have at least given him The Talk!"
Kakashi vanished in a Shunshin and Anko snarled before vanishing after him, leaving Naruto and the dozen tigers behind.
"… she really likes me like that…?"
Anko reappeared, sighed and tugged at Naruto's arm, pulling him down. Catching him and standing him up, she guided him towards the house.
"…Hinata likes me…?"
Anko shook her head, then grinned widely. She was so going to have fun teasing him and Hinata about this.
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"So." Kakashi said brightly to the hastily-cleaned trio in front of him. "How have things been during the last five days? Have you been good little genin for Anko-chan?"
All three stared at him, unable to speak.
"Well, I'll take that as a good thing." Kakashi continued, apparently missing the (non)reactions of his students. "Now, what did she teach you? Sakura?"
Sakura almost flinched at being singled out, but she managed to pull herself together. "We learned tree-climbing and water-walking."
"Oh, is that all?" Kakashi said, sounding disappointed. "She said she was going to work on your evasion skills as well as your chakra control and reserves."
"She summoned snakes and had them chase us! And she threw kunai at us!" Sasuke burst out and Kakashi nodded.
"That would be the evasion skills. Good to know she hasn't lost her touch. Did she start with the advanced stuff? Poisons, torture, assassination?"
Sakura and Sasuke both looked horrified while Sai looked slightly disturbed. Kakashi sighed.
"Well, at least she covered the basics."
"Sensei..?" Sakura asked nervously. "Why didn't we learn these things earlier?"
"Good question!" Kakashi replied in a congratulatory tone. "I was hoping you would ask that. Simply, your teamwork was so bad that I had to take action to try and improve it, get all three of you working together. Did you play her favourite game with the snake?"
"The Holy Shit! Don't Get Eaten By The Giant Summons game?" Sasuke asked in a haunted voice and Kakashi nodded.
"Yep, that's the one. Just about the only way to take out one of those when you're a genin is by teaming up against it. At least you managed to not get eaten, that's something. Anything else happen?"
Sasuke looked up and Kakashi almost froze as Sasuke's black eyes flashed red.
"I… activated my Sharingan during that… game. And Anko gave me quite a lecture…"
"I told him that if he used it on an ally, team-mate or anyone from Konoha without permission, I'd rip his eyes out and replace them with his balls." Anko said, appearing from nowhere and draping herself against Kakashi. Kakashi nodded.
"Well, the punishment's a bit much, but I agree. It's one reason why the Uchiha were disliked by the other clans, they kept trying to steal clan jutsus, and occasionally succeeding. No-one likes it when they've trained for years to create a new jutsu, only to have someone blink at them and copy it."
Sasuke blinked several times, then nodded slowly. "So that is why the other clans didn't support the Uchiha. It wasn't jealousy of our eyes, it was that they were angry with us for abusing their power."
Kakashi nodded, his jovial act in abeyance. "Yes, Sasuke. Your clan were infamous for stealing other people's jutsu and boasting about it. If you rebuild your clan, you have a chance to build it so it isn't hated."
Sasuke lowered his head, his eyes dark in thought and Kakashi turned his attention to Sakura.
"So," He chirped, "I hear that you can actually be something other than a mindless fangirl…"
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Naruto leaned back against Kaze's flank in the middle of the clearing in the forest, his eyes wandering across the stars above.
'The moon-eye girl would be good for you. We both know you like her and she likes you.' Kaze rumbled and Naruto sighed.
"I know that she likes me and I really like her, but… Dammit, Kaze, I daren't get that close to her, I'm too strong! I'll hurt her… I just know I will."
Kaze turned his head to fix Naruto with a piercing gaze and Naruto slumped.
"I'm scared, Kaze." He whispered. "I have too many enemies in Konoha, if I get close to her, they'll use her to get to me, and it'll really hurt her when they do."
'I wouldn't worry about it.' Kaze replied. 'Besides, once you claim her as a mate, Blossoming Flower In The Morning Dawn has already asked to be the one to be the protector of Precious Flower With Eyes Of The Moon.'
Naruto smiled at the name that the Great Tigers had bestowed on Hinata. "So Kyouka wants to guard Hinata…"
'The two of them already get on well.' Kaze pointed out and Naruto nodded, then yawned.
"Sorry, but I think that…"
'Sleep well, cubling.' Kaze quietly rumbled, knowing that his charge was already asleep.
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The long-haired figure entered the clearing and froze as a large fur-covered head rose, affixing it with a piercing stare. A moment later, another head rose, this one human and topped with blond hair.
"Oh, good morning." The boy yawned, eyes still screwed shut against the dawnlight. The giant cat sighed and laid its head down, grumbling as it did so.
"What? Oh! Kaze says he's not going to hurt you, and… what? He says you're really a boy! He can smell it."
"Well, Kaze was it? is right, I am a boy. My name is Haku."
The blond rubbed at his eyes and yawned again, leaving Haku intrigued as to how he could yawn like that without dislocating his jaw.
"Nice to meet you, Haku. I'm Kagetora Naruto and this heap of fur is Kaze."
A growling rumble sounded and Naruto vaulted over Kaze, slapping him as he did so.
"Oh, stop complaining. When you sprawl out like that, it's what you look like, a great big pile of fur. Don't you agree, Haku?"
Haku noted the eye slitting open to look at him and the ear twitching slightly.
"I… think he looks amazing, even lying down." Haku said quickly. "I've never seen a cat as big as him."
"He's my friend." Naruto said, turning to glare at the sniggering feline. "Even if he does insist on trying to pounce me whenever he gets bored. So, what are you doing out here this early?"
"My friend is hurt and I'm getting some herbs to help him get better." Haku said, his eyes widening as Kaze heaved himself to his feet, looming over Naruto. Naruto followed his gaze.
"Oh, don't be scared. Outside battle, Kaze's just a giant kitten. Yes, you are and we both know it, so stop growling at me!"
Haku managed to not laugh as Kaze rolled his eyes before letting out a giant sigh and lowering his head. Naruto laughed and reached up to scratch Kaze between his ears. A rumbling purr soon started to echo around the glade.
"So, you need herbs." Naruto said, inadvertantly reminding Haku of his mission. "I can help, I'm a ninja, I can do anything! Oi, Kaze, who asked you? Ignore him."
Haku giggled, then held out the basket he was carrying. "I'm looking for more of these."
Naruto walked over and picked one up. Taking a few sniffs, he dropped it back into the basket and inhaled deeply, eyes closed.
"Over there, come on!"
Haku followed him as he headed towards a shaded portion of the glade, where a small area was thickly covered in the herbs. With a grateful smile, Haku started to pluck some from the ground.
"That was amazing."Haku said. "What else can you do?"
Naruto grinned. "I can do loads of jutsu, but I'm best in a close-in fight 'cause I'm super-strong. I've learned loads of stuff and can do really cool things, like this!"
Haku stared at the blue swirling sphere in Naruto's hand, then up to Naruto's grin.
"That is really amazing!"
"Yep." Naruto smirked. "It's called the Rasengan!"
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"Are you sure he said Rasengan?"
Haku nodded. "It was a blue sphere of chakra. I'd never seen anything like it before."
Zabuza slumped back into the embrace of his chair. "Great. We're up against Copy-cat Kakashi, the Snake Mistress and the kid swordsman who has one of the jutsu of the Yondaime Hokage!"
"And at least one giant tiger." Haku said quietly. "It stood seven feet tall, at the shoulder."
Zabuza closed his eyes and massaged his forehead.
"Dammit, are you sure you got away safely?
"I did." Haku said. "I used my mirrors to cover some of the distance and to break my scent trail."
"Made it hard to find again." A familiar voice said from the doorway and Haku spun round with a gasp. In the doorway, Naruto grinned at him, flanked by Kakashi and Anko. Haku's gaze darted round and panic rose in him as he saw at least one giant tiger guarding each of the windows, looking in with interested expressions.
"I had a lot of help and I had to use my special transformation technique." Naruto admitted, rubbing the back of his head, "But I managed to find you. I don't want to fight you, so can we hire you instead?"
Zabuza stared at him. "What?"
"How would you like to become ninja of Konohagakure?" Kakashi asked with a smile visible under his mask.
"…what…?"
