Doubts
A battle of wills is often the hardest battle fought. Here mere skill and strength are not the deciding factors, but mental toughness. In ancient warfare, before modern strategy was invented, it was said that the army who hung on the longest was the one who won. There were losses on both sides, sometimes incalculable disparity springing from the chaos and destruction. Still the victor is left standing.
And the loser left for dead.
It is a battle of the mind for the most part, the deciding factor the warrior's resolve. The weak minded fall away like chaff in the wind, while the strong in mind and spirit claim the spoils of the skirmish. This was a lesson hard taught to the greatest shinobi in history. And Uchiha Itachi was no exception.
When he offered to teach Naruto to play cards, the boy had accused him of trying to corrupt his innocent mind. This was true, in a way. Just not the way the blond. In truth Itachi found that he was at his best at reading people when he played cards with them. Shougi and Go was well and good, to get to know a person's philosophy and his outlook on the field of battle. But to get to know a person's heart, nothing beats a good game of poker.
There was an element of calculated risk in cards, the object of the game to anticipate just what the opponent has in his hand in relation to the cards in yours. Subtle mannerisms, little gestures and idiosyncrasies of each player offer little clues as to how they think, they act and make decisions. A cautious (and in Itachi's book, cowardly) would risk little, betting in small amounts and thereby winning in small amounts. However, what interested him was what he saw in Naruto's game.
His six year old student sat across him, concentration frozen into that childlike face and a small furrow on his brow. Itachi remained impassive, though he can't help but be disappointed in how easy his protégé was to read. He was like an open book, Naruto's emotions oftentimes showing up in the most inopportune moments. It was soothing to think that such a guileless heart exists in such a tiny little package.
In the coming years he would need to change that, the ANBU told himself. He would need to break the boy's spirit enough times that he'd be moldable into something that would be more combat effective than he'd be had he been trained in the academy. The potential strength of the boy was such that Itachi had no doubt that in a decade he would meet his match in the blond. So much power in such a tiny little package.
For a person like Uchiha Itachi, it was breathtaking to behold.
"Full house!"
The ANBU winced inwardly at the volume of the blond's yell. He was loud and obnoxious too, he mused. Itachi slowly laid his cards on the table, his face as impassive as ever as he said the magic words.
"Royal flush."
The boy cursed, a flurry of colorful words erupting out of his mouth, surprising the ANBU with the variety of words the blond had in his vocabulary. Those words were used on him once, Itachi surmised. Such a young boy to have his spirit broken, but he had no choice in the matter, very much like he had no choice when he was chosen to carry the burden known as the Kyuubi no Kitsune.
"You make this too easy," Itachi drawled. "You have no skill in masking your intentions, nor do you make any secret of your strengths and weaknesses. In battle, this trait of yours will inevitably be a liability to you one day."
"Listen to me, Uzumaki Naruto. The game of life is very much like the game we just played. We are each dealt a hand and a small wager is bet. We don't know precisely what cards our opponents hold nor do we know precisely what kind of hand we are going to get dealt next." Itachi stood, poking Naruto on the forehead with an index finger and middle finger together as he continued lecturing. "The stakes become higher as the game progresses, throwing the equations and precision of normalcy in times of crisis. This concept you need to keep in mind at all times."
"Your first lesson will be training your mind to think in these terms, to decipher what an opponent will be planning based on the cards he's placed on the table and to counter those plans with minimal loss on your part."
Naruto scrunched up his face, struggling to understand the foreign concepts he's been dealt with. He smiled, his almost cherubic face lighting up as he faced his new sensei. "I don't quite understand all of that," he admitted "but I'll tell you this! After we're done, I'll show you how powerful I could be someday! I'll become powerful and train hard so I can be the Hokage!"
Itachi stared him down and the blond's mirth was extinguished. "A petty dream," the ANBU said. "A petty dream for someone who does not know what the value of true power is. Do you not understand?" The ANBU gestured out the window of the barracks, pointing to the outside. "Out there is a world that will crush all of your dreams, stomp them to the ground like so much waste garbage. Out there live the people who will break your faith and destroy your hopes and aspirations. I'm offering you the chance to take the path of power, to rise above the asinine perceptions of the world around you and see from the perspective of the gods."
The blond bit his lip, his face slipping into a mask of anxiety. "G-g-gomen, Itachi-sensei," Naruto whispered. "I-i-i-it's just that I wanted the village to acknowledge me someday, so they'll stop hating me…"
Itachi waved his hand dismissively. "The opinions of ants are of no use to the gods," he spat. "I will show you the path to true power. And damnation on all those who will stop me from doing so." In a comradely gesture, the ANBU extended his hand, helping the blond off his chair.
"Come Naruto. Your education begins."
xxxxx
Two death dealers faced down from across the room. One with the face of insanity, eyes as green as the ocean deep brimming with killing intent. The other with the face of an angel, blond spikes adorning his head and expressionless blue eyes revealing nothing. The entire room shuddered to think what would happen should the two choose to fight here and now.
Uzumaki Naruto. The Sword of the Leaf.
Sabaku no Gaara. The Desert Super Weapon.
Jinchuuriki, bearers of a burden they didn't ask for, feared and awed by all around them. Given a choice people from their respective villages would have paid billions of Ryo just to have them put down, but situations will always decide otherwise. Power attracts power, and their authorities would be more than unwilling to let such weapons just get thrown away.
Naruto hadn't moved in over five minutes, his feet almost burning from the ache of holding his full weight on the side of the wall. The wind jutsu in his hands was still active, the violent gales of the Fuutama (Cyclone Bullet) still not dissipating with the ever present threat of his Sunagakure counterpart. Gaara was hesitant to move, having yet no idea of what his opponent was capable of. He revealed his cards too soon, Naruto said to himself. So far the Sand genin had used nothing but his arcane sand jutsu, defensive capabilities of which like nothing the blond had ever seen before. His first shot should have killed the crazed shinobi, ripping his head from his very neck. Yet it did not.
A quandary, to be sure.
A quandary indeed.
"Naruto-san." It was Kakashi. What did he want now? The blond turned his eyes on his now jounin-sensei. "What is it, Kakashi-sensei?"
"Would you mind dissolving your wind jutsu for a while?"
"Negative. The threat has not yet been neutralized."
"I see," Kakashi said, placing his book inside his pocket. "Why don't we make a compromise? Will you deactivate the wind jutsu should I be capable of convincing Gaara-san to stand down?" Naruto gave this some thought. He nodded, saying a quick "Affirmative."
"Good." The Copy Ninja turned his attention on the Suna team and bellowed at the top of his voice. "Oi, Suna-tachi. My student says he's willing to let this all slide if you stop making threatening actions towards a Konoha kunoichi. Will you ask Gaara-san to stand down?"
Baki nodded at the logic of this and turned to Temari, who whispered something in Gaara's ear, struggling slightly against the indoor cyclone. The Sand ninja's eye ticked, but the sandstorm blew over, the stray grains falling from the air and onto the marble floors. Asuma relaxed his stance and waited for Kurenai to help Hinata limp to the stands before he started back.
Naruto saw all of this and reluctantly deactivated his whirling pocket cyclone. "Domo Arigato, Gaara-san," he said plainly, after jumping from his vantage point and making a quick bow. Sakura checked him over, and the blond reassured his teammate that he was all right.
Kin couldn't believe her eyes. She heard that the blond was powerful, hell she even saw some of that power in action. But to be able to create a stalemate between himself and the crazy Sand ninja? This was unreal. She turned around to find herself face to face with a jounin wearing an Oto forehead protector. Kin recognized him immediately when he took off the henge disguising his eyes for a split second.
"Orochimaru-sama…" she breathed, almost dropping to one knee before she caught herself. If her master came here in disguise, she would surely be punished severely for revealing his presence prematurely. The snake Sannin smirked, his pale features making the expression seem like slow torture was to follow. Kin never liked the man, but the ways of Rice Field Country was the slow and painful struggle to power. She still did not know what she did to earn the right to join the Konoha entourage, but whatever it was put her in a position to place herself in a position of favor in Orochimaru's court.
"I find it amazing that the Tsurugi continues to find ways to surprise me," the jounin who was Orochimaru said. "Amazing capabilities. No doubt the Copy Ninja himself or any Sharingan user for that matter would be hard pressed to copy that jutsu." Kin asked why and the snake laughed mockingly at her question. "Wind nature chakra is one of the rarest skills to develop," he said. "So few ninja posses this nature of chakra that in some circles it's considered a bloodline trait. I'm surprised that clan traitor's protégé had it developed to such a fine degree. But I can't help but feel that he will still grow stronger before the day is through."
"Is there anything you require of me…sensei?"
"Actually there is," the disguised Sannin said, producing a small scroll from the pockets of his jounin vest. Kin took it reluctantly. Mission orders no doubt. "There will be other parties privy to this little operation," Orochimaru warned. "Open this scroll in exactly fifteen hours. Congratulations on passing the preliminaries. You did well to avoid the fate that awaited your little teammates."
The Oto kunoichi bowed formally. "As you command, sensei," she said simply, struggling to hide the disgust and the fear forming in her stomach. Orochimaru turned to leave, blurring as he left. Once she thought he was clear, Kin slumped to the ground and started shaking uncontrollably. This may well be her only path to power, she told herself. But damn if I'm going to let myself become that man's puppet for long. She looked longingly at Naruto being congratulated by his teammates and shook her head. Now was not the time for such thoughts.
She had orders to fulfill.
xxxxx
"Congratulations to all of you, genin of the Leaf and delegates of Sand and Sound," the Hokage's gravely voice announced over the din. "As you know, there will be another set of matches in a month's time, during which the presence of the feudal lords will make the main matches a thing to behold."
"The main matches will be used mainly as an advertising ploy on the part of all the villages participating. A village has the chance to show off its strength in these occasions and thereby invite more clientele to support its economy. But before all of this all of you will be drawing numbers to determine the match ups in the main tournament."
The numbers were drawn and the matches declared. These were:
Match 1: Rock Lee vs. Uzumaki Naruto
Match 2: Nara Shikamaru vs. Sabaku no Temari
Match 3: Sabaku no Gaara vs. Aburame Shino
Match 4: Hyuuga Neji vs. Tsuchi Kin
Match 5: Uchiha Sasuke vs. Sabaku no Kankuro
Five matches with the winner to a randomly selected match moving onwards directly to the semi-final bout. But when out of the blue Kankuro decided to drop out (his puppet having already been rendered useless), Sasuke found himself on the receiving end of that honor, seeding his place in the semis to fight the victor of Match 2. The crowd at the arena broke up quickly, most of the genin moving on to their respective sensei to discuss training strategy with regards to the main matches. Naruto was about to head for his private training spot when Sakura laid a hand on his shoulder.
"That was a great thing you did back there," the kunoichi said "saving Hinata. Not that many people would willingly go up against someone that strong just to get people out of danger." The blond shook his head.
"Negative Sakura-san. Sabaku no Gaara was abusing the rules by attacking a defeated opponent without just cause. I merely assisted Hayate-san in enforcing the rules."
Oh. Sakura clenched her fist, resisting the urge to hit the idiotic blond. "Is that all you really think is important? Rules and orders?"
"Affirmative."
"Well you're wrong," Sakura spat. "A person can't have other people telling him everything he has to do at the times he needs to say it. I was impressed by the kind of strength you had Naruto. Now I realize you're just a puppet. A lifeless doll at the end of a string, no better than the kugutsu that puppet-boy carries."
The kunoichi pivoted on one heel and stormed off. She hadn't made it fifteen feet when she turned, addressing the blond. "I feel so sorry for you, Naruto-kun," she said, the disdain so very clear in her tone. Uzumaki Naruto stared at her retreating form, blinking twice in confusion. Kunoichi were so hard to understand.
"Not too long ago I thought the same way you know."
The blond didn't need to turn to realize that this was Kakashi's voice. What surprised him however was the fact that the jounin managed to sneak up on him without any of his senses detecting him until he spoke. Was this the skills of Itachi's mentor? The older man put away his book, sighing slightly as if he read what was in Naruto's mind and was dismayed at what he saw.
"I see now that there are too many differences with my style and yours for me to teach you anything further. So, I'll be arranging for you to receive your training from another sensei," Kakashi said. "Wait for him at your joint training field you share with Itachi and he'll be right with you around later in the afternoon tomorrow. Meanwhile I'll be trying to see how long before Sasuke recovers and he can begin his training."
"Permission to speak, sensei." Kakashi rolled his eye at this. The blond was as annoying as an ANBU grunt!
"Permission granted, genin Uzumaki."
"I have questions as to who will address Sakura-san's training since all of us seem to have our own personal trainers at this point."
"That's a very good question Naruto. However since Sakura hasn't made it to the main matches she will not be assigned a personal trainer during the month before the exams."
Naruto furrowed his brow. "Sensei," he stated "I have realized that during the course of her match that she has not been trained sufficiently in areas of close combat. Perhaps she has some potential in genjutsu, but my estimates are not accurate enough to trust. May I suggest assigning extra training to her anyway so that she will not become a liability to the team in the future?"
Kakashi seemed to think this over before he nodded immediately after Naruto's statement. "We'll see if we can find one whose willing to help her then," the jounin mumbled, taking out his book again. Naruto bowed and excused himself, blurring out of the stadium and into the rooftops, coasting through the tiled roofs and over to the small apartment he shared with his mentor. Perhaps he may need to move out now that he has received certification as a genin of Konoha. The blond believed he was more than capable of supporting himself now, but for some reason could not bear to think about leaving his former sensei's side. Naruto shook his head. Useless thoughts like this were a waste of time. He should just focus on the task at hand and make sure he acquires the chuunin rank during the exams.
Sakura's words disturbed him however. What else was there besides rules and orders? He was ninja. Ninja were supposed to live their lives alongside a finite set of rules, a code dictating every aspect of their lives and in turn making them the most fearsome weapons of battle. Foolish thoughts, he said to himself. He had no need of these things. He knew where he stood, and where his sensei told him to stand was oftentimes the best course of action. But…
…what if he was wrong about the entire thing?
Naruto stopped himself mid leap and landed on the balcony of a civilian residence. What if everything he was taught to believe since he was born was wrong and Sakura was right? What were the implications for this kind of thing? What else would he live for then?
Would Itachi-sensei be able to tell him? Or would that just be proving what the kunoichi was telling him? Naruto's mind was by now a mass of confusion and seeming contradictions. A ninja was a weapon of battle, nothing more. They had no use for petty things like emotions and the privacy of their minds was something they usually had no right to keep for themselves. They existed for the village and their own lives were forfeit in favor of the village.
But why were they asked to do this? What would allow a ninja to have so much concern as to set aside their own well being to protect a settlement of people who could be wiped out as easily in a fool war conducted by idiot politicians? Involuntarily the blond laid a finger to his temple to try ad soothe the throbbing in his head. Too many variables, he said to himself. How was he to decide what was right and what was not in this situation?
This was not his concern, the blond told himself. He was just a genin for Kami-sama's sake. Why would he even bother with such philosophical musings when there was a mission for him to complete? Still, it would help to be sure. With that thought in mind the blond took off again, this time in the direction of the Uchiha manor, to the kitchen of someone very familiar and dear to him…
Uchiha Mikoto.
xxxxx
A/N: Okay so maybe that wasn't much of an update. Please review.