XxXxX
'The Chunin Exams are beginning tomorrow.' I thought to myself as I leaned back in my chair. I was currently on the roof of our house and it was a sunny day, maybe around 1100 in the morning with spotted clouds moving across the sky. In my hand was the scroll Danzo gave me on the Hyuga Clan's taijutsu style and how their doujutsu works in tandem with said fighting style. With the coming exams business across the village would be booming because of the influx of people coming to view the spectacle. Even if the main event was not for another month or so. My eyes followed the white clouds until I heard the door open to the roof.
"That was quick." I said without looking over to whoever joined me. Yui did not reply and simply sat down on the chair next to me. I was, of course, referring to her training/D-Rank mission. Her eyes looked up into the sky, much like mine, as we stayed in a peaceful silence for a while. Without even looking at her I knew she was stressed and in deep thought.
"Naruto?" Yui finally said aloud before looking over to me. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Hmm…?" I responded without looking over.
"Do you think I'm ready to take the Chunin Exams?"
"…" In truth? She probably could with Minato's training backing her up, but Yui could also often pull out ahead with sheer force of will and determination. It was dangerous, sure, but with the Kyuubi's healing effects it reduced this danger somewhat. From my observations our father had wanted Yui's growth as a ninja to progress organically. Sure, he made Yui's basics as sharp as a nail, and he would help her if she ever asked, but otherwise Yui was left to decide how she wanted to progress as a shinobi. "Why do you ask?"
"At our team meeting this morning Kakashi-sensei asked if we thought we were ready to take on the exams. If not, then we were allowed sit this one out and allow the rest of the ream to enter." Yui explained before returning her blue eyes to the sky.
"What about the others? What did they say?"
"Not much. Saya left without saying a word, and Sakura soon after." Saya was most likely going to enter because it was another mountain that stood between her and Itachi. Sakura, on the other hand, was a different story.
"Do you feel ready?" I asked as I finally looked over to my orange cladded sister.
"I do. I feel like I can take on the Chunin Exams." Yui replied before looking over to me with a smile.
"Then you're ready." Yui's smile grew as the words left my mouth. "Just make sure your team is prepared as well."
"But Kakashi-sensei said to meet up at the first testing grounds tomorrow morning if we think we're ready." Yui stood and stretched her arms above her head.
"He said that you could take the test by yourselves?" Yui nodded at my words, making me frown. "Interesting…"
"What is?" Yui asked, but I poked her stomach while she was stretching. She clammed up and gave me a mock glare. "Hey!"
"It's nothing." I stood from the chair and stretched as well. "Since you are done for the day, want to grab a bite to eat?"
"I thought you'd never ask!" Yui then grabbed my hand and began dragging me down the stairs. I had just managed to throw the scroll I was holding into my room as we passed by.
"One stipulation though." My sister looked to me as we walked onto Main Street. "No ramen." Her eyes blew up before she took a step backwards in shock.
"N-No ramen? But-!"
"No buts! I just had ramen the other day." I said before crossing my arms.
"… Fine." Yui finally conceded as we walked down the road towards another place to eat. As we walked, I noticed a lot of people smiling and waving towards my sister. The golden child had decided to walk amongst them once again.
"Aren't you the popular one?" I said with a grin, but Yui sighed.
"I don't know why. I haven't done anything." My grin disappeared and was replaced with a frown. Of course you did, but you just haven't realized how important it is you've done.
"How about barbeque?" I asked as we approached a restaurant that I was somewhat familiar with. It was the place I first went to after killing Kirito all those days ago.
"Sounds good to me!" We entered the building to see the same layout as before, but much busier.
"Table for two please." I said to the hostess who then took two menus and walked towards the back. When we came to our table, I recognized it almost immediately. This was the same table as well… My eyes went to the table opposite of us, but it was empty.
"Wow! This place is busy!" Yui said as we sat down.
"I haven't been here in a while, but I think it's busy because of the Chunin Exams." Yui nodded her head, but then looked out the window.
"It's almost peaceful here." My eyes traveled to the street as the memory of that rainy night replayed in my head. I have killed so many people since then that I nearly forgot about the swordsman.
"I'm going to wash my hands. You wouldn't mind ordering for me?" I asked before standing.
"Sure! What would you like?"
"The spicy pork." Yui nodded before watching her brother disappear down the hall.
XxXxX
The blonde girl had just ordered for the two of them when she noticed a group sit across from her. "Yui?"
"Ino?" Yui said as she looked over to see Team 10 taking a seat on the large table across from her. "Hey guys! What are you doing here?"
"Just grabbing a bite to eat." Ino looked around before looking back to Yui. "Are you eating alone?"
"Nope. The person I'm with is in the bathroom right now." Yui replied, but a sly grin appeared on Ino's features.
"Oh? And who is this person? Your boyfriend perhaps?" Ino asked, making Yui's face light up like a Christmas tree. "I knew it! You are here with your boyfriend!"
"He's not my boyfriend!" Yui exclaimed back as a black garbed figure approached the table.
"Did I… miss something?" The boy asked, making everyone turn to him.
"Naruto?" Shikamaru said aloud, to which he nodded his head.
"Naruto! Tell Ino that you're not my boyfriend!" Yui said with a massive blush on her features. I blinked a few times before looking to Ino, who squirmed under my stare.
"You do know that she's my sister, right?" I questioned, but this only served to make Ino blush further. "Besides, I don't see the issue with going out on a date with your sister. It's all for fun, right?" I sat down and looked to Yui, whose blush only deepened.
"Stop teasing me!" Yui shouted back, but Asuma began laughing hysterically. Choji and Shikamaru looked at each other before shrugging and Ino looked shocked.
"Okay, okay. I'll stop. It's just so much fun to tease you." I said with a chuckle, but Yui was now glaring at me. "So, how is the venerated Team 10 doing today?" The group sighed as they all looked downtrodden. "Uh…?"
"Is everything okay?" Yui asked.
"We ran into some problems last night during one of our missions." Choji said.
"What kind of problems?" I asked, but Shikamaru simply shook his head.
"Have either of you heard of the Phantom?" Asuma asked, but Shikamaru was staring directly at me.
"That guy who attacked Saya?" I asked before looking over at Yui, but she looked annoyed at the question. "I remember you saying something about him the night that it happened."
"Yeah. That's the one. I remember that night too." Yui replied. "What about him?"
"During our mission last night at the library we ran into him." Shikamaru said, making both Namikaze's eyes widen.
"What?! He was at the library?!" Yui exclaimed before standing abruptly.
"Why was he there?" Naruto asked.
"We don't know. All that we do know is that he knocked out Shikamaru and got away with whatever he came there for." Asuma said with a sigh. Yui was about to tear somebodies head off from the way she was glaring at the wall above Team 10's heads. A hand was placed onto her sleeve, making her look down to Naruto shaking his head. Yui calmed somewhat and sat back down. "The library is still closed off because the people at T&I are still investigating the scene. Whatever was taken will be discovered soon enough."
"Are you okay, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked before looking to Shikamaru, who had been staring at the blonde boy for a while.
"I'm fine. It left a little bump on the back of my head, but nothing serious." He responded after breaking the seemingly never-ending trance that he had on the blonde boy.
"Well that's good." Yui said in relief just as the food was placed before them. The waiter turned to Team 10 with a smile.
"What would you like to eat today?" Choji's eyes immediately grew several sizes at the words that left the waiters' mouth. As the others ordered, Asuma thought back to the events that transpired the night before.
XxXxX-KPL, the Night Before
The library was soon swarmed by dozens of shinobi as it felt like the entire T&I Headquarters was called upon. Asuma stood next to his team as a black coated man with a visible scar running down his face approached him. It was midnight and the rain still fell from the heavens above.
"Asuma. Why do you have to wake me up at this kami forsaken hour of the night?" Ibiki asked as he rubbed the back of neck.
"Sorry for the annoyance, but it is important." Asuma replied, making Ibiki sigh with a disgruntled nod.
"I read the report that the guard dropped off. Are you sure it was purple eyes that you saw?" Ibiki asked, his question pointed towards Shikamaru.
"It's hard to forget something so prominent in the dark." Shikamaru confirmed as the image of those purple eyes appeared in his head once again.
"Right… well Inoichi and Hiruzen will be arriving soon. We'll be able to get a clearer picture then."
"My dad is coming?" Ino asked, but Asuma sighed. He knew how obsessed his father had become with finding the Phantom.
"He is." Ibiki responded before turning towards a couple of Chunin. "Are the lights turned back on?"
"Yes sir." One of the Chunin responded.
"Good. Begin looking around for anything out of the ordinary and figure out what's missing from that bottom floor." Ibiki instructed. Several shinobi descended the stairs leading into the depths of the library.
"Do you think he'll come back?" Ino asked with shudder running down her spine.
"Doubtful. If it is indeed who we think it is then he got what he came here for and retreated." Ibiki replied before looking towards the door that his subordinates descended not but seconds ago. Another had passed when two men walked into the library.
"Glad you two could join me." Ibiki said as Hiruzen and Inoichi approached the group.
"Papa!" Ino ran to her dad who gave her a tight bear hug.
"Glad to see you doing well." Inoichi replied with a warm smile.
"So, he's struck here too? Looks like he's pestering me even at this hour." Hiruzen said before nodding towards his son. "I hope nothing's missing." Asuma grinned but shook his head. "And how are you my boy? I heard on the way here that you took quiet the hit."
"It was a pain, but I'll get over it." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head where he was hit. He flinched at the touch but shook his head. He would be fine with a couple nights of rest.
"Why are you here papa?" Ino asked.
"I'm here to read Shikamaru's mind and gain a clear picture of what happened here." Inoichi said before looking over at the Nara. "I promise to only look at what happened tonight and nothing else." Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders at the notion before nodding his head.
"Whatever you want to do I'm on board." Inoichi nodded and approached the Nara before performing several seals that Ino has performed before. Inoichi dove into the mind of Shikamaru and the rest of the group watched as Inoichi watched the events that occurred through Shikamaru's eyes. Sweat began to appear on Inoichi's brow until the man finally removed himself from the Nara's memories.
"To think you went through something like that. I'm sorry." The man said before giving the boy a pat on the back.
"What happened? Was it him?" Hiruzen asked.
"Yes. That was most certainly him." Inoichi replied.
"What are you two talking about? Who was it?" Ino asked. The four men looked to one another before nodding in unison.
"Tell me. Have you three heard of the Phantom?" Asuma asked.
"Is that the person that attacked Saya?" Choji asked.
"It is." Ibiki replied. Slowly, it dawned on them what had just occurred.
"Wait! The person that was just here…?!" Ino's eyes widened at the thought of such a notorious killer so close to them.
"That was the Phantom, yes." Ibiki said, before looking to Shikamaru. "You're lucky to be alive since he has no qualms with killing those who stand in his way." Shikamaru was looking to the floor as the situation was finally becoming clear to him.
He had almost just died.
With that thought in his mind, the question that then appeared before him was why didn't he? The Phantom could have easily killed him if he wanted to, but he didn't. Various question shot through his head as Hiruzen watched the boy think.
"How about you three go home and get some rest. We will take it from here." Asuma suggested, to which Inoichi nodded his head.
"See you at home sweetie." Inoichi said as the three Genin left the library.
"Another long night." Ibiki said with tired eyes.
"And just before the Chunin Exams. You certainly have it rough." Inoichi replied with a grin, but the man in question groaned.
"I swear when I get my hands on the Phantom, I'm going to wring his little neck." Ibiki responded before making his way down into the basement. Inoichi chuckled at his words before following the man.
The two Sarutobi's remained quiet as they thought over the implications of what had just occurred.
"He's becoming bolder." Hiruzen stated.
"The Phantom? How?" Asuma asked. The elder man walked to the glass door and watched the rain fall onto the courtyard that sat in front of the library.
"Before, the only missions or bounties that he'd accept were against non-shinobi, outside of the Uchiha incident of course." Hiruzen opened the glass door, which had been unlocked with the arrival of shinobi. The two walked out onto the covered front entrance where Asuma lit a cigarette and Hiruzen packed his pipe. With two streams of smoke rising into the air, the two watched the rain fall from the clouds above.
"I see." Asuma took a long draw before exhaling the smoke from his lungs. "Before long he'll begin accepting jobs that will attack, or even kill, Leaf shinobi."
"The Phantom will become a problem sooner rather than later, but Minato is worried that the Phantom will tamper with the Chunin Exams in some way."
"They are starting in a few days, aren't they?" Hiruzen nodded at Asuma's words but remained silent. "What do think he will do?"
"I'm not sure, but with the influx of people arriving from outside of the village there are plenty of new targets to choose from. It is our job to protect them during their stay here."
"That means finding him as soon as possible." Hiruzen grinned but shook his head.
"And we will, but for now you have a Genin team to take care of. They are participating in the Chunin Exams, are they not?" Asuma nodded his head at the question before taking another drag of his cigarette. "Let us handle the Phantom. You focus on making sure your team is ready."
"Okay, but if you need anything don't hesitate to contact me."
"I won't son." Hiruzen responded with a smile.
XxXxX-Present
"Well it was nice talking to you four, and I'm glad I got to see you after such a long time Shikamaru." I said as Yui and myself stood from the table. Team 10 was still eating their food, but said Nara looked to me with interest.
"Are you guys taking the exam tomorrow?" Yui asked.
"Probably, but we're still talking about it." Ino responded.
"Before you go, can I talk to you Naruto?" Shikamaru asked, making me furrow my brows.
"Sure." I responded as Shikamaru and I walked away from the group. "Is there something wrong?"
"During our mission last night, the Phantom did some research before attacking me." The Nara said in a hushed tone. I blinked in confusion at his words but nodded.
"Okay. What kind of research?"
"He was reading an article on your sister, but more importantly there was a large section dedicated to you that the microfilm reader was centered on." Shikamaru sighed as he remembered reading the harsh words that were thrown at the blonde boy standing next to him.
"That's… troubling." I scratched the back of my head in thought. "Why would he be researching Yui?"
"I don't think he's interested in your sister." Shikamaru commented as he thought over the information that he had. "I think he's interested in you."
"Me? Why me? I'm just a junior high student." I responded, but Shikamaru shook his head.
"But you are related to the Hokage, which holds a lot of weight. Even if some people around here might not think that way." I blinked my eyes at the boy who sighed. His expression turning somber as he remembered the article. "Anyway, I thought you'd like to know."
"Have you told Asuma about this?"
"No. I didn't want to say anything until I knew more about the situation. I could be overthinking things, but just in case I'm right you might want to be a little more careful." Shikamaru explained.
"Thanks for the heads up Shikamaru. If you learn anything else let me know. I'm sure my father would know what to do about it." I replied with a smile. The Nara smiled as well before we shook hands and went back into the restaurant.
Perfect.
XxXxX
With lunch now over, Yui said she was going home to think things over on whether she would enter the Chunin Exams. Kakashi was a sly devil and I did not want to ruin his teaching methodology. So, I remained silent and decided to take a walk through one of Konoha's many parks to meet up with a… friend of mine. I knew that I would be obtaining a mission after mission once the later stages of the exams began. That would be considered a busy season, but for now there were plenty of jobs to be completed.
"If it isn't Naruto! How are you doing this fine afternoon?" Danzo said with a smile as we approached each other with smiles.
"Danzo-sama! I've been great! Preparing for school and all that happy stuff." I replied with a warm smile. The elder nodded his head and guided me towards a more remote location within the park. A bench sat next to a pond surrounded by trees and chirping birds. It was still humid from the rain that came the night before, but it was bearable. Once sitting down, the two of us dropped the façade and stared at the reflection that projected off the pond. "What can do for you my lord?"
"You have a new mission. One that you must prepare yourself for." Danzo handed me a scroll as he spoke. "It will be tough, but one that must be done." My eyes scanned the scroll, but my internal shock must not have shown. On the inside I was shocked at what was being proposed.
"Are you sure, Danzo-sama? Won't this hurt the village?" The elder shook his head at my words.
"They must be reminded that sacrifice is what makes a shinobi, and that everyone must sacrifice something for the betterment of the village." I stared at the bandaged man, before nodding my head.
"It will be done, Lord Danzo." I replied. He nodded his head, but simply stared at the pond. Not dismissing me from his presence.
"You will have an accomplice during your mission. A partner that you must work with to complete your objective."
"…?" I've never worked with a partner before on any of my missions, so this was… new. Depending on whom it was it would not be an unwelcomed one either.
"He will arrive within the next twenty-four hours and you must be pungent around this man. His personality is an interesting one and he expects perfection of all those that work with him."
"Then why would he work with me?"
"An interesting question, but one that I cannot answer. The only thing he put in his letter was that he wished to work with you on a mission. It just so happens that a mission fitting his… unique personality was on hand."
My eyes narrowed somewhat at his words as a thought passed through my mind. Whoever this was knew to contact Danzo in order to get to me. Meaning either this man had such a deep web of connections that he knew that I worked for Danzo, or this unknown contractor has worked for the bandaged man before. In either case whoever this man was had a particular interest in me, and I wanted to know why.
"Who is this man?" I asked, but Danzo sighed at my words. Never had I seen the elder so stressed. Was this man really that troublesome?
"Have you heard of someone known as the 'Artist'?"
XxXxX
Shikamaru stared up at the clouds above as the white balls lazily moved through the sky. His team had convinced him to join the Chunin Exams tomorrow, much to his annoyance because he thought it was too troublesome a task given their current experience. Even so they were determined to join, and he was begrudgingly dragged along. The Nara residence was quiet, outside of the birds chirping in the trees nearby, but this tranquility was broken by footsteps inside his home. Shikamaru thought it was his mother coming to tell him to get off his butt and move, but when he looked over it was none other than the third Hokage.
"Good afternoon, Shikamaru." Hiruzen said as he looked down at the laying Shikamaru. The boy blinked a few times in surprise before sitting up.
"Hello lord Third. What are you doing here?" Hiruzen raised his hand to stop Shikamaru from standing up before sitting next to him.
"It's nice day and I was just out on a stroll." Hirzen said as he too looked up into the sky from their position in their garden. The two remained silent for a while as they stared up to the blue sky above, but it was clear that the elder did not stop by for an idle chat.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Shikamaru asked, making the powerful man chuckle.
"Just like your father." Shikamaru furrowed his brows at the words but declined to comment. "Indeed, I did stop by for something. Information to be exact."
"Information?"
"You see, I'm leading the investigation into the one known as the Phantom." The name sent shivers up Shikamaru's spine as he thought back to the incident at the library. Cold, calculated, and ruthless. The Phantom did his job perfectly before escaping with whatever he was looking for. "I see you remember your meeting with him?"
"He felt like he wasn't from this world. I've never been so terrified in my life." Hiruzen nodded his head before patting the young boy on his back.
"I know it was a traumatic experience for you, but there are a few questions I wanted ask that weren't answered the other night."
"I'll try my best." Hiruzen nodded before thinking over what to ask first.
"When we investigated the scene down below there was a microfilm reader that was turned on. You said that you read through the article."
"The one on Yui's birthday? Yes, I did read through it."
"Why do you think the microfilm reader was set to that article in particular?" Shikamaru sighed and went into deep thought. To push the boy along Hiruzen decided to add his thoughts to the situation. "I believe that the Phantom may be targeting Yui Namikaze."
"He could be but I'm not so sure."
"Oh?" Hiruzen looked down to the boy with an interested look. If Shikamaru was anything like his father than he would gladly hear his thoughts on the matter.
"I'm not sure I have the right to say but I think that, while Yui may be targeted, Naruto is the more likely target. At least based on the information he was researching that is." Hiruzen stared down at the boy as he thought it over as well. He never considered the brother to be a viable target because, in the grand scheme of things, Yui was a more valuable target to attack. The thought of Naruto ran through his mind once again as he thought back to the night he talked to the boy at that random café. A sick thought had appeared in his head when the two disengaged from their conversation. One so foul that he had to berate himself for even considering the possibility. Could Naruto be…?
No. It was impossible. Naruto could not use any chakra based jutsu, or did he have the capability to have a doujutsu of any sort. Even still the Kyuubi's chakra may have complicated the birth of twins even further than what was expected. Initial evaluations show that the blonde boy had just enough chakra to survive and nothing more, but what if his chakra did not manifest until later in life? Or the chakra that could be emerging within Naruto's body is the Kyuubi's chakra and thus influencing his personality since it takes up most the boy's supply of chakra.
Hiruzen gently shook his head. He was jumping into a rabbit hole with this train of thought and needed to base his investigation on facts, not speculation.
"Naruto you say…?" Hiruzen voiced. Shikamaru nodded his head before looking up to the powerful man. "When you first saw the Phantom. Could you tell how old he was?"
"No, why?"
"I know it's hard to believe but based on the evidence we have we think he's around your age." Shikamaru was shocked.
"W-What?"
"I know it's hard to believe, but it is true. There is an old saying that has proven to be true throughout the many years of my life. 'There are people that are younger than me, but more powerful than some of the Kage in the world'. This boy is strong, but just how strong we cannot tell."
"He's survived all this time within the village without getting caught. That says something." Shikamaru responded as he thought over Hiruzen's words.
"Indeed, it does." The elder stood from his spot and brushed off his clothes. "Thank you for your cooperation and good luck in the Chunin Exams."
"Thank you Lord Third." Shikamaru replied with a nod. With that the elder left the Nara's residence towards the library once again. There had to be something else that he was missing. Anything to give him a clue towards his target.
XxXxX
"…" I looked back down at the paper in my hand with a clearly written address scribbled onto the parchment before looking up once again. 'Why here?'
I stood on top of the Hokage monument overlooking the village. The bright moon hung in the sky and only a few clouds drifted above. A breeze blew past me and the lights from the various buildings lit up the sky. I held onto my hood and secured my scarf to make sure it did not fly away. The crunch of boots against dirt came to my ears. I turned to see a dark figure walking down the forest capped path. Seconds passed until finally he emerged from the shadows of the forest.
A tall thin man, maybe in his late twenties or early thirties, stood before me. He wore an elegant white robe with gold etchings that exposed a toned right arm, which had a long dark blue glove reaching to his elbow. Five gold buttons were etched into the knuckles. Shin high dark blue boots with golden metal along its base shined as bright as moon with its reflection nearly making me blind. A large object could be seen underneath his white robe, but what it was remained a mystery. A black balaclava covered his head, but what stood out most of all was the mask. It was a porcelain white with subtle gold trimmings marked into the crevasses. Two holes where the eyes would be were carefully marked into the mask for vision. Finally, the mask was made to make the face have a… grin?
My purple glowing eyes stared back at the man as we sized each other up. Another breeze swept over the silence that linger between, but this was broken when he bowed forward theatrically with one hand placed onto his chest and the other stretched to his side.
"So very nice to meet you Phantom." He said in a voice that mirrored his thought process.
Madness.
"You as well Artist." I replied before bowing in a less theatric manner. We straightened ourselves, but before continuing he began looking at me from various angles before stopping in a spot with the moon and the village behind me.
"Perfect…" I could sense the smile underneath his mask as I stood still while staring at the Artist. "Absolute perfection." I saw him shiver as he continued to look at me, sending a shiver up my own spine as well. "Your dark aura. The purple emanating from your eyes. A bright moon and village contrasting the setting. What a beautiful work of art within this otherwise mundane village."
"…?"
"I think you and I will do well working with one another." The Artist said before approaching me and nodding.
"I'm glad you think so as well."
"From what I've read you have taken on the privileged task of painting this village in your own colors." The Artist stopped next to me and looked out over the village. "You have done well, but it's missing something…" He tapped his masked chin as he thought back to the various kills I have completed within the village. "It's missing some pizzazz."
"…" This man was truly insane. "And what would you suggest?"
"You have kept your art a secret. A painting left for those who stumble upon it." He looked up into the stars and chuckled. "An admiral goal, but are you shy to show the world your work? An artist should not shy away from the limelight. No. You must embrace it! Show the world what your art can bring to the world!"
'Danzo… what have brought to this village? What is your plan?'
"And soon, you and I will paint a picture that will leave a lasting memory on this dame little city!" He turned and held out a hand to me before bowing. It was as if he was asking me to… dance? "Come, let us begin our duo exhibition with a dance." A test… if I cannot keep up then our partnership would end. He was a perfectionist after all. "A dance of white and black. Gold and silver. Under this moonlit sky may we enjoy this blending of two different worlds."
I took his hand and bowed as well. No matter how much I despised it I had to play along. Danzo wanted me to work with this man, and this was the only way.
And so, we danced. We moved across the top of my father's head with each step I took being in tandem of the madman before me. My performance needed to be perfect. Each breath in line with what was expected of the killer before me. It felt like hours as our feet carried us across the Hokage Monument, but still we continued. I knew this dance routine. A famous one made between two men in the capital of the Land of Wind. While I would not consider myself an expert in dancing, I did know how to adapt and this one dance I had memorized in school because it was one of the few famous dance routines between two men within the elemental nations. Our bodies were close and if it were not for his mask, or my scarf, our breaths would be intertwined in the air between us.
We finally parted and bowed deeply to one another to finish our routine.
"Absolutely marvelous! For someone so young to have such exceptional footwork is unprecedented!" He clapped his hands together in delight. "While not perfect, you will reach that level in due time."
"Thank you."
"But I must say that our little meeting has been cut short. We will meet again soon." We turned to see two people standing at the forest's edge.
XxXxX
"Why are you dragging me up here so late at night, Yui?" An annoyed raven-haired girl asked as two girls walked along the trail leading towards the top of the Hokage monument.
"Because I never get to go up here anymore because of all the missions and training we do." Yui responded as she bounced through the forest. "And I got message reminding me that it was a full moon tonight!"
"Okay, but where's Sakura then?"
"Her parents said she was in her room thinking or something. I don't know." Yui shrugged, but Saya's eyes narrowed.
"I still don't get why you brought me along. Just come up here by yourself, Dobe." Yui puffed her cheeks out at the remark.
"Because I was planning on grabbing my brother, but he wasn't in his room. So, I thought maybe making this a team get together before the exams tomorrow, but Sakura could not come either. That just left you." Saya sighed in annoyance. Why did she have to bump into this annoying bottle of sunshine?
"Whatever. Let's make this…" Saya began to say but stopped when the two girls came upon one of the most mesmerizing sights that they have ever witnessed. Two figures, one black and silver, and the other white and gold, were dancing across the opening before them. The moon hung perfectly behind them as their routine swung them to and fro. It was like the two girls had been transported to different world where only the two men before them existed. The routine, at least in their eyes, was perfect in every way.
"Wow." Yui said in awe. To which Saya simply nodded her head. While Yui may have danced before with her brother, nothing compares to what she was witnessing now.
When the two finally parted and bowed, the two girls remained flabbergasted. Words were spoken between the two men, but they could not hear them. Then, that soft world that they had been transported to cracked. When they turned towards the girls, they saw something that brought a mixture of dread, anger, and pain to their thoughts.
Purple glowing eyes stared back at them.
The world stopped at that very moment. Saya's hands clenched shut as her Sharingan instinctually manifested in her eyes. Little did Yui know, but her eyes morphed orange as anger began to fuel her thoughts.
It was him.
Before they could even move a spiral of dust, which glimmered in the air, passed over the two men. Then, they were gone.
XxXxX
Minato let the last stack of paperwork fall onto his desk before releasing a great sigh. He finally finished all the paperwork required for the Chunin Exams and he could go home and sleep. The Fourth Hokage stretched his limbs above his head and gave the empty room a firm nod. Well, empty besides the hidden ANBU stationed throughout the room.
"Let's go home."
Just as the words left his mouth his doors burst open to reveal his daughter and Saya sweating and breathing heavily. Both looked worn out, but trace amount of distress and anger lingered on their features.
"Yui? Saya? What's the matter?"
"D… Dad." Yui said between heavy breaths, but it was Saya who finished her sentence.
"We saw him." Minato stared down the two girls with a confused gaze.
"Okay… Who did you see?" The Fourth asked.
"The guy who attacked Saya. Dad, we saw the Phantom." Minato's features immediately turned serious and room dropped by a few degrees.
"Are either of you hurt?" The Hokage asked as he intertwined his fingers before him and leaned forward.
"No. They retreated when they saw us." Saya responded, but something caught his attention.
'They?' Minato nodded his head at the question. "When and where?"
"We saw him at the top of the Hokage monument maybe ten minutes ago. I think he used a Shunshin to escape but I'm not sure." Yui explained.
"You said 'they' earlier. Was he with someone?"
"There was another, but he wore a white and gold robe with a mask covering his face. I have no idea who that was." Saya responded.
'White and gold robe with a mask…' Minato scanned his brain for an answer, but nothing immediately came to mind. Maybe the bingo book would assist in this endeavor? His blue eyes scanned the two girls and they looked ready to rip somebody's head off. The Phantom must have dealt a heavy blow to their pride if they were this worked up over him. Saya was an understood case, but Yui? She must have hated seeing her rival and teammate tortured in front of her.
"Thank you for telling me of this development, but you two must be tired. Go home and get some rest. The Chunin Exams are beginning tomorrow, and you don't want to fail due to sleep deprivation." Minato said with a smile.
"But what about the Phantom?!" Saya exclaimed, to which Yui nodded her head.
"Let us figure that out. You two focus on getting ready for the Chunin Exams." Saya looked like she wanted to argue. Her anger was on full display with even her Sharingan burning brightly, but slowly that fire began to fade away.
"Okay dad. Have a good night." Yui said with an edge to her voice. "Let's get ready for the exams, Saya."
"Right. Thank you Hokage-sama." Saya said out of respect before following Yui out of the office. Once gone, Minato motioned for one of the ANBU to appear, who did almost immediately.
"Go find the Third. He's going to want to hear about this." With that the masked shinobi disappeared from the office. Another bout of silence washed over the office before Minato let out an annoyed breath.
'Another long night…'
XxXxX
I stared out the back window of our building with a blank expression on my face with a glass of water in my hand. Out of all the people to come up that path it had to be them. My grip around the cold glass tightened as I replayed the events in my head once again. Why did he want to meet there of all places?
"All performances must be observed by those who it will touch the most." The man said as we stood in a dark alley deep within the depths of the village. "It was only correct for Team 7 to view the performance since they have such close ties to you." I did abduct Saya and piss off Yui in one action, but even still…
Did he plan for them to come up there? Bastard… how he did it, I doubt I will ever know or want to know for that matter. The Artist was clearly insane, but even in a maddened mind like his I could tell he was an excellent tactician. Whether or not he was good strategist I am sure I will learn over the coming days. We had a lot of work ahead of us and, unfortunately, we will have plenty of time to get to know each other.
Then the door swung open to reveal my twin walking through the door. My expression softened as she walked through the kitchen towards the stairs.
"Yui?" She stopped when my words met her ears. "Is everything okay?"
"Uh… yeah. Everything is fine. Just tired is all." Hiding the truth? Even if I did not know what happened tonight, I could tell that you are lying. You have always been a terrible liar.
"If you say so." I approached her with my glass of water and offered it to her. "You look beat up. Have a drink before going to bed." She stared at the water for a moment before accepting the drink, which Yui downed in a matter of seconds. "Feeling better?"
Yui stared at my face for a moment before releasing a long sigh. "Yes. Thank you."
"Good luck in the exams tomorrow. I know you can do it." I placed a hand on her shoulder and grinned, which she mirrored.
"You bet! There's nothing that can stand in my way to becoming Hokage!" Yui exclaimed as the bright and vibrant personality resurfaced.
"That's what I want to hear."
"Thanks Naruto. I needed that." A quick hug and Yui ran up the stairs. My features returned to that emotionless blank stare that I gave out when near people outside of the Root Foundation.
"Tomorrow the curtain rises, and our performance begins."
XxXxX
AN: Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait, but you know how it goes. Work has been nuts and I've been having a hard time finding the time to devote to writing. As I said a few chapters ago I'm not going to force myself to write. I'm only going to write when I have the time to properly allocate to the story.
Also, as I'm sure many of you have noticed, the pitched battles you would normally find in Naruto stories, or in the show, are missing here. Naruto in this story is weaker than many of the shinobi around him in terms of raw power. Naruto must outwit or come up with a strategy in order overcome the obstacles before him. Will he obtain enough power to face high level shinobi at some point? Maybe, but we will see. I have an idea that may work but, again, we will have to wait and see. Another point I'd like to bring up is his spar with Saya. I wanted Naruto to have an extensive background in martial arts (or taijutsu if you'd prefer) to compliment his growing mark abilities. The mark has various passive abilities that improve Naruto's physique in various ways, and this was meant to emphasize this point. Saya, on the other hand, in a pure taijutsu fight is rather weak (this will obviously change over time), and the spar was meant to show that.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the chapter!