AN: Note that I do not own Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, or any of the characters from either Anime. This work is a fanfiction written out of my love for the series and not in any attempt to make a profit.
Proofread by: Author and Kyluxia
Chapter 32: Mission Impossible?
"Wait, you're saying that your chakra spontaneously gave you a Dōjutsu?" Jiraiya asked in disbelief after Sakura explained what had happened.
"No, it's not a genetically inheritable trait. It's closer to natural body modification, rather than evolution." Sakura tried to clarify.
"Like your third eye?" Naruto asked, making Sakura sigh.
"Not entirely. Our third eye isn't inheritable in the same way, but it is a genetic difference caused by Senjutsu chakra." Sakura explained. Despite looking confused, Naruto just nodded, making Sakura roll her eyes.
Jiraiya sighed, facepalming as he sat down with a tired sigh. "Every single time we look away from you two for more than a minute, you go and do something revolutionary, or terrifying. There's no in-between with you." Jiraiya complained, making Heikō chuckle as she took control of their body, flipping their braid to the left shoulder.
"What did you expect? We're pioneers in three different areas of our training. Discovering new, amazing, and terrible things are a given." Heikō pointed out.
"Wait, three?" Naruto asked, not keeping track of their abilities by the sound of it.
"We're the first with our Kekkei Genkai, the first Human Sage, and we're also the first to unleash our chakra the way we have. Which, is what's responsible for the change in our eyes and the chakra impression of Kushina." Heikō reminded Naruto, who nodded in understanding.
Sighing, Jiraiya stood up and clapped his hands together. "I think that's enough talking about this now. Why don't you show us your Rasengan instead?" Jiraiya suggested, interrupting the discussion.
Shrugging, Heikō brought her right hand up and formed a Rasengan in it, taking a few moments longer than they had seen Naruto perform it. Once again, a ping-pong-ball-sized Rasengan appeared above their open right palm. While Naruto was smiling proudly at their accomplishment, Jiraiya let out an impressed whistle.
"I'll be damned. It really is smaller. Congratulations!" He told them, with a smile of his own, confusing the twins.
"But, it's incomplete? It's weaker and smaller than a normal Rasengan." Heikō pointed out, only for Jiraiya to shake his head.
"Arguably, your Rasengan is the more perfected version than others created before it. The smaller you can make the base Rasengan, the less surface area it has to grind, making it less powerful in that sense, but the actual grinding power of the Rasengan itself remains the same regardless of size. You're able to conserve chakra using a smaller Rasengan, as the chakra required to increase its size is exponential compared to the surface area used. The only reason a bigger Rasengan might be preferred is when you have to counter another chakra-intensive technique and can't afford to have it give out during the struggle. I suppose it is also easier to hit a target with a larger Rasengan, but that isn't an advantage that can't be gained with practice and discipline instead." Jiraiya informed them, leaving Naruto thoughtful about the technique. The twins, on the other hand, wondered if there was a way to improve the efficiency of the technique, increasing its size without reducing its power. An idea already taking shape that they would need to try out when they had the chance.
"Alright, that makes sense. Still, anyone familiar with the technique would be able to immediately tell that our Rasengan is different. Its size might be deceptive, but it is weaker in a sense, so I don't think it's that much of an advantage in combat, besides a small distraction. Not something that would trip up an experienced Shinobi." Heikō pointed out, which Jiraiya agreed with by nodding.
"You're right. Channeling even more chakra into the technique while expanding the shell around it should make your Rasengan larger, so try and practice with it from here on out." Jiraiya suggested, only for Heikō to furrow her brow.
"That… might be a problem." She informed Jiraiya, looking down at the miniature Rasengan in their palm.
"Why is that?" Jiraiya asked, surprised.
"Because we're not actually using a shell to contain the chakra into a sphere," Heikō explained, stunning both Naruto and Jiraiya with the information.
Rolling her eyes, Heikō wondered why they had assumed they had even managed to learn how to do so. They had never reached the third step after all. The reason their Rasengan didn't disperse, was because of their chakra control, rather than a shell that kept it all contained. While they were aware that wasn't how a typical Rasengan was supposed to work, the twins didn't think it mattered much. After all, less chakra wasted on containing the technique which they had control over. Perhaps that was why they could manage to make the Rasengan so small.
"That's… that's amazing," Jiraiya informed them, leaning in closer to take a closer look at their Rasengan, furrowing his brows as he tried to spot any difference from the original one. "I didn't even realize you could achieve this level of control, but that might prove to be an issue in the long run. I suggest you attempt to learn how to make a regular Rasengan, without relying on just your control. It might prove advantageous when you can't afford the focus control you're using here." Jiraiya suggested, making Heikō frown, as she disagreed with his statement. It barely took any effort for them to do it after all.
Seeing her expression, Jiraiya shook his head slightly in disappointment. "Just entertain me on this. While you might not think it useful, you never know when something you've learned could come in handy." He offered them, and Heikō had to reluctantly agree with that idea.
"I suppose," Heikō admitted with a sigh, while Jiraiya smiled and held up a handful of balloons, smiling in amusement at her dismayed look.
"Although, I believe that will have to wait. You're going to have your final infiltration attempt today." Jiraiya informed his students, surprising them.
"Wait, I thought we already had our final infiltration lesson! You had us breaking into a lockbox that you had sealed yourself!" Naruto pointed out, only for Jiraiya to chuckle in response.
"True, but there is only so much that can be done with an empty house and improvised security measures. Today, you will be doing this for real." Jiraiya informed his now wide-eyed students.
"Improvised? The seals you had us avoiding or destroying were better than the ones in Hokage tower!" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief.
"I very much doubt that my glue traps measure up to the tower's Genjutsu traps. The only reason you didn't set them off when you graduated was because you didn't hold any ill will. A hole in security that has since been patched up by yours truly." Jiraiya informed Naruto, which Heikō believed made sense. It had bothered the twins that Naruto had managed to get through not only ANBU but also managed to sneak through the tower's built-in security. They knew better than to straight-up ask about the security measures of the tower, despite their curiosity.
"Oh." was all Naruto managed, realizing that he might have been incredibly lucky back then.
"Still. You want us to break into an actual house now? Wouldn't that be easier than what you set up last time?" Heikō inquired, only for Jiraiya to chuckle and shake his head.
"Of course not. You'll be going up against actual security measures, far beyond what I had you dealing with. For one, you will be acting with limited information. You will have to avoid guards, both civilian and Shinobi ones. In addition, you will only have a limited amount of time to plan for this and pull it off." Jiraiya informed them with a wide grin, before taking out a scroll, handing it to Heikō, who raised an eyebrow in question.
"Your mission scroll. We're getting paid for this, so on top of testing your skills, you're also doing your village a favor by completing this A-rank mission." Jiraiya informed them, which had the teens blanching at the realization as to how serious their final test was, as well as how much trouble they could get in if they failed.
"You can't be serious. We're not even a full genin squad right now, and you're giving us an A-rank mission?!" Sakura demanded to know, flipping the braid over to the right shoulder.
"But you are, aren't you? You, Heikō, and Naruto. I will fill the role of a Jonin Sensei. That way, we're a complete genin squad ready for a mission. Considering all of your training and abilities, I believe you're ready for an A-rank mission of this caliber. Not to mention that you and Heikō are already Chūnin." Jiraiya pointed out, much to the twins' dismay, as they really didn't feel that confident in their skills yet.
"You also shouldn't forget that I will be there to help you out in case you need it," Jiraiya added, bringing out a small bag that the teens recognized from their time doing D-ranks. Taking out the headsets from their packaging, before handing them to Naruto and the twins.
"Using these, I will be able to offer you advice without being there in person," Jiraiya explained, although it did little to assure the twins.
"This is crazy. If we mess up infiltrating a place that has guards, we'll be in big trouble. Guards imply rich people, and if we make an enemy of someone influential in Hi no Kuni, that will be a blow not just to our reputation, but Konohagakure's as well!" Sakura thought, working herself into a panic.
"Sakura! I agree that this is crazy, but Jiraiya wouldn't let us make fools of ourselves if he thought we might harm Konoha's reputation. Let's at least have a look at the mission parameters before we decide that Jiraiya has gone nuts." Heikō suggested, which managed to calm Sakura down and nod in agreement, before opening the scroll to take a look. Noticing this, Naruto decided to peek at the scroll over their shoulder.
The mission parameters seemed rather simple. Their client wanted them to retrieve the Shirubānōto family heirloom, a lyre that was currently in the possession of a merchant by the name of Taki who had supposedly stolen it. The lyre in question was meant to be a simple instrument, only holding sentimental value to the client, which in the twin's opinion didn't make much sense. Why would this merchant have stolen the lyre if it wasn't worth anything but sentimentality?
Following the request, the mission scroll included relevant information, such as information about the client, Taka Shirubānōto, the provided information about Taki, who had supposedly stolen the lyre, as well as his current location in a mansion not far from Inaho Village. There were also details about the publicly documented details concerning the mansion, such as the dimensions of the property, number of guards, and the suspicion that there might be missing-nin in the merchant's employ as well. Which explained the A-rank.
Below that, Jiraiya had added a time limit of two days for them to scout, plan, and infiltrate the place. Apparently, for the duration of the mission, he would act like a typical Sensei, providing help and advice, but would not reveal information they didn't ask for, or do the mission for them. For the mission, as the only official Chūnin of the group, Sakura would lead the mission.
Having finished reading the mission, the twins decided that Jiraiya really was nuts. The two-day time limit was crazy, and the limited amount of information was even worse. If they wanted to pull this off, they would have to set out immediately, yet they couldn't afford to rush the mission if they wanted to succeed. It… it felt like an exam. A difficult situation, engineered to put them under pressure to see how they would perform.
Sighing, Sakura turned to look at Naruto, to see him looking at the scroll with a frown and furrowed brows. Everything would hinge on his shadow clones.
AN: And so, our little group has their first mission on their training trip. You didn't think they'd go without them whilst gone from Konoha, did you? They still have to earn money, don't they?
Kyluxia here. When I was younger, I used to think of Jiraiya as a rich uncle. Until next time.