The debrief was different to any he had been in before. Most of them took place in the open of the missions room, or the open if intimidating presence of the Hokage's office.
This was different.
The room was dark and cold, a long bare table and spartan chairs lit by artificial yellow light. The Hokage sat in one of them as he overviewed the report and information. Sitting with him was the Jonin commander who was merely flicking through the information.
Naruto watched the man carefully. His entire posture was lazy and laid back. He barely seemed to read the documents in front of him, eyes hidden by the sheaf of notes. He suspected that, like Kakashi, there was more to this man than met the eye.
He couldn't help but feel that this was being used to cover something.
Silence reigned as Anko, Ibiki and Naruto sat on one side of the table waiting for the response.
He had no idea why he was here. He suspected it was less for his input and more because he was being tested. Or the Hokage had another reason.
He did as he did in such situations and waited. Patiently.
"How hard was she to crack Ibiki?"
"A level two case Hokage-sama."
"Must have taken an hour or two then."
"Indeed."
The dark haired commander sighed.
"I still find it troubling you merely assign a level to people's resistance to torture. Why I let Hokage-sama convince me into accepting this job I have no idea. Too troublesome. Especially with reports like these."
The shadows on the Hokage's face deepened.
"Indeed. Why Yagura is doing this is beyond me. I am glad our eyes and ears are open. It is good to know what our allies are doing."
Naruto knew that made sense. No sense knowing what your enemies were doing if you didn't know if your allies were going to get in the way first.
"Still though. The Land of Rice. Spring. Grass. Minor nations, but dangerous if they ever combined. I don't like this. Especially this close to the exams."
"We host them this year. Security is tight on such occasions as it is Hiruzen, it would be a fooling time to strike at us from within."
"True. Be extra vigilant then commander."
The man nodded before sinking back on his chair, leaning back on it slightly, and lazy posture exemplified when his hands rested behind his neck.
Ibiki spoke up.
"I still sense our target didn't know the whole truth Hokage-sama."
"Really?"
"She was carrying no documents, no stamps. Nothing. She was just a mind being sent from person to person. I have a suspicion that her message was not carried simply only by her memory."
"Your suspicion?"
"Genjutsu. Any attempt to mind scan will have broken it of course, but I am still nervous of the fact that this means whoever used it will know she was intercepted."
"That would be less than ideal Ibiki."
"It would, although I don't know if any genjutsu that powerful could be held. Not many have that power. Unless they have someone of Kurenai's skill, which seems unlikely."
The commander sat back up.
"That implies there is someone like that on their side Ibiki. I can only think of a few names, and all of them are troubling."
"What are our worst case?"
"Orochimaru."
The air chilled. Naruto had heard the name before, in short whispers in dark corners. A traitor, and a powerful one at that. Of course, some information could be found by digging around, and Naruto had time to kill.
"That is highly non-ideal. Although that does give us some good news."
"We know he's in one of Grass, Rice or Spring. Dispatch our best to search for signs of his handiwork Shikaku."
The man rose and left.
"Hopefully this will give us answers. Be on guard. You're all dismissed."
Ibiki caught the look in the Hokage's eyes and lingered just a moment. Naruto had gone without and noise, and Anko with quite a bit, shouting something about dango.
He sat back down when he saw the Hokage beckon.
"Well?"
"He is...unusual. But he isn't T&I material."
"Really?"
"It's not his fit. He's a killer. Anko gave me a description of the fight to take out the guards. He was ruthless. Anko started a slight distraction and by the time she could get to the guard party they were mostly dead. He doesn't talk, and it took Anko to get him to open up. And she had to be honest to do so."
"That could at least be good for Anko."
"They could be good friends yes, but even so Lord Hokage I wouldn't want him in T&I. He's...he's quick, and smart and doesn't muck about. But he's not T&I."
"Be clear. What skill does he lack?"
"He doesn't like seeing people in pain."
"Really?"
"It makes sense. When we were getting the information, we used the stage II chemical. The pain serum. Up until that point he had been listening, watching the entrance. Possibly watching us, but I don't think he was. Out of interest, he hides a Byakugan under that eye patch doesn't he?"
"Tell no one. We've come close enough to that getting revealed already. Kami help me if the Hyuuga find out."
"Quite. For the record it was the fact you can't be that accurate with a bow with one eye, and it's the only explanation I could think of. Plus it makes sense in determining his uncanny tracking skills."
"Anyway, you were saying?"
"He turned round when he heard my description. It was honestly the first human think I'd seen him do. He wasn't looking with his normal view but the way a normal person would look at someone about to suffer hideous pain."
"What happened?"
"He paled a little. Hard to tell with the shadowy hood, but he did. He then left the chamber until the interrogation had ended. Quickly. I honestly expected him to throw up."
"He showed emotion?"
"I'm sure he felt it. But it's just my point. He was ok with the light physical violence, the psychological torture, and if he was looking, Anko's more interesting methods. But not the screaming. He's not T&I material, he would see the pain and kill the person."
"Did he say anything about it?"
"Nothing. I can tell it bothers him though. He needs to talk to someone."
"He needs a sensei. But I take it you don't want to lose Anko full time?"
"Not really. She's not usually the sensei type, but she works well with the boy."
"Boy?"
"Only in age."
The sat in silence a little more.
"Hokage-sama, it may be out of place, but...who is he? Really? He just shows up with practically ANBU class assassassination skills. He is mysterious, he is utterly inexperienced in dealing with other people. He can observe them, but not understand them. What is he? Where did he get this training? Where did he get a Byakugan?"
The old man chuckled wryly.
"I can't answer all those questions Ibiki, as you can probably guess. That boy is...a hero, even if he barely knows it. He is someone who has nothing but his work and is satisfied. He's both a great tool, but hard to manage properly."
"He's a secret. You know I hate secrets."
"You drag them out of people Ibiki. This is one that needs to remain hidden for the moment. Possibly forever."
"That dangerous?"
"That dangerous."
The interrogator stood up, black coat making his form more imposing that ever in the darkened room.
"Troubling. I shall ask Anko if she'll give him some training in her free time. Other than that I can honestly say that boy needs help. Badly. I think he's haunted by something and would rather not have to rip the damn reason from his head."
He left the room, footsteps echoing in the corridor as he walked away.
Hiruzen rose as well, the Kage robes ruffling as he did so. His mind was filled with concern, but tempered concern. He was the leader of a major village, and having Danzo close meant that some things rubbed off.
He had to see opportunity where others saw challenges. And he saw an opportunity.
Naruto slipped in through the window of his apartment silently. He looked around in the dark at the bare place. It was odd to think of this place as home.
He shrugged his cloak onto a chair and tugged off the top of the tight body glove he wore under it.
He could still smell blood on himself. The shower suddenly looked inviting.
The shrugged off the remainder of his clothes and stood in the cubicle and ran the water. The warmth felt good, and he could feel the grime washing off him. He couldn't properly see it of course. He hadn't bothered turning on the lights in his home, he didn't need to. Darkness was more of a home.
The warmth of the water was nice. He didn't take long to shower, he just washed off the grime, applied a scentless soap and washed it off before drying himself.
He slipped into another body glove set before he heard the noise.
Someone was knocking on his door. Someone knew where he lived. He grabbed the tanto from the pile of his equipment and slipped into a shadowy corner, blade held ready. What little light could enter the room illuminated nothing, the blade edge having been blackened to stop light reflecting off it.
The voice was muffled through the door.
"Hello? Are you in there? I want to talk to you."
It was the brown haired genin, Baka. The one from Kakashi's team. Why was he here?
"I just want to talk. I want to know stuff."
Naruto stayed silent. He relaxed the grip on the tanto blade, he wouldn't be killing him.
"Ah well, I can always pick the lock. I've done it the other dozen times I've tried to find you."
There was the sound of clicking as something thin was inserted into the lock. A few seconds later the lock clicked open.
The figure was framed in the dull, yellow artificial light outside as he stood in the doorway. It snuck inside, carefully watching all the corners.
Naruto held his breath, he actually found himself wondering if the genin could find him.
The figure fumbled on the wall for the light switch. His hand found it. Then his hand noticed the second thing touching it. It was cold and metallic.
"Don't push the switch. You're persistent. Why are you here?"
The figure tried to turn.
"Don't move, I can't kill you but I think the Hokage would understand if I caused a trespasser some intent."
"You saved us on that mission. Thank you."
Naruto considered this. He had never been thanked before. He normally got a 'congratulations' for a successful mission, maybe some recognition of the effects. Never thank-you.
He withdrew the blade and put it down next to the rest of his equipment. He pulled the cloak over himself and drew the hood over it, before sliding the door shut as quietly as possible.
"You can turn around now."
The genin turned. He focused on Naruto.
"You really are a ghost, I can barely see you when you're standing still. Can I turn the lights on? This is weird."
"No."
"Oh. Why not?"
"I prefer the dark."
"You really are a ghost."
"What?"
"Sakura-chan said that you said you were a ghost. So I had to try and find you, I'm quite good at it. You were difficult to find."
Naruto stared as the boy rambled.
"Well she didn't know your name, so I couldn't ask anyone, but then I was getting ramen, a really good bowl, and I heard a lady talking about the fact the apartment next door was haunted because the windows kept opening and the shadows were weird and she swore she sometimes thought someone lived there and the landlord didn't have a spare key set for it, so it must be haunted and stuff. So I followed them back to where they lived and found your apartment. Then I came here and found you and...and...who are you? Are you really a ghost."
Naruto remained silent. The genin took this as a sign that Naruto was looking at him how Sakura would look at him just before her fist collided with his face. Naruto was in fact stunned that he was able to talk that quickly without breathing.
"Oh...of course you're not really a ghost, but the fact you like the dark, no one knows your name, you kill people, you come and go wherever you want and nobody sees. You are a ghost but not a ghost. I think. Thinking isn't something I'm great at."
Naruto continued to stare. The genin realised he was rambling.
"Whoops. Sorry. So...about that mission. You tried to get me out of Haku's dome thing. Why?"
"It made sense."
"Why?"
"Because I thought it would improve our chances of victory."
"But why not Sasuke? He was as hurt as me, even if he did have his stupid eyes. I'm as good at blocking with kunai as he is even with them."
"He was going to leave after you."
"But why? Surely three people in the dome is better than two? It reduces the angles we can defend from, it gives us more people to work out a strategy. It has so many advantages."
"I work better alone."
"Are you sure? I mean, we would have figured out a plan eventually and beaten him right?"
"My plan would have worked."
"It did work."
"Pardon?"
"You used me as bait didn't you?"
Naruto saw the beginning of tears at the edge of the genin's eyes.
"You used me as bait because I was the least useful."
"No."
"You did...don't lie from behind that hood. Look me in the eyes and tell it to me."
Naruto dropped the hood slightly, his single visible eye meeting the genin's own green-grey eyes.
"I did not use you as bait. With you and Sasuke out of the dome, I intended to track Haku until I could apply a more deadly genjutsu. When he tried to break it, I would strike. When you were spotted I killed him as soon as possible."
"Oh. Did you have to kill him?"
"Yes. He had nearly killed you and Sasuke-san, it was the quickest way to end the fight."
"You could have ended it without killing him."
"Yes, but I thought he would finish you if I didn't."
"You were wrong. You know about people but you don't know people."
"The two are the same thing."
"They are not."
"Why?"
"They...well...one is about knowing stuff about people and the other is knowing different stuff. Umm...it's complex ok? Believe me."
"I struggle to."
"Oh."
There was silence.
"Can I see your bow?"
"No."
"What are you?"
"Like you said, a ghost. I kill people, it's my job."
"I don't like killing."
"You're a shinobi, it's kill or be killed most of the time."
"We don't have to kill. There is usually another way."
"Killing works for me."
"What do you do when you're not killing?"
"I wait, I sleep, eat. Sometimes wash or go to the toilet."
"No, I mean. What do you do to relax? To have fun? Do you have any friends?"
"I have a friend. I think. She's ok."
"What's her name? Is she nice?"
"Anko. I wouldn't call her nice."
"Why not?"
"She tortures people."
Naruto didn't understand why the genin seemed scared by this. Surely he knew that T&I employed hurtful methods.
"What about fun?"
"I am content with what I do."
"You're not normal."
"Why do people keep saying that? I am normal. You guys are weird."
"Oh wow you are something. I can't wait to talk to Sakura-chan about this."
"Tell her where I live and I will silence you, her, and anyone else you tell."
"What?"
"Ghost. No footprint, no trace. The fact you found me is worrying. I don't use the door."
"Ok. You are weird. But you're not bad, just...not normal."
Naruto wasn't sure how to respond.
"I'll stop by again sometime if you want. I'd like to get to know you better Ghost."
"That...sounds acceptable."
"Awesome, new friend dattebayo!"
He found a hand slapped over his mouth before a death whisper entered his ear.
"Never shout here again."
"Ok...see you soon then Ghost."
"Ok Baka."
He nodded mutely, and left the house.
Naruto silently made it to the rooftops and watched him move away. Something about the genin intrigued him. He was able to shrug off anything, force himself on despite everything.
He wasn't a good ninja, but he had something. He searched his vocabulary for a good word for it. Will seemed to work. He had a strong will.
He decided it was probably time to up security in his home.