"We're finally free!" Naruto exclaimed.
Naruto, Takeshi, Hinata, and Sasuke walked out the building. Each having a hitai-ate.
"I'm glad we're out." Takeshi agreed.
Sasuke had a smirk on his face, while Hinata giggled at Naruto's antics.
"Hey guys!" The group turned around and sees Choji running up to them. Through the years, Takeshi had expanded his friend group with the other clan heirs. He already shared quite a bit of his recipes with the Akimichi clan, and they were all impressed, which isn't an easy task.
They added a lot of his dishes to their restaurant menus. More people have been eating at their restaurants due to word spreading about their new dishes. They even had to build several more restaurants to keep up with demand. Every time they sold one of Takeshi's dishes, he gets a small cut of the profit.
"Hey Choji!" Naruto waved. Naruto's palette regarding the finer dishes has been refined thanks to Takeshi, so he and Choji were in constant food debates. It was never an argument, but an actual debate between two scholars in the culinary arts.
"We're having a small graduation party at my house, and you guys are all invited. Do you think you could bring a new dish, Takeshi?" Choji asked hopefully.
Takeshi chuckled a bit, then responded. "Sure, I'll bring something."
Choji practically vibrated in excitement. "Awesome! I'll let kaa-chan know. See you all later!"
"Are you really going to make a new dish, Takeshi-nii?" Hinata asked. Naruto and Sasuke were paying close attention.
"Is my cooking all you guys care about?!" Takeshi asked indignantly.
They all smiled at him.
He pouted and made his way to his apartment. He had to pack all of his belongings because he was going to be moving into the Uzumaki compound with Naruto.
Instead of waiting until he was a Chunin, Sarutobi decided that he would give Naruto his birthright when he made Genin.
Takeshi's father, from what written in his journal, wanted to be known for more than just the Red Death's younger brother. He wanted to make his own mark in history, so he moved into his own home out of the Clan district.
He'll have to send some clones to pack up his father's home too.
"So what're you gonna make, Takeshi-nii?" Naruto asked excitedly.
"Hmph! You'll find out later."
Takeshi decided to make the favorite of almost everyone in the 21st century. A dish that causes controversy and sparks arguments constantly. A New York staple.
He made pizza.
It was a good thing that he always bought everything in bulk. He cooked almost everyday for all of his friends, and that ate through the monthly stipend the Hokage gave him. Thankfully he grew wealthy with all the books he sold.
"What's this, Takeshi-kun?" Choza asked him when he presented multiple trays of pizza.
"I call this pizza. You're supposed to eat eat slices with your hands." Takeshi explained.
The wives were a little put out at that, but knew better than to try to change the customs that Takeshi introduced when it comes to his cuisine. They made that mistake once, and aren't keen to repeat it.
It was a small get together, as Choji said it would be. It was all the Clan Heads as well as their immediate family. Also there was Sasuke, and Naruto.
"This looks like okonomiyaki." Chouza, Choji's father, observed. He took a slice and inspected it. "What's the red circles on top?"
"That is pepperoni. It's cured pork and beef seasoned with paprika or you could use other chili pepper." Takeshi explained.
"It tastes great!" Naruto already ate three slices.
Takeshi stood with a content smile as his food was eaten with gusto, once again patting himself on the back for buying everything in bulk.
He felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning he found a serious Shikamaru. "This pizza can be held with one hand. The other can move shogi pieces. I demand another rematch."
Takeshi sighed, but obliged. It wasn't that long ago that Takeshi first beat Shikamaru in a game of shogi, and he's been demanding rematches left and right.
"Now now, Shika, share the wealth. I'd like a match myself." A lazy drawl sounded behind Takeshi. With another turn, Takeshi found the senior Nara, Shikaku Nara.
Takeshi internally starting sweating. 'If I beat this nutter, I'll never have free time. I'll have to play this carefully.' "I'm not that good, Nara-sama."
"Nonsense, I already set up the board." Shikaku waved a hand at the shogi board set up on the wooden table and they both took a seat on either side of it.
The Jounin Commander discreetly observed the way the redhead's eyes were already flickering from square to square, no doubt figuring out different starting moves. He scoffed inwardly. 'Not that good, my ass.'
"You can start first." He offered aloud, watching that amythest gaze flicker up to meet his.
The Jounin Commander watched as Takeshi slid a fu piece forward. A simple enough move and he moved one of his own in return.
And so the game began.
Shikaku had no time, nor did he have the desire, to make idle conversation as he frowned inwardly at the red-haired Genin's unpredictable playing style. There wasn't much logic to each of Takeshi's moves, as if he was simply picking a random piece up and moving it. But after the first time that Takeshi had made a seemingly useless decision of sacrificing a kyosha, eight moves down, Shikaku had found himself caught between losing a keima and losing a gin, he had sacrificed his keima and refused to make the same mistake twice.
Still, there was something strange about Takeshi's playing style. Shikaku had never played against anyone who could read his moves so far ahead and counter them accordingly. He had thought that maybe the redhead had picked up on a tell and had glanced up at Takeshi several times but each time, he had found the Genin staring avidly at the board, one arm balanced on a knee when he wasn't moving a piece, the other upright to cushion his head in one hand.
Of course, Shikaku wasn't the Hokage's Chief Strategist for nothing and, after studying the redhead's playing style for several minutes, he was able to counter some of Takeshi's moves.
And so they played for the next hour, neither able to outmatch the other but Shikaku had found a diamond-sharp mind behind Takeshi's neutral facade, one that intrigued him all the more because every unpredictable move on the shogi board meant one more unpredictable thought. And if there was one thing Shikaku had learned since the beginning of the match, it was that Takeshi had a very illogical mind.
Takeshi moved a fu forward. Half a dozen plays that Takeshi could make with that move sprang up in Shikaku's mind but he dismissed them. He could stop each of them if he took the fu now. Moving his keima, he secured the fu.
Takeshi moved his kyosha again. Shikaku scanned the board before moving a gin and capturing another of Takeshi's fu.
Takeshi tapped a finger on the edge of the wooden table before shifting a kin. Shikaku immediately took the keima that Takeshi had failed to move with one of his kin. It seemed like the game was coming to an end.
"Hey, Takeshi-nii, I'm gonna head home now." Naruto spoke up as he patted Takeshi's shoulder.
"I'm right behind you, Naruto." Takeshi turned back to Shikaku and nodded at the board. "I believe this game goes to you, Nara-sama. It was an interesting match, but I'd better be going."
Saying his goodbyes quickly, Takeshi made a swift escape with a slightly confused Naruto behind him.
Shikaku looked at the board. He felt something off.
"Why did he say that the game went to you?" Shikamaru asked, as he plopped where Takeshi was sitting.
Shikaku arched an eyebrow but kept his gaze at the board, reaching out to tap one of his kin. "I would've checkmated him in three moves."
Shikamaru frowned and scratched his head. "Yeah, but if he moved this," His son tapped a simple hisha sitting innocently near the left side of the board. "He would've checkmated you in the next move."
Shikaku sat in frozen silence, eyes glued on the piece as he reviewed all the moves that had been made in the last six minutes and all the possible moves he could've taken or not taken.
Instead of capturing the pieces in his way, Takeshi had simply moved them elsewhere. Instead of going to the effort of cornering his gyoku, he had let Shikaku do it for him.
And like any fresh amateur, he had fallen for it, and the runt had forfeited and given him the win!
"That damn-!" He cursed long and hard inside his head when he remembered that he wasn't alone. 'How dare that brat?!'
And with that thought came a rush of respect as he allowed his short-lived annoyance to leave him in a rueful laugh.
"Shikaku? Are you… feeling okay?" Inoichi asked, a bit concerned.
"That damn brat. He beat me, but forfeited and ran." Shikaku stated, still chuckling darkly.
"He what?" All the adults in the room chorused.
"I lost a shogi match to a Genin." Shikaku announced softly.
There was a moment of silent disbelief in the room before both Inoichi and Chouza started laughing, hard.
"A G-genin! One who just got his hitai-ate couple hours ago, beat the indomitable tower, Shikaku Nara, at shogi!" Inoichi wheezed out before devolving into more laugher.
"Oh Kami, I can't breathe. I can't breathe!" Chouza choked out between guffaws.
"Shikamaru." Shikaku barked out sharply.
Shikamaru dropped his smirk, looking mildly alarmed. "What?"
"You're going to be told who your sensei is tomorrow, right?" At his son's wary nod, Shikaku continued, a foreboding glint in his eyes. "Don't let Takeshi get away afterwards. Drag him back here if you have to. I want, no, I demand a rematch. I will not have my pride trampled on so easily."
Shikamaru only scoffed and rose to his feet, stretching and making his way to get another slice of pizza. "Old man, if he can beat you, then the only one that troublesome redhead will be playing tomorrow will be me. Defeating him will mean I'll defeat you."
Shikaku's eye twitched as he watched his son leave the room. "Damned brat." He growled, glaring at the board, Inoichi and Chouza still dying of laughter.
After the party, Naruto and Takeshi walked to their new home. Their clones had already already cleaned two houses, the Clan Head home and the house nearest to it.
"Are you sure you want me to be Clan Head, Naruto? Kushina-oba was the older sibling, so she was Clan Head, and that title falls to you." Takeshi asked again to make sure.
"Yeah, I'm sure. You're better at politics, and I know that the Hokage can't be a Clan Head while in office. I'll leave the future of our clan to you, Takeshi-nii." Naruto reassured with an arm slung across Takeshi's shoulder.
"Then I hereby swear, on our blood as Uzumaki, that I'll continue to be worthy of the trust you've given me, Naruto Uzumaki." Takeshi vowed.
"I hear and accept your pledge, Takeshi Uzumaki." Naruto replied.
They made it to the Uzumaki Compound in only a couple minutes. Walking through the gates, they saw their clones milling about. Upon seeing them, they all started popping in small groups. They were all instructed to wait until the originals arrived to start popping, because both Naruto and Takeshi didn't want to be distracted while they celebrated with their friends.
One of Takeshi's clones came and handed a large scroll to him before popping.
"Oh! Here you go, Naruto. These are all your parents' belongings. From pictures to their personal journals to jutsu." Takeshi explained while handing Naruto the scroll.
Tearing up a bit, Naruto took the scroll. "Thanks."
Since they both got the memories of the layout of their new homes, they both went straight to bed.
"Settle down!" Iruka yelled.
It was the next day, and it was time for team placements.
Takeshi glanced at Iruka. He didn't really like the Chunin. Like the weak sheep he is, he showed distain for Naruto in the beginning. Sure he remained professional, but he was always on Naruto's case for the smallest things. It was always irritating for Takeshi, both in his past life, and his current one.
'I kNoW hOw YoU feEl, NaRuTo. Pfft. If you really saw yourself in Naruto's situation, then you'd make an actual effort to talk with him and be there for him instead of fucking paying for ramen and getting on his case about everything. Stupid phony is lucky Naruto was so attention starved in canon that the bare minimum gave them Naruto's undying loyalty and respect.' Takeshi thought darkly.
As he glanced around the room, he noticed a lack of pink hair. 'Did Sakura fail? Well it makes sense. With Sarutobi taking a closer look on the Academy after Mizuki tried to sabotage Naruto, it understandable he wouldn't let a civilian girl who diets and doesn't take being a kunoichi seriously pass. Good on him.'
"Team 7 - Naruto Uzumaki, Takeshi Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha. Your Jonin Sensei is Kakashi Hatake." Iruka droned on.
Naruto grinned and fist bumped Takeshi while Sasuke smirked.
After Iruka finished announcing the teams, he gave some final parting words before he left. Takeshi didn't even bother listening.
The teams were picked up one by one while the boys remained. Takeshi, only half expecting his sensei to be Hatake, had brought a new notebook to write another story.
He felt it was ample time for the Elemental Nations to be introduced to the magical world of Harry Potter. Small changes will be applied here and there, of course.
While they were waiting, Sasuke took out one of Takeshi's books, and began reading. He became a fan of the Arkham Knight series. Takeshi knew in this world, a shinobi is expected to murder others, so he made Batman kill some of his enemies, the Joker especially, but the regular goons were just beat up, and tied up.
Naruto was working on new seals and improving old ones. By the Uzumaki standards, both Takeshi and Naruto were adept in the art of fuinjutsu. By the Elemental Nations standards, they were both masters.
"Ne, Takeshi-nii, what do you think our sensei is like?" Naruto asked.
"Obviously, he's someone who doesn't respect others enough to show up on time. I wonder if I should write a formal complaint." Takeshi replied, his annoyance audible.
Naruto chuckled. "Calm down, Takeshi-nii. Maybe he had an emergency."
Takeshi just huffed.
"What about you, Sasuke? Thoughts on our sensei?" Naruto asked.
"It shows either a mark of laziness, or lack of care on his part. My opinion is a bit biased at this." Sasuke responded.
"Hmph! You guys are just impatient!" Naruto announced.
Both Takeshi and Sasuke snorted at the irony.
It took another two hours before their sensei walked in the classroom.
"My first impression of you three… you're all boring." He spoke in a lazy drawl. "Meet me at the roof." He disappeared in a shunshin while the three boys packed their things away.
They took their time going up to the roof, and sat in front of their sensei.
"Now that we're all here." Kakashi started. "Let's get things rolling. First off, we'll start off by introducing ourselves to each other; tell us your name, hobbies, interests, dislikes, future long term goals, and all that good stuff."
"You first, sensei!" Naruto called.
"OK then." Kakashi shrugged. "I'm Hatake Kakashi. One of my hobbies is reading. My likes, dislikes, and future goals, you don't need to know. Your turn, Blondie."
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! My hobbies are pranks, making and improving seals, and freerunning through the village. My likes are my family, Hinata-chan, ramen, and fuinjutsu. My dislikes are people who prejudge me without getting to know me, and traitors. My goals in the future is to marry Hinata-chan and start a family, then I'll become Hokage!" Naruto enthusiastically exclaimed.
"Hm. Your turn Mr. Serious."
"Hn. My name is Sasuke Uchiha. My hobbies are reading, and training. I like training, tomatoes, and curry, and I hate betrayal. I don't have a dream, I have a promise. To find a certain man and get answers."
"Yikes. Your turn Hoodie."
"I am Takeshi Uzumaki. My hobbies include writing, cooking, hunting, and a lot of other things. I like my family, writing, and inventing new dishes. My goal is to continue to support my brothers until they reach their own goals, and to reestablish the Uzumaki clan."
"Great! Now that we've got the introductions done, we'll move on to the next objective: the test I'll give you three tomorrow to see if you all are really ready for the shinobi life." Kakashi said.
"Test?" All three boys asked.
"We already took the Genin Exams, sensei." Takeshi expanded.
"The academy merely gave you a test to judge whether or not you all could perform the basic fundamentals of jutsu and other arts. My test will judge whether you three will meet the merit of being shinobi. It has a 66% fail rate, so let's hope you're all ready. Meet me tomorrow morning at 6 o'clock at the training ground in front of the Konoha Memorial Stone. Oh, and I recommend that you don't eat anything before my test. You'll just puke it up. Till then, enjoy the rest of your day."
Kakashi then shunshined away.
"Well, that's just great! Just when I thought all the stupid tests were done!" Naruto whined.
Takeshi sighed. "Whatever. You guys wanna go buy ramen?"
"Hell yeah!" "Why not."
Guess who said what.
The three Genin sat once again waiting for their sensei.
"This is the second time. If he does it a third, I'm filing a formal complaint. This constant tardiness is annoying." Takeshi spoke up.
"Right behind you." Naruto replied. He was willing to give his sensei the benefit of the doubt, but being late twice in a row made Naruto lose faith.
"Yo!" Kakashi said as he appeared.
"You're late, sensei." Sasuke drawled, unimpressed, while Naruto and Takeshi glared.
"I got lost on the road of life, then an old lady needed my help crossing the street, then a black cat ran pass me, so I had to take a whole knew route, then-"
"Ok, sensei. We get it. Can we just get the test started."
Kakashi shrugged, "If you say so. Anyway, I'm glad to see all three of you here and, I assume, on time."
The Jounin reached into his pouch and retrieved two bells from it. "This is your test. There are two bells and three of you. Your test will be to try to get the bells from me. The one who fails will end up being tied to one of those wooden posts over there while the other two will get to have the boxed lunches and drinks I brought with me. Plus, the one who fails will be sent back to the academy for remedial training."
'So that's why he told us not to eat or drink anything before coming here.' Naruto contemplated. 'We're supposed to be a Genin cell but Kakashi-sensei rigged this test to get us to turn on each other.'
'This must be why Takeshi kept pestering me to eat. I'll thank him later with a jutsu.' Sasuke thought.
"You will have three hours to get the bells from me. Come at me with the intent to kill. This alarm will go off twice. The first time will mark the start of the test. The second time will mark the conclusion of the test."
Kakashi went over and set the alarm clock by the drinks and two boxed lunches. The Jounin then pulled out his orange book and opened it to the page he left off at.
"Now." Kakashi said with his eye on his book as he crouched down. "Get ready, all of you."
All three boys tensed in preparation.
The moment the alarm rang, the three of them jumped into a triangle entrapment formation with Kakashi in the middle.
Kakashi's visible eyelid raised up in surprise. 'Oh? Instead of concealing themselves they went straight for a battle formation? The first step when on a mission is usually being able to conceal yourself. Either they forgot or they're overly confident.'
Takeshi held three senbon needles in his left hand and three in his right and threw them in a large arc towards Kakashi. Sasuke performed a similar feat throwing six shuriken in a wide arc.
Kakashi was surprised. His escape route has been closed off, so decided to be as bold as them and dashed towards Naruto who did the same.
'He plans to engage in taijutsu also?' Kakashi thought.
Kakashi punched with his right fist only for Naruto to block it with his left hand. Kakashi threw a right hook while Naruto ducked and pushed out with a palm strike to Kakashi's groin area.
He jumped back while Naruto gave chase. They exchanged a few dozens more blows before Kakashi threw out a left straight punch only for it to be caught by Naruto in a tight hold.
'A hold? Why now? It leaves him vulnerable.' Kakashi thought. His confusion was short lived as he sensed danger behind him. He quickly used his free hand to disarm Naruto's grapple and kicked upwards forcing Naruto to jump to the side as he jumped to his left.
Just as Kakashi dodged to his left two senbon needles and two shuriken flew pass the spot he was just at. Before he could process what had happened, Takeshi dashed over with a flying back kick towards Kakashi's head. Just as he ducked to dodge Takeshi's attack he heard Sasuke. "Earth Style: Bottomless Swamp Jutsu!"
'What the hell?!' Kakashi shouted internally. Although he successfully dodged Takeshi's flying kick attack his feet were stuck and he was quickly sinking down into a mud swamp.
Naruto quickly used this opportunity and threw a shuriken. "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" One shuriken quickly became 10.
"Earth Style: Earth Wall Jutsu!" A large dirt wall appeared just in time to block the barrage of shuriken. He then formed more hand seals. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" Kakashi aimed down to remove himself from the mud.
Takeshi took a senbon needle out throwing it towards Kakashi which hit him in the neck, but a second later it turned into a log.
Kakashi stood hidden on a tree branch nearby with cold sweat dripping down his head as he stared at the spot he was just at. 'What the hell are these little monsters?! Luckily I used the Substitution Jutsu just in time.'
He quickly took out his own kunai and jumped out of the tree expertly deflecting the shuriken that was thrown at him. 'They found me already?'
"I guess I'll try a little harder." Kakashi stated. He formed a few hand signs and said. "Earth Style: Stone Cage Lock Jutsu!"
The three Genin immediately tried to move out the way as a large cage made of stone closed where they were standing. Sasuke and Takeshi had managed to escape imprisonment, but Naruto was caught in a cage.
Takeshi rushed Kakashi with a kunsi in each hand and engaged in close quarter combat with him. Sasuke took this opportunity to reach Naruto's cage and weaved a few hand signs. "Fire Style: Severing Blade Jutsu!" Flame blades sliced the stones enough for Naruto to break himself out.
"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked.
"Hell yeah. Let's kick sensei's ass!" He responded.
Naruto placed his hands together to form Ox, Snake, and Ram. "Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
He then expelled a large amount of mist from his mouth allowing it to fill up the entire area.
The moment Takeshi noticed Naruto use the mist technique he parried one of Kakashi's attacks and jumped backwards towards Naruto and Sasuke.
"The Hidden Mist technique?! So they can even do this." Kakashi said in surprise. It's just one surprise after another. He mentally began processing the whole ordeal up to now. 'Is there really a need to continue with this exam? The purpose was to see if they have any teamwork but they obviously have near perfect teamwork already. Maybe I'll just use this exercise to probe out their abilities and see what skill level they're at.'
Takeshi quickly and soundlessly appeared behind Kakashi and stabbed at his neck area with a senbon needle. The needle then quickly sank into the neck meeting its mark. Takeshi smirked at his success only for him to notice something wrong. Before he could react his hand was held down tightly by earth protruding from Kakashi's body. His body then completely turned into earth.
"An Earth Clone?!" Takeshi exclaimed.
"That's correct." Kakashi said as his actual body stood in front. The Earth Clone proceeded to wrap itself around more and more of Takeshi's body seeking to tightly bind him.
'If I wasn't extremely wary and cautious of these three kids and prepared that Earth Clone I would have been paralyzed by his needle right now.' It was at this moment that he noticed 3 shuriken flying towards him.
Pulling out a kunai, Kakashi successfully blocked two of them and parried the last.
As he looked around to find the attacker Sasuke's hands stuck out from underneath him and gripped his ankles tightly, attempting to pull him into the ground with the HeadHunter Jutsu.
'Eh?'
Kakashi shunshined out of Sasuke's grip at the same time Takeshi broke out the earth clone's trap.
Takeshi and Naruto stood in the field again, the mist dissipating by then. They both blitzed through hand signs at the same time before firing there attack.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet Jutsu!"
"Water Style: Raging Waves Jutsu!"
Kakashi stood on the receiving end of both attacks with a look of incredulity and seriousness, but he caught up quick enough. "Earth Style: Earth Domed Wall Jutsu!"
A sphere of earth formed a protective shield around Kakashi as both attacks crashed against his protection.
As Kakashi remained safely shielded inside the dome he was shocked. He knew they were incredibly skilled, but to use jutsu at their current speed and proficiency was a shock to Kakashi.
'Why did I have to say come at me with the intent to kill?' He inwardly lamented.
Suddenly, he felt the dome stop rumbling from the onslaught. Waiting for a moment, he peeked out, and didn't see anyone. Releasing the jutsu, he looked around and couldn't find his students.
'Now they decide to use stealth?!'
Watching their sensei from a safe distance, the three Genin regrouped in order to plan.
"Sensei is truly a capable shinobi. He's successfully blocked, deflected, or parried every one of our techniques despite our teamwork and carefully planned attacks." Takeshi said.
Sasuke nodded. "Not only that, but sensei has only used his techniques to defend and hasn't really made a move to attack us. If he did we wouldn't have had such an easy time coordinating our techniques. In fact, it's possible that one of us would have been defeated already."
"Both of you guys are right. Kakashi-sensei is really strong. I'd bet he's one of the best Jonin in Konoha. Even if the three of us go all out we still may end up losing. I'm sure by now that sensei has as sense of our teamwork and abilities, so lets make one last attempt and go for the bells. There's only one way we can be successful and that means we're going to have to stop holding back a bit." Naruto inputted.
"Alright, Hokage-sama. What's the plan?" Takeshi inquired. He tried to turn as many things as he could into a learning experience for Naruto.
"Alright, here's what we'll do…"
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