It's been two weeks since Naruto took the three brats under his wing and if there's one adjective to describe his experience, it would be entertaining. Most of his time during ANBU was taking mission after mission or training until he couldn't feel his muscles anymore. The more that he thought about it, he realized that he forgot about the one thing that he truly enjoyed as a kid; pranks.
Naruto couldn't believe he forgot about it when it was so much fun. Sure, he messes with Mito and Tayuya from time to time, but it isn't as much fun as seeing Sakura's temper tantrums, Sai's uncharacteristic frowns, and Hinata's occasional adorable scowls. Sometimes, it even helps them band together to avoid one of Naruto's humiliating pranks. Unfortunately for them, they're witnessing a veteran at work that not even the Fourth Hokage was able to stop.
But of course, not everything has been smooth sailing.
The team's dynamic has been messy for the first couple of weeks. Sakura and Sai continued to argue almost every single day. Hinata reverted back to her shy self and almost never spoke up to break their fights. It didn't help that Sakura is a lot more aggressive nowadays to the pale boy, which in turn scared the lavender-haired heiress.
Naruto, at first, ignored it because their fights doesn't interfere with their work. That is until a Tora mission almost killed the cat. He didn't want to explain to the Daimyo's wife that the reason her cat died was that two of his Genins used the feline as a weapon to beat each other up while the other pleaded for them to stop. While the cat's death may be a blessing to all shinobi, angering the Daimyo's wife, in turn, the actual Daimyo will bring devastating results to Konoha's funding.
To remedy this, Naruto chose D-ranks that specifically target their teamwork skills. One reason is to essentially force them to work together to accomplish their task, no matter how much they dislike each other. Another is for training. Naruto made sure to make their D-ranks as difficult as possible, either by choosing missions that require their physical skills like the Tora mission or by giving them challenging requirements to fulfill whilst doing their missions.
It suffices to say that Naruto couldn't drop his vicious grin for two weeks and the Genins, even Hinata, grew frustrated with their sensei.
However, today will be entirely new. Today, he'll finally be giving them proper shinobi training. For the past month, he's been working on a schedule on when and how to train each Genin to their proper skills. The hardest part of it all is to create individual training for an heiress who relies solely on their clan's techniques, a civilian-born with no specialty whatsoever, and a Genin plant that possibly has the skills of an average Chunin. In the end, Naruto was able to create the perfect training plan but for now, he'll have them focus on the basics.
Naruto hummed to himself, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for his students to arrive at their training grounds. To keep himself busy, he went over the training plan in his head once again. He even had Tayuya review it for him and she declared that it's the most well-thought-out and impressive plan that any sensei has to offer—which is odd considering he made it in under an hour.
Just as he was about to question Tayuya's optimistic critique, his senses tingled and three chakra signatures arrived at the same time. Looking over, he spotted his newly-minted Genins standing at attention before him. However, instead of acknowledging them, the blond simply gave them a pointed stare that meant absolutely nothing but to his students, it meant everything. Their reflexes tightened as they subconsciously moved to a combat position, some more refined than the other.
'Well, at least they learned something from the past month.' Naruto thought to himself in amusement as he watched them fidget under his intense gaze.
Other than the increased animosity and fear of incoming pranks, nothing has changed about the Genins' attitudes. Sakura is just as insecure and doubtful about her future as a shinobi. Sai remained disinterested in connecting with his teammates. Hinata, the poor cinnamon roll, is stuck in the animosity between her two teammates and is the only one trying to resolve their team dynamic, sadly to no success. Naruto's starting to think if their passing of his test was just a fluke.
"Welcome, my cute little brats! Glad to see you here early!" Naruto greeted them with a wide grin.
The three Genin shared a blank look. "You said that you'll drown us in ramen broth if we're ever late… again, Naruto-sensei." Sakura replied, shivering slightly at the experience.
"Did I say that? Eh, who knows. Anyways," Naruto clapped his hands together. "Today will be something different. Actually, this entire week will be different. For now, I will be testing you on what you currently know and your skills. Now, follow me!" He cried out in excitement as he began walking towards the forest behind them.
Sakura and Hinata both shared a look of confusion before eventually following their sensei. Meanwhile, Sai stayed behind and looked around his surroundings. A few seconds later, he spotted a small black figure making its way through the grass. Kneeling down, he cautiously watched his team head over to wherever their sensei wants them to be as he laid out his palm for an ink mouse to crawl onto his hand.
Standing up and taking out his scroll, he dropped the mouse on top of the parchment paper and as soon as it touched the surface, it broke into a splatter of ink. But slowly, the messy structure started moving on its own and creating a message on his scroll;
'The mission continues. Report twice a month about the progress. Lord Danzo also requests you to keep an eye on the Namikaze and report any strange activities or behaviors.'
Sai knew that whenever Lord Danzo requests something, it always means it was an order. With an extra mission on his back, the pale boy is starting to feel the pressure from his master. But just as he was about to write a reply, a voice called out.
"Sai! What are you doing? Didn't you hear Naruto-sensei? Let's go!" Sakura shouted, sharing a look of confusion with Hinata.
Placing his scroll back to his waist, he caught up to his teammates and ignored their gazes. "I apologize for the wait. I was simply checking my equipment in case I forgot something." Sai replied.
Sakura narrowed her eyes at his flimsy excuse but eventually accepted because she didn't care about what he was doing in his spare time. "Fine. Just don't do it next time. I don't want to be pummeled with water balloons again for being late." She muttered to herself before jogging faster to catch up to their sensei.
Meanwhile, Hinata was a bit more concerned about her teammate. Even though they don't interact that much, she still feels the need to worry about him. "Um, a- are you really fine, Sai-san?" Hinata hesitantly questioned.
Momentarily surprised by the heiress, Sai schooled his features into his normal flat smile. "Yes, Hyuga-san. What makes you ask that?" He asked.
"A- ano, you looked pretty nervous w- when I saw. You're also sweating." Hinata replied innocently, missing the way Sai's eyes snapped open.
Sai patted his forehead with his hand and was shocked to feel a moistness around his skin. He stared at the slight wetness on his fingers, almost in disbelief that he can produce such a thing. "It's nothing to worry about, Hyuga-san. I just… thought I forgot something." He replied; but this time, his tone seems more unsure and confused that it's impossible for Hinata to miss.
However, while the heiress couldn't understand why Sai is acting so uncharacteristic, she decided that it's not her place to question his oddities. She simply nodded, albeit hesitantly to show her disbelief towards his explanation. Giving him one last glance, Hinata scurried forward and left Sai to his own troubled thoughts.
But despite that, the pale boy remembered his mission and his status as one of Lord Danzo's proudest soldiers. The thought of failing his task, in turn, his master brought great distress to him. So suppressing any worry about his current state, he wiped the remaining sweat from his forehead and trudged forward to meet where his team is, which happens to be in the midst of the forest.
The abundance of trees and nature in Konoha led forests on this scale to grow in some parts of the village. Most saw this as a symbol of their great village and memory of their first Hokage, Hashirama Senju. To others like Naruto, it simply became an area to train in. The unconventional environment and unpredictable terrain gave Leaf shinobi a great way to exercise their skills and learn how to strive in such a place.
The Genins watched their sensei stroll through the forest until they walked out of the clearing, leaving the sky-reaching trees, the earthy smell of the dirt, and, the quiet buzzing of insects, and seemingly entered a whole new environment. Right before them is a large lake; one that stretched farther than a clan compound. Lilies floated above the clear waters like miniature islands across the vast oceans. With stones rising above the waters and sea life striving under their aquatic habitat, it seems the perfect place to relax.
For a moment, the three Genin thought that the agenda for today is to take a break from all the D-ranks and that their sensei will teach them the value of a well-earned rest. That is until they saw the twinkle in Naruto's eyes that made them instantly throw away such a ludicrous idea.
"Now, you may be wondering why you're here." Naruto started, facing his students. "For the past month, you've been working on D-ranks every day. As much as it's entertaining," cue the Genins' scowl of disagreement. "that won't be enough to help you survive out there. Let me ask you, what do you think will help you the most out in becoming a shinobi?"
Naruto started expectantly at them. Only Sakura seemed to be brave and interested enough to raise her hand. Upon being acknowledged with a nod, nervousness grasped her. "Um, jutsus?" she spoke unsurely.
"While that may be true, jutsus are nothing without its foundation; chakra. In fact, most of our physical actions stem from our chakra, whether it's in combat or traveling. Even a Taijutsu specialist will use chakra to enhance their bodies to gain an upper hand on their enemies. But that's also not enough. You can have the largest chakra reserves in Konoha but if you can't control it, then what's the use?" Naruto explained. "Throwing the largest and flashiest jutsu at each other won't win you the fight. Sometimes, it's not even a fight. Sometimes, you're trying to solve a non-combat situation and the jutsu you must produce has to be precise for it to be resolved. Sometimes, you don't have to use a jutsu and can simply solve the problem with a single well-aimed kunai. It's all about how much chakra you can reserve while simultaneously solving the problem and when the perfect time to use it is.
When he glanced at the three Genin, he was more than surprised to see them completely engaged with his words. Even Sai, who's supposed to be more than knowledgeable about this, is tilting his head in confusion and interest. Momentarily giving himself a few seconds to scream internally in happiness, he decided to add more pizzazz to his lecture. Kami forbids him to become one of those academy instructors who read everything off of a book.
"To demonstrate, I will try to eliminate that fish over there." He pointed toward the lake where a largemouth bass is peacefully swimming alone on the edge of the shore. turns towards the lake and readied himself. 'Ox - Monkey - Hare - Rat - Boar…' Naruto thought to himself, speeding through the hand seals faster than the speed of sound before stopping on a bird sign. "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu."
The Genins watched as the water across the lake started rippling, shaking as if an earthquake was occurring, until something burst from the waters and sent a shower of freshwater down to the shocked kids. Rising above the lake at about 10 meters above the surface is a giant water dragon with glowing yellow eyes. Its snout bared its vicious fangs and despite it being made out of water, the Genins could feel its sharpness.
Naruto eyed the bass near the shoreline and with a single thought, the dragon followed its directive and shot forward like a turret. The poor fish remained ignorant to its dire situation, even as the water-molded reptile slammed against its position in a tsunami of force and pressure. The shoreline cracked upon the devastating damage, showering dirt and water all across the air.
Sakura and Hinata had to steady themselves after the earth-shattering jutsu landed while Sai coated his feet with chakra to avoid being thrown off his balance, watching the unsung legend perform a jutsu at such a magnitude that's not even in line with his chakra nature. Once the air cleared, all that was left is an entirely new section of the lake that opened up and a school of mutilated fish floating on top of the water.
"I used about the equivalent of an average Chunin's chakra reserves to fuel that jutsu, all to kill one fish." Naruto elaborated, to the amazement of the Genins. There's not even a single drop of sweat from the man and he just admitted to pulling off such a jutsu without even trying. "Now, let's see if using a smaller scale of the jutsu will be just as effective."
Gathering chakra once again, he sped through the same hand seals and stopped at the last one. This time, he's targeting the trout treading across the middle of the lake. Without even announcing the jutsu, the water rippled, and a burst of water once again erupted from the lake. However, a significant change from this is that the dragon itself is 8 meters smaller than before, but it didn't make it less intimidating.
Naruto sent his thoughts to the jutsu and after a growl of acknowledgment, the dragon burst into a torrent of speed and unlike the previous one, this dragon simply struck the target with a snap of its jaws, tearing the trout into minces of meat. No destructive qualities or earth-shattering strikes, but the dragon accomplished its mission.
"As you can see, I conserve my chakra as well as minimize the destructive capabilities of my jutsu in exchange for diverse applications. In end, I achieve the same thing in both scenarios. At the same time, you don't have to use such a taxing jutsu to accomplish this." He once again sped through a number of hand seals and held up two fingers under his mouth. "Suiton: Kuchi Shotto."
A senbon-shaped water droplet shot out of Naruto's mouth and tore through the air like a bullet, piercing a harmless fish through the belly. "Or just do this." He summoned a kunai from his pouch and threw it right through an unsuspecting salmon. "It's not always about what brings the biggest destruction. Sometimes, it's about what works with the least effort."
Sakura's jaw is practically hanging from her mouth. She has been the most studious student in the academy yet all of this is foreign to her. All of this information compiled into one demonstration and explanation is essentially an entire year's worth of lectures in the academy. The nerdy part of her is starting to eat all of this up.
However, her excitement and shock suddenly took a nosedive as she realized that even her academic achievements are useless. With both her physical and academic skills so lackluster, what can she offer her sensei?
Unaware of their pink-haired teammate's thoughts, both Hinata and Sai are amazed by the capabilities of their sensei, one more than the other. While the heiress is astonished by Naruto's exemplary and knowledgeable use of a single water jutsu, Sai is analyzing the skills he's displaying and noting them in his head. However, he's not just doing it for the sake of the mission. Without even noticing, his curious mind absorbed the information Naruto relayed and the sparkle of interest is visible in his eyes.
Naruto smiled proudly, silently bathing in the awe of his students. As an ANBU agent, he has no time to appreciate his skills, and to see people admiring him for his own capabilities and not for being the son of the Fourth Hokage satisfied him. But now's not the time to be showered in quiet praise. He's still a sensei after all.
"Alright, now that I explained to you the importance of chakra control. We'll be using our time on training it. You all know tree-climbing, correct?" Naruto inquired and much to his relief, they all nodded. "Thank fuck…" he murmured to himself before returning his attention to them. "Good. Because this exercise will be a more advanced version of the tree-climbing excercise."
After a chakra-enhanced leap toward the lake, both Sakura and Hinata thought that their sensei had just taken a dive only for Naruto to land perfectly on top of the water; with no ripples or changes on the surface, almost as if he wasn't there.
"This… is water-walking. For an entire week, you will be striving to achieve this level of control. If one of you fails to accomplish this, I will be assigning an entire month's worth of D-ranks to the team." At that, all three Genins snapped their heads at their sensei, disbelief written across their faces. "Today, I'll be holding your hand but tomorrow, you're all on your own.
As Naruto walked across the lake back to the shore, he turned to the only male member of the team. "Sai, since you're already experienced in this chakra control exercise, my task for you is to teach Hinata how it's done." He added as he held up a hand sign, summoning a clone beside him in a puff of smoke. "My clone will be supervising you. I trust that you understand that your task is detrimental to the goal of this training."
Sai flashed a strained smile. "Yes, Naruto-sensei." He imparted with an air of uncertainty.
The blond then locked eyes with his pink-haired student, who he noticed had been lamenting throughout the explanation of their goal. "Sakura, please follow me." He motioned with his fingers as he passed by her towards the forest.
Sakura could only imagine what her sensei wanted to speak to her about. Maybe it's him finally realizing how useless she would be on the team. Maybe he wants her to drop out of the program. All of these thoughts invaded her mind as she followed Naruto into an open space in the middle of hundreds of trees, branches reaching into the sky and blocking the sun's rays from entering. The dark atmosphere only added to the fear in Sakura's heart.
She was so worried about it that she completely forgot where she was going and ended up bumping against Naruto's back. "O -oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going and I—"
"Hey, hey. Calm down, Sakura. It's alright." There's nothing to worry about." Naruto reassured with a good-natured laugh, but it didn't soothe Sakura in the slightest. "Now, you must be wondering why I personally called you here. Well, I'm going to be honest with you, Sakura. You're currently the weakest among the graduation class. Academically, you're on top of the class, even beating the Uchiha, but that won't cut it if the rest of your skills are lower than average."
Sakura's fears have just been confirmed; she really is being kicked out of the shinobi program. Color drained out of her face as the reality of her situation settled in. Her legs started trembling, struggling to keep her steady after the tremendous mental pressure laid upon her.
She's just realizing now how much she cares about being a shinobi. Her crush on Sasuke is the farthest thing from her mind and she can't bring herself to care. But maybe this is the right answer. Maybe she isn't destined to be a shinobi. Maybe her mother is right that people like her aren't cut out to become soldiers and that she should just inherit a business she has no interest in. Maybe… that's her fate.
"But don't worry about it. There's a reason why I accepted you to be my student."
Almost breaking her neck by how fast her head snapped up, Sakura uttered out a slurred, "Huh?"
Naruto arched an eyebrow "Of course. You didn't think I was just going to give up on you because of that?" He rhetorically asked. "It's not your fault you were born in a civilian family. In fact, take it as an accomplishment for competing with clan heirs and heiresses. It's not always a civilian-born graduate, especially among such a class."
Strangely enough, Sakura pondered over that thought a bit and found herself surprised to see how it actually makes sense. There were thirty students in the class yet she's among the nine that graduated, an achievement even she didn't realize. As much as she didn't want to admit it, it certainly felt good to finally realize how she's beaten twenty-one, other students, for the top spots.
"Now, now. I recognize that smile. Don't grow too much of an ego. Besides, now that you're a Genin, your competition just got harder now that you're against the clan heirs and heiresses." Naruto warned, which served its purpose as the grin growing across Sakura's mouth died almost immediately.
"Oh, you're right…" she groaned out. This day has just been a rollercoaster of emotions.
"But no worries. That's why I'm teaching you in the first place. You didn't have a ground foundation like the other kids so that's what I'm trying to help you with first. For now, let's focus on the chakra aspects." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest as a serious look overtook his face. "I'm going to be honest with you, Sakura. Your chakra control is so perfect that it scares me. The only other person I've ever heard of having such control at a young age is Tsunade the Slug Sannin and even she has the excuse of being a Senju."
Sakura's face imitated a goldfish. Sure, she's heard her instructors mention that her chakra control is impressive for her age and that it set a new standard. But to hear it from an experienced Jonin is something else. She's learning more about herself in ten minutes than in the four years in the academy.
"With that said, your chakra reserves are so low that I'm surprised you're alive right now." And that's where Sakura's joyful mood took a nosedive. If she had dog ears, they would be drooping right now. "I mean, they're so pathetically low that I feel like I'm inside a deep trench. I could absorb your chakra and still not feel it adds to my reserves. A Hyuga can mistake you for a frog, that's how low it is. It's exactly the amount of a fucking frog!"
At this point, the way he's describing it is starting to annoy her. A tick mark throbbed over her forehead. "OKAY! I get it! I have small chakra reserves. Get to the point!" she fumed.
Naruto's serious expression broke and a foxy smile burst forth. "Alright, I'm exaggerating. But that's exactly your main problem. The reason why you have high control over your chakra is that there's not that much chakra to control. But that's not a bad thing. You already have established control over it and training will increase your chakra reserves while also maintaining your level of control. Water-walking would be a breeze for you but the problem is maintaining it for a long period of time and that's what we're working on." He elaborated. When Sakura nodded, he continued. "Now, my task for you is to completely master the tree-climbing exercise. Train until your chakra drops. Your chakra reserves are like muscles, train them hard enough and they will improve over time. It will be grueling and incredibly arduous, but you will reap the benefits by the end of it."
Sakura thought about it for a moment. If she does agree to this plan, would she have enough time to practice her water-walking? Will her chakra reserves really grow by training to failure? Can she even accomplish this?
'No, I can do this. I aced this exercise in the academy! Plus, I have no reason to doubt Naruto-sensei. I can do this!' Sakura clenched her fists as determination settled on her face. "I'll do it, sensei!"
A satisfied smirk grew on Naruto's face. "Well, what are you waiting for?" He gestured towards the incredibly tall tree behind him; one that practically reached the skies.
But Sakura's will fail to waver. Cracking her knuckles, she spurred into action and leaped off the ground. Quickly applying chakra onto her feet. she successfully landed on the surface with no problem. Almost immediately, she could feel her chakra ever so slowly depleting. But there's no time to think about that; it's time to climb this tree. With a mighty roar to motivate herself, she dashed across the bark and up to the treetop.
"CHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Thirty minutes have passed since she accepted Naruto's challenge and it suffices to say that she underestimated how low her chakra reserves are. Currently, she's laying spread-eagled across the dirt with her eyes blank from exhaustion. Her skin is gleaming in sweat as her breaths came out ragged and coarse. She couldn't even bother noticing the dirt sticking onto her skin as she laid down on the ground with her mind falling asleep.
Those thirty minutes of torture is one of the most terrible experiences of her entire life. Never before has she reached a point of exhaustion where Kami is literally sucking the air out of her lungs; where muscles worked like rusty gears and caterpillar treads. Making sounds is the only way for her to convey her thoughts and even that felt like a chore
Sakura couldn't even get angry at Naruto, who was laughing hysterically from his corner. Opening her eyes is practically a hassle. She didn't have the energy to walk up to her sensei and just give him a big ol' wallop on the head. If she could, she would be doing it right now.
Just as her mind is about to shut down, she felt something warm wrapping around her arm. The jangling sounds of metal rubbing against metal entered her ears and ever so softly, a warm glow bathed Sakura's body. As if she was being blessed by angels, the pink-haired girl could actually feel her energy returning. Chakra is filling up her reserves once again and without even thinking, she hopped to her feet, feeling rejuvenated and more alive than ever before.
"Wow! What is this?" Sakura stared in awe at the golden chains wrapped around her arm. When she first saw these, she thought they were going to be as cold as metal. But she couldn't be more wrong. The warmth she's experiencing is like sitting next to the fireplace in her home in the middle of a snowy night, sipping a hot drink.
"Those are my Adamantine Sealing Chains or chakra chains for short. They are my… kekkei genkai, I suppose." Naruto reappeared before her, staring longingly at the chains.
Sakura gasped in amazement as the blond retracted the chains back to him. She felt a touch of disappointment when the warmth left her. "So, they come from the Namikaze Clan?" She questioned.
"Uzumaki, actually. My mother has the same chains and I inherited them from her. They're a symbol of her strength and I refuse to let such a gift be wasted." Naruto stated proudly, sticking his nose up into the air.
A small smile graced Sakura's face as she listened to the blond speak about his mother affectionately. Her sensei could be such a sweetheart whenever he's not concocting a prank or thinking of ways to make their lives harder. They don't know much about their sensei because he rarely opens up about his personal life and if Sakura isn't imagining, he always seems to have his guard up; as if he's expecting a random attack.
But there are a few moments where they are able to witness him with his walls down. Just like that one time when their mission was interrupted by a purple-haired woman wearing such provocative clothes that Hinata almost fainted. During that time, they were able to see a protective side of Naruto. People seemed to dislike the woman for some reason but before they could express their feelings, they mysteriously fall face-first into the dirt. A glance at the pair showed the both of them laughing their heads off but no one could prove if they really did it.
But judging by the mischievous twinkle in their eyes, something the Genin are more than familiar with, it's pretty obvious what really happened.
"Oi, Sakura. Are you just going to smile creepily over there or are you going to continue training?" Naruto's voice interjected.
A tick mark bloomed on her forehead. "I'm not creepy!" she barked out. Great, all those nice thoughts about her sensei being a sweetheart are immediately shattered.
"Sure you aren't. Now move that ass before I kick you up that tree, and don't worry about exhausting yourself again. I have enough chakra to supply a thousand of you's." The amused expression on Naruto's face remained as he spoke.
A scary thought entered Sakura's mind as her face paled. "Y- you mean… I'll h- have to experience…" she stuttered out with an anxious smile.
Whatever pitiful hope she held on to was immediately squashed by the menacing grin that shaped across Naruto's lips. "Well, I did say it's going to be difficult," he said as an image of himself laughed evilly from behind.
"Kami save me..."
Night has fallen over the village of Konoha, but the populace is still as lively as ever. Hundreds of civilians are crossing the streets and huddling around the markets. Vendors yelled out the products of their stores, hoping to attract customers. Children laughed as they played with the toys they bought, bringing colors into the dark sky. It's a busy night and Naruto blended perfectly with the crowd.
Like any other experienced shinobi, he moved across the bustling markets like a snake in the grass. No one noticed the absent-minded Jonin with hair that should've stood out in the middle of the crowd. Yet Naruto remain undisturbed as he phased through the streets.
Why is he out in the middle of the night when he should be back home with his family? Well, he had just taken an unconscious and exhausted Sakura back to her house and had to explain why she was in her current state. For the past seven hours, Naruto had Sakura run up the twenty-meter tree so many times, that he had to pump chakra into her every fifteen minutes. In the end, she made incredible progress from her current state and he admires her determination to continue without even taking any breaks.
Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for his other two students. Sai is seemingly incapable of explaining the properties of the exercise and poor Hinata is reluctant to speak up about it. They spent the next three hours trying to understand each other but their poor socializing skills is preventing that.
Naruto eventually sent them home, because as much as he found their interactions entertaining, he wanted to end their suffering. However, he made sure to remind Sai that he should come up with a better explanation for the exercise tomorrow and had Hinata swear to herself to not look up or ask about water-walking. After all, he won't let them spoil his fun.
He was so engrossed with his thoughts that he didn't even notice where he was walking until he stopped under a stone arch that leads to an open clearing. Without even taking a look at the name, Naruto knew where he was. He's all too familiar with this place and he will always remember gold writing swirled across the head of the stone arch;
Konoha Memorial
As if in a trance, Naruto's feet carried him into the place and he was greeted with a sight that has been engraved in his memories ever since he was ten years old. Darkness drenched the graveyard, the only visible light is the moon shining from above. Everywhere around him, headstones lay flat across the grassy fields in an organized manner and the names of hundreds of people whose lives have been extinguished.
Gingerly, he stepped into the grounds, dodging the gravesites out of respect for the dead. Remnants of candles are scattered across the memorial, some of them have been forgotten for years while others have been recently lit. Dying flowers bloomed in this graveyard, with most of the headstones having entire bouquets on top of them. Objects of memory such as toys, swords, and books had been struck by rain, weathered into an emulsion of colors.
But none of them are Naruto's focus. His eyes remained on the largest headstones in the middle of the memorial. Two rectangular-shaped structures stood erected with no signs of rust, weathering, or dirt. Twelve unlit candles stood around the headstones. Withered rose and lily petals lay scattered across the surface. Clearly, this belongs to people of importance and as he stood before the headstones, his eyes read the names engraved on the marble surface;
Here lies, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. May Kami guide them to the afterlife
Even after all these years, Naruto still couldn't look at their headstones without looking away in shame. Every time he visits, he dreads facing the mere graves of his parents. Doubt would always infect his heart, questioning every life choice in his past. The worst thing about it is that he'll never receive an answer and he'll be stuck wondering if his parents are proud of him.
Naruto stood in front of the headstone of his parents for a few more minutes, reminiscing the good memories they had. He spent it in silence, only the sounds of sparrows chirping from the nearby trees and the occasional noises from the bustling markets filled the quietude. The wind blew softly, washing the flower petals off of the headstone.
He then held up two fingers to his mouth and without performing any hand signs or speaking any words, an ethereal stream of flames erupted from his mouth. Like a miniature dragon, the fire swirled across the air and lit each candle individually. The blond bathed in the warmth and light as the candles flickered across the headstones, the golden writing twinkling across the stone.
"Goodnight, Mom and Dad." Naruto softly spoke, allowing the wind to carry his words to the afterlife.
With that, Naruto stepped back and turned around to go back home. Mito must be worried sick about him and he doesn't want to deal with another lecture about proper time management. At least he knows that Tayuya will take his side, though he's starting to think that the elder redhead is starting to agree with the younger Namikaze.
But just as he was about to leave the memorial, a silver glint caught his eyes and without thinking, he followed it and his gaze landed on a headstone; one that's slowly weathering across the years. Cracks are visible across the stone. Two candles have already been melted onto the headstone with a single daffodil that stood out from the forgotten grave.
Despite the faded epitaph, Naruto was still able to read the name belonging to the grave. But before he could investigate any further, he sensed a chakra signature nearing him.
"So, you're here too, huh?" A familiar voice drawled out.
Naruto slightly glanced to the side and was unsurprised to see Kakashi standing beside him, staring melancholy at the headstone. Wearing his signature look, the silver-haired man walked up to him with his hands shoved into his pocket. His visible eye lacked its usual bored tone and a wistful one lie beneath it.
"Just felt like visiting…" The blond joked half-heartedly.
Kakashi chuckled. "There's no harm in visiting them every once in a while." He then turned to the gravesite and almost imperceptibly, his lax frame straightened at the sight of the headstone, and his lone eye widened.
"Yeah, but it's not something I'd like to do that often." Naruto shot back, arching an eyebrow at him. "Visiting Obito again, huh?"
A breath of laughter escaped Kakashi's lips. "Touché." He replied. His eyes then strayed to the name on the headstone. "Shisui Uchiha. Why is his grave all the way out here?"
Naruto's facial expression tightened. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. He's considered one of the Uchiha's prized members yet here is his grave, weathered and forgotten. From what I remember, an empty grave was built in the Uchiha Compound but… how could I miss this?" He cursed
Kakashi noticed how upset the blond is. "You were close with him, weren't you. From what I remember, back in ANBU, he was your superior by a year." He mentioned.
"Yeah, he was my superior officer until we received news of his death. I was then assigned to take over his squad as Captain." Naruto replied morosely. "But our relationship only extended through work and the occasional hang-outs in the bar. While I respected him as my superior and friend, someone else had a closer relationship with him."
Interested in learning about the famous Shunshin no Shisui, Kakashi indulged in his curiosity. "Who?"
"Itachi." The blond replied monotonously, his face contorting into a conflicted expression.
Scarlet-red pillars stretched up to the hall's arching ceiling, where the facility's pipe structures are visible to see. Tinted windows are displayed across the walls, preventing sunlight from shining through the darkroom. To the sides are shallow pools with a few lilies floating above the water. Low-powered lights hung across the pillars, acting as lamps to the light the way towards an elevated platform that stretches across the room. The bridge leads towards a moon gate entrance with nothing but darkness inside.
That's what Naruto was greeted with upon entering the ANBU Headquarters for the first time. Despite the numerous agents wandering about, not one of their feet made any noises as they walked by. None of them spoke out loud, resorting to whispers or sign language. A few are even sitting in the middle of the pools, reading a book or sharpening their swords quietly to themselves.
As a fourteen-year-old boy, Naruto is naturally nervous about his inclusion in the organization. He had just sent his application to the Hokage a week ago and after a thorough examination, he was accepted. After an entire year of blood, sweat, and tears, he's finally reached ANBU. Now, all he has to do is meet the Commander and be assigned to a team; no pressure!
'You can do this, Naruto. You're a Jonin for Kami's sake! Let's do this!' He said as he slapped himself in the face.
With that, he headed towards the hallway where the ANBU Commander is supposedly waiting for the new recruits. But as his foot stepped on the bridge, a loud creaking sound made itself apparent across the room. Almost every single head turned towards the blond, their gazes piercing despite the white animal-inspired masks on their faces.
Even Naruto himself cringed at how loud the noise was. He looked down and was shocked to see the metal bridge bending against the weight of his leg. As he raised his foot, the bridge bounced back to its original form in a flimsy manner.
The blond quickly found this suspicious and by how most of the ANBU agents still haven't looked away, this is most likely a test for him. Without even thinking, Naruto laced his feet with chakra and raced through the platform without disrupting the shape of the bridge or creating noise. Only the sound of his breath leaving his mouth filled the quietude. Once he was off, the rest of the onlookers shifted their attention back to their activities.
However, Naruto didn't let his guard down. Now that he knows that there are challenges designed to test the recruits' skills, he should keep his paranoia up just in case. So with a wary look around, he headed inside the hallway and was immediately consumed by the darkness. He turned around, only to see pitch black. The only way to go now is forward.
The blond continued walking forward with no visibility whatsoever. Only the sounds of his boots hitting the concrete floor and bouncing across the walls are his way of maneuvering. He stretched out his hands and touched the walls alongside him, but they just kept on going and going. He tried looking ahead but the lack of light is making it difficult which direction he was facing.
But as time went on, Naruto started to feel that something was wrong. The hallway isn't supposed to be this long and the prolonged darkness is actually making him lose his perception of time. The last clue he received is that all this time, he's been tracing his hand across the wall as he walked and he would mark a spot on the surface by digging a small hole with his finger. For the past few minutes, he brushed against the irregular section more than five times already.
Naruto halted in his steps and pulled out two fingers. "Kai." With that one word, chakra expelled from his body and dispelled all three genjutsu invading his mind.
The darkness instantly vanished as if its very existence evaporated. Naruto stumbled slightly as the effects of the genjutsu slowly faded away. Turning to the side, he found his hand still tracing the crater-like irregularity he formed on the wall and a glance at the back showed him how long the hallway actually is; long enough for the genjutsu to take effect but short enough to travel through without any hindrances.
"Interesting. Quite a fast learner, aren't you?"
Naruto quickly straightened up and faced the voice. All he was greeted with is a white porcelain mask with a single black line across the surface and red scar-like marks on the bottom. His thick, black hair is tied into a messy man bun with strands of his locks falling on his shoulders. Unlike most ANBU members, this man held some sort of authority over everyone else. Not only is his uniform pure onyx-black with silver highlights, but his chakra is like a rising wave instead of the smooth stream he senses from the other ANBU.
His hands are positioned right behind his back as he stared down, almost condescendingly, at him. His impulsive sight was about to scream curses at him for underestimating him but his more patient side, the one he learned as a Jonin, calmed his temper down. It won't be a good impression to act like a kid in front of the Commander of the organization he just joined.
"What's your name, recruit?" The man's deep tenor resonated across the room.
But Naruto's will didn't waver nor did he react to his tone. "Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, Commander." He replied monotonously.
"So you do recognize me. Well done, but I asked for your name, recruit." His voice was calm and rich, but it certainly didn't lack any power.
At first, Naruto was confused, but his conversation with the Hokage reminded him that once you're part of ANBU, you will have two identities. "Hayabusa, Commander." He replied, this time with more conviction.
"Good. You've been taught well. I'm glad to see the son of the Hokage not turn out into a spoiled brat. But I'd like to be proven wrong." The Commander commented nonchalantly.
If this was the younger Naruto, he would've jumped and started kicking the shit out of this trash-talker. But as a much more matured person, the blond knew that this was another attempt to bait him into giving in to his temper. So with a quick few breaths, the scowl that was about to form on his face melted away, and the hand that was about to flip the ANBU Commander off lowered.
Almost imperceptibly, the Commander nodded at him. He then moved his hands from behind him and carefully shoved a sealing scroll into Naruto's hands. "Get dressed in the lockers on the right and meet me back here in fifteen minutes. Also, call me Kuro-sama from now on, Hayabusa." He reminded before walking away.
As Naruto held the scroll, he couldn't contain the excitement showing on his face. As quickly as he could, rushed into the locker rooms to get changed. In that single minute, Naruto showed the world why he's the son of the Yellow Flash. Before instant ramen would be done cooking, the blond is already checking himself out in the mirror.
Most of his uniform is colored in the standard coal-black shade including the sleeveless undershirt—one that proudly showed the ANBU tattoo on his shoulder, flexible combat pants, and spiked sandals. He wore a grey flak jacket over his shirt and metal arm guards for protection. Strapped across his back is the standard tanto that everyone is required to learn to use. Fortunately for Naruto, he had already some basic lessons in Kenjutsu. Lastly, he held up the one exception in the uniform that makes him stand out from the rest; his very own mask.
He caressed his hand over it, allowing the importance of such an object to sink into his heart. With this, a new side of Naruto would be born. Ever so slowly, he raised the mask up to his face, and just as he was about to put it on; just as he felt that his new identity was about to be created, he heard someone speak from behind.
"Naruto?"
Said person's head whirled around. "Itachi?" Naruto found himself saying because standing right in front of him is his stoic Uchiha friend
Even Itachi himself couldn't stop the widening of his eyes. He's wearing the same ANBU uniform he's wearing with the exception that his undershirt has sleeves. The young Uchiha also studied his friend and came to the same late conclusion.
"You're joined ANBU?" They both said at the same time.
Itachi nodded slowly as his facial features reverted back to their stolid state, but there was still a hint of surprise. "Yes. Father suggested that I should join to further increase my potential." the raven-haired boy replied. He then tilted his head at Naruto. "Is this what you mean by going on a ramen-hunting trip to Tanzaku-gai?"
A blush of embarrassment colored Naruto's cheeks. "I- I was trying to keep it a secret. I don't want everyone to know I joined ANBU. It defeats the entire purpose of joining!" He retorted. "Besides, you weren't subtle either. You said you were going on a personal training trip, but there's no way you'll leave Sasuke alone."
The eleven-year-old flashed a small smile. "Should I be happy that you know me so well?"
Naruto released a groan. "Great, I thought I finally surpassed you by becoming ANBU but guess what, you're here too!" He dragged his hands over his face.
"Well, we did have a spar and I faintly remember you pulling a win—"
The blond shot Itachi a glare. "Don't mention that match! The only reason I won was because Sasuke distracted you! All the other spars we had were ties. I won't let this rivalry end until one of us wins. It's tough enough for me to have a rivalry with someone three years younger than me, but they also happened to have a higher rank than me? This is so confusing!" Naruto cried out in agony as he keeled over in a fetal position, crying fake tears on the ground.
Itachi, unsure of what to do, kneeled down and awkwardly patted the blond on his head. "There… there…" He said clumsily. Usually, whenever Sasuke would burst into tears, he would scoop him up into his arms and soundly rock him in the air until he fell asleep. Of course, Itachi understands that he can't do that to Naruto, a fourteen-year-old boy who's not only taller than him but much heavier.
"Um, this is… interesting." a familiar voice to Itachi suddenly interjected.
Almost as quick as his father's famous jutsu, Naruto flashed back up and straightened his body, his face devoid of all emotions but there seems to be a faint scream of embarrassment echoing from his mouth.
Meanwhile, Itachi slowly stood up and eyed the person curiously. "Shisui, what are you doing here?" The raven-haired boy inquired.
The young man being addressed put up a somber expression. "What, can't I visit my best friend?" Then his face lit up. "After all, we're both in ANBU now so I have the excuse to hang out with you!" His coal-black gaze shifted towards the blond. "So, is this infamous Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze my little Itachi is talking about. Nice to meet you!" Shisui said cheerfully and stretched out a hand in greeting
Naruto studied the man before him. Unlike the rest of the ANBU, this man opted to wear a high-collared, dark-colored shirt and pants, with a harness for his tantō which ran across his chest and fastened over both his shoulders. There's no sign of the white porcelain mask that ANBU wore nor any of the standard uniform sets. He used his headband to keep his unkempt, black hair up and proudly showed his coal-black gaze that is all too familiar to him.
It took him a while but Naruto finally recognized him as Shisui Uchiha, the famous Jonin known for his impeccable use of the Shunshin, which garnered him the title, Shunshin no Shisui. He was well known in the Jonin forces but Naruto himself hadn't met him until now.
Despite not knowing him, the blond respected his strength, and given that he seems to be friends with Itachi, he would accept his friendship. Plus, he didn't mention his connection to his father in any circumstances so that's always a check in his book. "Thanks, nice to meet you too." Naruto greeted back with a slight narrowing of his eyes as he shook his hand. He might accept him for now, but being wary won't hurt anyone.
Upon breaking their greeting, Shisui narrowed his eyes at the blond. "Hm, Itachi told me that you were a hot-tempered, hard-headed idiot but I don't see it." He mentioned.
Naruto whirled a terrifying glare at Itachi. "Oh, is that so. I'll make sure to have a conversation with him about that." To add more pressure, he leaked a little bit of killing intent.
Itachi simply shot him a shaky smile. "I was… kidding?" He tried but it only made Naruto's chakra thicken.
"How about I take those pink eyes of yours and shove them where the sun doesn't shine?!"
"But my Sharingan is red. I remember telling you this back at the academy…"
"Shut up, Itachi."
They were only interrupted by Shisui's laughter. "Oh kami, you two are so funny! Even Itachi doesn't smile like that when he's with me!" He said in between laughs. "I'm going to have so much fun with you two!"
Naruto arched an eyebrow, with Itachi following right behind. "What does that mean?" The blond questioned.
Shisui sobered up. "Oh, Kuro-sama still hasn't told you?" At their confused expressions, he straightened up and adjusted an imaginary tie. "Well, I guess I should tell you then—all to mess with Kuro-sama, of course." He cleared his throat." Karasu and Hayabusa, as two newly recruited ANBU members, will be working under a senior officer as an introduction to ANBU. Due to his amazing skills and handsome face, Shisui Uchiha will be assigned to be the agent who will be shadowing you."
Both blinked as silence fell before them until Naruto broke it. "Are you for real?" He deadpanned.
Shisui's face fell. "Why don't you believe me? Come on, I'm the perfect mentor!" He cried out with vigor, gesturing to himself with a proud smile.
"Well, aside from your lack of professionalism and uniform, we don't know if this is real or not," Itachi replied, stabbing the elder Uchiha in the heart with a metaphorical arrow.
"It is, and you're not supposed to know that until our briefing."
Both boys turned around to face the Commander, who was standing in the locker room with his hands behind his back once again. Naruto took a look at the clock and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck when he noticed that it was past twenty minutes already.
"Yo, Kuro-sama! I'm just greeting my future apprentices!" Shisui exclaimed with glee, but Kuro wasn't as amused.
"Tokage, how many times do I have to tell you to put on your mask? If I see you here without one again, I'll permanently stick it on your face." He hardened his voice, expelling a minuscule amount of chakra but it was enough to emphasize his point.
With a sigh, Shisui summoned his mask from a seal on his wrist and placed it on his face, showcasing the lizard-like features on the porcelain surface.
After a nod of satisfaction, the Commander shifted his gaze to the two boys. "You two will be working under Tokage until he deems you worthy enough to work alone or to be assigned to a team. Despite his personality, Shisui is one of our best agents in the organization. He will be treating this seriously and I expect you to do the same. Understood?"
"Yes, Kuro-sama!" Both Naruto and Itachi chorused, one more audible than the other.
The man nodded. "Good, then I expect great things from you, Hayabusa, Karasu. Do not disappoint Konoha. Dismissed!"
"So, he became your Captain?" Kakashi questioned after Naruto finished his tale.
"No, I opted to work alone after I was done with the membership. But I sometimes performed patrol missions with him. Itachi was placed in your team, from what I remember." Naruto replied.
The silver-haired scarecrow nodded. "Yeah. But he ended up being promoted to Captain in just a few years and after that…" Kakashi trailer off. No words need to be spoken after that. After all, everyone in Konoha will forever remember that day. He took a glance at Naruto and found him staring at the headstone, his face remained blank and his frame didn't react visibly to his words.
"You better get going. It's already late." Naruto suddenly said.
Kakashi turned his head and nodded. The sounds from the bustling markets have died down and the lights were no longer shining vividly from the village center. "Alright, don't stay up here too late." He bid the blond goodnight before disappearing in a Shunshin.
Once Kakashi left, Naruto allowed his gaze to fall on the daffodil laying across the headstone; a freshly picked flower on a forgotten gravesite with crevices along the surface. The blond shifted his attention to the thick of the forest, through the dense trees and the lack of moonlight seeping through the treetops.
His eyes bore through all that and locked on a single target. The wind suddenly and harshly blew through the memorial, washing away the withered flowers and lit candles. Even the trees in the forest groaned against the powerful gusts. The invisible force swept through the place like a storm, but everything remained untouched. Birds squawked in warning and fled from the treetops. Leaves rained down from above as if it were autumn.
Naruto's hair danced along with the air as the gales continued to gather around. If one would look into his eyes, one would be consumed by a cerulean sea, with waves constantly slamming against them. A slight but powerful glow leaked from his pupils. He bared his emotions through, allowing them to swirl along with the wind around him but they remained cryptic all the same.
"Watch yourself." was all Naruto said before his body deconstructed into squalls and was swept into the air, disappearing along with the gales of wind.
As the powerful storm-like phenomenon died down, a pair of red eyes peered through from the thick of the forest, staring down at where Naruto was just a few seconds ago. Three black tomoes spun along on the irises, shining with amusement.
"Dramatic as ever, Naruto…"
I refuse to believe that tree-climbing isn't part of the academy's curriculum. How is it that such a basic chakra control exercise hasn't been introduced to academy students? Water-walking, I understand because that's a bit more advance but tree-climbing? Anyway, that'll be all for the chapter.
