Hey guys! I just wanted to take the time to thank you for reviewing! All of you rock! You keep me motivated, which is awesome, because this story is only going to get more difficult as it progresses...yikes. Now we get to meet Yondaime!!! YAY!!! I was aware that he is Naruto's father (but thanks for letting me know anyway, Sano!!) It's so obvious...I mean, they look exactly alike, they summon the same frog, Naruto is mastering his jutsu...and seriously, why would he just pick some random kid to seal the Kyuubi in? Oh Yondaime, your coolness almost ranks up there with Kakashi's...although I am biased, so Kakashi still takes my cake. Anyway, cutting the chatter now...
Chapter 4: Lessons
Naruto was feeling anxious. Up until now, the events in his former sensei's tale had only applied to Kakashi, but not any more. The only things the Hokage knew about his father were what his legacy as the 4th left behind, things that were common knowledge to those who had lived during Yondaime's time. His father the man, however, remained a mystery. Sakura began running her hand up and down her husband's back, soothing him. In all honesty, she was just as anxious as he. She knew that Naruto had many preconceived notions of what his father was like, and she hoped beyond hope that what they were about to hear would live up to his expectations.
"He was a good man," Kakashi said, breaking the silence. "You'd have made him very proud, Naruto."
The blond Hokage looked down, blinking away the burning sensation in his eyes. Sakura wrapped both arms around him and kissed his cheek, resting her head against his shoulder, close to his ear. "It's okay, sweetheart," she whispered, her level gaze meeting with Kakashi's. She gave him a small smile, and Kakashi smiled back. Naruto had always a bit sensitive, and that aspect of his personality had not changed upon his ascension to his current position of power. Just like his father.
Kakashi woke early on the day he was to be assigned to a three man team and a Jounin master, the excitement that he had felt when he first entered Academy returning with more force and vigor than before. He was now a Genin, the lowest of the low among the ranks of a shinobi, but that would change with time. His metal forehead protector gleamed on the oak desk near his bed, and a grin lit his face as he caught sight of it, though he resisted putting it on until he was cleaned and dressed, two tasks he accomplished in record time. Picking it up almost reverently, he bound it around his head with a tight knot to ensure that it would not fall off, and examined himself in the bathroom mirror.
"Awesome," he breathed, "I look like a real shinobi!" He knew that his parents and Asia were up and moving about downstairs, so he flew from the bathroom and raced down the stairs to show them. His father and sister reacted as he expected, with a high five and a shouted 'There's my champ!' from Akinari, a giggled 'Kashi!' from Asia. His mother, however, was a different matter.
"Oh," she began, her hand to her mouth and tears in her eyes. "My baby is growing up." She knelt and pulled him into her arms, sniffling. "You'll be leaving me before I know it! It seems like all I did was blink and you're a Genin!" She held him tighter, and Kakashi's raised an eyebrow at his father.
"Is she okay?" He mouthed silently, and Akinari bit his lip to hold back his laughter.
"She'll be fine," he mouthed back. Asia giggled again.
"Mommy siwwy," she said matter-of-factly, and Kakashi agreed with her. His mother had the tendency to fly off the handle over the strangest things, this being one of them. He hoped that Asia never turned out like that, though if he had anything to say about it, she'd be just as good as any boy. He had already begun to teach her minor things such as punching and kicking, both of which she was quite good at for a one-year-old. She also knew how to bite, a useful skill to have, he thought. He winked at her, and then wormed himself out of Haruko's embrace.
"I don't want to be late, Mama," he explained, and pulled down his mask to kiss her cheek. He waved to his father and hugged his sister, and set off in the direction of the Academy, which was only a few minutes away from his house. He met up with Asuma and Obito along the way, both of whom were just as excited as he.
"I hope we don't get split up," Asuma said as he chomped on another of his customary toothpicks.
"Me too," Obito agreed, and sniggered. "I feel bad for whoever gets stuck with Harold." As if he had heard, 'Harold' promptly appeared out of thin air, and the three boys groaned.
"I hope you all don't set your sights too high, because I am going to become a Chuunin before any of you." Gai boasted as he imposed himself upon the boys. He was wearing a tight green jumpsuit complete with bright orange legwarmers, and his forehead protector was tied around his waist like a belt. He flashed teeth in a smirk. "You'll be eating my dust," he said to all, but it was directed mainly to his rival. The thought of Kakashi groveling before him was too precious to bear, and manic laughter escaped him.
Uzumaki Raidon emerged from his conference with the Third, brows raised. The only thing he discovered about his three new students was their names, and that they were younger than most Genins. The Third was in one of his mysterious moods, and he refused to say anything else on the matter.
"He's so helpful," Raidon said to himself as he absently twirled a kunai around his pointer finger. The streets of Konoha were busy as he weaved his way through them, a list that his wife had given him earlier that day of things they needed in hand. She would have run the errands herself, but her duty to ANBU saw her off on an assassination, leaving the task to him. He did not mind, though. It was nice to be out among the villagers and chat with them about their families, among other things. He chortled as a group of boys zipped past him, shouting at the tops of their lungs something about a Green Beast named Harold. Another boy in a green jumpsuit was close on their tail, and Raidon assumed that he must be this Harold character. He thought back on his own childhood, and grinned. He had been a menace at that age.
"At least I know that these youngsters will keep me on my toes," he said, and began to whistle a merry tune as he ambled along.
Kakashi, Obito, and Asuma sat in their usual seats near the front, waiting in anticipation for their names to be called. Gai sat somewhere behind them, his eyes narrowed, arms crossed over his chest. He already had his team, but it did not include his rival, which irritated him. All his fantasies of making Kakashi look like an idiot on a daily basis were squashed, and he was none too happy about that. I'll pound him for sure the next time we meet, Gai thought with fervor.
"Next, Team 7," Nariaki sensei began, "Matsuda Midori, Sarutobi Asuma, and Hatake Kakashi. Your sensei is Uzumaki Raidon."
Kakashi, though ecstatic that he was with Asuma, could not help but feel a pang at losing Obito, who had become one of his best friends. It would not be the same without him.
"Don't sweat it, Max," Obito said, slinging his arms around Kakashi and Asuma who sat on either side of him. Obito's outlook was cheerful. "I'll still be Ace," he looked at Asuma, "and you'll still be Crash. This is just for now. Once we're Chuunins, we won't have teams anymore. And it's not like we won't see each other at all!"
"Team 8. Ryusaki Obito, Hiro Aya, and Ito Keishi, and your sensei is Eda Nariko."
Obito raised his brows. "She's supposed to be really tough. I heard that she doesn't like using weapons because she thinks they hold her back."
Nearby, five-year-old Hiro Aya was eavesdropping on the conversation, and she smiled to herself. She would have preferred to take Midori's place in Team 7 so that she could get closer to the boy with the silvery hair and the mask, but if she was with one of his friends, she could make an impression. Hatake Kakashi interested her in a way that no one ever had, especially for a boy.
"You'll have to tell me what he's like," she whispered to Midori. "I want to know how he fights. Maybe I'll get to spar with him one of these times. Wouldn't that be fun?"
Midori laughed. "I'll tell you everything," she said, and held out her pinkie, which she linked with Aya's. "I promise."
Aya nodded in satisfaction. She knew that Midori would be good to her word, and her mind moved on to other things, such as her new sensei. The fact that Eda Nariko was rumored to be one of the toughest female shinobi that the Leaf ever produced did not gall her, but rather increased her excitement. Maybe I'll follow in her footsteps, she thought, her face determined. I'd like that.
Two more teams were assigned, and then the meeting was over. The Genins began grouping together with their teammates, adjusting to the idea that they would be with these people for some time coming. A tiny girl with hair that resembled the color of bubblegum introduced herself to Kakashi and Asuma as Matsuda Midori, and the three, after saying goodbye to Obito and his team, began to walk home together. Kakashi found that Midori was likeable enough, though she did not seem to be very aggressive. Hopefully that would change once they started missions. Her friend Aya, now, she was quite another story.
Her long, dark hair she wore tied up in a ponytail with two pieces left out to frame her small, heart shaped face. Her eyes were equally dark, and she carried herself with confidence. Kakashi could tell that she would turn out to be a formidable opponent some day, and he was looking forward to it. I hope Obito can handle her. He gets wishy washy around girls.
"So, who is this Aya girl?" Sakura asked, her eyes twinkling. "She sounds like one tough cookie."
Kakashi laughed. "That about describes her. Quite the hellion. She didn't hesitate to pound on us for a minute," he said, grinning. "Now that is my type of woman."
Naruto guffawed. "You like 'em rough, do you? I cannot say that I'm surprised."
When Kakashi's only answer was a mischievous smile, Sakura rolled her eyes. "Again, I am sticking to my theory that men are all pigs."
"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Naruto protested. "I save my lecherous tendencies only for you." He waggled his eyebrows at her, and Sakura groaned.
"You are such an ass," she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"One tries one's best," Naruto replied piously.
The next morning dawned bright and sunny, mirroring Kakashi's mood at the moment. Today he would meet his new sensei and his first mission as a Genin would commence. Since he was supposed to be at the tiny forest a few minutes past the more crowded part of the village by 9 o'clock and it was already going on 8:30, he scrambled to get ready and ran out the door after he grabbed the lunch his mother made for him and said a hurried goodbye to the rest of his family. When he arrived, panting, Midori and Asuma were sitting cross-legged on two large, flat rocks that were situated off to the side near the opening of the forest.
"Hey Max!" Asuma waved.
"How long have you been here?" Kakashi wheezed, bracing his hands on his knees.
"Long enough," Midori said, yawning.
"Sorry I'm late!" A new voice called. All three turned their heads. A tall man with very blond, spiky hair strolled towards them, his hands in his pockets. There was something almost impish about him, perhaps stemming from the rosy glow of his cheeks and his sparkling blue eyes. When he got close enough, he leaned up against one of the rocks and beamed. "So you are my trio of prodigies," he said as his gaze swept over each of them. He had mastered the art of hiding his emotions at an early age, and kept his face free of anything but a cheerful expression, even though he was clearly shocked. I never expected them to be this young. They're barely more than pups! "Well, why don't we have some introductions, mm? Who'd like to go first? Just say your name, and...oh, I don't know...some things you like and dislike, hobbies...that sort of thing."
"Why don't you start, sensei?" Midori suggested.
"Eh? Ah, right. My name is Uzumaki Raidon, but you can call me Rai, if you'd like." He tapped his chin. "Things I enjoy...hmm...I like ramen a whole lot!" That was greeted by laughter. He grinned. "And...let's see..." Raidon scratched his head. "I'm sure you'll get to know me better the more time we spend together, so why don't we just skip me and get to you guys? I'm more interested in you than you are in me, I'll bet."
Of course, that was far from the truth, but there was nothing to be done about that. They weren't about to get anything else out of him now. Asuma took the lead, and spoke. "I'm Sarutobi Asuma. I like to chew on toothpicks, and to wrestle, and all kinds of other great stuff that gets me in trouble. There's not much that I don't like, except for maybe my mother trying to take my toothpicks."
Raidon grinned. "And that is a capital offence, indeed. Who's next? How about the little lady?"
"My name is Matsuda Midori," the girl began. "I like to do things with my best friend Aya, and I love to solve puzzles. My family hunts, so I want to become faster and learn to track better." When she finished, that left one more. Raidon was quite curious about the child who concealed his face behind a mask. He appeared to be the youngest out of the three.
"I'm Hatake Kakashi. I like to goof around with my dogs, and my sister, and my friends, and I want to become a great shinobi so I can help people. I don't like people who brag because they're annoying." He was referring to Gai, and Asuma snickered.
Interesting, Raidon thought. Though he knew he shouldn't, he had to ask. "How old are you, son?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. There it is again. People always ask that! He was miffed, but he was not about to show it. "Five," he answered, looking directly at his sensei.
Five? Now that is more than interesting. He must be good in order to have gotten this far. But I wonder how good? Raidon's hand strayed to the pouch strapped to his side, and his fingers came in contact with the smooth, cold metal of a kunai. From where he was standing, the distance between Kakashi and himself was great enough to get an accurate assessment of the boy's skill. In one fluid motion, he gripped the kunai, drew it out, and threw it. Asuma and Midori gasped, wide-eyed. Without even blinking, Kakashi angled his arm over his face and caught the kunai just as it was about to skim past his left ear. Bringing the arm down, he aimed and tossed the kunai back, embedding it in the ground a few centimeters from Raidon's feet.
"Are you finished doubting me now," Kakashi began in a quiet voice, then added, "sensei?"
Raidon looked from the kunai to his student. A tense moment passed between the two, but it ended when Raidon smiled. "I'm sorry to ever have done so in the first place. I know when to be humbled, Hatake Kakashi." He stepped forward and placed a hand on Kakashi's head, ruffling his hair. Midori's mouth hung open, and Asuma grinned proudly.
"Isn't he something?" He said to his female teammate.
"Yeah," she replied in awe. Aya was right about him.
"I'm a believer in jumping right into things, so instead of waiting until tomorrow, we're going to get started with our first mission right now," Raidon said after the hubbub died down. Midori and Asuma abandoned the rocks and stood next to Kakashi.
"What are we going to do? Do we get to go and save someone?" Asuma asked in excitement. "Fight off bandits? Kill deserters?"
Raidon laughed out loud. "We get to do better! How about babysitting, or helping the farmers to bring in their harvests, or rescuing lost pets? Doesn't that sound like fun?"
The three children exchanged dark looks. Fun was definitely not the word they would use to describe the missions Rai-sensei rattled off. Boring would be a much more accurate term.
"Why the long faces?" The blond man asked innocently. "I figured you'd all be ecstatic!" The groans he received as a response only made him laugh more. "Oh, I'll stop. I hated missions as a Genin myself, but it's just a part of the chain. Once you work your way up, they'll get better, I promise. Right now, however, I have a special mission for the four of us." His students perked up at the word special, and he managed to hold his laughter in check this time. They're going to hate me for sure. "Follow me," he said, and began leading them into the forest, commenting on the flora and fauna as he went. Two birds with brightly colored feathers landed on either of his shoulders and twittered, as if talking to him. What was even stranger, however, was that he acted as if he understood.
They walked a bit farther before the sound of trickling water began to drown out the other noises of the forest, and Raidon halted them. A stream lie before them, the current keeping the water swiftly moving. It did not appear to be that deep, but it was wide, stretching about fifteen feet across. More rocks surrounded it, as well as a few trees, their branches outstretched to form a canopy overhead. The birds on Raidon's shoulders took to the air and settled themselves on one of the branches to observe the humans.
"Beautiful, isn't it? This is the perfect atmosphere, I think," Raidon said as he reached into his side pouch again and produced three leaves. "Your first mission," he handed a leaf to Midori, Asuma, and Kakashi, "is leaf concentration."
There was silence for all of two seconds while the children processed what they were doing, and then the complaints started.
"But...Rai-sensei...we did this at Academy! It's basic!" Midori protested.
"Yeah! Nariaki-sensei made us do it all the time!" Asuma put in. Kakashi wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth shut, turning the leaf over in his hands. His father told him a story once that Konoha got its name from this form of training, and he thought of that as he traced the veins of the leaf with his finger.
"Wonderful! I won't have to explain what do to do then, since you're all experts by now," he said, waving his hand. "Get to it, then. Oh, and there is one rule. If you focus on anything but the leaf, it's back to the Academy you go. Discipline is one of the most important assets a shinobi can have, and if you prove that you can't keep your mind from wandering, then clearly you are not ready to advance any further."
Kakashi looked up sharply. He had not expected that little bomb to be dropped, but he realized that his sensei was not bluffing. The man meant every word he said. Kakashi's level blue eyes met with Raidon's. I will prove myself to you. I don't want to do this, but I'll do it anyway. You won't be able to get rid of me like this. It seemed that Asuma and Midori were just as determined, and together, Team 7 placed the leaves on their foreheads and began concentrating chakra on that spot.
Now the real test begins, my little ducklings, Raidon thought as he plopped himself on a springy patch of grass near the stream, smiling. He had left a message for his students to come today without eating, and to bring their lunches with them. He had stowed them in his pack before entering the forest, and he pulled them out now with deliberate casualness, glancing sideways at the three Genins before delving into his feast. How long will you be able to hold back now?
Kakashi felt his stomach rumble as he forced himself to focus on the leaf, but it was getting harder and harder to do so, especially when he made the unpleasant discovery as to why he was told not to eat anything. He could hear his sensei whistling to himself as he ate his students' lunches, and Kakashi clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He could sense Asuma and Midori nearby doing the same thing, but still, they held on. Kakashi's eyebrow began to twitch dangerously when Raidon began commenting on how good everything tasted in a loud voice meant to be heard by all of them. I can't let him beat me! If he thinks he can trip me up by taunting me, then he's wrong! Kakashi thought stubbornly. Another loud rumble issued from his stomach, and his concentration broke. He tried to bring it back to the leaf, but he began to think instead. What if this exercise had nothing to do with concentrating at all? At once, something in his brain clicked, and he had it.
"Asuma," he whispered through the side of his mouth, careful not to move his lips more than necessary. "Midori, I think we should gang up and take him out. If we come at him from three different directions, we might have a chance."
"But...you heard what he said," Midori whispered back. "We'll get chucked back to Academy!"
"I don't care anymore," Asuma said, eyes filled with understanding meeting with Kakashi's. "I say we do it."
Kakashi smiled, and nodded. "Midori, you take the right, Asuma, go left, and I'll take center. Distract him, got it?"
Asuma winked, and Midori, after a few seconds of contemplation, grinned. "Let's do this." Raidon had progressed to sending tiny, flat stones skimming across the stream, having eaten more than he could handle. A kunai zipped past his head from the right, and another followed on the left. His eyes darted in one direction and then the other, and he caught sight of two blurs that disappeared behind the cover of the trees. So they figured it out. Very good. He rose in a half-crouch. Midori, seeing an opening, began to pelt shuriken in a rapid succession, her aim dead on. The shuriken found their target, and Raidon went down. Midori uttered a silent scream, but nearly kicked herself when she heard a pop, and a log riddled with shuriken appeared where her sensei's body should have been.
"Kawarimi," she muttered, disgusted, before dropping to the ground like a cat, dodging a kunai. Where had that come from? She spun, and unleashed more of her kunai, which were joined by Asuma's. The two began to run, branching off on either side when they were close enough to Raidon, who held a kunai in both hands, prepared to fight them off. He had not accounted for Kakashi, however. Akinari had taught him how to increase his speed and to advance upon an enemy without making a sound, and as quick as lightning, Kakashi appeared from his hiding spot behind the trees and dropped, shooting out a leg to throw his sensei off balance. Raidon stumbled, and Kakashi, before the Jounin had a chance to use Kawarimi again, barreled into him, knocking them both to the ground. He held a kunai to Raidon's throat.
"That was fun!" Kakashi said happily, his eyes alight. He removed the kunai, and stuck it back in his pouch. "I was right, wasn't I? We were supposed to attack you together, weren't we?"
"Yes," Raidon replied, grinning. He sat up, and motioned for the others to gather round. "This exercise was meant to promote teamwork. I wanted to see how long it would take you to realize that, and I am not disappointed. I can see why the Academy speaks so fondly of you all." He looked at each face. "I'm proud of every one of you."
Kakashi returned home glowing. He told his family all about his new sensei in great detail, illustrating the battle using props that he found around the house. His parents couldn't be more pleased. They knew that their son was destined for great things, and he was well on his way to becoming an honorable shinobi.
The missions after that day were rather dull, but Rai-sensei always made them entertaining by telling stories of his own childhood endeavors, complete with different voices for all the colorful characters. Kakashi was surprised to see just how many people his sensei knew: it seemed that everywhere they went, they were hailed with greetings.Rai-sensei also imparted many bits of wisdom to his students during the year that they spent under his tutelage, lessons that he took to heart as he did his father's.
"Never attack in anger," Raidon said one lazy night after target practice with throwing weapons. "That is a surefire way to get yourself and those under you killed. You must always stay calm, and think about what you are about to do before you do it. If you are angry, you lose track of what your purpose is."
"What if someone is chucking paper wads at your head?" Asuma asked, and Kakashi snorted. He'd told Rai-sensei about Gai a while ago.
"That's an entirely different story." Raidon replied, winking.
He continued to harp on his students the importance of chakra control, introducing them to two new methods of honing it besides the leaves: water walking and tree climbing, both of which required a concentrated amount of chakra in the feet. These were much harder to accomplish than leaf concentration, but Team 7 pursued the exercises doggedly until they could do them at will. Soon after Kakashi's sixth birthday, Raidon called his team together for one final mission as Genins.
"I have submitted your names to the Hokage for the Chuunin Selection Exam," he said somberly. "I have nothing left to teach you, and I know that you are more than ready for it." He handed each of them a little piece of paper that stated their names, the time of the exam, Raidon's signature, and beneath it, the signature of the Hokage. "This does not obligate you to take it, and I will not force you. The exam is in one week, so you'll have some time to think about what you want to do. Just remember that I have faith in your talents, and that I am proud of you."
Kakashi stared at the paper in his hands, a fire beginning to burn somewhere inside of him. He was ready for this, and he would face this new challenge without fear.
"Wow," Naruto said when Kakashi finished. He had a smile on his face. "I'm impressed."
Kakashi grinned back. "So what do you think of your father? Is he what you expected?"
"More," Naruto replied, his expression thoughtful. "I can actually picture him now, and I'm glad. It's nice not to be in the dark anymore."
Sakura mentally rejoiced. She was relieved that Naruto's reaction was positive. He and his father sound so alike, she thought with a smile. I can see where Naruto gets a lot of his mannerisms from. Uzumaki Raidon...if only you could see your son now. He's a shining star, just like you were.
WOO! That took FOREVER. I was looking up names, and I found that Raidon means Thunder God, which I thought was really neat, so that is why I chose the name for Yondaime. Up next is the Chuunin exam! ::looks at notes scattered everywhere:: I shall try to sort this mess up and get the next chappie up ASAP!