Note: To whoever it was who said it wasn't; the Katon is a justu, it requires handseals to be activated, and uses up chakra. Even Kakashi stated the Katon was a jutsu that required more chakra then most academy students have when battling Sasuke in their training session. Also Katon does not mean fire, the word for fire is "ho" hence the reason Sarutobi and the others are called the "Hokage" meaning "Fire Shadow" - the Leaf specializing in fire jutsus.
On with the chapter.
Growing Up
Wanted Dead or Alive: Orochimaru, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Sasuke
"How do I do this... how do I get it to work. Ero-sennin said to channel my chakra into it as if it were an extention of my arm. I should be able to do this after all the training I did for the Rasengan..." Sighing heavily, Naruto fell back, his arms outstretched as he stared to the sky, eyes closing slowly. "Stupid brush, I doubt it's even really all that powerful. Maybe Ero-sennin just stopped the Rasengan with his chakra and just said the brush did it,"
"Naruto.. get up. Let's continue training..." Jiraiya stood over the young boy, grinning as he held his hands in Tiger. "I have plenty of energy left, I can hurl those fireballs all day,"
"You just want to train so you can keep setting me on fire...." His shoulders rising and falling with a long sigh, he rolled onto his knees, standing slowly. "Can't you use something else?"
"Hmm... I thought you would prefer I use the Katon,"
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, that is Sasuke's favorite jutsu isn't it? When you go to fight him once again, you would want to be use to defending the Katon, wouldn't you?" Jiraiya smiled lightly as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Sasuke... Sasuke... Sasuke... Sasuke, Sasuke! Fist clenched tightly as his eyes closed, teeth gritting tightly. The curse seal... what kind of powers could it have given Sasuke. Nearly a month had passed, how had the curse seal evolved since then? If this brush... if it could do what it appeared to be able to do, it would be Naruto's advantage.
"Fine... use it," Taking a small leap back from Jiraiya, Naruto stood ready, his arm thrust out, brush pointing to Jiraiya.
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"Shikamaru... why did you challenge me?" Sitting slowly down at the round table of the leisure hall Kakashi pulled his forehead protector down over his eyes, lid shutting slowly.
"I told you, your the strongest the leaf has to offer. I had to test myself," Slipping into the seat across from Kakashi, Asuma sat beside him, Anko and Kurenai at the sides.
"I mean what motivated you to? Your always so laid back, what brought this out?" Resting back into the padding of the cushioned seat, his hand rested ideally on the table. Two small bandages on his body, his arm and shoulder.
Shikamaru stayed silent, his head lowering slightly as his eyes shied away from the elder ninjas.
"You want to go after Orochimaru, don't you?" Asuma coughed once as he stubbed out his cigarette, watching Shikamaru closely as he lit another. "He killed Chouji, that's why isn't it?"
"He took everything from all of us... he took Sarutobi-sama, he took Chouji, Neji, Sasuke. Because of him I failed my only first Chuunin mission. Because of him I tarnished the name of Nara, and brought pain to both Hyuuga, Akimichi and the entire village," His face hardened, the wanton eyes of the ninja seemed to change by magic. Dark cold eyes looked over the four around him. "I thought, if I could beat you, I may stand a chance at beating Orochimaru,"
"No... I am no match for Orochimaru. I am sorry, but you wasted your time, neither of us are strong enough to go after our desires Shikamaru," Kakashi sighed lightly as his own head lowered, hand resting on the beck of his head lightly. "How Shikamaru? How did you, a Chuunin manage to land two attacks one me?
"I told you... I knew what you were going to do. I planned that battle, move for move. All your Sharingan did, was make it easier for me to make you get into position for my attacks. Though I didn't count on you trying to use the Chidori..."
"And if I hadn't stepped in? What do you think would have happened Shika-kun?" Asuma shook his head, his fist over Shikamaru's head, pretended to bop him.
"I would have been fine... I was ready to use my Shadow Imitation if he got too close,"
"You would have been dead before you completed the seals..." Lowering his hand from his head, he placed it on the table flatly, the inner palm of his glove showed slight signs of a burn.
"Your chakra wouldn't have been able to hold him, Shika-kun. Your only Chuunin, Kakashi's chakra us far greater then yours,"
"No... you didn't feel what I did Asuma... Shikamaru is far beyond what we all think. As you yourself once said Asuma. Shikamaru will be a great ninja once he sets his mind to it," Standing up slowly Kakashi groaned with slight pain in his shoulder, his head bowed to those before him. "Shikamaru... come with me..."
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"Tsunade-hime, what do you want? Naruto will start complaining if I don't return to him soon," Jiraiya stepped into her office with a slight smirk as his hands rested in his pockets. Very informal being in the presence of the Hokage...
"Jiraiya-san... I want you to go to the publishers. The bingo books need to be updated,"
"Can't they be done without my help?"
"No, you and Naruto are the only two who have seen Sasuke and Itachi in action lately. Both of you please, report to the publishers and help them update the information we have on the Uchiha brothers. It is bad enough at the moment we do not have any information on the status of Orochimaru," A small scroll before her, she wrote quickly. She seemed to slowly be getting into the habit of writing orders, fulfilling mission request forms. The work of Hokage becoming easy with the passing days.
"So, you need Naruto's help also?"
"Yes, he saw Sasuke last. He saw the power of Orochimaru's seal. We have no idea how it could affect the Uchiha blood and the Sharingan,"
"It will be worthless though, the seal has most likely evolved since then,"
"It doesn't matter, any information we can get is useful. It is bad enough that we know about the Akatsuki yet have no information on the two members still not known. Uchiha Itachi, Orochimaru, and Kisame Hoshigaki, we know nothing about the group aside from that they one were or still are connected to the Akatsuki. With Sasuke out there with Orochimaru , the situation has risen to a whole new level of danger,"
Jiraiya sighed lightly, his head fell as his eyes closed in though. "I know all this... the days of peace are coming to an end yet again,"
"As of this day, Orochimaru, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Sasuke are the most feared and dangerous nins in the world. They must be stopped,"
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"Shikamaru... I am going to ask Hokage-sama to allow you to join the ANBU," Hands slipping into his pockets slowly as he and Shikamaru walked through the village at a slow leisure pace.
"What? The ANBU? Why?" Looking up to Kakashi with surprise he stood still, watching as Kakashi passed slowly. Stopping, he turned back to look to Shikamaru.
"The ANBU will help you prepare for Orochimaru. We will train together, and become stronger. That's what you want, isn't it?"
"Yes... but the ANBU? Am I really that strong?"
"You stabbed a Jounin twice without breaking a sweat... you are," He smiled lightly as he reached out slowly, tugging Shikamaru's slowly as he continued their short walk.
"Kakashi-san... why did you rejoin the ANBU? Who is it everyone says your after?"
"Heh, don't worry yourself about that. Worry about Orochimaru,"
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Next Chapter: Origin of Sharingan Kakashi - Revealed!