A/N: Happy 2021 to all! Honestly, we all deserve at least a T-shirt that says "I survived 2020" or something. But in all seriousness, thank goodness 2020 is over. Here's to a new and hopefully better year! At any rate, I humbly present to you: chapter 15!

Nah, I don't own Naruto.


Chapter XV: Paper Trees

Konan sat at her kitchen table, sipping a cup of tea after having finished her breakfast of eggs over rice. The apartment she was provided was in good condition and a decent size. Sunlight streaked in through the window above the sink, which gave a clear view of the blue, cloud-streaked sky outside. The songs of birds perched on a nearby rooftop could be faintly heard.

The serenity of the morning was almost entirely lost on the azure-haired woman. She usually relished peaceful mornings such as this one, but the tranquility that usually came with them was tainted by her visit to T&I the night before. She had gone in for another evaluation to ensure she wasn't conspiring against the village in any way, which meant that Inoichi Yamanaka had to peruse her mind for any evidence of treachery. Of course, they found none, yet Konan still felt uneasy about having her thoughts essentially invaded. She understood the necessity to be thorough, especially given her status as a former S-ranked criminal and former member of what was essentially a terrorist organization, but it still made for an unpleasant experience. A sigh escaped her lips as she set her teacup down.

She extended her fingers, letting her eyes wander over her nails, which she still painted amber to match her eyes. Konan sat like this for a little while; looking at her nails while her thoughts meandered. She'd been thinking quite a bit about Nagato as of late, and subsequently Yahiko. She didn't cry as much anymore. She bawled her eyes out after she laid them to rest in Amegakure. For the first few nights in the apartment, she cried herself to sleep; the tears a mix of realization and grief. The pain of her loss had been reduced to a dull ache any time she thought of Nagato or Yahiko. She put on a brave face whenever she trained Naruto, if only to keep up appearances. Though, truth be told, he inspired her to keep working with him to honor Nagato's wishes.

The blond young man who recently became her protégé was another matter entirely. She knew he was incredibly strong and resilient, and she held a great deal of respect for him after he changed Nagato's heart. His promise to see Ame become a peaceful nation once more was equally admirable. Though, she hadn't expected him to be as childish as he was, for lack of a better term. She knew he was still young, and at times his astounding maturity as a shinobi showed itself, but for the most part he was still very much a seventeen-year-old boy.

Still, he had grown on her since their first encounter, and she sometimes found herself wondering how he was handling his newest burden. Konan wouldn't admit it out loud, but she did care about Naruto, especially now that he was her charge. Perhaps part of her concern for him stemmed from guilt over her actions. She shook her head, dispelling that thought. She knew that her concern for his well-being was genuine, and she only wanted him to succeed where she and her friends couldn't.

Konan's thoughts wandered back to her friends and Amegakure. In the back of her mind, she knew she would need to return to, at the very least, help the village get on its feet. Maybe she would bring Naruto along, seeing as he'd never laid eyes on the village he promised to bring peace to when he became Hokage. Of course, the people couldn't be allowed to know that he possessed the Rinnegan, lest they break into hysterics and demand he become their new "God." She would cross that bridge when the time came.

As much as she cared for Ame and its people, she felt a pull towards Konoha. It was nice not being pelted by rain constantly, and the mood of the village was much more easygoing and lighthearted, even in the wake of the attack. The prospect of becoming a Konoha shinobi was still up in the air, as her probation wasn't over yet. That, and she would need to be cleared by everyone who had been keeping watch over her, along with the Hokage.

She took a sip of tea as her mind strayed towards her silver-haired peer, Kakashi of the Sharingan. There wasn't much to say about him, beyond that Naruto and Sasuke were quite fond of him, and said fondness was reciprocated. He escorted her every morning to the training ground, ANBU in tow. Lately, there had been that purple haired ANBU as well. Konan was fairly sure that she was training Sasuke in kenjutsu. Their treks were almost always silent. The only exchange of words was when it was completely necessary to communicate something, whether it was regarding either of his students, or something that needed to be done to keep tabs on Naruto's progress.

However, in all his silence, Konan distinctly remembered all the times she had seen a blush adorning Kakashi's exposed cheek. While it wasn't the most becoming thing of a jōnin to find his charge attractive, it did relieve her that Kakashi didn't see her as entirely evil because of her previous affiliation. However, she could tell that despite his easygoing nature, he was constantly wary of her, and not just because he found her good-looking. He wasn't cold by any means, nor did he ignore her. He simply let her instruct Naruto in his use of the Rinnegan, despite being his sensei.

For reasons she couldn't explain, she felt like she should talk to Kakashi more than they had been. Aside from them working together to help Naruto, he could prove to be a valuable ally. Not only that, but there was also the chance that he could vouch for her, should she choose to stay in Konoha. Of course, there was also Naruto, but having the word of a jōnin like Kakashi could only help her. She also felt strangely compelled to know more about the Copy Ninja as a person, rather than just as the subject of various stories.

Konan finished her tea and washed the cup out before taking her seat again at the table, patiently waiting for a knock at her door. She plucked her rose from her hair, gingerly setting it on the table to stare into its petals. She let her thoughts meander for a little while before a knock at her door snapped her back to reality. Replacing her rose, she grabbed her water bottle and answered the door. She was met with the masked jōnin she was just thinking about.

"Ready to go?" He asked dryly. Konan simply nodded before stepping out and locking up. She could sense the ANBU that kept watch shifting their positions as they prepared to follow them; Konan ignored them as she and Kakashi set out.


The duo walked in silence for a time, both keeping their eyes forward. Kakashi didn't carry his copy of Icha Icha Tactics with him anymore, at least not as often as before. He wanted to be as involved as he could with his students' training. He could feel the tension in the air, and surmised that it was likely due to Konan's appointment with Inoichi the night before. He couldn't blame her; having your mind basically invaded was never a pleasant experience.

Not wanting her in a bad mood, he decided to try and break the ice. "So, how do you think Naruto is doing with his abilities so far?"

"Better than expected. He's a fast learner," Konan answered plainly.

Kakashi nodded. "He can be. Especially when he's interested in what you're trying to teach him. To tell you the truth, he even surprised me with how quickly he learned Rasenshuriken."

Konan wondered why he was being so chatty this morning, but quickly deduced that he must have sensed the dark cloud hanging over her head. Normally, she would answer plainly until he left her alone, but instead decided to go along with it.

"Did you teach him that jutsu?" She prompted.

"Well, yes but no," he began with a touch of sheepishness. Konan's eyebrow raised ever so slightly before Kakashi continued. "I taught him the basics, so to speak—nature transformations, adding elemental chakra to the Rasengan. He was the one who turned it into the Rasenshuriken."

Konan nodded. "So, he developed most of that jutsu by himself? That's quite impressive. He's working on adding lightning to the—what was it called again?"

"The Rasengan," the masked jōnin answered without missing a beat. "And yes. But so far, he hasn't quite turned it into a full-fledged jutsu like the Rasenshuriken. He seems to have hit a wall."

"That could be an unintended consequence of his rapid success in manipulating lightning chakra."

It was Kakashi's turn to raise a brow. "His quick success leading to less time to think about what the jutsu should be?"

"It's a possibility. Naruto certainly seems the type of person to charge into things head first," she remarked.

Kakashi gave a hum in agreement. They walked in silence for a bit longer before Kakashi cleared his throat awkwardly. "So, Konan, do you mind if I ask you something?"

Konan's eyebrow raised once again as she hummed in response, prompting Kakashi to continue.

"Well, you've been in Konoha for a little less than a month. You don't seem to be planning anything aside from helping Naruto. Are you planning on going home once you've done what you can with him?"

He was met with silence for a moment before a small sigh escaped the woman walking beside him. "Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity," he replied coolly, masking his genuine interest in what she planned for the future.

Konan chose her next words carefully, not wanting to reveal too much too soon. She decided to take a small risk and be just a little open with the man she had been spending a majority of her time with. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure."

Kakashi decided to delve a little deeper. "If you don't mind me asking, where is home for you?"

"Amegakure."

He hummed and nodded. "I've heard of it. What makes you uncertain?"

"Amegakure is…not what it should be. Are you familiar with Hanzō the Salamander, by any chance?"

"Isn't he the one in charge there?"

"He was. He was cruel, ruthless, and never had anyone's best interests in mind. His only concern was his own safety. Concern over the safety of the village was only by extension. No sacrifice was too great if it meant he or Ame was safer." Konan once again chose her next words carefully. "Then…certain things happened. Nagato and I eventually came to be in a position to oversee the village."

"I never took you for a revolutionary," Kakashi quipped. Konan quietly huffed before he continued. "So, Hanzō has been dead for some time, I'm assuming. What makes you not want to go back to Ame and set things the way you think they should be?"

They were nearing the outskirts of the village by now, and the gate to Training Ground Three was coming into view. Konan spoke quietly. "It's not the same. If I went back for good, I'd need to be something I'm not."

Kakashi silently acknowledged her answer. He knew that he should leave it at that, going by the tone her words carried. He was no stranger to hiding experiences behind simple words, and he could tell there was more than she was telling him. Kakashi wanted to know more, but he felt it wasn't his place to pry, and he still wanted to be entirely certain that Konan wouldn't turn on them. For that, he needed to trust Inoichi's evaluations and the judgment of the Hokage. The two instructors entered the training ground and found Yūgao waiting for Sasuke to arrive. Kakashi and Konan waited patiently for Naruto; not a word was spoken until the blond in question arrived later.


The day's training was rigorous. Naruto and Konan spent most of their time sparring, while Sasuke and Yūgao had done the same. They refined specific skills occasionally, but the instructors decided that today was the day to apply those skills. Naruto was still reluctant to use Shuradō but had done so at Konan's behest. The most he used were the knuckle scythes, as Naruto named them, but there was talk of at some point trying to use the tail-like blade that Nagato used in the past. Yūgao finally conceded and let Sasuke use his Sharingan for their second spar. He was much faster by now, even keeping up with the purple-haired woman, and managed to even score some hits that would have been near-lethal. Kakashi bounced between his two students' spars, proudly observing just how strong they'd both become. He still wanted to spar with Naruto, for old times' sake, but Naruto still felt a bit uneasy. At that point, Kakashi wasn't sure if Naruto was uneasy for the sake of being beaten or of beating his sensei. Either way, he would keep asking until he relented and agreed.

The instructors had gone for the day, leaving the two chūnin to their own supplemental training. They sat at the bank of the brook that ran through the training ground, resting for a little while. Once he felt rejuvenated enough, Naruto sprung to his feet, whipping out a blank tag and a brush.

Sasuke turned to him as he took another swig from his water bottle. "Are you gonna try what I think you're gonna try?"

Naruto spoke as slowly as his brush moved across the paper. "That depends on what you think I'm gonna try."

"My guess would be that one jutsu you were working on before you were reverse summoned," Sasuke said as he rose to his feet. He made his way over to Naruto and peeked over his shoulder just as he finished his last brushstroke.

Sasuke tilted his head slightly. "What is that, exactly? Some kind of seal?"

"Yup! It's supposed to be the simplified version; the Fourth Hokage came up with it," Naruto said, swelling with pride.

Sasuke hummed, a small smile tugging at his mouth. "It doesn't look like any seal I've ever seen. What's this jutsu called again?"

"The Hiraishin. The Second Hokage invented it, the Fourth was the one who was famous for using it though," Naruto answered without missing a beat. He took the tag and placed it in front of a tree before heading back towards the stream.

"How does it work exactly?" Sasuke prompted.

Naruto scratched his whisker-marked cheek, jostling his sunglasses a bit. "Er, well, from what the scroll said you just kinda…channel chakra into the seal and you move there instantly. Something like that."

"Isn't that the same thing as the Shunshin?"

"To be honest, I don't really know. The scrolls I read said this was a 'space-time' jutsu, whatever the hell that means," the blond explained, forming air quotes and grumbling the last bit.

Sasuke hummed as Naruto took a deep breath. He focused his chakra and held his right hand up in the Seal of Confrontation. Sasuke instinctively activated his Sharingan, watching Naruto closely. Not a second later, a small pop was heard in the distance. Sasuke and Naruto snapped their heads towards the tree, seeing a pitiful puff of smoke emerge from the seal that Naruto had laid at the base of the tree.

Naruto stared at the tree, his jaw slack. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me," he growled before dramatically falling spread-eagled onto his back. Sasuke appeared above him, a slight sympathetic expression painting his normally stoic features.

"Do you want my advice?"

"Not really," Naruto deadpanned.

"Too bad. You're getting it. That jutsu works with seals, right?" Sasuke inquired.

Naruto grunted in response, which made Sasuke roll his eyes. "I'll take that as a yes. Have you ever even done anything with fūinjutsu before?"

The blond bolted upright; his brow furrowed. "The fuck does that have to do with it?"

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. "The jutsu uses a seal, right?"

Naruto nodded slowly, wearing a perplexed and annoyed look.

"Then wouldn't you need at least a small base of knowledge of fūinjutsu to use a jutsu that uses seals?" Sasuke made sure to emphasize the relationship between seals and fūinjutsu, albeit condescendingly, as an insurance policy against Naruto's thick-headedness.

Naruto's furrow deepened as he processed what Sasuke said. His expression shifted from confusion, to frustration, to astonishment, and finally to sheepishness as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh. Yeah. Uh, that makes sense, doesn't it?" He let out an embarrassed chuckle, which was answered by the crack of Sasuke slapping his hand against his forehead.

Sasuke let out an exasperated groan as he dragged his hand down his face. He took a deep breath before he spoke. "Do you know the basics of fūinjutsu?"

Naruto moved his hand in a "so-so" gesture. "I remember Iruka-sensei talking about it once. Pervy Sage mentioned it a lot, cause of the Nine-Tails and stuff, but he never really taught me anything specific. Only thing he mentioned was that you had to be careful with how you wrote them and how you put chakra into them."

The Uchiha blinked at how unaware the blond shinobi was of what he'd been taught. He shook his head to snap himself out of his stupor. "Naruto. Pervy Sa—Master Jiraiya basically explained the fundamentals of fūinjutsu to you with that." Naruto cocked his head before Sasuke continued. "I'm not savvy when it comes to seals and stuff, but I do remember the basics that we went over in the academy. Careful brushstrokes and chakra channeling are key to a successful seal," he explained.

"Huh. I guess you're right. Maybe Pervy Sage taught me more than I realized," Naruto mused aloud.

Sasuke huffed, crossing his arms. A wry smirk crawled across his face. "Hey, wanna see something cool?"

Naruto shot to his feet. "What sorta something?"

Sasuke's smirk widened into a grin. He turned to face the stream and the clearing ahead of them. He quickly wove through hand seals that Naruto recognized, but ended on Horse. Sasuke inhaled deeply. On the exhale, a stream of fire shot out of his mouth, traveling a good ten yards before expanding into a roaring wall of flame that was the size of a house. Naruto watched in awe, his eyes the size of ramen bowls while his sunglasses glowed a vibrant orange. Sasuke held the inferno for a good seven seconds before it dissipated. He turned to his blond friend with a tired but triumphant grin on his face.

Naruto's breath hitched before he broke into excited laughter. "Holy shit that was cool! What was that?!"

Sasuke took a swig of water. "One of the fire jutsu I found in the Uchiha archives. Believe it or not, that's not even the full size of it. It's supposed to be big enough to be able to swallow a small army."

"You're fucking with me."

Sasuke broke into a full-on smile.

"That's fucking crazy, Sasuke. But that's also one of the coolest things I've ever heard. You win this one," Naruto conceded with an ear-to-ear smile.

A thought popped into Sasuke's head. "Oh yeah, do you wanna show me the lightning Rasengan?"

Naruto cocked an eyebrow, though his tone was hopeful. "You think you can help me with it?"

"I can try. Show me what you got."

Naruto gave a firm nod before creating a shadow clone to help him form the initial Rasengan. Once the spinning orb was formed, Naruto added lightning chakra to it, transforming it into a swirling, chirping ball of electricity. Sasuke activated his Sharingan as the clone dispelled in a plume of smoke. Not a second later, Naruto charged a tree. "Rasengan!"

Sasuke watched as the lightning Rasengan tore into the tree. Electricity arced to the other tree trunks, leaving scorched spots on the bark where the piercing blue fingers touched. Sasuke's eyes returned to normal as he walked over to Naruto. The duo studied the jagged, spiral-shaped scar in the tree. The edges of it had been slightly charred, much like the spots on the other tree.

Naruto found his voice first. "Any ideas?"

Sasuke brought a hand to his chin. "Well, what do you want to do with it?"

"I dunno, something."

Sasuke hummed. "Well, you could either continue with the whole 'slam it into your target' thing, or you could throw it like your Rasenshuriken."

A lightbulb went off in Naruto's head. "That's not a bad idea. Maybe I could do something like I did during my fight with Pain where I made the Rasenshuriken bigger. Do you think it'd be possible to make it explode?"

The Uchiha heir tapped a finger against his bottom lip. "Maybe. You'd probably need to approach it like the Rasenshuriken. Especially if you want to make it explode or expand. Do you want to try it?"

Naruto scratched his cheek again. "Well. I could. I dunno how well it'd work without sage chakra, but I guess I can try."

The blond shinobi created another shadow clone and formed the Rasengan once more, adding lightning chakra and dispelling the clone once the shape stabilized. He turned to a different tree trunk, letting out a yell as he hurled the ball of lightning. Sasuke stared wide-eyed as the swirling ball of chaos sailed through the air and impacted the tree, causing a blast of lightning that arced to the other trees. He slowly turned to his blond teammate.

"I'd call that a success."

Naruto blew a raspberry. "I guess. It didn't explode though."

Sasuke shrugged. "It did. Once it hit the tree it exploded into other lightning bolts. Didn't you see?"

Naruto scratched at the top of his head. "Well, yeah. But I was trying to make it explode in mid-air like I did with the Rasenshuriken."

"I mean, having it explode on impact works, too," Sasuke placated. Naruto simply grunted.

"I'm gonna try again," the blond thought aloud, creating another shadow clone. He formed another lightning Rasengan and dispelled the clone. With a yell, he threw the ball of chakra at another unsuspecting tree. Just before the lightning ball hit, it exploded into a mass of lightning bolts, arcing towards the trees and the ground. This time, the grass also bore its own scorch marks. Sasuke swore he saw small flames, but the wind thankfully snuffed them out before they could grow.

The Uchiha once again turned to his blond friend, who wore his signature grin. "Was that what you were planning?" Sasuke prompted.

Naruto nodded furiously. Sasuke decided to press on. "Were the lightning bolts intentional, too?"

The blond cocked his head. "Lightning bolts?"

"You didn't see the lightning bolts scorch the ground?"

Naruto shook his head meekly.

An exasperated sigh escaped the Uchiha's lips. "Cripes, Naruto, try not to be so oblivious."

"Oh, stuff it, Uchiha. I was too focused on making sure it exploded before hitting the tree, that's all," the blond retorted in annoyance.

Sasuke harrumphed. "Well, there were lightning bolts. Some hit the trees but a good number of them hit the ground. If I were you, I would figure out a way to try and control them, so they all hit their targets."

Naruto hummed, considering his advice. "I guess that makes sense."

"You got another one in you?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Naruto quipped with a mischievous smirk. Without missing a beat, he created a shadow clone, formed another lightning Rasengan, and hurled it at another tree. This time, when it exploded in mid-air, he focused on channeling the lightning into the surrounding tree trunks. Instead of just scorch marks, the electrical fingers dug into the trunks and clawed out splinters of wood and bark. The air was thick with the smell of ozone and charred wood by now.

A smile tugged on Sasuke's mouth. "I think that's a good start. You gonna name it?"

"Duh. I just don't know what to name it yet," Naruto replied.

Sasuke gave a small chuckle. "Well, think about it. I'm sure Kakashi-sensei will want to see what you've come up with. Come on, let's go see if we can't find some stuff on fūinjutsu at the library before we head home."

Naruto nodded, his face stretched into his signature grin. "Next I just gotta learn Hiraishin and then make a fire Rasengan!" He almost cackled when he mentioned the fire Rasengan. Sasuke merely let out a small sigh as they exited the training ground.


Konan was being escorted to T&I. Again. Her stoic expression betrayed how furious she was. She had just had her evaluation yesterday, and that damnable Yamanaka had cleared her. Why was she being taken back? Did they finally tire of her and decide to lock her up? Did they find something not even she knew about?

Questions and scenarios roiled in her mind as she was brought in. Instead of the examination room, she was brought into an interrogation room. At the opposite end of the metal table sat the Hokage, flanked by Kakashi and Captain Yamato. Tsunade gestured towards the chair in front of the azure haired woman. Konan cautiously took her seat, quietly eyeing the trio in front of her.

Tsunade cleared her throat. Konan swallowed hard as Kakashi and Yamato both produced pens and notepads. The Hokage spoke with quiet authority. "I believe the time has come for you to hold up your end of the bargain."


A/N: Hang onto that cliff! I think this is a decent mix of fluff and sort-of-action. I wanted to give Konan some more time in the spotlight away from just the usual training interactions with Naruto. Speaking of! Woo! A new elemental Rasengan! Even though he can't quite get the Hiraishin down, a new Rasengan is cool, don't you think? I thought it would be neat for Sasuke to learn more fire jutsu, too. Especially since Madara is one of the few who use something besides Fireball and all that jazz. I'll let you figure out which jutsu Sasuke demonstrated. Hint: it's not Fireball. Thanks so much for reading! Happy New Year once again! Chapter 16 is in the works!