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The Seal Removed
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Kakashi was on his way to his students, wondering in what kind of mood he'd find them. Naho's social skills proved rather lacklustre from what he'd seen. Though he couldn't blame her. Social skills were not his special subject either, and it wasn't something that could be learned by simply studying books.
To Kakashi's surprise, all four of his students were already at the training spot and busy practicing their tree-climbing when he arrived. Sakura even had a smile on her face as she showed him her progress. She was able to walk up most of the tree. He didn't question the sudden normality that had returned. It was a good thing, and good things were not supposed to be questioned.
During lunch time, Kakashi carefully observed his students. It was the first time Sakura didn't bring a homemade bento, but something from the supermarket instead. Yet it was still much healthier than Naruto's food, who usually brought chips and cookies for lunch. Kakashi often reminded him that vegetables were part of a healthy diet. It was something the boy hadn't quite grasped yet.
"Naruto, you know that veggies help you with your chakra control, right?" Kakashi tried again.
Naruto almost dropped his chocolate cookie. "Do they really? I guess that's why Sakura is so good at tree-walking." Naruto nodded to himself. "Hey, Sakura-chan. Will you share your salad with me? You can also have some of these cookies."
"Keep your dirty hands off my food," Sakura yelled, slapping Naruto's hand away. "I'm on a diet. I'm not eating those sugar bombs."
"But I need to get better at chakra control," Naruto pleaded.
"Pathetic." Sasuke was talking more to himself than to anyone, but it was a remark that didn't miss Naruto's ears.
"You shouldn't be talking, idiot! You can't even reach the top of your tree yourself."
"At least I can get my feet to stick," Sasuke fired back immediately.
"Shut up, Naruto. Sasuke is way better than you are!" Sakura immediately defended Sasuke like she always did. She was ready to punch Naruto once again, but stopped halfway through. "Actually…" She bit her lips, before turning them to a soft smile. "Why don't we all have dinner together at Ichiraku's today? I'm really sorry for not inviting you, Naruto. It was a team dinner after all. I want to make up for it."
Kakashi's bored eyes widened a bit as he watched the scene in front of him.
"I told you, it's no big deal," Naruto returned with an even bigger smile on his face. "You don't have to make up for anything, but… Going to Ichiraku's together sounds great!"
They laughed together and Sakura went on to make sure that both Naho and Sasuke would join them.
"You are coming too, right Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.
"I'm sorry. I think there's something I have to do after training today."
"Why? You are part of our team too. You have to come, sensei," Naruto protested loudly.
"Yes, please. I can't make this up to Naruto if the team dinner isn't really a team dinner again."
Kakashi couldn't help but smile at his two pleading students. There wasn't a single other person in the village except for Gai who showed as much interest in his presence. "I might go now and see if I can take care of matters. Seems like you guys are doing fine practicing without me. But if I'm not back until nightfall, feel free to go without me."
Naruto's smile vanished. "But… Kakashi-sensei, don't you think you should give us some tips again? I mean, look at Sasuke. He's practically dying for some more advice, but is just too proud to ask."
"Naruto, you…" The frown Sasuke usually wore on his forehead intensified.
"I know, I know," Kakashi interrupted their emerging fight. "Don't worry, Naruto. I might have an idea. I'll tell you about it later." He held up his hand to say goodbye and vanished before his students could say another word.
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"I want to remove Naruto's outer seal," Kakashi said, standing in front of the Hokage's desk in his office.
The Third Hokage showed no sign of surprise at the sudden suggestion.
"I believe that Naruto has grown quite a lot over the last few years. He adores both Sakura and Naho. And even Sasuke, though he'd never admit it. I think he deserves another chance at trying to control the kyuubi. Because if we don't give him that chance, he will never exceed the Genin level. You would have to transfer him to Gai's team to at least give him a chance of succeeding with taijutsu alone. For most ninjutsu, the seal simply messes with his chakra flow too much."
The Hokage's eyes moved to Minato's picture hanging on the wall. Kakashi didn't follow them. He didn't need to look at his former teacher. "I always hoped that this boy would carry on Minato's will and become his legacy," the Hokage said, turning his attention back to Kakashi. "But I'm not sure if he can do it, Kakashi. I'm not sure the friends he's made make a difference."
"I'm simply giving my opinion as their instructor here. With the outer seal, Naruto won't be able to keep up with the others." Kakashi argued calmly and collected. He could understand the Hokage's feelings. But he didn't want to be emotionally invested in this. All he cared for was to give his student the best possible conditions to succeed in his training. "Besides, I'm sure those Anbu that follow Naruto around on every step are quite capable," he added.
The Hokage stood up, folding his arms behind his back. He looked out of the window, watching over his village. "I expected someone like you to notice. I'd appreciate it though if you ignored their presence. They are no more than a last resort."
"Lord Third, I'm not here to talk you around and convince you. But I think there was a reason you assigned Naruto to me. There has not been a single incident since Naruto has received the outer seal. He is no threat for anyone as long as the seal is working. If you planned on keeping the outer seal intact, you should have assigned him to Gai's squad. Gai could make a fine shinobi out of Naruto by turning him into a taijutsu specialist. There'd be no need to remove the seal. But instead, you assigned him to my team. To me, one of the few people in this village somewhat capable of restricting the Kyuubi from breaking out. In theory."
A soft smile formed on the Hokage's lips. "Giving up hope has never been a virtue of mine. But this decision is too important. I shall ask for a second opinion." The Hokage opened the window and a bird landed on the sill. He whispered some short words and it flew away again.
Kakashi waited patiently. It didn't take long until an Anbu member appeared on the roof outside the office. She stepped inside and bowed to the Lord Hokage before positioning herself next to Kakashi. Kakashi wondered if he knew her from his own time in the Anbu, but he didn't recognise her. At least not while she was wearing her mask. Her long blond hair was the only visible characteristic setting her apart from other Anbu. Yet she almost immediately brought an air of familiarity with her.
"You called, Lord Third."
"Yes, I was just having a conversation with Kakashi about Naruto's outer seal. We are thinking about removing it again and would like your opinion. There is no one who's watched Naruto more closely than you."
The Anbu stood upright. No muscle in her body seemed relaxed. It was a stark contrast to Kakashi, who had his hands in his pockets and looked straight out of bed. "My apologies, my Lord. I don't believe my opinion matters in this decision. All that I can do is to assure you that me and my team feel confident in our restraining and sealing abilities."
"I have faith in your abilities. But I would like your opinion on how Naruto will handle it."
There was a moment of silence as the Anbu was carefully considering her choice of words. Kakashi recognised her voice after all. He'd never been interested much in Naruto's guards. But it didn't surprise him that Komachi was one of them. She used to be close to Minato.
"We know it is a fact that Naruto hasn't handled it too well in the past," she said. "But Naruto was still very young at that age. I believe he could handle it better now."
The Hokage turned their back on them again to look at his village once more. "A Jinchuuriki who is capable of controlling the power of their Bijuu greatly increases the strength of any village. If there is any chance Naruto can achieve this, we have to try again. Tell your teammates that Kakashi has my approval to remove Naruto's outer seal, Komachi."
"Yes, Lord Third." The Anbu bowed again.
Kakashi also nodded at him. He looked at Komachi for only a short moment before he left them.
"You disapprove of my decision," the Hokage said as soon as Kakashi closed the door behind him.
"It is my duty to watch over Naruto and Naruto alone. And to make sure the Kyuubi shall never break out again. Those are the orders I strive to fulfil. You based your decision on the greatest benefit for the village, that is, if Naruto succeeds. I respect that decision. It is the decision a Hokage should make. But the orders you gave me don't allow me to approve this decision. It might as well break Naruto if it goes wrong. It might even kill him."
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Kakashi left the Hokage building and walked down the streets. He stopped by the flower shop before continuing his way to the cemetery to place fresh flowers on Rin's grave, making sure everything was tidy and in order. It was early, and his students would still be busy practicing their chakra control for a few hours. So Kakashi decided to stay with Rin, telling her of Naruto and his resemblance to both Minato and Obito. He stayed for quite a while, dwelling in old memories of the past and of times that were lost forever, before continuing to Obito's grave.
Obito didn't have an actual grave. He had been part of the casualties of the Third Ninja War, and his sacrifice was thus honoured by a memorial. His body had never been found. It was lost forever in a foreign country, far from home.
Kakashi sat down next to the memorial and started reading. He'd been lucky the nearby training grounds were vacant and he could enjoy the silence around him. He kept reading until the sun started setting and light became scarce around him. His students would go to have dinner soon, he realised. But he didn't have the energy to get up and spend the evening with four kids, despite their earlier pleas for him to join. He lay down, blades of grass stroked his cheeks. The first stars were already visible. He watched as one after the other appeared, knowing that he'd soon have to talk to Naruto. But not yet. For now, he dwelled in the solitude that felt so familiar to him.
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The members of team 7 were still in the woods, despite the moon being the only light source left to them. Sasuke was leaning against a tree, arms crossed in front of him.
"Either we go and have dinner now or I'm leaving. I have better things to do than wait for Kakashi," he said, wearing his familiar frown.
"I can't believe this guy," Sakura started complaining. "He barely teaches us anything. Just sits around reading and then vanishes for most of the day. And now he doesn't even show up for our team dinner."
Naruto nodded in agreement. "I'm sure he knows more tricks for tree-walking that he just doesn't tell us."
They both turned to Naho, who cringed at the sudden attention.
"Don't you have anything to say, Naho?" Sakura asked in a demanding tone. Naho was clearly confused and didn't have anything to say at all. "You never complain. You are way too nice!"
Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Naho. Come on, say something bad about Kakashi-sensei. He's not here to hear it anyway." A dirty grin formed on Naruto's face, who didn't mind badmouthing his teacher behind his back at all.
Naho blushed, which was barely visible to the others in the dim light around them. "Why should I?"
"Hehe, come on, just one tiny mean word." Naruto started pinching her cheek.
Sasuke straightened himself and walked past them. "Let's just go. He's not coming anymore. I'm not waiting any longer."
Sakura immediately ran after him and linked arms with him. Naruto did the same, trying to link arms with Sakura instead, which did nothing but earn him a big knock on his head. So he walked behind them together with Naho, who had to smile at the exaggerated disappointment in Naruto's face. And together, they made their way back to Konoha and to the ramen shop, while looking forward to spending the evening not alone, but with their teammates.
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When Naruto opened the door to his flat, Kakashi was sitting at his table, looking at some milk he'd left there in the morning.
"Yo," his teacher greeted him. "You know this milk is already expired, right?"
"What are you doing in my flat, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto yelled, slamming the door shut behind him.
"You left the window open. If I wanted to rob all this expired milk from you, you'd make it very easy for me."
Naruto took the bottle away from him and threw it at a trash can that was already overflowing with old packaging. "Why didn't you come to dinner?"
"Sorry, sorry." He scratched his head. "I had a really important meeting with the Hokage. Actually, it was about you, Naruto."
"About me?" Naruto looked at him in confusion for a moment, but then sheer horror made its way onto his face. "Please, sensei. I know I haven't made a lot of progress lately, but I'm sure I can master tree-walking. I will keep practicing! Actually, I was just on my way to go there again." Naruto was about to put on the shoes that he'd just thrown into a corner. He was sure that Kakashi came to tell him he failed becoming a shinobi after all.
"That's not it, Naruto. We were talking about your seals that keep the Kyuubi locked away."
Naruto stopped what he was doing. "Huh? Is there something wrong with it?" He didn't know much about his own seals. He only knew they were there, somewhere at least, though he couldn't even see them. Sometimes he even wondered if people were only fooling with him when they said there was a monster sealed away inside of him. How would a monster fit into a human body? And how come he never noticed anything?
"I think the seal is what makes it so hard for you to control your chakra. That's why I was talking to the Hokage about removing it. The outer seal, that is. The main seal will stay intact. But it should still improve your chakra control drastically."
Naruto's face lit up in an instant. "Really? So I will be able to walk up the tree?"
"It should be easier, yes. But there is a downside too, Naruto. The outer seal makes sure that the Kyuubi's chakra is almost completely sealed off. If I remove it, controlling the demon in you will become much more difficult again for you."
Naruto laughed at his teacher's words. "I don't care about that weird demon. I've never had problems with it, so go ahead! I want the seal off. I need to become the strongest shinobi after all." Naruto was filled with excitement. He was convinced everything would get better once the seal was off. He would get better.
"Naruto, you should really think about this carefully before making your decision. The Kyuubi is a real threat. If it should ever break out from its seal, it could destroy all of Konoha. And even if it doesn't break out completely, it could still cause harm to those around you."
It worried Kakashi that Naruto had no idea about all the incidents the tailed beast had caused in the past. But the Hokage forbid anyone to tell him.
Naruto crossed his arms behind his head and looked at Kakashi rather unimpressed. "What do you mean hurt those around me? Everyone always makes such a big deal out of this monster, but how dangerous can it be if it lets itself get sealed away inside of me this easily?"
Kakashi sighed. Naruto, despite being the Jinchuuriki himself, had never actually witnessed the destruction and harm the Kyuubi caused. "You know, there is another option. There is a Jounin teacher in Konoha who uses nothing but taijutsu. If he was your teacher, you could keep the outer seal and focus on taijutsu."
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "He doesn't use any ninjutsu?" Kakashi shook his head. "What a loser. I can't become Hokage if I don't have any flashy ninjutsu in my arsenal. I'm sure the Hokage only promoted him out of pity."
Kakashi smiled. "Is that what you think? Well, that loser might just be stronger than me."
"Eh? Really? But…" Naruto thought back to the dinner he'd just had with his teammates. He'd waited years to find friends he could share ramen with. He shook his head. "I want the seal removed."
"Think about it until tomorrow." Kakashi climbed out of the window again.
"I don't need to think about it! I want it removed now. I need to practice tree-walking after all!"
"See you tomorrow." Kakashi shortly waved his hand and was gone.
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The next morning, Naruto proudly announced to his teammates that this was the day he would manage to walk up trees. Sasuke didn't miss the opportunity to make fun of Naruto.
"You still can't even get a foot stuck to it. I doubt today's that day."
Contrary to Sasuke's expectations, the grin on Naruto's face only intensified. "You got beat by two girls, Sasuke. I don't think you should be talking?" he fired back.
"I did not get beat by two girls."
"You totally did. Just look at the trees. Sakura and Naho both got their marks further up."
"You…" Sasuke grabbed Naruto's collar. "At least I got a mark up there!" he said with a forced smile.
"Yeah, but that's not my fault. Kakashi-sensei said it was my seal that's messing with my chakra flow. So he's removing it today. You better be careful, Sasuke. I'm going to catch up to you in no time."
"Removing the seal?" Naho asked, while Sakura was busy giving Naruto a knock on his head for teasing Sasuke. "That seal?" she added.
Naruto freed himself from Sasuke's grasp and dodged away from yet another of Sakura's punches, before taking cover behind Naho's back. He scratched his head, laughing lightly. "You know about it too, Naho-chan?" I guess I'm really famous, huh?"
"Hmpf, hiding behind a girl like a scared fool." Sasuke turned away from Naruto and walked to his tree, ready to start training.
"You let a girl fight for you. How is that any better, you idiot?" Naruto yelled after him.
"Is that safe?" Naho asked, trying to get back on topic.
"I'm sure Kakashi-sensei wouldn't do anything that was dangerous." Sakura waved the thought away.
Their teacher arrived soon after, a lot earlier than usually. Sakura was cheering for Sasuke instead of practicing herself and Naho was still having breakfast. She didn't enjoy eating at the orphanage. Naruto ran at him in excitement.
"I see you still want the seal removed," Kakashi noted as he looked in the boy's eyes that were filled with expectation. Naruto nodded. "Alright, alright. Then let's do it."
"Huh, here?"
Naho sat next to them in the grass, eating onigiri she bought at the market. Sakura came over as well, curious what was going to happen. Only Sasuke decided to stay away and keep practicing instead. Showing interest in Naruto's life was not on his agenda.
"Sure, just show me your belly button." Kakashi pulled up Naruto's jacket and put all five fingers on his belly.
Naruto giggled. It took a moment before Kakashi circled his hand left and right, and suddenly, Naruto stopped giggling and fainted. Kakashi caught him and carefully placed him on the ground.
"Is he alright?" Sakura asked, kneeling down next to Naruto.
"He should wake up again soon. His body is most likely overwhelmed by the new chakra flow."
Kakashi turned out to be right, and Naruto slowly opened his eyes again.
"What happened? Have you removed the seal yet?" Naruto watched Kakashi nod as he got up again from the ground. "Are you sure? I don't really feel different yet. Am I supposed to feel different?"
Kakashi looked at him with a bored eye. "Do I look like someone who removes demon seals on a daily basis and knows what's supposed to happen?" Naruto's eyes narrowed at him. "Just go and see if tree-walking got any easier," Kakashi said before Naruto could start doubting him.
Naruto's mood was fast to change and suddenly, he was all excited again and ran towards his tree, filled with motivation. It took a while, but by the end of the day, Naruto had managed to move his kunai mark further up for the first time ever.
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Naruto practiced day and night, determined to catch up to his teammates as fast as possible. It took less than a week, and all four of them could walk up trees like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Komachi watched Naruto as he ran back home, jumping up and down at the thought that he would get to go on his first C-rank mission soon. He met Shikamaru and Choji on his way, and couldn't help but brag to them about it. They didn't share his excitement though. Missions were a nuisance to them, and the higher the rank, the bigger the nuisance.
"You are late. Again." Komachi said, as her partner finally appeared next to her. "What if something had happened?"
"Relax." The girl ran her hand through her white hair. "I can't see your face through that mask, but I'm sure you are already getting wrinkles from worrying too much." She yawned under her mask. "Nothing ever happens here anyway. Why are we even watching that little brat?"
They both used the Transformation Jutsu to take on the appearance of mere villagers and walked after Naruto, who stopped by the ramen shop to tell Teuchi, Iruka and Ayame of his new achievements.
"You are foolish to yawn at peaceful times, Kagura," Komachi lectured the younger Anbu. "And you are foolish to think that the Kyuubi won't take a chance at breaking out now that the seal is weaker again. It's only a matter of time. You saw what happened last time."
Kagura did remember. But it had been years. And in those years, nothing ever happened again. It bored her. "Let's hope it will be sooner rather than later." She stopped to look at a shop selling hair ornaments like she was taking a stroll through town.
Komachi had learned to ignore her impudent behaviour. Arguing with the girl proved a waste of time. She instead kept her eyes on the important matters – Naruto.
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A/N
You know, my fanfics always turn out waaay longer than I planned. Must of the stuff I'd lined out for this only happens after the Chuunin exams. Yet here we are, 6 chapters in and we haven't even been to Wave. Woops. This one's going to be pretty big.
But yeah, I reeeeally want Team 7 to have strong(er) bonds in this one, so I guess I can't just skip straight to Wave and Chuunin. Also kinda want to give them slightly more training. I'm not much into writing fighting scenes and blowing mountains apart with jutsu, so I guess I can't have them know too many jutsu too quickly, but yeah. Also don't want Sakura and Naho to not have a single jutsu until time skip. Poor civilians.