7. Getting A Partner
Forest Treetops En Route To The Hidden Leaf Village
Naruto shot through the trees beside Kakashi with Team 7 behind them. On Naruto's other side, Haku looked like he was on autopilot as he silently jumped from branch to branch.
As the air whistled from the shinobi's passage, Naruto considered how he was going to watch over Haku when he joined the Leaf ranks like he promised Zabuza. The Old Man he wouldn't have a problem with. It was the council that Naruto was worried about. Knowing the civilian side and some of the shinobi members, they would most likely try to force Haku to form his own clan and there was no way Naruto was going to let them push Haku around just so that they could get a bunch of ice wielding shinobi in the future. He'd rather tell the entire Hidden Stone Village about his heritage than let a friend of his be manipulated like that.
Naruto's face hardened into determination as he decided on what he would do. The civilians wanted a clan? Well they would get one. A clan that was known to be as fierce as the whirlpools they lived near. It was time for Naruto to remind the council of the alliance the village had made with his mother's homeland.
Kakashi noticed Naruto's expression change out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head to the blond, he said "What is it Naruto?"
Naruto waited until he had shot off the next tree branch before saying "You know their going to try and force Haku to make a clan right?"
Haku jerked out of his thoughts at this while Kakashi nodded and said "Yes, but I doubt Lord Hokage-sama will allow that."
"Yeah, well I'm not going to take any chances. I gave Zabuza my word that I would take care of Haku and I plan on keeping that promise." Naruto said.
Haku smiled and thought 'Thank you Naruto, I only hope I can stand by you when your time of need comes.'
Kakashi frowned and said "What are you planning Naruto?"
Naruto's eyes gained a mischievous look as he grinned like the fox demon he contained as he said "If the council tries anything, they well experience first hand what made my clan so formidable."
Sasuke and Sakura perked up in interest when they heard that Naruto actually came from a clan.
'Naruto actually has a clan? But I thought he was an orphan?' Sakura thought.
'The dead last has a clan? Hmph, no matter, it couldn't have been much of a clan if I've never heard of it.' Sasuke thought with a frown.
Kakashi frowned and said "Be careful Naruto. The council can make things incredibly difficult for you if you anger them."
Naruto scoffed and said "Like they haven't already tried to make my life a living hell as often as possible? Let them try. I'll send them on such a loop they'll be trying to make sense of things for a week afterwards and I'm not talking about using my bloodline either."
"You reveal you're status and they might force you into the CRA." Kakashi warned.
Naruto snorted and said "Let them try. Everyone seems to forget that little law is completely voluntary. Not even the Hokage could force someone into it even if he wanted to."
Sasuke's eyes widened at this information since everyone had told him that he would be obligated to have more than one wife since he was the last loyal Uchiha. Hence a number of the more rabid fan girls trying to gang rape him every now and then so that he would have to marry all of them.
Naruto smirked as he 'saw' Sasuke's expression with his sonar technique that he had activated for just that purpose. Looking over his shoulder he said "So Uchiha, are you planning on being told to use the CRA? Probably be the only way the council could get little Uchihas since you seem to want everyone to think you're gay."
'Oh boy.' Kakashi thought as Sasuke saw red and launched himself with a war cry at a, in his opinion, way too annoying blond to let live who was maniacally laughing as he easily avoided the enraged Uchiha and kept bouncing from tree branch to tree branch avoiding the kunai, shuriken, and even occasional fireball sent his way.
Sakura was blushing both from embarrassment at one thing that Naruto had implied and anger at another as she shouted out to the two boys who were constantly moving ahead of the group.
"Get him Sasuke-kun! Make him suffer!"
Kakashi sighed and thought to himself 'I thought I asked him not to antagonize them.'
Haku sweat dropped and thought 'How can someone be so mature one minute and then act like that in the next?'
Sai merely raised an eyebrow and said "I don't see what putting dick less through the CRA would accomplish. It wouldn't matter how many women marry him if he doesn't have the proper tools to make a clan."
Kakashi's eye widened as he knew what was about to happen next as he looked back over his shoulder. Sure enough, Sakura's face had reddened even further as a dark aura surrounded her.
"Saai." Sakura ground out before launching herself at the boy who gained a fake smile and dodged the girl's charge much the same way as Naruto did with Sasuke as the two shot through the forest with the kunoichi trying to kill the Root operative.
Haku sweat dropped again as Kakashi sighed. Turning to the scarecrow Jounin he said "I'm going to have to get used to this aren't I?"
"I'm afraid so. At least Naruto isn't a part of Team 7 so it shouldn't happen too often." Kakashi said as a particularly large fire ball was seen exploding up ahead followed by Naruto's laughter as he shouted "Hey Sasuke! I think I felt a breeze that time!" Followed by Sasuke's roar of anger.
Kakashi sighed again before saying "Come on, we better catch up to them."
"I'm not sure I actually want to." Haku said before the two increased their pace to be right behind the two pairs of attempted murderers and their tormentors.
Scene Change: Hidden Leaf Village Main Gate
It was just another boring day for Kotetsu and Izumo as they were once again assigned gate duty. That is until Naruto and Sai landed side by side and turned around just as a panting Sasuke and Sakura landed behind them.
"You two enjoy your exercise?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow as Kakashi and Haku landed behind the exhausted pair of Gennin.
"I'm going to kill you Dead Last. Slowly. Painfully." Sasuke growled out to exhausted to attack the blond anymore.
"You know flat chest, I'm surprised you can actually be a ninja. I would have thought that an abnormal forehead such as yours would make getting to places quite a task. And dickless seems to be missing more than just his tool. He had no stamina what so ever. How he will survive in bed is beyond me."
"Sai, when I get through with you, not even the tracking teams will be able to find you. There won't be anything left." Sakura growled out also too tired to actually follow with her threat.
Kakashi stepped forward and put a hand on each of the exhausted Gennin's shoulders and said "Now, now. Lets not fight now that we're home."
Haku merely shook his head and thought 'What have I gotten myself into?'
Naruto simply smirked before turning back around and walked over to the gate booth and signed the team in as he said "Team 7 and Jounin Naruto Uzumaki returning from mission to Wave with possible new recruit Haku Momochi."
Haku's head turned so fast Kakashi actually heard it crack a little as he stared at the blond in surprise.
"Zabuza asked that you take his name when you joined us." Kakashi said as Haku switched his attention to the scarecrow standing next to him.
As Haku was trying to work out what he was feeling from that revelation, Naruto was enjoying a nice conversation with the Eternal Chunnin as the two were often called.
"What did you say to make the kid so mad?" Kotetsu asked as he glanced at the still panting Uchiha who was currently trying to burn a hole into Naruto's back with his glare.
Naruto smirked and said "Not much really. Just said that the council forcing him to take part in the CRA was the only way they would get more Uchihas since he seems determined to make everyone think he was gay."
The two guardsmen chuckled and Izumo said "And their other teammate?"
Naruto shrugged and said "Well I was already ahead of them when he got Haruno mad as well but I think it was along the lines that no amount of women could make Uchiha's clan come back since he doesn't have the necessary tools. Then he just started insulting the both of them when the two caught up."
The two chuckled again as they shook their heads and Izumo said "Yep, that sounds like something Sai would say alright."
Naruto chuckled as well and said "Yeah, I get the feeling that he doesn't really respect those two."
"That's putting it lightly. Sai seems to feel that if he doesn't insult those two at least five times a day each then he has failed some personal mission of his." Kakashi said as he and Haku joined the three.
Naruto smirked and said "Sounds like a guy I wouldn't mind working with every now and then."
Kakashi rose an eyebrow and said "Even if he started insulting you?"
Naruto's smirk turned into a good natured smile and he said "Uncle Kakashi, in my line of work, you have to learn how to honorably take as much as you give, and I've given a lot."
Kakashi and the two Chunnin chuckled and Izumo said "That's certainly true. I still remember that one time you gave all of the Nara's deer red glowing noses and placed blow up Santa Clauses all over their clan grounds three years ago."
Haku stared at Naruto as the blond chuckled and said "Yeah, that was fun. Well, we better get going. I'm sure the Old Man knows we're back already and probably wants our report as soon as possible."
Kakashi nodded and turned back to his Gennin where Sai was taking advantage of the other two's exhausted states by being more insulting than usual.
"Okay, you three. Naruto and I are going to go report to the Hokage so you three have the rest of the day off. You guys also have the next few days off since you completed a C-rank mission. Be at our training ground in three days for more missions."
As Sakura and Sasuke mumbled out their replies and Sai nodded, Naruto grabbed his two companions and disappeared.
Scene Change: Hokage's Office
Sarutobi looked up from the scroll he was reading at his desk as he sensed Naruto's chakra in the room the instant he appeared in his office with Haku and Kakashi shaking their heads trying to shake loose the cobwebs.
"Ugh, I hate it when you do that." Kakashi said as he gathered his bearings.
"Agreed," Haku said.
Sarutobi rose an eyebrow and said "Nice to have you back you two. Now, as much as I'm interested in who this young man is, SOP demands that I hear out your report first so could you please tell me how your mission went?"
The two Jounin nodded and Kakashi began giving their report with Naruto interjecting here and there where he was more involved.
Once the report was finished, Sarutobi sighed and placed his arms on his desk and leaned forward to study Haku who did his best not to fidget as he became nervous from the man's stare.
"So Zabuza asked you to bring his apprentice into our ranks?"
The two nodded and Sarutobi sighed again and said "If this was almost anyone else we were talking about I wouldn't have a problem with it but considering that man's history-"
Naruto stepped forward as the old man trailed off and said "Hokage-sama, what is the one thing that you said was my greatest strength?"
Sarutobi could tell how serious Naruto was about this seeing as he had used his formal title and as he focused on the blond decided to be straight to the point as well and said "Your ability to judge people." He sighed again before continuing "Very well Naruto, I'll accept Haku into our ranks but you will be held responsible for him. Am I understood."
Naruto nodded and said "Crystal sir."
Sarutobi nodded as well and focused back on Haku and said "Now then Haku, if you're going to be joining the ranks of my ninja, I need to know just what exactly you can do."
Haku nodded and said "I have a bloodline that allows me to naturally mix wind and water natured chakra into ice natured chakra. I know various D to B ranked water Jutsu although I primarily use Ice jutsu. My strongest jutsu is one that surrounds my opponents with a dome of ice mirrors that I can travel through at speeds that are the faster than most high level Jounin. I am highly accurate with senbon needle and have a vast knowledge of medical first aid and how to use herbs effectively in making medicine."
"I see. Well it's nice knowing that I'll have another shinobi who can help out in the field if his comrades are injured but you having a bloodline may prove to be a bit of a problem in the near future." Sarutobi said as he felt a headache coming.
"You mean the council most likely trying to make me form a clan." Haku said.
Sarutobi nodded knowing that Naruto was most likely the one to let the boy know.
Before he could say anything, said blond said "Hokage-sama, as clan heir of the Uzumaki clan, I am recommending Haku Momochi to be placed under clan guardianship."
Sarutobi's eyes snapped over to the blond in surprise as he said "Naruto, we've discussed what announcing your status would cause."
Naruto nodded and said "I know that it well only give me more grief from the council Old Man. But I am NOT going to let them turn Haku into breeding stock. Even the Uchiha doesn't deserve that fate. And if they try to throw that CRA on me when I tell them then I'll just shove it right up their butts. I've taken a lot from those guys, but this is one thing I will fight for."
Everyone heard the determination in Naruto's voice and Sarutobi saw a fire in the blonde's eyes that he hadn't seen since he had told Naruto about his parents that night seven years ago. Sarutobi grinned. If the council tried anything, Naruto would give them such a headache they wouldn't be able to look at anything shinobi related for a month.
"Very well Naruto, as of this moment, Haku Momochi is currently under the protection of the Uzumaki clan. All decisions that affect him must be brought to you before any measures are taken. As such, it falls upon you to make sure his needs are taken care of. I will also be making him your partner on missions. Do you find this acceptable?"
Naruto nodded and said "I do."
Sarutobi nodded as well and said "Very well then." Bringing his focus to Kakashi he said "I'm afraid that this will have to be a private conversation from now on Kakashi. You're dismissed."
Kakashi nodded and turned to walk out of the door.
After the door closed, Sarutobi focused back on Naruto and said "Now then, if you're going to make this official, even if it's just with the council, there are a few things we must go over. For starters, am I to assume that you want me to still vote for your clan if you are unable to attend a council meeting?"