Hello people !
Here is the new chapter. No specific warning for this one.
I had lots of fun writing it. It's actually one of those chapter I wrote ages ago ahahah I'm glad I finally got to the point in the story where it happens. I hope you'll enjoy it too!
On a side note, I might need to go on a short hiatus for this story. I will be moving countries in the next few weeks for my job. I will be incredibly busy packing my stuff and then getting settled. I will try not to let this affect my publications here too much, but I might not be able to be active for a little while. I'm hoping things will go back to normal by the end of February.
Thank you for your understanding and your support!
Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 21
Anyone who knew Kakashi would easily admit that seeing him walk with a skip in his steps was reason for fear. That the idea of anything bringing that much joy to the usually calm man was enough to send a few of the newest ANBU recruits into a retreat deep into the mountains, nervously muttering about taking their chances in the wild and finding their inner peace.
It wasn't that Kakashi was terrifying… any longer. But he did use to be, and this kind of aura and reputation tended to stick around, especially in a village that had built their entire economic system on their soldiers' healthy dose of paranoia and mistrust.
So when Kakashi approached him just outside of the jounin station and smiled at him through his black mask, Genma might have fumbled a little bit with his senbon before regaining his composure. And no, years of contact with the man did very little to curb that instinctual reaction, no matter what people who didn't know the Sharingan user personally might say.
"-No."
Genma's voice held a finality to it.
"-I haven't even said anything yet," Kakashi replied without losing his smile.
"-I don't care, I'm not doing it.
-And here I thought you were a civilized being.
-Fine. Hi," Genma said in his sweetest voice, which he dropped immediately. "What do you want?"
"-I need your help.
-And we're back to where we started: no.
-You didn't let me tell you what it was for."
Kakashi's tone was definitely too light for Genma's tastes.
"-I don't need to hear it. Your face is creeping me out right now. You're way too cheery, nothing good ever comes out of it.
-It will this time around."
Genma sighed. Kakashi had just bounced a little bit.
Genma was doomed.
Nothing would break Kakashi out of his path now. There was no avoiding whatever the man had in mind when he got into one of those moods. Genma would know: he'd tried. Many, many times.
The senbon wielding shinobi answered the expectant silence with a longer sigh still, fully aware that he was probably signing himself up for a lot of pain.
"-What is it?"
Even speaking the words felt painful.
"-Barely anything at all," Kakashi assured in a high pitch then his usual baritone, waving his hand.
"-Spill, Hatake.
-I just need your help securing a training field."
Genma tsk-ed in annoyance.
"-What are you, a genin?! Just request a cleaning crew."
Genma glared at him and started walking again, trying to get back to what he was doing. Kakashi effortlessly blocked his path.
"-But you're the head of the Hokage's guard.
-And?
-Well, since he's going to be the one using it, I thought you'd want to make sure it's good to go.
-Hokage-sama has his own training grounds and they're most definitely secured. What are you on about?
-It's for his fight, of course!"
Genma was pretty sure there was a 'silly' tacked at the end of that sentence.
"-What fight?" Genma growled.
He was reaching the end of his patience. And he just knew Kakashi was milking it on purpose!
"-The one against Naruto, silly!" There it was.
That did take Genma by surprise.
"-Minato and Naru are going to fight? When?
-Just a friendly spar of course. But sensei asked me to find a field for when we get back from Wind."
Kakashi's smile hadn't wavered. He was still bouncing slightly on his feet.
A part of Genma was slightly crept out by the image now seared into his brain, but he could feel the same giddy smile slowly stretching his own lips.
"-Did he now? Well, in that case, I will do my best for Hokage-sama!
-I knew you'd help me!"
Kakashi turned around and skipped away.
Genma's lips stretched into a full smile, which sent a newly appointed tokubetsu jounin coming out of the station running. Good survival instincts, that one.
No wonder Kakashi was so bouncy! Friendly spar, his ass! If the Hokage had requested a special training field be prepared for it, it was going to be a lot more than just a spar. A full out fight between the two Namikaze! That would be something to behold!
Genma's smile was positively predatory, provoking more than a few shivers within Konoha's ranks that morning.
As part of the Hokage's guards for twenty two years, Genma had often seen Minato train. Although the blonde leader's training regimen was impressive, he had rarely seen the Hokage fight for real. His special style of fighting, the things that made him truly dangerous, were not to be practiced anywhere close to the village. Too much potential for destruction, and too little opportunity to actually find something or someone to train against.
Seals and speed. That was what had made Minato Namikaze into the legend he still was after more than twenty years as Hokage. But seals and speed on the level of Minato Namikaze's were just not things one could train in so effectively in the open.
That was another thing that made him so dangerous: the only chance of catching what he was truly capable of what to witness it first hand. Even after all this time as his personal guard and friend, Genma remained undecided on whether that was something he wanted to witness. Through the years, and especially during the Third War, a very high number of people had seen the Yellow Flash fight for real. A terrifyingly few of these people were still alive today. And fewer still were willing to talk about it.
Genma knew that Kakashi often trained with his old teacher. When they would discuss their boss' training, the silver hair man had admitted to him several times that Minato was just always untouchable for him. No matter what he tried, the Hokage always bested him, which was in itself a rather terrifying thought, considering his sharingan and how strong Kakashi was in his own right.
Genma had also often seen Naruto train, and very often participated in his training himself. The younger man's style of fighting was completely different from his father's or from Kakashi's. It was actually impressive that the young man had developed so differently from his models. Asuma had done a great job as his sensei.
Naruto and Minato often trained together, but it was mostly when one of them was working on a new technique. Most of the time, those training sessions were about figuring out how to apply the theory. As interesting as they were – and they were interesting, seriously, those two could create techniques at an alarming rate – they were actually often repetitive and boring outside of the breakthroughs, in Genma's opinion.
Seeing the two of them go against each other would be entirely different. Genma was almost giddy at the prospect.
Truth be told, Genma was quite curious to see how it would go. Naruto had become a strong ninja indeed, capable of keeping up with even Kakashi when he really put his mind into the task. It had been a long time since Genma himself had been certain of his victory against the younger blonde. For all of that, Genma had never thought of him as someone who could go up against the like of Minato.
Looking down at his now healed hands, the elite jounin clenched them in thoughts. He had to admit that there was something different about Naruto since his return from the mission. Something that would was just there, under the surface of normalcy.
The Hokage had briefed the whole team about that day. He had said something about a mind jutsu and a backfiring Hiraishin. Genma knew that there was more to it. There had to be. He knew Sparrow and Lynx were suspicious too. They knew Naruto too well not to notice the difference. They had seen him grow up, contrarily to Spider, who hadn't been on the team long enough to be familiar with the Hokage's family.
Genma was pretty certain Kakashi knew the whole picture. Or close to it at least. As a member of the family, Minato or Naruto would have given him a more detailed explanation, Genma suspected. Even if he was the Hokage squad captain, Genma didn't really mind not getting the clearance for it. His clearance was already a lot higher than most people in the village, and he trusted his Hokage to decide when even he didn't need to know certain things.
It didn't matter. Naruto would always remain his Hokage's son to him, and most importantly a very dear friend. He loved the brat, first as a friend's child, then as a person on his own when he grew up.
Mind jutsu or backfiring Hiraishin aside, Genma couldn't deny that Naruto was different. Not completely different. Just more. More intense, maybe?
Genma couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was just so subtle. What little time Genma spent with his younger friend, the blonde always acted his usual self. But there was something just there, just under the surface, that had fundamentally changed in him, in the way he talked, in the way he carried himself. At times, while talking to Naruto or simply being in his presence, Genma would feel the same way he did when interacting with the blonde's father.
The experienced jounin would never forget Naruto's tone of voice on that first day when they retrieved him at the barrier. Genma would have sworn it had been Minato who had given him his orders if he hadn't seen Naruto's lips move.
There was an air of self confidence that wasn't there before. The type of confidence that very strong shinobis exuded: confidence in their own power. Not cockiness or brashness. Rather the underlying certainty that they had worked hard to gain what they had. The kind of certainty that indicated they knew by experience that they were in their own league.
Genma would know, most of his career had been spent keeping watch on just one such shinobi and working with another.
It was very unsettling to feel that coming from Naruto, and yet so fitting, so natural at the same time.
Genma quickly put his senbon back in his mouth, shaking himself from his reflexions, and thought back on the explosive tag that Kakashi had just dropped in his lap. He had a mission to accomplish now.
Over the course of the rest of the day, ANBU Captain Panther approached key members of the discreet organization about securing a remote training field for a particular sparring session a couple days later. Some high ranking shinobis from the regular forces were also discreetly approached under the pretense of informing them of the Hokage's upcoming unavailability during one particular afternoon.
Each meeting was executed with the utmost discretion, lasting barely a handful of seconds. The exchange of information was quick and to the point. Shinobis, after all, thrived of information and efficiency. And Genma so happened to know exactly whom to approach in order for that particular information to reach particular ears.
The village hidden in the leaves was like any other village: gossiping was a primordial source of entertainment for its citizens, no matter their rank or occupation. Sadly, the rumor mill had been on a bit of a gloomy spin, as most talks these last few months had been about the rapidly rising tensions among the countries. Ninjas, of course, knew first-hand that things were once more becoming shaky. Civilians, on the other hand, had to rely on indirect sources of information. Regardless of the reliability of the information, there was one thing all of Konoha was currently affected by: a disappointing lack of interesting and new information.
It came as no surprise, then, that Panther's carefully divulged news instantly started a chain reaction that cascaded through key elements of Konoha's best, igniting an explosion of fervent interest. As the hours went past, a discreet but unmistakable sense of giddy anticipation swept through the highest ranks of the village hidden in the leaves.
It was unheard of for the Hokage to open one of his training sessions to spectators, let alone a join session. Of course, Minato hadn't quite invited anyone, but surely the Hokage knew that asking his ANBU guards to secure a training field was basically leaving them in charge of the guest list.
Discreet discussions took place, training fields were considered and disregarded, schedules were rearranged. Training regimen were reorganized and key lessons postponed. Agreements were made on snacks, and bets were placed on attendance and techniques and outcomes. A sealing lesson was canceled at the Academy and protective barrier seals were drawn by a very excited Uzumaki.
Shinobis of the highest caliber they might have been, but Panther smiled as he saw two ANBU Captains bump fists about managing to get time off a couple days later.
Yes, there was definitely a lot of talking among Konoha's biggest shots while the Hokage was away negotiating the new terms of the salt trade agreement.
As the news of the fight settled over the surprised higher ranking officers in the Leaf, talks expanded from the fight itself and onto and even bigger source of gossip: whom would be fighting. Minato Namikaze, as a beloved Hokage, was naturally a favorite subject of discussion.
Through the years there had been a few talks about Minato passing the mantle of Hokage over to someone else. It wasn't a topic that came up very often as the Yondaime was still a formidable shinobi and showed no signs of tiring. If anything, his continued strength was a source of pride for the villagers.
Recently, however, an interested curiosity about the subject had been rekindled with his own son getting around the age he himself had been appointed leader of the powerful village. Those renewed talks had seen a few names tossed about here and there. Nothing serious or official, more bets than anything else.
Kakashi had been one of those names. He was an obvious choice for speculation, with the history he shared with the Hokage as well as his own impressive achievements. But, it was no secret that the Hatake had no interest in the position.
Shikaku Nara had been another name, though quickly disregarded because of his own age, just about the same as Minato's, as well as his notorious reluctance to take on even more responsibilities.
Asuma Sarutobi had been another discussed candidate, in the bars where such things were casually discussed. He was a strong and well appreciated jounin, son of the illustrious Sandaime Hokage. Surely he was in good terms with the current Hokage, as he was his son's teacher. In addition to his potential as future Hokage, the jounin had another thing in common with his colleague Kakashi: his open lack of interest in the responsibility.
Naruto, of course, had been mentioned although Hokageship had never been hereditary. His name had more often than not been mentioned out of habit rather than true potentiality. As well-liked as Naruto was, he was just not yet one of the strongest assets they had. Heading there, without a doubt, but not quite there yet.
People had shrugged the question off a while ago, pushing it aside as something to be revisited during the next gossip draught, which is how such discussions usually started in the first place.
A couple days later, the morning of the day the Hokage's return was scheduled according to the message Panther had received from Lynx, Panther went to overlook the final swoop of the ANBU team assigned to securing the field of any and all trap. The fight would take place the next day or the day after, depending on Minato and Naruto.
When he was satisfied with their work, Genma distributed the protective seals Kushina had designed for the event, the masked ninjas etching them around the perimeter of the fighting zone. They had selected a large, open training field, far away from the village so as not to alert the shinobi population within the walls. Genma had decided to use this field knowing the possibility of it getting absolutely trashed were very high.
A few hours later, Panther took over the guard duty from Lynx and Sparrow when the whole group returned from their diplomatic mission, Spider exceptionally pulling a longer shift after the mission. A few hand signals confirmed that there was nothing to report. Panther soon dismissed his teammates for a well-deserved rest.
The two ANBU guards followed the Hokage, Kakashi and Naruto into the administrative tower, where Minato filed the copies of the new agreements away with the proper channels. Once in the Hokage's office, Panther appeared in front of the desk in a salute.
"-Panther, good to see you.
-And you, Hokage-sama.
-The village is still standing?"
Panther chuckled.
"-It is, Hokage-sama, despite our best efforts."
Minato chuckled too.
"-Good. Anything I should know?
-The training field you requested is ready for your use."
Minato smiled.
"-Excellent!"
The Hokage turned towards his son, raising an eyebrow. Naruto returned the gesture and answered the silent question.
"-Nine-hundred tomorrow sounds like a good time for a light spar."
Genma's hidden lips mimicked the smile he could see stretching the other room occupants'. He bowed to Naruto, then Minato. And vanished.
