I DO NOT OWN NARUTO/ NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE TAGS CHANGING REPRESENTS WHO IS CURRENTLY IN THE HAREM, IF YOU ARE LATE IT SHOULD WORK IF YOU WERE EARLY YOU SHOULD KNOW WHO THEY WERE AND THEIR VERY LIKELY INVOLVEMENT.
Chapter 9
Our young Jinchuuriki was so happy, he had trained for the last month and had finally finished the Rasengan. He had added the Wind Nature to a formed Rasengan, though it did take him thirty seconds to form it, that was compared to the mere two that it took to form the base Rasengan.
He didn't care, he would practice until it was less of a liability. He had tested the now named Rasenshuriken against Jiraiya's Rasengan, that had been interesting.
He had also been introduced to the wonders that were d-rank missions, luckily for him as an apprentice he was able to work with the other teams to complete missions. He had enjoyed working with squads '8' and '10', squad seven always led to friction, Sasuke after the bell test would request to spar Naruto.
The blond would accept, win and then the team would fall into chaos, Sakura would side with Sasuke, Sai would side with Naruto and Kakashi would be the mediator. Speaking of the Jonin, he'd had a complete turnaround in behaviour, he was still an avid fan of Icha-Icha, but he was never late, he would mingle with friends and co-workers and actually returned to training.
Naruto's meeting with team '8' had been odd, especially for the genin assigned to the team.
~ Flashback (Two Weeks Ago, With Hana and Naruto) ~
"Hana-chan?" The two were currently strolling around the village, enjoying each other's company.
"Mm. Yes Naruto-kun?"
"Do you have any skill in Genjutsu?" Hana snorted, yes, she had impressive chakra control, but she had no aptitude for the illusionary pursuits.
"No, the Inuzuka's normally align themselves with Tai and Ninjutsu, Genjutsu is widely forgotten by our clan." Naruto gave a knowing nod; he understood the direct approach her clan pursued.
"Hmph, do you know anyone who's good at Genjutsu?" Once again Hana snorted, her friend Kurenai was the foremost Genjutsu user in the village, known by all villages for her skill and beauty.
Though when her thoughts trailed to her friend she frowned, they had definitely not parted on the best of terms and due to Kurenai taking up a team she regularly missed meet ups.
"I do, I'm really good friends with Kurenai-"
"Yuhi" Naruto finished. "You know the Kurenai Yuhi?" Hana was a bit put off by her boyfriend's reaction, he seemed so giddy. 'Like a fanboy' She told herself mentally. She decided to warn Naruto, she didn't want the boy to become Genjutsu fodder because of his excitement.
"Look, when you meet her don't tell that you gush over her looks" Naruto just gave a confused look, tilting his head to the side and squinting his eyes. "Huh? What does she look like?"
Now it was Hana's turn to be confused "You were acting like a fanboy, and she is considered the most beautiful women in the village if not all the nations" She said incredulously.
Waving his hands in front of him in a defensive manner he responded. "No no no. It's just that she managed to become a Jonin with predominantly Genjutsu, known as the Genjutsu Mistress of the Hidden Leaf. To have such mastery of a skill to obtain that rank is incredibly impressive, like Might Guy and Taijutsu, it's so cool!"
Hana breathed a sigh of relief; it would not have worked out well had that been the case. "Well then, I'll let her know, come to the dango store in two days, I'll tell her to be there" Naruto was starry eyed at the possibilities.
Hana just rolled her eyes at him before continuing their walk.
~ A Days Later, the Dango Shop ~
Hana was on her way to Kurenai's apartment, she had been slightly dreading the conversation, but at least she had an ice breaker that was in context. Trudging up the stairs, the feeling of nervousness became heavier with every step. Knocking on the door, she could feel her heart thumping in her chest.
"Coming" Was heard, muffled from speaking through the door. The footsteps seemed to contain an ominous undertone.
Hearing a click of the door unlocking, the door swung upon and instantly the was awkwardness between the two.
"Hana, Loo-"
"Don't worry, I understand where you were coming from and I wasn't in the best state of mind at the time. I would prefer we just move on." Kurenai was shocked she thought for sure Hana would still be reeling in anger, if someone had been that stupid to her while she was angry. Well maybe she wouldn't as angry, but she would have understood.
"You might feel guilty for it and maybe you should, but I've got a way to apologise if you wish to" Further confused as she barely managed to get one word in, she spoke.
"I would love that, I truly am sorry for that so thank you for the opportunity" Hana gave an amused grunt at her friends, even in moments like this she was ever the professional. It was also as Naruto happened to be the way out for her.
"Naruto" Kurenai stiffened, this would be an awkward topic. "He wants to meet you, honestly I've never seen him gush over someone like that before" Kurenai wanted to say something about it, that she was right, and Naruto was in it for the attractive women but held her tongue.
"Seriously the amount he seemed to love you and Guy was kinda worrying" She said while rubbing her chin. Kurenai was left with nothing, what did Guy have anything to do with this?
Seeing her friends confusion, she kept talking. "He wanted help in Genjutsu and asked if I knew anyone, so of course I said you. But before I could finish, he went on a tirade about how cool you and Guy were for making Jonin when you focused so heavily on only one of the ninja arts. Hell, he didn't even know what you looked like." Kurenai was happy that she was being compared to the likes of Guy, weird and disturbing as he was, there was no questioning his skill. She focused so much on being praised that she forgot all about her confusion.
"That's… not what I expected, you said he wanted help in Genjutsu, what is that?"
"I don't know but if you want to make it up to me please go help him" Kurenai gave an acknowledging nod, then she thought about her current free time. "How would you like to go and get some lunch, just me and you?"
Hana smiled. "That sounds great!"
~ The Next Day ~
Naruto was seated at the Dango store, with one empty and full plate of Dango in front of him. He was barely able to sit still, he was meeting The Genjutsu Mistress, this was amazing! Not paying attention to his surroundings he didn't notice the figure that had walked up to his table.
That was until the person gripped the chair and pulled it back. Naruto was broken out of his thoughts by the lady sitting down in front of him.
She had long black untamed hair reaching her upper back, and very unique eyes that were a deep red in colour, with an additional internal ring. She wore make-up consisting of red lipstick and purple eye shadow. Her outfit consisted of a red mesh armour blouse with only the right sleeve visible. Broad material which resembled bandages with a pattern on it similar to those of rose thorns. Her hands and upper thighs are also wrapped in bandages and she wears the Konoha forehead protector and regular shinobi sandals.
He was breathless, who was she? Naruto then remembered what Hana said two days prior 'she is considered the most Beautiful women in the village if not all the nations'.
Naruto couldn't bring herself to begin the conversation, and seemingly she seemed nervous to meet him too. He knew that someone had to start so he fumbled out a start. Standing up he bowed to her, she was slightly amused by the show of respect.
"Nice to meet you Yuhi-san" This shocked, he had never been one to use honorifics, his normal show of respect was an endearing nickname. She'd heard of 'Pervy-sage' and how he used to call the Hokage 'Jiji'.
"There is no need for such formalities, we're in a casual setting after all"
While she smiled the air of nervousness was still there. Naruto frowned, if someone didn't want to meet him, then they shouldn't feel like they have to.
"Is Hana forcing you into this?" Kurenai looked at the boy, the defeated tone and frown seemed foreign on his features.
"No, I was told to meet you as you were interested in Genjutsu, that is correct?"
Naruto gave a nod, the normal smile returning to his face. "Have you taught before?" he asked tilting his head to the side. Whenever he did that, he appeared to lose ten years of his life and went from a handsome young man to that of an adorable baby.
"Not a great deal, no" She said shaking her head. "But I am currently the Jonin-sensei of squad '8'. So, the more I teach the better I get."
"Lucky bastards, and I get stuck with a pervert" Kurenai was about to comment on the fact that Naruto had been apprenticed by Jiraiya of the Sanin, but the pervert comment helped her agree with him.
"I hear from Kakashi you have quite some skills, may I ask why you would want to pursue Genjutsu on top of that?"
"Firstly, do you know of…" Naruto placed a hand to his stomach to emphasise. Kurenai looked at the Jinchuuriki, he was clearly not confident in this conversation, so she thought it best to move on quickly.
"Yes, I do. I simply don't care about it, you're only still a boy, aren't you?" Naruto nodded hesitantly before continuing. "Well it's involvement seriously affects my chakra control, I've amended this, but finer techniques are still beyond me. I would like to ask for training in identifying and breaking Genjutsu, could you help me with that? Also, if there are any Genjutsu that are more chakra intensive, I may be more likely to be able to perform it."
'This is the supposed dead-last, he's speaking like a standard Chunnin should. Clear assessment and problem solving' Kurenai thought to herself, she decided that he deserved more than just a chance. "I can definitely help you with that, my team trains at eight in the morning until twelve, then we take missions"
Kurenai was happy that someone wanted to pursue Genjutsu, very few anymore looked into it, it was mainly due to most ninja preferring the large flashy techniques not the sly precise one.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Naruto said eagerly. Then he thought and laughed to himself. "So how did Kiba take to d-ranks?"
"Ughh…" She groaned, calming down the Inuzuka heir was not something she ever wanted to repeat.
"That bad huh? Though I had a similar response. I like to think that I've got it worse, I've got a sensei that leaves the moment we arrive." Naruto chuckled and so did Kurenai.
Kurenai remembered the brief exchange between Kakashi and Asuma and spoke up. "I'm not sure if Kakashi told you, but Asuma Sarutobi, Jonin-sensei of squad '10' is a fellow wind style user and wanted to look into some of it with you. Though if I may ask, Kakashi said that you used Earth, Fire and Wind style techniques, do you have three affinities?"
Naruto shook his head "No, I only have a Wind style affinity, the others were recommended to me as supplementary techniques. And, due to my Shadow clones I can use Jutsu simultaneously, though some are a little destructive to use even in the training grounds" He admittedly sheepishly, one time he had almost been found out when practicing a Rasengan barrage in the forest, luckily those nearby brushed it off as just something that would happen in the forest, nothing to worry about.
Kurenai merely raised an eyebrow at his behaviour. "Apart from Kiba, how is the rest of your team?" Naruto said, changing the subject. "Good, they all have a lot of potential, Shino's use of his insects will rival his fathers over the next few years and Hinata… well she is performing well but she is still quite shy."
"Mmm… I will have to talk to her soon" The red-eyed Jonin was intrigued "Why is that, you wouldn't be cheating on Hana would you?"
"No" Naruto replied instantly "Doing something like that, the thought almost makes me ill." Kurenai was impressed, she hadn't seen men with such devotion to their partner. 'If only Asuma had something like that' she dreamt.
"Then why should you talk to her?" She repeated, this time in the tine of a sensei, not an onlooker. "I am not blind to her affections, I've have known of them for a long time, but… I do not feel the same way, as a friend, of course. But romantically, I have no interests"
Kurenai was angered slightly by his dismissing of Hinata, but you shouldn't force yourself into something loveless. Kurenai was still curious. "Can I ask why? I have been told of your issue involving repopulation, but you still turn down someone who loves you?" It was definitely more of a statement than a question.
"I will help someone when they stumble, but I will not help someone who refuses to get up for themselves. Hinata needs to do that, she will only fall behind, hinder herself if she continues the way she does. I know that she follows me, so much to a point that I create shadow clones so that she follows them and not me and so that she isn't in danger. I couldn't live with myself if anyone got injured or worse from being near me."
Kurenai understood, the civilians were less than friendly towards the boy and she wouldn't put it past drunkards or their stupidity to lead to dangerous situations.
"Plus, would Hiashi-san agree, whether the Hyuga's knew more about me or not, they would still refuse due to my status."
"What about the Inuzuka's? They don't mind" Kurenai still begrudgingly agreed.
"Tsume and I hold no secrets and she approved of our relationship. She does not have a council like the Hyuga do"
'What's this about 'knowing more' and 'no secrets'' Kurenai thought. "You're right, he is too much of a clan head to be a father."
"You seem to speak from experience, ah yes, you're the lady who would accompany Hinata to and from the academy correct?" Naruto said while showing a small smile.
"Indeed, Hinata has been my pseudo-charge for many years, whenever not on missions, training or with friends I would be with Hinata" the Jonin returned the smile.
"Hinata is lucky to have you and if I were to guess, you're lucky to have her"
"What makes you say that?" Kurenai asked.
"Hana told me of you being seen as the most desirable women in the village. And I can imagine having the heir to the Hyuga clan can be a very good deterrent to males. No one in their right mind would piss off the Hyuga" Naruto finished. Kurenai didn't let her surprise show but she was surprised at the assessment.
Naruto immediately realised how his words could be taken. "Not that you would use Hinata, I never meant it like that, I'm sure you could beat the men of you without her, likely literally." Kurenai sat a little straighter at the praise, she honestly did not think about that.
"I'm sure I could too, if need be"
"I meant to ask this to Kakashi after we spoke, but I wanted to leave him to think. By the looks of it he's had a real turnaround. But could you tell me about yourself?"
Kurenai mentally slapped her forehead, they had just gotten into the conversation without introducing each other.
"Of Course, how about something like Genin introductions, likes, dislikes, dreams and hobbies. Could you go first?" Kurenai answered.
"Naruto Uzumaki, my likes include, Hana-chan, the Pervy-sage, Iruka-nii-san, Kakashi-nii-san, Saseru-nee-chan and the Ichiraku's. I dislike Ignorance. My hobbies include training, trying different types of ramen and studying seals. My dream is to be the Hokage, I know I will be there eventually but while I'm up there I will make this village the centre for peace in the Shinobi nations. I also want to make everyone who cares about me proud."
"You can call me arrogant for the Hokage statement, but it will happen, because I won't die until it does. While dying for the village is seen as the greatest sacrifice, I believe that living for all in it is even greater. And I will live for this village."
The red-eyed Jonin was caught up in his ravings of being Hokage and peace but she snapped out of it as she had yet to introduce herself.
"You definitely don't think small" she muttered. "Of course not, with the people we have in the village, I know we can do anything." She wanted to call him naïve for his beliefs but the tone he used seemed to show that he knew that it will happen.
"Well, I'm Kurenai Yuhi, known as the Genjutsu Mistress, I like my friends, Hana-chan, Yugao-chan and Anko-chan" The boys features were hidden behind his hanging hair for a second before it vanished, this did not go unnoticed, she would ask the others about this. No need to ruin a good conversation. "I'm also an avid fan of the most creative Genjutsu. My dislikes include being underestimated due to my gender and certain perverted tendencies. My dream is to lead an impressive carrier and be able to settle down, child or two maybe, I don't know? My hobbies are refining my Genjutsu, going out with friends and recently, teaching my team."
"Hopefully you enjoy teaching me as much as you do them" Naruto said with a wide grin. Kurenai couldn't help but agree.
'He seems fine' She thought, inwardly sighing at her prejudice.
~ Present Time ~
Kiba was a little confused with the inclusion of Naruto in their trainings, he thought being apprenticed by a Sanin would be enough for the boy. Shino had acknowledged Naruto interest in Genjutsu.
Hinata had been awkward, the two had talked, Naruto told her what he had told Kurenai the day before. The poor girl had barely been able to stomach the truth, Kiba had lost it at him for saying it but Shino agreed with Naruto's assessment.
While Hinata refused to accept it she knew she had to move on otherwise she would never get past it. There was not great change in behaviour, that would come with time, but she allowed herself to look at the expectations of others.
He had progressed in his ability to break Genjutsu but identifying one was still a way's away
Naruto had shifted to working with squad '10', they had focused on training other formations when they were together. Asuma had been told of the high chance that Naruto would be involved in their missions outside of the village. Naruto accompanied Choji as the powerhouses.
Naruto and Asuma worked on their Wind chakra, Naruto's ability to cut the leaf and a waterfall greatly impressed the Jonin. Asuma taught the boy to channel Wind chakra through his Chokuto, Naruto up until that point had been channelling raw chakra through it. Wind chakra, instead of strengthening the blade like normal chakra did, sharpened it and lengthened the range of attack.
Ino had been surprised by the sudden jump in skills, Asuma was the only challenger to him in one on one spars in the squad. He would be regularly beaten though, almost without a sweat from Asuma.
Shikamaru had been pleased that he could formulate more plans for the group to practice and Choji had been happy to see Naruto again.
He was currently with Asuma's team on their way to the Hokage's tower for a mission. Knocking on the door they heard a muffled 'Enter'.
The team walked in, Naruto in tow. Asuma spoke up first. "Squad '10', requesting a d-rank mission". Naruto noticed the lack of emotion in his voice, in fact, all members of the team did. Maybe there was a father-son dispute, not his business.
Just as Hiruzen was about to list available missions a small pug jumped in through the window. "Pakkun, what are you doing here? Is Kakashi-kun alright?"
The dog was visibly tired, panting with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. "Before I talk can get a bowl of water" The squad members all had some sort of amused reaction. "Of course" looking to his left, the Hokage saw the scarred Chunnin. "Iruka-kun could you please get him that bowl of water?" Said man nodded before trekking off.
Less than two minutes later he returned. Pakkun lapping up the water prepared himself to speak. "Kakashi and his team ran into Zabuza Momochi, no one is critically injured, he thought it best to call for help. He knew that if he left the client would be killed, that is why he's staying. They were making their way to the bridge builder's house when I left."
"That was supposed to be a c-rank mission!" Hiruzen blustered out, turning to squad '10' he spoke. "You will go with Pakkun, we currently don't have time or the ninja available. Asuma, you with Kakashi should be more than enough to deal with Zabuza. Be careful all of you, this is an a-rank mission!" The tone worried the group, he had never spoken like that to them before, he truly deserved his position as commander of the village.
Asuma nodded, he was sure that his team were ready for a c-rank, especially with Naruto added. "Team, you will meet me at the gates in forty-five minutes, pack for two weeks. Move!" Squad '10' leapt into action.
~ With Naruto ~
Naruto was staring intently as his tri-pronged kunai, debating whether to take them. He would be up against Zabuza Momochi, 'Demon of the Hidden Mist'. He'd seen the Bingo Books; this man was no slouch. He decided to take them, sealing twenty into a scroll he put five more in his kunai pouch to be on hand.
After everything had been packed, he sprinted off to meet the team at the village gates. When he arrived, he was met with the three genin, luckily it wasn't too long a wait for them as five minutes later Asuma and Pakkun arrived.
"We'll be going at a high pace so keep on top of food and water, when I say we stop for a break, we stop got it!" The four Genin simply nodded "We'll take formation, Me and Naruto will be up front, Ino and Shikamaru in the middle and Choji in the rear, Lets go" And with that Pakkun had sped off, squad '10' in tow.
~ Five Hours Later ~
Squad '10' were currently having a break, they had stopped as the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were quite tired. Naruto saw this as the right time to speak to the Jonin leader. "Asuma-sensei? Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure thing, what is it?"
"In private if possible, Shikamaru should come too" Asuma raised an eyebrow but accepted. Beckoning the Nara over, he spoke "Naruto, Shikamaru and I are having a chat, don't move" The three walked about fifty metres away to make sure they were out of earshot.
"I was going to tell you of my skill set, Shikamaru knows of this, but I thought it best to inform you" Once again Asuma was confused, had the boy been holding back further?
"Do you know of my parentage?" Asuma just shook his head. "Well, to put it simply, my father was Minato Namikaze, you would know him as the 'Yellow Flash'." Asuma was floored, not because of it being the truth, this of course made sense, why would the man choose another child to perform the sealing. No, he was surprised at his own stupidity, they were basically clones of each other. "I am very skilled at the jutsu that gave my father that moniker" He emphasised this by pulling out one of the tri-pronged kunai.
"What? How? Wait… why does Shikamaru know?" Asuma said.
"I caught him and Shino convening over the reasons in my involvement in the clan meetings, so I showed them" Naruto answered.
Getting over the shock as the team needed to keep moving Asuma shook his head at the boy amusedly "Thank you, you truly are an interesting person"
With that the genin were told to finish whatever they were doing as they needed to get back on the road.
~ Later at the Bridge Builder's House ~
"This is where Kakashi's scent ends, this must be the place." Asuma nodded. They were looking upon a square two-story building help up by stilts over the running water of the river. There was a second smaller building, likely for tools and equipment they thought. The final building was a storage silo with a small windmill on the roof.
The squad knocked on the door, the shuffling of feet in the inside gradually made their way closer, the door opened, and the team were met with a pale skinned, blue-haired woman. She appeared to be I her late twenties, she noted the leaf headbands before speaking. "Are you the back-up that Kakashi-san requested?"
"That's correct, I'm Asuma Sarutobi, Jonin-sensei of squad '10'. We are also accompanied by Naruto Uzumaki, apprentice of Jiraiya of the Sanin" the lady perked up, to have another high ranked ninja as well as an apprentice of a Sanin, they might just have a chance!
"That's great to hear, please come in, I'm sure the others would be happy to hear that you're here! Sorry, I'm Tsunami" she said excitedly. Asuma gave a gentle smile before leading his squad inside.
As soon as they stepped in, they were met with an odd sight. Kakashi was firmly gripping Sakura's hair as she was making her best efforts to break free, she was screaming obscenities at their pale-skinned teammate. Sai was giving a confused smile, while Sasuke was busily trying to ignore the goings-on.
"Ah, Asuma, it was your squad that was sent, I had expected a Chunnin squad, but this will more than suffice" Kakashi said in a cheerful tone. "Good to see you Naruto-kun" the boy smiled.
"You too Kakashi-nii-san!" the leaf shinobi raised an eyebrow at this, 'Nii-san, they aren't related, and they only met recently?' were the thoughts of most genin but Sakura was as loud as ever. "Stop trying to coddle up to our sensei Naruto!"
'So Kakashi, you've finally let someone in, that's good to see' Asuma though while smiling fondly.
"I'm not, Kakashi is like my big brother, like Iruka-nii-san is." Kakashi was glad that the boy didn't reveal why they would be brother figures to each other. "That's enough Sakura, we should be glad that they're here, I recommend we all rest for the night. Tomorrow you all can go and train while me and Asuma go over what we know." The group nodded.
An older man made his way down the flight of stairs, he gave the group an intoxicated stare. "So, more brats huh? At least the big guy looks strong" with that he sat down at the dinner table. "I'm Tazuna, the master bridge builder, you will protect me and my crew while we finish the bridge."
"Good to meet you Tazuna-san, I'm Jonin Asuma Sarutobi, this is my genin team: Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi. The final one is the apprentice of Jiraiya of the Sanin. From what we've been told, this will be more than enough for you protection."
"Just look like more kids to me…" the drunkard muttered to himself. The apprentice's left eye twitched, being disregarded did not sit well with him.
Tsunami sighed to herself, they would be needing a lot more food. Sensing her thoughts Naruto walked up to her and unravelled a scroll. "I was told of what it's like here from my sensei. Not the one I arrived with but Jiraiya, though I call him Pervy-sage." Tsunami giggled at the nickname; it was clear that this boy was close to the man from the affection in the way he spoke.
"I brought plenty of raw foods as well as some cooked foods" She was grateful for the boy's foresight. "Thank you, for this is there anything you would like me to cook?" Naruto without missing a beat answered loud enough for everyone in the house to hear.
"Ramen!"
All the Genin apart from Choji and Sai groaned, they all knew of his addiction to the broth and noodle dish. The Jonin's shared a light smile, he would never change.
That night all the boys shared a room, it was a squeeze, but it worked, the girls shared a room, but it was slightly more volatile. Sakura and Ino were up until late arguing over who would win Sasuke's love.
The boy could hear it from the adjacent room, he shivered in fear, they were almost rabid.
~ The Next Morning ~
Getting up was hard for the Genin of squad '10', the day before had been just running for ten hours straight, they were still tired and sore. The sleep definitely helped though. Ino was more driven than the other two so as they were the last out, she grabbed them by their collars saying that she didn't want her team to be left behind.
The seven Genin eventually found themselves in a small clearing. Asuma was with them as Kakashi was still drained from the initial encounter with Zabuza. "Today we're going to get the lot of you to practice a chakra control exercise, tree climbing" He was met with a few confused, irritated and blank gazes, this was too much for him, he needed a smoke.
Naruto raised his hand "I can teach them Asuma-sensei, that way you and Nii-san can talk" Asuma was appeased by that, less work for him. "You know how to do it?" getting a nod in return, he ran a hand through his dark spiky hair. "Thanks for that, if you know how to do this, what will you train in?"
"Shadow clone sparring!" was the energetic response to which Asuma gave his own nod, he knew of the boy's chakra levels. You didn't have to be a sensor to feel that.
"How can Naruto teach us chakra control, you couldn't even do the standard clone you were that bad" Naruto frowned at the pink-haired gurl, she could definitely be annoying.
"I cannot do the clone jutsu as I simply have so much chakra that even the minimal amount overloads the technique."
"As if, there's no way you can have that much chakra!" Asuma decided to jump in. "That's where you're wrong Sakura, Naruto has even more chakra than my pops" Sakura was confused.
"Who's that Asuma-sensei?"
"The Hokage" This time the tone held a hint of anger, clearly not appreciative of his dad's role. "In fact, the amount of chakra he has actually equals Jiraiya" The Genin felt their jaws go slack, all apart from two, Sasuke's Jaw was clenched so tightly you could hear the grinding of teeth, Sai knew this, so he didn't react.
'How can Naruto keep doing this, how does he do this, when does it stop?' Sasuke thought, his hands clenched so tight that his knuckles whitened.
"Well, anyway, I should be off, needing to talk to Kakashi and everything" Asuma said as he vacated the clearing.
"Fight me!" Naruto slowly turned his head around; it was never a surprise anymore. The voice never changed.
"No Sasuke" Sasuke seethed for a moment before smirking, "Scared that I'll win Uzumaki"
"Huh? You say something?" That was it, Sasuke lost it, he was sick of being ignored, who was Naruto to do that to him?
Sasuke dashed at Naruto who's back was turned, as he closed in, he gained a victorious smirk. 'This was so easy' He thought to himself. Going to punch the blond in the kidneys he was met with:
Air.
Before he could look around, he felt the cold metal of a kunai pressed against his neck. "Uchiha, you attacked a fellow shinobi of the Hidden Leaf while on a high-ranking mission. Lawfully I can kill you for assumed betrayal, and there are witnesses." Sasuke indignantly looked around at the shocked faces.
"You want to spar, we'll spar, and when we're done, I'll teach to the tree climbing technique. Got it" There was anger in his voice, this was visible to the onlookers. Everyone looking felt like they were underwater, the pressure and tenseness of the situation was frightening. 'When was Naruto like this?'.
Noticing the weapon on display, he withdrew it quickly placing it back in his pouch. Turning back to the group he smiled at them. "So, let's get on to tree climbing!" everyone let out a breath they didn't know they were holding, the pressure instantly vanished. "I'm going to bruise up the Teme here, but I'll leave a Shadow clone here to help teach you."
"Sasuke, we're leaving" The disinterested tone infuriated the boy further. While this was happening everyone only looked on in awe. "Since when was Naruto that quick?" Ino asked no one in particular.
"Quite a while, if you payed attention to the spars in the academy he was constantly moving a higher speed, redirecting himself to make the losses more believable." Shikamaru answered Ino spoke up. "What do you mean 'losses more believable'?"
"Exactly what I said, he lost on purpose, he threw every spar." Ino was in a state of disbelief, it was thanks to the blond that she was advanced as she was, but she never expected him to be on such a level.
Sai took a step forward. "Sunshine is the most advanced Genin in the village, he would win against most if not all Chunnin and some Jonin." Sakura refused to believe it. "Why hold back?"
"Personal preference, that and if you are underestimated by an opponent, they go easier on you, it is easier to win. Basic strategy." Shikamaru said, while shrugging. It was at this point that the Clone Naruto made itself known, clapping it's hands it drew everyone's attention.
"This is what I'll be teaching you" The clone said while hanging upside down off of a tree branch. The other Genin looked on in surprise and shock. 'Priceless' Naruto thought to himself, he flipped down to the forest floor he looked at them.
"Everyone I want you to lie down on the ground with your feet against the tree." All of the genin did as told, some more obediently than others. "When you're like that I want you to channel chakra to your feet, slowly increase the amount until you feel yourself being drawn to the tree."
"Got it!" Naruto looked over to Sakura, the girl was looking up the length of the tree, clearly focusing. "Incredible, to do so that quickly you must incredible control." Said girl beamed at the praise.
"Now, when you feel that happen, I want you to take a step up the tree. Once you can reach the top of the tree let me know. I want you to use your kunai to mark your height every time you do this, it an easy way to mark progress."
Assessing his friends, he noticed something.
"Shika! Are you asleep!"
~ With Naruto and Sasuke ~
"So teme, you wanted to fight, let's have it" Making a taunting gesture he kept talking "You can use whatever you want, I won't use anything but Taijutsu." While Sasuke bristled at the lack of energy in the boys voice, he also smirked.
"Finally, I'll get to wipe the floor with you, loser" The Uchiha decided on putting some distance between the pair. Leaping into the air he began to run though seals.
Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Before he could see the aftermath of the Jutsu he felt a sharp pain in his left ribs. Grunting as he felt Naruto's foot come into contact with himself, he pummelled towards the ground at an impressive speed.
Landing a plume of smoke surrounded the boy. Sasuke dragged himself back to his feet only to feel pain on the other side of his torso, this time the boy was shoved close to thirty feet before rolling to a stop.
"Are you glad you challenged me Sasuke?" Naruto wasn't amused boy's actions, they were to akin to that of a toddler, not a ninja. "You are still treating this like a game, you said you want to destroy someone didn't you. How are you fairing in that aspect?"
That really got to the raven-haired boy. "What?!" All of the pain that he previously felt disappeared in a bout of anger. The boy leapt forward once again, intent on seriously injuring the blond.
The lack of Naruto's interest was still evident, Sasuke in a moment of speed appeared behind his self-declared rival. The left-handed hook aimed for his temple was inches from the sun-kissed hair when the boy vanished. Once again, the metal of the kunai was against his neck.
"Sasuke, this is getting boring." He sighed "Do you know why I'm helping train you?"
Sasuke shook his head, careful not to cut himself on the kunai. "To make you stronger, how about you think about why we're are training you in this. If you can't figure it out, ask. You demand training and then throw it in my face when I offer it to you. If you push everyone away, no one will help you." Releasing the kunai from the angered boys neck he shot in front of him, a bright smile on features.
"We do this to improve chakra control, this helps us improve our speed and waste less chakra in Jutsu, less wasted the more Jutsu's you can use. Do you see the benefit?"
Sasuke was internally surprised, 'It's that significant? This would be massive!'. Sasuke gave a nod. "Could… you… you know? Give me a tip?" Sasuke's cheeks dusted pink in embarrassment, scratching his cheek while looking away.
'He actually looks somewhat normal like that; this won't last long' Naruto thought while continuing to grin. "Sure thing, I know you have quite a temper on you" The embarrassment left his face as the usual scowl reformed. "So, to counter the negative affects you'll need to remain calm so you can stay in control of your spiritual energy and another tip is to take it slow."
Naruto emphasised his point by taking a long calming breath he began he slow ascent of the tree. "You'll want to rush through this, but if you slowly find the level of chakra that feels comfortable, too much and you push off the tree, too little and you don't stick."
Naruto was now walking back down the tree. "Use your kunai to mark your progress, I personally recommend lying down with your feet against the tree. But you can try running at it and using the momentum to help carry you up the tree."
"Make sure your there for dinner, I don't want to drag you in" Both smirked, Sasuke due to the knowledge of how much this exercise will help him and Naruto because he feels like he's finally getting through to the Uchiha boy.
Naruto walked off to complete his training, he couldn't yet throw the Rasenshuriken, he would complete it soon.
~ Hideout, With Zabuza ~
Zabuza was laid down in bed, arms by his side. His breathing ragged showing his clear stiffness. Beside him there was a smaller figure, this one was draped in a green haori with white trimmings over a brownish green kimono that finished at their knees and a brown sash around the waist with tails from the knot flowing behind them. Light brown sandals were on the figures feet. The long dark hair fell in front of the person's face in two locks, metal bound, loosely framing the features. The top of hair remained in a white bun holder.
Having what would be regarded as a 'pretty face', they had hazelnut brown eyes which contrasted the pale skin tone.
The door to the vast room creaked open, in walked three men. One well below average in height to the point of being laughable. This man was well clothed, a dark suit with a yellow top and purple tie, his short and stout figure ruined any chances of a threatening nature. The two men that flanked him both had katana's strapped to their waists.
One had a light blue jumper and brown shorts, a beanie covered his silver hair, black markings trailed down from the centre of each eye standard brown sandals covered his feet. The other wore no top, bandaged at the waist and a purple cloth, a tattoo that began at his left pectoral and wrapped around until his left wrist. Black pants and sandals finished his dress
"Some Jonin, the unbeatable ninja just got beat. Limping back like some pathetic has been." The short man chuckled "Demon of the Hidden Mist, more like coward of the Hidden Mist."
The two lackeys stood in front of their employer, nudging their swords loose from the sheaths. 'Drawing swords', the previous figure thought. The short man waved the two offs as he trudged between them. "Hang on a minute, alright, let's hear what you have to say about this fiasco. And don't play possum, I know you can talk." Stretching his hand out he reached to pull the bandage mask off of Zabuza's face. Just as fingers twitched to remove the mask, the figures hand shot out and caught his wrist.
The grip was like a vice, the man turned to look at the person who caught him. The look in their eye was murderous and promised pain. "Keep your filthy hands off of him." The grip tightened.
"Aaahhh… You're going break it!" He screamed in pain. The two bodyguards leapt into action, coming down to strike the assailant in a cross manner. In the blink of an eye, the swords had been removed from their possession and the blades held against their necks. The figure's face was shielded from view, though anyone could imagine the venomous scowl that marred their features.
'That's impossible'
'No one can move that fast!'
The pair though in unison. "Don't push me, I'm in a really foul mood." The man who previously had his wrist broken growled in anger, how was no one he hired competent?
The swords made their way to the floor, away from their owners. "One chance, that's it! If you fail this time, I'll cut you off and they're will be no one left to cover for you!" the short man exclaimed. Storming out of the room the trio left after the duo collected their swords. "let's go" he growled out in a defeated tone.
We see Zabuza in bed with a kunai firmly gripped in he left hand, invisible to everyone how would've been in the room. "Haku, that wasn't necessary." The voice was deep and threatening, the now known 'Haku' smiled, not a care in the world.
"Perhaps" Haku gave a shrug. "But it's too early it's too early to take out Gato, he's still our best cover" Haku argued placatingly. "Think about it, the murders would draw their attention. Then they'd be after us again." Closing their eyes Haku smiled. "We need restraint."
Zabuza grunted in response, he hated it when the child was right.
~ Later That Day, With the Genin ~
For everyone who had been training in the tree climbing the girls had gotten it the quickest, them and Shikamaru. The lazy Nara kept looking for opportunities to sleep, Ino and Naruto had gotten on his case so often, he just wanted to relax.
Naruto picked up on something though. "Shika, why don't you just do it already?" Said Nara just narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean Naruto?"
"in all your climbing there hasn't been a single mark on the tree, that indicates chakra control to a level that matches Sakura. I presume this level of control is needed to perform your clan techniques, no?"
"I preferred it when you acted stupid Naruto" Shikamaru said in a bored manner.
"What do you want to do with you life Shikamaru?" The tone wasn't dangerous or threatening but everyone couldn't help but be put off by it. Shikamaru breathed a lengthy sigh before answering.
"I just want an average life, live in an average home, marry an average girl, not too pretty and not too ugly, just average, maybe stay a Chunnin once I make that rank. I don't want to have that happen for a while though. That's about it." Shikamaru said as he threw his hands behind his head.
All but two sweat dropped at his lack of enthusiasm towards anything, Sai didn't react, shocker. Naruto though, he was frowning deeply, he was irritated at his friend. "You'll get some killed thinking like that, how much of a drag will that be huh?" His tone was mocking, not joking but disgusted. The Nara returned the frown.
Naruto seeing that his statement wasn't fully received continued. "Average ninja let their teammates die because they are not good enough, if you're not good enough the next time we have to fight someone what will you do? Will you live with yourself when Choji or Ino die and you weren't good enough to stop them, or when your plan fails? What, would, you, do?" Naruto was beyond angry at this point; his friend didn't seem to care at all. He dispelled himself before he lashed out.
Shikamaru didn't respond once more, he needed think on this.
How was this? Hopefully it's taking shape!