A/N: Hello true believers, it's time for the next exciting chapter of Ultimate Kekkei Genkai: The Jag...
Wait a second! This isn't the UKG: The Jagan! This is the Archive Rejects, What gives!?
For those of you who write fanfiction, short stories and the like, you can likely sympathize with me on this one.
Have you ever had that chapter, that one piece that you could never get just right? Yes, well that is what Jagan's Chapter 15 has been for me since I posted the Christmas Intermission Chapter just after Christmas (It was actually supposed to be posted Christmas day, but... Meh...)
Anyways...
Here are my failed attempts at writing this chapter. There was actually a third one (Or rather a first), but I completely deleted it before re-typing it. That re-write became known as Chapter 15-A. When I got dissatisfied with this, I said, wait! I could use this in the Archive Rejects, so when I did the re-write that became Chapter 15-B, I kept 15-A for later posting. As you will see there are quite a few elements from these attempts at completing this Chapter that were used in the final version of this chapter.
So, here are the previous versions of Chapter 15 of Ultimate Kekkei Genkai: The Jagan. Enjoy.
And now, for the rest of the story...
Ultimate Kekkei Genkai: The Jagan
Chapter 15-A: Naruto's Birthright, The Search for Tsunade Begins
Once again, Naruto was found standing on top of the granite head of the Yondaime Hokage. It had been a long trying ninety six hours for not only him, but the entire population of Konohagakure no Sato. Towards the end of the Chuunin Selection Exams the village had been invaded by Otogakure no Sato, run by Konoha 'S'-Class Nuke-nin Orochimaru, and Konoha's former ally, Sunagakure no Sato.
Konoha had already been somewhat prepared for the trouble from the nin from Oto, as Orochimaru had attacked Kakashi's team in the Forest of Death and had placed extra security measures. However, they were under prepared for a full scale invasion, and was caught nearly completely off guard for an invasion by, not one, but two villages.
However, the defense of the village had gone rather well, as Sarutobi had managed to not only recall Jiraiya and various other shinobi back to the village, but had even gained one of Jiraiya's allies, the Rei Sennin, Genkai.
Konoha had also gained quite the morale boost when word got out that the Suna Jinchuuriki, Gaara, had helped in the defense of the Chuunin Exam Stadium.
Though the talk of the town was, undoubtedly, the newly revealed heir of the Yondaime Hokage, Kazama Arashi, who was none other than the almost universally hated, scorned and neglected Uzumaki, or rather, Kazama Naruto. Especially when Gaara had been systematically taking out Oto and Suna nin in defense of the stadium, and then suddenly he started attacking indiscriminately everyone, starting with his own sister.
In an odd sort of irony, it was Naruto who saved them from the fury of the Ichibi no Tanuki that was sealed inside of Gaara, with the fury of the Jagan, the ingenuity of a Kazama, the unpredictability of an Uzumaki, the raw power of the Kyuubi (though few knew that), and his own special power that could even turn the coldest and most heartless of enemies into the closest of comrades.
In honor of all of the shinobi who gave up their lives, Naruto was wearing all black, even the bindings on his right arm were black with black seals with blood red kanji written on them. Strapped to his left hip was the shattered remains of his sword. The shards of the blade remained sealed inside a scroll until he could find a smith with the capability and skill to repair his rather unique blade. When he asked Kakashi about that, Kakashi commented that his sensei had been found with the blade, it was the only relic of his forgotten past life before Konoha.
He was still very unsure on how to deal with everything that had happened in the last three days. The deaths of so many, the way people were looking at him now, and the shattering of his father's sword.
Oddly enough, it was the death toll of the village that had affected him the least. Yes, it had saddened him to think that so many lives were needlessly ended, on both sides of the invasion, but it didn't affect him as personally as it had many others. He figured this was mostly because, with the exception of Sandaime Sarutobi, no one he knew had been killed or seriously injured.
He was still unsure on how to deal with the villagers. After seeing him in action, actually seeing what he could do, many openly feared him, more so than before. Others still held a look of slight suspicion, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. However, there were those who gave him pitying, guilty looks and more unnerving still, at least to him, those how looked at him in admiration and pride. After all, it was his efforts that stopped the invasion, forcing the retreat of the Oto and Suna nin by defeating Gaara singlehandedly with the aid of the legendry Gamabunta, and aiding in the defeat of Orochimaru. It also didn't hurt that he was now widely known as the son of the Yondaime Hokage, who was considered by many to be the greatest shinobi to have ever lived. Naruto could have also have sworn that he spotted a small group of... And he shuddered at the thought... His very own fangirls.
During his days in the academy, he was one of the biggest critics on how Sasuke treated his fangirls. He swore that if he had girls throwing themselves at him, he'd certainly not ignore them.
Now... Naruto wasn't so sure. And to think Naruto had even thought, though he never said it out loud (due to fear of death by fangirl) that Sasuke may not have even been into kunoichi at all as he never seemed to pay any attention to them. Now that he could see things from the other side, he could understand more of Sasuke's cold behavior towards his fangirls. Naruto was sure of one thing though, now that he actually did acquire a few fangirls, he would make the effort to treat them better than Sasuke.
That isn't to say he wouldn't try to avoid them, but he wouldn't be blatantly rude and act coldly towards them or totally ignore them entirely either...
Strangely, what affected him the most, was the shattering of his father's sword. In the short time he had began to wield it, it had easily become an extension of him. Hayate had even commented on how fast Naruto seemed to catch onto kenjutsu. Now that it had been shattered, merely shards of its' former glory, it seemed as if he had lost a part of himself, as if he and the sword had a connection that was no longer existent in the broken shards of his father's sword.
Naruto mentioned the strange feeling to both Kakashi and Hayate, as both had used swords. Neither could relate to the feeling, though Hayate had heard about various swordsmen who were said to have had similar bonds with their swords. The Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu (Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist), had been seven examples of such bonds between swordsmen and their swords. He also commented on how it had shown in Naruto's kenjutsu ability, as his movements were no longer as quick or as fluid as they had been.
"I figured you'd be back up here again," commented Kakashi, pulling Naruto out of his thoughts.
Naruto frowned. "I didn't sense you."
Kakashi smiled, "Well... I am a Jounin after all..."
"Even Ojii-san can't sneak up on me like you and Ero-Sennin do..."
"A simple trick of the trade, I wouldn't be a very good shinobi if I couldn't sneak up on one of my own students who is currently only a Genin..." said Kakashi. "Anyways Naruto, we have a small bit of training and then you have a mission."
"Me?" he asked in confusion.
"You were specifically requested," answered Kakashi.
It wasn't long after that, that Kakashi was standing in front of Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto at their regular training ground.
"The village will be going through some hard times, so our team meetings will no longer be as regular as I'd like..." said Kakashi. "We've had to increase our mission volume by 27 percent to keep up appearances."
The three Genin looked dismayed that the village was in such a state.
"As such, I will be sent on more missions that will not involve the three of you, and you three will be called upon to act independently in my absence," said Kakashi, "You are just about the only Genin team, since the war, to be on call like this. Each of your performances in the Chuunin Exams and the Invasion have ranked us as the top Genin Cell in the village, despite your lack of experience."
"Wow..." Sakura said breathlessly, while Naruto smirked and Sasuke scowled.
"Sasuke, the skills you demonstrated in the exams, many Chuunin would not be able to compete against," Kakashi said to his ebony haired student. "You all preformed your duties to the village extremely well, even you Sakura."
She blushed at the praise.
"Now then... On with the training I had planned," said Kakashi, "I've already trained Sasuke in this, but now it's your turn, Naruto, Sakura."
He handed each of them a slip of paper.
"Now, these are specially treated slips of paper that when you channel chakra through them, they will show you what your elemental affinity is," said Kakashi. "Now, don't be dismayed if you don't have one yet, many don't develop one until they're a few years than you, though some have multiple affinities. I myself have an affinity for water, lightning and fire. Haku has an affinity for both wind and water, as well as the ability to mix the two together to form an entirely different element and manipulate it to a degree on par with the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages."
"What did Sasuke-teme get?" asked Naruto.
"Fire and Lightning, dobe." answered Sasuke smugly.
"Which is highly irregular in itself..." said Kakashi. "Most shinobi and kunoichi don't even gain a second affinity until after they've become Jounin."
"What affinities did my Tou-san have Kakashi-sensei?" asked Naruto.
"Lightning and Fire, like Sasuke," answered Kakashi.
"So... Does that mean that's what my affinity is going to be the same as Sasuke's?" asked Naruto.
"An excellent question, Naruto, however, one there is no clear answer to," Kakashi told them.
"What do you mean Kakashi-sensei?" asked Sakura curiously.
"It's not certain what actually decides what elemental affinity a person develops. Many have speculated that it's a person's personality, their parentage, and various other theories, however... All of them have been proven true and false time and again," explained Kakashi. "If two shinobi parents have a water affinity, it is likely their child COULD receive the same affinity, but there have been some cases where the child's primary affinity is another element, like fire. In Konoha, only the Uchiha Clan has been known to consistently pass down the fire affinity from generation to generation, with few notable exceptions. However, because their ninjutsu training is mostly of the fire element, all Uchiha, if they don't have it as their primary, will have the fire element as a secondary affinity, which is why Sasuke has two affinities. It's speculated that their affinity with fire is a part of the Uchiha bloodline, much like the Sharingan Kekkei Genkai, because the majority of the Uchiha who did not have fire as their primary affinity did not develop the Sharingan. As Sasuke proves, however, that is not always true. On another note, the Uchiha Clan has had no recorded records of any member of their clan possessing the wind affinity."
"So... How do these things work?" asked Naruto.
"Just channel a small fraction of your chakra into the card. Typically, the card will do one of five things depending on the affinity you have. If the paper burns, you have fire; it gets wet, water; crumples, earth; crinkles, lightning; and splits in half, wind. Sasuke, if you could demonstrate..."
Sasuke channeled his chakra into his card and immediately the card crinkled halfway before it began to burn.
"As you can see, first, it crinkled, signifying the lightning element as his primary affinity, then it began to burn signifying that he also has an affinity for fire as well," explained Kakashi.
"What is so significant about having an elemental affinity?" asked Sakura.
"It shows what element you're able to manipulate the easiest, or in other words, the type of jutsu that you would have the easiest time of learning and mastering," said Kakashi, "In short, if you had five ninjutsu of five different elements that were roughly the same power and took the same amount of chakra to use and you have an affinity for fire, the fire jutsu would use the least amount of chakra to perform and would be the strongest for you, however the water jutsu would take the most chakra to perform and would be significantly weaker than the other jutsu of the remaining elements. The lightning, earth and wind jutsus would remain at roughly the same power and have the same chakra requirements. The majority of shinobi here in Konoha have an affinity for fire, though there are a good number of people who have an affinity for earth and more than a few with water. In recent years, the amount of lightning affinities have grown in number as well, however a wind affinity in Konoha is extremely rare. In fact, I know of only two people with a wind affinity in Konoha and those are Sarutobi Asuma and the Sandaime."
"Kakashi-sensei... You said that having a certain affinity made some jutsu easier to use while others were harder, does that mean each affinity has their own strengths and weaknesses?" asked Sakura, "Or any specific usages?"
"Very astute observation Sakura and you are correct in your assumptions," praised Kakashi, "Each element has jutsu for both offense and defense and nearly everything in between, however, Doton and Suiton jutsu are primarily for defense, while Katon and Fuuton jutsu are mainly for offense. Raiton jutsu tend to be more balanced. Also, certain elements are more powerful than others. Fire burns Wind; Water drenches Fire; Lightning is conducted by Water; Earth grounds Lightning; and finally, Wind cuts Earth."
Naruto thought for a moment then frowned. "What about Haku's Ice Jutsu? Or the Mortal and Darkness Flames?"
"Not much is really known about sub-elements like Haku's Ice, Gaara's Sand, or the Shodaime's Wood elements," lectured Kakashi, "However, while it is possible- with a significant amount of training- for a regular shinobi to use jutsu of those types, manipulation of such elements is strictly reserved for those who hold a kekkei genkai. Even less is known about the type of Chakra that makes the Mortal and Darkness Flames. It's assumed that one element is Fire, but it's hard to say really. Any other questions?"
All three of his pupils remained silent.
"As a should also be well aware, there a hundreds and thousands of jutsu that don't even have the faintest association with any element," continued Kakashi, "The prime examples being the basic academy jutsu; Henge, Bunshin and Kawarimi; and the more advanced Kage Henge and Kage Bunshin."
"Kage Henge, Kakashi-sensei?" asked Sakura confusedly.
"It's very similar to a typical Henge, except it requires far more chakra," answered Kakashi, "It also has two more handseals than the academy Henge, but can also be utilized with the same set, so it is often considered to be the same technique. The biggest difference between the Kage Henge and the academy Henge and is the same for the Bunshin and Kage Bunshin. It is real instead of being an illusion. In reality, it should have been impossible for Naruto to turn into a Fuuma Shuriken and a kunai in both our first encounter with Zabuza and during his fights with Hyuuga Neji and Rock Lee, but we all know how well Naruto paid attention in class."
The last part was said jokingly, but Naruto blushed anyways. Kakashi sighed in dismay.
"It is also sad to see how far the academies' negligence in Naruto's training was, as he had been doing the Henge at a level far above the majority of the Chuunin in the village, possibly in entire time he had been using the technique, and either noone noticed or they hadn't particularly cared to," said Kakashi with a frown, "I'm still kicking myself over it because Gai, of all people, pointed it out to me. Because Naruto has always been able to do it, I dismissed it without thinking, focusing on other things I could teach him to do, which I am sure Iruka hadn't noticed it either."
All four members of Team Kakashi were silent for a moment reflecting on that statement before Kakashi steamed ahead.
"Anyways... Naruto I am going to show you the technique I had promised to teach you earlier, after we figure out what elements you and Sakura have," said Kakashi.
"How do you know if Naruto will be able to use the technique if you don't already know his affinities?" asked Sakura.
"For one, Sakura, the technique that Jiraiya-sama and I agreed that Naruto should learn next is one of those non-elemental jutsu," said Kakashi, "And Second, just because a person has an affinity for a certain element does not mean that they can not use the element of a jutsu that their affinity is weak to, it's just harder for that person to do so. Which is why I suspect that there are no recorded Fuuton users among the Uchiha. The Uchiha clan, much like the Hyuuga, prided themselves on their strength, as well as their Kekkei Genkai. A Fuuton user within the clan would have been seen as a 'weak link'. The person in question would likely be seen as having some sort of birth defect or handicap because Fire is a superior element to Wind. Of course, finding a Suiton user in the Uchiha Clan is also difficult, but not unheard of. But... That is all speculation as clan internal affairs are kept within the clan and not even the Hokage has any jurisdiction in such matters."
"B-But that's just not right!" protested Naruto with indignation.
Sasuke frowned, "I've never heard of such a thing, though it does make a lot of sense."
Naruto turned to Sasuke with a betrayed look on his face. Before he could speak, Sasuke interrupted him.
"I know it's wrong, and I don't like it any better than you do Naruto, but if there was anything I remembered in my clan lessons with my father, it was that appearances are everything," said Sasuke, "Not only were the Uchiha strong in terms of fighting but, like the Hyuuga Clan, my clan also had a lot of political influence. Weakness, even perceived weakness over trivial things, such as having a Fuuton user in a Clan of primarily Katon users, would be a weakness that the Uchiha Clan Elders would not want known."
"It's not fair, Naruto, but it is a fact of life," said Kakashi, "It is the primary reason why your former classmate, Hinata, struggles with being the Heiress of her clan. She is unusually kind and soft spoken in a clan of reserved and rather cold individuals. Because she is not like them, she is often looked down on as weak, no matter how much the opposite is true. Also, because they are a clan of fighters with their own unique style of fighting and techniques, it is extremely rare to see a Hyuuga to become med-nin, no matter how instrumental their Kekkei Genkai would be in saving lives, and members of the Hyuuga Clan are forbidden to learn techniques in Nin, Tai, and Genjutsu from outside of their clan, with the exception of the basic three all shinobi learn in the academy. Those few Hyuuga who actually do become med-nin have to have special approval from the Hyuuga Council Elders and the Hyuuga Clan Head to undergo medical training."
"B-But... That doesn't make sense..." said Naruto, "I remember asking about the techniques Neji used... They said that only the Main Branch were ever taught anything outside of using the Byakugan and the basic Jyuuken fighting style. That means other than those Hyuuga that become med-nins, or belong to the Main Branch, no other Hyuuga learn anything new, they don't get any additional training in... in anything! Those old geezers are actually weakening their clan!"
"Precisely, Naruto," agreed Kakashi, "While, overall, the Hyuuga are arguably the strongest clan in Konoha in terms of politics and fighting prowess, a very selective few actually make it to the rank of Jounin. Less than ANY other clan in Konoha. The ones that do are USUALLY Main Branch Members, or med-nin, with few exceptions. If memory serves, Neji's father, Hizashi, was one of the few Hyuuga who were neither to make the rank of full Jounin. It is because of these strict rules that no Hyuuga has even been considered for the title of Hokage, despite their strength."
Naruto's fist clenched tightly as he thought about the many injustices of clan life. Kakashi could also tell that both Sasuke and Sakura both had some rather negative feelings about the whole issue as well.
"Anyway, I did not call you here to talk about clan politics," said Kakashi with a sigh, "Naruto, Sakura, channel your chakra through those cards."
Sakura did so first, but nothing happened. She looked at Kakashi with a disappointed look on her face.
"It appears, that as of yet, you do not have an affinity," noted Kakashi, "Remember Sakura, it is not uncommon for people your age to not have an elemental affinity. Sasuke and myself were the exceptions, not the rule. When I was your age, despite being a Jounin already, I only had an affinity for Lightning, which is why I developed the Chidori. Naruto...?"
Naruto channeled some chakra into his card like Sakura had moments before. First the card split in half and then turned black. Naruto looked at Kakashi in confusion. The Jounin could only start at the card in shock. "Sensei...?"
"..."
"Sasuke...?"
"..." the ebony haired boy shrugged while looking intently at Kakashi.
"Interesting..." Kakashi said at last. "I honestly didn't suspect this to come up..."
"Sensei?" asked Sakura.
"Within a person's body you can often find six different types of chakra within their bodies," explained Kakashi, "Each of these 'pools' of chakra represent an element."
"Wait... You said six types... But there are only five elements," interjected Sakura.
"The sixth one is the chakra pool that you would draw from if you were using a non-elemental jutsu like the basic three or Kage Bunshin," answered Sasuke. "Every person has six different pools of chakra in their bodies. However, none of the pools are exactly equal in size. The bigger the pool, the more of that type of chakra that person has."
"As I said before Sakura, it is not uncommon for shinobi and kunoichi your age to not have an affinity because the majority of the jutsu you would learn are non-elemental jutsu," Kakashi added, "This is especially true for you because the majority of the jutsu you have learned are genjutsu."
"What about this though...?" asked Naruto, "You never said anything about the paper turning black!"
"I honestly hadn't anticipated it," said Kakashi, "In your entire age group, the only one I would have expected this from is Shikamaru, due to his clan jutsu, though that would have been unlikely."
"A shadow element?" asked Sakura.
"Close," Kakashi commented, "There are two other chakra types that aren't normally taught as almost no one in any of the elemental countries can actually use them. Not even the Sandaime. Those are the Light and Dark Chakra. Naruto's primary elemental affinity is wind, but his second is Dark. I have to admit Naruto, I am totally out of my depth on how to train you. I only have a small repertoire of Fuuton jutsu and no Myouton (Dark Release) jutsu what-so-ever."
"What about the Nara Clan?" asked Sasuke.
"While it is true that they do use Dark chakra to manipulate shadows for their Clan Jutsu, they have absolutely no knowledge as to how to actually manipulate Dark Chakra directly and because Naruto is not a Nara he can not learn their Jutsu, nor can the Sandaime force them to teach him."
"It's not like their jutsu would do me any good, my fighting style is way too different from theirs," commented Naruto.
"You call what you do a 'fighting style'?" asked Sasuke sarcastically.
"Whatever... Bastard..." mumbled Naruto.
"Now, now... Gentlemen..." said Kakashi waving his hands to placate his genin before they started a fight. "Naruto, I will talk to Asuma and see if he can't help you out in learning a bit of Wind manipulation."
Naruto nodded.
"Now, for that jutsu I promised you," said Kakashi. "Both Jiraiya-sama and I both agreed that you are ready for this."
"Is it anything like the Chidori?" asked Naruto excitedly.
"Yes and no..." answered Kakashi. "The Chidori came about because I was trying to add elemental manipulation to this jutsu. But because of the flaws in the Chidori only one possessing the Sharingan Kekkei Genkai could ever use it to its full potential. I am going to show you the first of your father's personal jutsu, the Rasengan. An 'A'-Rank, sealless jutsu that can not be copied by the Sharingan. It is the one jutsu that I swore, after I learned it, in honor of Arashi-sensei, that I would never use in battle, nor would I ever teach it to anyone. However, since you are sensei's son, I don't consider this breaking my oath as it is your birthright. The only other person who can use this jutsu is Jiraiya-sama and he'll show you the next two stages if I am unavailable."
"Huh? Stages?" asked Naruto.
Kakashi chuckled in amusement. "Yes, stages. This jutsu should keep you occupied for quite sometime. I doubt even you could learn this jutsu in the manner of a few hours. It is much different than any other jutsu you have ever seen. Observe."
They watched as an orb of Chakra formed in Kakashi's hand and didn't take their eyes off of the orb of pure, light blue chakra as Kakashi slammed it in a tree, practically ripping it to shreds.
"Rasengan!"
The three of them were utterly speechless.
"Sugoi!" shouted Naruto as he jumped up into the air pumping his fist. "That was totally awesome!"
'Some old knucklehead...' thought Kakashi, smiling under his mask. "As I am sure you noticed, that was all pure chakra manipulation. The reason I created the Chidori was because I was attempting to use the same principles of the Rasengan using elemental chakra. While it is possible to manipulate and shape elemental chakra, there are severe limitations that have never been overcome. With the exception of certain jutsu like Suiryuudan no Jutsu (Water Dragon Bullet Technique) and Mizu Bunshin (Water Clone) it is relatively impossible to shape elemental chakra. Now then, Sakura, Sasuke, go over some Chakra Control exercises while I show Naruto the first step in this jutsu."
Naruto and Kakashi then left to another clearing in the forest while Sasuke and Sakura began their training.
"So... Now what?" asked Naruto curiously.
"First... You must pop a balloon filled with water," said Kakashi lazily.
Naruto growled. "I know it isn't that simple, so quit trying to act all 'cool and mysterious'. It's annoying enough when Sasuke does it!"
"Actually it is that simple, well... The instructions are in any case... The actual task is rather difficult," conceded Kakashi before he pulled out a scroll. "Now, considering the company you've kept recently, I assume you learned about storage scrolls and seals?"
Naruto nodded.
"Good," Kakashi said as he unfurled the and nicked his thumb. He smeared the scroll with his blood and then placed his palm on the seal. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
From the scroll, two balloons appeared. Kakashi tossed one to the three-eyed blonde Jinchuuriki.
"As I said before, you must pop the balloon, using chakra only," said Kakashi. "The purpose of this exercise is to teach you how to not only manipulate and mold your chakra, but also to teach you how to spin your chakra. As a bonus, it also helps improve your chakra control. Observe."
Naruto watched as the balloon started to shake and start stretching out in multiple directions. Then the balloon suddenly exploded. "That is what I want you to do."
"Looks kinds easy to me," said Naruto unimpressed.
"If you say so... Why don't you give it a try?"
Naruto gripped the balloon in his hand, focusing on it intently, but all he had succeeded in doing was look constipated.
"Problems with your bowel movements, Naruto?" Kakashi mockingly asked, though Naruto barely heard him.
"What sensei?" asked Naruto confusedly.
"Nothing, Naruto..." replied Kakashi, "As you can see, it most definitely not as easy as you thought. You're lacking focus."
"What do you mean, I'm focusing on the balloon!" replied Naruto indignantly.
"That's your problem, Naruto. The secret is not to focus on the big picture as a whole, but a small portion of it, and then summoning up your chakra, spinning it around the focus point," Kakashi lectured. "Now then... You have a big day tomorrow. So why don't you start getting ready for your trip with Jiraiya-sama."
"Wait... Who!?" exclaimed Naruto, "Why am I going with... That... THAT PERVERT!!"
"Who else did you think specifically requested you?" asked Kakashi, "The Council has set him on a task, but he wouldn't accept unless you were to come along."
"B-But... He's... He's... Such an Ero-Sennin! He even openly admits it! HE'S EVEN PROUD OF IT!" shouted Naruto in protest.
"You know, most people would consider it an honor to be requested to accompany one of the Sannin on a mission," said Kakashi, "I'm sure Sakura..."
"NO!!" shouted Naruto, "I'll go, there is NO way in HELL, that PERVERT is going near her or any other of my girl friends!"
"Girlfriends, Naruto?" asked Kakashi smugly.
"Err... Wait! That's not what I meant... My friends that are girls!" shouted Naruto before storming away muttering about stupid pervert senseis.
Kakashi chuckled to himself, it really was too easy to press Naruto's buttons.
Naruto had spent nearly the entire night practicing the Rasengan after he had packed. He was once again wearing the black the black robe with orange flames he wore during the Chuunin Exams, black baggy pants and sleeveless orange shirt, though he was still wearing the black bindings on his arm.
He was somewhat surprised the Gama Sennin was waiting for him. After the last few months of having Kakashi as a Jounin Sensei, he and the others had a rather low opinion of instructors in general.
"All right, Gaki, we have a lot of ground to cover and little time to do it in," Jiraiya said in a surprisingly serious tone. Naruto frowned, something wasn't right.
"What's going on?" asked Naruto as they showed the Chuunin Guards their passports and left the confines of the village.
"What makes you think anything is?" asked Jiraiya.
"It doesn't lie," said Naruto, his Jagan glowing momentarily under his black headband.
Jiraiya got an uncharacteristically grim look on his face. "It's sensei... Orochimaru's blade had a rather potent poison on it and the current medical staff in Konoha is having a rather difficult time finding an antidote, so we, me and you that is, are going to find an old friend of mine."
"What about Genkai-oban? She fixed up my arm pretty good," said Naruto.
"Genkai is a fighter and a hermit like me, not really much of a healer. She does have a few healing techniques, but nothing of the sort we're dealing with. She managed to slow down the poison, but that will only buy us at least another two weeks, maybe less," Jiraiya told his finest pupil's son.
"That's not all is it?" asked Naruto reluctantly.
Jiraiya had not wanted to tell Naruto this, as he was well aware of the boy's oldest and most cherished dream. "We are also going to present her with the option to become Hokage."
"WHAT!?" Naruto stopped in his tracks. "What about Ojii-san!?"
"Listen, Gaki," said Jiraiya sternly. "Currently, there are only three people with the skills and abilities to be Hokage at this moment. One is in the hospital, one refused and the third we're going to be looking for. As much as I hate to say it, Sarutobi-sensei is getting up there in years. He's not exactly in his prime you know. If he had been, Orochimaru might not have had a chance, but who's to say really. The poison has already been in his system too long and every minute we're away from Konoha, the more damage it does to his body. He will never fully recover. Even if the other candidate didn't refuse, Tsunade is still the better choice between them, so I volunteered our services to track down my wayward teammate."
Chapter 15-B: Untitled
Standing atop the Hokage Monument, Kazama Naruto was deep in thought. Things had changed. They were still changing.
Orochimaru had gotten away. Ojii-san was in the hospital in critical condition, though Genaki-oban had managed to help him a little. And now he was going on his first solo mission. Well, almost... He would be leaving with Ero-Sennin the following morning in search of the third member of the Legendary Three, Tsunade, the greatest med-nin and worst gambler in the Elemental Countries.
The last three days had been hell for him. It had been very trying times for the entire village as well. Still, he was glad to see the 'Will of Fire' continued to burn within the hearts and minds of the populace in the aftermath of the Oto/Suna Invasion.
Konoha had expected trouble, so things hadn't turned out as badly as they could have. They had known Orochimaru and Otogakure no Sato would try something, but they hadn't expected their closest ally, Sunagakure no Sato to turn on them as well.
However, defense of the village had gone extremely well- all things considered. The Sandaime had managed to recall, arguably the most powerful member of the Legendary Three, "The Gallant" Jiraiya, and even managed to gain the support of one of Jiraiya's allies, the Rei Sennin, Genkai. Konoha had even got a rather large morale boost when Suna's own Jinchuuriki, Sabaku no Gaara, had joined them in the defense of the Chuunin Exam Stadium. It had also been a massive blow to the invading forces morale, as much of their plans had ridden on Gaara's bloodthirsty psychosis. But as they say, plans rarely survive first encounter with the enemy and are completely useless if one encounters Kazama Naruto, Konohagakure's 'Number One, Most Surprising, Unpredictable, Knuckleheaded Ninja'.
Even after all that, the talk of the town was undoubtably the newly revealed heir of the Yondaime Hokage, Kazama Arashi, Uzumaki, or rather, Kazama Naruto. The child who was universally scorned, hated, ignored and neglected by a rather staggering majority of Konohagakure no Sato was ironically the one who had saved it and with the very power they all feared.
Many had been touched during his fight with the Hyuuga Prodigy, Neji. They had been astounded during his fight with fellow dobe, Rock Lee. They had been equally surprised in his fight against Gaara. Added to the fact, he broke through a nearly impenetrable barrier, helped drive off an 'S' Ranked nuke-nin, and defeated a fellow Jinchuuriki from atop of the Legendary Gamabunta, the kid was already a legend in the making.
Not only had he defeated, arguably, the most powerful Genin in the exam, with the exception of the Uchiha who had been defeated by Gaara, but also saved them from the wrath of the Ichibi no Tanuki. Spectators watching in awe as the sand construct faced off against the blonde Jinchuuriki a top of Gamabunta, who had been called out in defense of the village to protect the populace against the awe inspiring terrible power that is the bijuu. Even one that is as weak (in comparison to the Kyuubi) as that of the Ichibi.
With the fury of the Jagan, the ingenuity of a Kazama, the unpredictability of an Uzumaki, the raw power of the Kyuubi (though few knew that), and his own special ability that could turn even the coldest and most heartless of enemies into the closest of comrades, Naruto was able to defeat Shukaku.
Naruto thought back to previous day...
"What do you need Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked as he spotted his sensei at his window.
"I'm here to inform you of your next mission," said Kakashi.
"All right! When do we leave?" asked Naruto.
Kakashi shook his head. "Not 'we' Naruto, you."
"B-But... Why!?" asked Naruto somewhat distressed.
"Jiraiya-sama requested you accompany him on his errand for the Sandaime," explained Kakashi, "Plus, you'll be able to work on the new jutsu we decided you should learn."
"Am I going to learn Chidori?" asked Naruto eagerly.
Kakashi shook his head, "Not even with the Jagan, could you learn to use that jutsu to its full affectiveness. No, this one is much better. It's called the Rasengan (Spiraling Sphere)." Kakashi held out his palm and an orb of rapidly spinning chakra formed. "It took your father some time to create this jutsu, but I don't think you'll have too many problems with it, especially once your arm is healed."
"Sugoi..." Naruto whispered in amazement.
"Since you'll be outside the village, I can only show you the first step. Should you master that, it will be up to Jiraiya-sama to teach you the second stage," Kakashi informed him. Kakashi then pulled out a scroll and unrolled it. He pricked his thumb and ran it over the seal on the scroll.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" said Kakashi and two balloons filled with liquid appeared. "Now, Naruto, the Rasengan is learned in three stages.