After walking for a few hours, Team 7 decided to call it a day and set up a small camp, as everyone sat around the campfire Ben was the first one to start a conversation
"Forgive me for my lack of knowledge about ninja villages, Kiri is the only one I am somewhat familiar about. So you said Konoha treats Kekkei Genkai as valuable?"
"That's right, according to the first hokage of our village, every true konoha shinobi must love, believe, cherish and fight for the village's sake. Bloodlines are seen as a valuable tool which allows the shinobis possessing them to protect the village better than everyone else, thus they are seen in a much favorable light. In contrast with Kiri where they are seen as bringer of war and misery." Kakashi explained
I refuse to believe that Konoha is some sort of Utopia for people from parallel dimensions to settle in, every place has their own share of demons to deal with. Hack! even plumbers had their hands full with the likes of Rooters and Phil
"Ha! Don't worry about it Ben. Old man will surely help you out." Naruto assured him confidently.
"Tennyson!" Sasuke's voice was heard first time since they left the wave. It surprised Ben a bit, considering that they never really talked much in the first place.
Both Sakura and Naruto blinked at hearing his tone. Sasuke seemed a bit more respectful towards him than usual and this wasn't the way he used to speak with Ben before. However Kakashi quickly realized why the Uchiha heir seemed so behaving that way, Sasuke knew that Ben was stronger than him thanks to his mastery over various abilities provided by his bloodline limit. But learning that he might be wielding some sort of enhanced Sharingan alongside another unknown powerful doujutsu...he couldn't help but feel a bit curious about Ben's abilities.
Stretching his arms with a yawn, Ben responded nonchalantly.
"Oh, Is there anything I can do for you buddy?"
"What happened during the battle between you and Haku?" Sasuke asked, Ben closed his eyes for a bit, taking a long breath.
"Isn't it obvious? I won but I guess that's not the answer you are looking for."
His left eye..I saw that in my Father's journal but I can't remember what that was about.
Sasuke's eyes sharply narrowed down for a moment before he continued further, "That girl said you used your doujutsu to beat her, How?"
"Well, after I went through the transformation, I gained significant physical boost. My vision improved by leaps and bounds. I could see and perceive things on cellular level, hack I could even see veins inside everyone's body and the color of their chakra. I could also sense people and tell them apart as if I was in touch with nature or something like that. I think I just overwhelmed her through my sheer speed and physical strength."
"That wasn't all." Kakashi said, " You also used something on the bridge when Haku was about to sacrifice herself and trap me in a deadlock."
"What did he do?" Sasuke inquired, wanting to learn about new power of Ben's doujutsu
"He sent out a powerful wave of force, sending all three of us flying in the air. It was incredibly strong, not even me or Zabuza had no idea how to defend ourselves against something like that." Kakashi said, turning to Ben at the last part. Sasuke's hands clenched and he gritted his teeth frustration, This Ben...he truly possessed a very powerful doujutsu. He might even give Itachi's Mangekyo a run of money with those eyes.
"Wow!" Sakura gasped at hearing Kakashi's explanation, "That sounds really cool. How did you do that Ben-kun?"
"I acted purely on instinct and somehow managed to access that power." Ben responded after a brief pause, now that he thought about it, that seemed a lot like the devastating attractive and repulsive gravitational forces he could control through using his Galilean alter ego Gravattack . One of his most fearsome transformations which allowed him to manipulate the weight and motion of objects, allowing him to suspend and levitate targets in the air, send them flying back or fourth, or slam them down to the ground with hand gestures. His control over gravity was refined to the point , where he could change direction of a target moving at high speeds , telekinetically send it flying upwards or across the air as if it was falling. Reduce the speed of a creature moving at the speed of light to nothing, such abuse of laws of general relativity could generate a black hole though, if he wasn't careful when using that.
They might be already viewing me as a military asset. I need to be very careful about how I act in front of these ninjas. I can't let them find out about more of my abilities then they already have.
"I can't seem to do it at will for the time being. So even I don't have any real idea how I managed to pull that off."
"Huh, that's not how doujutsus are supposed to work." Sasuke interjected turning to copy nin.
"It's hard to say. Perhaps you were overwhelmed by the genetic memory of your doujutsu similar to what happened with Haku during that incident at her village." Kakashi smiled beneath his mask, "Well, I am quite curious about your bloodline as well. Perhaps Lord Hokage will be able to shed some light on this matter."
Ben shook his head, glancing at the campfire.
I hope this decision of joining Konoha doesn't bite me in the arse someday.
...xxxxxx...xxxxxxx...
The trip back to Konoha was relatively short while travelling with ninja speed, compared to the week it took for Tazuna to travel. That put the overall mission time to a month. Soon the huge wooden gates which surrounded Konoha loomed over the horizon. As the team 7 stood before the gate to Konoha, Sakura and Naruto began jabbering excitedly about their home. They had been gone for a long time and seemed happy to finally make it back to their home. The bustling streets filled with people and with all sorts of shops lined up, it was quite different experience after he had been in the land of waves for last couple of months. Konoha truly looked like a prosperous town.
He also noticed the Hokage mountain which briefly reminded him of Mt Rushmore back home. Four faces depicting four different generations of the village leaders.
"Alright team! we have successfully fulfilled the mission." Kakashi said
"You have exceeded my expectations, all four of you. Especially you Naruto, even though you don't excel at certain ninja aspects, your growth and determination are impossible to ignore. You left the academy as the dead last of your class and now you return as a respectable shinobi of Konoha If you continue progressing like this, you'll be a stupendous hokage someday, I am sure of it."
Naruto grinned so wide that his eyes were squinting, " Thank you sensei! It means a lot to me."
"Sakura and Sasuke, your battle against a superior opponent not only the depth of your strength but commitment as well. Not only that, Sasuke, you also awakened your sharingan in this mission. You truly honor the name of Uchiha and Sakura, you showed a lot of potential as well, with a bit more hard work and proper guidance, you will be a fine kunoichi in the future."
Sakura scratched her cheek, beaming at her sensei's praise while Sasuke just crossed his arms and looked away, presumably uninterested. Though Ben could see a ghost of smile appearing on his face, even if it only lasted for a second.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! can we go? I wanna find Iruka-sensei and get some Ichiraku." Naruto looked up to the silver haired jounin in anticipation.
Ben sighed in relief at hearing this, he had already skipped breakfast twice in the row, if anything, he just wanted to eat like a shameless pig today. No doubts about that.
"Sure, go ahead. You three are free for the day. I have gotta take Ben here to Sandaime so we can get the approval for him to join our village." Kakashi replied placing a hand on Ben's shoulder, happily ignoring the displeased look on the young Tennyson's face.
"I will take care of the report and get your guys pay slip mailed to you. Ja ne"
And just like that, Kakashi made a single hand sign, disappearing in a puff of smoke. Leaving three very confused genins behind.
"I wonder what Hokage-jiji-chan wants to ask Ben?"
"Why would I know that, dobe?"
"Wasn't talking to you in the first place, Teme!"
"Stop bothering Sasuke-kun, Naruto-Baka!"
...xxxx...xxxxxx...xxxxxx...
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, also known as the Professor and God of Shinobi, for all his battle prowess and mastery over various kind of ninjutsu, sat at his desk, engaged in a never ending battle with the most persistent enemy a Kage must face in his day to day life...paperwork. While it wasn't as bad as many liked to believe, it still took up a lot of his time.
"Lord Hokage! " An Anbu wearing Hawk mask entered in his chambers.
"Yes, What is the matter?" Hiruzen raised his eyebrow in confusion.
"Hatake Kakashi has returned with a bloodline user who wants to join our village." The old man's eyes widened at hearing that, the strange bloodline user from land of water with a mysterious doujutsu, the one Kakashi spoke so highly about in his report had finally arrived in Konoha.
"I see, ...send them in." Hiruzen ordered as he leaned back in his chair, hands clasped on the desk, giving the Anbu okay to let the duo enter
Had it not been for his experiences with Gwen's teleportation spells, Ben would have fell to the ground on his lower back instead of regaining his footing after a minor disorientation spell. Methods like this were sure convenient and time -saving but they were awkward as hell and made him a little sick. That's Ben never bothered learning teleportation spells. The old man wearing a solid wide triangular hat with a diamond shaped white patch on which the symbol of fire was clearly visible looked up from his position and gave them a kind smile.
"Ah, Kakashi! You have finally returned from the wave country. And this must be the young lad you kept mentioning in your reports."
"Yes Hokage-sama! This is Tennyson Ben and he possesses a kekkei genkai which would boggle even a Kami!"
Kakashi nodded with a respectful bow while Ben gave Hiruzen a puzzled look as he strode out behind his desk and walked over to him as if to better take his appearance. He made one round trip around the confused species shifter before stopping and offering his hand to him with a light chuckle.
"Indeed. I am Sarutobi Hiruzen. Third Hokage of Village hidden in leaves. "
Ben grasped the old man's hands with a smile of his own, noticing that despite his age the old man had quite the grip, "My name is Tennyson Ben. Thank you for granting me asylum in your village."
The old man laughed heartily, "Well, I didn't expect you to have manners. After reading Kakashi's reports I thought you would be just like Naruto."
Ben blinked, even though Kakashi did indeed mention that Hokage treated him as a sort of adopted grandson, this was still a bit too much to take in, " How well do you know Naruto?"
"Ha! That little troublemaker is here everyday of the week if they are not doing any missions." Sarutobi smiled jovially, causing Ben to chuckle a bit. The old man might be the most powerful ninja of this village but he could feel a sense of respect and warmth from him and his instincts were rarely wrong in regards of situations. like that.
"Now apart from your other unique abilities...you also have awakened a doujutsu that Kakashi couldn't identify." Hiruzen said in a serious tone while Ben just nodded in response.
"Oh, Would you like to take a look at my eyes?" Ben spoke out in a casual tone.
"If that's not too much of a hassle." Hiruzen said with a smile. "Well, let's see it then." Ben closed his eyes and brought his hands together to his chest, a faint glow engulfed his body and when he opened his eyes, they were changed into two different set of doujutsus. However both Hiruzen and Kakashi could tell that wasn't the only thing changed about him. His chakra which seemed completely normal a few moments ago now eclipse both of theirs combined. The Third Hokage gasped, his eyes wide as he looked at each of his eyes, unable to believe the sight before him.
"That, I ...can't believe it."
"What is it Lord Hokage? You know what they are?" Kakashi who was already very much curious about the nature of Ben's doujutsu turned to him.
"Your right eye is a variant of Mangekyo Sharingan. An advanced form of the Sharingan that has only been activated by a handful of Uchiha. They are noted to be the "heavenly eyes that see the truth of all of creation without obstruction." The Hokage replied surprising both of them, especially Kakashi, "Usage of the Mangekyō Sharingan's abilities can cause a great strain on the user. It drains a considerable amount of chakra when simply activating and maintaining the advanced dōjutsu, and even more through each technique used. Even more, it can cause considerable damage to their being, leaving the body in agonising pain and causing deterioration to their vision until eventually over-usage leaves them blind. Their vision can be restored by transplanting the Mangekyō Sharingan of an Uchiha with strong blood ties — thus awakening Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. No longer suffering any negative side-effects from using them, even reducing chakra-draining to an unnoticeably minimal level . Which you have in your left eye. "
"The same eyes, Madara Uchiha possesed...are you sure, Lord Hokage?" Kakashi asked.
"I am sure." Hiruzen nodded as he sat behind his desk again.
Ben looked slightly confused, "Wait, what was so special about this Madara guy?" he asked, not understanding why they were making such a big deal out of just a single transformation of his.
"Madara Uchiha, supposedly one of the most powerful shinobi to ever live, apart from Hashirama Senju, founder of this village. He was the legendary leader of the Uchiha clan. He founded Konohagakure alongside his rival, Hashirama Senju, with the intention of beginning an era of peace. When the two couldn't agree on how to achieve that peace, they fought for control of the village, a conflict which ended in Madara's death. The eyes you have are indeed one of the most powerful bloodlines in existence"
A grin grew across Ben's face, "Really! I knew my new t..eyes were awesome."
"This is no laughing matter child!" Hiruzen interrupted, "If the word of you possessing the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan reaches the other villages or..certain individuals. They will stop at nothing to kill or capture you." That caused Ben to hold his breath for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise at how different the Hokage seemed from before, "Kakashi, the fact that this young lad possesses the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan is an S rank secret from now onwards. Make sure that your team doesn't utter a single word about it outside. " Kakashi nodded.
"I understand very well Lord Hokage." Kakashi said, "But what about his right eye..."
"Unfortunately, I don't know about the nature of his right eye. It seems like a complex and powerful doujutsu but I haven't heard about it's existence before. in my shinobi career. However if Ben-kun permits me to make a copy of it to examine it in greater detail, A student of mine might be able to help. He has a tendency to come across such unusual things every now and then." Hiruzen spoke again
"Sure , why not?" Ben replied without hesitation. If them being fixated on one of his transformations meant he didn't have go in details about the Ultimatrix, he really didn't mind. The Hokage gave him a comforting smile and walked back to his desk, taking out a piece of paper. He placed it on the top of Ben's forehead and started going through a couple of hand signs. The parchment glowed and a picture of Ben's right eye emerged on it.
"The jutsu I used have copied the finer details about your right eye, lines and patterns that are too small to be seen by the naked eye and a small sample of your chakra as well. With this, your doujutsu can be studied closely, without missing a single detail. " Hokage explained as he presented him with a similar headband members of team 7 wore, " Here, make sure to wear this Hitai-ate while you are in village, otherwise you will be asked a lot of questions. You are not a known face around here and this is a ninja village so people here are understandably a bit vary of the strangers. With this, they will understand you belong in the village and hopefully leave you alone."
Ben took the headband with a word of thanks and tied it around his shoulder, making sure that the stylized leaf symbol was obvious and visible.
"Now, Ben-kun you may leave for now. My ANBU outside will drop you at Ichiraku Ramen and if I am not wrong, Naruto will be most likely there. I am sure he would love showing your around the village." Ben just bowed in response, not having much to say. He quickly left, quietly closing the door behind him.
"Lord Hokage I..."
"I know what you are going to ask me Kakashi." Hiruzen replied in a stern manner as he assumed his original position on the chair, "And I still think it's not a good idea."
"You are going to say this even after knowing..."
"It's not that I don't have faith in your teaching abilities and I am not going to blame you for how this mission turned out to be." Hiruzen mused, " However with Sasuke possessing Sharingan, your team is already going to be a huge target for other villages and most likely my wayward student. If you add Ben to this, it's a recipe of disaster."
"I agree with you Hokage-sama." Kakashi spoke out in a calm and composed manner, "But I am the only who can bring out his true potential and it will be a great help for Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura as well."
"We won't be able to keep this under wraps for a long time so if you don't want me to put him under a Tokubetsu Jounin, You have to up your game and start teaching something to your students for real." Hiruzen responded with a mild glare.
"Don't worry Lord Hokage! I won't disappoint you this time around."