The Hokage had spent the last two days working through a particularly tricky piece of business involving a three-way trade agreement. Annoying as it was, this was the main reason Hiruzen continued to wear the hat rather than stepping down for a younger leader.
Konoha was considered to be one of the strongest shinobi villages for a reason. In the past ten years Sarutobi Hiruzen could probably name ten shinobi that were powerful enough to become a hokage. Sadly, that number had shrunk drastically, but the younger generation was also proving to have a number of promising careers.
With the trade agreement all but a formality at this point, Hiruzen's mind wandered towards the more esoteric side of his job.
The main issue was that most shinobi didn't think of the hidden villages as an overly large, diversified business. Hiruzen was experienced and learned in history enough to understand the roles a hidden village could take in society.
Assuming the shinobi forces worked the same way as the Daimyo's legion or war conscripts was a mistake of many nobles and quite a few shinobi.
The hidden villages worked independently of the Daimyo and were paid for each job accomplished. They were technically under his authority and, indeed, many of the jobs they procured came through the patronage of the Daimyo, nobles and merchants of the land. But as long as they had work to do they could operate at full capacity.
Therein lay the problem.
The costs of running a hidden village was astronomical. True, the pay was quite good-an 'A-rank' assassination mission brought in quite a chunk of money-but there were only so many people who would pay for them (and the ones actually willing to pay for them were often the target-not exactly reliable revenue long-term.)
Likewise banditry had been extremely prolific when Hiruzen was younger but bandits were now mostly only found in places not profitable for the Daimyo or Kage to deal with unless specifically paid to do so. Escort missions for the rich and famous, along with trade caravans provided a solid living-but only for those directly involved.
The backing of wars, civil or otherwise, provided a reasonable income in money (as well as the spoils of war) but Konoha was generally picky about wars. They tended to backfire spectacularly no matter which side you picked-not to mention the ethical question.
There was a growing movement among the younger court members to do away with the hidden villages altogether as 'outdated'.
Considering the work Hiruzen had to do to keep Konoha running smoothly, he would be very interested to see how those same courtiers intended to keep patrols running on the borders.
Were the Shinobi of Konoha forced to disband for want of money (for any number of reasons), the Land of Fire could be quickly overwhelmed by its covetous neighbours. The Daimyo's Legion was pretty enough and even had a few good officers trained in the Samurai and Shinobi arts but they would never be able to hold their own against a determined and much larger military force. In a nation as large and rich as the Land of Fire even the price of warding off opportunistic raiders would be extremely taxing.
So Hiruzen waited till he could train someone who was capable in politics, economics, and strong enough to persuade the Land of Fire's neighbours that it simply wasn't worth the effort.
If he had allowed someone like Danzo, Orochimaru or Fugaku to run the village it would likely collapse in on itself until the Shinobi force consumed the land in a military take-over. The ninja clearly had the strength to take whatever they needed whenever the wanted. Of course, the result would be a nation living in constant fear; a struggle for power in political and clan wars. A good example would be what was happening in the Land of Waters.
To be sure, the land would be extremely strong-but also quite brittle.
The only other person he thought was currently able to handle the job in all its intricacies without training now that Tsunade had abandoned Konoha was Utatane Koharu but she was as old as he was (and didn't have the international infamy he did.)
All this meant the Hokage had to be quite inventive in order to keep everything in working order or simply work tediously through all the blasted bureaucracy. So he was finally finishing what should be a relaxing tea ceremony that was, in actually, a display of subtle political posturing…
Basically bullshit.
Putting down his teacup Sarutobi smiled at the economic envoy of 'his Daimyo' and the Agricultural Envoy from the Land of Rice before he politely excused himself.
"I'm glad we could all come to a mutual agreement," the Hokage said to them, more happy to have the ordeal over with than anything, "You can expect several of our Akimichi to assist starting within the next month. I'm sorry to cut this short but I really must get back to work on some other pressing business."
'Like visiting my lovely daughter-in-law' he thought, 'She really is blossoming as an expectant mother'.
He smiled inwardly to himself at the thought of soon becoming a grandfather, but they needn't know that. He was the one, after all, beneficently doing them the service-or that was the picture the Hokage had painted over the past two days.
"Of course Lord Hokage." They both returned his slight bow before he patronized them with one last smile and left the room with an inward groan.
That one piece of business had taken all of yesterday and much of today, but, glancing at the clock, he knew he should work a little more before actually going to relax with his family.
Well, he was supposed to be the strongest Shinobi in the village and he was all tense from that tedious negotiation. He tried to get in at least several hours of sparring a week and now was as good a time as any. He would just call it work! He immediately started to relax at the thought.
The transition from Lord Hokage to the 'Shinobi Kami' was efficient. Sarutobi Hiruzen was always more than capable of defending himself but often forewent carrying an arsenal around with him everywhere for the duties that generally required a pen rather than shuriken. Now, however, he fully intended to enjoy himself.
Underneath the stately Haori and Kimono a loose onyx silk shirt and pants gleamed in that peculiar fashion only black could achieve. The material itself was strong armor, particularly against elemental damage as it was crafted by a corroboration between the Aburame and Hyuuga clans, but metal plates further protected the shoulders and shins from physical strikes. A black hood with a chain plate neckguard soon replaced the Hokage's hat while a verdigris steel gauntlet covered his right hand and arm. This last piece was for protection while wielding Monkey King Enma in his Staff form. Never particularly fond of Kunai or bladed weapons, the final touch was placing a pouch of shuriken and paper tags over his shoulder.
Generally speaking, it was considered polite to ignore the ANBU guards during business hours. Visiting clients and dignitaries could assume all transactions would be classified and, indeed, were an ANBU to fail in this duty they would be punished severely. Yamanaka Inoshi's brilliant mind partition jutsu assisted with that even under duress. But Hiruzen prefered not to stand on ceremony with his subordinates whenever possible.
"The leaves seem eager to dance in the wind tonight, eh my young friends?"
Chimera on the other hand was a little more proper and straight to the point, "A spar would do you well."
"Are you saying I'm old?" … "or weak?" Hiruzen inquired haughtily and a held back smile.
"Old? Yes. Weak?" Chimera appeared to think for longer than necessary.
"Bah," the Hokage huffed and snorted slightly as he opened a window "Let's see you keep up!" As an afterthought, in honour of his soon to be first grandson, "Last one to Training Ground 44.5 is a bat without knowledge of birds!"
Having said that the Hokage stepped up to the window sill and took off with a speed that was truly hard to rival.
Dog looked quizzical but filed the saying into his own repertoire before following at a reasonable fast pace. Even he couldn't get away with being too lazy while actually on the job.
Chimera rolled his mismatched eyes and thought about going out the door like a dignified person, but duty was more important even if the Hokage could generally take care of himself.
Upon arriving at the training ground he noticed his Hokage was casually leaning against a tree. He carefully 'ignored' that Sarutobi was clearly trying not to breath hard.
Somewhat surprisingly, it was Otter that came into the grounds next, "All clear." She looked at the two men in supposed innocence before adding, "Although the wind noticeably picked up when the Hokage arrived and blew away the playful butterflies."
Otter was inarguably the weakest of the Hokage's guards but her speed and medical jutsu saw her as one of his few permanent fixtures. She also had a few impish tricks up her sleeves for either flight or fight.
Dog appeared only a couple seconds later walking around a tree with his hands in his pockets. He looked around, "I guess I'm the bat… but at least I'm not an old bat."
'I am not that old' Hiruzen muttered slightly petulantly.
Between the three Chimera was probably the closest match-up for Hiruzen in terms of power and experience but he was hoping Kakashi would become the next Hokage within 5-8 years with the proper training. He just needed to stabilize… 'and find a wife' he added. Even Chimera and Dog combined he thought he could still beat without the assistance of the Monkey King. But he wanted to enjoy himself and loosen up his muscles and mind, not work himself into exhaustion.
"Ok. I think a couple rounds of Mushi-ken sounds perfect for today. Care to join me Dog?"
Mushi-ken was one of the least prefered forms of sparing amongst the younger Shinobi but it was Hiruzen's favored sparing method-it was the best learning tool to find weaknesses and improve strengths.
The basis of the spar was similar to "Frog, Slug, Snake" (i.e. 'Mushi-ken') in that each contestant would pick a single discipline they were allowed to fight in while every other discipline was limited to Genin levels. Neither contestant would know what their opponent chose until after the fight began (assuming they weren't tricked). The general assumption was that NinjutsuTaijutsuGenjutsuNinjutsu. Of course, this was only in theory.
Chimera continued to observe his surroundings while the two contestants prepared. Training Ground 44.5 was located in the middle of the Forest of Death and enveloped in a permanent environmental Genjutsu that the Second Lord Hokage had developed. It was also the exclusive training ground for the Hokage to spar in but it never hurt to be careful.
Otter threw a flash pellet between Dog and the Hokage to signal the beginning of the fight. The two men immediately...slowly meandered away from one-another.
The reason why Mushi-ken wasn't popular with younger shinobi was that they depended too heavily on boosting their speed and strength or using techniques like the Body Flicker. Genin could boost their speed and strength a little but not to the extent that they would be able to keep up with someone with Jounin boosted speed. If someone chose Taijutsu you would have to be inventive to not get plastered by their superior speed and power-and you couldn't just Body Flicker out of the way either (For the sake of Mushi-ken that was generally part of the Taijutsu discipline).
Dog had chosen Ninjutsu as primary. This was the obvious choice for someone like him, but without speed and accuracy his best jutsu was extremely limited (besides the fact that it was designed to kill and this was a spar).
He released the lightning net he had prepared in case the Opponent turned out to be faster than his own speed would allow. 'Opponent appears to be nuanced rather than power-driven'. Dog reached for a kunai and flung it at his opponent to test for an opening. Without fully boosting, the force of the kunai wasn't quite enough to force it to show what kind of power it possessed.
'Information first and then strategize.' To that end he threw a battery of shuriken, which were dodged, and performed a quick Substitution Jutsu into the trees.
Dog chose to create a Shadow Clone. If dispelled this would give his Opponent knowledge. That just meant he had to act quickly to gain more information first and act before Opponent was able to properly gauge his own power.
Dog quickly ran through the seals before handing his newly formed Shadow Self some additional shuriken. While Shadow Self had his own Shadow shuriken, they tended to dispel or not do as much damage as desired at the worst possible moments-and the real thing wouldn't give away as much information.
Doggie smiled as he prepared the trap against Opponent. Stepping back out of the trees he saw it smiling kindly back at him. Doggie wasn't that easy to deceive. But he had his own plan to see through and so he took out another battery of shuriken and flung them at it.
Opponent's eyes widened in surprise as the three shuriken headed towards him multiplied into thirty. Wires running between them would make it almost impossible to dodge completely and Doggie smiled wickedly back at opponent from behind his mask.
Suddenly Opponent went through a half-dozen hand seals itself and slapped the ground. A wall of earth shot up to protect it and the three shuriken lodged themselves harmlessly into the loam while the slight genjutsu fell apart.
Opponent can use mid-level earth jutsu, probable mid-range offensive ninjutsu with strong ninjutsu defense. Doggie smiled. With the use of a simple Genjutsu rather than Mass Shadow Clone Shuriken his opponent was likely still low on information concerning his own skills.
Dog nodded to himself, coordinating the illusion from a distance with his Shadow Clone hadn't been as easy as he had hoped, but the fake wires and misdirection would hopefully be worth it in the end. Slipping down from the tree he quietly and smoothly sunk into the earth.
Doggie was starting to be hard pressed as Opponent ran through another set of hand seals and a fireball exploded right where he had been. Throwing his last set of shuriken he started on a Substitution back into the trees. Doggie smiled as a flurry of fireballs honed in on him. Grinning he took just enough time to get hit by the first of the fireballs and exploded.
Dog was ready. Immediately upon Shadow Clones dispelling he popped his head out of the ground right behind Opponent and slapped a Lightning Prison into place utilizing his shuriken that were happily placed ever so 'randomly'.
… Nothing happened.
'Shit.' 'Back to the trees and start over.' Going for a quick Substitution Jutsu, Dog decided he needed to revise his strategy.
… Except he wasn't in the trees. He was still stuck in the ground with his head, shoulders and arms sticking out. Dogs eye watched as Opponent slowly knelt in front of him, took an explosive tag and then, with an obvious twitch of its head to the side and a finger tapping its lips, four more explosive tags and ever so slowly reached out to place them on his mask.
"I yield." The entirety of the fight took less than five minutes.
Hiruzen smiled and removed the six tags from him.
'Wait, six?'
Hiruzen put the five explosive tags back into his pouch before tossing the sixth one to Dog.
"A Chakra Suppression Seal?" Dog hadn't expected the Hokage to cheat and frowned a bit. That wasn't the point of Mushi-ken.
"Indeed. And I presume to think that you specialized in Ninjutsu? I gambled a bit on that and you threw me for a scare with your little double misdirection." Hiruzen grinned at Dog, "You seem to still be confused though?"
"Chakra Suppression is hardly Genin level."
"You speak the truth."
"But neither is the Fireball or Earth Wall."
Hiruzen nodded and waited for Dog to finish his thought process. After a couple seconds he reached out and grabbed another tag off the earth wall still guarding him. It slowly started to collapse in on itself as he handed the second tag to Dog.
"You…" Dog thought for a moment before putting the pieces together. "You weren't specialized in Ninjutsu but Fuinjutsu."
A stress-free laugh burst from Hiruzen. This is what he was best at and enjoyed most, teaching-not legislature or business. "There are many disciplines in the Ninja world. It can be a fatal mistake to assume your opponent will use a standardized playbook. Have you figured out the Fireballs yet?"
Dog actually had now that he knew what to look for. The hand seals hadn't been simple misinformation, Sarutobi had used a low-rank flame jutsu to direct the Fuinjutsu blasts towards his Shadow Clone. Even fire prefered to follow the easiest path and join together with the smallest flame if given a chance. The Hokage had probably come up with that idea thanks to his ideology. It was brilliant really.
The start of his own plan started to take form. Mushi-ken suddenly seemed like a much more interesting form of sparring.
"Care to go again?"
"I'm always ready to teach a young pup like you." Was the quick and hearty reply.
Otter once more started the spar by tossing a pellet between the two adversaries. This time a shower of earth shot up between them, briefly obscuring their vision. She had quite enjoyed watching the last spar and was looking forward to how this next fight would pan out.
It looked like Dog had chosen Ninjutsu again as he immediately sunk into the ground and disappeared. The kid was talented, his fighting ability was certainly well beyond her own, but he tended to fixate on particulars a bit too much.
The Hokage, meanwhile, had smiled and walked quietly over to the trees before he faded out of sight.
As fun as the first fight had been to watch: Probes, deception, counter-deception, attacks and well-executed maneuvers, the second fight had a very slow build up.
Fifteen minutes passed without a sign of either combatant; enough time to have finished the first spar five times over. Wanting to make sure nothing was amiss Otter checked in with Chimera after insuring she wasn't trapped in any kind of Genjutsu.
Otter was a reasonable sensor but right now Chimera had the task of insuring that no one would surprise them out here-After the Fourth had died he was likely the strongest sensor in Konoha. She hoped Chimera would know what was happening at least because right now Otter couldn't tell what either combatant was doing.
Her captain returned an 'all-clear' to her. Well, she might as well settle down and see if there was anything to spot… Chimera seemed to notice her restlessness as he soon sent her another quick message. 'Dog: Earth, Trap, Wires.' followed shortly by 'Third' there was a pause before he tapped out '? Genjutsu Large Weave.'
Interesting. Normally the rules wouldn't allow for a combatant to use both mid level earth Ninjutsu along with paper tags and wire techniques. Otter thought it over and grinned, entirely to mischievously! Perhaps she had underestimated Dog… and oh! she was going to have fun the next time she sparred.
Lord Hokage had used Fuinjutsu in the last battle, not exactly a common discipline for Shinobi, but it looked like Dog was returning the favour by choosing Trapping. This gave him the ability to use various ninjutsu, fuinjutsu and wire techniques (or anything else he could, on a technicality, consider to be part of his 'trapping discipline'.)
Otter was on the Hokage detail primarily for her healing skills. It took a lot of discipline to become as skilled as she was but discipline wasn't precisely Otter's forte. So… she had hoarded her impish behaviour and invested it in the art of trapping. Her curiosity in chemistry had also pushed past traditional soldier pills and other medical paraphernalia into a large variety of pellets. Given her speed, a sling and everything from flash-bangs to ice landscaping™ pellets she could generally distract, avoid and eventually flee with any casualties her team might have acquired until the heavier hitters were recovered.
Now that she knew what to look for Otter was quite a bit more excited with this bout than the previous one. Dog had likely not reckoned on a passive opponent such as a Genjutsu artist. This spar would come down to one of two things: patience or ingenuity.
Trap kits were, of course, studied and deployed as early as the academy; That's kind of like saying Shinobi learn Ninjutsu in the academy. Such kits generally were reduced to: 'string wire between trees in this pattern', 'attach Security Tag: Perimeter Breach to outer perimeter wire' and 'insure that wire does not reflect light at any point'. Ambitious Genin might even add an explosive tag along the most likely trajectory of their foe. The kits worked well enough for camps in friendly territory when facing wild animals and potential bandits.
Trapping was as diverse a discipline as you could find, and its specialists a jealous lot. In Konoha the Nara and Yamanaka often had a couple specialists in each generation. Truthfully it was astounding that the Nara were still as effective as they were, clearly a testament to their intellect and problem solving.
Opponent A: "Oh look, a Nara." A quick check in the bingo book later, "Watch out for his shadow."
Generic Nara A: "Shit, they just figured out 100% of my abilities."
Generic Nara A (10 seconds later) … "Gurgle, tell . my . wife . I . . I … Gurgle . ."
Otter giggled to herself at the mental picture of a Nara getting grazed in the arm by a thrown Kunai and promptly grabbing a prepared bag of blood and bursting it open over their heart before finally swooning theatrically clutching at their chest. The scene diverged into two parts, in the first the Nara would wait till the opponent approached and he could snare them in shadow. The second scene showed the Nara simply waiting several minutes, opening one eye to peek around before getting up, changing shirts and walking to the nearest spa.
Refocusing on the spar at hand the problem Otter saw was that, as diverse as the actual traps might be, Trapping itself almost always was used for one of three functions: Securing a perimeter, stalling an enemy or ambushing an enemy. There was a reason Trap specialists did not actually participate in open battle if at all possible.
Securing a perimeter meant you were working in a set location with time to deploy your defenses as you saw fit and force the enemy to come to you. Stalling an enemy generally meant your enemy was moving towards their goal and must travel through your traps while you slowly fell back and hoped for a victory of attrition or reinforcements arrived before you were overwhelmed. Finally, ambushing an enemy also had a moving enemy to surprise and butcher.
Kakashi had to approach a non-moving target who had prior knowledge of an imminent adversary.
First, Kakashi had access to the escape routes Lord Hokage would use. Trap those locations and slowly constrict inwards like a snake with a mouse? Perhaps lure him out with a driving offensive spectacle.
Or one of weakness? A favorite of Otter's was a combination of being that irritant that just won't go away despite being so small it should be easily removed. (Assailants of the Lord Hokage were most likely to be extremely strong but also incredibly arrogant. Otter couldn't combat the strength, but she would certainly take advantage of their arrogance.)
She also didn't tend to be the stereotypical empathic healer when it came to patients. It was much more fun to prod and poke them; it had the added bonus of generally lightening the mood.
Nonetheless, while Otter was enjoying thinking of how she might use Trapping in her next spar or three, her excitement for this particular spar was diminishing once again. Ingenuity and patience were all well and good but so was being able to see, hear and feel what was happening in a spar. Otter wanted her money back.
Minutes rolled by and evidently someone else was getting impatient as well. A small plume of smoke started to rise from the western corner of the field. Lord Hokage had walked into the woods to the north and faded from view. Now he lay next to a fire, enjoying the last of the waning sun on face.
Otter sniffed.
Yakitori! The smell of sweet onion coupled with dark honey and mirin intermingled with the poultry that was plainly visible over the small flame. Lord Hokage leisurely turned a couple skewers before laying back down.
It was getting late, around dinner time really. Otter was hungry. Sighing she put her hands together and quietly murmured "Genjutsu: Dissipation".
Well, that was better. Otter had been trained somewhat ruthlessly in removing genjutsu before joining the ANBU Hokage Detachment. There was the field, clear except for the Hokage lounging in the west with a ... fire and … Yakitori plainly wafting to her nose.
Ok then.
There's that.
Added to the sweet, sweet smell a pleasant voice joined the air, "Otter, I hope you're hungry. I had hoped to enjoy a quiet dinner with Dog this fine evening but he seems to be surprisingly late."
Otter peered dubiously at the Hokage from her tree. She could just make out a slight pout on his face before it turned to concern, "This has never happened before. Dog is always so prompt! I do hope he's ok."
The invitation seemed genuine enough. And if Lord Hokage chose ingenuity to win his spar, who was she to argue?
Lord Hokage placed two Mochi balls on a flat rock next to the fire.
Yep, Otter would not only gladly obey her Hokage's commands but even his suggestions were as law to her! (That was, until his next medical appointment. Then his pleading and demands were worth as much as gold coins in front of a cat.)
Jumping down from her tree (keeping a lookout for any traps Kakashi may have lying around) Otter casually walked over to the fire and sat down, turning the skewers as she did so.
Neither of them really talked, just enjoyed the suns warmth on their faces. Training Ground 44.5 was one of the few places in the Forest of Death with a (mostly) clear view of the sky. While the meat sizzled and glazed over with sweet temptation, the pair watched the clouds take on the barest tinge of azure slate that only occurs as the light starts to fade. A few yellows and oranges were highlighted by the darker indigo beyond the clouds and lighter cerulean below. Dog seemed forgotten as the shadows started to stretch from the monstrous trees and with it the coolness of early winter.
That was ok though, the Yakitori was perfectly cooked and the fire felt as good as the sun in it's own way.
Lord Hokage handed Otter a skewer and took one for himself after placing the remaining three (Otter briefly glimpsed the Hokage flash a sign, 'Chimera' she guessed)...two skewers (huh, Chimera had some skill!) on the rock with the Mochi.
With a contented sigh, L…
"Lord Hokage!"
Otter felt a Genjutsu blanket the area around them for a miniscule second before it lifted again.
With a malcontent sigh Lord Hokage grumbled, "Is there some urgent matter of historic proportions that needs my attention Pika?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was well known for trying to know all his subordinates. However, if there was one ANBU he disliked the most it was surely Pika. The man himself was likely a fine enough fellow-if you stuffed him in an archive and told him that he had to do all the paperwork for the Hokage! But no… he always had to make sure everything was done properly and in order and by the proper people-no forged signatures while he was on duty!
Not catching onto the dry non-sarcastic! tone of voice Pika nodded emphatically, "Yes Lord Hokage, the Agricultural Envoy from the Land of Rieeek!"
Suddenly Pika's feet went flying out from under him. A shriek of wires buzzed together as they swiftly engulfed the poor man.
Phlumf! He was bodily sucked into the earth, wires and all.
Otter stared as a single sandal ludicrously arced into the air where it had slipped off Pika's foot. She cocked her head to the side, shrugged and took a bite from her Yakitori.
Lord Hokage was a superb cook! who knew?
The hiss of a flame being extinguished behind her was shortly accompanied by two hands slapping the ground.
Pika slowly came into view, bobbing back and forth while hyperventilating.
"Go ahead and finish the Yakitori, it's the end of your shift anyway. Pika can accompany me back with Chimera."
The Lord Hokage got up with an additional hiss of joint pain catching up after the fun of being in the field for a half-hour.
Dog wandered into the field before sitting down next to the extinguished fire and grabbing one of the skewers, "I was distracted by a bird fluttering through the trees sweetly singing her song. Did I win?"
He looked expectantly around him as he took a bite. "Woah, this is really good!"
Otter stifled a laugh, "Only if your opponent was Pika."
"Ah, out of curiosity, what discipline did you choose Lord Hokage?" The words were called out as Chimera joined the Hokage and Pika to return to Konoha.
The black form of the strongest fighter throughout the Elemental Nations turned around, "Genjutsu. And you chos…"
Dog interrupted with a thoughtful "Oh."
He scratched his head and looked at the sharp lines dug into the ground throughout the field by his wires.
"But wasn't that a B-rank earth jutsu you just used?"
A suspicious "Yes?" drawled out.
Dog nodded his head and took a bite from the skewered meat. Almost as an afterthought he called out, "Yo, Pika."
The smaller form of Pika turned around with some trepidation.
"I'm sorry, I seemed to have given you the wrong impression. I guess you thought I said that he required the Lord Hokage's presence to ratify some . . thing or other on those papers? I meant to say that he left some hours ago back to the Land of Rice and to give his thanks to the Lord Hokage."
Everyone except Chimera turned to stare at Dog.
"What?" He waved his arm backwards in a haphazard motion, "Bird...fluttering…" he mumbled before grabbing the last skewer on the rock and turning to Otter, "This really is good! Did you cook it?" The question was asked with the most casual and naive yet boyish excitement imaginable.
A growl harmonizing from two throats joined together from the Lord Hokage and Pika, one pranced indignantly away back to his desk while the other walked irately back towards Kakashi and Otter, grabbed both Mochi balls and marched away.
Popping the last bite of meat into his mouth Dog tossed the skewer next to the watered ashes of the fire and stretched. "Guess I won,... using both Genjutsu and Ninjutsu as a discipline" he tsked. "What are those cute kids thinking nowadays."
Without turning around a barked rumble emanated from the retreating Lord Hokage, "I would like to...talk…with you tonight Dog. I believe we have some matters to discuss."
Owl and Bear quietly appeared and joined Chimera to accompany the Hokage.
Otter grinned, "Well, shifts over. I think I'll", she emphasized the word, "go and relax tonight. Be sure to tell me all about your delightful evening with the Shinobi Kami tomorrow!"
A smile graced the face of Hiruzen as he boiled water for his tea. His daughter-in-law had just finished making dinner when he stopped by earlier and offered him a spot at her table. Freshly cooked chikura with hijiki and fish was easily enticing enough for Hiruzen to not even pretend to politely decline.
Visiting Sasuke and Akarui was always a pleasure to Hiruzen. He really couldn't ask for a better wife for his eldest son and the two helped rejuvenate him: mind, body and soul. While Sasuke was already out-classed as a Shinobi by his younger brother, Sasuke's dedication had always veered away from fighting and more towards reconciliation and diplomacy.
Akarui was the eldest daughter of a minor noble family from the capital. She was quite proper and yet still managed to work with both the young and poor with amazing rapport.
The two were often seen travelling to some of the outlying regions of the Fire Nation in order to help those in need. That was on hold for the time being, however, as Akarui had been quite sick early in her pregnancy.
Hiruzen was happy to note that she was looking much better and the couple glowed with excitement whenever they looked at each other and the child growing inside her womb.
Finally the water was boiling (despite him watching it, he noted) and he brought out a cup, than a second, and poured the water over some oolong tea. He added a dash of shochu to one cup.
A quiet "Oi!" saw him adding some of the alcohol to the second cup as well.
"I would like to see my first grandchild before you give me a heart-attack Kakashi."
The silver-haired teen shrugged and with a slight bow took the second cup of tea.
Kakashi took a sip of the spiked tea, "The door was open and I couldn't deny my host the pleasure of having tea with me."
Hiruzen sat down in a wooden rocking chair Asuma had made him for his retirement party. It had been a bit of a joke at the time but the chair was sturdy, well made and quite comfortable.
The older man proceeded to morph his face into slight incredulity, "I believe the door was closed. And locked. And quite possibly had a security tag on it."
"Hn."
"I believe a long mission away from Konoha might do me some good, barring that as a possibility I suppose I might have to send you away instead." A quick quirk of the lips and faked exasperated snort proceeded, "We are seeing each other altogether too much recently!"
Kakashi shrugged in nonchalance.
Hiruzen decided to up his game, "There has been some intrigue in the capital amongst the younger courtesans. I think a young noble couple would be able to garner some gossip...perhaps honeymooners visiting the big capital?"
Kakashi blithely continued to sip his tea, but Sarutobi Hiruzen was better and noticed the slight panic etching itself onto his face.
"Who would make a good companion for you." Hiruzen pretended to look Kakashi over in detail. "Silver hair. Perhaps a bright green? No… Red?"
Kakashi's hand faltered for a nano-second
"Yes, red hair would compliment your silver hair perfectly. Of course we'd have to get rid of your mask and hitai-ate. An eye-patch might be a little too dashing, perhaps some scholarly spectacles and some colored contact lens. Perhaps some lengthy bibliographies for reading?"
Hiruzen paused, as if to really think on a problem.
"If you are the scholar we'd have to have an . . out-going wife to compliment you." He paused again, "Aha!"
The older man started rocking in his chair as he 'thought' long and hard over any possible issues, "Red hair, check. Vivacious personality, check. Pretty enough for young Kakashi,... hmm, not quite right. Elegant enough for young Kakashi, check. Someone enamored by good gossip, check."
Hiruzen smiled happily at Kakashi as if he had come up with the perfect solution and was sure Kakashi would absolutely agree. "Iburi Kazan, it would almost be like a vacation for you two."
Kakashi's perfectly stoic face looked into his finished tea cup before getting up and pouring some shochu straight into his empty cup. He wasn't panicking whatsoever. The Bloody Mist sounded like a great place to visit right about now though.
While Kakashi's mind was pre-occupied with increasingly horrifying visions, Sarutobi made a few signals to Owl. "Instruct Otter; Prank" he quickly added "Fun; Not Harass."
Hiruzen had already changed into a jimbei of muted browns, orange and black striations and felt quite relaxed joking with his subordinate. His stomach was comfortably full and the weather was refreshing.
With the brisk winter came the last of the crisp apples; an opportunity Hiruzen had taken advantage of.
"Pass over some apples would you Kakashi? Don't want them going to waste so help yourselves."
Truthfully Hiruzen was the host and every bit as close to the apples as Kakashi, but it was a good way to shift topics from the comedic to more serious affairs.
Kakashi courteously moved over to the counter and grabbed several apples. He thought about saying something cheeky but recognized the situation for what it was. Tossing one of the slightly wrinkled yellow apples to Hiruzen he comfortably sat in one of the nearby chairs.
Two additional apples disappeared from the bowl, Owl and Bear likely, while Hiruzen twisted to the side, moved his book aside (He still hadn't gotten around to reading Dichotomy vs. Trichotomy: Physical, Spiritual and Natural Chakra) and grabbed a crimson blanket to settle down for the evening.
First things first, Kakashi really had irked him a bit by interrupting his 'teaching' time and he fully wanted to rectify the matter.
"You fought well today out there."
Kakashi smirked a bit as he munched his apple. He had thought outside the box while staying within the rules, thus pleasing both sides of himself.
"I was very impressed with the first spar. You've started to make a habit of using the shadow clone for analyzing your opponent though. Between it and your sharingan you can learn much about how your enemy thinks and moves."
Sarutobi tossed a new bingo book to Kakashi, "It's generally better to be a master in a few skills than an expert in many, but it appears Dog has picked up certain reputations for his particular brand of foreplay, even if Kakashi hasn't yet."
Kakashi glanced at both his pages in the Bingo book. A shadow clone could kill, but against a skilled opponent it was highly unlikely. If they knew 'Dog' was likely to analyze the situation via a shadow clone they might purposefully skew the data.
He grimaced under his mask, Like Lord Hokage had done. Well, a lightning clone could make such thinking fatal if they underestimated it. He was more of a tracker and analyzer then a sensor or instinctive fighter. Minato had been the sensor on the team while Obito had been quite instinctual even without his Sharingan.
He'd have to think about new ways to analyze any strong opponents when he had some time.
Hiruzen wanted to know one more thing before they got down to business, "Did you really go all the way back to the office to draft Pika for your scheming?"
An angelic, guiltless face beamed back at him, "I didn't want Owl and Bear to be late for their shift, it would surely harm their reputations for professionalism. I just happened to see Pika on the way and passed on the rice guy's respects to you."
There were so many things wrong with that statement that Hiruzen didn't know where to begin. Apparently Bear (or Owl) had a ready answer on hand, however, as an apple core manifested itself from thin air and clubbed Kakashi on the side of the head.
Hiruzen placed his hand over his face, two fingers resting above his nose and right eye while his thumb rested against his cheek, and sighed. The hand shifted towards his temple and he rubbed gently at the small indentations in his skull.
'Why?' he muttered to himself as if that one word encompassed his whole life.
Kakashi cheerfully answered the rhetorically question "Promptness and courteousness can ever only help."
Huh? The answer was so incongruous of Kakashi and the current situation that Hiruzen's mind couldn't quite figure out what to do with it; unless he placed it against Kakashi's previous statement and his own question-as if the two had anything to do with each other.
Technically they did. Just not…
Hiruzen rubbed a little more vigorously at his temple and wondered if sake or willow tea would be more appropriate.
"True?" Forefinger and thumb pinched his nose.
An awkward silence followed as Kakashi perused the new black markets 'Bounty Bingo Book' and Hiruzen delayed having the conversation that would likely be a painful reminder of horrible, as well as pleasant, events in both their pasts.
Getting right to the point… had never been Hiruzen's strength. Lord Hokage Senju Tobirama had been all about business; He looked at what needed to be done and got it done. Danzo was very similar in that regard as had Biwako been.
Idealism and vision were his strengths, which is why he had assets: Danzo for his unequivocal Konoha-first stance; Homura for his efficient solutions; Koharu for her patience and subtlety; and finally Biwako.
Biwako had been the glue to incorporate everything together. She knew what Hiruzen's vision for Konoha was and learned over their long marriage to understand what he needed and why. It was she who had the acumen to incorporate patience, efficiency and strength together with vision. During meetings she would humbly listen and not say anything. In private the two would discuss and argue endlessly-until they came to a conclusion that worked!
How he missed her loud, stubborn voice. She hated being humble in those meetings and she let him know it at home.
In this situation, she would have meekly offered to get Kakashi some more tea while she would somehow broach the subject of his childhood and Konoha's child care, or lack thereof, for orphans. (After the Copy-ninja left she would find some way to prove just how 'not meek!' she was, they would argue, find the perfect solution and finally… well. …)
The old man rocking in his chair started to turn as red as the blanket he was currently curled under.
"So. Kakashi." Skillful segue, "Have you had time to think about what could be done for Naruto?"
Well, at least he had gotten to the point (and potentially avoided having to talk about Sakumo and Kakashi's childhood.)
Kakashi nodded but chose to finish the entry he was currently reading.
The silver-haired teenager, quite frankly, reminded Hiruzen of Obito only rarely. He clearly tried to be late, gave bizarre excuses and had a brash attitude at times (somehow managing a cross-breed between an Uchiha's cool demeanor and an Inuzuka's tactless camaraderie) but it took a lot of effort on his part.
Kakashi was naturally extremely disciplined in body and mind, he became one of Hiruzen's top five picks for a successor (given time) because he worked hard from the time he was a child.
The Professor could see his potential and, despite some people's opinion on the matter, thought Kakashi still had a strong will of fire within him. So he waited on Kakashi, as he so often had to.
The new Bingo Book eventually slipped neatly into Kakashi's pouch and he looked up into the face of his superior.
"Naruto." he expertly threw his apple core into the trashcan. "I think I know what I would do and why we can't do what would be best, but to clarify" his eye bored into Sarutobi as his voice condensed, "let's go over the obvious options."
A simple nod accepted the slight rebuke.
"Adoption: Shinobi or Civilian?"
Hiruzen had argued with the Lord Hokage enough to answer that quickly, "There have been multiple inquiries by less than desirable 'parents'. To place Naruto in one clan or person's hands would cause division or even sedition."
A muttered 'politics' suddenly sounded much like a curse word on par with 'shit' or other undesirables.
"I don't think civilians would be able to handle the situation." The old man realized that saying 'the situation' sounded an awful lot like what Danzo or Homura might say and hated himself for it. "We'd still need to keep constant surveillance of at least a specialized Jounin on Naruto." He was about to hate himself even more for what he was about to say, "And Naruto must be trained as a Shinobi, he is Konoha's jinchuuriki."
The young man snorted, he had become a Shinobi with about as much say in the matter. He almost certainly would have anyways but that was hardly comforting when he couldn't sleep. "Legal Guardian is the same?"
A nod.
"What about apprentice then?"
"It would cause too much backstabbing and politics. And I have no one to apprentice him under."
"The Sannin are undesirable choices right now?" Kakashi asked rhetorically. "None of the clans or counsel due to… politics."
Silver hair flickered as Kakashi turned to think for a moment, "From what I've seen Naruto would not flourish in the Fire Temple?"
That was a new idea. "I can look into it. At least until he becomes a Genin."
"And yourself?"
The question of the hour. Minato had taken Kakashi as his own unofficial nephew. But Minato had not been Hokage at the time and Kakashi hadn't been nearly as politically important. Nonetheless, there would be no vocal outbursts if Sarutobi Hiruzen took Naruto as an apprentice.
"I", he paused. He thought about sugar-coating it, he had tried to do so when he and Jiraiya had argued. But right now why obscure the truth if they both knew it? He closed his eyes before looking right back at Kakashi, "I am Hokage. I am tired… and I am selfish. I would love to retire and take Naruto as my final apprentice. But who would become Hokage?"
Well, he might as well put it out there. "Jiraiya and Tsunade do not have what it takes to be Hokage as they are. Bear and Chimera are both strong individually but a strength in one position does not guarantee a strength in another position. I don't particularly trust Uchiha Fugaku or Shimura Danzo as Hokage of Konoha. Shikaku or Koharu would probably make the best Hokage but their lack of combat strength could invite the Hidden Cloud to move against us again."
His voice lowered slightly as he raised a hand to rest his head against his index and middle fingers, "Of course, there are some younger Shinobi who are showing promise." He smiled with a muted sigh, "Do you think any of them are ready to take on that mantle?"
Kakashi looked away for the first time. He knew he wasn't ready just as he knew he was just as selfish as the Lord Hokage. "No, not yet."
The room grew painfully quiet for a moment except for the fidgeting of the younger man opening his equipment pouch. He briefly pulled out the new Bingo Book before immediately returning the taupe covered book.
"We seem to have covered the most obvious familial environs Naruto could grow up in." Kakashi gave a wry smile, "On to more politically correct places for orphans, like stowing them away in orphanages." His tone was dry but still had a slight bite.
"As you are aware, Naruto has been in two orphanages already; but there is a considerable amount of financial pressure placed on them to castigate our young hero." Both winced at the term, "Likely from one or more of the groups trying to acquire him for their own political purposes."
Kakashi summed up the problem, "So, a child, hardly more than a toddler, is to live alone until someone is able to recruit him for whatever purpose they deem useful." Kakashi snorted in self-derision, "At least I was recruited for a purpose that was...useful." The last word fought to be spoken in sorrow, resentment and the barest hint of pride.
The Hokage's heart broke for a moment 'Is this what we have done with our youth?' A second later, 'Did I cover the sorrow of my own childhood with the pride of working under Sensei?'
A visit with his eldest and daughter-in-law always reminded him of the good that could be done without war-without causing needless death and sorrow. They struggled to get things done and the people they helped struggled with innumerable difficulties of their own, but in the end the work they did was good.
Would his innocent grandson (he would have a grandson soon!) be forced into killing simply because it was 'needed'? If his parents were to die, gods forbid, would he be placed into early training simply because it was expedient?
Nonetheless, the young man sitting in front of him showed his fortitude despite his very real grievances. He had grown into someone the Hokage trusted with his life. Kakashi had proven that, despite his shortcomings and quirks, he had the Will of Fire to protect and serve.
He did so knowing the cost.
"I will look into fostering Naruto at the Fire Temple. I believe I could get enough approval from the Daimyo to overrule any political fallouts. But you mentioned there might be another solution?"
Kakashi's voice mellowed into the composed voice of a leader, someone who knew they could strategize their way through difficult situations.
Someone who had what it took to be Hokage.
One day…
"You lie."
The old man simply raised an eyebrow and waited for elaboration.
"Something everyone will know is a lie but no one will be able to decry." He paused as he realized that had rhymed accidently, 'Obito might try to do something that stupid on purpose.'
"Right now you have a seasoned ANBU guarding Konoha's Jinchuuriki for security purposes every hour of every day. I'm actually surprised Naruto isn't in the Bingo Book yet; Most nations can surely guess who our Jinchuuriki is by now."
Sarutobi wanted to interject, sharing the official 'The Kyuubi is dead' line. But he knew that Kakashi was correct.
"Placing Naruto directly into ANBU at his current age would be...harmful to his humanity." It had been a thought, but not much better than allowing Danzo or Fugaku to have him. "But, as you have a highly-paid operative guarding him already, why not 'force' someone to be his permanent 'bodyguard' instead?"
Ah.
That made sense.
Find the right person and the lie can't be unraveled. Someone had to guard Naruto, he was to be Konoha's 'most important tool'. If that guard happened to form a personal attachment to the child? What could be the harm?
The 'right person' was the key. Someone powerful would cause unrest politically with the change in the status quo; If they were taken off active field duty people would question the reasoning. Someone too weak could be disastrous. While this was a misdirection, if Naruto were actually kidnapped or killed… That would be neither good for Naruto nor Konoha.
Maybe a retiring shinobi? But most shinobi that lasted that long were disciplined and hardened. A child may soften their demeanor but if this were to be permanent Hiruzen wanted to be sure of his choice.
Kakashi interrupted his thoughts, "A male would be best. While you may be able to find more females that would be willing to stay at home to settle down, it would sound too much like an adoption. Also Naruto wouldn't have to choose them over his mother."
Well, there went around 80% of the candidates.
"So, do you have anyone in mind?" The question was a bit too sharp. His own mind was better at searching out theories and strategies. He was good with people, but mostly because he simply tried to be interested in them and like them personally.
"Actually, yes."
…
"And?"
"I worked with him several months ago on a border guard mission. He was quite… adept at his job. He was personable and helpful. He has a lot of knowledge. Certainly well past retirement age. He also is the definition of someone with no political aspirations."
…
Hiruzen breathed in and out slowly as he waited.
…
"Excellent. He's hired. I'm glad you volunteered Kakashi!" Sarcasm dripped from his tongue.
"Huh?" Kakashi's face went slack.
"What? I thought you were just being modest in not naming yourself. Did you actually have a name to this mysterious person that just so happens to be perfect for this job?"
"Maruboshi, Kosuke." The two words merged in the haste with which Kakashi blurted them out.
"Oh."
Hiruzen was genuinely surprised and excited with the revelation. That would...actually work. The man was old enough to enjoy his retirement in peace-He had done much for Konoha over his long tenure as a Shinobi. He was also more than talented enough to be an actual bodyguard for Naruto. An annual salary of mid C-rank pay would keep everyone involved happy, he was having to pay more than that right now. Finally, Kosuke was a Genin who had proven he wasn't politically minded. All this besides the fact that Hiruzen actually counted him as a personal friend.
"Yes, I think that could work."
The old man started to mutter and talk to himself as he thought through the possible ramifications. "I think Homura would be easy to convince on this matter. Koharu would go along with it. She would like the subtle power-play…"
'and then'
'yes.'
His face squinted as he gazed at the corner of his ceiling, 'hmm, no… maybe if'
Finally he looked back over to Kakashi, "Thank you for your service. I hope that Naruto can have a proper childhood, as much as we are able to give him."
Kakashi squirmed slightly at the uncomfortable praise and his own memories. He purposefully looked at the clock (because Kakashi always tried to be prompt!).
Hiruzen smiled sadly before he also purposefully yawned and stretched, "ahh" he breathed out, "It's getting late for my old bones. I'd better not keep you talking with an old geezer like me, I'm sure you have some young woman you would like to meet at the bar or some such!"
Kakashi stood up and gave a slight bow before turning, putting on his sandals and walking out the door.
Kakashi did not end up at the bar. Instead he chose to visit an old grave he hadn't visited in years.
Kneeling down in front of it he spoke quietly, "You know, I've resented what you did to me for so long." Sighing, he just stayed there in thought for minutes on end. "I think I'm still angry at you. I'm angry at myself, Konoha, even Sensei." He shrugged, thinking he should make some declaration of change or hope or… something. But he constantly disappointed everyone and he wasn't sure how to change now. He just hoped he had helped Naruto in some way, even if he was selfish enough to wallow into himself rather than help overtly.
A/N:
Concerning Japanese. The Elemental Nations likely do not speak modern Japanese, I do not speak Japanese, and I do not believe most of my readers speak Japanese. I have decided to not use Japanese honorifics or language as much as possible-which is turning out to be rather difficult. I am, however, going to use a lot of Japanese/Eastern culture, idioms and names (if for no other reason studying it is interesting to me.)
Also, I despise the formating of this site for editing and publishing. It doesn't even work right if you rewrite the whole story in 'their' doc manager.