Disclaimer: All HP characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies and all Naruto characters are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. This is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites.
Warnings: Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), some moderate Dumbledore bashing (he's more manipulative than evil but mostly just stubborn), and who knows what else.
AN: This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance.
Chapter 17: The Madness Never Ends
Seven and a half days later, Satoshi and his two companions limped into Konoha looking worse for wear. All three of them were covered in dirt, blood, and sweat and exhausted to the bone as Satoshi had pushed both boys hard as they traveled by foot. Kimimaro was uninjured if you didn't count his bruised and sore feet, aching muscles, and rather severe sunburn he'd gotten from spending a number of days beneath the harsh sun for the first time. Haku's state was almost identical to Kimimaro's (though he hadn't been as badly burnt) and his injured leg had picked up a mild infection traveling through the humid swamps of Sawa no Kuni that Satoshi had half contained with a weak course of antibiotics from his first aide kit.
Satoshi himself was suffering from a mild fever due to the infection that had set into the gashes across his stomach; the teen had saved the antibiotics for Haku whose condition had been less than perfect to begin with after living on the streets for two or three years. That wasn't even counting all of the other aches and pains he felt from his other injuries (such as his bruised chest and back and the gash on his right shoulder and arm). He would have used magic to heal himself and the boys or even to transport them home if not for the fact that he was exhausted from hiding their trail from Zabuza and protecting the three of them from other threats they had run into during their journey.
The trio had barely started to check in with the guards at the gate when the older three members of Satoshi's AnBu squad appeared in a triple swirl of smoke and Shunshined the two boys directly to the AnBu Infirmary for treatment and Satoshi directly to the Hokage's office where he had a small reception waiting for him. Tokage swooped down on the injured teen with his medical kit in hand the moment the masked Kakashi appeared in the room with the sixteen year old. Satoshi grumbled halfheartedly as the medic ordered him to strip out of his jacket and shirt before he complied with the order.
While the masked Kanpou cut away the bandages on his shoulder to inspect the gash on his arm, Satoshi allowed himself to take in the faces of those that had gathered in the office. They were familiar faces, ones that had played a significant role in his life for the past four or five years (and in some cases longer); the Hokage, Kasai, Shikaku, Inoichi, Jiraiya, Haruto, Hamaki, and his father. His eyes had barely connected with the Hokage's when he felt the privacy barrier wrapping around the room as both Kasai and his father closed in on him from opposite sides of the room before he could so much as greet those in the room.
"Gaki! Do you have any idea how close you drove me to having a heart attack?" Kasai demanded as he stopped just inches from Satoshi and gave off the impression that he was torn between wanting to scoop Satoshi up into his arms in order to hug him to death or thoroughly throttle him; the only thing stopping him being the working medic.
"I'm glad to see you home in one relative piece, little bug," Shibi declared warmly as he didn't hesitate to drop a hand on Satoshi's head while taking care not to get in Tokage's way. "You had us quite worried when you stopped sending your nightly reports."
"The past two weeks were nothing but one long headache," Satoshi half laughed and half choked as he leaned into his father's side; completely unashamed over the open display of affection. "Next time you send me out of the village, I'd prefer a mission with a lower chance of running into civil unrest, the presence of the insane and evil third of the Sannin, rampaging Jinchuuriki, or persistent deflecting shinobi bent on murdering me just because I stumbled across their camp."
"You saw Orochimaru!?" Jiraiya and Sarutobi demanded at the same time as they cast a glare at the two clones henged as Gaichuu standing off in the corner; clones that Satoshi had sent on ahead the night before to inform the Hokage that he was nearly home with a couple of unexpected companions that needed medical care in tow.
"Briefly, on the night the village was attacked from both within and without," Satoshi tiredly affirmed as he too scowled at his clones who should have given a full briefing to the Hokage the moment they arrived. "I don't think he saw me but I can't be certain as my attention was fully focused on avoiding getting caught between the four sides involved in the fighting and then on getting the hell out of there while protecting the two kids I'd found that night. Even if he did see me, I doubt he would have recognized me at the time because I was dressed as a Kiri civilian and didn't change back into my uniform and jacket until we crossed into Hi no Kuni a few days ago."
"Somehow I'm not surprised that you ran into the traitor; you attract trouble like an old kunai attracts rust," Sarutobi grumbled as he frowned at the teen.
"This is going to need surgery," Tokage pointed out as he'd finished cleaning out the gash on Satoshi's right shoulder and rebandaged it before he moved around to unwrap the blood and dirt stained bandages over the gashes on his stomach.
"Why did you leave Mizu no Kuni on foot instead of using magic to pull yourself out once things went south?" Shikaku inquired as the rest of those present were distracted by the infected gashes that had just been revealed.
"Several reasons; there were far too many potential eyewitnesses crawling about, I wasn't certain how the bijuu's demonic chakra in the air would affect any form of magical transportation, I was worried about Orochimaru's presence, and I had picked up two strays before I cleared the village. I originally tried to fly out after laying low for almost a week while I tended Haku's leg and my side where Kimimaro skewered me on accident but the storm grounded us on top of knocking us off course and then Zabuza's wretched side-kicks destroyed my broom."
"Zabuza? As in Momochi Zabuza? You ran into both Orochimaru and the Kirigakure no Kijin!?" Kasai growled demandingly as he jumped a bit in response to Satoshi's answer. "I thought you agreed that you wouldn't chase after him?"
"You let them get a hold of your broom?" Kakashi asked at the same time from where he'd been lounging against the wall since he'd brought Satoshi to the office.
"I didn't chase him," Satoshi corrected around a wince as Tokage prodded the tender area around the gashes. "A storm blew us into him while we were on our way out of Mizu no Kuni and he chased us all over that godforsaken island trying to kill us just because we'd seen him. Trying to get away from the teme is how I ended up getting banged up as he and the two brothers with him tried to gut me each time they caught up to us in the storm. It would have been far easier to get away if I hadn't had to worry about the two boys getting hurt or captured. And I didn't let them have my broom; they tried to catch us with a shuriken chain and I was forced to sacrifice the broom in order to save myself and the two boys."
"Can the broom be repaired?" Shibi asked; his father well aware of just how much Satoshi loved to fly.
"No; the modified seals I carved into the broom incinerated the pieces the instant the flight magic of the broom was dispelled by the destruction. There wouldn't have been enough time for me to collect the dozen or so pieces it ended up in anyway."
"What else can you tell us about those boys? Why did you bring them with you?" Kasai questioned as he frowned down at the infected gashes that had been uncovered on his stomach.
"They had no where else to go and the Mizukage would have had them killed if I had left them behind," Satoshi wearily replied as leaned more firmly against his father due to his exhaustion creeping up on him once more. "They both have active Kekkei Genkai; Kaguya Kimimaro is a carrier of his clan's Shikotsumyaku and I believe Haku is a member of the supposedly deceased Yuki clan since he wields what I believe is the Hyouton. At least, he told me he could create ice and that it was his ice that killed his father when the man tried to kill Haku after he learned Haku carried a Kekkei Genkai."
"What was the full extent of your injuries, Satoshi?" Shibi inquired before any of the others could continue interrogating him about the mission.
"Nothing too terrible; mostly just scrapes and bruises…" Satoshi began to answer only for Tokage to cut him off.
"Pull the other one, gaki; your shoulder is a mess, whatever it was that made the gashes on your abdomen nicked your intestines and the infection you picked up has been slowly spreading as a result, and I haven't even checked the puncture wound that goes clean through your side! That's not even touching on the deep bruising I noticed on your chest and back."
"Take him to the hospital and do what you can for him," Sarutobi ordered the moment Tokage had finished listing off the worst of Satoshi's injuries. "We can wrap up his debriefing later."
Satoshi didn't even have time to offer up a token protest before he was being whisked away to the AnBu Infirmary by the masked Kanpou and Kakashi. He was barely given time to tell Kakashi that he had several written reports for the Hokage and several rolls of film that needed to be developed in his jacket before he was knocked out and wheeled into surgery. It would take Kanpou five hours to clean, heal, and stitch up Satoshi's wounds; most of that time spent cleaning out his abdominal cavity of the infection and debris that had collected and spread.
His shoulder wound had been pretty bad too but at least it had been clean cut and showed no signs of infection; same with the accidental wound where Kimimaro had stabbed him that first night when he had startled the boy. His bruised ribs and spine were easily dealt with though the actual bruising would take a while longer to fade. The medic then dosed Satoshi on antibiotics and pain killers before settling him into a bed between Haku and Kimimaro after assuring the two ten year olds that the teen would be just fine.
Satoshi ended up causing quite a ruckus when he woke up the next day around lunchtime and promptly proceeded to check himself out despite the fact that he was only half-healed. He flat out told Kanpou, when the man threatened to tie him to the bed, that he could either willingly allow Satoshi to leave so he could spend Naruto's birthday with his family before returning to the infirmary on the eleventh or he could attempt to stop Satoshi and end up needing to spend the day in the hospital alongside Satoshi when he returned.
When the exasperated man asked him what was so important that he was willing to risk blood poisoning (from the infection in his gut) instead of staying in the hospital; Satoshi replied that he had a promise to keep to his little brothers and that nothing on earth would allow him to break it (magic and sheer stubbornness assured that).
Haku and Kimimaro were sad to see him go but Satoshi promised them he'd see them soon and reminded them that they needed to get better since they hadn't been in as good of health as Satoshi had been prior to their mad dash across three countries and several stretches of ocean. To help lesson the anxiety that they were feeling over the coming separation, Satoshi created a Mushi Bunshin to hang out with them and dragged a promise out of Panda and Neko (who had been assigned to watch duty that morning) to check in on them over the course of the day on the tenth.
The sixteen year old then headed for home where he was pounced upon by five kids the moment he arrived as Shino, Naruto, Hinata, Shin, and Sai all crowded around him the instant they heard him walk through the door. Torune hovered on the side as if uncertain of joining in and Satoshi made it a point to give his cousin a hug the moment the other children released him. Shibi and Kakashi both watched on with knowing smirks that covered the relief both men felt at having Satoshi home safe and sound.
That evening, Satoshi and the others introduced Torune, Sai, and Shin to their traditional twenty-four hour vigil in honor of their fallen friends and family (Torune had never attended the vigils prior to his mother's murder). Torune was more than a little startled to find that they'd included both of his parents and him (though Satoshi had never believed him to be dead) amongst the fallen for the four years in between when he'd vanished and when he'd been found. Shin and Sai were both a bit surprised when Satoshi included candles and flowers for their missing parents even though they had no names or faces to go with them since they were both orphaned while they were fairly young and long before Danzou had found them.
It was the thought that counted though and Satoshi and the two adults did their best to include all three boys while Shino, Naruto, and Hinata (who had started joining the family in their yearly vigil during Satoshi's first year at Hogwarts) easily fell into the long familiar routine. This year would be the first year that the three nine year olds would be allowed to fast for the entire day unlike previous years where they'd had at least two small meals over the course of the day. It was also the first time that Satoshi didn't speak about everything he'd done over the past year; the teen content instead to listen to the others speak.
He still dropped his figurative mask, told a few stories to the children about those who were missing, and played a few games with the children (carefully avoiding those activities that would aggravate his wounds); he just didn't speak about the rather horrible year he'd had because he didn't want to ruin the day for the kids. Naruto's eyes lit up with confusion when Satoshi gave him a single birthday present around lunchtime (the nine year old usually celebrating his birthday a few days after the tenth so he could celebrate it with all of his friends instead of disrupting their yearly vigil).
The young blonde was stunned speechless when he uncovered the cleaned and restored Uzushio hitai-ate that Satoshi had mounted on the section of blue and gray marble tile that he'd salvaged from the ruins of Uzushio. Carved into the marble below the metal plate with the Uzushio swirl was the name of the country and village of Kushina's land of origin along with Minato and Kushina's names, birth dates, their marriage date, and death date. The gift was something Satoshi had worked on during the nights prior to his infiltration of Kirigakure. It was one of the rare moments when words failed the hyperactive blonde though his eyes spoke volumes as he clutched the precious keepsake to his chest.
Satoshi promised him that they could add a Konoha forehead plate to the plaque along with one of Minato's special kunai so that both of his parents were equally represented on it later. Once Naruto had his emotions under control, Satoshi regaled the nine year old (and the other children) with some of the stories that Kushina had once told to Satoshi about her first home. The sixteen year old even made certain to provide a description of what he'd seen when he'd spent the night on Uzu no Kuni just outside of the ruined Uzushio and how some of the beauty of the once great city still remained. Finally, he promised Naruto copies of the pictures he'd taken while he was there once he got them developed (that roll had been kept separate from the ones holding the mission photos).
All too soon, midnight rolled around once again and after diligently cleaning up the little sanctuary, the group returned home. Satoshi crashed in his bed for a couple of hours before waking up early enough to see the boys off to their morning training after promising to see them in a couple of days if his medic consented to releasing him. The knowledge that Satoshi had snuck out of the hospital (just to keep his promise) had all six of the children scolding him even as they basked in the knowledge that Satoshi's promise to them meant so much to him that he risked an irate medic just to keep it. Somehow Kakashi ended up getting roped into escorting Satoshi back to the hospital under the collective orders of the six children.
Just before they left the house, Satoshi shook his head and lamented how the little termites were growing up and getting all bossy on him; a complaint that made the kids, his father, and Kakashi all laugh. Kakashi then Shunshined the two of them across the village in order to spare Satoshi the long walk back to the AnBu Facility. The moment he entered the private room he'd been sharing with Haku and Kimimaro, Satoshi felt a sense of déjà vu when the two nine year olds practically mobbed him; much as the others had done the evening of the ninth.
Satoshi took a moment to reassure both boys before he introduced them to Kakashi while informing the two ten year olds that Kakashi had a Kekkei Genkai too without revealing exactly what it was. The only reason Satoshi had said anything was because he had noticed the two boys had grown nervous during his absence once they'd had time to realize that they were in an unfamiliar village surrounded by unfamiliar adults while he had been unreachable (his clone a poor substitute for the real him). Satoshi had just about gotten them to relax once more when Tokage strode into the room alongside an irritated Kasai.
"Your butt, in bed; now," Kasai ordered gruffly when he saw Satoshi standing beside Haku's bed where Haku and Kimimaro were both perched side by side chatting with the teen.
The two nine year olds smothered their giggles as Satoshi sighed and pouted up at the bear of a man even as he hunched his shoulders and complied with the order; all the while muttering complaints about overbearing bosses and mother hens posing as medics under his breath. The two boys only laughed louder when Satoshi ended up getting cuffed on the back of the head by Kakashi, Kasai, and Tokage before he finally reached his assigned bed and climbed up on top of it. The AnBu Commander than began conducting a rather informal interview of the two boys while Tokage checked Satoshi's injuries and spent a bit of time pouring healing chakra into the stomach gashes and his shoulder to continue speeding up the healing process and clearing out the weakened infection.
The fact that Kasai had waited until Satoshi was in the room with them made the questioning process a little more tolerable for the two boys as they were asked difficult questions about their past, their families, their abilities, and their reasons for coming to Konoha with Satoshi. After listening to their answers, Kasai thanked them for their cooperation and warned them that they'd be watched for a while after being released from the hospital but that they were welcome to stay. Just before the gruff man took his leave, Kimimaro worked up the courage to ask if he'd be allowed to stay with Satoshi or if he'd have to go to an orphanage with Haku echoing him a heartbeat later.
Satoshi swore he could physically feel Kasai's exasperation pressing down on him as the masked man turned to stare in his direction for a moment. He then turned back to the boys and flat out told them that they were Satoshi's responsibility and that it was up to him to see that they were properly housed and taken care of. That, of course, had one pair of brown eyes and one pair of gray-green eyes swinging round to stare pleadingly at the sixteen year old. He just smiled at them and reminded them that he'd already given them his word that they could stay with him for as long as they needed or wanted.
Kasai left the room at that point muttering about troublesome brats driving him to an early grave while the two nine year olds beamed happily over the news that they wouldn't be forcefully separated from their savior and that said savior still wanted them around (the fear that he wouldn't had developed during his short absence).
As the dose of potent pain medication that Tokage had slipped him while he wasn't looking took effect, Satoshi had just enough time to wonder about his father's reaction to the news that there'd be an additional two boys moving in with them. Immediately following that thought, he wondered where on earth the two boys would sleep since the house had already been fairly crowded to start with. He must have muttered his concerns out loud before he gave into the pull of unconsciousness because the last thing he heard was Kakashi promising to make certain that things would be taken care of before they were released.
Shibi ushered a veritable army of young teens and pre-teens into the section of the stadium reserved for the Aburame Clan and their guests. It had been decades since he'd seen their section of the stands so full of young boys and girls just starting their shinobi careers (or quickly approaching the day they would start their careers). That only two of those children were actually part of the clan hurt as it was a cold hard look at how far their clan had fallen in the last twenty or thirty years.
Twelve of the children currently scrambling for seats along the front two rows of the stands were orphans who'd became wards of the Aburame Clan over the last handful of years; one a long standing part of the family, nine of them coming out of the Root purge, and the most recent two rescued from Kiri on Satoshi's Jounin Exam mission. Then there were another eight children that were friends of at least one of the children that were being looked after by his clan or his son.
Five of those orphans (plus his orphaned nephew) were the direct responsibility of his family; or more specifically the direct responsibility of his oldest son as all six of them had gravitated towards the sixteen year old within days of meeting him as did Shino. Little Hyuuga Hinata could be considered an eighth (Shino being the seventh in this case) as where Shino and Naruto went, the young Hyuuga heiress was sure to follow. Not really surprising given the fact that the young kunoichi in training absolutely adored Satoshi and had bonded with Shino and Naruto over their shared adoration and admiration for Satoshi.
How Satoshi managed to make all of those children feel as if they were the most important person in his life without making any of the others feel left out was a mystery at times.
Shibi turned as a flurry of excited voices rose from behind him as the only twelve magicals (not counting his oldest son) living within the Hidden Countries poured out from the stairwell. The two oldest adults Shibi knew well and had, over the last few years, come to consider them friends; Remus Lupin most especially as the man had become something of a permanent fixture just over six years earlier when the wizarding world had managed to track down his son (labeling the boy as their missing savior).
Sirius Black hadn't been with them quite as long but the often bi-polar man had easily integrated himself into the family simply because Satoshi accepted him without any hesitation and with no questions asked; a first considering how wary Satoshi had always been of strangers. Then again, his godfather had never been a stranger to Satoshi as he'd held onto those early memories of the man with a fierceness surpassed only by Satoshi's need to protect those he saw as family.
The other ten magicals were all young adults and teens that Satoshi had befriended during his five years on the other side of the Hidden Barrier that shielded the Hidden Countries from the Outside. All ten of them were highly intelligent, talented, and friendly young men and women who were fiercely loyal to each other and to Satoshi. Despite the fact that all but one of them had been raised as civilians, they were formidable opponents when riled and they wouldn't hesitate to defend themselves or each other from an attack. Shibi couldn't have asked for better friends for his son if he'd hand picked them himself; though in Satoshi's defense he'd always done well when it came to befriending trustworthy individuals.
Mingling with the magicals, were a number of Satoshi's current and former teammates (from both the regular shinobi forces and from the AnBu Corps). There was Kakashi for once without his infamous orange book in sight as he escorted the vivacious Dora Tonks (the Copy Cat's girlfriend) and not far behind them were the oldest and closest of Satoshi's teammates, Izumo and Kotetsu. Walking on the other side of Kakashi was Tenzou, Uzuki Yuugao, and Yuugao's long time boyfriend, Gekkou Hayate.
Towards the back of the group were Shibi's co-worker and Satoshi's part time teammate slash guard, Morino Ibiki, and his younger brother Idate. Lastly, there was Hyuuga Ko and Hyuuga Nanami. The former had become close friends with Satoshi during their shared task of training Satoshi's Termites in the shinobi basics for nearly six and a half years now. The latter was a former teammate who'd had a falling out with Satoshi that led to her being crippled during a mission before the two of them reconciled after Satoshi had rescued Hinata from her kidnapper.
The only two teammates that were missing from the group were Toriichi Kumade (who had been killed a year earlier) and Inuzuka Toshiro (who had committed suicide after the young man learned his ninken partner, Kariudo, had been killed and that he'd lost half of his leg).
Joining them as well were Shibi's own friends, teammates, and co-workers; Shiranui Genma, Yamanaka Inoichi and his wife, daughter, and nephew (the Yamanaka Clan one of the few clans that was even smaller than the Aburame clan with less than ten members remaining), Nara Shikaku and his son (his wife choosing to sit with the rest of the Clan on the other side of the Stadium), and Akimichi Chouza and his wife and son. The children had immediately gravitated towards the rest of the children while the six adults had joined Shibi towards the top of the stands where they could talk without worrying about being overheard by the children or having their words drowned out by the excited children.
Both the Nara Clan and the Akimichi Clan were amongst the four largest clans left in the village with the Inuzuka Clan being the largest now, the Hyuuga the second largest, followed by the Nara, and the Akimichi being the forth. The Uchiha Clan had formerly held the number one spot as the largest clan until Itachi killed every single one of them bar his younger brother.
Finally, the entirety of the Aburame Clan had turned up to support the clan's greatest prodigy (most of the clan did not care that Satoshi was adopted because he'd embraced the Aburame way of life fully and completely from the moment he joined the family). Sadly, those numbers were the smallest they'd ever been. When Satoshi had first been adopted into the clan there had been fewer than thirty members and only three of them minors at the time. There had been a small increase when first Satoshi, then Mayumi, Shinichi (now Torune), and Shino joined the clan; bringing the total number of members up to thirty-two.
The clan had then been cut nearly in half during the Kyuubi's attack as the entire clan had rallied behind the Yondaime and Sandaime Hokages to protect the village from the menace. All told there were only eighteen Aburame remaining and of those eighteen there were only six of them under the age of thirty that could carry on the clan and three of them were from Shibi's line; his two sons and his nephew. The other three had been in their teens (or near their teens) when Satoshi was adopted and as of yet showed no interest in marrying or having any children which did not bode well for the clan's future.
Shoving the unsettling thoughts of his dwindling clan out of his mind, Shibi shifted his focus from the packed benches as everyone took their seats to the arena floor where his oldest son stood beside two older versions of himself henged to look like his alter egos. A soft snort slipped out before Shibi could censor himself as he thought again on how fine a line his oldest son walked between having excellent acting skills and being clinically diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder. That magic allowed him to appear together with both of the created personas he used when wearing his AnBu mask only muddled that line further as the three sides of his son interacted as if they were all separate flesh and blood entities instead of three versions of the same person.
"I can hardly believe that the young man standing down there is the same clingy little leech you found in the forest fourteen years ago," Genma declared as he caught the snort Shibi let out and dropped down onto the bench beside his former teammate. "He might not have grown much physically but he has certainly grown up into a fine young man."
"You do realize that my son is going to pay you back for that dig about his lack of height, ne?" Shibi pointed out with a soft laugh even as Satoshi glanced up in their direction. "His Kikaichu will have already let him know exactly what you said."
"Ah the little bug knows I didn't mean it that way… I was just pointing out that he's grown out of his shell and into his wings to use an Aburame Clan euphemism."
"Don't worry, I'll make certain to keep a camera on hand for the next few weeks so I can catch the end results of your punishment on film," Shibi assured him with another laugh. "Your early demise aside, you're absolutely correct; my little bug has grown into a fine young man and I couldn't be prouder of him. Then again, I've always been proud of both my boys; they are my precious legacies and I only hope that they will one day know the happiness of raising their own children."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say Satoshi-kun has already started given how many of the children sitting in front of us right now look up to the bug. I imagine he will make a great father one day; after all, I'm certain he'll take after his old man in that department much as he has in everything else."
"There's at least one department that the little gaki surpasses Shibi in," Shikaku interjected as he dropped down on the other side of Shibi. "That kid is the biggest trouble magnet I have ever met."
"Torifu insists that Satoshi-kun's ability to create stress for others surpasses even his ability to attract trouble like flies to honey," Chouza countered as he and Inoichi took the seats directly behind Shikaku and Shibi. "Ojisan also says that he's never met a kid as firmly grounded as Satoshi-kun and there are times I get the impression that Torifu sees the gaki as a son or rather as a grandson or a grandnephew. Ojisan started really taking an interest in my little Chouji five years ago; right about the time he took your son under his wing."
"Satoshi-kun inspires just as much as he frustrates," Inoichi supplied as he leaned forward to better study the twenty four individuals standing in the center of the field in three rows of eight. "He's a natural born leader and he's finally stepping into the shoes that he was meant to fill. I doubt he'll ever be Hokage (not because he is unqualified or incapable but because he has no wish to sit behind a desk) but I can easily see him following in Kasai's footsteps or even taking over command of the Jounin troops. He could also easily fill the shoes of Chief Strategist but he won't because he prefers being out in the thick of things even though he also hates the trouble that constantly dogs his heels. He is one of those rare individuals that thrive on the impossible challenges that life throws at him and he'll never stop seeking to improve himself while at the same time encouraging those around him to do the same."
"Like a spider weaving a web, Satoshi touches the lives of everyone he comes into contact with and draws them together seemingly without effort," Genma stated as he pulled the tooth pick he always chewed out of his mouth and pointed to the large group of children sitting and chatting animatedly down in front. "Aburame, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Nara, and Hyuuga; five clans and only three of which normally interact with each other on a frequent and regular basis. And while the Aburame and Hyuuga have always been civil with each other (for the most part) those two clans never really spent time with the other three. Then you have the orphans from all walks of life; all of them as different from one another as the day is different from the night and yet they are all bound by the strands of fate that connect them to Satoshi-kun."
"That isn't even taking into consideration the rest of the bonds he's made amongst the adults in his life," Shibi commented as he pulled his eyes from the arena and glanced about the crowded section of stands he was seated in; his eyes inevitably lingering on the magicals. "He's not only tied different families together, he's tied two different worlds together."
"Today has seen the largest turnout of civilians and shinobi coming to watch the Melee Event of the Jounin Exams that I have ever witnessed," Kakashi pointed out from where he was sitting a few benches down beside his girlfriend. "And while every single contestant down there has at least two or three people supporting them and cheering for them, the majority of those here today are only interested in seeing one particular team in action. So few people have actually seen Satoshi-kun or the Uzutsui Twins truly let loose and fight; they've seen them train and they've heard rumors of what they've done but they all want to see what they are capable of accomplishing with their own eyes. I suspect the number of people attending the Jounin one on one Tournament will be double the number of people here today if not triple."
"Twins are troublesome," Shikaku muttered as his eyes drifted from the redheaded pair down on the field to the redheaded pair seated several rows down from the older adults. "Particularly those of the red-headed variety."
Everyone that had heard that comment laughed, most of them had witnessed the innovative pranks the Weasley twins produced in action and more than a few of them had felt their affects first hand. Those that worked with Satoshi's created personas knew exactly how annoying that pair could be, whether they were aware that the Uzutsui twins were Satoshi's AnBu personas or not and there had been many a discussion in the Jounin lounges and at the various shinobi bars over which set of red headed twins were the most troublesome. That both sets of twins were friendly with one another boded ill for the sanity of the entire village though they'd not caused any village wide trouble as of yet.
"So… how many here visited their bookie before finding their seat?" Genma inquired as he returned his toothpick to his mouth and slouched backwards as Mimura Hamaki strode out onto the field in order to start the opening ceremony. "And how many of you bet that the youngest team on the field would not only be the last team standing at the end of the melee but that they'd be the least injured out of all the teams?"
"I've got Satoshi-kun's team down for the overall win but coming out with the most injuries because that's the way that kid's luck seems to run," Inoichi stated with a shrug.
"I've got them down to be the first eliminated as I can see all of the other teams ganging up on them in order to get rid of them quickly since all three teens are known prodigies," Chouza reluctantly admitted.
"I made two bets; the first is for his team coming in second because his old friend Tatami Iwashi is on one of the teams and Satoshi may not go all out against him because of Kumade's loss," Kakashi revealed. "The second bet has him tying with Tatami's team if those two teams are the last two standing or taking first if another team takes Tatami's out sooner."
"My son's team will be the last one standing," Shibi stated with quiet certainty.
"Oh? Why's that?" Shikaku inquired curiously as he turned to look at the younger Clan Head.
"He has something far more important than a promotion riding on his performance here today and again in the one on one Tournament later this month; his hopes and dreams for the future are riding on the outcome of the Jounin Exams and he will settle for nothing less than perfection from himself least he disappoint a very special trio of nine year olds that are a very large part of his life."
As one, the adults all turned to the arena floor as the seven of the eight teams participating in the exams dispersed to their assigned positions around the perimeter of the stadium floor; except for Satoshi's since they were already in their assigned position. The center of the field was usually the least desired position simply because there was no cover and they were immediately surrounded on all sides by the other teams. Satoshi, however, had opted to take the center right off the bat; something that had surprised and confused the judges as they were well aware that the center team was usually one of the first to be taken out because the other teams typically attacked them first.
There were however two advantages to taking the center that most people ignored; one was that there was no place to hide out in the middle and therefore no cover for opposing teams to use to sneak up on them and the other the fact that the rest of the teams would be drawn to them because the center spot appeared to be vulnerable. The latter meant that the team in the middle spot could conserve energy by avoiding the need to hunt down the other teams that might have been well entrenched in their assigned positions.
Satoshi had opted to take the center in order to exploit those two advantages. The fact that all three members of his team thought alike (because they were all the same person) meant that they would all be on the same wave length and could cover each other seamlessly; especially after the extensive training he'd done in the months leading up to the exam. Their team also had a few more advantages on their side that would negate the draw backs of taking the center position.
One, Satoshi could create a fox hole for his team and make it impenetrable to prevent any of the other teams from attacking them. Two, all three of his personas could summon. And three, Satoshi had his Kikaichu (though his alter egos did not have them because it was safer to turn time while leaving the swarm behind since having three swarms that would answer to all three of his selves at the same time in the same time period was far too confusing – something he'd learned the hard way the first and only time he'd turned time with his swarm).
Satoshi also had no qualms about taking advantage of his advantages and using them to the fullest as, like Shibi pointed out, his future was riding on how well he performed and he would not risk failure when it would mean giving up a chance to have the termites as his students or making them wait another year for him to qualify as their instructor.
Silence fell over the entire stadium as the signal to begin cut through the air and as one; the crowd leaned forward as all eight teams burst into action. Two of those teams around the perimeter entrenched themselves where they were while another two immediately set out to hunt down another team to face. The remaining three teams all headed towards the center of the arena towards where Satoshi and the Uzutsui twins were believed to be vulnerable.
Satoshi's group had not been idle either as Satoshi had raised a short pillar of earth that was approximately six feet in diameter, six feet into the air from beneath their feet. At the same time the twins had dropped a five foot wide ring surrounding the pillar down a good ten feet creating a buffer between his team and their opponents and giving them the advantage of having the higher ground. The pillar they were standing on was then turned into solid concrete to prevent someone from breaking it apart out from under them or burrowing to them through the ground.
At the same time as Satoshi turned the pillar to concrete, Aranami filled the moat halfway up with water that Arashi whipped into a rather violent whirlpool using a powerful Suiryuudan no Jutsu. Shortly after that, Aranami summoned nine cocker spaniel sized dragonflies and armed them with an assortment of improved Joke Bombs courtesy of Fred and George who'd been hoping to see a live test of their newest products.
The three teams that had been attempting to rush up and catch Satoshi's group off guard were themselves caught off guard by the veritable fortress that had risen out of the ground in less than three minutes. Once they regained their wits, the three teams retreated back to the nearest bit of cover in order to buy themselves time to consider the obstacle in their way while eying each other at the same time. Eventually, the three teams made a pact to work together for the time being and spread out to search for weaknesses in Satoshi's team's defenses before gathering once more to one side.
Shibi smiled proudly as he watched Satoshi summon sixteen dinner plate sized scorpions that immediately spread out around the perimeter of the pillar to stand watch while the team huddled in the center for a moment in order to plan their next move now that they were relatively out of reach. After an unheard discussion which involved a considerable amount of gesticulation on Satoshi's part, the three versions of his son split up and got to work.
Satoshi began threading ninja wire with dozens of kunai. Aranami began directing her dragonflies to various points around the arena where they would be out of reach of the shinobi on the ground and in position to attack at a moment's notice. And Arashi unsealed several cases of senbon and what looked like bags of marbles from a scroll and positioned alternating piles of them beside each of the scorpions that were standing watch.
Around the perimeter of the stadium, two small scale skirmishes broke out but other than throwing a cursory glance in the directions of the commotion, most eyes remained riveted upon the four groups in the center of the stadium. After he finished attaching the kunai to the ninja wire, Satoshi wove a complex trap on the outer rim of the torrential moat by throwing the wire linked kunai in a complicated pattern and directing the throwing knives into specific positions using chakra strings. When the last kunai slid into place, it became clear that Satoshi had created a misleadingly simple trap out of a woven web of trip wire extending three feet out from the lip of the moat to further discourage anyone from getting to close.
It was at that time that the three teams finally decided to attempt their planned attack as all nine individuals spread out around the perimeter of the center clearing before charging at the moat from different directions. Four of the attackers stopped a good twenty feet away and sent a wave of exploding tags towards the base of the pillar from four different sides. Their plan was obviously meant to knock the pillar down to forcefully take away the advantage they had on the higher ground. It was a good strategy against most opponents.
At the same time, another three of them worked together in an attempt to raise a bridge of dirt (using a doton jutsu) to span across the moat in order to reach the top of the pillar. And the final two slowed down as they reached the web of wire on the opposite side from the bridge builders with the obvious intention of attempting to sneak across the small chasm (the two of them not yet aware of the maelstrom of water inside of it). The audience held their breath and leaned forward as they all wondered how the team up top would respond to the multipronged attack.
They got their answer just seconds later as two-thirds of the scorpions surrounding the edge of the small plateau used the senbon they'd been given to destroy the exploding tags with amazing precision as each needle ripped through a single tag; detonating and deactivating the tags before they could reach the pillar. The other third of the summoned arachnids threw several of the marble-like items which turned out to be highly condensed exploding smoke bombs (which Satoshi had personally designed and created using his magic) that flew faster and farther than a normal smoke bomb and created a highly visible distraction that was comparable to Satoshi's altered exploding tags; bombs that produced more smoke and noise than fire-power.
The bombs exploded within seconds of each other as they impacted upon the ground around the fifteen-foot mark (within five feet of the furthest attackers) and kicked up a wall of dirt and smoke while sending a small explosive blast outwards that hit the four that had thrown the exploding tags with just enough power to knock them back a few feet while the dust and smoke made it hard for them to breathe. The intangible wall also obscured their vision while those within the inner circle of the wall of dust and dirt (where the air was clear) were unaffected for the most part.
The smoke screen in no way hindered those on top of the pillar or those watching from the stands (as they were all high enough to see over and inside of it). That unimpeded view had the crowd gasping and cheering loudly as they witnessed those attempting to cross the wire web getting trapped in a field of electricity that knocked them unconscious. Satoshi had at some point passed the end of the wire web that he'd kept hold of to Arashi and the redhead had sent a weak flood of lightning charged chakra (which was actually magic though the crowd didn't know that) down the length of the wire which had turned the simple web of trip wire into a rather clever and effective (and paralyzing) electric fence.
On the opposite side of the column of concrete, Satoshi aimed a Suiryuudan no Jutsu attack at the recently grown dirt bridge which was enhanced in a perfectly timed collaboration by a Fuuryuudan no Jutsu from Aranami. The twin dragons wove around each other before they merged into one attack as they struck the bridge, which the three would be attackers had been crossing, and exploded outwards in a shower of mud that left the bridge in a puddle and the three shinobi unconscious, covered in mud, and a good thirty feet away from where they'd last been standing.
The last four members of the three teams were then picked off by the dragonfly air force as they were bombarded by two Prank Bombs each; one to incapacitate and the other to embarrass. All four were effectively taken out of the fight as it quickly became obvious that they were unable to free themselves from the Glue Bombs they'd been hit with (each white ball expelling an explosion of fast drying glue that behaved like a spider's web as it spread out like a net and trapped whatever it touched). The other bombs colored one shinobi bright yellow, covered another in orange flower petals that stuck to whatever they touched, soaked the third one in slime, and saw the final shinobi laughing uncontrollably as he'd been hit with a Laugh Bomb that released a laughing gas potion.
And in one fell swoop Satoshi's team had taken out nearly half of their opposition with minimal effort.
The Jounin proctors monitoring the exam swooped in and removed the nine incapacitated shinobi, their bright yellow and orange vests marking them as proctors (and saving them from ending up like the individuals they were extracting). The crowd in the mean time had let loose a wave of cheers and whistles at the rather spectacular display of innovated defensive tactics that not only neutralized a larger force but did so without causing any real or lasting harm to their fellow shinobi. That single display would also generate a mass of interest in the Weasley's products from the watching shinobi as they saw first hand how effective the harmless joke products could be in a battle.
Shibi felt his heart swell with love and pride for his oldest as he smiled behind his jacket's collar, his Kikaichu buzzing warmly in response to his spiking emotions. He loved to watch both of his children grow and strove to help them during their first steps (in life and in training) but there was something extra special about seeing his oldest surpass even his expectations. Pulling his eyes away from Satoshi for a moment, Shibi let his gaze fall on his youngest son where the bespectacled boy was currently cheering and celebrating (in the reserved manner of all Aburame – they were in public, after all) the partial win with the other children that looked up to Satoshi.
Some fathers might have felt jealous if their youngest son held their oldest son in higher esteem than themselves but Shibi only felt contentment. He knew that if anything happened to him, then his sons would at least have each other to lean on and he was confident that Satoshi was capable of taking care of both the clan and his little brother. Turning his eyes back to the arena, Shibi nodded to himself as he once again thanked his ancestors and the gods for sending him the gift that was his first son.
Just as his eyes landed on the field, the Jounin proctors quickly moved in to pull yet another two teams out of the stadium; the two battles taking place around the perimeter had finally come to an end; which left only six individuals for Satoshi's team to face. As if Satoshi's group realized that as well, the makeshift fortress in the center of the stadium melted and filled in the temporary moat as Satoshi and the twins canceled their jutsu and spells. At the same time, the various summoned creatures were passed an assortment of rewards that had been prepared ahead of time before being dismissed.
When the smoke cleared, the center of the arena showed no signs of the one-sided battle that had been fought there just minutes earlier. Satoshi and his older selves drew their swords at that point; Satoshi his favorite pair of wakizashi blades that Kushina had given him and the twins a katana each as the trio stood back to back in the middle of the arena.
The final two teams spilled into the open area a moment later, all six individuals battling each other and not paying any attention to Satoshi's team; the two groups wrongly thinking that the center team had fallen in short order. Opponents in clear view, Satoshi and the other two conferred for a moment before they joined in the melee; all three of them itching for a good sparring against talented opponents.
Plan of action decided, Satoshi flooded the area with Kikaichu that spread out in a cloud before dispersing to the point where they were only noticeable if you knew they were there. Once the Kikaichu were in place, Aranami used Kawarimi to switch places with one of the other six applicants. Arashi on the other hand simply threw himself right into the thick of the action without any hesitation.
The red headed twins did a magnificent job of sewing confusion as they used their perfected method of trading places with each other, their opponents, and other random individuals and objects. While they drew most of the attention from the other Jounin hopefuls, it left Satoshi free to give his full attention to the one on one fight he was currently engaged in with his old friend Iwashi. Despite Kakashi's earlier concerns about Satoshi not being up to facing his friend, the sixteen year old threw himself into the fight with zeal.
The teen clearly sought to reconnect with one of his last remaining friends from his time in the academy as Kumade's loss had reminded him that friends were precious treasures that could be lost in a split second without any warning.
Even when one of the other five shinobi broke away from the Uzutsui twins and joined Iwashi against Satoshi, the teen didn't let up or falter as he parried, blocked, and dodged the twin attacks. Satoshi's speed and flexibility were something to behold as he practically danced in and around his two opponents without any hesitation. His alter egos were just as fascinating to watch but they didn't inspire the same appreciation as their fighting style was far flashier and disjointed while Satoshi's was pure grace and beauty in motion.
Those among the older generation of shinobi that had ever seen Kushina fight with her twin blades could see her influence in Satoshi's style and it blindsided a number of people because they had forgotten that the fiery Jinchuuriki had taken on a Genin team prior to her death.
The twins, on the other hand, completely baffled everyone with their almost playful approach to the battle. That was especially so when the two red heads would flirt with the same shinobi while arguing with each other over who was better looking (their voices carrying farther than Satoshi's soft words). It actually took a while for most of the audience to realize that Satoshi's team was purposefully dragging out the free-for-all battle that was taking place on the field; the trio purposefully not taking clear openings that would end the battle in their favor.
They were, in a sense, playing with the other six shinobi with the intention of giving a good show. Some people saw it as a show of arrogance but most realized that the three teens were instead allowing their fellow shinobi a chance to display their skills while entertaining the crowd instead of ending things too quickly and leaving the crowd feeling cheated.
When the end did come, it came from a completely unexpected source; Satoshi's Kikaichu. All throughout the chaotic battle, the teen's swarm had slowly been infiltrating the clothes of all six opponents unseen and unnoticed by everyone except the other Aburame and possibly the Hyuuga. Once in place, the destruction bugs had slowly siphoned off the chakra of the six shinobi at a pre-calculated rate that dropped all six shinobi at the same exact instant exactly one hour and fifteen minutes after Satoshi's team had entered the final melee.
It left the three teens standing undefeated, relatively unharmed (bar a few scratches and bruises), and more than a little winded in the middle of the arena quite unexpectedly. The crowd sat in shocked silence for nearly a full minute before the entire stadium filled with the roar of appreciation over the highly riveting display of talent, skill, and planning that the youngest trio on the field had shown from the moment the melee had started. They had come to see something special and they had not been disappointed.
"I told you so," Shibi announced proudly as all three versions of his son bowed to the audience before bowing to the Hokage and the judges.
Translations: Japanese to English
Fuuryuudan no Jutsu – Wind Dragon Projectile Technique (non-canon Wind Dragon, created by author)
Gaki – brat
Kirigakure no Kijin – Demon of the Mist (Zabuza)
Ojisan/oji – uncle
Sawa no Kuni – Swamp Country
Shikotsumyaku – Dead Bone Pulse
Suiryuudan no Jutsu – Water Dragon Projectile Technique
Teme – rude way of saying you and can also mean jerk or bastard
Joke Products:
Slug Bomb (green) – filled with sticky slime
Glue Bomb (white) – fast drying glue that explodes out like a spider web to trap the target
Laugh Bomb (red, orange, and yellow swirled) – filled with a potion that mimics laughing gas
Paint Bomb (clear to show the color inside) – filled with various different color changing potions
Petal Bomb (purple) – filled with sticky petals of assorted colors
Department Heads:
AnBu Commander: Akimichi Torifu (Kasai)
Shinobi Commander: Mimura Hamaki
Chief Strategist: Nara Shikaku
Head of Intelligence Division: Mitokado Homura
Head of Cipher Division: Umeboshi Nigiri
Head of Torture & Interrogation: Yamanaka Inoichi
Chief of Police: Uchiha Fugaku (deceased)
Head of Village Security: Hyuuga Haruto (Hiashi and Hizashi's father)
Medical Director: Sato Furofuki
Spy Master: Jiraiya
Aburame Clan Tree (main branch):
Aburame Shoichi – Shikuro & Shibi's father, Satoshi, Shinichi, & Shino's grandfather, former head of clan
Aburame Chie – Shoichi's wife, Shikuro & Shibi's mother, Satoshi, Shinichi, & Shino's grandmother (died some ten years prior to Satoshi's adoption into the clan)
Aburame Shikuro – Shoichi & Chie's oldest son, Shibi's brother, Shinichi's, Satoshi & Shino's uncle
Aburame Ami – Shikuro's wife, Shinichi's mother, Satoshi & Shino's aunt
Aburame Shinichi (Torune) – Shikuro & Ami's son, Shibi's nephew, Satoshi & Shino's cousin, Shoichi's middle grandson
Aburame Shibi – Shoichi & Chie's youngest son, Shikuro's brother, Satoshi & Shino's father, Shinichi's uncle, current head of clan
Aburame Mayumi – Shibi's wife, Satoshi & Shino's mother, Shinichi's aunt
Aburame Satoshi – Shibi & Mayumi's oldest son (adopted), Shino's brother, Shinichi's cousin, Shoichi's oldest grandson
Aburame Shino – Shibi & Mayumi's youngest son, Satoshi's brother, Shinichi's cousin, Shoichi's youngest grandson
Other clan members:
Aburame Muta – (male) distant cousin to Shoichi's branch of the family, Chuunin when Satoshi was adopted
Aburame Susuki – (female) distant cousin to Shoichi's branch of the family, Genin when Satoshi was adopted
Aburame Susumu – (male) distant cousin to Shoichi's branch of the family, Genin when Satoshi was adopted
There were also an additional 20 unnamed individuals that were all at least twenty when Satoshi was adopted, placing them well into their thirties or older during the current time period (if still alive)
NOTE: Tradition has been each child born into the clan is given a name that starts with 'S' while those whose names start with any other letter married into the clan. There are exceptions but not in Shoichi's direct line as demonstrated here; Torune/Shinichi not counting as a deviation since his birth name started with an 'S' while his Root name did not.