*Chapter 5*: Chapter Four: Naked Eye

Previously: Kakashi faces off against the most powerful threat to Tazuna yet: a nuke-nin by the name of Zabuza. Zabuza's talent seems to overcome the Sharingan user with only a modicum of difficulty, but the combined efforts of the genin squad, led by Naruto, manages to free their teacher. Zabuza indicates that he knows when he is overmatched, and makes an offer to abandon his own mission should Naruto agree to join him in his own agenda- an offer which, after careful consideration, Naruto refuses. Yet after a chiling threat and Zabuza's departure, Naruto collapses. Having little choice but to remain in the area while Naruto recovers, Kakashi accepts Tazuna's abrassive offer to rest up at his home...

Chapter Four: Naked Eye

Naruto was sleeping soundly on a tatami provided by Tazuna's daughter, a demure and sweet young woman by the name of Tsunami. "Will he be alright, sensei?" She asked Kakashi.

Kakashi rubbed his chin. "That's hard to say. His chakra pathways, while strong, aren't developed enough for the strain of handling a Kekkei Genkai that isn't naturally a part of his body. I myself have similar troubles from time to time with my own Sharingan. But I am more experienced, more used to it- and also, I do not have the degree of power that his Sharingan does. If I had put the strain on my body that he put himself through, I'd likely be incapacitated for about a week." He paused.

"... But?" Tsunami prompted after a second.

"..." Kakashi said nothing.

"If we're lucky, he won't recover at all." Said Sasuke.

Tsunami, Kakashi, and Shikamaru all stared at him in shock. Tazuna's eyes narrowed. "Does this have anything to do with friend that you mentioned before?"

Kakashi sighed. "Sasuke, you do not know the circumstances. I'd suggest you hold your tongue."

"What would you know about it?" Sasuke snapped.

Kakashi's visible eye gave him a flat look. "More than you think- about both the Sharingan and Naruto."

Sasuke huffed and looked away. "Whatever."

Kakashi turned his eye back to Tsunami. "To answer your earlier question, the Sharingan is a very powerful and complicated dojutsu. Especially for those of us who do not start out our lives with the bloodline. While it may never be activated in a person whose family carries it, the body immediately begins adapting itself to its presence- a little known fact is that if a Kekkei Genkai is implanted in a person before they reach puberty, they stand a strong chance of passing that trait on to their own children, even if it is not something they were born with." Kakashi absently looked up to the ceiling. "Which is why even though a body might be... harvested... for the bloodlines it carries, unless those traits are immediately planted into a child, likely the ability will not be acquired as a genetic trait. At most, they may garner enough information about the ability to learn how to create it from scratch in a new bloodline."

Even Sasuke was listening at this point, his earlier ire forgotten. Kakashi went on. "This is why by far the most difficult part of the Sharingan to acquire is the basic form- usually it manifests itself with a single or a pair of tomoes in the eyes of the bearer, to mature into double Tomoes in both eyes after some practice with its use. This is the manifestation of the Taijutsu Sharingan. The nascent chakra pathways in the eyes, when charged with chakra, create additional, semi-real nerve pathways to the visual center, the motor center, and the memory center of the brain. This permits them to process much more information than normally the nerves could transmit from eye to mind, in essence utilizing visual cues to allow the user to subconsciously calculate the intentions of one's opponent, cues like center of balance, facial expressions, poise, and posture. All of this combines together to provide a sixth sense, of a sort, that is extremely reliable in determining where and when an opponent will strike. "

Kakashi looked over where Naruto slept insensate. "Combined with a sharp and agile mind, this aspect of the Sharingan can teach a user quickly about the most likely actions of an opponent, even going so far as to force an unwary opponent's reflexes to perform exactly what the user wants him to."

"A sharp and agile mind, huh?" Said Sasuke. "So why does the Dobe use it well?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Regardless of his scholastic performance, Naruto is by no means stupid." Kakashi glared at Sasuke's snort. "Naruto is ignorant of many things- but when he puts his mind to a task, he can think his way through to a rough and ready solution fairly well. He's been very lonely, forever seeking the attention and approval of those around him since he first realized people avoided and disliked him. In the Academy, I suspect his lackluster performance stemmed greatly from caring more about the attention of his peers than his studies- especially since the hostility he received from his classmates was more muted than that of his instructors."

"But why did his instructors feel such a way about him?" Asked Tsunami. "And what does all this have to do with the

Sharingan?"

Kakashi sat silent for a moment. Finally, he said, "I apologize, Tsunami san. The answer to both of those questions is classified information even within the village. But I can say that many, if not almost all, of Naruto's troubles sources from a poor decision made by a man in a powerful position when Naruto was a baby. Orphaned, he had no real defense against the ignorance of the only-partially-informed inhabitants of our village."

"You were talking about the Sharingan." Sasuke interjected. "You told us about the first level- what about after it?"

Kakashi nodded. "The second level of Sharingan reinforces the chakra based connections to reflexes and enhances the pathways to the memory centers, increasing again the speed of processing, and creating a total of three equidistant tomoes in the eye. Furthermore, it fully exploits the purposes of those tomoes."

"Which is?" Sasuke prompted.

"The Tomoes serve as an extra set of pupils in each eye, but specifically focus incoming light onto different portions of the retina, the ones that when charged with chakra are actually chakra reactive. In this fashion it allows the brain to process a path for the chakra flow of individuals it is seeing- very crude and rough, nothing to the degree of precision inherent in the Byakugan- just adequate enough to teach the user how the chakra must flow in order to activate a particular Ninjutsu. It also further increases the ability of the body to process incoming information from the eyes, allowing one to predict even hand seals based off of the miniscule tensing of musculature that precedes them. This enables the Copycat abilities of seasoned Sharingan users, teaching them instantly the ninja arts that they view first hand with the Sharingan Eye. The principles of the Taijutsu Sharingan also apply to the Ninjutsu Sharingan. Sufficiently advanced users can force opponents through hypnosis to perform specific jutsus, while slowing their own actions, thus making it appear that the copied jutsu is being performed faster than the original."

"The most powerful form of the Sharingan is the Genjutsu, or Mangekyou Sharingan. I know little about the operations of the Mangekyou Eye beyond its method of activation, and that from user to user in Uchiha history it is not u niform in appearance- each Mangekyou is unique. It is ironically the easiest- physically speaking- to acquire, but can only be gained at a truly terrible cost: The user must personally take the life of the one they hold most dear."

Tazuna shuddered at this. "But why?"

Kakashi looked over at the bridge builder. "As you probably guessed by what I have told you, the Sharingan is a Kekkei Genkai that alters the brain as much, if not moreso, than the eyes. And the psychology of a brain is just as vital in its function as the actual structure of it. The psychological damage one inflicts on oneself in the act of deliberately murdering the person closest to you creates incredible scars. But it also releases the most hindering portion of a person's psychethe conscience. The strictures placed on a person's social interactions are necessary for a person to function normally in society, and one effect of unlocking the Mangekyou is that the user typically becomes severely unbalanced, almost to the point of complete sociopathy. They will frequently engage in homicidal rampages for no discernable reason."

"Like Itachi." Said Sasuke.

"Exactly so." Replied Kakashi. "And this damage can fester for a long time; suddenly surging to life months or even years after the fact."

Sasuke pulled out a kunai. "If everything you say is true, then we should probably... see to it that he doesn't wake up."

"No. I won't allow it." Kakashi said in a tone of finality. "Because of how he gained his Mangekyou. And for another reason as well. Mainly, he gained the Mangekyou by accident."

"By accident?" Shouted Sasuke. "How can you do that by accident?"

Kakashi pondered for a moment longer, then finally decided to hell with the rules. He was going to give them the full story. "Because the village elders made a terrible choice- a terrible mistake. They ordered... the assassination of an unloved and lonely orphan. Naruto."

The shock and revulsion was clear on all their faces- even the normally laid back Shikamaru looked faintly ill. Kakashi continued, "But there was worse. I am not privy to all the details, but after the... death of Mizuki sensei, it was determined that the one who was to slay him had to be able to get close to him without arousing suspicion until he could strike... thus... it was decided that Iruka Sensei would be the one assigned to the task. Not just the best friend Naruto had, but indeed, the only friend he had. Someone Naruto loved, someone he would and did kill for only two months before. The council believed it was their best chance to be rid of the demon fox, whom they believed was making a resurgence in Naruto's body, after he killed Mizuki. They also feared the power he might carry after having... a certain object in his possession that was the reason for Mizuki and Iruka's involvement in the incident in the first place. But by and large I think their response stemmed more from guilt than anything else- the council was fully aware of the treatment that Naruto had received his whole life- indeed, many of them had personally instigated it. I imagine they feared Naruto would take vengeance on them if he had the power to do so."

Kakashi raised a finger. "But." He said. "They did not understand something crucial, something very basic about Naruto. He is not the sort to hold grudges. The pain he has suffered, rather than embittering him, has taught him empathy, and to care about other's suffering. It showed even with a creature so small as a rabbit he frightened unintentionally. I doubt that one person in a hundred could have survived what he went through with his soul intact- But what the intentional abuse from the village could not do, the accidental killing of his only friend did."

"Naruto is consumed with guilt over Iruka's death, and the greatest tragedy of it is that he isn't really the one to blame. The village elders who ordered the assassination were the ones at fault. More than anything, Naruto needs some sort of affirmation for himself that he is not a monster. Because if his faith in himself is ever broken completely, he could give up and become one for real."

"And this," Kakashi said, "is where we come to the second reason not to kill him. Tazuna, when you first confessed your lie of omission to us, do you remember what his response was?"

Tazuna rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He said that even if everyone else left, he would stay and protect me... because I had a family who needed me."

Kakashi nodded. "I believe that this mission can heal his wounded soul, or at the very least, begin the healing process." He said. "With everything that has happened to him, he retains a basic decency that shines bright in the all but unbroken darkness that has been his life so far. Given all that he has been through, and all that he still strives to be, don't you think he deserves our support, our own belief in him?"

The room was silent for a few moments, before Kakashi finished, "Because I do. He's a much better person than I could hope to be."

Naruto waited for the lights to go out before he opened his eyes. Kakashi's speech had been inspiring- but Naruto knew better. They were a team, but they were a specifically assembled team. Shikamaru didn't much care for him, Sasuke hated his guts and had suggested Naruto be killed, and Kakashi was perhaps the second or third most powerful ninja in Konoha. Naruto understood the implications in this, and supposed he should be grateful for the "second chance" that Kakashi was encouraging the others to give him... But Naruto understood the implication of who he'd been teamed with. No, he didn't dare let his guard down around them- after Sasuke's suggestion that it would be better if he didn't wake up, better if they made SURE he didn't wake up, Naruto understood. Sasuke, at the first excuse, would kill him- and likely Shikamaru would help. Kakashi too, if he didn't see the start of the fight- hadn't he said the Mangekyou makes the user unstable?

And... what if they end up having good reason to? Will I just up and... lose it one of these days? Naruto asked himself. Will they sometime soon have to put me down like a rabid dog?

LIKE A DOG? Sniffed Kyuubii disdainfully. HARDLY. AND EVEN A RABID FOX RETAINS HIS CUNNING. BESIDES, YOU DO NOT NEED THEM- IF ANYTHING, THEY NEED YOU.

But... I'm always so alone...

The mental voice seemed almost comforting in its tone. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE ME, YOU SHALL NEVER BE ALONE. MY LIFE IS TIED TO YOURS- THUS, I ALONE CAN NEVER BETRAY YOU.

Giving no immediate response, Naruto sighed, fingering the scar on the lower left side of his chest.

Trust... brings pain.

By the next morning, Naruto was up and about already.

"A week?" Said Shikamaru. "He wasn't even down a full day. What gives?"

"Naruto's powers of recuperation are nothing, if not astonishing. He's nothing if not resilient, and he has a great deal of chakra. But I suppose that means that we can get to your training all the faster." Kakashi motioned them all forward, his manner business-like. "All right, you three. It's time for you to learn to control your chakra."

"But we already know that!" Naruto complained. "We've been doing that since the academy."

"Naruto's right." Sasuke said, drawing a look fo surprise from the blond. "That's all pretty basic."

"Well, while I'll concede that your chakra control IS rather basic, there are depths to chakra control that none of you have thus far touched. To a degree, you have all learned to harness your chakra, at least somewhat, but your control and efficiency is lacking. Learning to control your chakra precisely will improve your abilities in almost every way."

"Ok, so... How are we gonna do that?" Asked Naruto, scratching his head.

There was an awkward moment of silence after the answer was given. Then Gato said, "Tazuna is still alive? You failed again?" Gato shook his cane in anger. "That's TWICE you've dropped the ball on this one! What am I paying you for if not to deal with this rabble?"

"I wouldn't call it a failure." Said Zabuza nonchalantly. "Not even a setback. I escaped unharmed after tangling with one of the most formidable Kekkei Genkai in all of Konoha."

Zabuza propped his feet up on the table with a smirk visible even through the bandages that masked his face. "In fact, as

a scouting mission, I'd say it was a resounding success. I not only confirmed exactly who I was up against- Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye, also known as the Mirror Ninja, if you care- But also learned vital information about his cadre of genin talent, at least two of which are also Sharingan Users. I gathered a good bit of information on their combat prowess- which is not inconsiderable. And," Zabuza finished with a self satisfied flourish, "I've already formulated a plan by which I can take out him and his pet students- maybe even capturing one of them and keeping him for my own army, as a soldier or... Material benefit by which I might take their talents for my own." He picked a slice of apple off the table and slipped it between the bandages covering his mouth, chewing with evident satisfaction. "So relax."

Gato seemed to waver on the cusp of anger and apprehension. "It sounds to ME like you're trying to put a good face on having had to run away!" He countered.

Gato took several steps forward as he spoke, and he attempted to poke his cane into the reclining nuke-nin's chest, but his cane halted its progress as a grip of steel encased his wrist with crushing force. "You will NOT defile Lord Zabuza with your touch!" Said the androgynous youth who had until now stayed largely in the background.

Gato's ronin bodyguards' hands flew to their weapons; their motions reflected years of dedication to the art of iaijutsu. Yet their raised hands, at the finish of their strikes, were empty. Between them the boy stood, swords crossed in front of his with the tip of each blade rested just beneath the swell of their adam's apples.

The boy favored the room with a cold smile. "I think," he began, "That you should be glad that I am in a good mood. You wouldn't want to do something like that when I'm angry."

Gato trembled, although whether from fear or anger seemed uncertain. Most likely both, Zabuza thought to himself.

"I expect your next 'foray' to be the end of this!" Gato said forcefully as he and his rattled henchmen left. "Don't think you can come back here otherwise!"

Haku turned to face Zabuza. "So is it true, sir? You already have a plan?"

Zabuza nodded. "Oh, yes. A plan that will help you to evade the effects of the Sharingan when we face them next.

Because when your eyes fail you, you fall back on your ears... and for users of the Sharingan, their eyes fail them so rarely that they are lost without them. Come, Haku- we have some training to do."

"You call that training? What kind of training is patrolling a bridge?" Demanded Naruto. "I don't see how that will make us control our chakra better."

Kakashi sighed in exasperation. "Must you complain about everything before it's been explained?" He asked. "Listen up. You won't be merely walking back and forth. But I suppose I'd better explain it through demonstration."

With that, Kakashi took a moment to focus himself, then stepped calmly over the side of the bridge.

"That is way cool." Naruto said breathlessly, as the three genin looked over the edge to see their teacher calmly standing horizontally on the side of the bridge.

"Looks like an awful lot of work." Shikamaru grumbled.

Sasuke said nothing, watching carefully.

Kakashi turned to face them. "This exeercise fills two purposes. First, it will teach you to control your chakra with extreme precision. Clinging to the surface of the bridge is a delicate balancing act: too little chakra and you cannot stick to the surface of the bridge, but too much and the surface of the bridge itself pushes you away. What's more, the soles of your feet are the hardest portion of your body to emit and control chakra from. If you can master this skill, no jutsu should ever be beyond your grasp. In theory, at any rate."

"The second purpose, however, is that you will learn to expand your awareness, even in the midst of the most trying of circumstances and the most delicate concentration. At any given time, while the two of you are on either side of the bridge, the third will attempt to sneak past you to reach Tazuna's side."

"But how's that part a challenge?" Asked Sasuke. "As soon as they set foot on the bridge..."

"You'll have to rely on something other than your eyes." Said Kakashi. "I will be using Kirigakure to surround the sides of the bridge with fog. You will be training to find- and fight- an enemy you cannot see. Unfortunately, this will neutralize all of your greatest strengths- Shikamaru, you'll have no shadows to work with because the light will be too difuse. Naruto, Sasuke, your Sharingan depend on being able to see your opponent. Even so, this is not as great a handicap as you may think."

"Uh... Kakashi-sensei?" Narauto asked.

"Hmm?"

"Umm... What about the Byakugan?" Naruto asked. "Would that see through the mist?"

"Yeah. It'd be great if we had Neji along." Sasuke said.

Kakashi, however, favored Naruto with a strange look. "Naruto... Are you saying what I think you are saying?"

Naruto looked indecisive, for a moment, before sighing. "Uh..." He made a pair of seals, before the storm gray of his eyes washed out a little paler, and veins popped out around his eyes. "I... haven't figured out a way to use the Byakugan and the Sharingan at the same time, though."

"Until now, it was considered impossible to even have both." Kakashi said thoughtfully. "The idea of attempting to breed the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans together has been tried in the past, and in any that both traits manifested they invariably died when the second trait came forth- if it came forth at all. The medic nins researching it learned that the chakra pathways for both dojutsus activating at the same time burned out the victim's brains in a matter of hours, even if not activated." Although I suspect it is your incredible healing ability granted you by the Kyuubii, Kakashi thought to himself. Any damage that accrues from these pathways is healed almost as soon as it occurs... which is also probably the reason your Mangekyou hasn't already made you blind, at the rate you've been using it.

There were a few moments of silence, before Naruto finally broke it. "Well? Would the Byakugan work?"

"Without the Sharingan, it would only be academic." Kakashi replied. "The only reason you were able to fight Zabuza on the level you did before was with the help of the Sharingan; even if you could see him in the mist, without the ability to predict his actions you would be fairly vulnerable. So for now, we do this my way. Train without the Byakugan before you try to use it."

Kakashi nodded towards thye side of the bridge. "If you feel yourself start to slip, push away from the bridge so you land cleanly in the water- It will sting a bit if you tumble down the side of the support in the process. I don't expect any of you to be able to hold onto the side reliably at first, but as you practice you will improve."

The three genin focussed their chakra into their feet as they'd seen Kakashi do. Then, together, the carefully stepped over the side. Two of them immediately fell forty feet into the water below.

"This isn't so hard." Shikamaru said, looking down at his two team mates splashing around in the river below.

End chapter Four

-AN: Well, that is that. Chapter four is up and running- but nobody is leaving any reviews. Does anybody care enough for me to continue the story? If not, let me know so I can invest my time in something a little more meaningful in my life- I like the story idea but if it's boring you then I can spend more time painting my models or something.

...

Sorry about that- been having a rough week so far.

I already know some of the complaints that are going to come at me- Naruto's able to drive off Zabuza, wtf is he doing falling off the bridge during the climbing exercise? Well, the answer to this is finesse and precision. Naruto has virtually none. He has power in abundance but it isn't well focused- much like Zabuza points out, his training is lacking. Even so, this exercise is more taxing than the one from the manga or anime- mostly because the three participants have a higher level of ability than in the canon. It isn't explicitly spelled out, but this mission occurs a few weeks later than the original, mostly because Tazuna was actually made to wait for the team- there is a reason behind this, but you won't know why until chapter 7 or so. Maybe later, depending on the way the dice land, as it doesn't come to light until after the finish of this mission.

In response to the questions from above, ok, no finesse, how does he drive off Zabuza in the first place? Naruto began the fight watching Kakashi use the Sharingan eye- and it taught Naruto a lot about how to lead an opponent into what you want them to do. Naruto also has a rough idea of how to walk on water, but his precision isn't refined enough to do it, yet- but once he masters the climbing exercise you can bet he's going to try it next.

That's about all I can really think of at the moment, but any questions or errors on my part, let me know. Til next time.

-AXENOME