Naruto: Kung Fu Guardian
Chapter 6: Nine Stances vs. Sharingan
Revised – Final Version
New C2 - I have a set up a new C2: Naruto stories that are worth reading. It contains well-written Naruto stories that are completed, or will be, per author's intent. I'm sure many readers feel the same way I do, we don't like to be hooked to a story only to have its author abandon it just when it gets good. So that why my C2 only contains stories that won't leave you hanging high, dry, and cold. Check it out in my profile, and click on Communities.
Disclaimer: I borrowed Narutoverse from Kishimoto and two techniques from Jin Yong. Everything else, including the explanation of how those techniques work, though, is mine.
…o.0.O.0.o…
"Naruto? Where are you?"
"Who are you looking for?" asked a figure as he emerged from behind the entrance door. He was wearing a standard Konoha-ANBU mask with a weasel design printed on it.
Sarutobi Hizuren spun around and did a double-take. "What are you doing here?! You can't be seen here! Wait, you're too short to be…" Itachi. Catching his tongue before it slipped, the aged Kage quickly took a deep breath to compose himself. "I'm too old for this," he muttered. "Remove that mask … Naruto."
Slowly, the infamous spiky blond hair, whiskered birthmarks, and foxy grin emerged from behind the weasel mask. Once his face was completely revealed, the eight-year old's grin vanished as he said, "We need to talk."
"That we will," sighed Sarutobi, beginning to show signs of wearing down, "but it's already way past your bedtime. How about you, Asuma, and I meet first thing in the morning? I have important things I need to discuss with you both anyway."
"Okay, but you'll have to hear this tonight. You won't believe whom I bumped into on my way here from my old apartment …"
"Naruto, please … I really am tired … tomorrow?" Hizuren said with a small yawn. Now that he was sure his adoptive grandson was okay, the events of the long day were beginning to catch up with him. He was so eager for bed, in fact, that it was easy to assume that the weasel mask was just another of Naruto's pranks.
"… a certain acquaintance of ours who gave me this mask as a parting gift," continued Naruto, ignoring the old man's pleading.
Hizuren's exhaustion left him instantly. Without another word he closed the door, locked it, and then cast a small jutsu to insure their privacy. Then he sat next to his adoptive grandson on the bed and said, "Tell me exactly what happened."
- Flashback -
Once he made eye-contact with the stranger, Naruto found himself in his mindscape standing before the Nine-tailed demon. This was Naruto's first time seeing Kyuubi in her full fear-inspiring gargantuan body. However, he did not have time to register his fear as he sensed the presence of another. The jinchuuriki did not understand how a stranger he bumped into could invade his mind, but he immediately readied himself for combat. Formulating a sword with his mind, Naruto grabbed firmly onto the newly materialized object and charged towards the stranger….
…. only to come to a screeching halt as the stranger brought up his hand and signaled for him to stop.
"Lesson number one: It's very foolish to charge at someone blindly without knowing their skill level or whether they are friend or foe," admonished the intruder with an obviously faked voice.
Naruto nodded like a student would when he was agreeing with an instructor. Heeding the older male's advice, Naruto calmed down and assessed the mysterious person standing before him. The intruder stood almost two-heads taller than Naruto. He wore the standard Konoha ANBU attire, with a katana strapped behind him, though he was missing the mask that ANBU always wore. His relatively young-looking face could not hide the maturing effects of having seen and performed many killings. With practiced ease, the intruder unsheathed his katana to match Naruto's sword.
"It appears someone has taught you how to hold a sword," teased the intruder. "But from the look of things, that person wasn't a very good sensei."
Kyuubi roared from within her cage in response to the insult. Her anger shook the entire mindscape.
"You leave her alone," demanded the self-appointed guardian of Kyuubi. Unconsciously positioning himself between the intruder and the cage, Naruto said, "Leave my mind now, or you'll be sorry."
"Hn…. Rather protective aren't we?" Pausing to observe reactions his off-handed comment garnered, the intruder continued on with his goading, "I guess you'll just have to make me."
Unlike the previous mindscape experience, Kyuubi had not channel Qi. Without the positive effects of Qi, Naruto easily allowed his emotions to get the best of him. The bijuu vessel charged forward while performing a sloppy sword thrust.
Capitalizing on Naruto's haste, the ANBU-clothed stranger grabbed and twisted Naruto's right wrist to loosen his sword grip. Once the sword left contact with Naruto's grip, it vanished into nonexistence. With ease, the stranger tossed Naruto against the bars of Kyuubi's cage.
The young man's eyes betrayed his disappointment and annoyance at Naruto's childish attempt.
"Lesson number two: Never lose control of your emotions … ever."
As if on queue, Kyuubi chimed in from behind bars. "Remember what I've taught you. Let your sword art do the talking. This is your mindscape. You cannot lose … though you never know against a Sharingan user." An Uchiha.
"Sharingan?" questioned Naruto. "I don't know what that is, but it won't matter much. My Nine Stances are undefeatable. I even beat five of you."
A surprised look appeared on the Uchiha's face.
"Don't be too cocky, brat," retorted Kyuubi with a small snarl. She might want her vessel to become the strongest shinobi ever, but she was not willing to admit being bested by a human – a child no less. "I was training you, not giving you a beating. My doppelgangers took it easy on you. They didn't exploit any of your numerous openings. You are facing a real opponent now, and you have to take it seriously." What the fox demon did not disclose to Naruto was that she and her doppelgangers had held back only in the beginning of their spar. Once Naruto took to the Nine Stances, he was able to overcome his opponents on his own, using his mastery of the sword art.
Naruto looked down at his empty hand and watched as a sword materialized in it once more. Staring down at his reflection as it looked back at him from within the shiny blade, he tried to recall his months of mindscape training with Kyuubi that he'd gone through the previous night. Suddenly, the words of the Swordsman's Four Decrees echoed within his mindscape.
A swordsman is his sword. A sword is its wielder. A swordsman and his sword are one. A swordsman and his sword are none.
With a burst of speed, Naruto appeared suddenly in front of the Uchiha. After his humiliating defeat in the spar with Asuma, Naruto was eager to fight again in his mindscape, where his rules reigned supreme. Here, his smaller stature and weaker physique did not matter, as long as his imagination could compensate for those handicaps.
The Kyuubi vessel utilized the first two of the Nine Stances, the Composite Stance and the Sword-Conquering Stance, aiming one of their variations at the intruder's right eye. When the Uchiha raised his katana to parry away Naruto's sword, the blond twisted his wrist, avoiding a clashing of weapons, and aimed his sword at the intruder's heart.
Using another hand holding the sheath to his katana, the Uchiha swung it over to deflect Naruto's second aim, only for Naruto to change aim again, causing his sheath to strike air. Shock registered on his face as he saw Naruto's sword inching toward his right eye again. This time, because of his current awkward position caused by overbalancing himself from both misses, he had no way of defending himself.
Having no choice but to leap backwards to avoid the blond's deadly aim, the Uchiha activated his Sharingan in midair, and upon landing, he leaped forward into the fight again while making continuous offensive slices with his katana at a blinding speed.
The mantra of the Four Decrees commenced chanting its second cycle, the echoes resonating off the walls in Naruto's mindscape.
A …
Naruto launched a forward stab at his opponent's left kidney before he landed and disrupted the Uchiha's barrage of offensive slices. Unable to sidestep the younger fighter's attack midair, the older fighter brought his katana down to deflect the incoming attack and hit … air. The more experienced fighter tried five more times to complete his offensive strikes. In each attempt, the Sharingan wielder had to recall his katana from completing the offensive attack so it could defend against the faster and more lethal stabs of the blue-eyed boy. Finally the Uchiha landed from his leap.
… swordsman …
Once his feet found ground, the Uchiha rolled to his right to avoid another of Naruto's lethal attacks. After three more failed attempts in executing an offense against the younger fighter, the Uchiha was forced to totally abandon all pretense of offense and focus solely on defending himself against the unpredictable and deadly strikes of the Kyuubi vessel.
While it was true that a Sharingan user was able to see things in slow motion and allow its wielder longer reaction time, it could only predict movement when chakra was involved and when the opponent mentally projected his attacks.
Most fighters mentally pictured their attacks before executing them, but the mental projections could only be read by the Sharingan through eye contact. Furthermore, they gathered chakra to the muscles needed to perform the attacks. For example, an increase in chakra concentration in the thigh and calf muscles indicated the fighter's intent to jump. Thus came to light one of the weaknesses of the Sharingan – its dependency on reading the opponent's chakra. If the opponent was able to mask his chakra, or to purposely gather chakra elsewhere in his body, he could mislead the Sharingan into anticipating a non-existing attack.
… is his…
"Lesson number one," said Naruto with a smirk, while imitating the intruder's faked voice. "It's very foolish to charge at someone blindly without knowing their skill level."
His pride slightly wounded at having his snide comment thrown back at his face by an eight-year-old, the intruder charged again and said in the same phony monotone, "Playtime's over, you little runt!"
... sword. A sword is its wielder. A …
Six quick exchanges were made.
The Lonesome Hermit of the Nine Stances, however, did not have the Sharingan nor did he care about chakra. He focused on Kung Fu and the basics of the human anatomy – the one thing that no fighter could mask – body language. And body language gave away a fighter's intent. For example, the slight tightening of the calf and thigh muscles gave away the fighter's intent to jump or kick. It did not matter if or where the fighter gathered chakra, his muscles must prepare in a certain way before performing the jump. The students of the Nine Stances learned the intricacies of the human anatomy so they could, among other things, anticipate and counter their opponent's every move.
... swordsman …
Five more attempts at wounding his opponent were dodged, and Naruto found the elusive Uchiha annoyingly fast and nimble. Even though he had an inkling that this intruder was not there to harm him or his prisoner, Naruto was not going to let up his attacks until he found more to his theory than just gut feelings.
To the Uchiha's dismay, Naruto's Nine Stances were quite formidable. The younger boy easily had the upper hand against the older, more experienced, and nearly twice-as-tall fighter. The older fighter was at his wits end about what to do. With only a limited supply of chakra, he could only last a few more minutes in Naruto's mindscape. And he needed all the time he could get, considering that he still had a message to deliver.
… and his …
"Lesson number two," Naruto said in a mocking mimicry of the intruder's annoying voice as he sent another stab towards his opponent's face, "Never lose control of your emotions … ever."
Throughout this whole exchange, Kyuubi had a bystander's objective view of the sparring. It was abundantly clear to her that the Nine Stances were superior in everyway to whatever ninja skills Itachi could throw against Naruto. Kyuubi knew full well that Itachi was severely handicapped by his inability to use ninjutsus and genjutsus in Naruto's mindscape. So the eventual outcome of this sparring match would not prove Naruto stronger than Itachi; rather, it would prove again the supremacy of the Nine Stances over any form of weaponry techniques.
As she continued to watch Naruto's creative utilization of the Nine Stances, she recalled what she read from the manuscript about the Lonesome Hermit, the originator of the Nine Stances. When the student of the Nine Stances gained complete mastery over his sword art, he became just like the Lonesome Hermit, unbeatable in any weapon-to-weapon and hand-to-hand battles.
So far, the only obstacles preventing Naruto from complete mastery in the physical world were his inadequacies in speed and strength, both of which he would grow out of.
However, in his mindscape, those obstacles mattered not. In his mindscape, Naruto had complete mastery over the sword art known as the Nine Lonesome Stances.
… sword are one. A swordsman and his …
His opponent twisted away from the thrust and barely was able to parry the follow up. He clearly needed to get some space from the blond, but Naruto wouldn't give him the breathing room to do it.
After dodging three other near-misses, with the last one being too close to his groin for comfort, the Uchiha jumped back twice, collected himself, held up his right hand, and used his real voice to shout, "Stop Naruto-kun … Kyuubi, tell him who I am!"
… sword are none …
"Why? After all those earlier comments you made about me and my charge, why should I not let you get a beating?"
Upon hearing the playful tone in the fox's voice and recognizing the familiar voice of the boy before him, the echoing chant of the Swordsman's Four Decrees stopped.
"Kyuubi-sensei," Naruto called out, turning his head slightly so he could look over his shoulder at the cage behind him while his opponent remained in his peripheral vision. He did not lower his sword just yet. "Who is this guy? Is he who I think he is, or is he the guy you want me to kill?"
The whiskered blond finally realized the difference between a student-sensei sparring match and a full-fledged fight. Before him stood possibly the most dangerous man alive, if he was the Uchiha Madara, who was powerful enough to manipulate the Nine-tailed demon. All the suffering he had gone through, all of the villagers' hatred that came from the loss of their loved ones during Kyuubi's attack, the loss of Naruto's chance to know his own parents as other kids knew theirs, and the loss of what would have been his normal childhood innocence – all of it came together to fill Naruto with overflowing righteous fury. He was ready to execute justice. All he needed was the go ahead from Kyuubi.
"Relax Naruto. He's not Madara…"
Those simple words set off two sighs of relief: Naruto, for not having to kill yet; and the other, for not having to dodge the boy's deadly and unpredictable attacks again.
"… but he is an Uchiha. Uchiha Itachi," Kyuubi explained gently.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Weasal-san is Itachi, the traitor!?"
- Flashback Interrupted –
"Itachi!?" exclaimed Sarutobi as he interrupted the narrative.
"Don't worry," reassured Naruto. "Weasal-san told me about his secret mission, and I don't hate you for doing what needed to be done."
"You don't think it was cruel and uncalled for?" inquired the worried Kage.
"A lot of people would have gotten killed if you didn't do it, right?" Naruto replied. "And it's not like you wanted anyone who wasn't a ninja to get killed, that was Danzou and Madara's fault."
Sarutobi frowned. "Madara? I thought Itachi was working with a missing-nin called the Masked Shadow."
Naruto shrugged and nodded. "Same guy."
"Kami!" Sarutobi whispered under his breath, his wrinkled face openly displaying his shock.
Naruto shook his head vigorously, his little blond locks whipping back and forth. "You haven't heard anything yet!" He said as he continued his story.
- Flashback Resumed –
"So do you understand why I had to do what I did last night?" asked Itachi after he had explained his ANBU identity, his real purpose of visiting Naruto the night before the massacre, the mission he was ordered to do, and the complications of adding the Masked Shadow – Madara – into the mix.
Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah, Weasel-san, I can understand why you had to kill the bad guys, but why did you team up with the worst bad guy of them all?" He bit his lip and swallowed hard as he waited for the information, and his stomach, to settle.
Unsure of the reason behind his nervousness, Naruto unknowingly tightened his sword grip. He tried to will himself to do what was necessary should Itachi admit to being the traitor everyone thought he was.
"Simple," answered Itachi. "Someone needs to spy on him, and I'm no longer welcome in Konoha anyway." Of course the former ANBU captain noticed the sudden tightening of the blond's sword grip. This only brought a smile to his face as he saw in him a glimpse of his former privately-hired sensei – Uzumaki Kushina.
Naruto wanted to ask him more about the mission, but decided against it. A brief awkward silence followed.
Finally, Kyuubi broke silence and asked the obvious question. "If you are here, wouldn't Madara know you're missing and get suspicious?"
"I'm not really here," answered Itachi. Seeing the puzzled look on their faces, he continued, "I'm really a Kage Bunshin that was made in secret last night before the real me left with Madara. My time is limited by what little chakra I have left. I came to deliver a message to the Sandaime, but neither he nor I can afford for us to be seen together. Instead, you are going to be my messenger." Itachi already used more chakra than he had expected to in his spar with Naruto.
- Flashback Interrupted –
"A message for me!?" exclaimed Hizuren, interrupting Naruto once more.
"Jiji!" shouted one exasperated eight-year-old. "If you interrupt again, I won't continue anymore."
"Sheesh, you're beginning to sound like Konohamaru," teased the adoptive grandfather.
"JIIJII! I'm not doing it anymore," said Naruto with a childish pout, inwardly enjoying the brief light moment that interrupted the serious narative.
Yeah, just like Konohamaru. "Okay, sorry. If you continue, I'll buy you lunch at Ichiraku's tomorrow."
- Flashback Resumed –
"Remember this Naruto-kun," continued Itachi, "Deliver this message only to the Sandaime. You are not to mention to anyone else this message or that you've seen me in this village. If you did, the village will brand you a traitor without giving you a chance to defend youself, and because of your … special condition … people will demand your blood for what happened to the Uchiha clan."
"Okay, I'm ready."
Itachi began, "Good, now look into my eyes. I'm going to seal this message into your memory with my Sharingan. My time is very limited now."
Focusing his cerulean blue eyes into Itachi's red-tomoed eyes, Naruto heard Itachi's voice burned into his memory.
"Hokage-sama, Danzou has made some questionable decisions since his contact with the Masked Shadow last month. For one, he had some of his ROOT agent infiltrate ANBU as his spies. Secondly, he made no plan of complying with your order to disband ROOT. He is not to be trusted anymore. Please keep an eye on him.
"Uchiha Madara is not dead. He is the famed missing-nin, the Masked Shadow. He is powerful and very dangerous, especially to Konoha, whom he carries a grudge against. Also he seemed to want my brother Sasuke for his own. I can't completely confirm this, but the evidence favors my suspicions.
"He tricked my little brother into believing that I was the only one there last night by using a powerful Sharingan genjutsu called Tsukuyomi. The genjutsu spell took place in Sasuke's mind where Madara had total control over what Sasuke experienced in the technique's make-believe world. There he also told Sasuke to kill his best friend to get the most powerful Sharingan, the Mangekyou Sharingan.
"I'm not quite sure why he sowed the seeds of hatred into Sasuke. I'm beginning to see how manipulative and conniving he is. No wonder he was able to trick the Kyuubi and used Tsukuyomi on her to force her to attack Konoha."
A low rumble echoed in Kyuubi's chest as she did her best to suppress the growl that begged for release. She would have scolded the Uchiha for bring up that unpleasant memory, but decided against doing so since the Kage Bunshin had nearly depleted its chakra. Of course Kyuubi's slight reaction was not recorded into Naruto's memory as the only voice heard by him while under the influence of the Sharingan was Itachi's.
The recording continued in Naruto's mind. "Madara is gathering missing-nins to form a secret organization called Akatsuki. He needs ten members, and so far he has five, including myself. Your wayward student, Orochimaru, is among the five. I'm not exactly sure what Madara plans to do with the Akatsuki; whatever it is, it can't be good.
"The night of the massacre, Madara was at the Uchiha compound, searching for two manuscripts. I believe they are the ones I gave Naruto-kun two nights ago; currently they are in the safekeeping of the Kyuubi. I think Madara fears the powerful techniques they contain. Somehow he can sense their presence if Naruto-kun was to unseal them from his mindscape. Please help him develop his mastery of the techniques described in them to his full potential. Whatever you do, don't have Naruto-kun take them out of his mindscape yet, at least not until he has mastered them and becomes strong enough to defeat Madara."
At this point, the bunshin started to flicker in and out of existence. Sensing his low chakra reserves, the clone ceased chakra flow to his Sharingan. Reaching into his attire, he pulled out his ANBU mask that his real self left behind before leaving with Madara and tossed it to Naruto.
"Naruto-kun, here, a parting present to prove to Hokage-sama that you've talked to me … train hard and grow stronger to protect everyone … watch out for my little brother …"
"Don't worry Weasel-san," promised Naruto as he caught the mask. "I won't let you down."
Then he was forced out of his mindscape to see the 'stranger' in front of him vanish in a cloud of smoke.
- End Flashback -
"Naruto, that's a lot to take in, even for me. How do you feel about all this?" asked Hizuren once he was sure Naruto had finished relaying Itachi's message.
"I don't know, Jiji," answered the exhausted blond with evident anxiety and frustration in his voice. "Life keeps getting weirder and weirder. First, I'm the jinchuriki of Kyuubi no Kitsune. Then, I'm Kyuubi's avenger. And now Itachi expects me to keep Madara from getting his hands on those manuscripts… I'm never going to be a normal little boy, am I?"
"Grandson, I believe you were destined for greatness the day you were born. You inherited the potential for greatness from your parents. It is in your blood." When he said this, the grandfather lifted his grandson and placed him on his lap.
Embracing Naruto in a hug, Sarutobi rocked him as he said soothingly, "Don't worry. Even if the sky falls down, Asuma and I will be there to hold it up for you. No matter what lies in your future, we will be right there with you."
Slowly the anxiety-filled boy melted into his grandfather's embrace; a moment later, he was asleep.
Seeing his adoptive grandson had fallen asleep in his arms, Hizuren placed Naruto in his bed and tucked him in. Before leaving the sleeping boy, the Hokage made a mental note to ask him about the manuscripts after they had their meeting with Asuma.
…o.0.O.0.o…
The next morning found Asuma and his father in Naruto's room behind a privacy jutsu, barring their confidential meeting from prying eyes and ears. After a brief conversation about how Naruto had slept his first night in his new home and how he felt about his room, the newly reinstalled Jounin turned the conversation towards a topic he thought his son would be more excited to talk about..
"So, Naruto," Asuma said as he leaned casually against the wall of the room, "tell me why you want me to train you."
"I want to grow stronger," replied Naruto with a frown, thinking the answer was obvious.
"Why do you want to grow stronger?" inquired the Sandaime.
"If I'm stronger, I can become the Hokage, and the villagers will respect me," answered the whiskered blond.
The two men were silent for a moment, giving Naruto a breather. Then, Asuma asked, "What if the villagers never accept you? What if you never become the Hokage?"
"Nani? Dad, why couldn't I become the Hokage?" asked the depressed boy. Looking down, he asked, "Is it because of what's inside of me?"
"Naruto, because of what's inside of you, you are a hero to Konoha. So, of course you can be Hokage. I'll make sure of it," reassured the Sandaime. Then, he explained, "Asuma asked those questions to let you know that those are not good enough reasons to get stronger and train harder."
"They aren't?" the spiky-haired blond asked with a frown. "Then what would be a good reason?"
"The Will of Fire," answered the Professor.
"The will of fire?" repeated Naruto this unusual phrase.
"It is the spirit of Konoha's past, present, and future. The Will of Fire shines brightly in the examples of the previous Hokages and in the spirit of the ninjas who sacrificed their lives for the good of the village and the protection of their precious people. Everyday in this village the Will of Fire is passed on from the older generation to the younger, from the Jounins to the Genins, and from the instructors to the students. Like Konohamaru, you too will inherit one … our Will of Fire," explained the Professor with a gentle smile.
"Really?" Naruto asked. He suddenly felt a little more proud of his place in this new family. Not only was he now a son and a grandson, but he was also the person to whom they would pass something exceedingly precious… if he understood the Sandaime correctly.
"Naruto, when I train you, I want you to remember that you are getting stronger, not for the selfish greed for power," Asuma said in a solemn voice, "but for your desire to better protect the village and your precious people."
"As I warned those of this clan who chose the way of ninja before you, I now state the same warning to you. If at anytime I sense that you have become bent on greed for power, I will personally end your career as a ninja," declared Sarutobi in all seriousness. "Being a part of this household affords you free access to our voluminous clan library of ninja techniques, and I can't allow such power to be abused."
"I understand, Jiji," answered Naruto. "I will find my precious people in this village, and I will grow stronger to protect them and the village. I'll be stronger than all the previous Hokages. I'll protect everyone with my life."
…o.0.O.0.o…
In an apartment a few blocks away from the Sarutobi compound sat two kunoichis eating breakfast. Today was Anko's turn to cook and Kurenai's to do the dishes. Anko made scrambled eggs and dango. As they ate, Kurenai vented her frustration to her friend about discovering Asuma to be the pervert at the hot springs two years ago.
"I don't think I can ever forgive Asuma for that," said the crimson-eyed genjutsu mistress who still could not get over having her trust betrayed by her former teammate.
Being somewhat of a sadist, Anko had a simple and, to her anyway, natural suggestion to help her friend feel better.
"Let's treat him to our pervert humiliation special," she said with a wicked smile. "We could let Yuugao in on it as well, since she was equally a victim in that incident."
Still hung up on feeling betrayed, Kurenai picked up her dining knife and shouted, "Urgh! That bastard! Let's castrate him!"
"Whoa, sister! Hold on," said Anko, looking a little uncharacteristically nervous. "You may never forgive him, but that doesn't mean I won't. Who knows? Those family jewels might come in handy in the future."
The last few words were said a little quieter, almost under Anko's breathe. They were so out of character with the normally sadistic kunoichi that they caused Kurenai to look up sharply. Her red eyes stared at her friend until Anko blushed and looked away. Kurenai smirked and rolled her eyes.
"So I was right. You have the hots for him."
"Heh … let's not jump to conclusions," the snake mistress snorted. Then, she added with a note of loneliness, "You know me and the men I dated … they all turned out to be one-night stands. They all wanted the same things, but just not the most important thing: me."
"Well, those scumbags weren't good enough for you anyway," comforted the wavy brunette. "You're better off without them."
Lowering her head to break eye-contact, Anko said the next words with faint resentment, one not unnoticed by her roommate.
"If you still have feelings for that smoke monkey, I'll try to flirt less around him. I do still have a reputation to keep, you know."
"We aren't like that anymore," Kurenai replied softly. "He and I can never be…."
It pained her to have to bury the feelings that she'd long had for Asuma, but she knew it was necessary. The hot spring incident affected her more than it did Anko or Yuugao because Asuma was her teammate at the time. She had trusted him with her life and more. Him being a drunk and a pervert notwithstanding, she would have forgiven him if he had remained and confessed to her, instead of running away and hiding. She might even have let him off if he'd simply come to her after he'd sobered up and explained what happened.
She used to think that he had left for such a long mission without saying good-bye because he did not want to deal with her feelings for him, that somehow she was not good enough for him. Knowing the real reason behind his two-year hiatus only made her feel worse. It would have been easy for their longstanding friendship to grow into something more, but his cowardice cost them any chance of happiness together.
"… I think eventually I'll forgive him, but I'll probably never trust him again. If you want him, he's yours."
Both kunoichis knew that without trust, no relationship could ever work. This was especially true for ninja couples who might be separated for weeks, if not months, at a time, depending on the length of their missions.
Plus, Kurenai was not one to stand in the way of her friends' potential happiness. This was doubly true for Anko, who hid her loneliness behind her sadistic flirts and promiscuous lifestyle. If Anko fell for Asuma and he was able to get her to drop her mask, Kurenai would do everything that a good friend could for the two of them to have a chance at love and happiness.
"Are you sure, roomie?" asked Anko, barely able to contain her eagerness.
"Yeah," answered Kurenai with a sigh. "By the way, what do you see in him anyway?"
"I'm not sure yet," replied Anko, taking a thoughtful bite of her dango. "All I know is that he's not like anyone I've ever met before."
…o.0.O.0.o…
In Naruto's room sat the three regulars engaging in a lively conversation about his training regiment. Sarutobi ordered Naruto and Asuma to keep Kyuubi's involvement a secret, including Naruto publicly addressing Kyuubi as a sensei. He would provide Naruto training on seals and chakra manipulations. Due to his village duties severely limiting his time, however, Sarutobi's training would mostly involve him directing Naruto in his self-study. He would pick out the right sequence of scrolls for Naruto to study on his own and answer any questions the boy might have as he went through them.
On the other hand, Asuma would be doing more of the hands-on training in taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu. Asuma was no expert in genjutsu, but he had picked up a few tricks from Kurenai over the years. During the discussion, Asuma recommended weights to Naruto for strength training and morning jogs to increase endurance. The next day, Naruto would be attending the Academy with children his age. Many of them had already started their attendance two years before him, at the age of six. Naruto would have a lot of catching up to do. As soon as their discussion was over, Asuma planned to show the spiky-haired blond how to mold chakra.
"I'm sorry Asuma, but can your training with Naruto wait until the afternoon?" asked Sarutobi. "I have a few things I need to discuss with Naruto alone."
"Sure Dad."
Once Asuma left the room, Sarutobi reapplied the privacy jutsu and asked his adoptive grandson, "Tell me everything you know about those two manuscripts."
"Actually I don't know a whole lot, but I'm sure Kyuubi-sensei does," replied Naruto. "I think she probably had to at least read through them to pick which one to teach me first. I wish you have those cool red eyes like Itachi. Then, you can join me and Kyuubi in my mindscape."
Sarutobi was quiet for a moment with a thoughtful expression on his face. Then his eyes lit up, and a small smile spread across his face.
"I believe I have an idea that might work, even without the Sharingan."
…o.0.O.0.o…
Leaving the Sarutobi compound, Asuma walked with a lit cigarette in his mouth. He looked to catch up with his long time friend Kakashi.
Though he was a year younger than Asuma, Kakashi had outranked him almost from the very beginning of their friendship, having swiftly advanced through the ninja ranks under the tutelage of two legends of Konoha, the Yellow Flash and the White Fang. It wasn't just the quality of training, however, that sped the silver-haired ninja though the ranks. Kakashi had something to prove. He wanted to earn back the honor lost by his father's decision to save his teammates in lieu of completing the mission … the honor of being a Hatake.
Asuma, on the other hand, had suffered the dwarfing pressure of being under the towering shadow of his father, who was known by the nicknames "god of the shinobi" and "The Professor." While he had access to the village's most coveted and comprehensive library of ninja techniques that his clan had collected over the years, Asuma had led a sheltered life and had no real motivation to train hard or advance quickly in rank. That was not to say he had not become strong in his own right under the guidance of his father. He was simply not as motivated as Kakashi was to announce his worth as a ninja to the world.
It seemed unlikely that two such different men would form such a close friendship, but differences didn't matter much when they were working together to complete difficult and dangerous missions. In fact, their differences had led to them developing skills which actually complimented each other, leading to many successful missions that might otherwise have ended in disaster. After years of such missions, they were closer than brothers in every way that mattered. Each would willingly give of his life to save the other.
As he continued on his journey to the ANBU headquarters, he noticed a familiar pervert basher sitting in a dango shop with her back toward him. He quickened his pace slightly in hopes of passing the kunoichi before getting caught.
"Tsch, tsch, Suma-kun, I'm offended that you think I wouldn't be able to detect you walking behind me," chided Anko without bothering to turn around to face her crush, "especially since you are the only ninja in Konoha that smokes that brand of minty cigarette."
"Suma-kun?" asked the bearded Jounin. Though completely clueless about Anko's feelings for him, he could not help but blush slightly on hearing her nickname for him.
"Why don't you come and join me?" offered Anko as she turned to wink at him while suggestively patting the stool next to her.
Asuma took a deep drag on his cigarette and then flicked it away as he walked toward the dango shop. He was unsure why everything Anko did quickened his heartbeat. Her smile, her wink, the way she patted the stool with her slender fingers, the way her back moved when she turned to him. Not even his former teammate Kurenai had such an effect on him. Perhaps it was because he had been deprived of any female contact for two years in the Guardian Monastery. Perhaps Anko was putting on her seductive charms as a way of payback for the hot springs incident. Perhaps Asuma was developing a feeling for the exotic beauty. Perhaps … the possibilities were too many. It would be too bothersome for Asuma to figure out why. He would rather just go with the flow, the way he had been doing all his life.
Asuma ended up passing time with Anko until he had to meet up with his adoptive son. Though both revealed little of themselves to each other, both had thoroughly enjoyed chatting casually and being in the other's company. The bearded Jounin had forgotten about wanting to catch up with his old friend.
…o.0.O.0.o…
The feline-masked ninja remained hidden in the tree as he watched the raven-haired boy clean up the desecrated grounds of what used to be one of the strongest clans in Konoha. It had been two days since the Uchiha Massacre. Even though the ANBU had gone through it to properly dispose of the dead bodies and D-ranked missions had assisted in cleaning the place, the sole Uchiha survivor still found himself with a lot of work to do. Throughout the morning, the top student of the Ninja Academy had yet to notice the spying nin, who remained hidden until he chose to make his presence known.
Tsume and her two children, Hana and Kiba, made their way toward the Uchiha compound. During the previous night's council meeting, Tsume and Danzou were each given permission to present their offer to Sasuke. After explaining what they were offering him and why, they were to give Sasuke the rest of the day to think before announcing his decision before the council. The Inuzuka Clan Head decided that she would approach Sasuke first. Finally reaching the once heavily guarded entrance of the Uchiha compound, Tsume announced their presence and entered with her children in tow.
Glad to be interrupted from the monotony of cleaning and the morbid thoughts of why the chores needed to be done, Sasuke rushed to greet his first visitors since that fateful night and was pleasantly surprised to find his fellow classmate Kiba, a tiny puppy in his hands, standing beside his mother and sister.
After bowing to Tsume, Sasuke addressed her in honorifics befitting of a Clan Head.
"You do not need to be so formal Sasuke-kun," reassured Kiba's mother. "A mere 'Tsume' will do. By the way, I've've heard that you've discharged yourself from the hospital."
"Yes, Tsume-san," replied Sasuke, choosing not to explain that he had left because he found hospital rooms overwhelmingly morbid and sterile. "Would you like to follow me to the dojo room?"
"'Tsume-san' is still too formal for my taste. We'll just have to work on that," commented Tsume.
"Nani?" remarked Sasuke, confused as to the meaning behind the dog tamer's words.
"Don't worry. I'll explain everything in due time," Tsume said with a kind smile. "Just lead the way."
Once they were inside the dojo room they all sat on the mats, Sasuke on one side, the Inuzukas on the other. After a few exchanged pleasantries, Tsume explained the council's decision to the eight-year old.
"Nani? You still want to adopt me even though you'll give up the right to have the Sharingan added to your clan's bloodline?" asked a puzzled raven-haired boy. "What's in it for you then?"
"Hmph," remarked Hana with a smirk. "Don't think too highly of your Sharingan, or too lowly of human nature. We Inuzukas are loyal to a T, and it's in our blood to care for those strayed."
"Listen!" shouted Sasuke. "I don't need your pity. Besides, I heard that there's another 'stray' in the village you can adopt. No adult seemed to want their kids near him. Why don't you go practice your charity there?"
"That's enough Sasuke," rebuked Tsume with a motherly authority. "Don't take offense in the term 'strayed.' We use it quite often in our dealing with our companions – our dogs. I assure you that the term is not meant to be demeaning when we use it."
She paused as to think of an answer for his question concerning the infamous orphan. Fortunately her daughter replied for her. "We would have adopted Naruto if it wasn't for a few of my dogs. For some reason, they couldn't get along with him and we didn't want to bring him into our family if we couldn't make him feel completely comfortable."
"Fine, but that still doesn't explain why you want to adopt me," Sasuke replied with a shake of his head. " Your dogs might like me better, or whatever, but you're still just getting stuck with someone like…" his voice trailed off as he tried to think of the right words to describe himself, but the only thing his thoughts managed to produce was a lump in his throat that he couldn't quite swallow.
"I'm not doing this because I pity you," said Tsume soothingly. "I want you to be a part of my family because I don't believe that anyone should be alone. We will always treat you with love, respect, and kindness. You will never have to be alone again, Sasuke-kun."
"I want to believe it," whispered Sasuke while tears that welled up in his eyes. He started to cry uncontrollably, hissing in between breath, as he said the next words. "I want to believe you, but…. I don't know how to forget. I don't want to move on and be part of a new family, I want…. I miss my old family."
Tsume stood, crossed the space between them, and then sat directly in front of Sasuke, gently putting a hand on his shoulder and looking him in the eyes.
"Sasuke-kun, I know that we can never replace your family. I'm not here to be a replacement for your mother. I just want the opportunity to help you heal and eventually learn to move on with your life. I don't want you to force yourself to forget the painful tragedy, nor do I want that pain to dominate you for the rest of your life. I want to help you treasure the good memory you had with your old family while making new ones together."
She waited to see if he would respond or ask another question and then added, "Just think about it, okay?"
"Meanwhile, I'll leave your present here with you," said Kiba as he too stood and approached Sasuke. He gave the puppy that had been resting peacefully in his arms an affectionate scratch behind the ears and then held it out to Sasuke.
The puppy and Sasuke bonded like long lost friends. The former wagged its tail playfully while licking the dark-haired boy's cheek. The latter found himself unable to hold in a small, almost reluctant, giggle at the puppy's antics. It seemed like Hana still knew how to pick them after all.
"You'll need this," Hana said as she handed him a basket full of puppy food and other puppy care items.
To the lonely boy who just lost his family, what he wanted and needed the most was what the Inuzukas were offering him. Just when Sasuke was about to agree on being adopted by Tsume, the woman raised her hand to interrupt.
"Fair's fair. You must hear Danzou's proposal first before making a decision."
Though she knew that was the right thing to do, she got the feeling that she would regret later for not accepting his answer right away.
The feline-masked ninja spied on their conversation from his concealed location. He was raised from birth not to have any emotions. However, listening to the Inuzuka matriarch's moving conversation made him wonder how he would turn out if he was extended such an offer, instead of the ROOT regiment. Still, if his master's theory on the Uchiha was true, his offer for the boy to attain power would be hard for him to resist.
Though the ROOT branch was officially disbanded by the Hokage, Danzou was not going to cast off the blood and sweat he poured into his pet project without a fight. The old war hawk had deliberately withheld his punishment from his subordinates. None of them knew of his demotion from the advisor position or of the order to disband ROOT.
Hokage or not, Danzou would be damned if he was to comply with the senile old fool's demands.
As the Inuzukas bid their good-byes, Tsume turned her head toward the concealed ROOT-nin and said, "You can come out now. Remember to play fair like we did."
Sasuke followed Tsume's gaze and saw a masked ninja jump down from the tree branch on which he'd been standing. Slowly and as nonthreatening as possible, the masked nin walked towards the raven-haired boy.
'He was here all this time, and I didn't even notice. Could this Danzou guy be my ticket to gain the power I need to kill my brother?'
As he was thinking this, Sasuke clutched the puppy in his arms a little tighter, seeking comfort in its company.
The masked ninja stopped when he was a few feet in front of the massacre survivor. No words were exchanged as none were needed. Sasuke led him back to the same dojo room.
"Could you please remove your mask?" asked Sasuke once they were behind the privacy of the doors of the dojo room.
"I'm afraid that would not be possible," replied the ROOT agent. "My identity needs to remain a secret at the moment. Should you accept my master's offer, however, I will become your private instructor. Only then will I remove my mask if you still remain curious."
"Who is your master, and what is his offer?" asked Sasuke whose interest was clearly piqued by the mystery surrounding the ninja and whoever that sent him.
"My master is Danzou-sama," explained the masked ninja. "He serves as one of the personal advisors to the Hokage and is the leader of a special division in ANBU called ROOT." After pausing slightly for that information to sink in, he continued, "Danzou-sama would like you to enroll in the ROOT training program."
Technically, on paper and as far as how Danzou had been presenting the idea to the Hokage, the advisors and the council, Danzou was another option for Sasuke to be adopted. The Council as a whole never approved enrolling Sasuke into ROOT, and the Hokage had dismissed that idea out right, in no uncertain terms. The only way for Danzou to enroll Sasuke was to "adopt" him as a son, at least on paper. Danzou planned to turn Sasuke into a weapon of ROOT under the guise of the adoption.
Sasuke was silent for a moment, thinking over the differences between the two meetings. With Tsume, he had received warmth, compassion, and a range of other human emotions, but most importantly, he'd been given comfort. With Danzou's agent, however, everything was cold, lifeless, and all business.
There was something else more important that Sasuke noticed about this ROOT agent. He carried himself like someone who was powerful and had been so for so long that he was as used to it as he was to breathing.
It reminded him a little of the way Itachi had carried himself.
"Tell me more about the ROOT training."
…o.0.O.0.o…
When Naruto arrived at the Sarutobi training ground, he found his adoptive father already there sitting in the lotus position meditating with his eyes closed.
Sneaking up to him, Naruto waved his left hand in front of Asuma's face and got no reaction. Putting on his prankster cap, the eight-year old carefully slipped his adoptive father's cigarette pack out of his Jounin vest and proceeded to walk away to find a hiding place for it.
"Naruto, stop right there," said Asuma without opening his eyes or changing the expression on his face.
"Okay, Chimchim-san, you've caught me," admitted Naruto as he stopped briefly from advancing away.
"I've told you not to call me that," said Asuma with a tick mark on his face.
"But that's what Doggy-san called you," said Naruto, slowly inching away. It had been too long since Naruto pulled his last prank… well, too long for Naruto anyway.
Asuma didn't miss the movement. "Naruto, give me back my cigarettes!" he shouted as he rose to his feet to chase after him.
"You'll have to catch me first," said the laughing blond as he sped off across the Sarutobi compound, bring a smile to faces of those who saw their chase. "Besides, you'll live longer without them and have more money to buy me ramen."
"NARUUTOO!"
…o.0.O.0.o…
At the appointed meeting time, Sasuke appeared before the Hokage, his two advisors, Danzou, and Tsume. In his arms was the little puppy, which he named Chame, for its playful disposition.
"Sasuke, I've heard that you've been approached by Tsume and Danzou and have been made aware of their offer to you. Is that correct?" asked the Sandaime as he smiled inwardly at seeing how Sasuke bonded with his new companion. Hizuren hoped the raven-haired boy would make the right choice.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The five members before him leaned in and awaited his answer.
"So, what is you decision?" asked Tsume, anxious for his response.
"I choose … both."
…o.0.O.0.o…
A/N: I like to thank KyLewin for all his hard work in beta-ing this chapter. Your help was invaluable, as always.
This is the longest, over 10,400 words, and by far the most difficult chapter I've ever written. It has more of a serious tone to it, but it has the fighting goodness that I know many of you enjoy.
There was also a lot that I needed to cover this chapter before I time skip to the next, Genin Exam.
So did you get it all?
Itachi was the stranger Naruto bumped into. Kushina was Itachi's private sensei. Naruto could defeat anyone that appeared in his mindscape as long as they were not another master of the Nine Stances. Anko and Asuma had a first unofficial date. The Inuzukas gave Sasuke a dog. Sarutobi was able to talk to the Kyuubi somehow and learned about the manuscripts (though it was only implied in the story). Madara wanted the manuscripts for himself and could somehow sense their aura, which had become undetectable when sealed in Naruto's mindscape. Sasuke chose both Inuzuka and Danzou.
Whew….
Don't forget to leave a review!
Next … timeskip … Chapter 7: Genin Exam!