Chapter 5
Assessment
All was quiet when the young woman excused herself and left the Hokage's office, it remained quiet for a few fleeting moments after, and only after Hiruzen Sarutobi took a long puff of his pipe did he turn to his chief information extractor. Chocolate brown orbs locked with dark blue for a handful of heartbeats, then finally the old man closed his eyes in contemplation "Inoichi, I want you to tell me whatever extra information you were able to glean from her mind. Her life, the circumstances surrounding their flight from Kumo, Everything"
The Yamanaka clan head nodded "Of course Hokage-sama, but my gleaning of her life was little to nothing. I did not pay much attention to those memories"
"I understand" the Sandaime replied "But still, tell me what you have learned"
"Hai" Inoichi said, before clearing his throat and taking a breath "She was made host to the Biju at the age of two. Her parents both died during the Third Shinobi World War along with most of her clan, and what few members survived died in the border skirmishes with us four years ago, all but her sister"
Hiruzen nodded his head. The Third Shinobi World War struck every country in the Elemental Nations hard. Konohagakure and her allies had been attacked by an alliance of Suna and Iwa, while at the same time Iwagakure was waging a war with Kumogakure to retake land usurped during the Second Shinobi World War some ten years before. Many small nations had been swallowed up by Tsuchi no Kuni during that war, including Kaijin no Kuni and Uzu no Kuni. Several independent Shinobi clans, once numbering in the hundreds before the war were almost completely wiped off the face of the earth.
"If she lost family to the border skirmishes then wouldn't that mean she may not see Konoha in a good light?" Jiraiya asked, truly curious.
Inoichi shrugged "She mourned their deaths, but she held no hate to anyone. It seemed that she just wanted the war to end, and was happy about the upcoming peace talks. But when the Head Ninja revealed his plans she felt disgusted and betrayed"
"I see" Hiruzen replied, then motioned him to continue.
"It was while she stalked out of the hotel to clear her head that she ran into Naruto. He was being chased by a deranged old man and ran into her. Yugito protected him from the old goat, rattled him a good bit too…but then the fool spilled that he was a Jinchuriki. The ANBU tried to dispel her opinions, but obviously it didn't work" he stopped to catch a breath "The attempt failed and she was retreating to a rendezvous point when she ran into Naruto again. He was locked out of the orphanage, soaked to the bone. She took him and fled back to Kumo with a few survivors"
"Hmm" Sarutobi hummed in deep thought, stopping a frown from forming. He was going to have ANBU bring in the orphanage workers responsible and send them to Ibiki for a few hours, should scare them good.
"She took him in. According to her memories Naruto was a mess, albeit a well concealed one. It took her two months to get him to open up to her, another six months before he became a regular kid again"
"So what happened in Kumo to warrant their fleeing?"
"An elder, Sakamoto or something like that, sabotaged Naruto's training in taming the Kyubi…or so she believes" Inoichi replied "He got the council to back him and overruled the Raikage. Naruto was forced apart from Yugito and her sister, and after three days she snapped and went after him" he shook his head, disturbed by the image of a pale Naruto, looking beat up and almost deathly tired "Whatever the man put him through was harsh, and if she hadn't have gotten him out when she did then…I don't know what would have happened"
Both Hiruzen and Jiraiya looked at Inoichi expectantly, awaiting any further information "The rest you can piece together. She fled Kumo, had Hunter-nin sent after her…then she met Jiraiya-sama"
The Sandaime Hokage leaned back in his chair, taking a long puff of his pipe, silence persevered for several heartbeats before the Yamanaka clan head cleared his throat and spoke again "If I may speak Hokage-sama" the old man nodded "It will only be a matter of time until the village realises that Naruto is back, and while hatred for the Kyubi has decreased over the years it has not vanished…especially among the civilian council"
"I agree" Jiraiya piped up "And the fact that his protector is also a Jinchuriki will make them really fuss about it…safeguards need to put in place for their protection"
The Sandaime nodded "The rule pertaining Naruto's condition is still in effect, we just add her to the rule. Simple as that…no one who already knows should know. Yugito is prohibited from using her powers in the village unless it is a life-or-death situation"
Both men nodded "You will have the support of my clan if their identities become known, Hokage-sama" Inoichi spoke up "And while I cannot say for certain you will probably have the support of the Akimichi, Nara and Inuzuka"
The aging Hokage nodded with a small smile "Thank you, Inocihi-san. Know I have kept you from your family for too long, you are excused"
"Thank you, Hokage-sama" the blonde replied, before turning and leaving the office.
Silence prevailed for several heartbeats as Sarutobi and Jiraiya starred at each other, finally after a long moment the Sandaime Hokage spoke "Was there a need to reveal your position as Narutos godfather?"
The Gama-Sennin shrugged "I stayed as a shadow once, and I failed to protect him. I won't fail a second time"
"Jiraiya" Hiruzen said firmly "I understand your wish to protect Naruto, but your closeness to Minato and Kushina will raise questions on who the boys parents were, and if rumours spread to other villages then the boys life will be at risk"
"I understand Sarutobi-sensei. I understand that you want Naruto to be old enough to be able to protect himself before you reveal his parentage to him and the village" the Sannin replied, leaning forward "But I refuse to just sit idly by and watch any longer, I made a promise to both Minato and Kushina and I will live up to it this time"
"So you plan on telling him that you're his godfather" the Hokage asked, and at his students nod sighed "You know the question he will ask"
"And I will answer him"
Sarutobi frowned, sagging into his chair "I can't convince you otherwise, can I?"
"Too late for that old man, the dye has been caste"
"Yes" he replied, before finding something interesting about his desk "Remove the seal, and then take them to your apartment"
"Hai" Jiraiya replied, and for the first time in years left the Hokage's office not through the window, but through the door. With care he walked across the ringed corridors of the palaces top level, his nose picking up the smells of the worn oak walls and enjoying the fading rays of the setting sun. This was one of the first structures to be built, right under the grand cliff face of the Hokage Mountain. This great building was the central pillar of the village, the other buildings and roads snaking from it like the veins and arteries of some great creature.
Finally he came to his destination, and opening the door saw both Yugito and Naruto speaking in hushed tones, seemingly ignoring the three ANBU guards in the rafters above. They obviously knew they were there. Both looked up when they saw Jiraiya enter. The kid was still unsure of him, but the older blonde gave him an amused smile "What's up Ero-Sennin"
"Ero-Sennin" He asked, in both mild shock and agitation "Ero-Sennin!?"
"Something the kid thought up there now" she replied with a smirk "Personally I think it fits"
"Don't call me that" he whined childishly "It'll ruin my reputation"
Both blondes raised eyebrows at this, and it was Naruto who spoke, his voice laced with scepticism "You have a reputation"
"Course I do brat" Jiraiya replied indignantly, before turning to face Yugito "I am the great and powerful Jiraiya!"
"The ship on your reputation has sailed old man" Yugito muttered.
"Hey!"
"What? It's true!"
Jiraiya sighed, before fixing his gaze on the older blonde "The Hokage has given the go ahead to removing the seal" He motioned to a couch at the side of the small meeting chamber "Lye on there for me, and I'll get this done"
Yugito frowned at him, then nodded and turned to Naruto "Could you wait outside for a moment cub? I have some business to take care off"
"Removing the seal, huh?"
"Yea"
"I heard that that really hurts" he said, as if absently, yet she could see the worry in his expressive blue eyes.
She gave him a grin "Don't worry, I bet you I've felt worse"
"I'll make it as quick as I can" the Sannin added "So she won't be in pain for long"
As an ANBU led Naruto out of the room Jiraiya waited for his charge to lye down on the couch, and pull up her black shirt just enough to reveal her navel, and the seal surrounding it. He inspected it for a moment. It was a simple seal compared to the one on Naruto, but whoever created it knew how strong it needed to be to keep the Nibi safely contained, yet weak enough to allow the Jinchuriki to tap into its power source.
"So how is this going to work?"
"I'd grit my teeth if I were you" was his reply as he looked into her almond eyes. He blurred through a set of hand signs, coating his palm in fiery blue chakra, and placing it on her stomach muttered a single word "Kai!"
A sizzling sound followed as the suppression seal was basically burned off her skin. Yugitos hands dug into the leather sofa, sharpened nails piercing through. She grit her teeth as her skin felt like it was being burned, proud that all she allowed through her lips was a pained whimper. Finally, mercifully, Jiraiya removed his hand and her pain slowly numbed to an ache. Yugito felt her chakra flow through her body again, like a soothing balm just under her flesh, and a voice echoed inside her head.
"Hello, Kitten"
"Hello, Nibi"
"So what I miss?"
"We've just been granted sanctuary by the Sandaime Hokage, and Jiraiya of the Sannin"
"Humph, humans and their titles" the Biju replied, before being silent for a while, as if in contemplation.
"Oi, lady" Jiraiya called "Are you done fazing out or what?"
"Sorry" she replied.
"Best get going to this apartment of yours and get some sleep" the Nekomata piped up "You have a ranking examination tomorrow"
Five minutes is a little late.
Fifteen minutes is a little late.
Even half an hour can be contributed as a little late if it was sweet coated enough.
Two hours is not a little late. Two hours is a blatant insult.
The young woman had waited patiently in the clearing for a half an hour, and then she started pacing. At the moment Yugito was falling upon her basic feline instincts. She had found a shaded resting place, under one of the perimeter trees, where she could relax and wait for her extremely late proctor to arrive.
It had all seemed to be going well for her. After an uncomfortable mind examination by the Yamanaka, who also was the clan head of said clan, she had been cleared of any possible involvement in the Hyuga incident four years ago. She did kidnap Naruto, but the Sandaime considered bringing him back gave her a clean slate. Jiraiya had removed the seal that cut off her chakra, and after a conversation with the Nibi to fill her in she and Naruto were escorted to their new apartment.
During the short walk she was relieved that they were led there in the evening, when nearly no one was around, and those who they did pass didn't seem to recognise Naruto. Yugito, truth be told was worried when, not if, the population learned that he was back. She worried what they might do to him. Jiraiya had tried to reassure her, but Yugito had told him that if his life was threatened by anyone she would use crippling, or even deadly force. The Sannin just smirked and gave her permission to do so.
His exact words were "Good, rip the bastard's limb from limb"
She had been surprised yet again, expecting him to try and convince her just to detain them or wait for the ANBU to intervene. Instead he basically gave her permission to dismember anyone who threatened Narutos life, and made it abundantly clear that he would do the same.
The apartment was located at the edge of the Shinobi district of the village, a block away from the market district. It was at the top level of a three storey apartment block. A beautifully furnished accommodation whose front door lead to an open plan living room, fully furnished with a couch and two chairs, a large window, leading to a balcony giving a beautiful view of the village. To the right were a set of doors, each leading to a bedroom. Two were single bedrooms while the other one was a master bedroom containing a king sized double bed, both of which had their very own en suite bathrooms. To the left was a live in kitchen with everything they needed, but the lack of food in the fridge and freezer meant that Yugito would need to start making an income fast to keep them fed.
Jiraiya said he would help them financially until she was certified as a Shinobi of Konoha, which took a load of worry from her mind. She had slept well in her king sized bed, enjoying being able to stretch her body out. When she awoke at eight in the morning her first instinct was to check on Naruto, and finding him sound asleep in his own room left to get ready for her examination, putting her full trust in the two ANBU watching the apartment from a nearby tree.
Yugito was a woman who prided herself on her ability, but she also knew her weaknesses. She had above average chakra reserves, almost Kage level. A master in Taijutsu, particularly in her families fighting style, and by extension had a talent in Kenjutsu. Her Ninjutsu was decent, although she always strived to improve. Her arsenal containing a small yet diverse array of lightning and earth release Jutsu, as well as an array of clone, substitution and fast movement techniques. It was Genjutsu, the art of illusion, that she considered her weak point. All Yugito knew was how to recognise and dispel illusions, as well as a handful of basic styles.
Slowly she opened her eyes just a creak and checked the suns position, it was almost midday and he still hadn't arrived. Even the ANBU shadowing her in a nearby tree looked a little agitated. With a sigh Yugito stretched her tired muscles with a groan. If he didn't arrive know he never would. A shadow fell upon her, and her eyes flew open to see the silhouette of a man.
"Hey there" he greeted in a relaxed voice.
"You're my examiner?" she asked, physically relaxing while her mind was in turmoil. I didn't feel him approach.
"Yup"
"You're three hours late" she intoned before rising to her feet, stretching her muscles again as she took a look at the Shinobi before her.
"Two and a half actually" the man replied sheepishly "And as to why…Well you see a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the scenic route"
Somehow Yugito knew this was a lie.
The man standing before her was definitely a Jonin by his vest. He wore a black jacket and pants under it with the usual sandals. His hair was silver, with spikes that seemed to defy gravity; skin was a cream colour with a brown right eye, the left hidden behind a leaf headband, and the lower half of his face covered behind a black mask.
"Hatake Kakashi" she said, half in awe, half in disbelief "The Copy-nin is my examiner"
"Good, that means we know each other" Kakashi replied "Nii Yugito, The Azure Cat"
Kakashi Hatake, known across the elemental nations as the Copy-nin, a renowned A-class Shinobi who was said to have copied nearly a thousand Jutsu with his Sharingan eye. A veteran of the Third Shinobi World War, student to the Yondaime Hokage himself, and he was her examiner. There were rumours that he was one of the candidates for Hokage when the old man eventually retired.
Yugito was forced from her thoughts when she saw that he was walking towards the centre of the training field, and wordlessly followed. The clearing was large and mostly just grassland with a single stream of crystal clear water running through it. Three stumps stood in the middle of the open space, looking warn from use.
"Now, Hokage-sama has asked me to thoroughly test you in the Shinobi arts" Kakashi explained as he turned to face her, his one visible eye curled up "So I must apologise"
This confused her "Apologise for what?"
She could swear he was smiling behind his mask "For this"
Suddenly a pair of hands exploded from the earth beneath her feet, grabbing onto her ankles and giving a strong pull. Yugito only had time to give a startled squeak before she was buried up to her neck in dirt. She looked around, before seeing the form of Kakashi explode with a pop into a mass of white smoke.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" She cursed under her breath.
"Correct" Kakashi replied, kneeling down in a crouch beside her, eyes closed in amusement "Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu" he rose to his feet and sighed theatrically "I was expecting a little more from you"
Yugito smirked "What, you thought I was just lying under that tree, in full view, on purpose?"
Kakashi was about to ask her to elaborate, but then a pair of hands exploded from the ground where he stood, grabbing onto his ankles and giving a strong pull. Before the Jonin knew it he was up to his neck in dirt, watching as Yugitos head turned brown and seemed to implode, melding perfectly with the dirt.
"Tsuchi Bunshin no Jutsu" Kakashi muttered under his breath, finding an incredible irony in the role reversal.
"Correct" Yugito replied, mimicking Kakashi's stance from a moment before, crouched and eyes closed in a wide Cheshire cats grin "Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu"
"You know what" Kakashi said before he exploded into a mass of white smoke with a pop, a voice was heard behind her "I think I might be starting to like you, Yugito-san"
Smiling herself Yugito rose to her feet and turned to see Kakashi, standing a few feet away "The feeling is mutual, Kakashi-san" A move within a move. The earth trap was to test if I had the foresight to see it coming, and if I was capable of performing a counter.
She definitely has experience, and intelligent to boot. Kakashi thought to himself, watching the woman's every movement, no matter how subtle. The rumours of the Azure Cat appear to have held a hint of truth.
"Okay, I doubt either one of us has the patience to sit through an entire day of examinations and tests. So I'll make this simple, a single examination which will test all of your abilities as a Shinobi" he reached into one of the satchels of his vest, pulling out a kunai knife "You have until midday to defeat me. Use every aspect within your arsenal, including weapons and Jutsu. But the Hokage has decreed that you may not draw upon the power of your tenant"
She looked at him questioningly, not surprised that her proctor knew her secret "Why not?"
"He wants to see how strong you are without having to call upon the Nekomata" Kakashi explained "Here we believe that a Shinobi's true strength comes from his or her own abilities, not those gained from a foreign power. Sarutobi-sama wants to see if your reputation was gained through your own powers or those of your tenant"
She frowned, before nodding. That put her trump card out of play. Still she wasn't defenceless "Alright, if that's a stipulation of the test then I accept it"
His visible eye curled up, and she could have sworn he was smiling again. Then it happened, Kakashi threw the knife, the blade soaring towards her in a blur. Yugitos hand blurred in response, reaching into her kunai holster to grab said weapon, and throwing it on an intercept trajectory. The two knifes met, clashing off each other and spinning in opposite directions.
She looked up to see Kakashi coming straight at her, hand grasping another kunai. She acted accordingly, drawing her katana from the small of her back and bringing it up just in time to counter the stab. Both blades met, screeching off each other for a handful of heartbeats. The attack was a feint, Kakashi disengaged and spun, bringing up his right leg for a strong kick to her abdomen. Yugito took it, being sent flying backwards, hand losing grip of her sword. She righted her fall, curling her body into a ball and somersaulting to the ground, landing in a crouch.
She rose and spun around, falling into the Black Tiger fighting stance and blocking a straight punch. Kakashi didn't relent for a moment, pressing his attack forward with a flurry of quick punches, swipes and kicks which Yugito quickly and efficiently intercepted. Yet every time she tried to counter with a grapple she found him just out of her reach. This man was familiar with her family's hand-to-hand style.
She ducked a spinning heel kick and coming down in a crouch lashed out with her right leg in a sweep. The Sharingan user jumped high in a chakra propelled leap, easily evading her leg sweep and, both hands slipping into his vest satchels unleashed a handful of shuriken upon her.
Using the spring of her bent knees Yugito jumped back, watching the throwing stars imbed themselves into the dirt before countering with her own flurry, but she added a twist. As her hand gripped three kunai she exerted her chakra, coating the blades with a film of lightning before throwing them. The adage of the element increased their speed and killing power exponentially.
Kakashi saw the attack coming, and managed to spin in midair, missing the blades by a few millimetres. He landed on his feet, skidding slightly to stop his spin and keep his balance. He cast a look to where the knives went only for his one visible eye to widen slightly. Two of the kunai imbedded themselves to the ring in the dirt, while the other went straight through the bark of a tree.
"Lightning coated kunai huh?" he mumbled before turning to face his opponent "Impressive. Lightning element is one of the hardest to manipulate, to be able to gather it and hone it until it is as sharp as a blade takes some considerable chakra control"
"I spent most of my young life going through chakra control training" Yugito explained "I was born with Kage level chakra reserves, yet next to no control. It took a trying training schedule and years of practise to finally get it"
"Does Naruto have the same problem?"
She frowned at the question "Why do you want to know?"
"Curiosity" he replied nonchalantly "I'm just wondering if being born with high level chakra reserves is common among Jinchuriki"
She hated that name, but found enough patience to qualm herself saying as such. After a moment she relented "He has chakra reserves which dwarf mine, but I've been working with him on it, and he has greatly improved"
"I'm sure he has" Kakashi said, eyeing her for a moment before changing the subject "Your control of your Ninjutsu is superb, and your Taijutsu is excellent, though you seem to know only one style"
"My family style" Yugito answered, surprised he gleaned so much from such a short exchange "Why?"
"No reason" the Copy-nin replied "It's just that most Shinobi of Jonin level in Konohagakure tend to know the basics of at least two to three different fighting styles, to make their movements as unpredictable as possible. Yet you seem to only know one, and that would be a problem. It makes your movements predictable and easy to counter"
Most people would have found this observation insulting, but Yugito nodded instead "So what do you recommend?"
Kakashi looked thoughtful for a moment "I would recommend that you stop holding back Yugito-san. It is well known that the stipulation to know at least three different Taijutsu arts is common practise for Jonin in Kumogakure as well"
The Nibi Jinchuriki sighed, before changing her stance from her clan fighting style to the fighting art favoured by the Yotsuki, an art that specialised in conjunction with Kenjutsu. She sprinted for her katana, grabbing the hilt and forcing it from the ground as she passed. Yugito turned to see Kakashi right on her, his masked face a few inches from her own, his own katana drawn and falling in a diagonal stroke.
She brought her sword up, expertly intercepting her opponents, and lashed out with her foot in a sweeping kick, aimed for his side. Kakashi jumped away, the foot barely grazing him, yet it seemed to be just as she expected, for Yugito went on the offensive. She swung and stabbed out with her katana fluently, like a dancer in motion, and watched as Kakashi blocked and parried her every stroke. But he was continuously backpedalling, barely keeping his balance. Yugito did not give him a chance to recover, she went in for a feint and lashed out with her foot again, catching him in the abdomen and sending him flying across the grassland, landing on his back and back flipping to his feet.
This was the Yotsuki Dragon Claw Style Kenjutsu; a sword art which depended on quick strikes, slashes and stabs, acrobatic movements and quick strikes from knees and feet. With this style the practitioner always had to be in motion. She was not a master of the art, not by a long shot, but she was good enough to be considered a mid-level practitioner.
Kakashi had just gathered his bearings when he saw Yugito come at him again, sword held ready. He spread his legs, brought up his own katana defensively and waited for her to come to him. When she was within range he stabbed out, only to see her duck to the side, performing a chakra enhanced somersault over his head, coming down behind him and lashing out with her own sword. Kakashi was just able to spin around and block.
He parried the blade and stabbed out, aiming for her shoulder, only to see her dart to the right and bring him on the defensive again. Kakashi was no slouch when it came to Kenjutsu, but he had to admit that with this woman he was outmatched. He needed to get some distance and allow him usage of some of his Ninjutsu.
Then he had it, secretly he reached into his thigh holster, retrieving a few smoke bombs. As Yugito came running at him again he threw them onto the ground, causing them to explode and fill the surrounding area with a thick cloud of smoke.
"Not good enough" Yugito said as she rushed into the smoke, her hyperactive senses feeling a slight spike in chakra before picking up her opponent. He was rushing in from her left and wide open. Yugito spun, stabbing out with her katana, expecting the Copy-Nin to block, deflect or dodge, instead her enhanced hearing picked up the sound of steel piercing flesh. She watched as Kakashi threw himself onto her sword, eyes widening in horror as he grimaced in pain, his mask dampening from blood dribbling from his mouth.
Then his eyes curled up in an eye smile "Got you"
Yugito looked down and scowled when she saw that instead of blood flowing from the wound it was water, and as she looked up she watched as the body turned transparent and fell in on itself. She reeled back. The stream, he made a clone out of the water in the stream "Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!"
She turned to the stream to see Kakashi standing on the waters surface, going through a mass of seals, a lot of seals, meaning that he was about to release a very powerful Jutsu. The Nibi Jinchuriki made to intercept, but she was already too late. Finishing with the sign for the roster the Copy-nin called out the name of his attack, and the once serene river began to bubble "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu"
The water in the river seemed to explode, and a massive form became visible. A long neck, made entirely of water, leading up to a frill of horns and a rapidly forming long snouted head, a mouth full of teeth opened, crimson eyes starred mercilessly at her. The water dragon threw its head back and roared before soaring forward on a collision course with her.
In response Yugito sheathed her blade and blurred through a set of hand seals, all the while the long creature of condensed water came ever closer, maw open to swallow her whole. Just in time she finished her seals and kneeling to the ground slammed her hands into the earth, shouting out the incantation for the Jutsu "Doton: Doryūheki"
The earth before her began to crack and heave, and within moments a massive wall of rock and dirt shot out of the ground before her, nearly twelve meters high and hardened further by her own chakra. Barely a second after the wall erected the water dragon smashed head on into it with an incredible explosion, the pressure from the water Ninjutsu making the wall crack and its edges snap off. As soon as it started it stopped, and Yugito breathed a sigh of relief.
Her relief was short lived as Sharingan Kakashi used the water Jutsu to his advantage and used to distraction to outmanoeuvre her defences. She spun around to see him rushing towards her at high speed and with a quickness born from years of experience. Yugito brought her hands together, forming the signs for the boar and dragon. She blocked his downward fist and came forward with a palm, densely infused with lightning release chakra. "Raiton: Muhi"
Just as she was about to connect she looked into his eyes, only to see that his headband was moved up to his forehead, revealing his other eye, a crimson iris with three small black tomoe markings which seemed to spin around the pupil of their own accord. Yutigo looked into his left eye, her almond orbs unable to leave it, as if hypnotised. She was hypnotised. Something solid connected with her abdomen, sending her flying back and hitting the ground hard.
That was the Sharingan, a three tomoe Sharingan. Yugito thought, before cursing under her breath. Shit.
A circle of leaves flew around her, as if she was caught in a tornado with her in the eye. As suddenly as the leaves circled they fell away, leaving her standing in the landscape she remembered standing on before. Yugito looked around with a frown, eyes sharp, scanning for anything out of the ordinary.
"Mom"
She turned around, gasping at what she saw. Lying on the ground, his eyes open and blank to the world around him was Naruto. His body covered in blood, mating his hair and skin crimson. Yugito staggered a step back, breath coming and going in shrill, shallow gasps. Then she tightly shut her eyes, violently shaking her head from side to side.
"This is not real" she hissed through her teeth, but the image was cemented in her minds eye "This is a Genjutsu. This is not real" snapping her eyes open she brought her hands together in the sign of the ram, and gathering her chakra into a condensed ball unleashed it upon the world, yelling "Kai!!!"
The vision before her ruptured, like she was looking through a pane of glass as the Genjutsu was forced to dispel. The image cracked, spider web like markings creeping along her vision, then with a resounding crash the reflection shattered into thousands of shards. Blackness reigned, followed by the landscape slowly coming back into focus. With a chilling calmness Yugito reeled her fist back, blocking a straight punch aimed to her face, and starring into Kakashi's slightly surprised gaze brought her fist forward, connecting with his right cheek and sending him flying back.
"Word of the wise" she growled as he hit the earth hard, and struggled to his feet "Don't mess with a cat and her kitten!"
Shaking his head to stop it from spinning Kakashi muttered "Bad dream?"
Uzuki Yūgao was one of the most trustworthy of the Hokage's ANBU, recruited shortly after gaining the rank of Jonin at seventeen, nearly a year ago. She had been one of eight ANBU selected by the Hokage to guard and protect one Uzumaki Naruto and his protector. Because of this she and her comrades had been briefed on everything by Hiruzen.
Yūgao had been only ten years old, still an academy student, when the Kyubi attacked the village, because of this she was one of the first to be evacuated to the shelters in the Hokage Mountains. She was an orphan, her mother and father being casualties during the Third Great Shinobi World War some five years earlier. She, like everyone else her age had been kept in the dark about the true events of the battle, and Yūgao only found out about it when she was accepted into the ANBU corps.
Even after learning the truth she held no real hatred or malice towards the boy. To her it sounded more like Naruto was the victim in the whole mess, forced to become the prison for that unholy monster. Yūgao didn't hate him; she pitied him for the enormous burden forced on his shoulders.
She held no hatred for him, but she held plenty of annoyance for her current assignment. Although it was one of the core jobs of an ANBU to survey she did not like being turned into a stalker, hidden on a branch of the tree across the street from their apartment. Her knees ached from being in the same position for the last five hours, and she desperately craved that her relief would soon arrive.
At first she didn't even know why she was needed, although the Kumo woman had left the apartment at half eight, followed by Yūgaos partner, to begin her entrance examinations the boy still had Jiraiya, the Gama-sennin himself protecting him. Though considering she had a good look at the main window and saw him rolled up in a sleeping bag like a cocoon on the sofa, snoring loudly, she began to change her opinion.
Her lingering doubt in the Sannin's protection sky rocketed when she saw Naruto exit the apartment, and begin to shoot his head left and right as if looking for something. Then he jogged across the street to within a few meters of her tree. She looked down, preparing to follow him if he continued on. He walked up to the trunk, and looked up. Yūgao could have sworn he was looking straight at her.
Maybe it was her imagination.
"Oi, ANBU-san!"
It wasn't her imagination.
Her head snapped down, and although her cat mask hid it her eyes were wide open and her mouth went slack in surprise. How could a child, maybe eight years old be able to see her from such a distance? She shook herself out of her stupefied state and looked down again to see him walking up the trunk of the tree.
It took him five seconds to scale the tree and make it to her branch, which he scaled over and fell into a crouch beside her. Naruto then looked right at her and grinned widely, almost sheepishly "Yo"
All that could have been seen of her surprise was her eyes as wide as saucers "You know tree walking?"
Now he did look sheepish, scratching the back of his head "Yeah, it was one of the first things I was taught. The trainers said that I was a hopeless case, but mom proved otherwise"
Yūgao nodded dumbly, before shaking her head to overcome her surprise. Naruto meanwhile sat on the branch beside her, legs dangling over the edge "So you're one of the people Jiji sent to protect me?"
She nodded, finally gaining some control of her motor functions.
"Can't be too comfortable out here for several hours, eh Nee-san?" besides herself she sighed, wishing for a nice hot cup of herbal green tea and a comfortable chair. Naruto seemed to read her mind, because he got up to his feet and grabbed her left hand, giving it a light tug "Come on"
Yūgao just starred at him for a moment, watching as he smiled, not the sheepish grin from earlier, but a simple, disarming smile "You're supposed to protect me right? Might be easier if you're in the same building as me and not sitting in this tree"
Before the ANBU agent knew it she had been forced to jump from the branch to the concrete pavement, and almost dragged across the street by an energetic eight year old. Before she knew it he had guided her into the lobby, down the corridors, up the stairs and into his apartment, before setting her on a nice, comfortable chair while he went to the en suite kitchen. After spending nearly three hours crouching in a tree Yūgao couldn't believe how content she was feeling, and when Naruto brought her a mug of tea, herbal green no less, she felt like she was in nirvana.
They both thought Jiraiya was asleep. They couldn't have been more wrong. An eye squinted open, looking at the ANBU agent just as Naruto handed her a cup of herb tea, and she made to remove her mask. Eight years old and already bringing women home, I don't know whether I should be proud or jealous.
Kakashis form was a blur, effortlessly flying from one tree branch to another in an attempt to keep up with his examinee. After twenty minutes of intense combat, including impressive use of Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and Kenjutsu his opponent had retreated into the surrounding forest. Whether this withdrawal was because of exhaustion or a backup plan Kakashi didn't know, but he guessed it was the latter.
After fighting with this woman he came to the conclusion that, even without the Nekomata, she was a worthy opponent on the battlefield. She was skilled in a few types of Taijutsu and by extension skilled in Kenjutsu, proving that the katana she owned was there for more than show. Her Ninjutsu arsenal, although formidable, were mostly designed for defense, with a few mid range attack, mostly those chakra coated kunai, and paralysis techniques thrown in. Most likely made to be used in conjunction with her symbiotic, something Kakashi hoped the Sandaime would be able to correct. She needed to learn some offensive techniques if she was to survive long and there were Shinobi out there powerful enough to subdue a Jinchuriki who depended on their prisoner to heavily.
Her weakness mostly lay in Genjutsu, although she was able to dispel most with her impressive release ability, he guessed she was subconsciously using her prisoner to create such a powerful disrupting shockwave of chakra, but was willing to let it slide. She didn't know any illusionary techniques suited for a battlefield. Against a seasoned Uchiha with a high level Sharingan she would definitely have trouble.
You've been taught to rely on your Biju too much. Kakashi thought as he stormed through the forest. That can be dangerous, especially if you can't fully control it.
Yugito watched as Kakashi continued on his course, and smiled as he came into position. She had him. She threw the kunai held in her hand, before moving on, knowing that it would hit its target. Did he honestly think I spent two and a half hours just waiting?
The thrown kunai's aim was perfect, and cut through a tightly tied cord of rope, releasing her trap. A huge log, held in midair by rope flew at Kakashi like a battering ram, ready to strike. But Kakashi saw it, and his seasoned mind already thought of a way around it. He gripped the top of the log, and using his momentum pushed himself on top of it before jumping off it. He somersaulted in midair, hitting the ground and turning in time to see the log smash into a thick tree trunk, shattering the trap and chipping bark.
Yugito had made it to her second trap, and drawing her sword walked along a line of three strands of rope, each holding back a catapult of a tree branch, each holding a supply of rocks, twigs and the occasional kunai or shuriken. As she walked she cut the cords with her sword, releasing the artillery barrage upon her proctor.
Kakashi saw shadows on the ground, and looked up to see the barrage of rock, wood and metal fall upon him from above. His first thought was along the lines of clever, being able to interpret where he would land after dodging her first trap. Then he exploded into motion, flying back in a mass of back flips to dodge the hordes of rock and wood slamming into the ground just in front of him. He thought he was safe when he reached a fallen trunk, but a small series of dull thuds proved otherwise. Looking over his cover the Copy-nin saw a trio of kunai imbedded in the bark, a small slip of paper attached to one, lighting and burning away like a fuss.
Paper bomb. He thought before jumping back with a chakra enhanced leap, watching as the log he had taken cover behind exploded, sending crimson flame and timber debris flying in every direction. He hit the ground, skidded to a halt and took cover behind a heavy tree, hearing the pieces of wood smack off the trunk. He breathed a sigh of relief, which held when he felt the cold steel of a katana against his neck.
Opening his eyes Kakashi looked at the long blade, then felt hot air against his left ear and cheek as Yugito spoke, obviously pleased with herself "It's over"
"You're right about that" he said with a smile, before disappearing with a pop and a mass of smoke. Yugito staggered forward, growling a curse under her breath before she felt the cold steel of a kunai pressed against her neck. Kakashi leaned forward, and even with the mask his own breath warmed her left ear and cheek "Got you"
She growled, before releasing a groan of pure disappointment in herself as she dropped her katana. No Earth clone this time. He had the real one by the throat, meaning that he had won their little duel. With a sigh he released his grip and sheathed his kunai knife, waiting as she turned around, picking up her katana and sheathing it.
"Not bad. Your skill level without the Nibi is enough for Jonin" Kakashi explained, reaching up with his hand to position his headband back over his Sharingan eye "Congratulations, you pass"
Yugito blinked "Uh, thanks"
"Now then" the man finished "I have a report to make to the Hokage, make sure both you and Naruto are at his office at three in the afternoon" with that he vanished in a swirl of wind and leaves, the villages own patented version of the Shunshin no Jutsu. The blonde blinked at the empty space just as the leaves once more began to settle, and after a moment she brought her hands together in the same set of hand signs, vanishing with a static of electricity, initiating the Kumo version of the Shunshin no Jutsu.
To say that Yugito was surprised with this situation was an understatement. When she entered the apartment she saw that Naruto and Jiraiya weren't the only occupants. Sitting on one of the plush sofas was a young, fairly pretty ANBU agent, sipping a cup of herbal tea and looking like she was in nirvana. Not that the Nibi Jinchuriki could blame the girl, she had been crouched in a tree for three hours before she left.
One thing she knew very well about her charge was that he had a very warm and caring nature, sure he enjoyed playing the occasional prank, but those were mainly harmless, if a little aggravating at times. To this day she still tried to find out when he had the time to replace the contents of her shampoo bottle with black hair dye. It was the first and last prank he had ever pulled on her, if the threat of dissection by katana was to be believed.
"Oh hi mom" Naruto greeted warmly from the kitchen "Welcome home!"
"I'm home" Yugito replied with a smile, continuing their usual greeting when she returned from a mission.
"So how did your examination thingy go?"
"I think it went well, though we'll have to wait and see" she replied, flexing her shoulder muscles, finding them still a little stiff "That Kakashi-san doesn't pull his punches"
"You got Kakashi Hatake?" the ANBU asked from the couch.
Yugito looked the woman up and down, something Naruto noticed "It's okay mom, this is Uzuki Yūgao. She's one of the ANBU Jiji assigned to watch us, so she's cool"
The older blonde sometimes wondered about his incredible ability to trust people. She knew he saw the elderly Hokage as something like a grandfather. When they still lived in Kumo he used to tell her about how the Sandaime would come to visit and talk to him, make sure he was looked after and on a few occasions protected him from people who wished him harm. Besides her adopted sons beliefs though she wasn't so sure, in her experience Shinobi only got as old as he did by outliving his rivals.
That said she turned back to the ANBU, and bowed politely "Good morning"
She responded with a warm smile "Same to you"
Yugito peered over the other couch to see Jiraiya, still held up in his sleeping bag like it was a giant cocoon "How long has he pretended to be asleep?"
"Since Naruto dragged me into the apartment" Yūgao responded idly, taking another sip of her tea and sighing happily "About ten minutes after you left"
The sage creaked open an eye "You caught on, I'm impressed"
The older blonde sighed, before turning to her little brother/son "How's the fridge?"
The eight year old opened the door to show the barren interior "On empty"
"Alright" Yugito said "Come on, let's take care of this before our meeting with the Hokage"
"Do you need some help?" Yūgao asked.
The older blonde thought about it for a moment, then shrugged "Come on then, the more the merrier"
The shopping had passed by rather event free, and was considerably easier when an ANBU agent who knew the market district like the back of her hand was showing you the best deals and where to buy the more high quality merchandise. Yūgao was very helpful, and seemed to take an immediate liking to Naruto, and vice versa, the eight year old cub had even accidently called her Nee-san once or twice.
In typical fashion Naruto wanted to get nothing but instant ramen, something that both women immediately said no too, only allowing him to buy three cups of his favorite flavors before moving on to look for other groceries. Yugito understood his fixation, ramen was cheap and easy to cook, and when she listened to his stories of this village he had mentioned this little ramen stand whose owners had given him free food when he was hungry.
But she refused to allow him to eat nothing but ramen at every meal, it was just not healthy. Yugito was addicted to fish yet she didn't have it at every meal. The two women had bought a mass of fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, rice, fish, a variety of healthy fruit juice drinks and, to Yūgaos surprise almost a gallon of low fat milk.
They had to go back to unload their bags before going out on another run. But while they were shopping, and Naruto was pouting over only getting three cups of ramen, Yugito and her watcher had got a friendly banter going; Yūgao asking her about what life in Kumogakure was like and Yugito doing likewise, they talked about the missions they went through, how they each became ANBU of their own respective, or in her case former, villages.
By the time they finished shopping, picked up Jiraiya and were heading to the Hokage's palace the two women were acting like old friends. Yūgao even went as far as mentioning this boy called Hayate she liked; to which Yugito grinned and started teasing. To anyone who looked it was just two young women chatting, with a kid and old man in tow.
But as things calmed down and they entered the palace Yugito found her experience in this village strange, in Kumogakure newcomers were put under surveillance by at least a full squad of elite ANBU, not just one or two. Newcomers wouldn't have been allowed to roam around as freely as she had been, but here she had been able to move freely to the training ground, and go out shopping, albeit with an ANBU agent.
To her security in this village seemed pretty lax, and she wondered if the twenty odd years of relative peace had made the strongest of the five Great Shinobi Villages soft.
The two arrived at the Hokage's office right on time, with both Jiraiya and Yūgao acting as escort. As usual the old man was behind his desk, looking up at them with a pleasant and warm smile before beckoning them to enter. Naruto jumped onto one of the chairs, and sat down cross legged. Yugito, in a more reserved manner sat down and waited.
"It is done" Hiruzen said, bringing forward a small binder of paper and a pen "You were lucky you arrived a month into the academy year. Just sign here as Naruto's guardian and he will join the classes on Monday week"
Yugito nodded, picking up the pen and signing her name on the front form, swiftly she looked through the small assortment of papers, reading the odd important detail before signing her signature. It seemed that no matter what village you were in there was always a large amount of paperwork.
She finished quickly and handed the folder back to Sarutobi, who took it with a smile "Good, good. Now let us discuss the details of your prohibition period. Usually when a Nuke-nin such as yourself seeks sanctuary in this village he, or in your case she, has to go through a prohibition period of roughly three months depending on the current state of affairs. During this time you will be shadowed by a select group of ANBU to make sure you're not an enemy spy or instigator. Is that understandable?"
Yugito nodded her understanding, while Naruto looked slightly confused but choose not to speak up about it. This prohibition period was used in all the Shinobi villages, and depending on the village's opinion of foreigners the time period could be anything from a month to three years. Konoha was considered one of the more relaxed villages.
"Excellent" Hiruzen replied "Now I don't want to keep you"
That appeared to be their cue to leave. Both Yugito and Naruto rose, the elder bowed but the younger looked bored out of his mind, signifying that it was definitely time to go. Both turned and where about to leave, when they heard a commotion taking place outside the office.
A man's voice could be heard just outside the doors, arguing with the receptionist, and neither blonde noticed Jiraiya nor the Hokage's eyes widened in near panic. The door slammed open to reveal a middle aged man with dark eyes and shoulder length black hair, his fringe parted. Skin was tanned with slight creases of age under his eyes and the sides of his mouth.
Fugaku Uchiha looked at Yugito in mild confusion, before noticing a head of gravity defying blonde locks. He looked down at the small eight year old blonde, and realization hit his features. Naruto saw the middle aged mans eyes change, the irises turning crimson with three black curved teardrop-like symbols appearing around the pupil. Fugaku stared down at the blonde with a cold, hate filled glare.
"You!"
Omake: First Prank
Shutting the water off an eighteen year old Yugito opened the door to her shower, a delicate hand reaching out to grasp the slightly rough material of a white towel. Calmly pulling it from its rack and using it to dry herself before wrapping it around her body.
She exited the shower, walked over to the sink and hanging mirror on the other side of her apartment's small bathroom. The teen yawned as she stood before it, turning on the tap and splashing cold water over her face before looking up in the mirror. Her eyes stared blankly at her image for a moment, before widening.
Two miles away an eighty year old man nearly had a heart attack as a panicked shriek filled the air.
Peeling herself off her ceiling Yugito looked up and winced at the cracks, looking down at her hands to see that she had unconsciously called upon the Nibis power to turn her finger nails to claws. She shook her head and looked back at the mirror, blinking repeatedly.
Yugito quickly set her mind to the task of figuring out just what in the name of god was going on. At first she thought it was a nightmare, but a slap to the face quickly dispelled the notion. Then she thought she was hallucinating. If it was then she hadn't had such a good one since she took those mushrooms in Iwa.
Her hair was black.
Raven black.
She could have sworn it was blonde when she went into the shower, though her eyes were glued shut at the time. Thanks to her feline prisoner she had low blood pressure in the morning, which meant that without a hot shower or high concentrations of caffeine she was basically a zombie.
With speed she spun and rushed into the shower, checking every bottle she ever used, before taking her shampoo, opened it and took a sniff.
That didn't smell like her shampoo.
It smelled like hair dye.
Her highly sensitive ears became atoned to snickering just outside her door, which ceased upon hearing a sweet singsong voice, which coming from his Onee-chan meant big trouble "Na-ru-to!"
"Oh oh"
Glossary
Shinobi – Ninja
Jonin – Elite Ninja
Sannin – Three Ninja
Kaijin no Kuni – Land of Ash
Tsuchi no Kuni – Land of Earth
Uzu no Kuni – Land of Whirlpool
Iwagakure no Sato – Village Hidden in the Rocks
Konohagakure no Sato – Village Hidden in the Leaves
Kumogakure no Sato – Village Hidden in the Clouds
Sunagakure no Sato – Village Hidden in the Sand
Hokage – Fire Shadow
Raikage – Lightning Shadow
Sandaime – Third
Yondaime – Fourth
Biju – Tailed Beast
Jinchuriki – Power of the Human Sacrifice
Kyubi no Yoko – Nine Tailed Demon Fox
Nibi no Nekomata – Two Tailed Monster Cat
Doton: Doryūheki – Earth Release: Earth Style Wall
Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu – Earth Release: Head-hunter Technique
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu – Shadow Clone Technique
Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu - Water Clone Technique
Raiton: Muhi – Lightning Release: Paralysis
Shunshin no Jutsu – Body Flicker Technique
Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu – Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique
Tsuchi Bunshin no Jutsu – Earth Clone Technique
Sharingan – Pinwheel Eyes
Right folks, sorry for the wait, and wham right in there with a cliff hanger. This can be considered either incredible genius or unnatural cruelty. So you may lean back and think 'Hmm, pretty clever' or you could lean forward, cry out in emotional agony and say 'You cruel bastard!'. Either way it means I did the job right ;-)
As for the Omake, I'm not so sure I'm happy with this one, I thought it up as a medium level prank Naruto could pull, and it seemed funny when it was in my head, but now I'm not so sure…