Kakashi stood watching Asuma's team working on their third set of Jutsu he had given them. 'This is insane.' He thought. While at the same time he was surprised by their skill. 'If I didn't know they had just graduated I would swear they were Chunin.'
They were standing near or on the water working on their jutsu. Naruto was moving through the water dragon, Hinata the lightning clone, and Shino the Hiding like a Mole. "Alright Switch!" Naruto called out causing them to rotate not only their positions but the jutsu they were working on. What Kakashi didn't know was that Naruto had clones hiding much deeper in the woods working on Decomposition training for the other elements.
With Asuma he was watching the others working on their tree walking and water walking as the case may be. His expression was rather forlorn seeing that after so long with his team he had forgotten the true level of skill for gennin. "Again," He called out seeing them failing and falling.
Later that week, Sasuke approached Naruto as he was training. Though it was more as he was meditating. "How did you get so strong?"
The blond slowly opened his eyes, "Two ways." He picked himself up from the ground dusting his pants off. "One I've been training everyday since I was six. Which I'm sure you have done too." He looked to see the dark haired teen nod. "Two I trained so others wouldn't have to. I needed to be stronger so that others wouldn't have to fight so that I could protect them from others and from themselves."
"Themselves?"
He nodded, "Yes from learning power. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." His gaze hardened. "You strive for more power, with out learning to control it.. learning the purpose behind it." He walked towards the water looking out over it as the sun was setting. "You think if you gain enough power you can just throw it and destroy. It's not the power that you need to worry about but yourself and what you choose to do with it." He sighed, "I have more power than I want... but I chose to use it to heal, to understand to learn. Fighting just comes because I can use this power, It's not what I want but what is expected of me and what I must do to continue to help others."
"Hn," He scowled. 'I don't want to believe him. But... everything I have seen him do... everything has never been for himself.' He brooded over the concept. His brothers words filtered into his mind. 'I killed them because they were weak.' Weak...selfish...corrupt... 'Is that what he meant? By why should I hate him?' The visions from that night haunted him, but now he looked beyond the actions of his brother but to the words being yelled by the others as he killed them. 'Power, Uchiha .. greatness... weak village...' Arrogance. "I see."
Naruto watched him turn and walk away. "You can come out now Kakashi."
The jounin appeared from the tree line, "You remind me of my Sensei. He used words very similar to those about me."
"He sounds like a very good man."
"He was and eventually he became the Yondaime Hokage." He settled himself down on the ground.
Shaking his head, "Then why are you dishonoring him with your actions?"
"Naruto... I..." He paused. 'Fuck it.' "Naruto I know who your parents were."
The blond narrowed his eyes as he looked at Kakashi, "Who?"
Rubbing the back of his 'white' hair, "Kushina Uzumaki. She was your mother." Closing his eyes, " Look.. I would tell you all I know but I won't fully go against the Hokages laws. Just know that they didn't abandon you and that they truly did love you Alright?" Getting himself up from the ground, "You're so like her in being full of surprises... I had hoped you would have been on my team... I had planned on giving you this.." He pulled out and tossed a scroll with the symbol of whirlpool on it. "I saved it for you.. it's her summoning contract she made herself." With that he vanished in a swirl of leaves.
He blinked, before he opened the scroll.
Naruto-kun,
Your father is a paranoid man, but incase something did happen to us I wanted to write to you. First only believe the good things people say about me, I might have been a touch of a hot head and a trouble maker. Second I have loved you ever since the first day I knew about you. If you choose to be a shiniobi then I want you to have the scroll sealed inside this letter. Now if you are anything like me you either have a lot of friends or you didn't have any, and took the first chance you could to make friends and did everything for them so they wouldn't leave you. You don't have to be like them... you should be who you really and truly are and be happy. Also on the off chance that you didn't take after your father I also sealed The Uzumaki Weapons, all of my money and scrolls on how to use them. If you end up with Kakashi for a Sensei.. help him get that stick out of his ass okay?
All my Love,
Kushina Uzumaki
He looked at the drops of tears that were falling onto the page. 'Is that what I have been doing?' He thought to himself. Blindly following because of a desire to belong? Part of him screamed yes, while another part of him said it didn't matter anymore. He just dropped to sit on the ground. Thinking about everything that had happened to him and everything he had strove to be and to learn. 'Was it worth it?' On one side the control, along with what was locked inside him he had to say that he was very thankful. Being a medic? 'Hell yes I can actually save people...' He knew Kabuto liked him, maybe even cared from him like a brother he couldn't shake that feeling of pride or happiness from his memories when they trained or studied together.
His thoughts moved to Anko, sure he had started that out as nothing more than getting what he needed and trading a simple freedom for it. But the years, even in her deranged way she showed truly that she cared for him. Always holding back just enough to not kill him but honestly helping him learn. The times they didn't train but just talked. She was a victim like he had been maybe they had both clung to the hope and the desperate feelings in the beginning but now? No she was an older sister and treated him just like it. Only maybe a bit more sadistic but he wouldn't have her any other way.
Sasori-sama... His thoughts twisted. Naruto wasn't stupid anymore, maybe smarter than his master thought. He had figured out the man wasn't such but nothing more than a puppet made from his own body. There wasn't anything human about him, not anymore. The faked smiles the shinobi was nothing more than a thinking and aware tool, and that's even how he treated himself. Though he thought about the few emotions that he could tell were real, the love of his art, the hatred for Orochimaru...but anything towards Him? It was calculated, rigged to get him to act. "Kami... why was I so Blind..." He choked out.
Even then Sasori had taken the time to fix him, help him even if it was for the mans own purposes. The purpose of Revenge against Orochimaru and even the Akatsuki. It wasn't out of true care for Naruto, he was using him as he used his own puppets. It startled him that it seemed he always knew this, but had shoved it aside not wanting to truly see it. He looked at the scrolls on his hip, the sick feeling of what he truly did for a man to earn his approval. He had practically tortured and mutated a kind animal for his own purposes only to kill it and make it nothing more than a mindless slave to the twitch of his fingers. For what? A 'Good job,' or a 'I'm impressed Naruto.' Nothing but hollow words even then he knew it but pushed it aside.
His eyes fell to the place his tattoo of his mastery sat, he earned it but was it for the right reasons? He had focuses so hard on getting those scraps of approval but it was empty. He wouldn't use them for that anymore. It was a skill he earned that he couldn't ignore but his mind and spirit were aligning to a new purpose. He was a healer and a killer, He was a sword and he needed a shield. His head nodded at some unknown concept that latched on and grew quickly. He would make himself a shield.
He didn't know how long he sat there, but his resolve was reforged and tempered further than before. He had true friends and people who cared about him as Naruto not what he could do or what he was or would be but just him. He summoned Aero to him, with a sad look before he sealed the scroll inside the puppet. Taking the time to charge to seals on the bird. "Return to Konoha, and Store yourself in the perch." The bird took off. "Command seals, and a few programing seals Sasori...I may not hate you for what you did... but from now on there are no strings attached." Pushing himself from the ground he made his way back to the house.
Finding Kakashi sitting outside, "An eye for an eye... Thank you." He nodded to the Jounin before he walked in. The smile on the man hidden by his mask. From inside the house, "Asuma...outside." Moments later the man walked out with a sad look on his face.
"Caught smoking inside?" Kakashi chuckled.
"Yea... I don't even know why I let him order me arround..."
"Maybe it's because you know what he did to your Dad?"
Both men shuddered seeing the Hokage go through withdraws. "That could be it."
It was much later that night when team Eleven minus their Sensei were found outside. "Hinata.. I have somethings to tell you. Shino knows and I feel that I can trust you to understand some of this." He settled himself down and began telling her nearly everything. Save that he knew Puppet jutsu. That was something he didn't fee like sharing anymore, and also he wanted something to remain between him and Shino.
To say Hinata was shocked, angered, sad and happy would have been a slight understatement. But all the time they had spent together and her own secret stalking.. err... crush hunting she finally had the pieces to put together. " This doesn't make any difference in how I feel about you. Although I am glad you trust me enough to let me in." She smiled slightly. Getting up, "I'm going to finish helping Tsunami-san with dinner." She walked away, 'Naruto-kun trusts me!' the Chibi in her mind squeeled and jumped around.
"You are aware of her affections towards you?" The cool voice of Shino broke the silence after she had left.
He nodded, "She's like a little sister to me." He closed his eyes, "I didn't tell her everything."
"Of that I am aware. Though I confess to being curious as to why?"
Blue eyes looked into sunglasses. "There are somethings about me that I only want you to know." he said with a soft smile. "Like Kakashi told me who my mother was today." The small glimmer of tears echoed in his eyes what he felt in his heart now. "They didn't leave me... they both died my parents... My mother was Kushina Uzumaki... I actually have a clan.."
Shino reached out and put a soft hand on his friends shoulder. He sat there in silence for a time before he spoke, "That is not a clan of our village. They were the elite of Whirlpool. But from what I have learned they were destroyed long before we were born."
He found his hand coming to rest on the one on his shoulder, "I know...I always thought it was just a name they gave me at the orphanage.. but the letter it's what my mother called me." he sighed as a single tear slipped down his cheek. "We need to be ready for tomorrow... think we will win?"
"The odds are in our favor.. but only marginally."
The next morning, teams eleven and seven were moving to the bridge, Kakashi having stayed behind the excuse needing to find a blue cat. Asuma's team new it was an excuse to guard the house, and show up later if needed. They weren't however prepared for what they saw when they arrived at the bridge. Blood and bodies of the workers were scattered here and there. Naruto knew none of them were alive and it made him sick. Team seven were visibly shaken by it, though Sasuke seemed to be having a flash back to his own family.
"Their dead." His tone was flat. Causing everyone to look at him.
"How can you.. you be so cold!" Sakura bellowed.
"Taichou wasn't referring to the workers Hanuro-san." Shino answered, "But to the ninja that are currently hiding under the bridge in an attempt to ambush us."
As soon as the words left his mouth a thick mist rose to cover the bridge. "Heart, lungs, liver.."
"Air Release:Gale Force Palm." Naruto's voice interrupted as his wind chakra slammed the mist away from the bridge, his body slightly covered in a green tint of chakra.
"Haku deal with the blond and his friends..." He said as he launched towards Asuma he pulled his blades and clashed against the missing-nin. The sounds of metal and sparks only visible as the two high level ninja clashed back and forth across the bridge.
"I'm sorry but Zabuza-sama wishes you to be removed." The masked nin stated before senbon formed from the air and flew at them. Naruto, Hinata and Shino were left unscathed as they jumped infront of Tazuna raising a mud wall quickly.
Team seven on the other hand had froze and were now pin cushions that were dropping to their knees. "Hinata watch them and Tazuna." Naruto said as he jumped over the wall, "Shino... watch my back."
"Hai taichou, "both said in unison as they jumped into a decent position, Hinata's eyes bulging as she activated them. A swarm of Kikai flowed along the ground as Shino seemed to be standing impassively.
Naruto launched himself with speed as the scalpels formed off of his fingers, swiping at the enemy. Both dodged and swayed against each attack. 'Damn it.. their just as fast a me.' "If I asked you to hold still..."
"I'm afraid not. Zabuzza-sama needs me to ensure you do not win." As Haku flung a spray of needles into Naruto.
The pain was a bit unconfortable before he pulsed his chakra to heal the wounds, 'thank you Kabuto-nii for creating this jutsu.' he thought. The needles all fell to the ground as he titled his head, "You will have to try harder than that Haku-san."
Haku caught the flux of chakra and was taken back by the unwounded boy standing there now. 'Is it a bloodline or is he a medic?' "I will not fail my purpose. Demonic Ice Mirrors." Causing mirrors to form all around the two in a dome, "The power of my bloodline, allows me to create ice. You will find that you will be unable to survive now." Haku spoke stepping back into a mirror only to send the image to all of them.
'A sub element bloodline!' His eyes darting to each image as he tried to process how to get out of this. Even his ability to spot chakra signatures was distorted by this attack. ' Each mirror has the signature, damn it... Ice is water.. but with what?' He closed his eyes knowing they wouldn't be any help here. As he stood perfectly still inside the dome waiting for the first attack. Then it came, faster than anything he had ever faced, it was like it was from every angle as he stood there frozen needles sticking in him from every position. As before he flooded his body with Iryo chakra pushing the needles out and instantly healing the damage. He did however notice the signature moving all around him as if it was leaving each mirror. Just seconds after it entered another one.
Haku was shocked the boy had not only survived all of that but once more was untouched. 'No look there's blood on the ground... he's just healing himself.' tilting the masked face, "You seem unafraid of my attacks."
He chuckled, "Needles won't do much against me if I can heal with my jutsu so quickly." he held up his hand covered in dark purple chakra, "Devil's Breath." The chakra dispersed into a thick cloud that covered him and filled the interior of the dome. "Come and try again?"
Haku, seemed worried but then 'I will just hold my breath,' The signs of a skilled medic were enough to know what that cloud could be. Resolve building Haku leaped from the mirrors sending waves of senbon into the boy that stood in the center once more. Until hearing the boys knee hit the ground stopping once more in the mirrors.
Dispelling the jutsu Naruto forced his body to heal one more time only to push himself up with a smirk. " Thank you." His hand forming several seals, "Devil's Breath: Chakra destruction," His voice was calm before the mirrors started to bubble and Haku fell out of one scratching at the exposed skin. "I have exactly twenty seconds to deliver the antidote or your pathways will be permanently destroyed." He raised his hand now covered in the traditional glow of the medic. Letting it purge the poison from the nins body, while he was healing he paused over the heart, and just turned it off as the last of the poison was pushed from the body. Quickly pulling a scroll from his pouch he sealed the nin inside as the mirrors cracked and began to crash around him.
Shino and Hinata didn't look as good as Naruto when he made his way back to them. A few cuts and bruises covered them as he noted the massive amounts of water puddles surrounding them. "Sensei?"
Shino nodded in the direction of the two elites still fighting. The three of them continued to watch before Asuma caught the massive blade with his smaller ones. Only to hear Zabuza call out in pain before he dropped to the ground. Blood escaping from both sides of his neck. Asuma not to far behind him.
Naruto jumped over to him and caught his Sensei, before Shino arrived right behind him. "take him back to the others." With a a nod they left. Naruto turned to look at the almost dead man, "You made one mistake... You killed defenseless and innocent people." Striking out with his right hand the chakra scalpels severing the head that he caught and sealed quickly along with the massive blade. Running back to his team, he created seven clones and started the healing process. Around that time Kakashi showed up looking around seeing his team taken down and Asuma's still functional he sighed.
"Okay will someone explain what happened?"
"Zabuza along with his accomplice Haku attacked the workers before we arrived. Asuma and Zabuza fought, while Haku created a full field of senbon from Ice, protecting the client we jumped to his guard yours.. froze." Hinata started after a Naruto said she was fine.
"Taichou ordered Hinata to protect Tazuna and your team, while I was to be the middle ground in his fight with this Haku. The enemy created a dome of mirrors that seemed to enhance speed incredibly beyond limits trapping Naruto inside." he looked to the clones that were almost finished. "From that point we were unable to observe as several Water clones of Zabuza attempted an assault."
The last clones popped out of existence. 'He can use Shadow clones...this is new and I know Asuma didn't teach him.' "What else happened?"
Naruto described his fight, leaving out that he kept the body rather it fell into the water. 'it wouldn't be found any way.' Then described the last of Asuma's fight and the subsequent beheading and sealing of the sword and head for the bounty. " I then began treating the injuries then your arrival. Sensei has Chakra depletion, your team has suffered slightly but after tomorrow will be fine for active duty."
"Well it looks like I don't have to pay him after all." A snarky voice echoed from the end of the bridge. "But at least you look worn down." The voice chuckled, "Kill them all."
"Shino?" Naruto asked.
"Kill?"
"kakashi?" Naruto looked at the senior member.
"Yes." he didn't sound happy about it but it was for the best.
Naruto nodded as the other boy took off releasing clouds of bugs that swarmed the mercenary force causing panic and screams as they seemed to move quickly through them bodies dropping rapidly. It wasn't long before he returned the last of his kikai slipping inside his coat. "Objective completed."
Naruto smiled softly, they both shared their first kill, in the field. With the truth told he didn't want Hinata to share that just yet. She wasn't ready to handle that.
Kakashi shuddered even if he wanted to hide it he couldn't. 'That's just...no gennin should be that ...efficient. His control of his hive would make his father proud though.' He eyed the two boys seeing the aftermath of killing visible on them and were handling it together. That much was a good sign, and he understood why Naruto had him do it... a bond and maybe he isn't as strong as he puts on. "Take everyone to the house.. I'll handle the clean up."
It took two more weeks for the bridge to be finished, along with raiding all of Gato's hide outs to get everything back for the village. They were rebuilding, and would grow again this time maybe better. The two teams were heading out as the ceremony for the bridge ended. Each with their own thoughts on what would happen next.
The two jounin had different minds. Kakashi after much thinking and witnessing this time together knew he had to beat his team into the ground if he wanted to even try to get them to be real ninja. Though he could see the changes that the time with the other team made on them.
Asuma was proud of his team, there were things that needed improvement as always but he couldn't be happier with their teamwork, and their skills to this point. 'I'm entering them in the exams, they are all ready and can work at that level.' He reached for a cigarette but stopped tucking them back into his coat. He wasn't going to lie but not smoking as much may have been the deciding factor in that fight, not that he would tell Naruto that.
Hokage Tower
"Thank you for your reports." Hiruzen said after listening to them and glancing at the written version. His fingers resting on his pipe but refraining while they were there. "Two weeks for training and recuperation then I'll allow you back on missions. You're dismissed." He watched as they nodded and filed out all save for Naruto. "Naruto?"
the blond waited until the door closed. "I wanted.." He stopped himself for a moment. Running a hand through his hair before he restarted. "I just wanted to say thank you for letting Kabuto and Anko help me. I don't know if I would have made it this far with out them." He smiled sadly, "Plus I just wanted you to know how much it means that you've tried to keep me happy. You're like the grandfather that I might have had."
He got out of his chair and knelt down in front of Naruto placing both hands on his shoulders. "That means a lot Naruto. I wish your parents were here to see you cause I know they would be so proud of you." He smiled, "Just like I am." He straightened up, "Now how about we go for some ramen? The paper work can wait for a little while longer."
"Sure.. but you could always just leave a Shadow clone..." Naruto smirked and smiled at the same time.
There was a moment of silence before the hokages jaw fell open in a stuttering fashion, "How.. wha.. I'm so stupid!"
"Nah you're just getting old.. after all as the 'Professor' I'm sure somethings have slipped in your old age." he chuckled.