Chapter Four

Factors

Kurenai slid into the jounin bar, tired, dejected, and most of all...angry. The testing of Naruto was surprising to say the least and not all in a good way. As she looked at the various patrons one stood out. A certain masked gray haired ninja was sitting at the bar morosely drinking himself in a stupor. Kurenai marched up to the bar and took a seat next to him and ordered a large bottle of sake. She was going to need it if she was to keep herself from killing the man. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now, Kakashi. I really need one." Kurenai growled as Kakashi turned to face her.

"Because you'll get blood on your clothes? I do bleed a lot." Kakashi said as he turned back to his drink drink.

"By the Kami, I really wish you didn't have the Sharigan or I'd put you in my nastiest genjutsu and leave you there to rock." Kurenai growled "You really fucked up with the Uzumaki kid." The expression on Kakashi's face turned unreadable. "He was put on my team today. So, I tested him in all three areas."

"How'd he do?" a bearded man said as he approached the bar.

"I first tested him in tai-jitsu, Asuma. Did you know all of his tai-jitsu is self-taught, Kakashi?" Kurenai said shooting him a withering glance. "Every single bit of it. It needed to be corrected when he was first assigned to be trained underneath you." Kakashi didn't say anything as he sighed. "Then I tested him with gen-jutsu." She took a sip of sake. "He doesn't have a lick of talent for the fine points of it, but he's got plenty of imagination."

"I know." Kakashi said simply.

"So, I taught him Shinshoufuukei (Imagined Landscape) no Jutsu" she said as she added "He's a terror with it."

Asuma bit back a laugh. "I bet he is. What did he do?"

"First, he kept warping his position with it just by an inch or two. Nothing dramatic, but it was enough for him to keep dodging my attacks." Kurenai said impressed with Naruto. "Then, he started to blur his outline. I could of broke it then, but I wanted to see what he was up to." she touched her forehead remembering the massive headache she got. "He started to move afterwards. Leaving a trail of prismatic after burn following him. I got a headache just watching it."

Asuma laughed out loud when he heard this, "That's pretty good for squirt like him."

"Naruto's never had any talent for gen-jutsu." Kakashi said turning his eyes on his drink. "How did he learn a B level gen-jutsu? He can't even make a Bushin."

"All you need for gen-jutsu is good chakra control and imagination." Kurenai said. "What happens when you remove the need for chakra control?" Kakashi's visible eye widened in shock. "Shinshoufuukei doesn't need chakra control. Just enough chakra to pump into it for it's effects to be seen. Like Kage Bushin it gets better with the more chakra put into the technique. That's why I don't use it myself. He'll never be a great gen-jutsu user, but the illusions he can make are devastating."

"I never knew." Kakashi said ashamed.

"Of course, you didn't know. You don't know anything about the damn boy. Did you know he was using lead weapons for over five years?" Kurenai snarled.

Asuma got very still at this, "Lead weapons? Who would make a lead weapon?"

Kakashi thought about this for a while. "I'm sure some of the shopkeepers wanted to get back at the boy, so they gave him defunct equipment. I bet the same person gave him that uniform."

"Asuma-kun. Could you look into that for me?" Kurenai said sweetly turning on the Yuuhi charm that their family was legendary for. "I'll make it up for you, I promise." she said tossing a pout his way making him blush like a genin. "Please?"

"There's a reason your family were all courtesans." Asuma muttered beet red, but out loud he added "Sure, Kurenai. No problem." He exited the bar rather quickly as Kakashi just cracked a perverted grin, but was quickly shot down by a glare from Kurenai.

"You're lucky that Naruto knows enough ninjitsu to make most people envious or I'd slice you open right now." Kurenai said as she sighed "He's not really ready for the Chunnin Exams. He doesn't have a grasp on the fundamentals, but his rate of growth is substantial. Right now, he's still running through taijitsu drills...and skill-wise I have no doubt he'd be ready for the Chunnin exams...but."

"But, what?" Kakashi asked as swirled his drink.

"You haven't noticed that even the littlest unexpected noise or disturbance makes him twitchy?" Kurenai asked as she kneaded her temples. "The boy is suffering from acute mental stress. What in the Kami happened to him? A fourteen year old teenager doesn't act like that usually. Ninja or not."

Kakashi sipped the drink he had ordered through his mask as he said softly as so the other jounin around him wouldn't listen. "Jiraiya's dead."

Kurenai felt queasy inside as she thought about the impact of losing one of the Sannin. "He's dead? Who killed him?"

"Orochimaru." Kakashi said as he quickly added "He's dead too."

"Anko will breathe a sigh of relief at least." Kurenai said as she sighed and finished her drink. "Why did you neglect him so much, Kakashi? You don't normally pull this sort of shit."

Kakashi only took a drink as he walked away. "Later." he said as he waved. Kurenai sighed as she thought about how best to correct the boy's mental instability.

(Break)

Naruto was shifting between tai-jitsu stances and throwing blows attempting to figure out how it all worked together. The log he was working on was getting pummeled but he didn't care. "Horse to rat, rat to eagle, eagle to horse!" he chanted as he shifted through the forms moving from punch to block to kick. "Uppercut, rotating block, sidekick." This is so much simpler then what those instructors told me, Naruto thought as he remembered being taught to use a stance that pretty much left him open to every attack in the book. As he worked the log down to splinters, he started to work on different stances Kurenai had outlined like bear and scorpion. "Shifting from Bear to Horse doesn't work." Naruto remarked as pulled a couple splinters out of his fist.

"Yosh! That is because they are punching stances, Naruto-san!" shouted a voice and Naruto dived behind the training log then emerged.

"Don't scare me like that, Lee!" Naruto shouted at the bowl-cut youth. "By the Kami!"

"Sorry, Naruto-san! It is good to see your fires of youth still burns red-hot!" Lee shouted just as loudly.

"Stop yelling!" Naruto yelled back ignoring the fact that his voice was just as loud. "What do you mean they are both punching stances?"

Lee sat down in the clearing explaining, "It's like a dance, Naruto-san! You don't twirl the girl twice in a row!"

Naruto started to laugh as he thought about Lee dancing. "Lee, you know how to dance?" Naruto said in-between laughs, "I'd never expect you of all people to know how to dance!"

"Sakura-chan, the wonderful flower she is taught me!" Lee announced happily as Naruto grinned.

"So, you and her are going out?" Naruto asked feeling a twinge of disappointment, but shook it off.

"We were. Sakura said she couldn't keep dating someone who was exactly like Gai-sensei all the time." Lee said sadly. Naruto fought back his inner demon that wasn't his inner demon who was cheering for his loss as he thought about it.

"How did she break up with you? Loud and with fists? Or, quiet and nervous with a bit of tears?" Naruto asked as he sat with the young tai-jitsu master.

"Well, she was really quiet...and when she finally did do it...she just ran off crying." Lee said trying not to remember it.

"That's good for you." Naruto explained. "If Sakura was crying, that means you still have a chance!"

Lee's reaction filled his entire body. The color returned to his face and the smile he gave was more vibrant then ever. "Then, I will go and proclaim my love once more!" he stood and was preparing to leap off into the distance when Naruto's arm snaked in between his legs and tripped him up. "Naruto-san that was a cruel move, I only wish to tell her how I truly feel!"

"Don't you get it, Lee? If you want Sakura, you will have to change." Naruto said loudly.

"I have to change? Why? Gai-sensei is the epitome of cool!" Lee said even louder. Naruto sighed. This is going to be a lot harder then I thought, Naruto thought.

"Look. Sakura wants you to be you. Not you to be Gai-sensei." Naruto said trying to force a concept into his head. "She just doesn't want you to live as a person that isn't the true you." Lee didn't say anything as he just stood and delivered a punch to the already weak training log shattering it. He sat back down and sighed. "Feel better?"

"Yosh! If that's what it means to have the lovely Sakura-chan in my arms that is what I will do!" Lee shouted as loud as he could. Naruto grinned as he basked in Lee's enthusiasm. "What do I have to do?"

"The trick to Sakura is that if she really wants something she won't stay away." Naruto smirked as he rubbed his index finger underneath his nose "So, what you have to do is go somewhere...where she isn't and wait...a place...like Suna! I'm sure Gaara would love to have you as the ninja representing Kohona for a couple of months, and I bet you could learn an awesome new style there, making Sakura realize what an idiot she's been!"

"My lovely Sakura-chan is not an idiot!" Lee said defensively, "But, your plan has the fire of youth behind it!"

Naruto grinned. "Good. I'll talk to Baasan for you."

"And, I will tell Gai-sensei what I plan on doing!" Lee stood and began to walk off.

"Wait! Lee! Do you think you could convince Gai to help me with my Tai-jitsu?" Naruto asked as he stood.

"You burn with the same fire Gai-sensei and I do! Yosh! He will accept you!" Lee said giving his "good guy" pose. "Meet us at five at the Gates!" He ran off and Naruto sighed.

"I hate getting up earlier then nine." he muttered.

(Break)

Hinata was grateful for the day off. She had a good time not being worried for once about her father, and enjoyed the sunshine and the fresh air. As she walked back to Shizune's house she noticed Neji standing next to it in an alleyway. I wonder what he wants, Hinata thought as she approached him. "G-greetings, Neji-nii-san." Neji nodded and beckoned her deeper into the alley way.

"Hinata-sama. It is good to see that you are well." Neji said settling into a corner of the building that was out of sight from the main street. "I apologize for bothering you, but the situation was becoming urgent."

"What is it, Neji-kun?" Hinata asked nervously slipping into the shadows beside her cousin. One look at his face told her all she needed to know. "This involves F-father right?"

"Hiashi-sama has been...restless as of late. He did sign the contract that Uzumaki Naruto and he forged, but has been as of late been making plans." Neji said with the air of someone giving a mission report.

"Plans? How do you know he was making plans?" Hinata asked. This was just a formality, but with Neji formality was the only way he could cope.

"Simple. He has had three guests today. All three of the guests were of non-Hyuuga decent." Neji said with a small smirk.

"Did you recognize any of the guests, Neji-kun?" Hinata asked as she tented her fingers in front of her face.

"The first guest was a town elder by the name of Nichi Orkiam. I could not recognize the second guest, but he did wear the sash which denotes him a council member of Kohona, and the third member was...Gekkou Urkai." Neji said as Hinata absorbed this information.

"Are you sure it was Gekkou Urkai?"

"Absolutely. The Hyuuga who served him tea remembered him saying his name out loud. There is no mistaking him."

"Thank you, Neji-kun. This is very important information. I'm glad you came to me with it." Hinata said as Neji held up a hand to forgo the thanks.

"There's more." Neji said as he scowled. "Hiashi-sama used the Seal of the Branch House and placed a young female branch member into a coma for spilling some tea today." Hinata gasped and thought, Father never uses the branch seal. He swore he'd never use it.

"H-how...could h-he do such a thing?" Hinata said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "He's d-doing this because of me!"

"He is shifting his rage from you to whoever he can lay his hands on." Neji said as he let his mask crack showing concern. "It seems you were the only thing keeping the Hyuuga together, and he's trying to get you back."

"And, how has the Branch House taken his actions?" Hinata said fighting guilt down.

"As you may expect, the Branch House council wanted to revolt against Hiashi-sama and the Main House. It took me an hour to convince them otherwise." Neji snorted which made Hinata want to giggle in spite of it all. Neji hated to waste time when he could be training.

Hinata felt trapped like as if she was in a box and there was no way out of it. "Neji. What do I do? I don't know what I should do." Neji had become her chief councilor, and without him she'd still be trapped by her father.

"Let me handle the Branch House for now. You need to figure out the significance of why Hiashi-sama invited those three people to our house." Neji said as he walked away. "If you do not marry Naruto, we will never have a Hokage strong enough to change our clan. Take care, Hinata-sama."

"Good-bye...Neji-kun."

(Break)

Tsunade looked at the two young men who had just explained their brilliant plan for Lee to win Sakura's heart. "I suppose, but this is an important job, Lee. Changing your image is all well and good, but don't forget that while you are there you are a ninja under Suna control. Shikamaru was complaining about the amount of time he spent there anyhow."

"Yosh! I will do the best job, I possibly can Hokage-sama! The Proud Green Beast of Kohona will not fail his village!" Lee said saluting.

"And, to make sure you do the best job possible, I'm awarding you Active Chunnin status. Complete this mission without any hitches, and you'll be a full Chunnin." Tsunade said as she pulled out a Chunnin vest and gave it to Lee who put it on and saluted.

"Aw man! He gets Chunnin just by sitting out in Suna getting a sharp new image and Sakura's love! Some people have all the luck." Naruto said as Tsunade only stared at him. "All right. I'll send myself through the wall myself." Naruto said as he formed the seal for Shinshoufuukei (Imagined Landscape) and used it to make himself disappear from Tsunade's and Lee's sight and made an image of a fake Naruto jump through the window. He even made it look like the window broke as the Naruto jumped out. Tsunade was up on her feet immediately screaming as Lee shouted about the Fire of Youth protecting Naruto from injury. Naruto released the technique and waited five seconds. "Hey is something interesting going on out there or something?"

Tsunade turned and narrowed her eyes at the blond and cracked her knuckles. Oh, yeah...this is going to be good, she thought as he turned and ran. She followed him slowly. She enjoyed a good chase before a severe beating.

(Break)

Kakashi sat in front of the the Memorial Stone like he did on most days like this. It helped calm him down, but after the talk with Kurenai he couldn't quite bring himself to say anything like he usually did. Finally, he opened his mouth and let the words spill out. "I'm sorry, Yoshino-sensei. It looks like I couldn't do what you asked." Naruto looked so much like his late sensei. He even had the same blue eyes as his father and uncle. Every time he tried to teach Naruto something, he'd just see Yoshino's face telling him about a certain concept and how it worked. Or, maybe it was Obito's challenging him to one more race up the side of Training Field Eight, trying to improve himself. He searched out the two names that meant the most to him. "Uchida Obito and Uzumaki Yoshino" he said as if they could hear him. The fire from that night still haunted his dreams as he carried Naruto to the Third who prepared him for the hell he was going to be put through. He remembered looking into that small chubby little face and knowing that in an hour that boy's life would be turned upside down and inside out, but yet that face was smiling. He never even cried as the great beast was sealed into him. He just smiled as if he knew what he was born to do from that very day. "Obito, what would you do if you were in my shoes right now?"

"He'd tell you to move on and get on with your life, you perverted bishōnen." said a sharp female voice as she approached. "But, it's good to see you in one piece Kakashi-chan."

"It's good to see you too...Rin."

(End Chapter: Four)

This is a quick update, but I had to go with what was bouncing in my head. Lee is going to be leaving the story for a good while, till at least Book Two, but that book is going to be Sakura/Leecentric. I like that word. Leecentirc. It's electric.

I want to thank all my reviewers. I have gotten at least 10 reviews for every chapter and that really is touching. It inspires me to speedy updates like this one.

I'm looking for a group of writers to help me write side-stories. If you are interested let me know! Currently, I'm looking for someone to a...well, a sidestory. On some people. If you're intrested I'll give you the details of the job.