Life of a Ninja: Renascence
3. Commencement
/kəˈmensmənt/
noun
a beginning or start.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure, looked at the jounin gathered before him. "As you all know, it's that time of year once more."
Jonins groaned, shifting as if they wanted to make a break for it.
"It's time to create this year's genin squads." He eyed the shinobi shrewdly, and not at all sympathetic of their plights. "This years teams will be the following." The old man held out a scroll for his jounin to read.
Team 1
Sensei: Hamaki Mimura
Haruno Sakura - F
Kunugi Shirou - M
Akashi Takeshi - M
Team 2
Team 3
Sensei: Saito Yumi
Nanako Yuu - M
Takahashi Masami - F
Kita Haruto - M
Team 4
Sensei: Aburame Gorou
Kuroo Kenma - M
Maki Saburo - M
Akiyama Saki - F
Team 5
Team 6
Team 7
Sensei: Hatake Kakashi
Uchiha Sasuke - M
Senju Tobirama - M
Uzumaki Nagisa - F
Team 8
Sensei: Yuhi Kurenai
Inuzuka Kiba - M
Hyuuga Hinata - F
Aburame Shino - M
Team 9
Team 10
Sensei: Sarutobi Asuma
Nara Shikamaru - M
Yamanaka Ino - F
Akimichi Choji - M
Quite a few jounin cheered when they realized that they weren't chosen this year, and some groaned in dismay when they found their names on the Scroll of Doom (as dubbed by the jounin).
"Now," Sarutobi peered at the gathered shinobi, "any questions?"
"When did Uzumaki pass, Hokge-sama? The records originally said that she failed." One jounin asked.
"Ah, yes." The Sandaime mused, "But Uzumaki Nagisa's test was designed by Toji Mizuki so that she would fail. He knowingly gave her, not the Graduation written exam, but the Chunnin one. He disrupted her already fragile chakra control during her Ninjutsu exam, causing her bushin no jutsu to backfire." He eyed his soldiers darkly. "And then he proceeded to give her false hopes by offering her a chance to graduate along side her friends if she brought him the Forbidden Scroll. After successfully breaking into the Hokage library, and evading those hunting her down, she was found by Umino Iruka, and explained to him that Toji told her that if she managed to bring him the Scroll, he would allow her to graduate. He then attacked both Umino-sensei, and young Nagisa-chan with the intent to kill. He revealed an S-rank secret, and admitted to working for Orochimaru. After severely injuring Umino-sensei, he was defeated by Nagisa when she spanned over a thousand kage-bushin." The jounin were shocked into silence, and Hiruzen nodded before continuing. "Both Umino-sensei and I agreed that Nagisa-chan deserved her hitai-ate after such a feat. Anymore questions?"
There were none.
"Then you are dismissed." He turned to a tall silver-haired man, "Kakashi, stay behind please."
When it was only the two of them, Hiruzen offered Kakashi a small apologetic smile. "I know you expressed a desire to not be Sasuke's sensei. However, the counsel over-ruled me. In their eyes, you are the only one capable of teaching him to use his sharingan if he awakens it."
"In all due respect, Sandaime-sama." Kakashi said, "Uchiha Sasuke is a spoiled, pampered little boy, with a superiority complex the size of the nation. I have no patience to teach a boy who believes he deserves anything he wants, and someone who thinks he has no need for teammates." The younger man's only visible eye narrowed. "Did you know that the counsel ordered me to teach only the Uchiha? He's a flight risk, and they want me to give him all the power he wants. Once a better offer comes along, he's going to leave. His attitude will only succeed in dragging his teammates down."
Hiruzen sighed, "I'm sorry, Kakashi, but you will have to put up with him. But, if it's any consolation, I have, as promised, assigned Nagisa-chan to your squad..."
-((Flashback))-
12 Years Ago, October 30
Hiruzen stared down at the broken boy in front of him who was trying so hard to keep himself together... So much suffering for one so young... "I'm sorry, Kakashi-kun. But I cannot allow you to raise her."
The fourteen year old clutched the tiny bundle tighter to his chest, "Please, Hokage-sama! She's all I have left!" He pleaded.
"No." Hiruzen stated firmly. "Both Minato-kun, and Kushina had many enemies, some who would use Nagisa to their own ambitions, she would be become a target for those who hated her parents. How would it look if you, his only remaining student, one he considered a son, suddenly became the guardian of a young blonde-haired, blue-eyed child?"
Kakashi's shoulders slumped, his only visible eye becoming misty as he stared down at the slumbering babe in his arms. "If... if you won't let me raise her... then would you let me become her jounin sensei when she graduates?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt so old as he eyed the young boy's defeated slump to his normally proud shoulders, the deep bags under his only visible eye, and deep within him he knew that his decision to keep Nagisa's heritage a secret was unfair to this child who had seen too much, lost too much, to bare. And he couldn't help but feel that if he denied Kakashi this request, it would break whatever spirit the boy had left.
He made his decision.
He said yes.
-((Flashback))-
"Senju Tobirama is, in all aspects, a genius." Hiruzen continued, "He seems aloof, but he is Nagisa's sole friend, their teamwork is flawless. It would be foolish to split the two of them."
"An Uzumaki, Senju, and Uchiha." Kakashi deadpanned, "On the same team. I'm going to die..."
Sarutobi only smiled.
-((-))-
"Where is he?!"
Tobirama looked up from his ninjutsu scroll as Nagisa released a shriek of frustration, tugging on her golden pigtails with an almost crazed look in her blue eyes. "Nagi-chan," He sighed in exasperation, "Calm yourself."
"I am calm! I am perfectly calm! That bastard of a sensei is late!" She scouted again. "Three hours late, Tobi! Three hours!" She spat.
Tobirama sighed once more, before studying his Uzumaki. The blonde had definitely grown since the day he had found her in that alley, she was still short for her age, a result of the malnutrition she had gone through before he had found her. In her black qipao-styled long-sleeve shirt, burnt orange apron skirt over a pair of black shorts, wearing knee-length black stockings and ninja sandals; she no longer looked like a drowned street rat, but a respectable kunoichi-in-training.
He himself had changed over the years. He had decided against the armor he had worn in his first life, as if would only slow him down in the modern shinobi battles; so instead he wore a blue vest with a fur-lined hood over a black short-sleeved top, and 3/4-length fishnet shirt, and black shinobi-styled pants tucked into his sandals using bandages, and a training katana slung across his back (he'd swap it for a regular katana when he was taller). Much like in his first life, Tobirama was a little shorter than average, but he would probably shoot upwards once he began puberty. (He shivered at the thought - going through puberty was horrible enough the first time, now he had to do it again?)
"Being angry about it isn't going to change anything, Nagi." Tobirama told her,
"Shut up, dobe." The Uchiha finally brought himself out of his brooding, only to insult the blonde Uzumaki.
"What did you just call her, Uchiha?" The silver-haired boy snarled,
Sasuke sneered, "You heard me, Senju."
"Sasuke-teme! Tobi-kun! Both of you, stop it!" Nagisa admonished, crossing her arms over her chest as the two boys glared at each other, metaphorical lightning sparking between them.
That was the sight that greeted Hatake Kakashi when he slid the door open.
Nagisa wheeled around, glaring at him with a rather adorable glare/pout combination, pointing at him accusingly, "YOU'RE LATE!"
Tobirama turned from his glaring match with 'The Last Uchiha', to pin the silver-haired jounin with his own (admittedly much scarier) glare.
Sasuke merely scoffed, and went back to his brooding.
Kakashi cast a lazy glace across his three maybe-students, hands stuffed in his pockets and shoulders slumped in the perfect show of 'I-have-better-places-to-be'. "My first impression of you... I hate you. Meet me on the roof in five minutes." And he was gone in a puff of smoke.
-((-))-
Hatake Kakashi studied the three children in front of him, the perfect picture of nonchalance. Senju Tobirama and his sensei's daughter sat together, both pairs of eyes, one pale red and the other azure blue, locked onto him, while the Uchiha-brat sat as far away from them as possible, his usual brooding-scowl on his face.
"So then," Kakashi said cheerfully, "let's learn a little bit about each other. Name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future; the like."
"Why don't you go first, sensei?" Nagisa piped up,
He eye-smiled "Hmm... I'm Hatake Kakashi. Things I like and things I hate? I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future? Never thought about it. As for my hobbies... I have lots of hobbies."
His adorable little genin sweat-dropped.
"Alight, Emo. Your turn."
Sasuke glared (rather pathetic compared to many of the others he'd seen in his life), "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I hate lots of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and kill a certain sombody."
I knew it, Kakashi thought. He'll do anything for the power to kill his brother. "Girly, you're next."
Nagisa grinned, a smile reminiscent of his deceased sensei that made his heart ache, "I'm Uzumaki Nagisa!" She chirped brightly, "I like Tobi-kun, training, cooking, and fuinjutsu! I dislike arrogant jerks and people who look down on others. My hobbies are training with Tobi-kun, learning new seals, among other things! My dream is to be Hokage!"
Kakashi smiled gently, it was scary how alike Nagisa was to her parents. "Now you go, Tobi-kun."
Tobirama frowned slightly at his use of the nickname the Uzumaki bestowed upon him. "I am Senju Tobirama. I have very little things I like, and I don't feel like going into detail with current company." He glared venomously at the dark-haired Uchiha.
"Tobi..." Nagisa admonished, causing Tobirama to huff.
"Fine. I like the village, my Uzumaki," He scowled pointedly at Sasuke, as if banning him from coming anywhere near the blonde beside him, "ninjutsu, and kenjutsu. I dislike those who are arrogant, and those who insult what is mine. My hobbies include training, and reading. I don't currently have a dream." He tugged Nagisa closer to him, tucking the oblivious blonde against his side as he shot another glare at Sasuke, a glare that was readily returned.
Kakashi sweat-dropped.
Now he knew why Minato-sensei would run in the opposite direction whenever he saw his own team approaching out of training sessions.
Kami have mercy...
Yay! New chapter! :D I'm so proud of myself. Hope you enjoyed it!
Please review with any thoughts or comments, if you see any spelling mistakes please inform me, as I have no beta reader. No flames though.
Tempestas D. Uzu
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TEAM 7:
Hatake Kakashi
Age: 26
Birthday: September 15
Hair: Silver/Gray
Eyes: Dark gray/Sharingan
Height: 181 cm
...
Senju Tobirama
Age: 13
Birthday: February 18
Hair: Pale silver
Eyes: Pale red
Height: 151.5 cm
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Uzumaki(-Namikaze) Nagisa
Age: 12
Birthday: October 10
Hair: Gold-blonde
Eyes: Blue
Height: 140 cm
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Uchiha Sasuke
Age: 13
Birthday: July 23
Hair: Black
Eyes: Black
Height: 153.2 cm
