Chapter Three

Meet the Parents

The Village Hidden in the Leaves is a very unique from the perspective of an urban planner. A large wall encloses it, however it is riddled with forests throughout. There are areas designated to various purposes such as administration or trade that are connected by the major thoroughfares. Finally there are the residential districts. There are clan compounds and high-rises throughout the village yet there are certain areas where a certain type of people spring up. Some call the inhabitant bohemian others use less flattering names however it remains that these sections of the village sprung up on their own, often forgotten by the council that would be able to control them.

It was one such community that the Sandaime Hokage was leading a group of three adults and four children towards. After exchanging greetings at the Hokage Tower they had remained for the most part silent. However it couldn't last long.

"Hokage-sama, might I ask exactly why you are leading us into the artist's district? I fail to understand why we would be needed here." The speaker was Inuzuka Tsume the matriarch of the Inuzuka clan as well as a skilled kunoichi.

"The reason that we are coming here is that the gentleman who we will be meeting with just so happens to have his compound at the centre of this district. Also It is quickest to come this way as opposed to taking the main streets and having to be bowed to every five steps." Replied the wizened man as he continued on his way towards a set of large white enamelled doors surrounded by a wall covered in paintings of snow tipped trees. He knocked three times at the doors when they were quickly opened by Koori who was wearing a cheongsam that while radically different from what he had worn the day before was done in the same colour scheme.

"Hokage-sama, you are right on time. Please come in I have everything prepared on the terrace." Once everyone had entered and he had secured the gate he led the way through various paths until coming to a stone terrace with a cast iron table set with a tea service. He invited them all to sit and then began to pour while Sarutobi introduced him to the others.

"Everyone this is Hyouden Koori, one of my jounin. He came to my office with a proposition that regards your children and Naruto here, and I felt that it was a situation that would benefit everyone. Koori-san would you like to explain."

"Well I suppose I should, but before I begin perhaps the boys would like to explore." At their eager faces they were sent off and Koori again began to speak, "I am not sure if you know exactly who I am, and I hate to bother you with my life story but it is necessary if you are to understand my proposition. First off I will ask you to say what it is that you know about me so that I don't waste my time."

When all of the adults turned to stare at Nara Shikaku his head dropped but he began to give a summary of what was known about the white clad man. "Hyouden Koori, you were only just promoted to jounin despite having held the tokubetsu jounin rank for over five years. You arrived in Leaf just over a year past the Kyubbi's attack. You specialize in genjutsu and tessenjutsu. Your missions are typically a blend of infiltration and assassination."

"Well, that is actually more then I expected you to know. I was born into a tribe that while not comprised of ninja did teach the ninja arts. Our territory was far north of Earth Country and we had little contact with the Elemental Countries. We were a peaceful people however the gifts that we had, similar in nature to a Kekkei Genkai, made people fear us. When I was only eight years old the other tribes sought to destroy mine. The result was genocide, I only survived as I was undergoing an initiation right at the time. When I returned from my tribe's temple I saw my people lying everywhere dead. I returned to the temple and began to collect everything that I could. I was lucky that we kept all of our ancestral possessions within the temple or they would have been lost. I eventually made my way here to Leaf where I was granted amnesty as a refugee. I joined the shinobi ranks on the condition that I would be allowed to take on apprentices who would be taught in the same ways as my tribe was. I am now prepared to do so which brings us to where we are now." Koori had been calmly telling the story in a detached manner that shocked the other adults until they looked at his eyes, which had darkened until they were nearly black, betraying his emotions.

Aburame Shibi was the first to speak after Koori's closing words, his voice betraying no emotion what so ever "So it is your intention to take our sons as your apprentices. Why exactly?"

"My tribe had a unique method of training that I believe would be beneficial to them. Your family styles all have the capability of working together and could be supplemented by my training methods. Finally I do not see any of these young men succeeding in the Ninja Academy in both the academic and social fields, an apprenticeship allows for them to have a more personalized academic plan while still interacting with their peers outside of their lessons."

Shikaku was next with a lazy query "While those were all valid points why should we allow our children to enter an apprenticeship. If they were to do so it has been statistically proven that they will take up your style and skills, instead of those of their clan. Why should we allow our clan heirs to sacrifice their traditional skills in exchange for skills that are not native to Leaf?"

"I have no intention of replacing their skills. It would be my intention to each of them alone one afternoon each week while they meet as a group each morning and on the final day I would have all four. The weekends would be for them to do what you allow for social activities. This would allow for three afternoons a week to train with your clans. That is actually more time then they would normally receive for clan training then if they were to attend the Academy."

Tsume was the only one to ask the question that they all want answered "At what point would this Tribe Training begin and what is it exactly? I need to know what I would be signing my son over for."

"The training would occur after the four of them are made genin as I would need them to be registered ninja in order for them to go on a training journey of sorts. As for what the training entails, it would essentially unlock the most potential possible for a particular chosen speciality. It enables for the creation of what is in essence a kekkei genkai for an individual that will not be passed on. For myself my appearance and hidenjutsu are result of my personalized training. I was able to transport this building here from my homeland to here to serve as my home. This was the same building that served as my family's temple." Seeing them all shocked at that he decided to give them a further chance for questions. "Are there any points that you would like answered?" Much to everyone's surprise it was at that point that all four boys rushed onto the terrace a white tiger behind them. "Oh my!" Koori gasped as all of the adults reached for their kunai, "It appears as though you have been exploring if you managed to find Koyuki here. Koyuki is my mount, my primary means of transportation outside of Leaf. I actually received her by going through the training. I almost got a polar bear but I thought that a tiger suited my style better in that I could pass her off as an exotic pet." Seeing them still staring at his tiger he sighed. "Well have you come to a conclusion?"

Shikaku was the spokesman for the quartet as he asked the fateful question smiling "When do they start?"

Author's Note

Three short chapter's in one day. I'll probably do a timeskip since I have no interest in doing eight years worth of training with little boys. I want to get into a world where it is my rules ... and it is comming up next