"Found it!" Mizuki held the forbidden scroll in his hands. He as eager to get away as fast as he possibly could. He counted himself immensely lucky to have sneaked into the Tower unobserved. With a little luck he could be on his way to Oto before the scroll was missed and the hunter nins sent out.

"What are you doing here Mizuki?"

Mizuki swallowed, recognizing the Hokage's voice. He palmed some shuriken and turned around to see the Hokage standing not ten feet away. He did not look especially angry.

"I am sorry Lord Hokage but I have orders to retrieve this scroll. I'm afraid I can't let you interfere."

"Oh really?" Sarutobi lifted a single eyebrow.

In the next instant Mizuki felt a hundred kunai piercing his body.

Sarutobi watched as the former instructor shook and collapsed wordlessly to the floor. This was the difference in ability between a Chunin and a Hokage. Just a little focused killer intent had been enough to deal with the man.

"Bring him to Ibiki; I want to know who it was who gave him these orders."

In an instant a pair of ANBU materialized at his side. "Yes Hokage-sama," the one with an owl mask replied.

Sarutobi picked up the scroll and put it back in its proper place. "Oh, and have Naruto report to me."

"Yes sir," the other ANBU replied.

XXX

Naruto was back at his apartment with a full belly and a content grin. He was busy shining his hitai-ite. Tomorrow he was having his picture taken for the yearbook and the day after he would be getting assigned to his team. He and his classmates were being divided up into standard three man squads. That meant the chances of Sakura-chan being his teammate were 2 in 29. He desperately wanted her on his squad, not just because she was his girl but because he was used to working with her. They were already natural partners and would be perfect as teammates. He also just liked the idea of being able to see her every day.

I wonder if Iruka-sensei would be open to a bribe.

There was a sudden knock on his door. When he opened it there was an ANBU in a ram's mask standing there. Please come with me Naruto, the Hokage wishes to speak with you."

"Whatever it is I swear I didn't do it!"

The ANBU sighed. "Just come along."

XXX

"Congratulations on your graduation Naruto," Sarutobi told him.

"Thanks old man," Naruto said happily.

"I have a special graduation present for you."

"If you want to treat me to ramen I already ate, but you can treat me tomorrow."

Sarutobi grinned at him. "What I have in mind is a little bit better than ramen Naruto." He produced a jutsu scroll and handed it over to him. "That is yours now."

Naruto took it eagerly. "A jutsu scroll? Awesome!" He opened it and looked at the title scrawled along the top of it. "Senko Tanken no Jutsu. Flashing Dagger Technique, well that sounds more interesting than a bunshin or henge at any rate." Naruto began to unroll the scroll and frowned at it, there were a lot of symbols and instructions to it. "This looks awfully complicated."

"It should, this is an S-rank jutsu Naruto."

"S-rank? Seriously?" His voice was quivering with excitement. "You're giving it to me?"

"It's yours," Sarutobi confirmed. "However to guard against theft you will not be allowed to bring it home with you or make any copies or notes either. It will be kept here at the Tower under lock and seal. I will leave special instructions that you are to be granted access to study it at any time you like. I do not expect you to learn it immediately Naruto, it will undoubtedly take you many months if not years to be able to perform it."

"Don't you have any faith in me? I'll have it down in a week, two at the most." He sounded very certain.

Sarutobi shook his head. The young always believed they could do the impossible. Only time and experience would show them they had limits. "If you can manage that I will be very impressed, but don't be upset if the going is a bit slower. Take your time, there is no rush."

"Can I start studying this right now?" He asked.

The Hokage nodded his head approvingly. "Of course, the ANBU outside my office will escort you to the room where it will be kept. Study it as long as you like. Just remember you can't bring it home with you and you can't take any notes or copies of it either."

"Right! Thanks again old man, I'm going to make you proud!"

"I don't doubt it Naruto."

XXX

His work finally done for the day the Hokage headed home and to bed. As he did so he recalled the first time he's been shown the jutsu, the Yondaime's last original creation.

XXX

Twelve Years Earlier, Six Months Prior to Kyuubi's Arrival

"Another new jutsu kid?" Jiraiya shook his head. "Where the hell do you find the time?"

"It's something I've been thinking about for awhile," the Yondaime replied. "It's a variation of Hiraishin, but it's made to cover its weak point."

"The Flying Thunder God Techniques has a weak point?" Sarutobi asked. That jutsu had defeated entire armies. It certainly didn't seem to have a weakness in it.

"It does," Minato said seriously. "Hiraishin requires seals in order to be used. That means that until those seals are placed it's useless. If a number of enemies managed to get in close to me it would be no help at all. This is meant to compliment Hiraishin; it's designed specifically for close in fighting. Finishing it seemed even more important now that Kushina is going to give me a son."

"Why so?" Sarutobi questioned. "You're not planning to go out on missions are you? The Hokage's place is inside the village."

"No," the Yondaime replied. "It's because I'm going to have a son who may be able to use this as well as Hiraishin one day. This is much simpler and can be learned first."

"You're going to declare this a clan technique like the Hiraishin?" Clans were permitted to reserve techniques that were specific to them.

"I think I have to," Minato replied.

Jiraiya snorted. "The kid thinks his ability to teleport is tied into a blood line."

"A kekkei genkai?" Sarutobi said startled. "But the Namikaze have never had a blood line."

"We never had one that we knew of," Minato corrected. "However it seems the only explanation as to why I can perform it but no one else can."

"The kid tried to show it to me," Jiraiya admitted. "But no matter what he tried to do it was impossible for me to make it work."

Minato nodded. "If Jiraiya-sensei can't learn it I doubt anyone else can either. That's what makes me suspect there may be a bloodline limit involved, one that permits the use of chakra for teleportation."

"That's an interesting theory Minato," Sarutobi admitted. "Though it's not one we can really test."

Minato shrugged. "Well not until Daisuke gets a bit older."

"Daisuke?"

"It's the name Kushina and I are leaning towards."

"Personally I still think 'Little Jiraiya' sounds better."

"No sensei."

XXX

Sarutobi returned to the Tower early the next morning. As he was headed to his office a tired and bleary eyed Naruto came out to greet him.

"Hey old man," Naruto said and tried to stifle a yawn.

He frowned at the boy. "Naruto," he said sharply. "Have you been here all night?"

"That's right," Naruto and answered and covered another yawn. "It took all night but I'm done."

"I told you there was no rush. You're going to have to report directly to the photographer's studio to take your picture. After that get some sleep. You can study it some more later."

Naruto shook his head. "I'm done studying it."

"Yes, for now you certainly are. Don't push things, you have time."

"No, I mean I'm done studying it. I've learned it."

Sarutobi stared at him blankly for a moment, certain he had to have misheard that. "What do you mean you've learned it?"

Naruto shrugged. "I mean I've learned it, it was kind of hard but I think I've got it down now."

"Naruto that was an S-rank jutsu! There's no way you could master it in one night!"

"Well I said it was hard," he answered defensively. "Don't you have faith in me?"

"Naruto it is not a matter of faith, some things are simply impossible."

The boy pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm telling you I've got it down."

Sarutobi stared at him. It was absolutely ridiculous. Even if the boy were a genius (which he definitely was not) it would be impossible.

Still…

"Would you like to give me a demonstration?"

Naruto nodded. "Sure thing."

"Give me an hour to set it up, in the mean time take a nap in my office."

XXX

"These are some weird looking kunai," Naruto said.

Over his orange jump suit he had two 'belts' crossed, each holding fifty sheaths, each sheath filled with a tri-kunai. One hundred total.

"These are necessary to make the jutsu function," Sarutobi told him.

They were out in the middle of training ground 15. Around him Naruto had a ten wooden training dummies planted in the ground. The dummies were made of straw and had various types of armor tied to them ranging from plain leather jerkins to chain mail to one with steel plate that samurai favored. All the dummies were within ten yards of him at staggered distances.

"Now are you still sure you can work this?" Sarutobi asked once more.

"Sure thing," Naruto answered confidently.

"All right then, wait for my signal then do your best."

Sarutobi walked about thirty yards away to where a small group of Jonin were waiting. He'd asked them to come along to bear witness. He was sure Naruto could not have mastered this jutsu in one night. Even if he was only partially successful though that would be amazing.

"So what sort of wild goose chase have you got for us?" Asuma asked as he lit a fresh cigarette.

"I'm sure it will be very interesting whatever it is," Kakashi said as he looked down at a little orange book.

"Do you have to read that in public?" Kurenai asked.

"Yep."

Sarutobi sighed. "This will not take much of your day, so please all of you pay attention. That includes you Kakashi."

"Hai Hokage-sama," he momentarily looked up from his book.

Sarutobi waved his arm. "Whenever you are ready Naruto, go ahead."

Nodding he did it. There were no hand signs required, just a specific intention and use of chakra.

"Senko Tanken."

There was a flash of yellow.

Naruto did not vanish. He remained in place and visible. Instead a bubble of yellow light appeared around him for just an instant. It formed a perfect sphere stretching out exactly ten yards with him at its center. They witnessed the flash and then it was gone. In the next instant all ten straw dummies, their armor, and the wooden posts disintegrated. That was the word for it, one second they were there the next they were not. The only thing left standing in that space was Naruto.

Sarutobi stood there with his jaw hanging open stunned.

Thump.

He looked back to see that Kakashi's book had slipped from his hand. Asuma's cigarette had fallen from his open mouth.

"Unbelievable," Kurenai whispered.

Naruto waved over to them and shouted out. "Told you I could do it."

XXX

The dummies and everything else had been chopped up into tiny pieces. The posts were piles of wood chips. Asuma bent over to pick up a square inch piece of steel plate. He carefully examined the sides. "There's not even a scratch," he muttered. "This is tempered steel and it was reinforced with chakra, and it still got cut this neatly. Just how fast were those blades moving?"

Kakashi had been examining several of the tri-kunai, taking them out of their sheaths at random to investigate their edges. "They feel a little warm but I can't find any damage to the blades at all. They cut through steel and wood without even being marked up."

"It's a perfect attack," Kurenai said. There was a little awe in her voice. "Anything that gets within ten yard of him dies, period."

All the others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Pretty awesome huh?" Naruto preened under all the positive attention.

"Naruto," Sarutobi asked. "Is there any way you could limit its effects?"

Naruto frowned, not really understanding the question. "What do you mean old man?"

"Could you use it say to just disarm an opponent or just wound him?"

Still frowning Naruto shook his head. "I can't control it like that," he said. "It's like flipping on a switch, it's either on or it's not."

"I see," Sarutobi answered. "In that case I am going to set two conditions for you to use this jutsu."

"Conditions? I just learned it and you…"

"Naruto!" Sarutobi said angrily getting his sudden and full attention. "This jutsu is one hundred percent LETHAL! You have just admitted that you cannot alter that. Since that is the case you will not be allowed to use it at any time you wish. There are two conditions that must be in place first."

Seeing he Hokage angry was intimidating. Naruto meekly nodded his head. "Uh, okay, what are they?"

"You may never use this unless you are sure your sensei and teammates are at least fifteen yards away from you. Develop some kind of code phrase to let them know you are about to unleash it so they do not try and get near you at the wrong moment."

Naruto nodded, he could see the sense in that. "Okay, and the other one?"

"Only use it against people who are trying o kill you," he replied. "Which means I expect you will never have any reason to use it against a fellow Leaf shinobi. You are not allowed to resort to it merely to win an argument or a fight. If I ever learn you have broken either of these conditions you will arrested and charged with murder. Is that clear?"

Naruto again nodded. "Yes Hokage–sama, I understand."

Sarutobi nodded solemnly. "I am proud of you Naruto, what you've just done goes far beyond all my hopes. I have no doubt at all that you will put this jutsu to goods use against the enemies of Konoha."

"Maybe he'll even earn a nickname like the Yondaime did," Kakashi put in. "'The Flashing Dagger' or something."

"The Flashing Dagger?" Naruto said and slowly began to grin. "I like that."