Chapter Two
Edited 3/15/09
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Time Skip: 12 Years After the Great Unraveling
The Third Hokage smiled when he walked through the Academy door. It had been more than a decade since he'd retaken his former position as Hokage…and today his predecessor's son was graduating.
A bittersweet day, the best kind. Great sadness, intermingled with great hope. The dead could live on through their children, the legends that the young and alive would accumulate.
Even this Academy, nurturer of the young and alive, had risen from the proverbial grave. It was a different place from what Namikaze Minato would have remembered.
It had more students, for one, and fewer students being dropped between the 'potential genin' and genin stages. Jounin-sensei tests were abolished; instead, all prospective graduates were tested in front of all prospective jounin-sensei. No more sweeping shit under the rug.
Students passed on their own merits…or failed for lack of merit. No jounin-sensei could throw away a team for something nebulous, like 'lacking teamwork' after being together as a team for less than twenty-four hours. He also couldn't pass a team with two deadweights and one good genin in order not to fail that third member. Good riddance to bad practices.
Also, as much as it had saddened Sarutobi, the Academy now taught offensive and defensive techniques beyond hand-to-hand combat and distance projectiles. It had taken more than a few people pointing out how stupid it was for genin to be sent on missions without officially being required to know how to attack enemies or protect themselves. It made Sarutobi a bit sad to churn out so many child soldiers every year, but it was the way of the ninja. He wished they could have more time as children.
He walked into the gymnasium and took a seat in the first row. All the prospective jounin-sensei were here, even Kakashi (he'd required more than a few sessions with Ibiki to break him of his chronic tardiness).
The chuunin instructors brought the seventy-three examinees into the room. Some of them had attempted to pass before; all of them looked nervous.
Four pairs would spar at a time in front of the panel. Every jounin would take notes – strengths and weaknesses – about every candidate. The losers of the first round would get to fight other losers (so every person would get to fight at least twice). Winners would fight winners.
Everyone – even those in the losers' bracket – who demonstrated acceptable skill would pass this test. Those who failed would have to try again next year.
Sandaime smiled when Naruto took his turn against the young Inuzuka boy. Naruto remembered he was to use the standard Academy style, not the one he and the Hokage had been developing for him to use. That style must only be used against true enemies, training dummies, or various types of bunshin.
It was a straight taijutsu match. Naruto had speed, but the Inuzuka had a bit more strength and ferocity. There were no chakra attacks; no partner animals – so both were disadvantaged in some way.
But, as Hokage, he had declared that every ninja had to be able to defend him- or herself even when without a tool or partner or when ninjutsu or genjutsu weren't possible to use. If there were fundamental weaknesses in any candidate, they needed to be exposed early on and corrected – before those weaknesses got someone killed.
Uzumaki Naruto, the anonymous little orphan, had been told of his unique heritage only two years earlier when the Hokage invited the young man to start weekly lessons with him. The boy was a powerhouse; rather reminiscent of a young Jiraiya, but with more laughter and less leering at the kunoichi in his class.
Naruto finally flipped the Inuzuka into the air. The clan heir landed and had the breath knocked from him. That constituted a win in this spar – for Naruto.
To everyone present, it looked like both boys had taken the Academy lessons to heart. But the Hokage knew that he and his monkey summons had worked extensively with Naruto to build his physique and technique. After all, no eleven year old likes to get beaten into the ground by a two foot tall summoned monkey. Rather than continue to lose, he had learned and got better. And then Sandaime introduced Naruto to a stronger, four foot tall monkey.
His eyes turned to examine the other potential genin. The spars were good for the most part. Good speed, a bit of power; in all, a lot of potential waiting to be honed. The Sandaime was impressed with the entire cohort so far.
Ordinarily when there were physical powerhouses like Naruto, the Inuzuka boy, or Hyuuga Mishi (who would have been condemned to the Branch House, had it survived), it could discourage others. It seemed this group took it as a challenge.
In all, only five failed the taijutsu portion of the test…and all of them were first-time test takers. The Sandaime knew they'd do better next year, much better.
The second rounds went well, but were shorter for the most part. The first round had seen the students going all out to win. Some of them had little left in reserve. Naruto did well again…and he wasn't even breathing hard.
A few jounin-sensei were going to have implement extensive physical conditioning to get some of these students into proper field condition. Oh well, it was a part of serving as a jounin.
The Chuunin overseeing this portion of the test began to speak, congratulating all the students and then dismissing those few who had failed. He began to explain the next test, words Sarutobi had undoubtedly heard a dozen times already.
To Sarutobi's ears, it sounded of background droning.
His mind, instead, returned to this school. All those horrible revelations about the Academy had prompted change. As before, all prospective genin needed to demonstrate to the chuunin instructors their mastery over illusion clones, the replacement technique, and the disguise technique – but they did this to get their entry into this examination.
Now, they also needed to show a few more combat oriented techniques, which would be the next portion of the exam.
The part that generated the most complaints from the students were the 'community service projects,' formerly called D-ranked missions, that Academy students were now responsible for completing. Walking dogs, buying groceries, delivering large quantities of letters for a civilian message service, and picking up trash weren't their idea of proper ninja work…but it was good teambuilding and excellent community relations.
For the civilians who lived in the Leaf, it was a chance to interact with ninja, to humanize them in their minds. Sarutobi ruled the Leaf as an absolute dictator…but he was not a cruel man. He wished for the civilians here to understand and honor their ninja protectors.
On the matter of these complaints, Sarutobi did not believe that a requirement of fifty 'community service projects' each year per student was unreasonable. It was only a mission every few days…and they were all completed in teams of academy students, to build teamwork skills…and – let's not kid ourselves – those funds derived from the paid missions helped to keep the Academy in top condition.
Poor Naruto, though, held the dubious records for the most times catching Tora the Cat…along with the fastest time doing so. At least he wouldn't have to do so again once he became a genin…unless he wanted to pick up some spare change. The very idea made Sarutobi smile…Naruto and that silly cat.
The second part of the exam began…the technique portion. Each prospective genin needed to show offensive and defensive techniques beyond the 'standard three.' The few clan members in the group could show off clan techniques; some students proved how genjutsu could be used for defense (none of them had any mind techniques strong enough to be considered offensive). A small number used swords or other weapons as part of their demonstrations. Most used standard elemental techniques from the Academy scroll library.
When it was Naruto's turn, the Sandaime watched closely. Naruto had developed quite a lethal arsenal, small so far, but very powerful. In taijutsu, he was a speed player…but in his ninjutsu, he was a power hitter…
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Remembrance: One Year Earlier
The Sandaime Hokage looked at his young pupil and wondered how he was going to fix this.
He had spent a year wondering the same thing: how to give the boy control over his chakra. When the Sandaime first began giving Naruto a one-hour lesson each week, he quickly realized that Naruto had tons of chakra, more than Sarutobi even at his peak of 'youthful' vigor, but almost nonexistent control.
The standard control exercises – sticking leaves or bits of paper to one's body with chakra, climbing trees, and even water walking – did not do much for his control. He could climb a tree or a wall, but he expressed massive amounts of chakra to do it.
One year of failed attempts at chakra control. Sure the boy was learning taijutsu and other ninja skills, bit Sarutobi could see that the boy would be a ninjutsu specialist. But only if they could get his control in line; as it was, Naruto couldn't produce a single illusion clone and had difficulty tamping down his chakra to perform the replacement technique.
"Stop, go ahead and stop, Naruto," the Hokage called out. The young man stopped sparring against his monkey partner. He had obviously developed enough to handle a four foot monkey. He would introduce Naruto to a new sparring partner next week.
"Are we done then?"
The Hokage was about to say, "yes," when an inspiration struck. A conversation a few weeks earlier replayed itself in the Hokage's mind. He'd said 'no' then, but he decided he should try now.
"No, I have one more item. It won't take long at all, I suspect." He walked quickly into his home and found the item he was looking for. He picked it up with a pair of tweezers and hauled it back to Naruto.
"You want me to take notes or something, Old Man?" Naruto was confused at the small piece of paper.
"No. This is a different sort of test, a chakra affinity test. I am surprised I didn't remember about this earlier. We've exhausted the conventional control exercises, but we haven't even started on the elemental ones. If you already show a strong affinity to one of the elements, then we have a clear path to try to get you some control…."
"I get it. So I just touch the paper?"
"Touch it and channel some chakra through your fingers, Naruto."
The young man touched the paper and it immediately split into two pieces. Wind. How ironic.
"Hmm. Maybe my son was right. I spoke over your situation with him a few weeks ago and he mentioned his own troubles mastering his chakra. Asuma said that his chakra control problems once he began, as a chuunin, to work with elemental chakra. I said you were too young to try…but perhaps I was wrong."
"Alright. So what did that mean, Old Man?"
"You're a wind user, Naruto. A wild chakra affinity, hard to master, but even harder to defeat a wind master…."
"Alright!"
Sarutobi decided to modify the waterwalking exercise that day.
"We're out of time for the day, but here is your next assignment. You will stand above water. Start out with the water walking exercise and then raise a foot an inch. Begin to manipulate the air under your raised foot. Bring your other foot up…."
"What?"
"Yes, get one foot standing on hardened air. Then get the other foot to do it as well."
"Sounds impossible!"
"Who are you and what did you do with Naruto? He never says crap like that."
The young man sighed and then nodded. "I will figure it out. But…why do I have to start out over water?"
"Because, when you fall, and you will fall a lot, you'll get wet. Consider it…motivation!"
"Old Man, I'll do it, but I'm going to get you back for this! I promise."
"I've heard it before. Be on time next week, too…."
"It was Konohamaru who stopped me in the house. He demanded that I teach him how to throw a kunai…."
The Sandaime just nodded and sent the boy on his way.
It took several weeks of the boy being completely soaked through before he was consistent standing above the water. It took a few more weeks to get him walking on the air, rather than the ground.
The boy walked in for his next lesson, walking an inch off the ground as was now his standard practice. Indeed, Naruto rarely set foot on the earth. It looked like normal walking, but it wasn't. Naruto now left no footprints.
As he practiced his chakra control every time he set foot out of his apartment – which comprised most of every day, as he was a terribly active young man – Naruto got a hundred hours a week of control exercises.
"Did you practice with the Kage Bunshin technique I taught you last week?" the Hokage asked. It was a reward for getting his chakra control problems in line.
"Yeah. It's pretty great, Old Man. I've got the Henge working with the Shadow Clones, too. I left my Shadow Clones out yesterday in some of the training grounds disguised as rocks and stuff. You wouldn't believe what I heard out there… I'll be a great spymaster some day…."
"Perhaps you will, perhaps. But onto new things…."
"Hold up there, I have something else to show you. I was practicing the other day and I made a great kind of mistake…"
"What were you practicing?"
"Oh. Uh, well, I was working on the Wind Sword…."
The Hokage was silent for a moment. "You have to stop sneaking into the Shinobi Archive, Naruto. You're not even a genin yet…"
"I know. But the Academy Library doesn't have any cool jutsu, does it?"
"Fine. What disaster did you cause?" the Hokage asked, with a small smile on his face.
"Huh? Disaster. No, it's awesome. Let me show you."
Naruto formed up a wind blade…and then seemed to lose control of it. The blade held even as it shot through the air.
A thin gash cut all the way through one of Sarutobi's fence posts.
"Nice, huh?"
"We have training dummies for that, Naruto, you don't need to destroy parts of my home…but, yes, that was nice. I'll hold back my ideas for next time. Let us explore what you can do with these wind blades that you shouldn't know about…."
By the end of the hour, Naruto could form up directly manipulated air and send it shooting across the distance between him and a stone training post. The thin line cutting through a wooden post became a deep gouge and a number of radiating cracks on a heavy piece of stone. Considering the size of the stone…it was quite an accomplishment for a 'mistake.'
It was another three weeks before Naruto formed up multiple blades, all at different heights from the ground, and created the first version of his Finger of God.
That name had given the Hokage fits.
"It's the kind of thing the God of Shinobi would do when he wanted to flick a bug away," Naruto said while resting up from an attempt at demolishing a stone pillar. "It's the Finger of God technique!"
"Stop coming up with stupid names, Naruto!"
"I like it. You helped me turn this into something, Old Man, so you get part of the credit! Whether you want it or not."
Sarutobi had tried to get his student to be serious, but the name stuck. The boy began naming all his techniques after the 'God of Shinobi.'
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Return to the Present
There, in front of the audience of chuunin, jounin and Hokage, Naruto made ten Shadow Clones, a true show of force. The jounin who knew the technique – not all of them had reserves allowing them to safely use Shadow Clones – were deeply impressed.
The young ninja standing in the auditorium turned toward one of the training logs set up for demonstrations. He made some odd, unfamiliar handseals…and four almost invisible chakra blades formed in front of Naruto and then propelled themselves into the log. It was an improvement over the original technique, but Naruto still called it the Finger of God.
The bottom of the training stump remaing. A few bits of the top were in large chunks. But the vast majority of the log was little better than sawdust now.
Such a strange, unknown technique got a few jounin talking. Sarutobi waved them silent.
The test continued. Naruto had obviously passed.
As did almost everyone else. Only seven more failed here. A very good result. Some years more than half the prospective genin failed this part. (Many selected techniques too difficult for their developing skills…and refused to select more appropriate skills when advised by their chuunin instructors. It was a ninja's right to fail, after all, in any rank examination. The chuunin couldn't force them to make better selections – and students who refused to take advice didn't deserve to be genins.)
The boring chuunin stood up again and explained the final portion.
Sarutobi was willing to leave the room at this point…but a ritual was a ritual.
This was a test of applied stealth. Each prospective genin was told the location of their hitai-ite and given five minutes to arrive there undetected by the chuunin patrolling the halls.
If they arrived – and the chuunin were going fairly easy on their pupils – they passed. It wasn't a well designed test, Sarutobi knew, rather it was a simplistic rite of passage. Still, the symbolism was important: knowing how to survive in a dangerous world was a prerequisite for work outside the village walls.
Only two pupils failed.
It was a very good crop.
As Naruto left the gymnasium he tipped his head to Sarutobi-sensei. He also bounced a bit more than usual as he inflated and deflated the small controlled air pockets he kept between his feet and the ground. The Hokage just smiled at the small acknowledgment.
Once the new genin left, the Sandaime gestured to the side of the gymnasium and the chuunin instructors led the way. The next phase was about to begin.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
The next door classroom had been set up to serve as a conference area. The prospective Jounin-sensei squabbled a bit over chairs and who would sit next to whom before the Hokage took his seat to begin the 'bidding' process.
"Well, with the genin from previous cohorts who need to be reassigned teams, we have a total of 81 genin to assign. I'll assume you have each written down your bid…specifically the proposed specialization of the team, if any, plus six or eight names of students you might like to teach." The Sandaime looked around.
All the jounin had been through this. A few new chuunin hadn't, but they hid their ignorance well. They were only there to offer advice anyway…or their thoughts on the new genin.
"Let's start with support-type teams? Medical teams and the like?"
Three jounin raised their hands and the bidding started there. These jounin knew who possessed the best chakra control in this group of genin.
Sarutobi nodded when the teams came together. He marked it all down on a scroll in front of him.
"Anyone wishing to put together tracking teams?" A few hands went up. The jounin presented their lists…and the teams got put together quickly. The Inuzuka quickly got snatched up by the former head of the Hunter Nins.
"How about infiltration or information retrieval teams?" A small number of jounin indicated that they wished to pass on their skills in this way. Three new teams were settled quickly.
Sandaime knew it was the next few categories that caused conflicts. Trackers were usually different from infiltrators. And none of those were usually best qualified for medic roles. However, heavy combat teams, stealth and assassination teams, and generalists often drew on the same types of people.
"How about stealth or assassination-typed teams?"
Only two hands rose up. Mitarashi Anko always wanted to start an assassination team…but her methods were a bit brutal, a bit like the former sensei she loathed so much. With the right people, she could be effective, but her last three students were up for reassignment – at their request – in this meeting.
"Anko, given what happened with your last team, you will be allowed to structure a generalist team. You will not use snakes at any point during training…nor will you intentionally wound any of your genin. Do you understand me?"
She looked pissed, but she lowered her hand.
The other jounin got his first choice.
"Alright, time for the fights. Heavy combat types?"
Six jounin raised their hands. And when they read off their lists, there was a lot of overlap. A lot. Naruto, for example, was on all six lists.
The boy had shown off his Shadow Clone…and Finger of God techniques.
Sarutobi Asuma, a wind user, one of the few in Konoha, seemed to recognize that the boy was already using elemental chakra – and wanted him without explaining precisely why. Sarutobi could read his brilliant, lazy son like an open book, however.
Mitarashi Anko wanted him, too. Her reason? She muttered, "cause he seems to like to blow shit up." But it was said loud enough that Sarutobi heard it. Naruto would be an excellent demolitionist…but he was so much more.
The other jounin expressed their reasons. It was getting ridiculous.
Sandaime blinked twice. "Hold on. Before the brawling starts, how many of the remaining jounin had Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru, Koh Moegi (the top kunoichi), or either of the two Hyuuga?"
Almost everyone's hand went up. Sandaime quickly went through and figured out how many wanted each of the remaining genin. A few teams were simple to put together. Yuuhi Kurenai, genjutsu mistress, had picked out the best of those who'd demonstrated genjutsu. Her team was to be an experiment in ensuring that everyone had complementary skills (genjutsu) supplemented by individuals strong in nin-, tai-, or kenjutsu.
But Naruto, the two Hyuuga, and the Nara boy were hard to place. It was frustrating that, save for Naruto, jounin still competed for clan children. Bah. If only they knew Naruto's true heritage, they'd be salivating even more. Son of the Yondaime; container of a demon with never ending chakra; a wind user with almost unparalleled potential.
Finally, as day finally succumbed to night, the bidding was over. The teams were made, most of the jounin were disappointed not to get their first choices but happy enough over all. Compromise, after all, was tough to live with.
The trick was to let people get what they wanted…while also ensuring that the teams were balanced…and that the right sensei was in charge of each team. Not only to teach what he or she knew to the newly formed teams, but to fix the holes and weaknesses in their specific students' training regimens.
A few of the jounin in this crew were almost out of chances since they weren't natural teachers and weren't improving on their methods of instruction. Mitarashi Anko was at the top of that list, actually. It really would be best if all jounin took a stint at the Academy when they were chuunin…perhaps it should be a new requirement. After all, aside from direct combat and running missions, a jounin's most important task was teaching and mentoring. Those with superior skills had to adequately pass them on to the next generation.
Food for thought, Sandaime mused as he walked from the room with the scroll listing the teams in his hand.
Konoha was becoming more and more like the place Yondaime always dreamed it could be. The traitors inside the walls had been gone for a long time…or at least as many as could be found.
But peace doesn't last. Sandaime realized that the enemies outside these walls would be regrouping. His greatest failure, his student Orochimaru, was likely plotting something horrifying…and Iwa still resented its loss in the last war…and Kumo, who knew what they were up to.
Jiraiya and the other spymasters would be in his office tomorrow for the intelligence briefing. He'd hear more about the threats soon. Tonight, a bit of sake and an early bedtime. Old bones were tired bones, after all.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Uchiha Itachi, the last of his clan, was known in Tea Country as Beguru the Hunter.
He had left the site of his parents' murder all those years ago with almost nothing. The clothing on his back, a few kunai, and no money.
As an ordinary boy, he was unable to get a job. As an Uchiha, he was unable to ask for help or accept a place in a state orphanage. As an avenger, he was unable to do anything but keep his body in shape and continuously improve his skills.
Hence, Itachi had become a hunter. At age eight, he cleaned out several caches of bandits in Lightning Country.
At age ten, he hunted nukenin with moderate bounties in Earth Country.
At age thirteen, he had blundered into a situation with an A-rank nukenin from Hidden Mist. Itachi walked away with several heads, those he targeted and the one he didn't expect.
Now, at age 17, he was in Tea Country, in a small village far away from where any nukenin might willingly go. It was where he came to heal after injuries and where he came to train in jutsu scrolls he stole from his targets…and other targets of opportunity.
Itachi had the most powerful technique known to the Uchiha, the Mangekyo Sharingan, but his first usage of it had scared him…bleeding from his eyes. He used his Sharingan eyes only when an opponent proved challenging, worthy of being viewed through his special eyes…or when there was a technique of such brilliance he had to learn it.
The rabble died with one of the nearly four hundred techniques he knew…that he'd stolen from ninja before he killed them.
He had no way of knowing if he was powerful enough yet, but his goal had never wavered: Orochimaru's death.
He'd finally learned the name of the ninja who rode on snakes three years ago. Finding the man to challenge him was difficult, which is why Itachi was still alive. At the age of 14, Orochimaru would have batted Itachi away and fed him to a snake.
But now…now Itachi was closer to his goal.
His last battle, one conducted in the deserts of Wind Country, gave him hope. His targets were a team of three nukenin, two from Grass and one from Waterfall. When he caught up to them, they were dead.
A squat, massive man stood over their bodies searching for something.
"You stole the kill from me," Itachi had said.
The ninja said nothing, but a massive…tail made from metal streaked out…and thudded into a kunai Itachi pulled out.
This man was worthy of the Mangekyo Sharingan. It glowed to life and began spinning inside his otherwise black pupil-less eyes.
The ninja had twisted around by this time. The sight of the eyes had stilled him. "You. Uchiha. You will be coming with me. I know someone who will be very interested in…"
"I think not." His eye shot out black fire. It was hot enough to burn even metal.
Then the whole…man went up in flames. A hatch opened…and a smaller man, an odd sort of man leaped out and away from the flames.
"What sort of trickery is this?" Itachi asked, not expecting the answer. He had never seen such a thing, having never spent much time in this part of the world.
The enemy ninja's response…had been a flamethrower. Somehow mounted in his arm. What kind of butchery was that?
Still, Uchiha Itachi, a master of fire techniques, was not impressed. He countered with his own Flame Breath technique.
The flamethrower was just slightly less powerful than his Flame Breath. It was a powerful machine. Itachi rolled out of the way and closely observed the…man. It seemed like filaments of chakra were emerging from his body in all directions.
Something was happening.
Itachi flickered away. The spot where he was came under attack by a mist of black looking sand.
That technique he had heard of.
One of the Kazekage had used that…the one who had disappeared all those years ago.
He had disappeared and gone to work with this…odd ninja?
The black sand danced every way. Itachi's could see every grain and predict what it would do. It also noticed an oddity about the black cloaked…ninja. He carried something on his chest. Armor? A weapon?
He threw a kunai and the ninja danced away, but not quite fast enough. It tore through the cloak, leaving the ninja's chest bare.
There really was an odd thing on that man's chest.
His hands flew into familiar seals…and a Fire Flame Dragon burst from Itachi's mouth. The moment it was out, Itachi was moving, using the fire as cover. He advanced three meters by the time the ninja dodged it.
The black sand blasted through the area where Itachi had last stood. It didn't matter. A kunai went through the odd canister in the man's chest. From his back, the sharp blade pierced through to his chest.
The Kazekage dropped to the ground…like his strings had been cut. Like a puppet.
Itachi finally realized. He had heard rumors a few years back about puppeteers in this part of the world.
Still behind the ninja, he calmly asked, "What was your name?"
"For one who killed me, know I am called Sasori. Akasuna no Sasori."
"You fought well." It was Itachi's highest compliment. Every powerful ninja he killed got him closer to Orochimaru.
When he'd left, Itachi had carried away the whole body, plus the Kazekage, plus the heads of the targets he had been chasing. He didn't head straight back to claim his bounties in Grass and Waterfall.
No, he went further into the desert…to Hidden Sand.
The looks of fear, awe, and calculation he received after turning in this Sasori and the body of their Third Kazekage were…unnerving. But he accepted the massive bounties, did not dispute that he had just killed an S-ranked ninja, and fled the village in the night.
He dropped the name he'd been using…and changed out his clothing for a completely new style.
Itachi knew it wouldn't be long now.
That ninja, Sasori, had fought Itachi – once he saw Sharingan eyes – not to kill, but to capture. Itachi fought to kill, a much easier proposition. Eventually Itachi wouldn't fight to kill…but to avenge, the highest calling he knew of.
He was improving. He had only four battles this last year that required his Sharingan…and he'd copied another seventeen interesting jutsu when he infiltrated various villages. For the most part, he was getting stronger by his own accomplishment.
When Orochimaru died, Itachi wouldn't honor that man with even a glimpse of his Sharingan eyes. He would be strong enough that he wouldn't need the Sharingan at all.
Orochimaru would never know why he'd died.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
The informal Spy Council gathered in Sarutobi's office at seven-thirty in the morning, long before Jiraiya usually woke up to start peeping. But, like with Kakashi, Sarutobi did not permit any tardiness from any of his ninja.
Konoha had long neglected spying on its enemies and allies. Jiraiya had done some work on his own during his travels, but he was mainly focused on news about Orochimaru. Only in the last three to four years had this handful of people finally gotten several independent networks going – focused on all threats, foreign and domestic.
Jiraiya, Umekoto, and Famata ran external fixed contact networks: which meant they had spies in the various hidden villages and in other parts of the elemental countries. Using various means – Jiraiya used his toad summons to collect and forward reports – they collected all the publicly available information. Who had fallen out with whom, details about crop harvests, industrial capacity, and all sorts of other boring things that could eventually mean a lot.
Some of their spies also had access to more classified information which they passed along when they could safely do so. For example, the news that the Raikage's cousin, and likely successor, had been debilitated while developing a new lightning jutsu. The political winds had shifted there as a result; the pacifist successor candidate was out and the new one hadn't been made public yet.
The intelligence gathering inside Fire Country required more direct resources. One member of Ibiki's ANBU department supervised the capture and interrogation of missing ninjas who ventured into Fire Country. Given that Hidden Leaf had more than two hundred active genin teams, plus twenty-three hundred chuunin, and another nine hundred jounin-level ninja, Fire Country was filled with ninja paying attention to the coming and going of everyone.
Most properly motivated Missing Nin would reveal a lot about their former homes…and other places they'd visited. Not everything would be true, but it could be used to verify or confirm other intelligence.
A retired shinobi named Mata ran the small group that tracked and monitored merchants passing through Konoha. Trade patterns were a very useful method for verifying upcoming intelligence trends. Merchants who'd suddenly stopped going to Rain sent up a red flag that something bad was happening there.
The other three people in the room were active ANBU operatives and in full masks. Each of them ran programs to root out spies within Hidden Leaf. Orochimaru had managed to place a surprising number here…as had many other Hidden Villages.
"Jiraiya called this meeting," the Sandaime said, as soon as he walked in the door. "Let's start with his update."
The Toad Sage nodded, looking rather upset. "It's taken a decade but I've finally figured out where Orochimaru is."
Sandaime, among others, leaned forward in frustrated curiosity.
"He founded a Hidden Village in Rice Country. I've heard that it's called Sound. Kumo seems to be a sponsor of some sort."
The grumbling was quite loud. This wasn't the tonnage of vegetables produced in Hidden Waterfall and trying to guess what it might mean for the future. This was real, valuable intelligence.
The question, though, was what to do with it?
Sandaime asked the first question, "This information is verified?"
"I have pictures of one of the 'installations.' Orochimaru was there."
One of the counter-espionage heads said, "We have been tracking a seeming genin named Kabuto. He's the adopted son of the head of Konoha Hospital. He's also been to Rice Country on four missions in the last eight months…."
"And we've only had four missions to Rice Country in that time, right?" Jiraiya asked.
A nod was the only reply. The group focused on counter-espionage knew what this likely meant.
"Who is this Kabuto's jounin sensei?"
"Atakagi Miu," replied the counter-espionage specialist.
"Investigate him and the other teammates. Do a careful review of the hospital administrator. Let's have a discrete surveillance started as well," Sandaime said. "It's awful that the more we look the more we find."
The torture ANBU said, "Why would he build a hidden village? What does he want?"
Jiraiya made to speak, but Sarutobi held up his hand.
"He wants people to experiment upon…and another way to power…and perhaps a platform for attacking us," Sandaime said. "I have spent a decade thinking on him, on my mistakes. We must strike him in a way he won't be able to predict."
The meeting continued for another hour with the more ordinary reports. It gave the Sandaime a lot to consider. Konoha's enemies outside its walls were getting stronger.
Their wrath would come eventually.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
That Sunday afternoon was quite sunny…and Naruto had too much energy, as usual.
"Stop bouncing, boy," the Sandaime said to his student.
"Yes, Sensei." He was still bouncing on the controlled air pocket underneath his feet. Even during training, Naruto knew to keep developing his chakra control. He would never be able to train as a medic nin or genjutsu specialist, but he was getting quite adept with wide area techniques.
"You made genin and will have a great jounin-sensei in Yamanaka Inoichi."
"I know. He seems like he knows a lot."
Sarutobi had a slight scowl now. Naruto was still bouncing. "He served in the ANBU for many years. He's a master of the mind…but his teams are very strong, very physical. He has trained three great teams now. You will do well to…. Naruto, stop bouncing."
"I'm too excited. I'm a genin! My first mission will begin tomorrow!"
"Fine. You want to bounce. I'll beat it out of you." Sarutobi made a number of handseals and slammed his blooded hand to the earth. A five foot tall monkey appeared in a plume of smoke.
"Honored Sarutobi, how may I assist you?"
"My student here needs a sparring partner. Show him a few things."
"It would be my pleasure," the monkey said, bowing. Then he turned to Naruto…and withdrew a bo – or staff weapon – from out of nowhere.
Naruto barely ducked the first blow…and was hit by the second.
The monkey was a bit taller than Naruto, but it hit a lot harder than Naruto could. The young ninja didn't cry out. No, he seemed to bite his tongue and get into the sparring.
Ten minutes later a bleeding Naruto lay on the ground, smiling a bit but no longer bouncing.
"Is that out of your system?" Sarutobi asked his student.
"Yes…Old Man." For as battered as he was, he wasn't even out of breath.
Sarutobi smiled at his summon and thanked him, dismissing him.
"Well, shall we finally get down to work?"
"How am I ever going to beat him?" Naruto asked absently as he got back to his feet.
Sarutobi laughed. "Yes, Mirami is a tough one. But you said much the same thing when you first met Kiki…and again when you were bested by Todai. Remember, though, after Mirami there are several more…until you must finally learn to fight the Monkey King."
"Really?" For some odd reason, that perked Naruto right back up. A strange boy, but an interesting one.
"If you start bouncing again, I'll introduce you today. Both my teachers were surprised when they met Enma…he could fight them hand-to-hand at the same time…and he was as old then as I am now."
"He's an antique then, Sensei."
Sarutobi didn't rise to the bait. "Naruto, show me this new technique."
"Yes, Sensei."
The young genin didn't bother with his mystifying fake seals in front of his sensei. All that he had been developing relied upon direct manipulation of air chakra…it was as if the air wanted to respond to him, like he was a magnet commanding metal filings wherever and however he wanted.
Sarutobi watched the tiny signs that wind chakra was forming up. Slight rippling distortions…it seemed like the Finger of God all over again…how was this different….
Then the earth exploded in front of Sarutobi. Quite a bit pelted his clothing and landed in his hair, now that he wasn't wearing his ceremonial hat. A deep, circular trench formed in his once-whole training ground.
"What…. Naruto, how did you use wind chakra to do this? And how have you been practicing without the ANBU noticing?"
The blonde boy smiled. "Well, Sensei, the Fist of God is a whole bunch of wind blades, in a circle around my target. Then I send them at the target, wave after wave, at an angle. The air only goes in so far, but then the next blade goes in further. And then, finally…it looks like a giant's angry fist smashed down into the earth…."
Sarutobi nodded. "That it does. Now, where have you practiced this…technique?"
Naruto fidgeted a bit and then mumbled.
"Excuse me? Speak more clearly!"
"I said, I went into the Forest of Death…just the very outside part."
That could have been a disaster, the Hokage realized. It wouldn't do at all for Naruto to be injured just so he could have some privacy to develop a technique.
"Not again, do you understand? Not there. I will…find some place private and safe. At our next meeting, I will have an answer for you."
"Thank you, Sensei."
"I am just amazed, Naruto. It felt like a strange Earth Style technique…or maybe someone burying exploding notes underground. I…wonder. What do you expect to do with this technique?"
Naruto got a bit bashful here. He seemed so old with the other students; and so young when he was alone with the Hokage. The Sandaime wondered which, if either, was the true Naruto.
"I didn't have a purpose when I tried it…but it'd be awesome for making a trench or taking out a powerful, slow moving enemy…or…I guess I could make a swimming pool if I ever get a house."
The Sandaime bopped Naruto on the head with his pipe. "Be serious. We only have a few minutes left today."
"Yes, Sensei."
"Now that I think about it…this could be a useful technique. Next week we will go to…a spot more receptive to being blown up. We shall experiment a bit. Until then, Naruto…no more work on this. I think it is time you learn a few more defensive techniques, right? Your arsenal leans pretty heavy towards 'kill everything now.'"
"That's true, Sensei." Naruto said, proud as could be.
"Now then, you will work on an Earth style and a Water style defense. That should give you a nice challenge after spending so much effort on the wind. Pick two that seem interesting from the Shinobi Archive. I know you know your way around the place…since you've been sneaking in for two years…. Go in through the front door this time, right?"
"I will!"
Sarutobi gestured the young ninja away…while he lapsed into thought. He was thought of as the strongest ninja in the village – and likely still was – but he had always seen himself as a teacher, up until the Nidaime's death. It felt good to teach again.
In the past, he'd just spoken with his ninja about their experiments and offered a few hints here and there. Like with Kakashi. He'd seemed perfectly content with his Chidori as it was…but the Sandaime had pushed him a bit and asked him several questions Kakashi couldn't answer.
Last the Hokage had heard, Kakashi was working on his Chidori again.
That made Hokage glad…after all, a complacent ninja was a dead ninja.
But, while little bits of mentoring like that were nice, teaching more actively made him feel young again. Happy.
Why had he waited for so long to try this…. Then he remembered the face of a pale genius of a ninja. A twisted man that Sarutobi had helped become powerful – to everyone's detriment.
Naruto wasn't Orochimaru, though. He was the Will of Fire personified…with a smiling, goofy, undignified face.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Hinata remembered her name. She remembered the face, but not the name, of her mother. She knew she had a younger sister, but could not remember what she looked like. Her father seemed a distant blur in her memory.
For the last seven years, she had lived in this…strange building.
Her guardians were curt, but they did not hurt her.
Until that day when they took her into a cold room she had never seen before. She was made to undress and her feet were placed in cold metal socks…or something. Then a woman doctor parted her legs and locked them into place while she…examined her…down there.
The doctor had pushed something inside her. Hinata had been made to stay in that uncomfortable position for…hours.
Then she'd redressed and been given dessert for dinner that night.
Four months later she had become fat. When she asked her guardians if she was eating too much, she was told she would be having a baby.
A baby? How would she have a baby?
They did not explain. They did not tell her how long it would be…or that it would hurt…or that once she had her baby she would never get to see him again.
Now she was pregnant again. Her belly was fat. She remembered that she was twelve years old now…and her name was Hinata. But, beyond that, she didn't know anything.
But she didn't want to have a baby again and not be able to see him or her.
She needed to do…something…besides cry.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
The Sandaime enjoyed many parts of his job, especially watching the young shinobi grow stronger. The young Inuzuka boy had grown by leaps and bounds once he got away from books and began doing practical missions.
Naruto…well, he was a genius of hard work. Had the Sandaime had the sorts of chakra control problems and such in his past that Naruto once did, it was unclear whether he'd have grown as strong as he did. But…Naruto was becoming a ninja worthy of praise.
Less worthy of praise, however, was politics. The Hokage had never loved the political parts of his job…such as meeting with the Fire Daimyo.
Since the Council had been dissolved the man came himself once or twice a year to review the Hidden Village. Within Fire Country, they were equals under the law. But, the Daimyo knew he could throw a samurai army against the Hokage and still lose.
The Hidden Village had power…and both sides knew it. The Daimyo, a retired Samurai, needed to keep good relations with the ninja leader. This was one of those trips.
The Sandaime stood as the Daimyo entered his office, greeting the shorter, heavier man as an equal. The Hokage's flicked down to the mission summary on his desk. He'd been keeping tabs on Naruto again. Normally a C-rank mission report wouldn't even touch his desk. But…the Sandaime had asked Inoichi for a personal copy of each report.
Naruto was coming along nicely; so far it seemed that Sandaime had picked the right sensei for the boy. Yamanaka Inoichi was a taskmaster, a perfectionist…and the almost exact opposite of Naruto, when on a mission. It was good for Naruto to learn from someone who wouldn't put up with his antics…as the Sandaime often did. Discipline wasn't one of the things that the Sandaime excelled in teaching, unfortunately.
"How have you been Daimyo-sama?"
"Well. Very well. Now that that business in Wave is done with, I have many fewer problems."
The Daimyo apparently wanted…that kind of a conversation. He was here to extract secret information. "I understand. Trade is the lifeblood of a nation, is it not?"
"It was a good thing you did. A team of four jounin to clean up that Gato mess…."
Of course, the Daimyo's spies had found this out. The ninja Sarutobi sent to deal with the Gato Corporation hadn't used cover names. "It wasn't client requested, of course, but it will pay for itself. Wave used to be a very good customer up until a few years ago…then that moron moved in. With our Good Neighbor policy, we had to take action."
"And, of course, you'll never comment on what happened to the billions Gato was rumored to have?"
Sandaime smiled. He hammed up being very old, infirm, and deaf. "Excuse me, sir, but you'll have to speak up? My great old age has robbed me of my hearing."
"Fine, then, I'll just have to lop off a chunk of funding in honor of your 'windfall.'"
The joking threat meant nothing to Konoha. Less than two percent of Konoha's budget came from the 'Daimyo's largesse.' Indeed, since he had formed an illicit 'wealth retrieval team' seven years – one that stole money from bandits, yakuza, thieves, and the very wealthy who chose to live outside Fire Country – he had no problem balancing his budget.
"If you need the money for other projects, Daimyo-sama, feel free. We've been completely profitable for seven years laying aside your subsidy – but not the fees for the missions we perform for you."
The heavy set man nodded, a bit weary. "I think I knew that. Having a bit of a reserve in case of trouble is a smart idea."
The man was trying to get an idea of how much Konoha was sitting on. Sarutobi wasn't about to speak on that topic. "We will likely be coming up against some difficulties soon, I fear. The rumors are flying about old alliances falling apart…and new ones coming together."
"A bunch of the weak coming to attack the strongest?"
Sandaime nodded. "Ever since we assassinated the Mizukage…unofficially, of course…and stopped that awful civil war, other hidden villages have been leery of us."
"You've also dealt with the thugs in Water, Wave, and five other countries. That Gato fellow, Kuroken the arms manufacturer, and Yanzo of Yanzo Pharmaceuticals, the largest drug king pin of his time. Ought to send some shivers down some backs."
The Daimyo's spies had obviously uncovered less than ten percent of the Hokage's recent 'wealth retrieval' activities. The list was much longer and more star studded than these. "It was inevitable. But we couldn't be strong when our borders were so weak."
The Daimyo nodded and reached for a cup of tea. "I won't ask for details. I do understand security concerns, after all. But I was curious if you'd heard anything from your friends in Hidden Rain? I haven't heard from their Daimyo in some time either, even though he is supposed to host the next Chuunin Examination. And I've not gotten a letter from their military head for some time."
Sandaime shook his head. "I have not heard from Hanzo in quite some time. He's nearly as old as I am…and even gave my students the title of the Legendary Three Ninja. We have heard about disruptions in merchants coming and going…."
"And that is often the first we know about a civil war," the Daimyo said. "I will snoop around with the other Daimyo's and see if anyone else is willing to have their country host the examinations…."
"Much appreciated."
The conversation continued for another hour on lighter topics, but Sandaime was more concerned than ever about Hidden Rain.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
One month after the Fire Daimyo's visit, Sandaime got a coded letter…and the implications were not good.
Sandaime pointed to the ANBU stationed in his office. "Please find me Jiraiya. He should be within a day's walk by now…but I need to move up our meeting."
The badger-faced ANBU nodded and quickly left the room.
It was that afternoon when he was able to convene his Spy Council once more.
"The Fire Daimyo has basically been forced by the Wind and Lightning Daimyo's into hosting the Chuunin Exam…."
"But it's not our turn in the rotation," Jiraiya said.
"Precisely why I called this meeting. Hidden Rain is out of contact and unable to meet its obligation. Instead of heading to the next village in the rotation, two Daimyo's who positively hate each other have banded together…possibly at the request of the Kazekage and the Raikage…and asked the Fire Daimyo something strange. Odd things that rarely happen…are happening." Sarutobi did not like this one bit.
"People are looking for a reason to have lots of foreigners in Konoha. Spy missions or worse," said Jiraiya's colleague Famata. "I have not heard anything about this yet, but in the weeks to come I may."
"And if you don't," Jiraiya said, "then your network and mine might be compromised. I've discovered one purveyor of misinformation already. Seems Orochimaru knew what to look for when setting up his own counter-espionage operations."
"That would give us less than nine months to figure out what this means and…prepare for the unknown," Sandaime said. "I don't like it. I don't like risking the village and the twenty-five thousand mostly defenseless civilians here, plus our ninja forces, just to see what Orochimaru and his allies are up to."
One of the counter-espionage agents finished reading the letter and passed it along. "I should report that the ANBU watching the 'genin' called Kabuto were attacked. One died and two are badly wounded."
"Damn," Jiraiya said. "Orochimaru must have cracked some of my codes. I was having an agent discretely ask around about this Kabuto. He had spent a good deal of time in Hidden Sand at one point."
"I will send the paperwork to have him declared Enemy of the State," the Hokage said. It was a far more dire designation than just Missing Nin. It was used for infiltrators and betrayers…people who deserved no trial and should be killed in the field.
The room fell silent while the rest read the Daimyo's letter. A few began talking quietly about the situation while most of them just tried to digest what all this might mean.
Eventually Jiraiya got a smile on his face.
"Village Hidden in the Leaves," he said.
Sandaime looked at his former student with impatience. "Yes, that's where we are."
"No, that's what we're called. But we're not actually very hidden. Hidden Waterfall has its entrance hidden by a waterfall. Hidden Cloud is so high up in the mountains that usually clouds obscure the view. In comparison, we're just sitting out in plain sight."
"We can't hide the village," someone muttered.
"We can and we will," Jiraiya said. "We have someone with the transplanted Mokuton bloodline. We can make the forest more dense, change the roads leading in and out of Hidden Leaf…but make sure that they reach a decoy of a town, a second Konoha, the one that will be attacked."
"How would that work? The maps of Fire Country show the roads very clearly," Famata said.
"We will have to stage something that makes our changes plausible. A natural disaster…perhaps a large scale forest fire."
"But how do you fake a new Hokage Monument? It's impossible!" asked one of the masked ANBU.
"We grow a new mountain if we need to. We will protect this village."
Sandaime looked worried and interested at the same time. "It will be difficult to keep a secret like that from tens of thousands of civilians who expect to be able to leave the village whenever they wish…plus many thousand shinobi."
"Hey, the idea just occurred to me. I didn't say it was perfect or that it would be easy."
The room fell into silence. It was an appealing idea on many levels. A trap designed to destroy the enemy and leave Konoha proper out of harm's way. Conceptually elegant, it would be very challenging to pull off.
This meeting drug on long into the night before a consensus was finally reached.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Nine Months Later
The 'Kazekage' had a big smile on his normally grim face when he finally sighted Konoha. It had been a long, dry trip from Suna (twice as long as the journey from Oto to Konoha), but he had to keep up appearances lest he tip his hand to what he'd done to the real Kazekage.
He had enjoyed chasing and nearly capturing the third year genin Uchiha Momoru, one of the very last Uchiha. Sure he'd slaughtered the rest of the clan himself…all to gain their very special copying eyes. Possessing their eyes, as Orochimaru now did, wasn't as useful as he'd hoped. Many of them were ruined because of poor extraction. What few were appropriate had to travel a long distance between where they were harvested and where they could be implanted in Orochimaru's experiments. He'd wound up with only a single transplant…and that host was supremely weak. Sickly, barely able to leave the restricted hospital ward. Too bad most orphans contract diseases that damage them for life.
Orochimaru wasn't willing to live in a weak host, not even for the Sharingan.
Unfortunately his hunt in that dense pocket of forest for Momoru had gone south when three teams of ANBU showed up. It seemed his former sensei Sarutobi wasn't as senile as was generally believed.
It hadn't taken him long to understand that the ANBU had been monitoring chakra output throughout the forest. Orochimaru's summonings of snakes and other high level jutsu had stuck out like a sore thumb.
No matter. He would get his chance to 'gift' Uchiha Momoru with the Cursed Seal in time.
He walked through the streets and thought that Konoha had really gone all out. This place probably hadn't looked this clean since the Shodaime Hokage built the place in one night. The streets, the walls, everything…immaculate. The genin teams had likely been doing cleaning missions for months inside the village…oh, right, it was now Academy students who did such work.
His spies were nothing if not thorough.
Konoha had really gone to some trouble. Outside the walls they'd even fixed up the former pathway…and had someone grow in some new trees, extra massive and imposing. Who knew who they were trying to impress…but the town would be in cinders in a few short hours.
The 'Kazekage' looked around and was able to see where the wall had been destroyed during the massive earthquakes preceding the Kyuubi attack more than a decade earlier. The wall looked strong, but a failed section, even repaired by the best, was always a weakness. Suna would attack from outside through that segment of wall.
The massive snake summons would create a second front in another part of the village. His backers from Hidden Cloud had declined to attack Hidden Leaf directly, but they were setting up a cordon ten miles out to keep anyone from escaping or any reinforcements from getting in.
It would be the most lovely sort of slaughter. He licked his lips in anticipation.
His former sensei dead…for depriving him of the Hidden Leaf he'd deserved to rule. The villagers slaughtered; the buildings on fire and in ruins; all the ninja of the most powerful ninja force around killed. Three armies with a combined force of ten thousand could always defeat one army with perhaps five thousand. Simple mathematics…plus Orochimaru had surprise on his side.
He looked around as his disguised Sound ninja waited patiently to pass through ineffective security screenings. Some posed as merchants wishing to trade; others as ninja from Grass or other Hidden Villages wishing to see the Tournament; others as wishing to visit people who lived in Hidden Leaf.
The army from Sand was gathering; the army from Cloud would begin the land blockade in two hours. There would be no survivors.
After getting settled into the arena thirty minutes before the tournament began, the 'Kazekage' was joined by his former mentor, Sarutobi. The two chatted briefly.
The arena filled up rapidly once the doors to the general public opened. Orochimaru's Sound ninja made up probably ten or twenty percent of the audience; it was hard to tell as general tickets were sold by lottery.
The first matches began as an odd ninja named Rock Lee went up against one of Sound's best genin, Dosu. The green clad ninja pounded the ever-loving Kami out of Dosu. He just wouldn't stay put long enough for a sound attack to work against him.
Too bad this Rock Lee would soon be dead. Speed like that wasn't something many ninja ever developed.
Orochimaru watched and gloated but never thought about his men outside. His Sound ninja, disguised in many different ways, found a few dozen impenetrable barriers throughout the city. These checkpoints were definitely not on their maps.
"Excuse me, my friend lives four blocks down that way," a disguised ninja said.
The guard shook his head. "Sorry. We had an assassination attempt on the Hokage last night. We didn't have enough time to postpone the Chuunin Exam finals otherwise the whole village would be locked down."
The Sound ninja was rather nervous. It felt like someone had tipped their hand. Not good, not good at all. "Who would do such a thing?"
"Rumor is the assassin was from Iwa."
The Sound ninja nodded and hoped that this unexpected interference wouldn't screw things up too badly.
"Can I at least get a message through so my friend will come and meet me?"
"You can use a telephone. That hotel over there has some on the ground floor."
"Thank you."
Of course, the Sound ninja's friend didn't exist…except as a convenient excuse for getting close to one of Hidden Leaf's armories and destroying it at the proper time.
Back in the stadium, Orochimaru leaned over and said, "This kunoichi is better than I would have expected. She was a rookie genin?"
Sandaime Hokage just smiled and nodded. "She's quite good."
"Much has changed since I was last here. Indeed, even the road paths and such seem different."
The Hokage nodded. "We had a dry summer and then a series of lightning storms. We lost almost seventy acres of our forest, so we had to reroute the roads while we extinguished the fires. We haven't bothered to repair the old destroyed roads yet. It was touch and go for a while, the flames got within a few hundred meters of the northern walls."
"I see."
"Plus a different route is better for security anyway. Should have done that years ago."
"In Suna, we have no trees to hide behind."
"But it's probably easier to hide in the sand, especially with the powerful wind users you possess."
The 'Kazekage' just nodded. Gaara's match was approaching. That would set off the whole thing.
The wait was delicious torture.
Gaara arrived on the arena floor and began tearing into his opponent, a nobody named Uzumaki. The only thing…was that Gaara wasn't doing any damage to the boy. The boy had managed to block a variety of attacks…and even harm the sand jinchuuriki, but he had taken no damage himself.
What sort of ninja was this boy? Even Orochimaru would have a tough time dealing with that sand….
His intelligence network back into his old home had kept many things from him, it seemed. Sarutobi had been ruthless in ferreting out spies. Who knew the kind hearted man had it in him.
The 'Kazekage' gave the signal and the Sound ninja began casting the sleeping genjutsu. It seemed to catch even Sarutobi for a moment before the old man's brow furrowed and he looked around.
"Now what could that be," the old Hokage wondered aloud.
"Your death, old man."
The 'Kazekage' grabbed onto the old man and jumped to the top of the arena. His bodyguards soon appeared and trapped the pair inside an impenetrable shield.
"Nice to see you, my student. I had wondered when you'd show your face again."
"You knew?" This had Orochimaru stumped. How? How was this result possible? He lunged forward to attack.
"I have good people working for me, Orochimaru. I trust them and they prove time and again that they've earned my trust. We've been tracking you for years and know a lot of your secrets. We weren't sure exactly what you intended for us…but bringing a crazed jinchuuriki sure makes it clear, right?"
"Die, old man, die!"
One lunge with his Grass Cutter cut into Sarutobi and a massive quantity of blood began to spurt out. Lots more blood than should have been possible. When the droplets flicked into Orochimaru's clothing, they began to burn. Quickly, efficiently, right down to the skin.
"A blood clone. You planned a counter-attack to my invasion?" Orochimaru couldn't understand what had happened.
"Nine months to prepare…and my advisors are insane, but insane geniuses. This isn't even Konoha, but a mockup made for you…" That was all the blood clone was able to say before it exhausted its chakra. All the remaining blood scattered. Orochimaru's face began to burn.
"Retreat. It's a trap."
Unfortunately for the invading army, Orochimaru was just about the last person to discover this fact.
Using tons of cow blood laced with acids and poisons, the entire mockup of Konoha was staffed with blood clones. None of them defended themselves when attacked. A single bleeding clone could take out a dozen nearby attackers.
Then the various sewer grates began pumping out a powerful knockout gas. Only moments later the army from Suna burst through the walls…and were confronted with the devastation in front of them.
Their general ordered a retreat, but anyone inside the walls found they couldn't leave. Some sort of massive sealing array allowed everything in…and nothing out.
Thirty-seven minutes after the 'invasion' begun, every attacker was dead or unconscious. It took a few more hours to deal with the Cloud ninja who were attempting a blockade.
By three o'clock in the afternoon, all the survivors were in special cells in the newly constructed prison complex built underneath the mockup of Konoha, the place where all the real ninja had been waiting to attack their enemies.
The hardest to hold were that Gaara ninja who'd fought a blood clone of Sarutobi's (under a henge to make him look like Naruto) and Orochimaru himself. Both cells were rigged with poison gas should either attempt to escape. It wasn't very humane…but neither was attempting to invade and destroy a village.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
A few days later, Sarutobi had the medic nins stop the intravenous drip that kept Orochimaru unconscious.
He wanted to see his student. He wanted to get some answers.
Two hours later Orochimaru was conscious and trying to escape. Sarutobi created a blood clone and watched the interrogation from the safety of his office. A scrying stone was useful for things other than peeping, after all.
The clone's mere presence might be enough to enrage his former student.
"Wake up, little snake, I know you're awake," the blood clone said.
Eventually the heavily wounded Snake Sannin lifted his head as much as he was able and opened his eyes.
"Gloating doesn't work for you, sensei."
"No gloating. Just time for interrogation."
"You would stoop to do such a thing yourself?"
"Jiraiya begged for the opportunity, but I wanted to see if you'd be reasonable before giving him the chance to crush you with his toads."
Orochimaru tried to laugh, but it hurt too much.
"I was a fool to coddle you so much, my student. I was the genius of my generation and so I favored the genius of your generation…but it was Jiraiya who proved to be the best ninja. I wish you had been a better person, a trustworthy person. I would have loved to made you Hokage, but Namikaze was an exceptional ninja and loyal to the village."
Hatred filled Orochimaru's already ugly visage. "I deserved it."
"No, you were on the path to earning it, then you fell from the path. There is a difference."
Orochimaru became quiet then. He was obviously plotting something.
The blood clone wasn't getting to the core questions Sarutobi wanted answered…but there was no way to control one directly. Safety at the cost of frustration.
"The Sharingan, Orochimaru. It was worth enough to kill all those people?"
"Not yet it isn't. My techniques weren't good enough…yet."
"That poor genin you batted around in the forest…you were going to kidnap him?"
"Something like that, yes."
Sarutobi, watching from his office, wondered why Orochimaru would admit to something like that. It must be part of a plan. A cooperative Orochimaru…might seem like a broken Orochimaru.
But he'd prove himself defiant in the end.
"Hmm. I also had heard you'd given up your solitary ways…and joined a little social club, one that liked black cloaks with red clouds on them."
"Ku ku ku. You've heard of Akatsuki, then? Jiraiya is twice the fool I thought he was."
To Sarutobi, that made no sense. Why was Jiraiya a fool for discovering them?
"What would you want enough to put up with other people?"
"I want…and will always want power. I used them to view…and steal other methods, other types of power. They were mere puppets for my plans."
"And yet you're in this room with me…and they're still alive."
"But you will not be! I will destroy you." Somehow, even with his head restrained, he was able to propel a long tongue out of his head and snap off 'Sarutobi's' head. The blood clone squirted for a few seconds before disappearing.
The Sandaime Hokage knew he'd never get anything from Orochimaru alive…so it was time to end this and send that diseased body off to the experts. Perhaps they could figure out all the things he done, the places he'd been.
Sitting in his office, with a small tear in his eye, he pressed a button.
Seconds later, Orochimaru's cell filled with a poisonous purple gas. The health monitors on Orochimaru's body reported it took him five minutes to succumb to poisons which were usually fatal within seconds.
Even still, he left the room filled with gas for another hour before he had the room cleared. He didn't know what sort of surprises Orochimaru could pull.
The medical orderlies who retrieved the man's body were under orders to behead him before removing the restraints. Even Orochimaru would find it hard to function without a brain, right?
Sarutobi watched as the beheading happened and then a snake-like worm shot out of the body. Thankfully more than one of the med nins had been expecting something odd. A quick electrocution jutsu and the worm stopped moving.
Sarutobi had shivers down his back. His former student had experimented on others, destroying them. He had done…something…to himself, turning his true form into a giant, mobile snot ball. What was wrong with him? How had he gone so foul?
Now Sarutobi turned his attention to the Suna and Kumo ninja. What to do with them? Kill them…ransom them back to bankrupt their home nations…slap seals on them to make them involuntary slaves…there were a range of options, all more horrifying than the last.
And…what to do about Iwa. It hadn't participated in this disaster, but it was still an enemy. Indeed, Sarutobi had held off for so long publicly revealing Naruto's status as the son of the late Yondaime just because of Iwa…because he didn't want to subject the boy to assassination attempts just because of a father he'd never been able to meet.
Now, though, it was a different story. Naruto would likely become a chuunin once the real Chuunin Selection Exam's final round was played out in a few weeks. And he was a stronger ninja at twelve than Sarutobi himself had been.
His Wrath of God technique…something he'd thought up after eating dinner in a cheap restaurant in Casino City…it was truly terrifying.
The boy didn't thirst after knowledge, as Sarutobi had. No, he was all about making things work. A different kind of ninja, rather like his practical minded father.
Sandaime would have to make his plan official. He would do as Jiraiya had requested and make Naruto the Toad Sannin's apprentice. (Sarutobi would keep giving him lessons as time allowed, but the boy was becoming skilled in developing jutsu that only he would be able to use.)
In one month, Uzumaki Naruto would be recognized as Namikaze Naruto. And his life would change.
Hidden Leaf would change.
Of course, for safety, no one would know about Kyuubi unless they were willing to accept a secrecy seal. It was too big a military secret even to this day.
Yes, yes. Helping the boy develop a public legend, while allowing him to keep his original techniques secret for a while longer: Jiraiya would be useful for that. It would also help position Naruto as a possible successor. That made Sarutobi happy.
Now if the boy would just take up an interest in sealing…and perhaps recreate the Hirashin? If it were possible…. Nah, even Sarutobi knew it was unlikely. Naruto was a tremendous student, but sealing was too much 'book work' for someone as active and physical as he was.
Questions for another day, Sarutobi mused. Hopes for the future. It was time to shock the village…and get it headed back to greatness.
He was old and only had a small amount of time left, a few years probably. He had to make the most of the time.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Itachi was in Hidden Grass when he overheard frenzied whispers of two jounin in a ninja bar.
"He was killed. He walked into Hidden Leaf ready to slaughter them…and he was captured…and killed."
"That bastard. My father tells a story when the Snake Bastard was still a Leaf ninja…."
That was all Itachi's brain heard. He filled in the rest. There was a rumor – a plausible rumor – that Orochimaru was dead. Anger coated his normally impassive face, but just for a moment.
He needed confirmation. If his target was dead…then he didn't know quite what to do. Hatred had made him strong…and now the target was dead.
What came after?
He quashed the question. That was for the future. Now he needed facts.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X