Chapter Three
A/N: I have edited and expanded the previous two chapters. I finally figured out a good reason – plot-wise – to continue this story. I encourage you to revisit chapters one and two before continuing on. I have 'resurrected' Itachi and Hinata, among others, to serve up some interesting plot points. So, here are the continuing struggles and triumphs of the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Edited 3/15/09
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It felt strange to take a seat in this Arena, Sarutobi mused. After all, five weeks ago this place was used as an ambush for Orochimaru and the forces from Suna and Kumo.
The attempted invasion had changed several Leaf policies. (After all, the walls here were based on those in Konoha. Everyone had seen how easily large summons had brought huge sections down. A terrifying jolt of reality.)
For one, foreign ninja weren't allowed inside Konoha. Diplomatic meetings took place in one of the buildings in the converted 'mock-up.' Tournaments like this one took place in the refashioned 'Arena.' Foreign traders took up free stalls here. Villagers from the Leaf flocked here on trading days…now that they had to leave the village, it seemed like a more interesting task…and trade had actually picked up, even with the more inconvenient arrangements.
Perhaps, with time, that would fade.
Today…strange as it was…was the true final round of the Chuunin Selection Exam. All the remaining nations in the tournament understood precisely the reasons for the delay, even if the civilians and others had less of a clear picture.
The Daimyo's in attendance had large contigents of bodyguards, still more than a bit spooked that Orochimaru might return from the grave. Having personally set the body alight…and kept the fire going for quite some time…Sarutobi knew that his one-time student was truly dead.
He looked at the match board…and thought it strange and wonderful. Six of the ten finalists were from Hidden Leaf…and five of them were 'rookies.'
Normally few genin teams found their jounin-sensei willing to nominate them after receiving so little experience…but six of the new teams had been entered and all had done respectably.
Perhaps it was time to look at this long standing…tradition. It held that rookies should rarely participate, needing more time to grow, but conversely that few genin should attend more than two of these tournaments in order to build their experience level. Sarutobi had long wondered if the two prongs were more than a bit at cross purposes.
Those who did not pass after two tries would have to wait for merit promotions later…as the Chuunin Selection Exam was primarily to honor young geniuses…and to make the various Hidden Villages seem greater than they might be because of a powerful genin here or there.
Politics…keeping the civilians and Daimyo's entertained…this had once perhaps served its purposes, but now Sarutobi had been less interested in maintain tradition for tradition's sake.
Perhaps the foreign tournaments held some value, as Sarutobi believed was possible from a well constructed tournament, but they were insufficient for handling chuunin promotions. Ninety-five percent of all Konoha chuunin had risen in level thanks to a merit promotion, not as a result of this tournament.
That was a broken system… Ah, Sarutobi's eyes tracked down to the proctor. The test was ready.
"Ahem, thank you for attending. Today's matches have been preselected and the combatants notified. They have had two months to prepare for this day, so we should expect some marvelous battles today."
Sarutobi smiled as the first Konoha ninja took the field. Nara Shikamaru slumped out of the waiting area while Kento of the Grass walked like a ninja should.
Shikamaru was, hopefully, setting his opponent up for a surprise.
The battle began. Kento drew a katana and wiped its blade with a cloth. Sarutobi recognized the gesture as a standard from Grass Country – that blade was poisoned. With what, only Kento knew for sure.
Shikamaru had a harder task. In order to win, he could not be hit…and needed to take down a kenjutsu specialist.
It seemed a boring match…until people realized, as Kento did not, that Shikamaru was avoiding a fight in order to waste his opponent's energy. The boy was obviously planning something.
And, then, as Kento's anger got the better of him, a shadow struck out from Shikamaru's body…and Kento was stuck.
Shikamaru raised his left arm…and Kento's right arm rose of its own volition. Shikamaru manipulated his own arm, as if he were carrying a sword and about to commit seppuku. Kento began to sweat as his sword turned against him.
"Do you concede?" Shikamaru asked.
"Yes. Yes, I concede!"
The proctor declared Shikamaru the winner. The boy released the shadow, wobbled a bit, and then slouched off the field.
Kento, shaken by his improbable loss, secured his blade and walked off, a bit more humble than he had come onto the field.
"Now. Inuzuka Kiba versus Hyuuga Banta!"
Sarutobi was surprised that this Hyuuga had made it into the finals when Mishi, the Hyuuga's latest pride and joy, held a better reputation.
He watched with interest as the Hyuuga took up the standard Gentle Fist forms – why had the Hyuuga gone through so much tumult only to insist on the old methods, the old traditions? – while stood stock still with his partner animal at his side.
Both were waiting for the other. Good. They had been trained in caution, especially important for one as impetuous as the Inuzuka boy could be.
Finally it began. The dog ran forward, as if instructed, and then the Inuzuka. Sarutobi lost a bit of interest as it turned into a decoy and attack routine. When the Hyuuga turned to face his human opponent, the dog would nip as his calf muscle. So the Hyuuga would have to deal with the dog…then Kiba would strike.
It went on and on…the Hyuuga using his Gentle Fist, but finding a dog's tenketsu system utterly alien when compared to a human's. He didn't know how to stop the vicious, but rather amusing, little animal.
Finally, Kiba managed a good solid punch.
The Hyuuga was taken down by a taijutsu practitioner who was less skilled, less refined than he was. And the Inuzuka had held nearly all of his clan attacks in reserve for future matches. Yes, he was becoming formidable.
"Winner: Inuzuka Kiba. Now, we offer Suna's Temari versus Leaf's Uzumaki Naruto."
Sarutobi smiled at this. While the matches were supposed to be random…Sarutobi had scheduled this 'random' match himself.
Naruto, his prized student, had never battled against another wind user. He wanted the boy to have that opportunity in a safer venue than a battle field.
But it seemed that the Wind Mistress did not wish for anything to be done safely. She obviously resented still being held by the Leaf…and her likely status as a permanent hostage.
Of course, she was still legally a Suna citizen until the various Daimyo's and Sarutobi hammered out a written agreement. But the girl was angry.
Her opening move against Naruto was opening her fan to its fullest size and batting a powerful wind attack at him. She didn't think to wonder why the blonde guy just smiled…and did not bother to get out of the way.
The blast of air tore through the arena…and when it struck the floor, it sent up rock and stone and everything else.
When the dust cleared, Temari had mounted her fan and was preparing to leave as no one could survive such an attack.
Sarutobi smiled and wished he had wagered more on Naruto's eventual win. This was as dramatic as it got.
The young ninja was still standing in place and smiling.
A semicircle of untouched floor lay in front of him. He was making a point…but how? Nothing Naruto knew was a wind defense as this seemed to be.
Indeed, while wind techniques were known for being destructive, what Naruto had come up with, especially his Wrath of God technique….
Sarutobi's face broke into a full smile. The boy had done it! That horrifying technique – Wrath – used his control over air to separate air and leave a void in its place. The boy could create a vacuum. An opponent punching into such a void…would receive horrible frost burns and would have blood vessels exploding under his skin.
Had Naruto ever positioned a Wrath attack over an opponent…The air would be pulled from his lungs instantly and the air bubbles in the blood stream would increase in size as the pressure outside decreased. Within moments, the person would be a bloody mess…the most horrifying individual technique Sarutobi had ever heard of…again invented by mistake.
But now, it seemed Naruto had learned to mold a thin layer of a vacuum, like the outer shell of a large gumball, all around the area where an opponent might attack.
Such a thing could absorb wind, fire…anything…so long as Naruto could maintain this Wrath Shield.
Sarutobi looked at his fellow Kages and counterparts from the other villages. None of them knew what had happened – or why. With such a technique, the boy was unstoppable.
Naruto had just showed everyone he would eventually rise to Kage-level power…and none of them yet realized it. The boy might be a bit ill-mannered, in an amusing way, but he understood discretion. He would never tell anyone how to replicate his techniques; the Hokage also doubted that Naruto would ever use the Wrath technique directly on another shinobi unless he meant to kill them.
This day, this public in attendance had witnessed the pronouncement: "A Legend will rise here." A chill ran down the Sandaime's spine. Naruto's father had used fuuinjutsu to become unstoppable; a complex art that took him almost seven years from start to a usable model. Naruto had developed this Wrath power by accident and then kept playing with it until it really was worth something.
To have the power over individual molecules of air, to move them, to create temporary vacuums or pockets of great air density (perhaps dense enough to stop projectiles, the Hokage wondered), this was the power of a true wind master.
And no one recognized this master work. Not yet. With luck, Naruto's true strength would remain hidden for some time to come. Anonymity equals safety, after all, to a ninja.
Temari, on the arena floor, was the most confused. Her most powerful attack had hit everywhere around the kid…but not the target himself. How?
She didn't get the chance to be confused for long. Naruto ran to her and began attacking with his fists and feet.
The first punch…Temari screamed a bit…as the punch not only hurt, but it somehow covered her upper arm and back in deep, bleeding cuts.
A kick to her belly had her doubled over in pain. There was blood everywhere.
A few more blows…and she wasn't willing or able to get up again…even her Battle Fan had been destroyed by the boy stepping on it.
Sarutobi nodded as he watched. The boy's own taijutsu style, not so different from the Academy version, included fashioning wind in his fists and feet. The punches hurt…and the wind tore at the same time. To perform this technique was a testament to the boy's mastery of the air. He formed up these thin air blades just a moment before the blow landed and dispelled them just after they'd struck. It was a marvel of timing and control. Indeed, his control would permit him to fight like this for almost an hour against training dummies before his body would feel the stress.
The proctor had not heard a forfeit. But he knew when a battle was ended. The blonde boy had stopped attacking and was waiting to be declared the winner. The proctor did so…and then Naruto himself knelt down and helped to pick up his opponent and carry her to the medic nins. None of the wounds were fatal…although Sarutobi expected the boy could have made them so, had he been in the proper state of mind.
The gesture, contrasted against Temari's mean-spirited first and only attack, drew applause.
The proctor waited for the noise to clear before declaring. "Now, we have Aburame Shino versus Sato of the Waterfall."
The match was an unfortunate pairing for the young Aburame. Sato was a gifted user of water techniques and genjutsu. The Aburame had some taijutsi skill, but relied on his kikai bugs.
And bugs were easily drowned.
A few minutes later, Shino conceded defeat.
"Our final round one match: Koh Moegi versus Hirofume Kunio from River Country."
Sarutobi sat forward for this one. It had been a long time since an 'independent shinobi,' like this Hirofume had made it to the finals. Most ninja, but not all, came from Hidden Villages. There were still clans out there who trained their children in the ninja arts. This student must be truly gifted to have made it this far with just clan techniques and training methods – even the River Daimyo had been impressed enough to sponsor the young man's spot.
Koh had excellent chakra control – better than the Haruno girl – and was becoming a fairly talented field medic.
This Hirofume, no one knew what he specialized in. His opponent in the prelims was weak and Hirofume hadn't had to give much away.
The battle started at close range. Koh attacked with…chakra scalpels. Hirofume used metal gauntlets of his wrist and arms to deflect the attacks and cause damage on his own.
Then Hirofume withrew a short staff from his back – a man after Sarutobi's own heart – and began to wail on Koh.
The kunoichi jumped away and went to medium distance attacks. She specialized in ranged weapons and explosions.
Koh rained down kunai on her opponent…and a few of them had small explosive notes attached.
The battle ground became a war zone. Dust everywhere. The battle still continuing although the spectators could only hear clanging and banging.
When the dust cleared, it was clear that the two had reached a stalemate. Kon had been pinned by the short staff her opponent wielded…but she had a kunai with an exploding tag stuck in the young man's thigh.
Neither could win without dying.
"It is a draw," the proctor declared. Neither would progress. But perhaps Sarutobi would have someone inquire of the young River ninja if he would like to join the Leaf forces. He was talented…and Sarutobi would appreciate more bo users among his ninja.
The second rounds were drawn and the pairings revealed. The Nara would go against the Inuzuka. And Naruto would go against the water user from Waterfall.
A thirty minute break was announced…to permit people to get refreshments…but, in actuality, to facilitate additional gambling on these matches.
When the tournament resumed, Inuzuka quickly overwhelmed the Nara. The shadow user had basically depleted all his chakra in the first round…and was forced into a quick concession.
The second battle was a good bit longer. Sarutobi knew that Naruto was playing with this Sato as he had never gone up against a true water-oriented ninja. Sure the boy had a few water techniques, mostly for defense, but he was curious.
In any case, it looked like a good battle.
Naruto showed that his most recent training with Sarutobi had finally come in useful. It was a strange commentary that Naruto, who loved techniques that caused mass damage, had to be taught how to disarm an opponent who wasn't as strong as one of the Monkey King's subjects…rather than just destroy them.
Sato didn't know how lucky he was.
The boy had quite a bit of skill. He was able to form a small water dragon using just the barrel of water he'd been permitted to situate in the far side of the arena. (Similar provisions were made when the tournament was held in other countries, if needed. Water users shouldn't be disadvantaged just because the tournament was in the desert, for example.)
Naruto tested the boy's water techniques…and then let himself be caught in a few genjutsu just to experience them…and then, finally, after faking a look of exhaustion, went on the offensive.
When he struck this time, he did not draw blood. When he parried a water blast, he used his wind to freeze some of the water. Then he picked them up and threw them back.
The water user couldn't dissolve them…and manipulate them. One of the small spikes struck Sato in the upper arm.
When Naruto went in for the submission move, the boy attacked Naruto with a half-abortive ice technique of his own. Naruto played with it, examined it, and then sent Sato unconscious.
Naruto was using this tournament to learn…even in a crowd like this. Remarkable.
The final match was obvious: the Inuzuka versus Naruto. Still another thirty minute break was called…and the betting was furious outside the Arena.
When the audience calmed down, the proctor started this last match.
It was a bit amusing to Sarutobi. This was Naruto and Kiba's first pairing at the examination to become genin, as well.
The fight, mostly in taijutsu, showed how both had radically improved since then. The Inuzuka's sensei, the former head of the hunter nin, had done much to calm the boy and focus him.
He thought better…and fought better. Both of them were transformed since their student days.
The Inuzuka was nearly a match for Naruto in straight taijutsu. Had Naruto been using his elemental attacks…well, the story might be different…but the boy knew better than to use such a thing on a fellow loyal Leaf ninja.
The match was truly well coordinated until the Inuzuka upped the ante. The boy was surprised when Naruto fought well against the Inuzuka clan technique of the Beast Clone. The little puppy became a second, rather feral-looking Kiba.
Naruto dealt with both of them once this happened, being forced to show more of his true skill level. One couldn't best a five foot tall monkey and then fail to beat two chuunin-level ninja.
And when they tried to execute their twisting and twirling technique…they hit a cyclonic whirl of air that tossed them both away from Naruto.
That was a second new technique that the Sandaime hadn't seen yet. The boy was keeping secrets it seemed, even from his Sensei…good, the boy was learning to be a ninja. He asked for help when stumped, but kept some things in reserve to surprise and delight at the opportune moment.
The match ended when the puppy ran out of enhanced chakra and basically fell asleep. Kiba broke his discipline and went to the aid of his animal. The Inuzuka would have to be broken of such a tendency soon.
The proctor declared Naruto the winner.
There was much groaning…and much rejoicing as various winners and losers went to claim and pay their bets.
The arena began to empty. But the ten challengers returned to the floor.
Sarutobi finished his ballot. He had felt generous this time. He voted to award chuunin rank to Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, Shino, the Waterfall ninja, and the River ninja.
He collected the ballots from the other Kages and the Daimyos. The ballots were unanimous for a few…and split fiercely on the rest.
Naruto and the Inuzuka were clear chuunin.
Shikamaru barely scraped enough votes…which would suit him just fine.
Sato claimed enough, but the River ninja did not. That was a mistake to the Hokage's mind. It seemed like a bit of discrimination against a ninja not from a Hidden Village.
Shino had six of thirteen votes, so no vest, which was also the case for Koh Moegi. Temari somehow got five votes, even from a single vicious assassination-style attack…more politics, it seemed. The Hyuuga got five. While all the others got four. Some ballots had called for everyone to be made chuunin…obviously some Daimyo had done very well with his betting…or had been drinking for a rather long time.
The Hokage walked down to the floor of the arena and handed out four chuunin vests. As the sad River ninja walked away, the Hokage gestured him over.
"I believe you deserve promotion, young man."
"Thank you, sir."
"If you should ever wish to serve and train in a Hidden Village, the Leaf would welcome you."
"Thank you. But I have to return to my clan. The Daimyo has promised them aid in exchange for my service on his guard… But, if the offer were still open in a few years…."
The young man was good. He knew how to negotiate with powerful men.
"I will send you a warrant. Provided you have grown in strength, and have stayed clear of legal entanglements, I will permit you to join the Leaf no matter who is Hokage then."
"You plan to step down, sir?"
"I have been Hokage for more than forty years, young man. I will either step down of my own accord…or nature will force me into it."
"I see. Thank you." Hirofume Kunio walked away without a vest…but with a massive smile on his face. Sarutobi would have given even money that the boy would come to the Leaf in a few years, after his clan received the Daimyo's largesse.
Naruto had a large, stupid smile on his face. As he bounced up and down. While waiting for the Hokage to shake his hand.
"I will call up Enma at our next meeting, young ninja, if you do not stop bouncing."
This threat worked, but nothing could take the smile from his face.
"Keeping secrets, huh? No one else realized what your shield was…but I see the Wrath of God in your future, boy." They were speaking in public, so the Hokage was circumspect with the boy.
"The whirlpool shield to fling away opponents…"
"Or thrown weapons," Naruto added.
"…that was also new."
Naruto beamed and nodded.
"Excellent work, young shinobi. Excellent."
As the Hokage moved on to speak with the other finalists, critiquing and praising in equal measure, Naruto began his self-satisfied bouncing again.
The boy was a genius…but he had entirely too much energy.
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Hinata felt like her baby was soon to come into this world. And then they would take it.
She had wracked her mind trying to determine what to do. These were ninja…while she was from a ninja family, but hadn't been trained since she was five…many, many years ago.
She had been trying to work herself back into the form she remembered. Pulling up chakra to her fingers and attacking the points her father – his face still obscure in her memory – and mother showed her.
Two days later, when the guardians came to take her to a medical room, she gently tapped one guardian with a finger. When he started gagging, she tapped the other guardian on the spine at the top of his neck.
One would die of a heart attack soon…and the other had a brain no longer able to communicate to her body.
She stripped the shorter guardian and got into her clothing. Then her heart raged in her chest as she made her way to the door. A third guardian appeared, confused. Hinata's hand went to his chest, but she found herself bound in the man's powerful grasp. Her other hand reached over and tapped the man's forehead. He dropped to the ground.
She left, eight months pregnant, on a dark, moonless night. The only thing possibly worse would have been falling rain.
She did not have food or water or a map. She had not been outside in seven years.
Her captors would not learn of her flight until a shift change happened in this facility. She would be out of their grasp by then.
But the recorded images of what she had done…how she had killed…those would be added to the small archive of footage of how the nearly extinct Hyuuga fought and killed. Kumo ninja had been keeping this archive for twenty years now. Hinata, barely trained, her captors cursed her when they realized she was a genius. She had used old memories to do this, to kill three older, trained ninja. Three light taps and they were dead.
A mother had learned to do this for her unborn second child. She had power. Everyone had underestimated her…and now she was gone, likely dead.
The Raikage, when told of this, did not fly into a rage. After all, his new 'nephew' was a male of the Hyuuga line but without any memories of the Hyuuga Massacre or any other Hyuuga. In ten or twelve years when he became sexually mature, this boy would be able to father many more children than a single woman could.
The boy would mate and mate and mate. The Raikage would train the boy to prize beautiful women…and to love the feeling of being on top of them.
And the Hyuuga would be reborn here – not like the tattered remnants still in Hidden Leaf. Powerful. Adding to the might of the Raikage!
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Uchiha Itachi made his way to Rice Country. The rumors had been right about this. Someone had definitely constructed underground bunkers here.
Itachi decided to see what would happen if he…damaged one. If he could get just a bit of information, then he would have his confirmation…and then he could plan for the future.
He affixed explosive notes to the exposed entrance.
Moments later he was well away when the explosion opened the 'secure' entrance.
Itachi had not interest in entering. He was waiting for someone…a security ninja, perhaps…to exit.
He was not disappointed.
A minute later, a coughing gray haired young man wearing glasses exited through the gaping chasm that once was a staircase.
Itachi gave the boy? – or ninja? – a chance to catch his bearings.
"Can you tell me if Orochimaru is around?" Itachi asked.
The gray haired boy blinked behind his glasses. "Is this a joke?"
"No. Please tell me where I can find the Snake Sannin."
"He's dead." The gray haired ninja stalked forward.
Itachi was prepared.
"I see. So…you served him?"
"I was…his best spy."
Itachi sent a blast of black fire at the boy…which just nicked the ninja. His arm looked like seared beef…until it began to heal before Itachi's Sharingan eyes.
"A useful skill."
"Why?"
"I no longer get the chance to kill Orochimaru…but I might as well kill his best spy…."
"You have Sharingan eyes."
"I had not meant to use them. I guess my rage got the better of me. Prepare yourself."
The slight, bespectacled ninja was better than he looked. He actually managed to graze Itachi with a chakra scalpel. Itachi decided to end this fight…in the most interesting way possible.
"Tsukuyomi."
It took the silver haired ninja a second to realize that he was in a different place.
"What?"
"This…Kabuto," Itachi said, plucking the ninja's name from the ninja's own mind, "is a world I control. I have been experimenting with this technique and have recently made a breakthrough. We will be viewing your past together…and subjecting you to the pain you caused other people. Let's begin."
The mental Kabuto screamed as each one of his secrets – his spying, his training, his stealing of orphans, everything – was stripped from his mind and put in plain view.
Kabuto felt the pain of being dissected with chakra scalpels while still alive…of horrific experiments being performed on him.
He began to beg for death before the first 'hour' was over. By the time seventy-two were complete, he had no active mind left. The portions keeping his body alive were mostly unaffected, but his memory, speech, and cognition centers were destroyed by the pain.
Itachi reemerged from Kabuto's mind a few moments after using the jutsu.
He now knew exactly what he needed to do next.
Orochimaru, after all, still had one living experiment who possessed Sharingan eyes. And several preserved sets of Sharingan eyes. All that needed to be dealt with…the entire legacy needed to be destroyed.
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"Good, good job, Naruto…."
"But I lost…again."
"My seven foot tall friend here…he is the last step before you begin to fight Enma. And the gulf between your skill and his has grown smaller in the last two months. I suspect you will be able to bring him to a draw in another two or three months."
"I know."
"Have your skills improved because of this sparring?"
"Of course! I am getting much better…."
"Exactly. So stop being so down in the dumps…."
"Err, right, Sensei. Thank you, Honorable Monkey, for the training."
"A pleasure," the tall, unnamed monkey said before he bowed to Sarutobi and then vanished.
"So…why doesn't he have a name?"
"Naruto, he has a name, but because of his position as heir to the Monkey Throne, he may not share it with anyone who does not sign the contract. I know his name, as I do Enma's true name."
Naruto seemed a bit mystified, but dropped it. He didn't yet realize the strange politics involved in working with a summoning partner. If Jiraiya decided to have him contract with the toads…well, they were stranger than most.
"Now…I know that I told you I would be working on your fire techniques, something has come up…."
"Are you bailing on me, sensei?"
"No…Not at all. It seems I must fill in more of your story, your personal story…and introduce you to your godfather."
"Really? Who is it?"
"It's me…Jiraiya, the Legendary Ninja!" Sarutobi bopped his old student on the head before he could make his young student an unruly delinquent.
"One of the Sannin? I know of you. You taught the Fourth!"
"Yes, yes, that's right, brat. I taught your father."
By the widening of the boy's eyes and the anger on Sarutobi's face…it became apparent Naruto did not know the details of his parentage yet.
"That could have been done more diplomatically, my idiot student."
"You were supposed to have told him…."
"My father was the Fourth? Why did no one tell me…."
Sarutobi shot a glare at Jiraiya before answering. "It was my decision, Naruto. I wanted to give you as much information at a time as you could reasonably handle. That's why you found out about your 'tenant' three years ago. And now about your famous father."
"I always wondered what happened…growing up. Now, I know. My mother?"
"Minato's girlfriend, a lovely, saucy wench from Whirlpool…."
This time Naruto took Sarutobi's bo and bopped Jiraiya on the head. "That's my mother. She's not a saucy wench…you, you pervert!"
"This is important, Naruto, as I will do the formal unsealing of your father's last testament now that you have become a chuunin. I believe your…hidden talents will keep you safe from most potential attacks. Hidden Stone still harbors hatred of this village because of your father's battle prowess…."
"I know. I listened in history class!"
The friendly, hyperactive Naruto had presented himself again. Sarutobi expected another conversation on Naruto's displeasure of secrets being kept from him…but not for a few days or a week. Something like this would take Naruto some time to ponder.
"Alright, alright, brat," Jiraiya said. "I will be your new teacher. I…"
"You're dumping me?" Naruto asked the Hokage. "That's quite a step down…from a Hokage to a white-haired pervert!"
"Hey! Brat! I trained a Hokage…which is more than Sarutobi-Sensei ever did!"
This was getting of control. Who knew Naruto could press all of Jiraiya's buttons like that? It was quite amusing, however.
"Excuse me, old student. I trained three people strong enough to be Kages…but one was too evil, one too busy drowing her memories, and one too lazy…and 'distracted' to do the job!"
Naruto began to laugh now. It was contagious. Everyone was shouting. It was the best thing he'd seen in a long time. Who knew the Hokage could be so funny?
"Fine, fine. Naruto, let get started. Have you ever accessed your tenant's chakra…."
"No."
"No, huh? Well, we'll have to work on that…."
"No," the Hokage said. "No, Jiraiya, you will train him to be a ninja, not a jinchuuriki."
"What are you saying, you old fool! He's got this tremendous well of power. He'll be the most powerful ninja ever…."
"Listen to me, my old student. Do you know what Naruto can do now?"
"Well…no. I caught his matches at the chuunin exams, but that wouldn't have done a thing against Orochimaru…."
"You don't understand. Naruto may or may not need the power of the Kyuubi in the future…but until he plateaus developing his standard ninja skills, I would not tempt fate. As of now, Naruto's secret has not widely spread. That story we put out all those years ago about the demon vessel dying as a result of the sealing…it worked. Demon watchers have been waiting for the Kyuubi to reform, but no one knows how long that will take or where. The deception has worked. But if you begin having Naruto fling and flex youkai around…that story will not hold."
Jiraiya sighed. "I get it. I see. Hnn." He turned to the kid. "So, what can a brat like you do that impresses Sarutobi-sensei so much?"
The Hokage laughed. "You may show him, Naruto, but no permanent injuries…."
"Got it!"
"Hey, wait. What do you mean 'no…."
The earth to all sides of Jiraiya exploded upward…and then covered the Sannin in tons of dirt and muck. He strengthened his body at the last second, otherwise he might have been crushed under that amount of weight.
"Holy toads on high! How did you do that?"
Naruto looked a bit smug now. Sarutobi had been working with him for a long time now. He wasn't just sleeping his way through lessons.
"You did something to create a deep trench around me. That's pretty good for slowing down an enemy. Not bad! Not bad at all. So what kind of Earth Style technique is that?"
Naruto smiled even wider.
"It isn't, Jiraiya. It was Naruto's direct manipulation of elemental air…directed down into the earth. The dirt had no place to go, but up…and onto you."
"You…you can't be serious. I didn't think such a thing was possible!"
"Who's the bad teacher now, Jiraiya? You better apologize or I won't let you take Naruto out of the village to train!"
"I apologize. Please. Please believe me."
"What do you say, Naruto? Do you wish to train with that old fool?"
Naruto looked between the two men. Sarutobi had an hour a week to spare; this Jiraiya might have more time to help Naruto with the delicate, intricate wind manipulations he was working on. "If he trained…the Fourth…well, that's good enough for me. For now."
"Fine."
"Yahoo!" Silly Jiraiya.
Then a small voice interrupted things. "Hey, old man, who's making all this racket?"
The Hokage turned around and saw that his grandson was standing at the door from the main house to the training ground. The young boy should have been doing his ninja lessons at this time.
"Where's Ebisu?" The former Internal Affairs head had taken to teaching and tutoring better than anyone, including himself, had foreseen. He liked being a Special Jounin.
"Oh, him? I tied him to a chair. It's my turn to try to defeat you old man!"
Not this. Konohamaru had recently taken to challenging the Hokage to ridiculous 'duels.' He had good, wily impulses…but his execution was always so botched. He could tie Ebisu to a chair, but he couldn't run down stairs without tripping. Things like that.
But Naruto, of all people. His snickering turned to laughter…and that annoyed Konohamaru. The boy began to fixate on Naruto again. Konohamaru had tried to get Naruto to teach him to throw kunai or a half dozen other things. Now his focus was back on Namikaze Naruto.
Sarutobi wished his young student luck. Konohamaru was nothing if not persistent. Naruto would discover that for himself.
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The jounin and three chuunin patrolling the northern border came across a pale girl, nearly dead. She had…a baby in her arms. Who was she? How had she been surviving?
One of the chuunin checked on the baby…dead. Likely stillborn. But the girl – eleven, twelve years old? – she was barely alive.
It took three days for her to recover enough for her to open her eyes. Hyuuga eyes. That was enough to get her sent back to Konoha, post-haste.
They could figure out what had happened and who this girl was.
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Uzumaki Naruto wasn't a terribly prideful creature, but he was happy to walk around the village in his new chuunin vest.
And there was the girl he was looking for.
"Hey Sakura…would you like to go on a date with me?"
"Whaa…" Sakura turned around. "Oh, it's Naruto. No, I was waiting for Momuru to come out of the grocery store. I was going to ask him for a date."
"Momuru? The Uchiha. He's been so grumpy he was forced out of the Chuunin Exam because of his wounds. Grumpy makes you happy…."
Sakura closed the distance between them and bonked Naruto on the head.
He had the good sense to looked pained, even if he had had an air pocket up there to absorb the blow. Even getting bonked on the head was good for chakra control!
"No, I will never go on a date with you!"
"Alright. You don't have to be mean about it. If you'd rather date a sourpuss, that's your choice." He started walking and then saw a girl come out of the grocery store. Naruto waved at her.
She took a second…and then recognized Naruto, the boy who won the tournament. "Hi."
"Hey, you're TenTen, right?"
"Yes…."
"Would you like to go on a date with me?"
Before she could answer, Sakura was back in Naruto's face. "You idiot. You can't ask me out then go and ask her…."
"Why not? You said no and hit me. TenTen's got a mind of her own…."
"It's just rude," Sakura shouted.
"No, rude is hitting someone on the head. Go back to trying to get Momuru to look at you…"
Then Naruto turned to look back at TenTen. "So, what do you say?"
"Err…well. She was kinda right. It's not so cool to ask out another girl next to the one who just turned you down…."
Naruto just smiled…and bounced on his toes. Not accepting TenTen's explanation.
"I just heard Sakura refuse. You might have wanted to wait a while and hoped I forgot."
Naruto just smiled wider. "Is that a no?"
TenTen looked so confused. "Er, no. I guess I will. But you're paying!"
"I like fish. What do you like?"
"Anything. In large portions."
"A woman after my own heart."
Thus, Naruto got his first date. And the Sandaime Hokage, who'd been spying from his office, burst out laughing.
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