Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. To be honest, I'm not sure I'd want to right now.

Rivers of Hades

Chapter 13

It was three in the afternoon, and Naruto was sitting on a park bench, watching the people pass by. There was a council meeting today, and Sarutobi was required to be there, so his training had ended early. He didn't want to go home just yet, and everyone else would be still training with their team.

Kakashi was still teasing him mercilessly about him "wrestling" with Hinata. Naruto could tolerate the teasing to an extent, but Kakashi's suggestions for what "moves" or "holds" he should pull next were a bit too much.

His sitting and watching the crowd was rapidly turning into a new hobby for him. He had started doing it as a training exercise. At first, he had been less than thrilled than his new exercise involved a lot of sitting, but after Sarutobi had explained the purpose, he regained a little interest. It was supposed to build up his observational skills.

Sarutobi had demonstrated by selecting a random couple, who had been looking into the window of a formal clothing store, and began making several guesses into aspects of their personalities and lives. He also estimated that the two had been together for over three years, and had recently become engaged. Naruto asked how he had come up with that. Sarutobi replied that they were holding on to each other, which suggested a relationship. The length of the relationship came from how they were holding each other. Newer couples would tend to cling tightly to one another. The two were close together, but held each other loosely. When Naruto asked about the engagement, Sarutobi replied that neither of them was wearing a wedding ring, so they were most likely not married. They were also looking at the window display, which was showcasing garments for weddings.

Since then, Naruto often found himself observing people around him as a way to kill free time. He was so caught up in it that he almost didn't hear the person approaching him.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, would it be alright if I joined you?"

"Go right ahead, Haku. How's the Academy?"

"It's a wonderful experience. Umino-san is amazingly easy-going, though he says it has something to do with you not disrupting his classes anymore."

Naruto laughed. "Good ol' Iruka-sensei. I should really pay him a visit one of these days. Things have been way too easy for him, now that I'm not there to spice up his duller lectures. I still have yet to figure out how he managed to get me back afterwards, though. So, how have you been adjusting to life in Konoha? I know how Zabuza is doing, but I haven't had a chance to talk to you in a while."

"I'm grateful to be here. Everyone, shinobi and civilians alike, have just been remarkably welcoming. Although, I now understand why you feel the way you do about abusing a kekkai genkai. Hokage-sama told me that after the current Academy semester is complete, I will be eligible for missions, if I choose. Somehow, word got out, and ever since, some of the villagers have come up to me saying that with my kekkai genkai, missions are going to be easy, as if my abilities with ice are the only reason I'm a competent ninja."

"Well, we both know that isn't true. I've seen you training. Now that you and Zabuza aren't on the run, you've gotten to the point where you could probably take the Jounin Exam and pass without once using it. As for the villagers, that's what they are used to saying to someone with a kekkai genkai. The clans have always taken a large amount of pride in their unique abilities, and I don't have a problem with that. Ignoring something that can give you an advantage is just stupid. Where I draw the line is when they focus so much on that unique ability that they end up ignoring everything else. You just haven't shown the villagers that you don't share the same viewpoint as the clans do. But besides that, what do you think of Konoha?"

"It... is a wonderful place. Zabuza-sama had told me that Konoha shinobi were considered odd by the standards of other villages. I just assumed he meant their continual above-average abilities. It wasn't until we came to live here that I learned what he meant. In every other shinobi village I have ever heard of, shinobi are cold, emotionless tools, regardless of whether they are on a mission or not. Here, that is only partly true. On assignment, we are professionals, as we should be, but off-duty, most act just like any other villager. We are shinobi, but we are also human. I find that attitude most appealing. It is nice being allowed, if not encouraged, to have a life outside of our work. I am curious, however, about the Yamanaka clan and their flower shop. I don't quite understand why they would have two jobs, especially ones so different."

Naruto laughed. "Yeah, I thought the same thing when I first met Ino at the Academy. She beat me to a pulp when I asked her if she was only going to be a part-time ninja. Sensei told me the story behind it. Back when Konoha was first founded, there was a lot of construction work going on. Gardens of any sort were hard to find. The fields used by the original settlers were turned into building sites and some of the older training grounds. The catch was, gardens were needed to grow the plants we use for poisons and medicines, not to mention food. It was eventually decided that a greenhouse would be built, and it would grow those plants until personal gardens larger than a window-box were an option. At the time, the Yamanaka clan didn't have many duties vital to the village, so they were put in charge of the greenhouse. Once things calmed down, and personal gardens started appearing, they decided to make a little money, and opened a shop that sold flowers and gardening supplies, in addition to still growing large amounts of the shinobi plants."

"But why would people grow their own poisonous and medicinal plants when there is still the communal greenhouse?"

"Because with the exception of the hospital, there are limits on how many plants can be taken for use by any one person. You can only take so many plants per month. The hospital can take as much as it wants, whenever it wants."

"So, with that kind of background, would that mean that your classmate Ino is knowledgeable with poisons?"

"You know, I'm not really sure. She never showed any signs of skill with them, but that stuff wasn't really covered in depth in the Academy when I was there. I am sure, however, that she would at least know which kinds of plants are poisonous and which aren't."

Haku nodded. "I see. I have a question for you. This is coming from both myself and Ayame-chan."

"Okay, shoot."

"Would you and Hinata-san be interested in going on a double date with us some time?"

Naruto blinked. "I wasn't expecting that one. What brought this on?"

"Ayame-chan feels that the two of you make, and I quote, 'such a cute couple!'. I haven't seen how the two of you get along, but I am willing to take her word on it."

"I... I'll ask Hinata-chan the next time I see her, but I'm not promising anything."

"That is all we ask."

"So what hobbies have you and Zabuza taken up in your free time?"

Haku chuckled. "Both of us are still trying to find ones that suit us. I had actually thought about trying to make decorative ice sculptures at first. Obviously, making the ice wasn't a problem for me, but as it turns out, I am a terrible sculptor, and I don't have enough time to learn how to do it properly. Eventually, I lost my temper, and turned what I had created into ice cubes. That act was actually very therapeutic."

"You enjoy destroying what you made? Well, whatever works for you, I guess. What about Zabuza?"

"Zabuza-sama is having a much tougher time with acclimating to our new way of life, let alone finding himself a hobby. So far, the best he's managed to do is play darts at a bar when he's off-duty. I'm of the opinion that the only reason he can even do that much right now is that he's equating playing darts with projectile weapons training."

"I'm sure you'll both find something..." Naruto heard something, and looked up. A messenger bird was flying overhead. It dropped a letter into Naruto's lap, turned around, and flew back the way it came. "Huh? Looks like sensei wants to talk to me about something before his meeting. Talk to you later, Haku."

"Good day, Naruto-kun."

--

"You wanted to see me, sensei?"

"Yes, yes I did. The council meeting was rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon. I called you back to talk to you about the upcoming Chuunin Exams and your place in them."

Naruto's face lit up. "You're nominating me? Thanks, sensei! You're the greatest!"

Sarutobi sighed. "Naruto-kun, you've gotten ahead of yourself. I cannot enter you because there aren't two free genin to take the test with you, and I couldn't bend the rules enough for you to take it solo without having to deal with the backlash from the other villages."

The smile dimmed. "Then, what did you want to talk to me about the Chuunin Exams for? Just to tell me I can't take them? If I can't take the exams, then I can't get promoted."

"You're only partially correct. You can't take them, but the Chuunin Exams aren't the only way to get promoted. There are alternatives."

"Then why doesn't anyone talk about them? If you ask genin, the only promotion method they know about are the Exams."

"The reason is simple. We want genin to take the Exams and try for promotion that way at least once before we let them find out about the alternate routes. It's good for the village."

"Huh?"

"The Chuunin Exams showcase the best each participating village has to offer in front of potential clients. The alternate routes do not attract new clients to the village. That is one reason. There is also the money brought into the village by both those taking the Exams and the people who come to see the Exams. They pay for food, lodging, admission to the Exams, and possibly do some shopping while they are here. That influx of money is why the location of the Chuunin Exams is fought over each time it is held."

"So, are you putting me on one of the alternate paths, then?"

"Yes, I am. You will be assigned an acting-chuunin mission that closely relates to the upcoming Exams. It will begin before the Exams start, and will end after they do. Like the Exams, your mission will have three parts to it. Successfully complete two of those three parts, and you will be given full chuunin status."

Naruto's interest rose. "Can you tell me what the three parts are now, or do I need to wait until later?"

Sarutobi pulled out a map of the Elemental Countries, while Naruto pulled out a notebook. "I see no reason why I can't. Some of the foreign participants will be meeting at an outpost at the borders of Hi no Kuni," Sarutobi pointed to a specific outpost, and Naruto noted it. "The first portion of your mission will be to go there and escort the foreign shinobi to Konoha. Successful completion will be all foreign shinobi arriving safely, though exceptions can be made for extenuating circumstances."

"That's a lot to ask of one person, sensei."

"You misunderstand. I fully expect that the teams will be able to defend themselves in an attack. If they aren't, they shouldn't be taking the Exams. Your responsibility is to guide them to Konoha. Should they choose to fight amongst themselves, that is not your problem. Each sensei is responsible for their team's behavior.

"Anyway, the second portion will be you helping myself, Iruka, and a handful of others oversee and administrate the Exams. You won't have a role in proctoring any of the three parts. You will be working behind the scenes to make sure everything is running as smoothly as possible. Success here is simply how you perform at what tasks are assigned to you.

"The third and final part is rather straight-forward. You will serve as an alternate for the third portion of the Exams. If there are an uneven number of contestants, or if someone fails to appear, you will take that place. I thought it would be good for you to see how you stand in comparison to the others. Now then, do you believe you can handle this, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto looked over his notes for what he would have to do. "Well, it's a lot for one person, but I think I can handle it. I do have one question, though."

"By all means, ask."

"How could you arrange a mission like this for me? I know that you are in charge of this kind of stuff, but how can you put all this together without anyone making a fuss?"

"By following standard procedure," Sarutobi replied, pulling a piece of paper from a desk drawer. "To request an acting-rank mission, this form must be filled out. It requires the signatures of two shinobi of jounin rank, along with mine. If a request is approved and the mission is a failure, there is a mandatory waiting period of a year before you can request another. I have your form filled out for you. All you have to do is sign this, and the mission is yours."

"That doesn't sound so hard."

"Finding the two jounin sponsors is easy. The hard part is getting my permission. Each month, a good fifteen to twenty percent of my paperwork is made up of these requests. Out of all of them, less than half get approved."

"So who sponsored me? Let's see... Hyuuga Hiashi and... Aburame Shibi? Isn't that Shino's dad? Why would he sponsor me?"

Sarutobi smiled. "Ah, that's right. You wouldn't remember."

"Huh? Remember what?"

"When you were a baby, things were very chaotic. I had tried keeping you in my sight at all times, but I couldn't do it. Even then, you were a handful. Then, the Aburame clan stepped in. They would watch you during the day, and you would stay with me and my family at night. This continued until you were sixteen months old, I believe. At that point, I put you in the orphanage system."

"Why would they volunteer to look after me?"

"The Aburame have always seen you as something of a distant relative. Like you, they are not always warmly welcomed, and the villagers tend to confuse them with their tenants as well. The main difference is that there are many of them, and only one of you."

"Yeah, but their tenants didn't nearly destroy the village and kill everyone."

"True, but that isn't to say it hasn't happened on a smaller scale."

"What?"

"For the Aburame, emotional control is a must. Their colonies respond to the host's commands. If a host feels emotion, the Kikai respond to that as well. Should an Aburame give in to anger, their colonies will lash out and attack the cause of that anger. It doesn't even have to be anger, any emotion will suffice. I remember about twenty or thirty years ago, some village children decided to see if an Aburame was ticklish. They succeeded, and spent the next two weeks recovering from what had happened. Their target began laughing, lost control, and his Kikai attacked, nearly killing them."

"So they were willing to look after me because we had a lot in common."

"Yes. Around your first birthday, Shibi came to me asking for permission to adopt you. It killed me to say no, but..."

"The Yondaime's orders, I know."

"Shibi was most displeased. He asked why I was acting contrary to my normal stance, which was to seek as much protection for you as I could. I tried to convince him I knew what I was doing, but he didn't let up. So, I took a calculated risk, and showed him the Yondaime's letter of instructions. To this day, he is the only other person besides me and Yondaime to see the letter in its entirety. After that, he was more understanding of my position, and promised to support me in matters regarding you to the best of his ability."

"Wouldn't he have seen the part about who Yondaime wanted to take care of me?"

"No. An Aburame would have been among the last to see that."

"Why?"

"As a shinobi and a role model, there were few better suited for the office of Hokage than the Yondaime. However, his skills as a writer, speaker and administrator were average at best, and that is being nice. He knew what he wanted to say, but often couldn't find the right words. He had a very strong tendency to put his foot in his mouth at the worst possible time, though that trait disappeared as he got older. If it weren't for his sensei, Jiraiya, writing his speeches, and myself, working with him on his administrative skills, he would have destroyed the village on his own well before the Kyuubi."

"Why does that mean Shino's dad wouldn't see it?"

"If one were to read the letter, not knowing Yondaime personally, it sounds as if Kakashi, Jiraiya, and I were the only people in all of Konoha he trusted. That was how I interpreted it for ten years, though something always seemed off about that statement. It wasn't until I read it again, two years ago, knowing how he thought that I saw what he had meant to write, that the three of us were the only ones in Konoha he trusted to take care of you. Shibi didn't know Yondaime very well. Besides, the traditional Aburame mindset makes them poorly suited for mental profiling."

"So he sponsored me for this because his clan sees me as family? No offense, but that doesn't sound like an Aburame. The logical reason is missing."

"He also said it was his way of saying 'thank you'. Apparently, you said something to Shino on that joint C-Rank."

"Yeah, we were talking about how to broaden our skill sets. He commented that the constant chakra drain meant he couldn't use most nin- or genjutsu. I pointed out that there were other things he could work on. He said he'd think about it."

"Gave him the family diatribe, eh? Well, he did think about it. Shibi said that Shino is now poised to become the most powerful Aburame of his generation, if not in recent history. He's been working with techniques that the Aburame have not used in generations, and not just some of their more powerful clan techniques. Some of them, I haven't seen since I was your age."

"Well, I'll have to thank Shino's dad anyway. Here you go, sensei." Naruto signed the form and handed it back to Sarutobi, who was smiling.

"You know, I'm still not used to you calling me sensei."

"Well, yeah. Ten years of 'oji-san' compared to about six months of 'sensei'."

"Have a good day, Naruto-kun."

"You too, sensei."

After Naruto left, Sarutobi turned around to look at the vault with the other half of Naruto's inheritance inside. Every day, he was tempted to just give the scroll to Naruto and be done with it. He wasn't sure what kept him from doing so, other than his respect for the Yondaime's wishes. After a couple minutes, he stood, put his hat on, and walked out the door. He had been set free early today, and he'd be damned if he was going to stick around and risk them finding something for him to do. He was going home.

-- -

Next Time: The Dangers of Traveling with Gaara