|Power is Relative|
~-~Prologue~-~
A Story by Namikaze Minato
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"Hey, Ou, go check on Chi. He's been gone a while, takin' a piss, but it's been a bit too long. Go make sure he didn't fall in a hole or something." A ragged man yelled across the campfire, without even raising his head from it's resting place.
There was no reply.
"Ou? Did you fall asleep on the job again, you lazy ass?" The man grumbled, and sat up from his lying position. He looked across the campfire, and blanched. The entire other side of the camp was splattered with blood. Then, he saw Ou's head hanging from a piece of ninja wire.
"Ou... Who... Who did this?!" The man yelled.
"I did." A voice came from behind him. The man spun around as quickly as he could. When he didn't see anyone, he heard a voice.
"Down here you idiot." The same voice that confessed to the murder around him rung out.
The man was a little shocked, but looked down, trying to compose himself. He saw a very short person, most obviously a child, wearing an ANBU mask. He saw a little tuft of yellow hair poking out the back.
"ANBU? Damnit! I knew that the life of a bandit would be hard, but I never thought that they would send ANBU after me..." The man thought.
"I have seen the crimes you have committed. I am your judge. I sentence you... GUILTY!" The child's voice became demonic at the end of the sentence, and the man swore he saw a flash of red from the child's mask eye holes. Then, he was sent to the next world by a sword he never saw.
The boy sheathed his wakazashi, and walked off, to join the rest of his ANBU comrades.
"Yet another bandit camp. I'm getting tired of this. I'm gonna drop the ANBU program. Leave Kakashi in charge or something." The boy thought, planning his next moves.
When the boy returned to the outpost that the rest of the ANBU squadron was at, he signed them, "Let's go home. I'm done here."
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On the 'brisk jog' back, one of the other ANBU asked him, "Taicho(Captain), why are you pushing us so hard to get back quickly? Are you planning something again?"
"Fuku-Taicho(Second in Command), I am. Would you like to know what?" The Taicho answered.
"Hai!" The Fuku-Taicho answered.
"Very well. I will tell you. I am planning to-" And, then the Taicho went into an explanation of what he was plotting.
"Excellent. Brilliant. But, at the same time, incredibly STUPID!" All of the other ANBU in the squadron answered him at the same time.
"Maa! I don't care. As long as Hokage-Jii let's me do it, it'll all be fine. Don't worry. And, I planned ahead. As soon as I get permission, I leave you, Hatake Kakashi in charge of this ANBU squad." The Taicho said cheerily.
"H-hai, Taicho-Sama." The Fuku-Taicho stuttered.
"Don't call me Taicho anymore. Makes me feel old. I'm only 9 for Kami's sake... Just call me Naruto. Namikaze Naruto." Naruto said.
"Hai, Naruto-Sama." The entire squad answered.
"Don't call me Sama!!!!" Naruto yelled.
Everyone there laughed, including Naruto himself.
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However long later it was, Naruto lost track, Naruto arrived at the Hokage's tower. Looking up, he smiled, already knowing that the Hokage would approve of his plan.
Only molding his chakra, not even bothering to use hand seals or say the jutsu's name, he shunshined into the Hokage's office, directly behind the "God of Shinobi" himself.
He waited there for a few minutes, playing along with the Hokage's personal game.
Finally, the Hokage's body burst into smoke, and where Naruto was standing just a moment before, there was a collage of shuriken and kunai.
The Hokage and Naruto were dead-locked, Naruto's wakazashi clashing with the Hokage's bo-staff.
"That any way to greet your best ANBU?" Naruto sardonically asked, smirking the entire time.
"That any way to enter your boss' office?" Hiruzen Sarutobi retorted, also smirking.
"Touchè." Naruto replied, and a mere moment later, they both broke apart, landing on opposite sides of the room.
"Report!" Sarutobi demanded in his 'official' tone of voice.
"Bandit camp neutralized. Object of unknown value secured, but estimated at over 750,000 Ryo. (1 ryo is equivalent to 1.5 USD.) Leader of opposition, terminated." Naruto reported briskly, reaching into his pack to retrieve a sealing scroll. He presented the scroll to the Hokage, who then placed it inside his robe.
"Very good. I sense you have something else to say?" Sarutobi inquired.
"Hai. I am glad your senses aren't dulling over time, Hokage-Sama," Naruto said sarcastically, but then reverted to a serious tone of voice, "I wish to step down from the ANBU, and be a Jounin-Sensei. But, I do not want to be a typical Jounin. I would like to be placed in the Academy, under cover as a new Academy student. I would like to have my mother's family name on the roster, and lastly, once the time comes, I would like to pick my students."
"Hmm. An interesting inquiry, but I will grant you permission to do this, as you have not asked for any of your ANBU privileges for several years. But, remember, if you wish to rejoin the ANBU, you will have to earn it." Sarutobi smirked.
"Understood. Arigatou, (Thank you) Hokage-Sama. I will also try to keep my past status on the down low, thus hiding most of my skills. I will continue to wear my wakazashi with pride, though. And, one last thing, I would like you to inform my 'instructor' of my status, and allow me provide additional tests to those I would wish to test for my team." Naruto said.
"Agreed. It wouldn't do for you to pick incorrectly, now would it?" Sarutobi smirked.
"Not at all. Now, if I may, I have to go to sleep and buy some normal, 'Academy' clothes tomorrow. Also, I suppose I should keep it hidden, since the saizonsha will be in my class..." Naruto muttered almost mysteriously at the end.
"Hai, leave if you must, and only reveal it if absolutely necessary." Sarutobi warned.
"Hai! See ya later Old Man!" Naruto said, before shunshining back to his house for the night.
Sarutobi simply sighed at the young ex-ANBU captain's antics.
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The next morning, a Saturday, allowing Naruto to go shopping, Naruto left out for the market area of Konoha. As he walked down the streets, one shopkeeper scoffed at him, while a child's parents shooed their children away from him.
"It's funny how they give respect to people they don't know who they are if they are wearing a mask that represents an elite ninja, but when they see the same person without that mask, they shun him, if he is sufficiently hated by the populace. Bigots and hypocrites, I protect, but alas, that is my job. I have no choice in the matter, unless I go rogue, but I will never do that. I have to make sure the Old Man doesn't keel over any time soon." Naruto thought. Then, a few moments later, he remembered that he kept his ANBU uniform, and ducked into an alley.
Three minutes later, he came out decked out in his old ANBU uniform, mask and all, and walked into a ninja supply store, let in without showing his identification card, simply because he had the ANBU uniform on.
He picked out a dark set of clothes consisting of a black pair of shorts, a black shirt with blood-red streaks on it, a pair of navy blue gloves, and a pair of black combat boots with a knife that comes out of the toe. He chose a set of 500 kunai, 1000 shuriken, and 1000 senbon for his throwing weapons. He also bought a new set of water stones for sharpening his wakazashi, and some new tatami mats to practice on. Thinking ahead, he also bought several jutsu scrolls of different elements for teaching whomever his students may be, and a large quantity of seal-ink and scroll paper.
Walking up to the counter, the clerk straightened up, and when Naruto placed the items on the counter, the clerk blanched.
"ANBU-San, why are you buying these simple Jutsu scrolls? I would think that if you could be in the ANBU, you would have already learned all of these..."
"I am going to be teaching some Genin from the class graduating in 3 years. I am simply preparing for the future, Shopkeeper-San." Naruto replied, making the shopkeeper shrug. It's not like he had any business asking the ANBU his intentions anyway.
"Whatever. The price comes up to a total of 2333 ryo." The shopkeeper said.
"Hmm. Put it on the ANBU's tab. The ANBU that placed it on there should be 'Kitsune.' That should take care of it." Naruto said, taking advantage of the fact that Sarutobi wouldn't take him off the lists of the ANBU until Monday.
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"Okay, class. We have a new student joining us today. Say hello to Uzumaki Naruto, everyone." Umino Iruka announced to the class Monday morning.
The first thing that the class heard was, "He looks weak." From one Uchiha Sasuke.
"And you aren't? We're just Academy Students after all..." Naruto replied.
Sasuke snorted and retorted with, "Maybe so, but I am an Uchiha. I am superior to you. We are the strongest!"
Naruto simply shrugged and asked Iruka where to sit. Iruka pointed to a seat in the very back, completely void of people surrounding him.
"Hmm... The Uchiha has that same dominant spirit. A little more of a prick than most of them, but nothing I wouldn't be able to eventually beat out of him. His ego, though... It's through the ROOF! I'm surprised it can fit in this damn room." Naruto concluded.
"Well, everyone, It's Monday again. Every Monday we spar, just for your information, Naruto. So, let's go outside." Iruka said.
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"Okay, since it's Naruto's first time here to spar, I think I should let him pick who to spar." Iruka announced, hoping his plan wouldn't backfire on him.
"The Uchiha." Naruto stated as soon as Iruka was finished with his statement.
"Fine Dobe. I'll kick you into the dirt." Sasuke stated smugly.
"Hmm... Whatever you say, Parrot Head-San." Naruto said offhandedly, just to piss Sasuke off a little.
All the guys in the class burst out laughing, while all the girls screeched at Naruto to take back what he said. Naruto simply glared at them.
"Step into the circle." Iruka groaned. He knew he was making a mistake with letting Naruto pick his fights.
The two fighters stepped into the ring, and bowed.
Iruka then announced the rules, "No nin or genjutsu, if you know any. No death blows. No weapons. Minor broken bones are fine. If you touch the ground outside the ring, you fail. Do you both understand?"
"Hai." Naruto said. Sasuke simply nodded and glared at Naruto.
"Hajime!(Start/Begin)" Iruka yelled.
Naruto started reaching inside his "weapon pouch," and Iruka was about to fail him, until he brought out a book. The Art of War By Sun Tzu.
"What are you doing, dobe?" Sasuke yelled, appaled that the newbie would dare to mock him by reading a book in a fight with him.
"I'm reading, obviously. It's a great book, really. Oh, I see, you're wondering why I would dare to mock you by reading a book while I'm sparring you? Well, here's the answer: I only need one hand to beat you." Naruto shot at Sasuke.
"I'll destroy you!" Sasuke shouted across the ring.
Naruto simply rolled his eyes, then said, "Stop talking and start acting. Big words only make you look smaller, unless of course they are backed up with big actions."
Sasuke burst across the circle at a speed relatively quick for an Academy Student, but it looked like a snail to Naruto. As Sasuke's fist neared Naruto's face, Naruto invisibly readied himself to deflect the blow at a speed none of the other students would be able to see. When the blow was less than an inch from his nose, he whipped his arm up and knocked it off it's course, into the empty air next to his head; finally, he brought his arm back to the exact position it was in before, all in the space of a thousandth of a millisecond. Yeah, that fast.
Sasuke felt the derailleur of his attack, but couldn't comprehend where it came from. "There's no way this Dobe could be fast enough to do that... He must be using a jutsu or something."
The rest of the class simply gaped in awe as they saw Sasuke's punch miss at the very last instant, including Iruka.
"I know he was in ANBU, but that is insanely fast. I don't even think that Kakashi-Senpai could move that fast." Iruka tried to comprehend and match Naruto's speed to something relative, but couldn't manage it. "Hell, even Hokage-Sama might barely be able to rival that. And, it didn't even look like he TRIED!"
"What happened Parrot Head-San? I thought you were going to destroy me. Well, since you've had your move, I assume it's my turn? M'kay. I will only use two fingers to finish you off." Naruto said, still reading his book.
Then Naruto dissapeared from the class' sight. Then he reappeared right behind Sasuke.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk Sasuke. Never let your opponent get behind you." Naruto scolded, before forming a one-handed Tiger seal.
"He's not going to use a jutsu, is he? If he does, he'll be disqualified..." Iruka thought.
"Konohagakure Hiden: Taijutsu no Ōugi: Sennen Goroshi (Hidden Leaf Village Secret Finger Technique: Thousand Years of Death)" Naruto yelled, before ramming his fingers into Sasuke's rear and yelling Kan-CHO!!!! (You have to be familiar with Japanese pranks to get the meaning behind Kancho.) Naruto had secretely reinforced the attack with chakra, but it still wouldn't be considered a jutsu.
Sasuke went flying out of the ring, landing in a thorn bush, rolling into a pond, and finally getting chased out of said pond by an eel.
"Hmm. I would say I win. What do you think, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto mock pondered.
"I... You... WTF!!! Yes you won... But... That was childish..." Iruka couldn't seem to put a coherent sentence together. And, yes, he used an internet acronym.
"I'm gonna KILL YOU!!!" Sasuke shouted. He ran through a series of hand seals, before spitting out a fireball.
Then the fireball dissipated. Naruto had used a counter-jutsu, something which is incredibly hard to do, because one, you have to know the jutsu very famaliarly, two you have to have excellent chakra control, and three you have to know what jutsu is being used.
Naruto then appeared behind Sasuke and knocked him out with a chop to the back of the neck.
"I'm gonna take this one to the Infirmary. That okay with you Iruka-sensei?" Naruto said, slinging Sasuke over his shoulder.
"Sure. Whatever." Iruka just buried his hand in his face. He knew he was screwing up letting the ex-ANBU pick his fight.
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Saizonsha - Survivor
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Alright, so that was the first chapter to my newest story. I will update Demons Destruction and Arrancar King eventually, but it won't be soon :( I have more pressing things to do.