Disclaimer: Naruto and all associated characters are a property of Masashi Kishimoto. Motoko Kusanagi and all associated elements and characters of Ghost in the Shell are properties of Masamune Shirow.
Jutsu: Original (Translation)
Bijū/Summon/Android Speaking
Bijū/Summon/Android Thoughts
Mental Communications
[Chat Box/Text communication]
Edit 7/26
Beta v.1.0
April 21st, 2239
Hokage's Office – Hokage Tower – Konoha
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared out over the village with a weary sigh. The sound of construction crews working throughout the village was a jarring reminder of just how much the face of Konoha was changing. The old shinobi tried to convince himself that it was for the best, but it was hard to accept how quickly this foreign technology had taken hold in his village. Perhaps his suspicions and trepidation at how quickly the foreigners had established themselves within Konoha were due to old habits that were hard to be rid of, but those habits had kept him alive through two wars and numerous other attempts to end his life through overt and covert actions.
It wasn't hard to be suspicious of their motives given how much control the foreigners had over the technology and the means of which the people connected to and interacted with it. Any decent shinobi would feel uneasy when faced with an opponent that held all the cards, and he would have never been granted the title of Hokage if he hadn't proven to his sensei that he was cautious and calculating. The sad thing was that he knew these foreigners held all the cards and there was nothing he could really do about it but try to stem the tide of their influence.
All of the younger generations had been caught up in the snare of technology, embracing cyberization and the wonders of technology that the foreigners had dangled in front of them. Personally, Hiruzen couldn't understand how anyone could so willing trust someone to tamper with their brain or bodies in such an invasive manner, but the numbers didn't lie.
Half of the active Jōnin, two-thirds of the Chūnin, and 97% of all Genin had embraced cyberization to some extent. While most of them had only opted for minor augmentation of their bodies in addition to the implants necessary to connect to the LATTICE intranet, the numbers of shinobi that had started to augment their bodies to make up for any weaknesses was growing rapidly. While he could understand any shinobi desiring to give themselves an edge, Hiruzen feared that the benefits of hard work and physical training were being thrown to the wayside in favor of relying on technology to make up the difference. A technology that was controlled by a foreign empire that was known to be imperialistic by nature.
Originally, the Kyokutō corporation had wanted to encourage cyberization of the populace in order for them to connect to a worldwide network called HAEvN or Human Advancement and Evolution Network. Their presentation had pushed the establishment of HAEvN as a method of bringing peace to the world by linking everyone physically through the network and making them part of what they called Idai Setsuritsu or the Great Establishment.
The Emperor of Nehan believed that by connecting humanity through a shared consciousness, an understanding for peace could be established and all wars and conflicts could be ended through diplomacy or even simulated combat, if necessary. This would prevent bloodshed and allow the victors to be determined through global consensus in the blink of an eye. It was the Emperor's singular goal to unite the world under Idai Setsuritsu and he put the full force of his empire behind accomplishing this goal by any means.
At first, the Nehan empire sought to enforce this goal through domination and force. If a nation refused to join they threatened the establishment of peace and were considered a threat to the empire. Naturally, this led to endless conflict and decades of bloody and violent warfare that left millions dead. The death toll only served to taint the idea behind the Great Establishment and many began to see peace as an impossible dream.
In order to keep the goal of creating Idai Setsuritsu alive, the son of the 3rd Nehan emperor deposed his father and put the empire's focus into dominating the world through economic and technological warfare. The Nehan empire was highly advanced in comparison to the rest of the world and since the government heavily funded the education of students who showed a talent for mathematics or science, their technological advantage only continued to grow by leaps and bounds.
Now the Empire used diplomacy and corporations to handle its foreign policy. The corporations would establish themselves within a foreign nation and display all the wonders of technology and the benefits that arose from such conveniences. The more the people embraced the technology the more they would demand their leaders have closer ties with the source of said technology. Eventually, the country would be invited to join the empire with the promise of having influence over the policy of empire by having a representative elected into the Society of the Enlightened. The group of representatives that governed the domestic policy and laws of the empire. (With the Emperors approval of course)
Hiruzen knew that Minato had been aware of the ties that the Kyokutō corporation had with the government of Nehan when they approached him and what their true goals were. That is why he found himself surprised when Minato had approved their entry into the village. Hiruzen didn't know what the Kyokutō corporation had promised to Minato to convince him to allow them to operate within the village, but it must have been something enticing to the idealistic young Kage.
Minato wasn't the type to be easily manipulated by anyone. He had been a cautious, intelligent, and charismatic leader, capable of ensuring the best for Konoha in any foreign dealings. Minato must have seen something promising despite all the risks. It was a testament to Minato's intelligence that he managed to establish effective restrictions to try and protect Konoha in such a short time while still ensuring that they gained the advantages of having such technology.
While Hiruzen had not understood all of the technical details, the Jōnin Commander Shikaku Nara had picked it up quite quickly and had explained it to him in terms he could understand when he had to take over command of the village after the Kyūbi attack.
Once Hiruzen fully understood the restrictions that Minato had put into place, he couldn't help but mourn the loss of such a brilliant young man. Despite lacking intimate knowledge of how the technology worked at the time, the young Hokage had managed to ensure that the amount of influence the foreigners would have would be limited by the restrictions he put into place.
The first restriction was the creation of LATTICE or Local Area Technical Training and Information Center for Education. Any Konoha citizens that had cyberbrains would connect to LATTICE first and foremost. Any information and data in LATTICE was approved by the Daimyō and the Hokage and no external networks were allowed to connect to LATTICE ensuring that there would be no direct control over the network by outside powers.
LATTICE was also filled with training programs and knowledge on all the technology that Kyokutō was willing to share (and anything that Konoha managed to figure out on their own). Not only did this allow the citizens of Hi no Kuni to learn how the technology functioned but it also allowed Konoha to train up their own technicians who could then oversee the technology being used and hopefully identify any nefarious purposes.
The second restriction that was established was the creation of TRELLIS or the Transcontinental Router and Extranet for Logic, Logistical, and Integration Systems. This particular network had required several hours of explanation from Shikaku before Hiruzen could grasp the concept fully, but it had served to prove to the old shinobi that Minato had been wary of foreign influence. TRELLIS was the only way that for networks, programs, or people in Hi no Kuni to connect to HAEvN. Since they had to connect to a completely different network, LATTICE remained safe from any cyberbrain hackers, viruses, or trojans as only a handful of people had access to upload anything to LATTICE.
TRELLIS handled any connections to outside networks and housed all the information and data from foreign sources allowing people to forego connecting to HAEvN if they were simply looking for information on the outside world. If they wanted to link up with people outside of Hi no Kuni for some reason they would have to connect to HAEvN itself and such connections were monitored closely by ANBU operatives. This system also handled communications, GPS, weather, and surveillance systems which made life easier for the shinobi of Konoha without being fully dependent on HAEvN to provide those features.
Hiruzen had to admit that the technology provided by TRELLIS had been extremely helpful. Now instead of messenger birds, messages could be delivered instantly to handheld devices or directly into cyberbrains that were linked to TRELLIS at the time. Shinobi were able to check the weather conditions of the areas where their missions would take place and could use the network to track targets, teammates, or even the best locations to establish camp. Even bandit camp locations and Bingo Book information was being added so that shinobi could verify threats easily.
If he were honest with himself, what disturbed him the most was the whole implantation process. Even though the security measures put into place were well thought out and should guarantee the security of Konoha, Hiruzen couldn't ignore the fact that they were allowing foreign doctors to tamper with the minds of the villagers and shinobi. It didn't help that the actual cyberization process and the creation of all cybernetics were kept secret and tightly controlled by the corporation itself.
Only Kyokutō surgeons were capable of performing the cyberization process and the leaders of the village were not allowed to know how the procedure worked. Kyokutō also tightly controlled any components that were used in the creation cyberbrain implants to prevent anyone else from attempting to reproduce the procedure through experimentation. If it weren't for Danzō's constant attempts to get Kyokutō to reveal the information for the process or even the creation of said components, Hiruzen would have suspected his old rival to have been close to uncovering some method of recreating the process on his own.
It had been amusing to learn just how many Root shinobi Danzō had under his command by reviewing the list of people undergoing the procedure. Kyokutō had no desire to undermine their own goals by covering up for the shadowy organization and had been more than happy to provide a comprehensive list of all patients complete with pictures. The only thing they kept concealed was the level of cyberization that the patient had undergone as that information was considered protected under doctor/patient confidentiality.
The old Hokage's eyes drifted to the nearby park and he couldn't stop the twinge of sadness at how empty the playground was. The sounds of children at play had been one of the things to help cheer him up during the tedium of paperwork and budget reviews. It was just another sign of how successful the foreigners subversion had really been. Nearly all of the children had undergone the cyberization process and would now spend most of their time playing the educational games in LATTICE or socializing in the numerous chat rooms.
Only children who were incompatible with the process, for some reason, or had parents that were against cyberization could be seen playing at the park. To Hiruzen, it seemed like that number was dropping every day.
Briefly, he wondered what would happen to the numerous parks and playgrounds that dotted the village now that children were no longer taking advantage of them. Would the need for parks be removed as more and more people spent time diving instead of going outside? It seemed unreal to him that anyone would want to remain cooped up inside when they could enjoy the warmth of the sun, a refreshing breeze, the sound of birds singing, or even the smell of flowers and trees in bloom.
On the heels of that thought came another. How physically fit would the future Academy students be if they weren't outside jumping and playing? The old shinobi couldn't see how it was possible for the children to start developing strength and endurance without being physically active from a young age. A large part of developing dexterity and hand-eye coordination came from the games a child played at a very young age. If they didn't learn how to control their bodies now it would only set them back in the future, which, in turn, would set Konoha back when it came to the strength of their shinobi.
Perhaps he would have to place a higher emphasis on the physical fitness aspect of the graduation test or increase the amount of time spent on exercise. With the inclusion of technology in the curriculum, however, it might not be possible to divert more hours of the day to simple exercise. They were already pushing the limits of how much the children would absorb with how long they remained in school. Adding more homework or hours of instruction would only prove to be counterproductive. Not only was time an issue, but there was always the risk that the children would turn to cybernetic prosthesis in order to meet those requirements since they no longer spent time being physically active with their natural bodies.
Hiruzen's eyes widened with that realization. The foreigners were far more devious than he realized. That must have been the reason they so freely gave them the capability to create LATTICE and included all the educational games, software, and entertainment programs that they had created. Even if none of their subversive ideas were present in said programs, the children would immerse themselves with technology so thoroughly that it would seem natural for them to forget their organic roots and embrace full cyberization.
The more time they spent diving, the more they would embrace the idealism behind Idai Setsuritsu and in a generation or two, those children would be the leaders and policy makers that controlled Konoha. They would pass their beliefs down to their children and each generation would push them closer to the empire.
The old shinobi trudged back to his desk as his mind raced to try and find a healthy balance between keeping the Will of Fire alive as his sensei and the Shodaime had taught him while showing tolerant but cautious acceptance of the technology that the villagers and shinobi were so happily embracing.
Sitting down with a heavy sigh, Hiruzen reached into his desk drawer and pulled out his trusty old pipe and selected his most expensive blend of aromatic tobacco. Once his pipe was filled and lit, he leaned back and ran through the different options and the potential consequences that could come from those actions.
Despite his reservations about technology in general, he would have to put more emphasis on technological training in both the civilian and shinobi Academies. If Konoha was to survive with its traditions and beliefs intact, they would need to form their own methods of creating and controlling the technology of the future. By taking the control out of the hands of the foreigners there was a greater chance of ensuring that the beliefs of the village founders would remain intact.
It wouldn't be too difficult with the Civilian Academy as they had less mandatory instruction than the Shinobi Academy. They only needed to learn the basics of Math, History, Language, and one of the various Trade specializations that were offered. They could add basic technology training into the main curriculum and offer advanced tech training as an option for one of the Trade classes.
For the Shinobi Academy, however, in addition to Math, History, and Language they had to learn Bukijutsu, Taijutsu, Kanseijutsu (Trapping), the three basic Ninjutsu, and all the training required of a military force such as combat formations, tactics, rules of engagement, the chain of command, etc. The Shinobi Academy already weeded out plenty of unqualified candidates simply due to the massive difference in workload expected of attendants. Adding technology on top of it all was going to make things more difficult.
Still, he couldn't allow the civilians to have the edge when it came to tech knowledge. The military was supposed to be more advanced in all areas so they could adequately protect the village from threats that civilians weren't trained to deal with. He also had direct control over the movements of the shinobi while civilians were free to come and go as they pleased.
Ultimately, it seemed like it would be better to extend the duration of the Academy by a year or two. It had never sat well with him that genin were exposed to such risks as early as age 12. While he had been active at such an age during a time of war, there was no immediate threat to Konoha at this time. While his teammates and rival would probably protest the decision, Hiruzen was certain that most of the clan heads would approve the idea given that all their heirs would be attending the Academy in just a few years time. Perhaps adding some beginning elemental jutsu training and chakra control would be enough to smooth the way for the changes.
Most of the Genso no Kuni (Elemental Nations) were preoccupied with the influx of the foreigners and their technology to make any drastic moves against Konoha. While relations with Iwa were still at an all time low, the situation with Kumo had cooled significantly since Kyokutō had become active in Kaminari no Kuni.
In fact, the Raikage owed him a personal debt since the Kumo council had not been as effective in curtailing the foreigners influence from the start. They had let the corporation into their village thinking they were just another business and before they knew it, the Raikage and the council were at the mercy of their people demanding more access to the Empire and HAEvN. If Hiruzen had not let slip the setup created by Minato to A, the Nehan empire might have established a foothold on the continent already.
Now the Raikage had time to regain control over the populace of his village and change the Lightning Daimyō's mind about giving Kyokutō so much control while still appearing to bend to the demands of his citizens. Hiruzen considered it one of the few victories he has managed against the foreigners.
In only 6 years time the corporation had managed to convince more than half of his military force and two-thirds of the civilian populace to embrace cyberization and the new technology. Over 90% of children under the age of 10 now had some form of cyberbrain implants, and the number of people who had embraced using fully prosthetic bodies had risen by 50%.
At first, it had only been the severely disabled shinobi that had opted to replace their bodies with prosthetic ones. Hiruzen had been reticent to allow fully cybernetic shinobi into the shinobi force, but he had been swayed by the passionate pleas of the shinobi who longed to be able to return to service by any means. He couldn't, in good conscious, smother their hopes and dreams just because of his bias against technology.
In the end, it had proven to be a very beneficial decision for everyone. Almost all of the shinobi on the severely disabled list had volunteered for the procedure which netted an additional 12 ANBU, 78 Jōnin, 115 Chūnin, and 98 Genin to the active shinobi list. Their reinstatement also freed up three dozen medic-nin that had been serving as live-in nurses which helped improve conditions in the hospital. Then there was the fact that over 25 million ryō in monthly disability payments were no longer required. Those funds could now be diverted into programs meant to upgrade and improve the defenses and infrastructure of the village in anticipation of the future growth and prosperity expected.
Even with all the benefits being touted constantly, Hiruzen couldn't help by remain bitter about just how quickly things were advancing. Maybe he was simply clinging to a bygone era in the hopes of proving that he wasn't quite obsolete yet. He had always tried to see both sides to every issue but more often than not all he could see was the negative aspects of embracing this technology.
The old Hokage was drawn out of his inner musings by the sound of his office door flying open unannounced. There was only one person who had the audacity to barge into his office in such a manner and they never failed to brighten his day.
Flying through the doorway like an orange rocket was 6-year-old Naruto Uzumaki. The secret child of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki and the current jinchūriki for the most powerful of all bijū, the Kyūbi. The latter fact, which should have remained classified, had only managed to make life unpleasant for the boy who, in different circumstances, would have been treated like a prince.
While the child wasn't exposed to any physical abuse, thank Kami, he was forced to endure the misplaced grief and scorn of the most thickheaded villagers. Typically this was in the form of charging him ridiculous prices for goods and services or outright denying him entry into businesses or restaurants. Most of the villagers tended to ignore him completely if not shoot him looks of disgust before driving him off with harsh words.
His situation was only made worse when it was discovered that the Kyūbi actively prevented him from receiving any cybernetics. It had been a difficult feat to cover up the true nature of Naruto's insanely powerful healing ability, but with the Kyokutō doctors being unfamiliar with the oddities of bloodlines found on this continent, he had managed to play it off as a trait of the Uzumaki clan. It wasn't like they would be able to find any evidence to the contrary, and the village laws prevented them from trying to delve any further since he was technically considered a member of a clan. Even if said clan only had one member currently.
At first, Hiruzen had taken a secret pleasure in the fact that Naruto would not be exposed to such technology, but as more and more children underwent cyberization, Naruto's situation only deteriorated even further. On top of being outcast by the older generation for the bijū sealed inside of him, the children now had nothing in common with him since all of their time and focus went into diving through LATTICE to interact with each other in cyberspace. This left Naruto with hardly any peers his age to associate with. Even the children of the Naturalist (Anti-cyborg) movement didn't dare associate with him since their parents viewed him as an affront to "maintaining human purity" because of the bijū sealed inside of him.
If it wasn't for his bi-weekly visits with the boy, Hiruzen was certain that Naruto wouldn't interact with anyone besides the Ichirakus and a few of the shops who didn't immediately kick the boy out when he went to purchase food or other necessities.
Naruto bounded up to his desk before sliding to a stop, narrowly avoiding a collision with his desk and the stack of papers waiting to be filed away by his secretary.
"Oi, jiji! Is it time for ramen yet?" Naruto said while bouncing excitedly.
"Hmm. I think it is still a bit early for lunch." Hiruzen replied in a teasing tone, knowing how Naruto would respond.
"Awww. Cmon, jiji! It's always a good time for ramen!" Naruto proclaimed.
"I don't know." Hiruzen paused dramatically before continuing. "I heard from your caretaker that you were behind on your study books this week."
He didn't miss the guilty look on Naruto's face but instead of the sheepish apology or flimsy excuses that the boy would usually give him, he saw a surprisingly dejected expression that was completely out of character for the usually cheerful and hyperactive child. It immediately sobered Hiruzen's teasing mood since he had never seen Naruto act in such a way.
Naruto mumbled something as he looked down and fiddled with the hem of his jacket.
"What's wrong, Naruto?" Hiruzen asked softly.
"I met some other kids at the Dango shop and at first it seemed like we could be friends..." Naruto fidgeted some more before he continued. "They told me about how they do all their lessons while diving and how much fun they were. When I told them about my lessons and how boring they were, they started to make fun of me." Naruto said with a sniffle. "After that, they didn't want to be friends with me anymore."
"So that is why you are so upset, hmm?" Hiruzen said with a frown. "You are better off without those kids if they would make fun of you for something so simple. The lessons are meant to teach you certain things, how you learn those things doesn't make you any different than them." Hiruzen said in a comforting tone.
"But jiji, all the kids that do bother to speak to me all say the same thing!" Naruto burst out with tears starting to fall. "They all say that there must be something wrong with my brain or that I'm too stupid to dive like them! Why can't I do everything that they can? Why did I have to be so different from everyone else?" Naruto sobbed as he finally vented his pent up emotions.
The Sandaime pulled Naruto closer to him gently and gave the crying boy a comforting hug while rubbing his back in a soothing motion. His shoulders and back were tense with stress and the old Hokage realized that Naruto must have been hiding his emotions from everyone for some time. It was depressing to see such characteristics in a child his age. He was already learning to keep himself guarded against others and hide his weaknesses because of the hostility of the village. A place where he should feel safe and carefree.
It took Naruto several minutes to calm down to the point where Hiruzen felt he would actually absorb his words and remember them. Kneeling down to his level, he placed his hands on Naruto's shuddering shoulders causing the boy to look him in the eye.
"I know it's hard for you to understand, Naruto, but I will do my best to explain," Hiruzen said as he studied Naruto's expression carefully. When Naruto wiped his eyes and nodded, he continued.
"When you were just a baby, the doctors tried to make it so you could dive like the others, but your body heals too fast and they couldn't put the object inside of you without hurting you." Hiruzen paused to let Naruto absorb that information and give him time to ask any questions.
"Can't they make it so my body doesn't heal so fast?" Naruto asked with a hopeful expression.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. That wouldn't be good for you." Hiruzen said sadly before he quickly added, "However your healing is a good thing, especially for someone who wants to be a ninja like you do. None of those other kids will be able to heal like you do and because of that, you will be a much stronger ninja then they can ever be."
Naruto sniffled a bit before responding. "Will it really help me be a strong ninja?"
"Of course. Even I wish I could have your healing powers," he replied in a placating tone. "In fact, all my ninja would love to have your healing powers. It would help all of them become very strong."
Hiruzen was nervous as Naruto remained silent for some time, mulling over his words. Usually, he could read Naruto's expressions very easily, but right now he couldn't tell what the boy was thinking or feeling.
"So, it's not bad to be different from everyone else then?" Naruto asked tentatively.
"Of course not!" he replied emphatically. "All the clans of Konoha have different abilities from each other. It is those differences that make them unique or special."
Naruto seemed to be placated for a moment but suddenly his bottom lip started to wobble and his eyes began tearing up again. "But I heard that only the kids that can dive will get accepted to the Academy. What if they don't let me go because all of the lessons are on the net?"
"Don't you worry about that, Naruto. I know for a fact that you will be accepted to the Academy." The Sandaime said reassuringly.
"Really?" Naruto said with a painfully hopeful expression.
"Of course! You don't become a jiji without learning a few things." Hiruzen said with a wink, "and this jiji knows for certain that you will be accepted."
"... but what about the lessons?" Naruto asked.
"Don't worry about those right now. You still have time left before you are old enough to join the Academy and I will provide you with everything you need," he said before ruffling Naruto's hair playfully. "Until then, I have a few more special lessons for you to learn before you can join the academy. These are special ninja lessons that most kids don't learn until they complete the Academy."
Naruto's eyes lit up at his words and his usual exuberance came back with full force as Naruto began to bounce in place with excitement. It was amazing to see how quickly the blond could recover from mental trauma. The more bitter part of Hiruzen whispered that the boy had plenty of practice because of the idiots in the village, but hopefully he could counter the mistreatment by giving him a decent head start.
While some on the council might take issue with him personally tutoring the boy, it would only be very basic chakra control exercises, the Academy taijutsu style, and early strength and stamina training to help start building his muscles up properly. Most clan children were already starting such training at this age, and it was something he could easily use a shadow clone to handle. There would be no possibility of them claiming he is neglecting his duties or displaying favoritism.
Once Naruto completed his ranting about learning super awesome jutsu and using magical swords, Hiruzen ushered him out of the office for their weekly ramen binge. As they made their way to the ramen stand, Hiruzen's eyes drifted up to the face of the Yondaime. Perhaps Naruto would be his best answer to stem the tide of the foreigners influence.
He certainly had the pedigree to become more than great. With the right guidance and instruction, he could easily surpass his father and become a person that the villagers would look up to eventually. If he succeeded without a single cybernetic implant, that would go a long way in showing the people that technology wasn't a necessity for success. Humanity had survived and flourished without technology in the first place, and only through overcoming adversity could the trend continue. By using technology as a crutch, humanity was actually stifling their evolutionary growth since the machines were actually doing all the work for them. If Naruto surpassed them all, that would only prove his own beliefs.
As was typical for the man known as the Professor of Shinobi, Hiruzen began creating an outline for his plans and formulating a training program that would help Naruto succeed while at the same time remaining under the radar as much as possible. Knowing just what the Academy would teach and adding the right supplemental training should give him enough of an edge to overcome any disadvantages he would likely face.
If everything went as planned, he might be lucky enough to see young Naruto ascend to the position of Hokage, like his father, and usher in an era of children who desired to rely on their own strength instead of leaning on technology.
4 Years Later – Old Village District
10-year-old Naruto sped away from his latest pranking target as a handful of Chūnin chased after him shouting expletives and threats. While the pranks themselves were fun to plan and set up, this was what he enjoyed most about pranking people. The adrenaline of being chased and the anticipation of luring his pursuers into the traps he had set up in advance.
Sure the punishments given to him by Hokage-jiji were never any fun, but it was still worth it in his opinion. The idiot villagers tried to put him down as worthless and weak because he lacked the same cybernetic enhancements that all the other Academy students had, but he still managed to come out near the top when it came to all the physical fitness and practical exams the Academy threw at him.
His overall grade only suffered due to his average or below average marks in technology, math, and history. Technology seemed useless for him to study, his body couldn't be enhanced through cybernetics at all and it was a simple matter for him to connect to the net with his portable terminal or the home computer.
While access to the net was extremely limited when compared to diving with the use of a cyberbrain, the basic information was still accessible. With all the supplemental guides and learning aids being inaccessible it was almost impossible for him to gain top marks. Still, he didn't want to disappoint his jiji, so he put in the extra effort to look up other resources online during his free time so that he could at least earn a passing grade in the subject.
Math had always been a struggle for him, but he understood all the basics and maintained a passing grade on the higher level mathematics by studying hard and looking up any extra lessons on LATTICE when he could. None of the other teachers would bother to explain things to him in detail besides Iruka-sensei, and, in truth, Naruto didn't want to constantly pester the only teacher who treated him like a human being.
Jiji had always told him it was better to figure out something on his own if he could, and so far, he had managed to do just that.
As for history, he could care less about the various treaties signed by different villages over 50 years ago. Judging from how much time was spent discussing various wars and how specific strategies were deployed against different combat formations, it seemed like all those treaties had ended in the very same fashion.
One side took advantage of the treaty to attack the other while their guard was down violating the treaty and dragging all their allies into war. Hokage-jiji had told him that it was necessary to have faith in people sometimes. While there was always a chance that they might turn on you, the circumstances behind their betrayal were not always black or white. Treaties also allowed you to learn about your enemies and how they functioned giving you insight on how to best deal with them if they did decide to betray you. Maybe it was just his inner cynic, but it seemed like the second reason was the only valid reason for signing a treaty.
Naruto knew he was jaded when it came to faith and trust in people. While he was outgoing and cheerful with everyone, he knew deep down that many of those people despised him for stupid reasons. He wanted to prove that there was something more to him than the fact that he didn't have any electronics inside of him. That there was more to being a person than being able to plug yourself into a computer.
In some way, he agreed with those Naturalist freaks. While they were overzealous in their approach, some of their arguments were valid. A person who had cybernetics implanted in them couldn't really be considered human anymore.
There was a reason they created the term cyborg. Something that was once organic was combined with cybernetics making them a cyborg. Unlike the Naturalists, however, Naruto was not completely against people having cybernetics if they wanted to. He could admit to the benefits of having cybernetic augmentation when it came to increasing your speed, strength, chakra control, or even your intelligence.
He just hated how the cyborgs considered themselves superior and looked down on him when in reality, they aren't actually doing any of the work.
So what if they could perform twice as many advanced calculations as he could in the same amount of time. That just meant that the computer they had installed in their brain was working properly.
So what if they could smash through a log with ease? He could do the same damn thing, and it didn't cost him an exorbitant amount of money to gain that strength. All it cost him is some time and sweat and he didn't need to perform maintenance on himself twice a year.
In fact, his own chakra control had spurred a few of his classmates into buying chakra control upgrades, which amused him to no end. Not only did the organic brat show them up, but now they had to do extra chores and save up money to try and catch up to him. While that was going on he would continue with the exercises that his jiji gave him and continue to improve. Then when they finally managed to purchase their upgrades, they would find themselves behind him once again because they didn't know the true value of training hard and overcoming their limitations.
Naruto had to wonder what would happen to those fools when he managed to surpass the highest upgrade available for their enhancements or prosthetic bodies. Would their cyberbrains short out from logic errors like some of the androids he had seen students attempting to code? That would be funny to see, as long as they didn't die from it of course. He might not like those arrogant bastards but they didn't deserve death, they would be his comrades in the future, regardless of his personal feelings.
Naruto leaped over a ninja wire trap thrown by one of the pursuing shinobi at the last minute, earning a curse from his attacker. With his mind back into the chase, he began making his way towards the old Hokage tower and Academy complex. Dropping down into the deserted district, he raced down a narrow street with several Chūnin hot on his heels, before he turned sharply into a narrow alley and slid beneath a small hole that had been dug up underneath a tall fence.
This section of Konoha had been heavily damaged during the Kyūbi attack and most of the casualties had occurred in this part of the village as they tried to defend the Academy and the secured vaults inside the Hokage tower. Originally, the council had been determined to rebuild the area precisely as it appeared before the attack, but with some incentive from the Kyokutō corporation, plans for a larger, more secure Hokage tower and Academy were drafted to be moved closer to the Hokage Monument. It was argued that with the population growth that was expected for the village in the next thirty years, the old location for the Hokage tower would no longer be at the heart of the village, where it was intended to be.
Since the company planned to fund the reconstruction completely, the Sandaime couldn't refuse the offer since he could use the funds provided by the Daimyō for the reconstruction of areas that desperately needed improvements, like the defensive walls, the hospitals, and the damaged infrastructure where the Kyūbi had torn through the outskirts of the village during its advance towards the heart of the village.
For now, this area remained derelict as the village council was dealing with a few civilian holdouts who were trying to get more monetary compensation for having their land forcibly re-purposed. Once the village had acquired all of the property, everything would be torn down and a new memorial park and merchant area would be created.
Laughing as he heard a few Chūnin crash into the gate before they could stop themselves, Naruto quickly ducked into another alley and carefully dodged around the numerous tripwires and pressure traps he had set up in the alley. Anyone who failed to avoid those traps would be bombarded with rotten eggs, confetti, garbage, or stagnant, muddy water.
While it was tempting to stick around and watch the devastation, he knew that it wouldn't be long before Iruka-sensei or Inu tracked him down, so he headed towards his escape route. Using chakra to scale up the wall of the old Academy building, Naruto quickly ducked through one of the broken windows and dashed through the empty classroom before hanging a left and making his way down the hall. Carefully avoiding all the traps he had left active, Naruto jumped onto the handrails of the stairwell and let himself slide down towards the basement and the entrance to his secret base.
Once landing at the foot of the stair, Naruto stilled himself and sucked in his breath to still his heart and quiet himself down. Naruto listened intently for several minutes to make certain no one was following him before he made his way towards the far corner and lifted up one of the rotting tatami mats. Slipping through a missing chunk in the concrete foundation, he dropped down into the underground passage, letting the mat fall down to cover the entrance and leaving him in the darkness. Naruto quickly reached into his hip pouch and fumbled around until he found his small flashlight to help him see in the dark.
He had discovered this area by accident while he was exploring the ruins one day. Since none of the other kids in his class would bother to hang out with him during the weekends, he had taken to exploring around the village and the surrounding forest out of curiosity and boredom. It has always seemed ironic to the blond that he could find peace and happiness in the isolation of the woods, but feel so much pain and depression from the isolation of the village. He did everything he could to abolish that loneliness while in the village only to escape to the forest to embrace it.
His explorations of the ruins, however, were always informative and rewarding in various different ways. At first, it had been to overcome his fear of ghosts or spirits. Since all the other kids at the Academy were too frightened or were forbidden to play around in the Old village, Naruto made it his personal playground to prove a point. In the end, he found himself enjoying the mournful solace of the ruins. Unlike the forest which gave him the feeling of a tranquil utopian mirage, the ruins were a sobering cogent of reality. It spoke to the melancholy that he kept hidden deep inside of himself. Plus there was the fact that he had found a lot of useful and highly interesting items and locations while sifting through the ruins.
To date, the best thing he had found was a taijutsu scroll based on the style used by the Fire Temple monks, several ornamental weapons, heirlooms, and all sorts of jewelry. He kept the scroll for himself since having an unorthodox style would be advantageous for him, everything else he pawned off to the second-hand store closest to the Old Village, just in case the relatives or previous owners decided to check the store for any scavenged goods. While frowned upon, there were no real restrictions against entering the Old Village, but most people out of a sense of decorum or fear of "demonic taint" stayed away.
Naruto quickly flicked on his flashlight and made his way down the underground corridor to the find that had the most potential value in his mind.
The old shinobi library.
While most of the contents of the old Library had been scanned and uploaded to LATTICE and access only restricted by rank, there were still scrolls archived inside the new Hokage Tower, particularly the highly protected or forbidden jutsu that even the council were reluctant to copy digitally.
What Naruto had stumbled across, however, seemed to be a cache of scrolls that were forgotten for some reason. Naruto had gone through most of them and so far, they appeared to be nothing more than mundane information about specific chakra natures or bloodlines and some of the general skills that they learned in the Academy. All of that was readily available on LATTICE so he simply tossed them aside and picked through the rest of the boxes whenever he had the time.
There had been several boxes of scrolls that were too damaged to be of any use because of water damage, which was disappointing as he could tell a few of them were jutsu scrolls based on the bits and pieces that were still decipherable.
Naruto pulled out one of the intact boxes of scrolls he had yet to sort through and sat himself down on a stepping stool that had a partially broken leg in the front. Leaning back to maintain his balance, he pulled out the first scroll and studied it closely.
Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker) – D Rank
Naruto let out a low whistle as he read the details. He had seen Inu and several other shinobi use this technique, but he didn't realize they were actually just increasing their speed instead of just teleporting around. With his current level of control, it might be difficult for him to accomplish this jutsu, but it wouldn't be long until he could improve enough to use it.
While he had managed to complete tree climbing and water walking, he still hadn't mastered it to the degree that his jiji had wanted him to. He needed to be able to exercise and spar on top of a moving water source without falling in, and he needed to be able to stand upside down on a tree branch while performing the leaf sticking exercise.
He still couldn't complete the Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique) properly, but at least he had four more years to master the jutsu before it became a problem. He was getting closer, only half of his clones appeared distorted or dead now and Naruto was certain he would have it down in time for graduation.
Naruto set the scroll aside for him to take home when the heat died down. He snatched up another scroll and rolled it open eagerly.
Doton: Rokkudōmu (Rock Dome) – D Rank
Naruto had never seen someone use a Doton jutsu before. Judging from the directions it seemed like this was mostly a defensive technique. He wasn't allowed to attempt any elemental jutsu until he had approval from jiji so he would have to keep this one for later. He noticed that there were two other scrolls that had the same brown coloring on the outer edges and picked them both up. Naruto briefly rolled them open to peek at the titles, checking to see if they were mere copies of the first one.
Doton: Doryūsō (Earth Flow Spears) – D Rank
Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu (Headhunter Jutsu) – D Rank
Not copies then, but more earth techniques. He knew that Iwa shinobi were the ones who typically used Doton and wondered if he had an affinity for it. While not considered as "cool" as Katon or Raiton by most, Naruto had started to embrace the fact that he was so different from everyone else as a source of pride in spite of the pain it caused him. Since Katon was the most common affinity for Konoha, he secretly hoped he had Suiton to counter it, but maybe Doton wouldn't be so bad.
Setting those scrolls aside he picked up a blue scroll and rolled it open.
Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu (Water Bullet) – D Rank
A grin split Naruto's face as he read the details. He would definitely try to learn this one first just to counter that bastard Sasuke's fireball. Sasuke was the only kid who managed to compete with him when it came to any of the practical tests in the Academy. In truth, Sasuke managed to beat him more often than not during spars, and he wasn't nearly as cybernetically augmented as the rest of the kids, so Naruto couldn't use that as an excuse.
The Uchiha clan, surprisingly, had been adamantly against most cybernetic augmentations. Some of the more cynical ninjas claimed it was because there were optical implants that would allow regular shinobi to perform the same feats as the vaunted Sharingan.
Sasuke claimed that no implants could match the true power of the Sharingan, but since the prick hadn't awoken his yet, Naruto didn't lend too much weight to his claims. The only thing he knew about the Sharingan was its ability to track and predict the potential movements of objects or people within its visual range, and the ability to see how the chakra flowed during the use of a jutsu. It was this capability that allowed them to avoid attacks with ease and copy any jutsu that is used within their line of sight.
Naruto knew it was possible for people who had undergone full cyberization to be capable of such things. There were ocular implants and cyberbrains with enough processing power to allow someone perform the same feats. Still, he had to admit it was impressive that the Uchiha had such capabilities through natural means. He might have even gotten along with the Uchiha heir if it wasn't for his blatant hypocrisy.
The fact that Sasuke had cybernetic enhancements to his legs, arms, and torso to increase his strength, speed and chakra reserves made it pointless for him to bash cybernetics overall. It also didn't help that the bastard looked down on everybody. At least he was fair in his disdain, unlike most of the other kids, but that didn't make it easier to like the guy.
Naruto picked up the last scroll and slowly rolled it open.
Fūton: Reppūshō (Gale Palm) – C Rank
"Hmm. That one is quite useful, and rare too." A familiar voice rang out next to his ear, causing Naruto to start out of shock and lose his balance. The stool tipped forward, depositing him onto the ground face first.
Naruto quickly sprang up and whirled around to see who the intruder was only to spot Inu casually leaning against the empty scroll shelves.
"Yo." The dog masked Anbu operative greeted him with a lazy wave.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" Naruto shouted indignantly, hoping to cover up his embarrassment and fear from being scared so easily. The shaky finger he was pointing at the man gave him away.
"Hokage-sama requests your presence immediately," Inu said in a bored tone. "This is quite an interesting hideout you have here. I am certain that Hokage-sama will want to know all about it," The dog masked ANBU agent paused as he watched Naruto's face pale, "especially those scrolls you were planning on stealing." the man drawled.
Naruto's anger quickly fled after he heard what Inu had told him. They wouldn't really charge him for stealing these ratty old scrolls, would they? This place was abandoned! If they cared about them they wouldn't have left them behind!
"Now wait a minute, I didn't steal anything!" Naruto said as his mind raced for a good excuse. "The scrolls were still here, so obviously they weren't important or someone would have taken care of them!" Naruto's confidence began to grow as his excuse sounded more and more plausible. "Yea, and besides, I haven't taken them anywhere yet so you can't charge me with stealing them!"
Inu just hummed as if he was pretending to listen to what he was saying and giving a generic response so it wasn't obvious that he had ignored everything he just said. Naruto was about to start yelling at the friendly but lazy guardian who had been watching over him for the past 6 years when he was surprised to see Inu bend down and scoop up all the scrolls Naruto had set aside.
Naruto couldn't stop the pout from appearing on his face when he thought Inu was going to confiscate the scrolls. So, it came as a big surprise to him when Inu stuffed them all into Naruto's pocket before grabbing his shoulder and using Shunshin to transport them both to the Hokage's office.
Hokage's Office – Hokage Tower
A swirl of leaves announced the arrival of Inu and the source of Hiruzen's current headache. He could barely keep the smirk off his face when he watched Naruto stumble around while trying to adjust to the sudden change in speed. It always took quite some time to get used to transitioning from blinding speed to a sudden stop when first learning how to use the Shunshin. Even with all of Naruto's misadventures that required his attention, the boy still hadn't adapted to the rapid acceleration and deceleration.
"Where did you manage to find him this time, Inu?" The Hokage said while he gave Naruto the evil eye. Naruto quailed under the look knowing that he was going to get a fairly severe punishment for what he had pulled earlier. He was certain the large fountain in front of Kyokutō's corporate office was still filled with the chromatic expanding foam trap he had set up.
He had saved up for six months to purchase two industrial-sized barrels of the two-step expanding sealant foam and in the dead of night, he filled the corporate fountain with the primary component and various different food color dyes. Next, he redirected the hose from the fountain pump into the barrel that contained the second component required to create the foam and adjusted the automatic timer to activate the fountain in the afternoon instead of the morning.
Within 10 minutes, vast amounts of rainbow-colored foam began spewing out of the fountain and into the primly manicured landscaping that decorated the front of the corporate office.
The best part was that the foam was highly resistant to removal, so the company would be cleaning up the multi-colored foam for at least a few months, by his estimates. They would probably have to replace the lawn and all the plants surrounding the central courtyard, and the fountain as well. That foam was amazingly resilient to the elements and other chemicals, and it was only fitting that they were the ones who had manufactured and supplied such a product.
"Surprisingly, I discovered him in the basement of the old library," Inu said as he nudged Naruto forward towards the disapproving Hokage. "Not only that, but it seems that he had managed to uncover a few boxes of scrolls that were designated for elimination," Inu said.
Naruto gulped as he saw the Sandaime narrow his eyes. It was bad enough that Naruto could pick up on his disappointment, but the only time the Hokage ever looked at him like that was when he considered Naruto's actions highly dangerous. That only led to even harsher punishments and lectures that always left Naruto feeling ashamed of himself.
"Naruto, how many times have I told you not to go poking around in the Old Village?" The Sandaime said in a stern tone. "There is a reason everyone stays away from that area."
Naruto couldn't stop the snort of contempt following the Hokage's statement. "Please, jiji. You expect me to believe all that nonsense about "demonic taint" and ghosts?" Naruto emphasized his statement by making air quotes when he mentioned the demonic taint.
"That is not the reason I told you to stay out of that area." The old shinobi snapped causing Naruto to flinch in shock. "That area is a no man's land and security does not exist there because most of the buildings are condemned and in danger of falling apart." The Hokage said before rising from his desk and walking up to Naruto. "If something were to happen to you it could be days before someone would come to your aid, and what if it was one of those fools that discovered you instead of the Anbu or myself?" Hiruzen asked rhetorically.
Naruto knew he didn't need to answer, it was obvious that most people would willingly leave him to die instead of helping him. He even suspected that there would be quite a few people who might even take advantage of the situation and try to eliminate him without fear of being caught.
"Promise me you won't explore the ruins any longer, Naruto." The Hokage said as he placed his hand on Naruto's head. Instead of using his usual scolding tone, the request was made with the kind grandfatherly voice that Naruto secretly reveled in. It was a voice that was warm and espoused care and concern for his well-being. It was a voice that Naruto rarely ever said no to.
Naruto sighed before responding. "Fine, jiji, I won't go poking around those ruins anymore, even if it means I can't find any more cool stuff."
"What kind of stuff have you been taking from there Naruto?" The Sandaime asked with a frown. "You know that some of those things belong to the deceased. If their families were to hear about you taking such things you could be in serious trouble."
"I sold all that stuff to the salvage and second-hand store near the entrance to the Old Village, and I didn't even try to haggle for a better price," Naruto said with a huff, he wasn't trying to be disrespectful or dishonest in his actions. "The only thing I kept were scrolls that had different chakra control exercises, a Fire Temple taijutsu scroll, and the scrolls that Inu saw me reading when he found me," Naruto answered honestly.
"I want you to hand over all those scrolls to me Naruto." The Hokage demanded before raising his hand to quell Naruto's protests. "I just need to make sure they are safe and documented in case there is important or lost information. After that, I will let you have copies to study if they are safe for you to learn."
"Aww, that is so not fair, jiji!" Naruto grumbled before pulling out the scrolls he had collected today. "The other scrolls are at home, I didn't carry them with me because I didn't want the others to discover them. I need every advantage I can get, after all." Naruto finished with a pout.
The Hokage took the scrolls and after a discreet glance at Inu confirmed that Naruto wasn't holding anything back.
"I want you to bring me all the scrolls you took from the ruins to me tomorrow, Naruto." The Hokage said in a serious tone.
"Yes, jiji," Naruto said glumly.
He had a feeling that some of the scrolls would be taken away from him since all of the coolest things were "too dangerous" for him or he was too young to learn them. Since he couldn't learn anything like that in the Academy it was the only way for him to maintain an edge over the kids who were all turning to cybernetics to help them make it through the Academy.
"I'll make a deal with you," Hiruzen said gaining Naruto's full attention. "If none of the scrolls prove to be too dangerous, I will give them back to you and allow you to start on your elemental manipulation if you can raise your History and Math grades."
Naruto squinted his eyes as he considered the offer. History wouldn't be too difficult to improve since he hadn't been putting much effort into obtaining more than an average grade at most. Math would be far more difficult to improve in since his grades were already average. Even if they were on the lower end of average instead of the higher end. Perhaps he would have to bother Iruka-sensei for more help after all. It would be worth it to be able to learn that Suiton jutsu he found to show up Sasuke.
"Okay, jiji. But can I at least keep the taijutsu scroll? Taijutsu can't be that dangerous for me to learn and I promise that I won't attempt to use it against anyone until I have it mastered." Naruto pleaded.
"I still need to review it first to be certain that the style doesn't focus on dangerous techniques. There are plenty of taijutsu styles that are highly dangerous and can cause permanent damage if used improperly." Hiruzen explained. "While the chances are low that a style from the Fire Temple would be that dangerous, I can't just allow you to learn something without proper supervision."
"I understand," Naruto said with a frown.
"I have faith that you will improve your grades if you apply yourself, Naruto." The Hokage said before giving the dejected boy a pat on the shoulder. "Now if you could only stop causing so much trouble around the village I wouldn't have to punish you all the time." A smirk appeared on the old Kage's face when he felt Naruto start to fidget nervously again.
"But you don't even like those guys, jiji!" Naruto said with a sheepish expression. "Besides they should have known better than to sell me so much expanding foam. What would an Academy student such as myself need with an industrial sized amount of expanding weather foam?"
Hiruzen merely sighed before returning to his desk and settling back in his chair. His heavy stare bored into the blond, making Naruto's nervousness grow as the start of his punishment was imminent.
"You are going to help clean up the mess you made, Naruto. If you don't then I will cancel my training sessions with you. You have caused too much damage, this time, to let you get away without punishment." Hiruzen decreed in a tone that would brook no arguments. "I may be lenient when the damage is minor and the results of your trouble making are easily cleaned up but when the damage is on this scale it is not easy for me to calm the injured parties down. Especially when the damage to the grounds is expected to cost hundreds of thousands of ryō" Hiruzen concluded.
Naruto gulped as he heard the amount of damage he had caused. That thought hadn't really crossed his mind when he planned the prank. While on some level he knew that it would have been very damaging and would have cost the company some money he had no idea it would cost that much.
"I'm sorry, jiji. I won't do something that bad again." Naruto said with sincerity.
"Good. You will assist them with the clean up every day after the Academy and on your free days until the grounds are cleared and the new fountain is installed. After that is complete you will no longer be allowed to approach the corporate complex unless you have business to attend to there. Do you understand?" Hiruzen added.
"I understand, jiji," Naruto said with a sigh.
With that situation handled, Hiruzen dismissed the castigated blond from his office before he turned his attention back to the remaining paperwork he had to complete. As he reviewed the evidence of the damage to the Kyokutō fountain and courtyard, however, he couldn't keep the smirk off of his face. The punishment needed to be severe because of the level of damage but he had to admit the way the multi-colored foam was erupting from the fountain and sticking to most of the plants and trees in the area was amusing. If the foam hadn't solidified to the degree that it caused permanent damage to remove the stuff, he doubted the company would have done more than ask for a verbal reprimand.
While it didn't please Hiruzen to play this role with the isolated boy, it was necessary for his development. He might still be young now but he was also training to be a shinobi and such behavior would only reflect on him in a bad light in the future. It was time for the boy to start getting more serious about his reputation and appearance to the villagers if he ever wanted to overcome the unreasonable bias against him.