Hello again True Believers! It took some doing, but Chapter 12 is finally up and ready to go. Now, when we last left Team 7, they were headed back home after successfully putting an end to Gatou's criminal empire and linking his organization's activities to the Kingpin. What this means for the village, only time can tell. However, something big is about to happen in Konohagakure that will spell change for all of the Elemental Nations! What is this event you may ask? Well, read on to find out...
Chapter 12: A League of Their Own.
Two Days after leaving the Land of Waves...
Naruto wearily yawned for the third time that morning as he and Team 7 continued down the long, winding, forest path that led to Konohagakure no Sato. All of them had risen bright and early that morning, each one as anxious as the other to return to the village after having been gone for as long as they had. It felt like an eternity since they had seen their home, so they were determined to reach the village as soon as humanly possible. By Kakashi's projections, they would reach the village gates by mid-day, around 12:30 or earlier. Tapping the side of his cyber-visor, Naruto casually keyed up the lenses' HUD (Heads Up Display) that splayed out on the interior of his visor like a miniature computer monitor. It was now 11:55, only 35 minutes until they reached the village.
"Hey, Naruto," Sakura said from off to his right, causing him to start for a second. Remembering he was still with his team, the blonde stealthily clicked off his visor's HUD and gave the pink-haired kunoichi his full attention. "I was just wondering, who was that guy that showed up at the bridge when we needed back up?"
"Yeah, who was he anyhow?" Sasuke interjected with a slight grimace, working out an annoying kink in his shoulder as he spoke. "He seemed like pretty powerful guy, taking out as many of those thugs as he did." After he'd regained consciousness, Sasuke had been shocked and amazed at the sheer amount of bloody carnage that he'd seen before him. The very instant he saw the Punisher, he somehow instinctively knew that the vigilante had been the cause of the vast destruction.
Naruto sighed at the memory of the massacre that had taken place just a week ago in the Land of Waves. Their experiences there had been the topic of choice that dominated their conversations as they made their way back home. They had talked about their new powers, the fights they'd gotten into, and the kindness that Tazuna and his family had shown them while they were there. However, this was the first time someone had really thought to ask about the Punisher.
"His name is Frank Castle," Naruto began, remembering the first time his father had told him about the vigilante. "He's one of the most feared men in the criminal underworld, so much so that just the mention of his name makes grown men shudder in terror. In the beginning, he was a normal guy attempting to become a priest. But after he met his wife, everything changed. He joined up with the military and soon became decorated captain in the United States Marine Corps, being awarded the Bronze and Silver Star twice and the Purple Heart four times. Several years after America's involvement in Vietnam ended, he went on leave with his wife and children in Upstate New York. One day, while they were having a little picnic in Central Park in NYC, they came across a mob killing in the Sheep's Meadow green. Fearing witnesses, the mobsters gunned down his entire family and fled the scene."
"Gosh, that's awful," gasped Sakura, covering her mouth with her hand in revulsion. The gruesome images that the story provoked where nothing short of horrid to say the least. What sort of monstrous person will simply kill a family of innocent people in cold blood like that? And what Frank must've have felt, watching his family die right in front of him like that. She couldn't imagine going through something like that again, not after what had almost happened to Sasuke.
Needless to say, she was pleasantly surprised when she felt Sasuke's comforting hand come to rest on her shoulder. Ever since his brush with death in the Land of Waves, he'd become less withdrawn from the group, and began to genuinely open up to them. And, even though he'd never willingly admit it, he'd started to develop feelings for Sakura. Even now as he listened to Frank's story, he couldn't help but find that he identified with what the man had gone through, having experienced the same thing when his clan was murdered. Vengeance and justice were both things that they fought for and had become their life's' goal, with everything else in life taking the backseat on their list of priorities.
"Yeah, it is," Naruto continued, his expression softening visibly as he spoke. "In the end, Frank managed to survive and decided to avenge his family with everything he had at his disposal. Outfitting himself with a number of assorted weapons and his black battlesuit, he began a one-man war on organized crime under the alias of the Punisher. A few months later, he found out the names of the Mafiosi who killed his family and promptly slew them. After that, he elected to continue his campaign on organized crime, in honor of his family."
"Interesting," Sasuke thought aloud as they walked onwards.
"Yeah, Frank's an okay guy," Naruto agreed. "It's just that a lot of other crime fighters find his methods a bit... questionable, to say the least. On the other hand, some people see Frank as a hero, since he does what the police and other law-enforcement agencies only dream of doing. In some ways, he's more of a help to the government than they'd ever realize."
"And what do the X-Men think about his methods?" asked Kakashi intently from behind the three Genin. He knew that Naruto had told him that the X-Men served as a global peace-keeping force to protect both mutants and humanity, so he was curious as to what their views on this man's personal war were.
"Most of the X-Men are against what he's doing, including myself" replied the blonde truthfully, massaging the back of his neck as he spoke. "Xavier-Oij-Sama taught us that we're supposed to show the world that not all mutants are dangerous and out to destroy them, like Apocalypse is. That also means that we shouldn't kill people no matter what they've done as criminals or otherwise."
"Your father seems like he would be at odds with those standards," the Copy-nin interjected, remembering just how savage Wolverine was capable of being.
During the last Great Shinobi War when he'd given Konohagakure aid on the battlefield, Kakashi had seen Logan go into an insane berserker rage and slaughter half an army of skilled Iwa Jounin without even breaking a sweat. The savage look on the man's face as he mercilessly fought and killed all those who stood in his way was still permanently engrained into his mind's eye, a face contorted in animalistic glee and bloodlust that was simply demonic to behold. Even now as they spoke of Naruto's surrogate father, the Copy-nin mentally shuddered at the memory of those bloody days. True, Wolverine was a reliable friend and an invaluable asset in a fight, but he did not want to be on the receiving end of his wrath... ever.
"A lot of people think that," Naruto shrugged nonchalantly, having heard a lot of that in the past. "In reality, dad has higher standards than most people think and adheres a pretty firm code of personal honor and morality, his own nindo I guess. Some of his standards have even rubbed off on my own nindo too."
Kakashi nodded in a sort of quiet understanding and decided to drop the subject for now. Even though as a shinobi, he questioned Naruto's standards on killing, he knew that such things would be resolved with time, so it wasn't as important at the moment. As they walked a little further, he looked on as his students continued to talk about their experiences in the Land of Waves. In the back of his mind, he felt that things were about to get much more complicated, not just for his students, but for all of Konohagakure, and that somehow Naruto would be at the heart of it all in the end.
Half an hour later, the massive, gated walls of Konohagakure came into view. Looming high above the lush forest canopy like a great mountain plain, the wall and gates had been tirelessly constructed back when the Ichidaime Hokage had established the village, as a kind of secondary line of defense with the surrounding forest serving as the primary frontlines. Even now, as Team 7 passed through the small customs station on the wall's interior, they still felt in awe of the voluminous structure that towered over them. However, this overwhelming feeling was quickly replaced by one of blissful relief and comfort as they turned their gaze to the sprawling piece of suburbia that they were more than proud to call home. From the Shinobi Academy to the bustling marketplace and everything in-between, this was their village, and they wouldn't have it any other way.
"Man," Naruto sighed happily as he took in the sights and sounds of the village in the afternoon. "There's just no place like home, huh?" Despite having grown up in a superhuman prep-school in the United States, Naruto still liked to think that Konohagakure had become like a second home to him. This was where he was born, where his roots lay, and he somehow felt connected to the village and its people the moment he arrived. Even if his first days had been a little rocky at first, he still managed to develop a deep love for the village and those that he'd come to call his friends.
"You've got that right," Sasuke agreed sincerely.
"Okay team," Kakashi said with a tired sigh as he sidled up to the trio of Genin, having finished verifying their identity's with the two Chunin present at customs station. "It looks like we'll have a bit of free-time until we need to report in for active duty again. So, I think it would be best if you took the rest of the day to relax and enjoy yourselves. Just be ready to report in when I call you guys, okay?"
"Hai, Kakashi-sensei," the three Genin responded in enthused unison. With that, all three of them immediately set off in opposite directions, each with their own unique plans for spending their day-off. Sakura was on her way home to tell her family all about what had occurred on her first official mission as a Genin; Sasuke had decided on spending the remainder of the day quietly unwinding back home at the semi-abandoned Uchiha Compound; and Naruto had unceremoniously elected to make a bee-line for Ichiraku Ramen for a few hundred, steaming hot bowels of miso and pork ramen. Having a superhuman metabolism did have its benefits at times. However, just as he was about to race off to the ramen bar, he stopped short as he felt someone place a firm grip on his right shoulder.
"Not so fast there Naruto," Kakashi told the blonde calmly before releasing him. "Don't go running off just yet. I want you to come to Hokage Tower with me to file the report on our mission with Sandaime-sama. I think that you'll be better suited to fill him in on some of the things that went on in the Land of Waves than I will, particularly what happened regarding Sasuke and Sakura's new abilities."
"I understand Kakashi-sensei," Naruto agreed solemnly as he trailed behind the Copy-nin as they made their way to the Tower. Truth be told, he'd sort of been expecting something like this would happen as soon as they got back to the village. Not many people in the Elemental Nations knew of the existence of the mutant populace, so they were still an unknown factor that needed to be explored by those in the shinobi community as well as the human one. Naruto knew from his talks with the Professor that both the Third and Fourth Hokage had worked alongside him and the X-Men in the past, but how much Sarutobi knew about mutants was still unclear.
'Kyuubi,' Naruto said mentally to his demonic partner, 'how do you think this is gonna go?'
'I don't know for sure Kit,' replied the fox truthfully. 'Sarutobi seems like a pretty level-headed old guy, I'm sure he'll be more excepting of mutants that those morons at the Friends of Humanity. Things are different here than they are in the States. People with special powers are accepted and appreciated for their gifts. If they weren't, then shinobi as a whole would've been hunted to extinction a long time ago.'
'I know that, but...' the blonde began before hesitating for a moment. His next question for the fox was one that had been continuously nagging at the back of his mind like an insanely bad itch ever since he first learned Gatou had been dealing with the Kingpin. It was a question of monumental importance, because it didn't just affect his team, but the entire village as well. 'Do you think this would be a good time to suggest-?"
'Xavier's plans?' finished Kyuubi with an amused chuckle, knowing that Naruto hated it when he read his mind like that. 'I think so. Now that the cards are on the table, maybe it's best to go all in and hope for the best.'
'You're starting to sound like Remy Nii-san,' Naruto joked playfully as he proceeded on his way to the Tower. Still, he pondered silently as he took on a more serious frame of mind, if he was to pull this off, he needed to present the idea in an educated and convincing manner. He needed to show Sarutobi that drastic changes were in store for the Elemental Nations, and not all of them were for the better. There was a serious storm brewing on the horizon, and like it or not, Konohagakure needed an edge if they were to weather it and survive intact. They needed... something special.
Paperwork. There never seemed to be a visible end to it as far as Sarutobi was concerned. Even now as he sat behind his expensive Western-styled desk in the main office of Hokage Tower, he grumbled and fumed at the sheer amount of paperwork that littered his desk like a miniature landfill. If there was one aspect of being Hokage that he managed to despise with the full entirety of his being, it was the never-ending stream of paperwork and forms that flooded his desk everyday. It was little things like this that made him yearn for a bit of action to break up the doldrums of the day.
'At times like this, I wish Minato was still alive,' sighed Sandaime remorsefully as he shuffled a thick stack of verification forms that had required his signature stamp of approval. At least when Minato was alive, things were never as dull as they seemed. That man always knew how to brighten up even the most boring of jobs. Just then, the two-way speaker on his desk squawked noisily to life, startling him out of his memories, which he'd begun to get lost in once again.
"Sandaime-sama," said his secretary in her usual disinterested monotone.
"Yes, what is it Yukihana?" he asked calmly, trying his best to mask the clearly obvious boredom in his voice.
"Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzumaki-Howlett are back from their mission and have come to give their report," she droned distantly, a sudden pop signifying she'd burst another bubble of her favorite gum. "Should I send them in?"
"Of course, right away." Upon hearing this, Sarutobi's mood brightened considerably. Ever since he'd returned to officially begin his shinobi training, Naruto had quickly become one of the old man's favorite students at the Academy. The boy's good-natured humor and surprising skills reminded him of Minato when he was a Genin. Needless to say, he was interested in hearing what had occurred on his team's first C-Rank mission. "Ah, welcome back you two," he smiled as Kakashi slid back the fusuma sliding doors and let himself and Naruto in. "I trust your mission when well."
"...Well, it did in a sense Sandaime-sama," Kakashi replied sheepishly. "It turns out that, because of the stressed financial situation of the Land of Waves due to their oppression under the rule of a mobster named Gatou, Tazuna was forced to lie about the true nature of our mission to procure a cheap enough price. What began as a simple C-Rank escort mission, turned into a dangerous A-Rank mission, with shinobi from Kirigakure hot on our trail, all led by the S-Class rogue known as Zabuza Momochi. Not only that, but the first opponents that we faced were two of Kirigakure's most effective Chunin, the Demon Brothers, who deal in berserker-like attacks."
"Hmm," mused Sarutobi as he listened to Kakashi's report with quiet interest and discernment. "Most troubling news indeed."
"Yes it is, Sandaime-sama," the Copy-nin agreed morosely. "At first, I thought it best that we turn back and attempt the mission with a more experienced squad of Jounin. But, my squad was surprisingly adamant that we continue and give the Land of Waves our aid, Naruto here being the loudest in voicing his opinion."
Naruto grinned proudly at that, feeling that in the end, he did the right thing in standing up for what he believed in. Sarutobi nodded in silent understanding and gave the blonde the faintest of smiles. Even if he wasn't back home in America, Naruto was still hell-bent on being a hero and selflessly helping others. No matter what he did as a shinobi, that boy wasn't about to give up on the principles and standards he'd learned from the X-Men and from Wolverine as well. 'He's just like his father was at that age,' thought the old Hokage as he turned his attention back to Kakashi, who was still in the middle of giving his report.
"It was hard at first," continued the silver-haired Jounin sincerely, "especially during our encounters with Zabuza. But, my squad proved their mettle and skill time and again as they protected Tazuna. Naruto and Sasuke even managed to put aside their bickering and petty differences long enough to rescue me during our first run-in with Zabuza. I'm deeply ashamed to say that Zabuza managed to catch me off guard and capture me in one of his jutsu. It took my squad's combined efforts to free me from his trap."
"You? Needing to be rescued Kakashi?" laughed Sarutobi heartily as he pictured the situation in his mind. "That hasn't happened since Logan was placed on your squad during the last Great War."
"With all due respect Sandaime-sama," Kakashi reasoned as he began to blush underneath his mask, "Wolverine was the one who started the whole incident in the first place. That aside, our mission was somewhat of a rocky one, but somehow we managed to pull through it. In our final encounter with Zabuza and his skillful apprentice Haku, he was severely wounded, then double-crossed by Gatou. In the end, we were pressed into joining forces with him and a friend of Naruto's called the Punisher in order to bring Gatou down. However, on his dying breath, Zabuza shared some valuable information with us concerning Gatou's underworld dealings with a criminal mastermind from overseas known as the Kingpin. Apparently, they've been shipping weapons and illegal contraband inland to a newly established nation called the Land of Sound."
"Yes, I've heard of the Land of Sound," the Hokage admitted softly as he blew a billowing ring of grey smoke from his ornate wooden pipe. "A number of their Genin have been recommended for participation in this year's upcoming Chunin Exams. Do you suppose that these weapons are being shipped directly to their shinobi village, Otagakure no Sato?"
"That may very well be the case Sandaime-sama," the Copy-nin considered gravely. "Still, this was not the only discovery that was made on our mission. What could be the most shocking news what I've learned out my student's true nature." Hearing this, Sarutobi became immediately curious as to what Kakashi meant, his left eyebrow raising slightly. Upon seeing the Hokage's reaction to his statement, Kakashi nodded in Naruto's direction, signaling him to come forward. "Because of the... intricacy of this subject, I had Naruto come with me to better explain what has happened regarding his teammates."
"Hmm," breathed Sarutobi in obvious interest as he blew another wafting ring of smoke. After a moment of tense, unnerving silence, he gave an audible sigh and leaned back slightly in his chair. "Very well, let's hear what you have to say Naruto. What exactly is Kakashi talking about?"
Naruto was deathly silent for a moment, so much so that both Sarutobi and Kakashi began to wonder if something was wrong. Truth be told, Naruto was genuinely nervous at the thought of what he was about to do. Could he go through with it? And if he did, then how would Sarutobi reaction the news? Would he calmly accept Sasuke and Sakura for what they were, or would he be fearful of them because of what they were. 'I can't do this,' he concluded reluctantly. 'I just can't do this.'
'What do you mean 'you can do it'?' growled Kyuubi in irritation. In the six years he'd known Naruto, never once had he heard the boy suddenly just give up in the face of adversity. 'Why not?'
'Well, I don't know what to say for one,' Naruto admitted in embarrassment and shame. 'Also, I'm afraid of what he'll say. Maybe I should just keep quiet; to protect Sasuke and Sakura in case he takes it the wrong way and does something rash.'
'Look Kit,' the Fox argued firmly, an almost fatherly tone in his voice. 'I understand you want to protect your friends, but you can't keep this quiet forever. Sooner or later, he'll figure it out and you'll wish you'd told him now instead of having him discover this the hard way. As far as what you should say, start with the truth and just go from there; that's honestly the best thing you can do. Now quit whimpering like some frightened child and tell him already.'
Still a bit nervous about what he was about to say, Naruto decided that the Kyuubi was right. If he was going to do this, he had to do it now and not put it off until it was too late. As for how he would react, Naruto was still unsure, but he knew in his heart that he had to do this. Stubbornly refusing to allow himself to remain silent a second longer, he cleared his voice hesitantly and finally spoke. "Alright Oij-sama, I'm going to be as quick and truthful as I can when I say this, but... Sasuke and Sakura are mutants."
Needless to say, Sarutobi was sincerely surprised in hearing this. Mutants? In Konohagakure of all places? He knew from his past relationships with the X-Men and his old friend Xavier that they existed, and something like this had happened once before, but never had he expected something like this to occur among this generation's Genin. However, after a moment, the initial feelings of shock and amazement faded away and he became curious as to what Sasuke and Sakura were capable of with their newfound powers.
"Really now," he said calmly, causing Naruto to flinch slightly in apprehension, seeing as he'd kept his eyes closed to brace himself for whatever Sarutobi would say. "This most intriguing Naruto. Now tell me, what exactly can Sasuke and Sakura do with their powers?"
Surprised for a moment at how well Sarutobi was taking this rather sudden news, Naruto breathed an audible sigh of relief before continuing with his explanation. "Well," he began warily, "Sakura has the ability to manipulate and control a form of ambient energy called beta particles. This energy usually manifests itself as a kind of golden glow around her hands or wherever she's manipulating it from. As for what she can do with it, so far she's gotten to the point where she can fire concussive blasts of energy from her hands that do a lot of damage. But beta energy can do a lot of things, so who knows what she can do with it if she keeps practicing."
"Hmm," Sarutobi hummed thoughtfully, obviously intrigued at what he was hearing. "And, what of Sasuke? What are his abilities?"
"Heh," Naruto chuckled nervously, remembering just how potent the Uchiha's powers were. "Sasuke's mutation is a bit more complicated than Sakura's is. From what he's told me, his power manifests itself only when his Sharingan is activated. It lets him absorb the memories and abilities of anyone he makes skin contact with while his Kekkei Genkai is in use, kind of like Rogue-oneesan can. When he used it against Zabuza's apprentice Haku, he gained the power to control and create ice. Afterwards, he loses any powers he copies once his Sharingan is deactivated."
Having said this, he became concerned about what Sarutobi would do with his friends, now that he knew what they were capable of. He remembered how people were back home when it came to the mutant populace, and he didn't want his friends to go through the suffering and prejudice that he had had to endure. "Please don't hurt them Sandaime-sama," he pleaded earnestly, using Sarutobi's title for the first time since he'd moved to Konohagakure, "or let anyone else do so for that matter. They may have new abilities, but they are still themselves. They're still Konoha shinobi, and I don't want to see them hurt or hated for what they are, not like back in America. I don't want them to go through that."
"Calm yourself Naruto, there's no need for you to make such a request," Sarutobi reassured him with a slight chuckle. "I have no intention of harming them, or seeing anyone else attempt to do so. This village is not like the rest of the world. We're no so nearsighted when it comes to what people can do or how they were born. I for one think that your teammates' new abilities will make them invaluable assets to our village's future as shinobi. Believe me when I say that no harm will come to them so long as they are Konoha shinobi."
Upon hearing this, Naruto visibly relaxed a bit and made a mental note to never doubt this man's integrity when it came to his opinion of mutants. It was obvious from the compassionate way that Sarutobi smiled at him when he spoke that he was true in his words. Such a kind and reassuring smile could never come from someone whose heart was full of hatred and prejudice. "Arigatou, Oij-sama," Naruto thanked the Hokage respectfully, giving him a slight bow as he did so. "You don't know how relieved I am to hear that."
"You're welcome Naruto," smiled Sarutobi warmly. "It's really not that big a deal. Now, the only problem I foresee in this situation is how to train them in how to use their newfound powers. As you know, mutants are still a new concept for our village, so we really have no real idea of how to teach them about their abilities and how to control the properly."
Much to his surprise, Naruto flashed his now trademark foxy grin when he heard this. 'Heh,' he chuckled mentally. 'I guess it's time to go all in.' Feeling a newfound confidence rising from within him, Naruto took a step forward, so that he was standing directly in front of Sarutobi's desk and not off to it's side as he had been a moment ago. "Well, now that you mention it Oij-sama," he began cautiously, trying not to slip up as he proposed his plans, "there may be a solution to that after all."
"Oh?" remarked the Hokage, blinking twice as he regained his formal composure. "And just what would this solution of yours be Naruto?"
"Do you remember what I told you about my dream of establishing my own branch of the X-Men here in the village when I became Hokage?" Naruto questioned reflectively, remembering that fateful day as if it were but only a moment ago. Sarutobi gave a nod of recognition, and quietly urged him to continue with his idea. "Well, who says I have to wait until I become Hokage to start up the team? Think about it, you've worked alongside the X-Men and Xavier-Oij-Sama in the past, so you know what a properly trained squad of mutants is capable of. Working in together in unison, they can accomplish far more than even the most skilled of Jounin could do on their own."
"Hmm," pondered Sarutobi as considered the truth behind Naruto's words. There was not obvious doubt in his mind that the boy was right. During the missions he and Minato had accompanied the X-Men on in the past, Sarutobi had seen all too well what they were capable of when the worked as a team. In combat, they were an unbeatable force to be reckoned with, defeating all who stood in their path with almost choreographed precision and grace. "And what, pray tell, would you call this team, if it came to be?"
"I've actually given that a lot of thought," replied the blonde honestly, reflexively massaging the back of his neck as he spoke. "At first, I couldn't figure out what to call it. But then it dawned on me. Even though we come from different countries, and have different backgrounds and beliefs, we're all connected in a sense. Our X-Genes bind us together even if we're oceans apart, because that's what makes us the same. So, I finally settled on the name Idenshi-X, the Japanese word for 'gene' or 'trait' defining our team as unique to Konohagakure no Sato. We would be the world's first ever mutant shinobi team, opening up new possibilities for both the village and for the mutant populace as well. For any mutants that show signs of their X-Gene becoming active, we would welcome them onto the team and help them learn to control their powers for the betterment of the village. We could defend the village from threats too great for an ordinary shinobi to handle on their own, and help the world in ways never thought possible before."
As Naruto finished with his proposal, Sarutobi simply amazed at how much thought the young X-Man had put into this incredible dream of his. Even Kakashi had to admit that he was impressed by Naruto's inspiring speech. If those who had once called him a scatterbrained moron in the past were here to hear his speech, he doubted they'd look at Naruto the same again. Sarutobi smiled genuinely for a moment at the thought of it all, and then gave his response to the boy's suggestion.
"Well, you've convinced me Naruto," he said happily. "You've obviously put a lot of thought into creating this team, and I believe you're right in saying that it would change the village for the better. Therefore, I hereby officially accept your proposal and name Idenshi-X as Konohagakure's newest shinobi squadron, and it's first Meta-Talent Combat and Response Team."
'YATA!!' Naruto exclaimed inwardly, while trying to contain his overwhelming excitement and happiness. He was still in the presence of the Sandaime Hokage and his sensei after all. Still, even thought he was successful in maintaining his composure for the most part, Sarutobi couldn't help but notice an overjoyed twinkle in the boy's cerulean blue eyes. "Domo arigatou, Oij-sama," Naruto said thankfully, bowing slightly at the waist respectfully as he did so. "I promise you I won't let you down, not as long as I lead this team!"
"Now just a moment Naruto," Sarutobi interjected, reigning in the boy's enthusiasm. Once the blonde had settled down, he resumed with what he had been meaning to say. "Even though this was your idea to begin with and you know more about the X-Men's training style, I would still prefer to see this team supervised by a Jounin-sensei all the same."
Hearing this, Naruto's shoulders drooped slightly and his face took on a somewhat crestfallen look. Granted, he was greatly enthused to have helped successfully establish such a unique branch of the X-Men in his home village, but he had always envisioned himself as its leader when the time came. "But, why Oij-sama?" he asked adamantly, feeling a bit let down. "Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I trust you Naruto," the Hokage replied truthfully. "However, you are still too young to be leading a team this early in your career as a shinobi. Also, I believe that having someone who is more experienced in shinobi warfare and tactics will be better fit to oversee this team and its actions as well. Please try to understand Naruto, that I'm doing this to keep you and your new team safe. You may have experience in dealing with serious superhuman threats, but you still have a somewhat remedial understanding of the shinobi world and the types of opponents you may come across here. By assigning you another Jounin-sensei, I believe your new squad will be better prepared to face both kinds of opponents safely, do you understand?"
"I understand Oij-sama," Naruto grumbled, still feeling disappointed all the same. "Still, who do you have that's better fit to lead our team than me or one of the other X-Men, like my dad or Cyclops?"
"Heh," laughed Sarutobi in a friendly manner, "you'll see for yourself soon enough. Now, you should go home and get some rest, both of you." He nodded curtly in Kakashi's direction at that last part. "Tomorrow, I'll send over your new sensei to meet with you at your father's estate in the morning. So, Kakashi, I want you to pass on this news to Sasuke and Sakura and tell them to be at Naruto's home bright and early tomorrow. Well, that is all for now, the both of you are dismissed."
"Hai, Sandaime-sama," Kakashi bowed respectfully before turning to Naruto, who was still feeling depressed. Sensing that the boy needed a little pick-me-up after being regrettably shot down for his much awaited position as leader of Idenshi-X, Kakashi decided to try and cheer him up a little. After all, it was the least he could do as the boy's sensei. "Let's go Naruto. I'll take you by Ichiraku Ramen for that miso and pork you wanted earlier, my treat to celebrate the formation of our newest team."
"Arigatou, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said quietly, his dour mood brightening ever-so-slightly as they turned and departed from the Hokage's office. However, as soon as they had left the room, Naruto's disheartened expression returned and he found himself wanting to viciously punch something, anything! He usually did his best to keep his anger in line, but at the moment, he was genuinely mad. "Man, this sucks! I mean, I get where Oij-sama is coming from, but this was supposed to be my team! I thought that I'd finally get my chance to show everyone what I can do as a leader."
"You know Naruto, Sandaime-sama could've simply said 'no' when you suggested forming your team, so you should be grateful," Kakashi reasoned in a stern, yet relaxed voice. "Besides, think of it this way: your new Jounin-sensei may be up to speed with opponents that a shinobi might face, but they won't be so familiar with super-criminals like the ones you've faced before with the X-Men. So in a sense, both of you are sharing the responsibility of leading this team."
Naruto thought about that seriously for a moment. Kakashi was right, whoever their new sensei would be, he or she wouldn't have had the experience of battling the same kind of metahuman and supernatural foes that Naruto had literally gone toe-to-toe with during his career as a member of the X-Men. So he was kind of going to be a leader for Idenshi-X, just not the kind he had envisioned himself as: the guy who supervises everything and the person everyone looks to make the tough choices, like his father was. Still, it was a heck of a lot better than being flat-out rejected like he could've been. Surprisingly, just realizing this actually started to help him feel a lot better.
"Yeah, you're right Kakashi-sensei," the blonde conceded after a moment of silent thought. "Sorry about acting so immature and selfish like that."
"That's alright Naruto," Kakashi grinned reassuringly from beneath his face-mask. "There's really nothing to forgive. Believe me, I've been let down a few times in the past, so I know all to well how you feel."
"Thanks sensei," Naruto intoned gratefully. Then, something occurred to him that he hadn't thought of before. If Sarutobi was pairing them with a Jounin-sensei who knew about mutants and how to train them, it had to be someone who either worked with mutants in the past, or actually was one. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei, do you know who the Jounin is that Oij-sama's going to assign to Idenshi-X as a sensei?"
Now, this was something that Kakashi had to think seriously about for a moment, putting a finger to his masked lips as he attempted to better orient his thoughts. Looking back at all of the shinobi that he had worked with who had become either Jounin or members of the elite ANBU Black Ops, he couldn't think of a single one he knew that had had experience with mutants in the past. The more that he thought about it, the more increasingly perplexed he became. "Sorry Naruto," he apologized earnestly, shrugging his shoulders in defeat, "but your guess is as good as mine at this point."
"Okay, I was just curious is all," the young X-Man accepted as they exited the top floor and started down the winding staircase that wove around the building's exterior to the ground below. As they descended however, Naruto's mind continued to dwell on his earlier question. As far as he and Kyuubi knew, the only shinobi in Konohagakure with a latent X-Gene were all listed in Professor-X's Agenda-X Files, and none of them were above the rank of Genin. Seeing as this was the case, then that meant that if the person Sarutobi was assigning as their sensei was a mutant, then their powers had become active long before the Professor had catalogued the Genin in his files.
'Kyuubi, any thoughts as to our mystery sensei might be?' he probed meaningfully as he and Kakashi continued down the flight of steps. Since the fox had been around long before he was born, Naruto figured maybe he could provide the answer that Kakashi couldn't. But they hadn't lived in Konohagakure for very long, so the demon's memory of his past dealings with the village may have become a tad fuzzy when it came to recalling names and faces.
'Search me Kit,' the Fox sighed sadly. 'You, your teammates, and those kids in Xavier's files are the only mutants I know of here. But, then again, I could be wrong. If this sensei is a telepath, they may be able to mask their brainwave pattern from a psychic probe. That being said, a mental sweep of the populace wouldn't reveal much.'
'Yeah, you've got a point there,' Naruto admitted, remember all of the times they'd both spent quietly meditating on the ornate roof of the Namikaze Estate. With the powerful telepathy that the Kyuubi enabled him to mimic from the Professor, he would've been able to sense their mental pattern with ease, seeing as the brainwaves of mutants and humans were different. However, the only patterns that ever came up were those of his friends at the Academy. 'I guess we'll just have to wait and see then. Thanks any way Kyuubi.'
'No problem Kit,' the Fox thought, in a more sincere and pleasant tone this time. 'Besides, you shouldn't be worried about that. You should be out celebrating! The first branch of the X-Men ever to be established in the Elemental Nations, and its all thanks to you and your dream! Now that's an accomplishment worthy of a night at Ichiraku.'
'You've got that right Kyuubi!' Naruto agreed happily as he and Kakashi finally reached the ground-level and headed for the aforementioned ramen bar. 'This is gonna be great! I can't wait to get started!'
As the afternoon's momentous events continued to play themselves out in his head, Naruto could barely contain his enthusiasm. Not only had one of his fondest of dreams become a reality, but it had happened in a matter of minutes! So many thoughts were rushing through his teenaged head as he and Kakashi made their way through the crowded and bustling village streets towards Ichiraku Ramen. Who was their new sensei? Would they be cool like Kakashi and teach them some awesome jutsu? How would Sasuke and Sakura react when they found out they were going to be part of all this? What new adventures and exploits awaited them as they began their career as members of Idenshi-X? One thing was for certain thought, he couldn't wait for tomorrow to come!
Whoa! Looks like Naruto's got his wish and finally established his own team of X-Men in Konohagakure! But, there are still a lot of questions that have yet to be answered. Who is their new sensei? Is he or she a mutant as well? How will Sasuke and Sakura take to being a part of Idenshi-X? What challenges await them in the future? And what does this mean for the upcoming Chunin Exams? The answers to these questions and more are all coming up in the next chapter of Agenda-X, so keep those reviews coming and stay tuned! EXCELSIOR!!