CH 14
Naruto - New, Yet So Old - Naruto - New, Yet So Old
They headed back to Tazuna's and found the two samurai trussed and wearing only their underwear. "This is unexpected," Kakashi-sensei said. "Every thing had value?"
"Not really," Risa said. "I did it this way to show your teammate how to evaluate items and since they had so much on them there was quite a range that we were able to study. However…" She frowned and sighed when she saw the girl run up the last of the Uchiha clan…
"Oh Sasuke, I was so worried about you," she said, clinging to his arm. "Are you all right? Did you get hurt anywhere?"
Naruto then turned to Haku and Zabuza saying, "Now do you understand?"
The girl looked up to see who the blond was talking to and she shrieked, "EEKKK, THEY'RE STILL ALIVE. WHY ARE THEY STILL ALIVE? THEY SHOULD HAVE DIED…"
Sasuke had had enough of clinging to him, of her attitude, the sound of her shrieking voice and so he slapped her. "That's enough Sakura-kun," he added an honourific that wasn't so nice for a girl, especially said in a tone that indicated insult and not respect. "They are here to train us and you'll like it or else when we get back to Konoha, Naruto and I will petition the Council to have another Genin placed on our team."
Sakura had tears in her eyes from the slap. It hadn't been a hard one, but everyone was looking at her like she'd deserved it. "Naruto wouldn't do that," she said. She turned to glare and threaten the blond, clenching her fists at her side. "He wants me on this team, don't you?"
"Nope," Naruto answered bluntly. She attacked him, but was stopped when he blocked her with quick precise motions. He told her, "I'm not to be used as a scapegoat for your anger when things don't go your way, Sakura. Sasuke told you the truth and I told truth. Deal with it!"
"Well," Zabuza said. "You know where to find us Blondie, so meet us there in two days time and make sure that your chakra reserves are up to snuff, 'cause we're goin' to be putting you two through the ringer. Got it Boss?" He indicated that only the black haired boy that backed him up was come along. Then he left with Haku, who was still stunned by the way that the girl had acted.
"Was that normal," Haku asked and his Master explained what things should have been like for the Genin team, as they walked away.
"Sakura," Kakashi-sensei said with a very serious expression. "You have until we finish this mission to decide if this is team you want work with in the future. Tomorrow we're going to review your training schedule, the expectations of a Genin team and where what level you should be by the time we get back to Konoha."
He then turned to the two boys and said, "You've been given a rare opportunity and I won't deny you the chance to learn from them. You two will guard the old man tomorrow. Just do your regular physical routine and rest those chakra reserves. That means no clones for either of you, understood." Both boys nodded.
"Day after tomorrow, pack lightly and then you two can go train with them. Make sure that you send us clone every third day so that you can be updated about the bridge," their Jounin sensei said. "Tokuma you tell them the good news."
"Ah, yes," the other Jounin said. "Good news. We've been given permission to stay until the bridge is fully completed by the Hokage because he'd received a mission request by an anonymous source that requested this C-Rank Mission be upgraded to an upper B-Rank mission." He paused dramatically and then added, "Including B-Rank pay at the highest level."
"Woohoo," Naruto said jumping up for joy. "B-Rank bonus…awesome…Can we shop before we have to go back? Please Kaka-sensei?"
"Shop?" The man asked in confusion.
"I could take them a couple of towns over, when our business is over in about four days' time," Tokuma said. "We're going to sell the samurai's gear anyway and they will all have some funds to spend."
"Whatever," Kakashi said. "We'll see how their training goes with the two…"
"Guardians," Naruto said.
"What," Tazuna asked.
"Those two are now the Guardians for Wave Country," Naruto said. "For the next few years, give or take a month."
Sasuke nodded and said, "Kitsune Company Limited took over most of Gato's empire. They're making a lot changes that you should all be seeing soon. I think there was also a promise of no import fees or dock fees for six months in order to allow product to travel through your Land."
"Six months, no fees," Tazuna said. "That's not possible without someone to…"
"Enforce it," Naruto replied in a kind of cheeky tone. "That's what they're gonna do, but they're gonna do it the Shinobi way."
"Father," Tsunami said. "We'll just have to have faith and patience for six months to see, if a difference has been made."
"I agree," the Bridge Builder said. "Shinobi based in the Land of Waves, now that should be interesting."
Naruto - New, Yet So Old - Naruto - New, Yet So Old
Zabuza looked down at the two boys who were loaded with weights and with sword pairs twice the size and weight of Naruto's original set.
The boy had been clinging to them for a while, when he explained to them why, "Look I know they aren't much to look at, but they were the only things that I could afford on a base Genin pay. It took me a long time to save enough Ryo, just to get the Tanto. I had to wait until we had missions outside of Konoha in order to buy it too."
"How did you get the Wakizashi then," Sasuke had asked him. "And why wait so long? There are blacksmiths in Konoha that can supply you."
"We lucked in with a C-Rank Mission to guard a merchant that was transporting ore to a blacksmith. He had several unfinished pieces in his workshop," Naruto told him. "We had to guard the transport several times. My team agreed to take my mission pay in exchange for the partially finished sword that the blacksmith agreed to finish for me, if I helped him out during the entire time."
"How did you manage it," Haku asked.
"Shadow clones," Naruto said. "I left a couple with the smith so that I could travel with the merchant and my team. The blacksmith knew and allowed it. He was able to finish more pieces that way and I sorta learned about blacksmithing in general."
"But why did you have to wait so long to buy a sword," Sasuke asked again.
Naruto sighed and then said, "I'm the Jinchuriki of Konoha."
"What's that," the black haired boy asked. He looked back at Zabuza and Haku, who'd both gasped upon hearing that the boy was a demon container.
"Nearly twelve years ago Konoha was attacked, right," Naruto said, prompting the other boy to take up the tale.
"A demon," Sasuke said. "The nine-tailed fox or Kyuubi no Yoko attacked the village. There was confusion and deaths on the day that it had been released. No one knows where it had been kept, but everyone knew that, if it was ever to be released it would attack those that had confined it."
"On that day, a woman who'd been the container of the demon was attacked by someone that had wanted to use the demon's strength against the village they hated," Naruto said. "Not many knew that the woman was pregnant and that her mate was a Seal Master. A man, who knew how to contain the demon, should it have ever been released against Konoha."
"I heard about that," Zabuza said. "It attacked and killed almost a third of the population in the town before the end of that day. The rumour was that the demon was destroyed, but no Shinobi ever believed that."
"Why not," Haku asked.
"Because the Shinobi were the first to confine demons inside the bodies of humans," Naruto continued. "Those humans were to be tools and used for war. All Shinobi nations agreed to confining them, most of those nations have a person holding a demon within them and because of the Jinchuriki there are fewer large scale Shinobi wars than there was in the past."
"You have demon inside you?" Sasuke asked. "Does it make you stronger?"
"No," Naruto said and lifted his shirt to show the Seal. "This is the most complicated Seal to date for containing demons. I get very little from him and it's mostly only chakra to heal me when I've been mortally injured. He does not take over my mind, thoughts or emotions." He pulled his shirt and the said, "That's not true for some of the other Jinchuriki."
"Blondie's right," Zabuza said. "I knew the one from Mist. Person was insane or else the demon had completely taken that person's life. Unless their seal is like his," he pointed to Naruto. "There's not much hope of the human surviving the experience of being a Jinchuriki."
"Mortally injured?" Sasuke said. "How does that turn into a reason why you can't get proper weapons?"
"The adults in the village must know. Get enough of them drunk and feeling down about losing family on the night of the demon's attack and then you get mobs," Zabuza explained, he looked at the blond, who nodded. "Mobs are violent. If they only looked at you and saw the demon, without looking underneath the underneath."
"That's right," Naruto pursed his lips and then pulled out a kunai. "I could get proper weapons, but…How much did you pay for one kunai, in Konoha and I'm not talking hunting the training grounds?"
"Last time," Sasuke said, ignoring the previous information for now and continuing with the weapons discussion. He pulled out his and looked at it. "One hundred twenty Ryo, give or take."
"Five hundred Ryo," Naruto said and handed him the only kunai he'd ever bought in Konoha. "This is before I passed the Genin exams. It's gone up now. They've been trying to charge me seven or eight hundred for something like this. Check the difference."
"Balance is completely off," Haku said, without even needing to handle it. "You can tell at first glance."
"There's something with metal," Zabuza looked at it closely. "Is it flaking?"
"It's too light," Sasuke said, weighing it and his. "It would shatter with one hit."
"Yep," Naruto said taking back the poor weapon.
"Why keep it," Haku asked.
"To remind me that man is only man and that feelings are never rational," Naruto said. "They can blame me all they want for something I never did. But one day they will know that I'd fight for them no matter what and not because it's my job or because I'm supposed to be Konoha's tool and should be used for the protection of the village. It's just that I know one day they'll and see me…Uzumaki Naruto, one stubborn son-of-a-bitch. That's why I'm never giving up on my dream of becoming Hokage."
"Hmph," Sasuke said. "How do you get stronger then?"
"Every see a momma bear fight to protect her cubs, see any creature fight a human trap by gnawing of their own leg to escape," Naruto said. "That is your answer."
"Shinobi are not supposed to have feelings," Sasuke said with a scowl.
"Wrong," Naruto said. "That rule is written wrong, the wording is incorrect. It should be written as 'Shinobi are not to express feelings,' not be void of them completely, life doesn't work that way. Why do you think half of them hide their more expressive features?"
"Masks," Sasuke's eyes widened. "Glasses…"
"Sometimes," Naruto smiled his most annoying in your face smile, "A grin…" and that's when Sasuke noticed that it was the mask it was supposed to be. This was the blond's annoying fighting face. It appeared every time they fought.
"Heh," Sasuke said with his own tiny wry corner grin. "Here I thought you were enjoying the fight too much."
"If I can keep this smile," Naruto said. "It will piss off nearly every opponent I fight. However once it drops, wouldn't that be even more unnerving?"
"You've put some thought into this," Sasuke commented.
He only received a simple shoulder shrug and, "Do you think the girls would leave you alone if your face was covered like Kakashi-sensei's?"
"Hn," Sasuke grunted his normal sound, which for a long while now only meant, 'let me think about this'.
"This has been enlightening," Zabuza said. "But break time's over boys, first form begin."
The two had wanted this and once again they were up. The followed the instructions of one of the hardest teachers that they would ever have. Not only were they learning the Kenjutsu from a Master, they were also learning human anatomy from a Senbon Master.
Zabuza had observed the boys' training routine, modified a bit and had added the weights. On the first day he had both of them using branches to go through the sword katas. On the second day they did their routines with a pair of quarterstaffs from Sasuke's weapons scroll.
The missing nin then had the boy empty the scroll and all weapons were removed and commented on. Several were sold because they were too old and the boy didn't want to keep them, especially if their sale would promote enough funds to allow him to obtain better weapons. Other he put aside because he wanted to keep them for some unknown reason.
They used these staves until they could do the forms without tripping up. Then they tested various blades until they both found a style of blade that suited them. Ironically they both found a preference for the Wakizashi and long Katana. It wasn't so much of a surprise to Naruto, but Sasuke wondered how that could have been determined.
"It's in the way you choose your Taijutsu style," Zabuza said. "Your Academy probably drilled the form into you and those that have other weapons, like axes or bows were probably taught to use those before they entered the Academy."
"So the Academy stunts our weapons potential," Sasuke commented.
"Not quite," Zabuza said. "It's like we told you, a third of your village was killed by the demon. People don't move into Shinobi villages unless they have family there or they know that they are safe there. The people that died, could have been those that were strong in the other weapons skills that's all."
"Mist is strong in oversized swords and senbon," Haku told them. "We don't have many in regular weapons, like staffs or axes and it's rare for that country to accept anyone with Kekkei Genkai."
"Our village pays for them to move in, by giving lands and grants," Naruto said with a snort.
"What," Sasuke said.
"It's true," Naruto said. "The reason that we have the number of Clans we do is because the past Hokages have strongly encouraged those with rare Kekkei Genkai to settle in our town."
"Then why move my Clan…"
"That's for another day," Naruto told him seriously. "What form are we on?"
"I don't know," Sasuke said. "Are you due to send another clone to Kakashi-sensei?"
"Oops," Naruto said and then whispered the clone technique under his breath and tried to do it again without shouting out the spell or using hand signs. The clone took some time, but it appeared and didn't seem to have any flaw.
Sasuke walked around the clone and then said, "I think you nearly have it down, but this one's not wearing goggles."
"But everything else is there," Naruto asked the clone.
"Yep," the clone saluted and then took off to Tazuna's place in order to get an update on the bridge and whether it'll be completed soon.
"Eighth form," Zabuza shouted out. The boys took their position and then moved through the forms.
Naruto - New, Yet So Old - Naruto - New, Yet So Old
"Kaka-sensei," the Naruto clone called out.
"Yo," the man said from his book reading position on the top of the roof. The clone hopped up and then the man pointed at the bridge. "About six more days and it should be done. It's time they came back, especially if they want to go shopping."
"Yes, Kaka-sensei," said the clone and then it popped out of existence.
"Hm," the Jounin said absentmindedly. "No goggles, I wonder why?"
Naruto - New, Yet So Old - Naruto - New, Yet So Old
Risa was looking at the girl who had tears in her eyes. The girl's sensei had pushed her hard, but even she could tell that the girl's heart wasn't in it. "Sakura," she said getting the other girl's attention. "Why aren't you even trying?"
"I'm worried about Sasuke," the pink haired girl said, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"What about Naruto," Risa asked. "Isn't he on your team too?"
"He doesn't count," Sakura said waving away the concern about the blond boy. "My parents hate the fact that he's on my team. I hate the fact that he's on my team. I can't help it. It's just something that I feel strongly about."
Akoba growled at his bonded companion and the girl nodded, "All right I'll ask." She looked towards the girl who'd been watching her. "Did you want to become a Kunoichi?"
"I did," Sakura said.
"Before Sasuke came to the Academy or after," Risa asked, knowing that there were two Jounin on the roof listening to this important conversation. The chakra signatures told her that, but she strongly suspected that the girl hadn't even bothered to sense for them.
"I don't know anymore," the pink haired girl said. "I think it was before. I thought that the ninja in our village were cool and that they got to go on so many adventures. I really wanted to get out of Konoha and thought that this was the best way to do it, I guess."
"Now that you're out of Konoha," Risa continued her probing. "What do you think?"
"I'm not sure," Sakura answered and then she looked out of the window. "I don't know what to do."
"Do you want to go higher, like becoming a Chunin," Risa asked.
"Not with Naruto as my teammate," Sakura said immediately. "I don't trust him. It'd be great with Sasuke because there's nothing that he can't do."
"I see," Risa said. "Well, Kakashi-sensei has agreed to let me take you shopping three towns over. That is if you'd like to go?"
"No thanks," Sakura said. "I'm going to wait for Sasuke to return and go with him when he returns."
"As you wish," Risa said. "Akoba let's go continue our practice." The ninja-dog, growl-yipped his agreement using the Inuzuka nin-dog language.
Naruto - New, Yet So Old - Naruto - New, Yet So Old
"Naruto, you have to see this," Haku whispered to wake the boy. "Sasuke get up, you don't want to miss this either." The two boys got up and looked out the window. Outside there looked to be a snow fox. "It's so rare to see one this far south. Did you know that they're white year round?"
Naruto felt a stirring in his gut and then the small fox kit appeared. He'd done so a couple of times after it had been revealed to Sasuke the fact that one of his teammates is a Jinchuriki. "Hey, Kita," the blond said softly to the fox kit. "What's going on?"
Kita leapt to the window frame and looked out. "Uncle," the kit said out loud. "That's uncle. Notice, he's got two tails."
"What do you know," Naruto said as he looked more closely.
Sasuke looked too and said, "He really does. Why is it here, though?"
"The scroll," Kita said. The fox kit looked at Naruto and said, "He's gonna test you and he might want to talk to gran'pa too."
"Ugh," Naruto said. "I'm getting dressed."
"Don't forget your weights," Haku said. "I'll just stay here and watch."
"What scroll," Sasuke asked and followed the blond in getting dressed. It was already nearing five in the morning anyway, so it didn't quite matter.
"I made summoning scroll," Naruto said. "I was going to offer it to Kita because then he'd have a safe place to live. You do know that many summons live in pocket dimensions right, when a scroll is created."
"Yes," Sasuke said. "Wait a minute you 'created' a summoning scroll for Fox?"
"When I found Kita, he was very weak," Naruto said. "I also noticed that he was stronger than your average fox. Kurama told me that the kit was a Biju child. The scroll is just a scroll until ink is added to activate specific spells."
"Kurama," Sasuke said. "Who's Kurama?"
"The nine-tails," Naruto said candidly.
"Your old team knew about the fox," the Uchiha asked and also thought, 'Who knew that demon had a name?' He'd been slowly fishing for more information about his companion and so far the picture of the boy's life in Konoha was far from pleasant to know. Still it looked like there was more to find out and this was just another thing to add to the mystery that is Naruto. "Didn't they?"
"Yes," Naruto said. "We talked about it. They were naturally worried, but why do you think a Hyuga Jounin was selected to lead the team I was on? Why do you think that Kakashi-sensei was assigned to Team Seven?"
"They could detect any anomalies in you related to the fox demon," Sasuke concluded. "Then Kakashi-sensei is on this team for you."
"No, that's just a bonus for the Council," Naruto said. "He really is on Team Seven because he's the only Sharingan wielder in town that can teach you, but that'll only happen after your Kekkei Genkai activates."
Sasuke grinned and said, "Oh really. How's he going to know that?"
"You'll have to tell him," Naruto said and grinned right back at the Uchiha. "Unless you'd rather wait until we get back to Konoha."
"Think I'll wait," Sasuke replied. "Why don't you go see what Uncle Whitey down there wants?"
Naruto nodded and then walked out of the window and down the side of the building. Once he was completely down, he held out his hands and Kita, who was waiting on the window ledge, jumped into them.
Haku and Sasuke kept watch out of the window and soon were joined by Zabuza who was wondering where his students were. They saw Naruto approach the two-tailed snow fox and that was the last they saw. A ball of white light flashed in the area and then the area was empty.
"Shit," Sasuke said. He was about to race down there to see what happened by Zabuza held him back.
"Wait about an hour," the man told him. "There's a possibility that he's being tested and was just taken to the testing place. Go outside and do your exercises. That should occupy enough of your time and you'll be able to keep an on the clearing."
"Thanks," Sasuke said. He did his stretches and watched the clearing. He did some chakra control exercises on the ropes used to stabilize the conical building and watched the clearing. He was about practice some Taijutsu katas, when about half an hour later another ball of light, this time blue, flashed and Naruto was in the clearing. It looked like he was asleep with the red fox kit on his neck.
"Naruto," he ran to his teammate. "Naruto are you all right?"
"Mah," Naruto groaned, sitting up. Beside him there was a scroll with the word 'FOX' on it. "Sasuke, what're you…" The blond looked around and then remembered. "Oh… this is Zabuza's place. How long was I gone?"
"About half an hour," Sasuke said, confused about the question. "Where did the two-tailed fox go?"
"The scroll is finally created," Kita said excitedly. "Uncle Whitey didn't want to be the guardian of it though." The fox kit yawned.
"Did you grow," the Uchiha asked the little red fox that was now about knee high.
"That's what happens when you're gone for about a year," Kita said. Then he dissipated into completely red chakra vapour before going back to his grand-pa's cage.
"A year," Sasuke said with an incredulous tone.
"Ah," Naruto said rubbing the back of his head. "I created the scroll," he said holding it up to show the other boy and then he pocketed it securely. "Now that it's done, those that want to be bound to it will come to me. Oh man, I hope no one in Konoha notices them when they do come."
"Naruto are you all right," Sasuke asked again.
"I'm fine, Teme," Naruto said. "It was only a test. Most summoning creatures will put you through tests in order to for them to deem you worthy of listening to and helping when you do summon them. That's if you sign an existing scroll. If you create one, then it seems that the tests are different…I guess."
"Dobe, you created a summon scroll," Sasuke clarified. "For foxes, does that mean that foxes will start showing up in Konoha?"
"You can create them for anything," Naruto explained. "I know that they can be created for normal creatures or for those that are stronger, like the offspring of Biju and yeah foxes might start coming to Konoha."
Sasuke frowned and realized that he might never be strong enough to kill his brother. He wondered if he ever would be. He sighed and said, "We need to pack our stuff."
"Yeah, oh," Naruto said. "I kind of forgot that we needed to be leaving today to go shopping."
"Will you tell me about the test," Sasuke said. "Can you show me how to create one?"
"Sure," the blond replied. "Some other day though, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," Sasuke said. "You're going to be explaining a lot of, 'some other day'."
"I know, I know," Naruto countered and waved it off, as they walked into the building to pack the meagre belongings that they'd brought along for training with the rogue ninjas. "Don't worry about it. You'll find your strength someday soon." He finished with the thought, 'and I hope it's not with too high a price.'
Zabuza met them and said, "Don't wear the weights today. We're taking the both of you to a place that makes custom order weapons. They'll kit you out properly. Just be sure to add the Kenjutsu forms to your regular training routine."
"Yes Zabuza-sensei," Naruto replied.
"Blondie, I told you not to call me that," the man said and bopped him hard on the head.
"Yessir," Naruto replied and rubbed his sore spot.
"Are you ready," Haku asked. He received a nod from the other two boys. "All right, I've been looking forward to this."
Naruto - New, Yet So Old - Naruto - New, Yet So Old
The place they came to was interesting. It was like Naruto's tale of when he'd had a C-Rank mission and that the blacksmith of that mission had some partially finished pieces. Apparently there's a different reason to have partially finished pieces hanging on the walls.
"Ah, Zabu," an old sounding voice called out from the dim confines of the shop's entrance. "Come to finally get a sword for that girly boy of yours?"
"NO," Zabuza said. "He doesn't want one, so don't bother him about it. I've brought you two people that need swords made."
An old man limped out to see whom he was talking about. "Leaf, huh," the man said. "Never thought I'd see any of them come here. They haven't seen any in years. Last one was about twenty…twenty-five years ago and it was an Uchiha."
Sasuke stiffened and then asked, "What was his name?"
"Her," the old man clarified. "It was a girl and I believe her name was Mikoto, she had the Sharingan. Now that girl kicked ass with a blade. The moves she did, I swear she was close to inventing her own Kenjutsu Style. I sometimes wonder whatever happened to her. She promised me that, if she ever had children she'd bring them for their own weapons, but…" The old man paused and noticed the expression on the one of the boy's face. "Yeah, she was the last Uchiha I saw."
Sasuke had gasped and looked wide-eyed. "Th…tha…that was…please excuse me," he said and left the shop quickly seeking fresh air and a bit of privacy.
Naruto looked at his retreating back with sad eyes. "I think that might have been his mother," he told the man and the other ninja that were looking to him for answers. "About six years ago the entire Uchiha Clan, save him," he pointed in Sasuke direction. "Were massacred. It's been said that it was his older brother, Itachi that did it. I believe him too because sometimes he dreams about it."
"No wonder he talks of strength and revenge," Zabuza said. "Begin with him and I'll get the other one."
"All right then boyo," the old man said. "Let's test for weapon compatibility."
"Both have been tested by Zabuza-sama," Haku said to the man. "They match with Long Katana and full length Wakizashi."
"What about the other boy," the man pulled out a length of steel.
"Same," Haku replied.
"Elements," the old man asked.
"Fire and Lightning for Sasuke," Naruto told him. "His Sharingan is active too, if you need to know that."
"I do thanks," the old man said. "But right now I'm working on you. What are your elements and do you have a Kekkei Genkai?"
"Wind and Water," Naruto said. "No bloodline limit, but the rumour is that my family is prone to having excessive amounts of chakra."
"What's your name," the man turned to look at him more closely and he noticed the whisker marks.
"Uzumaki Naruto," the blond replied. "My mother's name was Uzumaki Kushina."
"I see," the old man said. "Excessive chakra, hm? Could you tell me an example of your limits?"
"I can make about five hundred Kage Bushin without feeling tired when they get dispelled," Naruto said with an embarrassed cough at the stares he was receiving. He scratched his whiskered cheek. "If I make about a thousand, then I have to sleep about four hours to recover from the chakra exhaustion."
"There's something else isn't there," the old man. "I know Uzumaki line."
"I may 'contain' something that aids in my recovery, if I were truly and severely injured, but…" he looked up and said. "It's not going to be there forever."
"How true," the old man said. He pulled out an element test paper and told the blond, "Test for your elements again."
"The test won't function properly," Naruto said. He centred himself and allowed the elements to gather. He developed markings around his eyes and then he opened them to reveal something unique that old man understood. "My elements are Wind and Water, anything else is because of this." He immediately released his Sage form.
"Ah," the old man nodded and then he said, "Create three clones for me. They and you will work to help forge your weapons."
Naruto did and the man set him to specific tasks. The partially made weapons on the walls were the guides for the boy to follow.
Sasuke returned from his talk with Zabuza and saw that Naruto had clones out. "We make our own?"
"You begin them," the old man said. "Well, I give you the tools, you provide the elements. You know..." He paused to look at the boy's face. "You don't have the regular black eyes of an Uchiha, but you do remind me of that girl."
"The colour of my eyes are currently hidden," the boy told him. "I didn't want to be targeted, just because I'm an Uchiha. The Sharingan only activated during this mission."
"Good to know, good to know," the man said. "Blondie here said that you have the elements of Fire and Lightning, correct."
"Yes," Sasuke confirmed.
"Good, good," the man said. "Can you make Kage Bushin like him?"
"My limit is two without exhaustion," the boy confirmed.
"Wonderful," the old man said. "Blondie get rid of one of yours so that you and your pal can work at the same pace." One of the blond Bushin popped out, leaving only Naruto and two clones.
"Now let's begin," the man said with an eager cackle. He walked Sasuke through the steps of forming the metal of his first weapon. Both were working on their Wakizashi. "The reason that you boys are working the steel is to infuse the weapons with your chakra which includes your elements. I'll take over sometime in the middle in order to finish them properly, but for now just call forth your chakra as you work the metals matching the forms and stages. This method ensures that no one will ever be able to wield them, once they are completed."
Naruto's eyes lit up and he glanced at his teammate who had a very satisfied expression.
Naruto - New, Yet So Old - Naruto - New, Yet So Old
TBC…