Chapter Five
Kakashi was having a good day, better than he had for a while anyway. It started off with him sleeping in till seven thirty, a luxury that Kakashi rarely afforded himself. Then he found out that there was a surprise release of Icha Icha sent out today, thereby making his day even better after the extra sleep. About eight he went to say hello to Minato, Obito, Rim, and Sakumo, his adoptive father, teammates, and father. Arriving there, he once again found Naruto eating breakfast in front of the memorial stone, back against the tree.
This time the boy had a delicious looking food with an even better smell. It looked like a sugary piece of toast, drenched in maple syrup and was being eaten with a fork. Naruto nodded a greeting, and unsealed another plate and held it out to him with a knowing smile.
"Thank-you." Another nod was his response. Trying this new dish, Kakashi once again felt like he was eating food from heaven. 'Where have these dishes been all my life? Only two of them so far and I want more!' was his thought.
Finishing the meal, the two sat in companionable silence for a while, both lost in their thoughts while looking at the memorial stone. After a while, Kakashi turned to face Naruto, needing a few questions answered.
"So, Naruto, feel up to satisfying my curiosity today?" He spoke in his usual lazy tone. The blond across from him raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. Kakashi took this as acceptance, and so asked his questions.
"I have several questions I would like answered. First, just how strong are you? I have yet to meet a fresh genin that could handle a Jonin, even if I was only at low Jonin level." Naruto was silent for several minutes, just looking at Kakashi, judging him.
"I have trained my ass off for several years, in every shinobi skill I could find. If I was to give an accurate estimate, I would say low chunin because of lack of fighting experience." Kakashi nodded.
"What are your best and worst areas, and what level are you with each skill?" Kakashi asked.
"My best is my kenjustus, whether with my single ninjato or two basic tanto's. My worst will always be medical jutsus."
"Why? You obviously have the chakra control necessary for them, despite the fact that it should be impossible." Kakashi stated, somewhat confused. Naruto gave a slight smile, filled with more bitterness than Kakashi had seen since the day Minato had been forced to sacrifice the child to save the village.
"Did you know that there are three levels of med-nin chakra control Kakashi?" The blonde started off. Kakashi shook his head, surprised.
"The first of these levels is the one I am at, more commonly referred to as the "Battle Healer" control level. This level of control, as the name states, is most common amongst the battle field healers, mostly chunin and jonin who have put some time into learning the medical arts. These people are capable of healing minor injuries, and somewhat healing major ones. If they can not heal them, then the healer can at least keep the injured alive until they reach a better medic, provided the injury is not fatal." Kakashi nodded, he understood this part quite well, having had his life saved more than once by these "Battle Healers." In fact, his teammate Rim was one.
"The second level is the one that is most commonly seen in a doctors or veterinarians office. These shinobi have spent a considerable amount of time getting their control up beyond even ANBU level and can take care of most major injuries and diseases. These are the doctors, and are the most common in a village.
The third level is a level of unparalleled chakra control, reachable by only those are born to be a medic. People like Tsunade or her apprentice Shizune, or even the Heads of the more prestigious hospitals. They are masters of their art, and there have been only three people in history to reach this level without being a medic Nin." The confused look in Kakashi's eye prompted Naruto to list the three. "Monzaemon Chikamatsu, the creator of Puppets, Chiyo, his apprentice, and Sasori of the red sands, the revolutionizer of puppetry techniques."
Kakashi nodded in understanding. He had seen the puppets in battle while commanded by Sasori, and knew it would be next to impossible to replicate that sort of technique. His thoughts were cut off by Naruto speaking again.
"Medical jutsu is, and now I know always will be, a major pain in the ass for me. Before I had no idea why, but because of the Kyuubi, my chakra will never go farther than battlefield healer control. There are continuous fluctuations in my chakra that cause me problems with both control and, for some odd reason, attention span." Kakashi looked confused, in the short time he had known Naruto, as well as the large amount of times he had watched him (never able to spend enough time to watch him do anything important) the boy never showed other than smirks or frowns, a raised eyebrow, or anger in his eyes.
"That part was dealt with, but it was still an irritation. Back to my skills, my second best is Genjutsu. I experienced a great deal of it during my youth," Kakashi felt like he had been stabbed at that, "and I have grown to be far better than any of the ones who hit me with them. In fact, I have developed a rather unique kind of genjutsu. As for jutsu, I know only six, but they can all be used in combat. None are elemental jutsu though." Kakashi waited for a few moments, but there was no more information forthcoming.
"Alright. From the way you fought me yesterday, I would assume you are mid-chunin as you said. However, your speed needs work, even if you could somehow dodge me with as fast as I was going." A small smirk was all that Kakashi got, telling him that Naruto was going to keep that to himself.
"Well then, I suggest you take up weight training, as that will help you with…" He was cut off by Naruto showing a wrist circlet with the kanji for fifty on it. Kakashi nodded, knowing that it was one of the weight seals. Looking at the sun, he estimated they still had an hour left before ten, when Kakashi would show up at the training ground. He took out a scroll, and began writing.
Break
Unlike a certain one-eyed jonin, Shimura Danzo was not having a good day. It had started off decently, with all of his children, the members of Root, returning safely from the various missions he sent them on for the good of the village.
Contrary to common belief, Root was not disbanded, nor did it make emotionless tools. The whole reason for the thirds belief of Danzo turning his shinobi into emotionless tools was because he taught them a "battle mode", where they could suppress their emotions, rather than have them get in the way of the mission. Because Danzo didn't like Sarutobi, his children didn't like him either. So the "battle mode" was always engaged around the man, making him think Danzo destroyed emotions.
'Preposterous' Danzo thought. Root was like a large family, considering that every shinobi needed a family. Even the so called "Final Training," where a shinobi had to kill their best friend was only a genjutsu that Danzo developed.
After a short reunion, Danzos day turned sour. A Root member reported that someone he looked out for, Uzumaki Naruto was getting his progress impeded by Sarutobi. In order to understand just why Danzo was looking out for Naruto, one had to know about Danzo's beliefs.
First and foremost, Danzo hated orphans. Well, he didn't hate the children, no he loved the children. What he hated was the idea of an orphan, the idea that a child would grow up not knowing about his parents and would not be able to grow in a nurturing environment. That was why Root took young children rather than taking already trained shinobi, so that the child could grow up in a decent environment. Even now, after Root was "forbidden" from existing, Danzo was still a well known figure the village orphans, taking time out of his busy schedule to visit as many as he could.
Second, Danzo was a man who would do anything for Konoha. Regardless of what it too, he would do it if it meant protecting his village. Because of this, he became listed as the "Yami no Shinobi," an S-ranked ninja despite his age. He lived up to his title too, at least before the Kyuubi attack fucked him up beyond all recognition.
Third, Danzo had been an important factor in the Kyuubi assault. He had led Root into battle with all his might and heart in it, and paid for it with his right arm, as well as ruining his chakra control. Sure, it was still great, but he was no longer stronger than Sarutobi.
These three factors led to Danzo taking a greater than usual interest in young Naruto, the boy being both a Jinchurikki as well as an orphan. Normally he would just ensure that the Jinchurikki was properly trained and was able to use the tailed beast, but with Naruto he was forced to do more.
For the first seven years of the boy's life, Danzo had been kept extremely busy. Sarutobi thought that he had been busy, but Danzo and Root were the reason that Konoha had not been invaded after that debacle. It had been once the Root member assigned to Sarutobi reported in that Danzo remembered him.
Furious at his forgetfulness and failure, he had personally seen to it that the boy got all he needed to when he decided to rob the store that night, even going so far as to place his old ninjato in there for the boy to use. He often watched the boy train, finding a great deal of pride in how a soon-to-be Konoha Shinobi could succeed with damn near everyone in the village against him. Sarutobi preached the "Will of Fire", but it was Danzo who saw the potential for it in this child. He even ensured that the boy "found" a few jutsu to use, as well as making sure that the ninja and store-owners were never around during the boy's midnight raids. He had grown to see the boy as one of his children, even if Naruto had never met him.
So, all in all, it was with no small amount of anger that he walked towards the Hokage's office after the shinobi reported that the imbecile was attempting to stunt the poor boy's growth. Of course, none of this showed, and he was going to give no indication that he even cared about the boy, it just wasn't Danzo's style. He was an aloof, but approving person.
~Break~
Sarutobi knew that it would be a bad day when his ex-best friend, Shimura Danzo, walked into his office with his slightly limping gait. "What do you want?" he nearly snarled, only holding back at the last minute.
"I wish to discuss the Kyuubi Jinchurikki, and how you are destroying one of the village's best potential resources." The war hawks gaze was penetrating and judging, the only person since the Niidamie to make him feel naked before it. He didn't even bother asking how Danzo knew about his most recent order, the man always knew.
"Would you prefer another Orochimaru? After all, Naruto could easily become a threat to the village, abandoning us at a moment's notice." The single brown eye bored into him, making him feel like a mouse before the raptor.
"You know as well as I do that when a student is properly trained, a bond forms between the student and sensei. A Jinchurikki needs these bonds in order to control their demon, because otherwise they see no reason to fight against it when the demon attempts to take control. Because of your order to Kakashi, the one potential bond that would be allowed him had been cut off at the source. You drove away your student by refusing to accept that he needed a father figure in you. If you had stepped up to the task, Orochimaru would have never left."
Sarutobi's head bowed, knowing that all that the child had wanted was a father, and Sarutobi had run from it.
"Furthermore, what has happened to your other students? One is a shame to the Leaf, drowning in debt and Sake. The other is a useless pervert who refusing to take care of his responsibilities, even his spy network is terrible. Do you honestly believe that you are capable of preventing another traitor, if indeed the boy takes that path? You are so focused on manipulating the boy that you refuse to see reason."
The old Hokage's head snapped up, eyes alit with an angry fire. "So what would you have me do, give him to you? Have him turned into an emotionless tool loyal only to you? I think not. I am the Hokage of this village, and what I say goes! You are not to have any contact with him!"
The glare Danzo was leveling at him would have killed lesser men. As it was, Sarutobi could not avoid an ice cold shiver running down his spine. This was the man that was feared in every shinobi village for three wars running.
"Emotionless tools? At least my projects do not result in failures and traitors." The arctic tone made Sarutobi visibly cringe.
"I may not disobey you, simply because you are my leader, however much I despise that fact, but I warn you now. If you continue this bullshit regarding the village's resource I will take steps to have you removed, and have someone more suitable placed in that seat." The kage's head snapped up, about to accuse him of treason, but Danzo had already turned around and was walking out the door. He paused right before he opened it, leaving one final line.
"I'm quite sure that the Fire Lord would be incredibly upset to learn how you have treated the heir to the man he owes his life."
Danzo was gone before the aged fire shadow could breathe again.