A/N: To make up for my extended updating breaks, I decided to drop two chapters at once. Nothing special there though. This is the last chapter of the Starter arc and easily the longest by any stretch of imagination. It was also the hardest to write but I'm proud how it ended up even if not everyone would share this sentiment. I really needed to do an Ultimate Konohamaru.
More importantly, I had to mention your name here Asteague. Thanks for the critical advice and the words of inspiration. You're easily the most favorable review I've ever gotten.
There have been some talk among reviewers about me being vague. Apologies to Narutoluver, but an author's works are the route to his soul and I am vague in person. Wish I could help really, but I'd find it hard to change all of a sudden (if I'll even bother).
Also, to everyone who seems to be searching for a particular pairing...
Fly away, this story is in its rightful category. If you want a good, realistic read, go on. If not, there are plenty of pairing muck running amuck (heh heh) on this net. Your choice.
Disclaimer: Naruto owns me, not the other way around.
Opening theme: Chaiyya Chaiyya
XXXXXXXXXX
Chapter Ten
Ultimate Naruto
The boy named Konohamaru
XXXXXXXXXX
The rest of two weeks flew by in a blur and Naruto barely even noticed it. They were always doing something. Unlike what he thought, merc work wasn't as fun as he had imagined. Neither was it as easy.
Everyday was the same. Wake up early. Leave his unsanitary apartment. Shuttle the forty-five minutes or so distance to the boot camp. Meet up with his teammates. Wait two hours for Kakashi. Head back to HQ. Pick up a new mission. Spend another two hours completing said mission. Rush back to school.
The last two stages were the most hectic because they had done everything from picking weeds to helping out at a flour mill, walking dogs, cats, horses, stacking beer and even escorting an old lady on her daily trek. Which was what they were currently doing. Add to this the fact that, despite his promise, Kakashi was yet to find a perfect cover for them at school and you have one hell of a pissed off Naruto.
Kyuubi was chatting up to Sasuke; mentioning something about meeting Hinata in her fancy girls' school ('We've been attending the same classes and I never knew her until after boot camp! How weird is that?'). Kakashi was lagging behind, his nose buried in his book, but Naruto was the unfortunate one. The old lady had him by the arm; regaling him with stories of how many grandsons and kittens she had.
Ew, by the time she's done, I'd be smelling like old lady.
"And there's Sojuro and Hotaru, and Ichi and Meme, and Tora. Yes, I think Tora was my favorite."
"Your favorite cat?"
"No, child. My favorite grandson."
Naruto face-palmed. 'What a confusing lady'.
According to Kakashi, some chick had paid big money to have her mother escorted on her weekly outings. The woman needed fresh air and probably; safe hands, which was why genins had been selected for the job. Naruto frankly thought that people should look after their parents themselves.
"Tora was such a darling. But he's always so quiet and detached. I cajoled his parents to send him to Mizu no kuni to live with a cousin. The air there would be better for him."
"Er, your grandson, right?"
"No, silly. My cat!"
Luckily, Naruto was saved from nervous breakdown by Kyuubi, who took over from him.
"This has to be the worst mission ever. Isn't it afternoon already?"
Sasuke looked at his watch, "Quarter past noon."
"Meh, sometimes I wonder why I chose this kinda lifestyle. Itachi didn't do all this shit."
The last he spoke in an undertone so Kakashi wouldn't hear.
The Uchiha shrugged before eyeing his friend critically.
"What?", Naruto asked, a bit irked.
Sasuke sniffed once, "Dude, you smell like old lady."
The Uzumaki had to resist throwing his orange jumper on the ground.
XXXXXXXXXX
It was a little while more till they dropped the granny off at her house. Her daughter had given them a generous tip (Kakashi allowed them to have it all, this time) before they headed back to HQ to collect their official payment.
Ayame, as usual, was estatic to see them and they signed their names as team three before heading to Iruka's desk to cash in.
"Well done", the chunin said, logging their progress into his computer, "That was your tenth successful D-rank mission. Would you like another one?"
Kakashi shrugged but Naruto's loud declaration caused the entire hall to pause.
"What's wrong, Naruto?", Iruka asked.
"I said 'No way in hell'", the blonde continued, "I'm tired of that shit! I didn't become a merc for this rubbish. I need to be on the field! If I don't get high ranking missions, how else am I supposed to end up great?"
Iruka sighed while Kakashi bonked his ward on the head.
"Naruto", the chunin said, "There's protocol for everything. There's a reason why there are genin, chunin and jonin. The ANBU and high class jonins handle our S-rank missions. A-rank are handled by jonin while the chunins take on B and C rank missions. The genin have to pick up slack by carrying out D-rank missions which are equivalent to their skill..."
"I know all that bullshit, Iruka-sensei. You explained it all at boot camp. But I think we've done too many D ranks. Isn't that consideration enough?"
Iruka deadpanned, "Genin cells complete about twenty-five to thirty D-rank before they even get a C. You've done only ten, Naruto."
"And I've been hustling since I was nine! I've done stuff in the hood; real stuff, that would either put me in juve or worse, in a body bag! I can't just start back-sliding now! I'm a mercenary! Let me earn my pay!"
"That's enough, Naruto", Kakashi said sternly.
The blond glared in reply but said nothing more.
"Iruka-sensei", Kakashi continued, "If you'd please..."
"Hn."
This time they all turned to look at Sasuke, whose fists were tightened at his sides.
"Not surprisingly, Naruto's right, sensei. I'm with him on this one."
"Huh?"
"Me too", Kyuubi said, taking a stand with her team mates, "I joined the Oniwaban in order to attain control of my abilities. I can't just keep wasting time!"
"Now, hold on a minute, all of you...", Iruka began.
"There's no need for that, Iruka-sensei", Naruto said, foxy grin in place, "We can handle it. It's either that or no more team NaruSasuKyuu."
A collective shudder passed through the entire hall as he said that.
Iruka sweatdropped, Sounds like something from those Icha Icha books.
"Kakashi-san", he pleaded, turning towards the older jonin, "Please do something."
"Maa, there'd be no need for that, Iruka-sensei. You've heard them speak."
Like I thought, their teamwork is impressive. I have no doubt about the dynamics of this cell. Minato-sensei, you would be proud.
"What? Even you, Kakashi-san? But that's breaking protocol! Then again, you never were one for such things, were you?"
The jonin eye-smiled.
"Just give them what they want, Iruka-sensei", Mizuki intoned, all the way over from his own desk, "They've got Hatake Kakashi with them after all. How bad could it be?"
"Mizuki-sensei...but they're still green."
He looked at the genin to see them throwing puppy eyes at him.
"Oh, all right!"
"YAY!"
"But", he said, putting an end to Naruto and Kyuubi's victory dance, "You'd have to earn it. I'll give you a slightly more difficult D-rank mission. The rate of your success will determine if you get your C-rank or not."
"Bring it on, then", Naruto yelled.
Iruka smirked and handed a folder to Kakashi, "Your mission begins tomorrow. I wish you goodluck."
As team three exited the office, Mizuki turned to his colleague.
"What mission did you give them?"
The scarred chunin leaned back in his chair, "Ebisu called in sick on duty today. Let's just say that team three will be having a lot on their hands for the time being."
"Ouch. You're mean, Iruka-sensei."
XXXXXXXXXXX
Kakashi had dismissed them shortly after reading the file, stating that they should meet early by five the next morning to begin their mission. The boys said goodbye to Kyuubi and ran in the opposite direction, in order to catch the last few hours of 'precious' school.
"I'm telling you, man", Naruto began, as they sneaked into the public school and took their places at the back of english class, "Sooner or later, we'll have to choose between school work and the Oniwabanshu. I doubt any high ranking merc has aything close to the semblance of a certificate."
"Itachi does."
"Police aptitude test doesn't count, Sasuke."
"But he finished high school, didn't he? That's what matters. Mercenaries should possess a certain level of intelligence."
"And how exactly do you propose to do so when we'll probably miss out on half the year and have to borrow extra credits to make up?"
Sasuke pointed at his eyes, "Well, I have the sharingan. I can cheat off any test I write. You'll have to sort yourself out on your own, dobe."
"Mr Uchiha. Mr Uzumaki", Madam Kuneida said; looking over the rim of her horned glasses, "Where have you boys been? You've missed about six of my classes."
Naruto groaned as Sasuke launched into a detailed and 'well thought-out' excuse for their absence (which included an ice-cream factory and a lottery vacation). The blonde wished Kakashi would come up with a good alibi for them soon. Though he hated high school, he seriously needed the schoolwork to kill time.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Sasuke was the first to arrive this time. Being who he was, the Uchiha decided to refine his shuriken arm as he waited. So, it was to this scene that Kyuubi happened upon; him upside down in mid-air, trying to hit a mark in his blind spot, some twelve metres away from him.
"Would you teach me that, Sasuke?"
The Uchiha frowned; his aim had been pretty off. He had managed to hit every mark except the ninth one. Try as he might, there was just no way he could hit a moving kunai with another one.
"I wish I could but as you can see, I haven't really gotten it down yet. I only know it in theory."
"Let me try."
Sasuke gave her a glance; pausing in the retrieving of his kunai.
"C'mon. It's not like I'm that bad with weapons. I came in third behind you and Shikamaru, remember?"
The Uchiha sighed and gave her his weapons pouch; causing the girl to giggle hysterically and race to the centre of the field.
"Alright, the first thing you have t...", Sasuke began but Kyuubi had already moved; mimicking his actions and vaulting off the ground at an inhumane angle.
What the...?
One mark. Two marks. Three. Four. Five, six, seven and eight. Each bull's eye was nailed with amazing accuracy.
No way, it took me weeks to get that down! How did she...?
However, not unlike him, she didn't know what to make of the mark in her blindspot. So, she flung a kunai haphazardly over her shoulder, coming close to skewering Naruto's pinus by a milimetre.
Sasuke sweatdropped.
"Ah-aahn! The fuck? Are you trying to kill me, woman?"
"Naruto? You idiot! What are you doing over there? You would have gotten yourself killed, dobe!"
"What? That's exactly what I'm trying to say! You almost de-'gonad'ized me here! What kind of a lousy aim is that?"
Kyuubi's eyebrow ticked, "Shut it, Naruto!"
"Well, this is entertaining."
The last had been said by Kakashi, who appeared in a puff of smoke, his nose buried within the pages of his book.
"Sensei?", Kyuubi asked, surprised, "You're early."
The jonin looked at her with his lone eye, "Hmm, that's because our mission is about to begin. So, quickly now, let's go."
"What are we doing this time, Kakashi?", Sasuke asked as he settled in the backseat with Naruto, not feeling up to playing mediator. The two were throwing unusually frigid glares at each other, something Sasuke thought to be extremely cute. Wait, scratch that. He didn't do cute.
"Don't worry. You'll see, Sasuke", Kakashi replied.
The journey was shorter this time and soon, they were parked before the gates of an impressive building, which had a sprawling lawn and cobble-stoned driveway. The genin were more than a little amazed.
Naruto snorted and turned his head away from the mansion, "What are we supposed to do here, Kakashi-sensei?"
The jonin handed him the folder which he unfurled so all three of them could read.
Oniwabanshu company
Date:
Operatives: Team Kakashi
Mission briefing:
Escort the subject; Konohamaru
Sarutobi, and make sure subject is
well guarded throughout the length of the day. Watch out for threats
and do not lose sight of subject.
Repeat; do not lose sight of
subject. Reward will be collected
upon completion of duty.
Reward: 10000 ryo
Digit signs immediately appeared in Naruto's eyes.
"Jackpot! So, all we have to do is escort some rich ass dude and they'll pay us this big. Talk about being lucky."
"I thought you said you like earning your pay, Naruto."
"That's overrated, sensei."
The front doors of the building swung open and a slender, bespectacled woman with curly, brown hair walked out, pulling a struggling boy by his scarf behind her. The boy dug his feet into the ground to resist being moved but obviously, the woman was stronger than she looked because she hauled his ass anyway.
"Huh?", uttered Naruto.
"Lemme go! Lemme go, you old hag!", the boy roared.
A tick mark appeared on the woman's forehead but she said nothing as she continued dragging the boy, pulling him effortlessly through the gates.
"I said lemme go! Lemme go, right now, kore! I don't wanna go to school! Said I don't wanna!"
She spotted team three at this point and walked up to them.
"Hatake Kakashi?"
The silver-haired jonin nodded.
The woman smiled, "I'm Sarutobi Sumiko. This is my son; Konohamaru. Thank you for making it. Ebisu-san would normally be doing this but he called in sick yesterday."
"Maa, no problem, ma'am. Team Kakashi's at your service."
"Hold on! Wait just a minute", Naruto interrupted, "Are you telling me that this little runt here is the Konohamaru we are s'pposed to be escorting?"
The boy stopped struggling and looked up at the team before him.
"Yeah, what's it to you, kore?"
"Nothing. Just didn't expect you to be this short, is all. Heh-heh."
"You're one to talk, big shortie!"
"What the - tebayo? Take that back right now, you leetle brat!"
"Heh, as if! Get lost, shortie!"
"? I'll kill you, tebayo!"
"Baka, what the heck is a '-tebayo', kore?"
"And what the hell is 'kore', eh, tebayo? Baka, baka, no baka!"
The two were interrupted by respective bops to the head. One from Kakashi, the other from Sumiko.
"Ow, sensei", Naruto growled, rubbing the lump on his head, "You didn't have to hit that hard, dammit!"
"Treat your clients with respect, Naruto. Rule number one in the handbook."
"Ouch", Konohamaru cried, rubbing a similar lump on his own head, "You old hag!"
This earned him another bop from Sumiko.
Kyuubi and Sasuke exchanged nervous glances.
"Is it just me or are those two far too freakishly alike to be normal?", the girl asked.
"Hn", was Sasuke's reply.
"I apologize for his behaviour", Sumiko said, "He can be quite a handful sometimes. Okay, that's a lie. I mean all the time. Please, do take care of him. I wonder why my father bothers but..."
She frowned as if she had tasted something bitter before checking her watch, "Oops. Gonna be late for work. Come here, Hamaru-chan."
"Nnngh!"
She forced a kiss to her son's forehead then looked sternly at him, "I'll see you when I come home, Hamaru-chan, but if I get word that you disobeyed the 'kind' mercenaries in anyway . . . I'll kill you."
The little boy gasped.
Sumiko then turned a cherry smile to Kakashi and his team, "See you later, Kakashi-san. Have to be leaving now, goodluck!"
And it was with a spring in her step that she straightened her business skirt and retrieved her keys from her purse. Waving to them all, she drove away in a small, blue jeep.
Is it just me, Kyuubi thought, Or did she seem rather eager to abandon her son just now?
She turned to look at the boy who glared at all of them, small hands crossed in a defensive pose.
"What you looking at?", Naruto asked.
The boy sneered, "You call yourselves mercenaries but you all look so weak. Just you wait, kore! I'll be the best merc there is by the time I'm your age! As great as jii-san! If only I could get mom lady to stop making me go to school so I'll spend all my time training!"
"Hey, that's not a nice thing to say."
"Yeah. And who are you?"
The red-haired girl smiled, "Hanataka Kyuubi. I'm a member of this team. Besides, you'd look so much cuter if you didn't yell all the time, Konohamaru-chan."
The boy blushed at her words but turned his head to the side and humphed, "Meh, what do you know? You're a girl. Besides, what kind of eyes are those? All big and red and silly-looking."
"? You didn't just insult me, you fucking blasted cretin!"
"Kyuubi."
"Yes, sensei?", she replied, turning innocently.
Kakashi sweatdropped.
"Konohamaru's school begins in the next ten minutes. Quickly now, get going so he wouldn't be late and do guard him discreetly."
"And what about you?", Kyuubi began but Kakashi was already off, his Impala leaving a dust wave in its wake.
"The hell? He doesn't expect us to catch a bus, does he?", Naruto griped.
"Obviously, he does", grunted Sasuke, "Let's get moving."
"Where do you think you're going?", Kyuubi asked, grabbing Konohamaru by the collar, as he tried to sneak away, "You heard what your mom said. Miss out on school and your dead."
"Lemme go! Lemme, you tattered hag!"
Sasuke and Naruto immediately cringed. A dark cloud hovered over Kyuubi as she turned towards the boy, red eyes looking infinitely demonic.
"What did you just say to me?"
"I-I-I c-called you a TATTERED hag, kore!"
Later on, Naruto would marvel at the kid's gutsiness and just how little he knew about tact and women. If, of course, any of them even survived from the ordeal.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Kyuubi smiled cheeringly at an old couple who sat across the aisle, looking strangely at them. The three genin were sitting on a bus with Konohamaru, who was tied up at the girl's feet. The young boy was struggling but Kyuubi kept him in place with her foot and of course; the gag in his mouth.
"M-maybe w-we should let him go", Naruto began, "He's beginning to turn a bit blue..."
Kyuubi glared at him and the blonde had the good sense to shut up. He was beginning to find out just how short her temper really was.
The bus arrived at its destination and Konohamaru was hauled to his feet by the still fuming redhead.
"Ah, You great hag!", the boy cried, the moment his gag was removed, "How dare you treat me like this! My grandfather would surely hear of this, I tell you!"
"Will you shut up, already? One more word from you and I swear, I'll end up in prison!"
A wave of killing intent followed the statement and it was able to make every single one of her companions cringe.
"Now then", the girl said, tossing her hair over her shoulder as if she hadn't just looked like a banshee from hell two seconds ago, "Which school did you attend again?"
Konohamaru had directed them and they had made it in time without any further altercation. The boy glared at them over his shoulder as he walked through the gates.
"So, what do we do now?", Kyuubi asked, wringing her hands curiously, "The mission requires us not to lose sight of him but that would be impossible if we can't follow him around or sit in his classes."
"Hn. True, but Kakashi did say we should guard him discreetly. We can't just walk up to the teachers and tell them who we are, that's against protocol. But we could still watch him from the backgrounds and no one will be the wiser."
Kyuubi nodded and turned to her other teammate; whose arms were crossed in laxity behind his head.
"Meh", sneered Naruto, "I don't see the whole fuss behind this shit, anyway. Who the hell is the kid that he needs to be guarded on a regular basis. Some cousin of the Fire prime minister, three times removed?"
Kyuubi furrowed her brows, "Sarutobi? I know a man by that name. He helped me while I was ill."
"Ill? With what?"
". . ? Mind your business, Naruto!"
"Let's go", Sasuke said, pointing towards Konohamaru who had just joined two other kids. One, a brown-haired boy with large glasses; the other, an adorable looking girl with orange, voodoo-like hair.
The redhead grunted and they took off into the surrounding shrubs, but Naruto remained rooted to the spot, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Amateurs."
Bringing his fingers together in the ram seal, he was obscured in a cloud of smoke.
"Henge!"
In his place was now a chibi version of his Oiroke jutsu complete with pigtails and a small school bag. The little girl snickered and walked through the gates just as the bell for first period rang.
"Konohamaru-chan!", Moegi greeted, the moment she caught sight of her friend, "Where have you been? School's about to start."
"I got delayed, kore", said boy answered as he walked up to her and Udon, "Glasses-sensei couldn't make it today so they sent some losers who don't even know half of what they're doing."
"Ah", Udon's eyes widened, "But where are they now? I don't see them anywhere, Konohamaru-chan."
"They should be around here somewhere but losing them would be easy! You got our stuff, didn't you?"
"It's right here, Konohamaru-chan."
"Yosh! We'll meet up during lunch. Glasses-sensei isn't here to stop us this time!"
"I wonder what they are talking about", Kyuubi noted from her spot, hidden with Sasuke. The Uchiha was scanning the entire playground for potential threats.
"Dunno. Wait, where's Naruto?"
He spotted a little, blonde girl walking into the school with a sinister glint in her eyes. He face-palmed.
"Not again, dobe!"
XXXXXXXXXX
When first conceived, Naruto had thought his current plan ingenious. Now, not so much. Apparently, he had forgotten to factor a number of problems that could arise along the way.
The first steps weren't too difficult: Follow Konohamaru to his grade class. Get introduced as a new student. Pick a seat. Keep an eye on the kid.
The first few seconds were okay; listening to the teacher introduce the class to beginner's algebra. The others not so much.
There was the fact that he hated anything math; even beginner's math, since they all had the tendency to make him drool. He was little, so his feet couldn't touch the ground and the girls around eyed him in disdain; seeing him as something of a new rival. Then the teacher had to continuously drill him for questions to make sure he was up to speed; and after three hours of it all, a sweating Naruto could perfectly say that this was perhaps, the worst moment of his entire life.
At least, his charge was still in his sights; the boy sitting quiet and attentively all along the lessons.
"Konohamaru, come out here, now."
Okay, so he wasn't quite as attentive as Naruto originally thought.
"What is it, Yagami-sensei?"
"Show me your hands", the stern, blond-haired man demanded, horn-rimmed glasses gleaming menancingly.
The boy looked strangely at him before placing his hands in his pockets.
"Why, kore?"
"You were doing something under your desk. Let me see your hands, quickly!"
The boy grumbled and opened his palms; revealing some thread and a ball of gum.
The teacher raised an eyebrow.
"Pockets, now."
There was nothing in there either.
Naruto was amazed. He could tell Konohamaru was hiding something from the smirk on his face but it was impressive that he could conceal what it was so easily from the piercing eyes of the teacher. He would make a good mercenary for sure.
"I don't know what you're talking about, sensei."
"Just return to your seat, Konohamaru."
The boy shrugged and went to sit down, leaving the teacher to continue his lesson.
From where he sat, Naruto spotted a roll of firecrackers hanging underneath his ward's desk.
Bingo.
The bell rang for recess.
"Konohamaru-chan, I'm not so sure about this", Moegi said uncertainly as the three of them gathered around his desk during break to converse conspirationally.
"It's alright, Moegi-chan! We'll be out and back before first period after recess. I've mapped it all out, kore."
"Uh-uh, but I'm with Moegi-chan on this one, Konohamaru", Udon added, "Do we have to go out today? I heard they're gon' be serving takoyaki at the cafetaria."
"I told you already! We have to! We've been slacking off in our training and Glasses-sensei isn't here to stop us tod..."
"Hi!"
"Aaarggh!"
All three screamed and fell to the floor.
"Who are you, kore?", Konohamaru yelled.
Naruto beamed back at him, "I'm Naruko! I'm new here, didn't you see?"
"Oh, you must be the student sensei introduced!", the orange-haired girl chirped, jumping up and dusting her skirt, "I'm Moegi and this is Udon and Konohamaru!"
"Hi", Udon chorused, but the other boy didn't say anything, instead fixing Naruko with a curious gaze.
"Hold on a sec!", the boy declared and Naruto began sweating, "Just where exactly are you from?"
Moegi bopped him on the head, "Don't be rude, Konohamaru-chan!". The charming girl then turned to Naruko, "You have really nice eyes. I wish mine were blue like yours."
The blonde blushed, "Eh, It's a family thing."
He spotted Konohamaru and Udon packing up their stuff to go to the cafetaria.
"Hey, can I, like, join you guys?"
"Sure!"
"What? I didn't invite her, kore!"
Moegi bopped him again.
"Ah, Moegi-chan, have you forgotten about our top secret mission?"
"It will only be for a while", the girl whispered back, "I need some girl time too, you know."
Konohamaru grumbled and turned to Naruko, "Fine!" This caused the girl to squeal and latch on to his arm.
"We'll be the best of friends, Konohamaru-chan!"
"Oi, L-Let g-go!"
Naruko feigned hurt and turned away, "You don't want me around, do you? Maybe I should find some other kids to play with."
This caused Konohamaru to look a bit guilty and a glare from Moegi caused him to spring into action,
"N-no, it's not that! It's just - well - I - I don't know how to. . . well, I'm sorry."
Naruko turned big, blue eyes on the boy, "Honest?"
Konohamaru blushed again, "Honest."
The girl squealed and latched unto his arm once more, "Thank you, Konohamaru-kun! You're the best!"
The boy huffed and turned away. cheeks still painted a bright crimson.
"Are you blushing, Ko-no-ha-maru-kun?"
"W-what? No, n-no w-way! Who told you that?"
Naruto snickered to himself and followed them out of the class. This way, he'll stick to them and find out what botched plan they planned on hatching.
They had just crossed the cafetaria doors when two pairs of arms materialized out of nowhere and grabbed Naruko from the group of unsuspecting kids. The blonde opened his eyes to find himself in a broom closet; Sasuke and Kyuubi glaring menancingly at him.
"Eh guys? While this is kinky, I don't think I'm in the right kind of body for this."
"You're lucky I don't hit little girls, Naruto", Kyuubi growled, crimson eyes agleam in the darkness.
"Too bad, I have no problem with that", and Sasuke bashed him over the head causing tears to spring forth from Naruko's eyes.
"What was that for, Mr Uchiha-san? I'm gonna cry, please, don't hurt me!"
A second bash caused the henge to dispel and an angry looking Naruto to stand in its place.
"Oi, teme!"
"Not now, Naruto", Kyuubi said, shushing him, "You've got some explaining to do or you'll leave here with more than two lumps on the head. You almost jeopardized our mission, dammit!"
"But I didn't, so relax. Nobody is the wiser. The entire class thinks I'm some cute, liitle child who was attending a seperate school in the suburbs. Even Konohamaru hasn't figured it out yet."
Kyuubi's expression softened, "I hope you're right, Naruto."
"Hn."
"Ah, Sasuke-chan? Jealous you didn't come up with such a brilliant plan first, eh, teme?"
"Dobe. Even If I wanted to come up with such a plan, what makes you think I'd like turning into a little girl, you pedophile."
"?*%! Well, well, you always hated the female anatomy, didn't you, Sas-gay?"
"Lame comeback, dobe."
Kyuubi coughed to get their attention, "Alright, Naruto. Continue whatever you're doing while Sasuke and I go scour the grounds. We'll contact you for updates."
She then grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him up to her face so he could get a perfect view of her fiery eyes, "And if you lose that kid after all of your drastic measures, even Kami doesn't know what I'll do to you. Understand?"
The two then proceeded to exit the closet, leaving the blonde boy alone. Naruto sighed and performed the henge once again.
XXXXXXXXX
"I don't see her anywhere", Moegi was saying, "It's as if she just disappeared."
"Meh, we'll work that out later", Konohamaru said, producing a fat wad of firecrackers almost as large as a toilet roll, "This is brilliant, Udon. But now, we'll need to create a big distraction so that we can escape unnoticed. I'll get some behind the cafetaria and into the lunches, Udon; you handle the halls, Moegi; the classes. Meet back here in ten."
"Hai, Konohamaru-chan!", they yelled, saluting, before each picked up a roll and scurried out of the lunch room.
Naruko had arrived at the cafetaria but couldn't spot any of her charges anywhere. She lined up with the other kids to receive her own share of porridge and takoyaki (she was hungry after all) before going to sit at a lone table.
Some odd minutes later, the trio walked in; Konohamaru covered in soot, and went to join the lunch queue.
Naruko raised an eyebrow. What the hell are those kids up to?
Carrying his tray, he went to join them at their table where they were once again conversing in hushed tones.
"Hi!"
They screamed and fell on their butts.
Naruko smiled, "Where have you guys been? I've been looking all over for you?"
Konohamaru helped himself up to his feet, "Well, er, Udon forgot his bag so we went back to retrieve it!"
Naruko narrowed her eyes but so as not to appear too perspective, she sat down and continued eating her food. Yet, she continued watching them out of the corner of her eyes, knowing fully well that they were up to something.
Konohamaru's eyes were dancing across the hall, Moegi had yet to eat a single morsel and Udon kept checking his watch. Naruko was about pissed by this time and was considering forcing the information out of them, when one of those snobbish girls from earlier passed by and dropped a crumb of her porridge on Naruko's hair.
"Oops", she snickered.
Without missing a beat, Naruko rewarded her with a splattering of his own dish. He wasn't pushed over by male bullies in highschool, neither would he be pushed over by female bullies in elementary school, either.
The girl shrieked in shock, "What have you done? Waaah! you've ruined my favorite shirt, you wicked jerk!"
Naruko stared in suprise, "What? How? You started it first, tebayo!"
Konohamaru looked up at that moment and something went off in his brain.
"Tebayo? Teba - tebayo? . . .You!", he snarled, pointing at Naruko, "I knew you looked the same! You're that guy from before, aren't you, kore? That Naruto dude!"
Took you long enough.
The blonde was about to say something when his porridge suddenly erupted in his face, blinding him temporarily.
What the hell?
All around him, shrieks signified that every other kid was getting a faceful of mush, and firecrackers burst from the pots; forming glittering columns of sparks in the small hall.
Naruto opened his eyes to find all three already gone. 'Damn, those kids are good. I never woulda conceived such a plan myself. Or maybe I could? Nyeah, either way, they'd make such fine mercs.'
As the teachers and security ran around; trying to quell the uproar, Naruko stumbled out of her chair, trying to figure out where they had gone, before another thought crossed his mind.
'Kyuubi! Oh fuck, she'll kill me.'
The hallways and classes were also disrupted by mini-eruptions and flashes of light, and the Uzumaki knew that Sasuke and Kyuubi would be attracted by the noise; allowing Konohamaru and his friends to escape the gates unnoticed. Shit, the boy has been steps ahead all this time. Maybe, this is why his former guard fell ill!
Foregoing the hallway; since he wasn't looking forward to meeting his teammates anytime soon, Naruto dispelled his henge and crossed his fingers in the traditional sign of the only other jutsu he knew.
"Kage bunshin no jutsu!"
Six Narutos appeared and he turned to four of them, "You! Transform into the kids and head back to class! The rest of us are gonna hunt down the boy! Hold the fort here!"
The clones saluted as Naruto and the others leapt through a window. The brat was going to pay dearly when Naruto found him.
XXXXXXXXXX
Mr Rai Yagami had been grading papers at his desk when the commotion began. Sighing irately, he looked outside his window only to see three of his least favorite students creeping across the lawn. He smirked.
Ever since he joined the school staff a month ago, he knew Konohamaru had a penchant for trouble. The boy was a walking catastrophe who was always up to no good but this was going too far. Even more so than gluing all the lids shut in the staff toilet last two weeks (No one had bothered to believe him when he made his suggestions on the culprit known. Konohamaru seemed to come from an influential family, after all)
However, it was all going to end today. His mission had dragged on too long as it was and for a reason, Konohamaru's infamous babysitter seemed to be nowhere in sight. It was time to strike. It was this opportune moment that he must have been stationed here for all this while.
Retrieving his trusty blade from underneath a latch in his desk, Yagami got rid of his loathsome shirt and slipped into something more suitable; which was simply just your stereotypical ninja attire. It was time for action. The boy would pay back for all the stress he had caused his 'teacher.'
The blond-haired man vanished from sight.
XXXXXXXXXXX
"Wow, Konohamaru-chan! That was really awesome", Moegi squealed, "I didn't know we could lose mercenaries that easy."
"I told you before, those guys are losers. The blonde dork almost had us but in the end, we got him, kore!"
"I wouldn't be so sure, Konohamaru-chan", Udon reasoned, "We could get into big trouble if someone finds out about this."
The adressed boy stopped walking to give his friend an assuring grin, "Udon, don't worry. We'll be back on time, I promise. Let's just make the best of this opportunity and do what aspiring mercs have to do."
"Hai!"
"So, what are we doing today, Konohamaru-chan?", Moegi asked cutely.
Konohamaru coughed and brought out a piece of parchment, "Today, we clean up the Asagi lake and as part of our training, we would make sure it's done in record time; thirty minutes tops."
"Eh? Konohamaru-chan?", interrupted Udon, "But that's impossible. By my calculations" - and he retrieved his pocket calculator here - "It'd take at least two hours for kids of our size to do such."
"That's why it's called training, kore."
"But Konohamaru-chan!", Moegi cried, "That lake is soooo big! Won't it be too dangerous?"
Sensing the despair of his two friends, he turned and lay an arm on each of their shoulders.
"Udon, Moegi-chan, Don't you worry. I will protect you."
And although his words were simple, it didn't stop flames of determination from appearing in their eyes. . . or the light blush that dusted Moegi's cheeks.
XXXXXXXXXX
Sasuke and Kyuubi had been on the move the moment they heard the first of the ruckus. Abandoning all sense of stealth and discrepancy, they raced through the hallways, paranoid that their charge was somewhat in trouble and all this was some elaborate attempt to kidnap him.
So, it was to their relief that they spotted Naruto with the kids; huddled together in a hallway, as the teachers tried to regain order once more around the disgruntled kids.
Kyuubi heaved a sigh of relief.
"Naruto, what was that about?", she asked, as they pulled him into a corner.
The blonde girl grinned and scratched the back of her head, "Nothing really, Kyuubi-chan. Konohamaru and his friends just played a harmless prank on the school."
"Harmless? They set off a shit-load of firecrackers that had us worried off our asses and you call that harmless? I thought I told you to watch them, Naruto!"
"Has your position been compromised?", Sasuke asked.
"Eh-heh-heh, n-no, not yet."
The Uchiha's eyes narrowed.
"Er, guys, can I, like, you know, get back to class? The teachers would be calling in any moment now and I don't want those kids to get off again on my watch."
Kyuubi shrugged and let him go free while Sasuke backed up against the adjacent wall in thought.
"What's up?", Kyuubi asked.
"Hn. The dobe's up to something."
XXXXXXXXXXX
"Shit! How can little kids run this fast?", Naruto wondered aloud. He had been trying to track down the 'danger gang' for the last fifteen minutes but considering his meagre tracking experience; results were lacking, unfortunately.
That and he was also beginning to panic.
His clones were spread out; knowing he could cover more ground that way, but Naruto doubted the kids had left the immediate vicinity. He prayed his clones were having better luck than he did as he stopped to question innocent bystanders and shopkeepers around.
Meanwhile, Konohamaru's squad had already begun their self-appointed mission of cleaning up the lake. Armed with garbage bags, nets and spearing rods, they worked diligently, much to the amusement of a few bystanders around.
"Leader-chan, it's big!", Moegi cried, as they once again finished another section of the lake. The brown-haired boy didn't bother to answer as he struggled to control his breathing. Even with his copious energy, he had to agree that this assignment was tougher than he envisioned. Not only was the lake larger than he thought, it was also relatively steep; a character that made treading in it awfully treacherous.
Udon looked at the time and notified Konohamaru that about twenty minutes had passed since they begun. The leader didn't like the look of this. They were yet to clean up even half of their preset goal, but Moegi was already tired and he could see his other friend straining to keep wading in the deep.
The sensible part of him argued that they'd done enough, even though he knew that come tomorrow, their little exercise would be in vain. However, the other part of him; his guts, pushed him even harder.
He'd always admired his grandfather and the stories he told. Were it to be the senior Sarutobi, he would have finished this work in thirty minutes tops, at an even lesser age than Konohamaru. It was deeds like this that inspired the boy to emulate his grandad, if he wished to have the slightest hope of surpassing him. He will be the greatest mercenary ever, that's for sure!
So, he turned to his friends and gave them encouraging smiles.
"Just a little more, Moegi, Udon. We are almost done."
"But Konohamaru-chan..."
"Just a little more, dammit! We can't give up now! That's against the Oniwaban's code of honor."
At the scared look on their faces, he softened his expression and looked intently at them, "Please..."
Sharing a look, the two sighed before nodding at him. Konohamaru smiled and led them to a murkier part of the lake which was a bit steeper. They worked diligently for a good time, steadily cleaning the water.
And that was were their teacher met them.
XXXXXXXXXX
Konohamaru had always known that the new teacher didn't like him but this was just plain ridiculous. Why the hell was Mr Yagami dressed in such conspicious attire?
"Konohamaru Sarutobi", the masked maruader enthused, "I have finally found you."
The boy frowned, balancing his equipment on one hand, "What do you want Yagami-sensei?"
The masked man looked taken aback, "You know it is me?"
"Why wouldn't I know you, kore? You're the only one who would wear such stupid glasses even in your silly uniform."
A tick mark appeared on the man's head.
"Eh? Konohamaru-chan", Moegi whispered to him, "Are you sure this is teacher-san? Why is he dressed like this?"
"It's Yagami-sensei, alright. What do you want, kore? Are you here to take us back to school?" But the blonde man was already wading into the water, unclapsing a sword from behind his vest.
"Take you back to school?", he sneered, horn-rimmed glasses glinting with the sunlight cast off the river's surface, "I dearly hope not, you river rat. I've had enough of you and those other snot-nosed brats to last a lifetime. No, I won't be taking you back to school, little Konohamaru. I will be finishing something I should have done a long time ago when I took this mission."
"Teacher-san, what are you doing?", Moegi uttered unsurely, as she spied the long sword in his grasp, "Why are you holding that?"
"I am not your teacher, you stupid girl!"
"What do you mean?", Udon asked.
"He is a merc!", Konohamaru interrupted, "He's probably one of the kidnappers Glasses-sensei always talked about. He's been acting like a teacher for the past month now, using the opportunity to spy on me! I always knew you were shady!"
Yagami actually paused, a bit surprised, "It seems you are smarter than they give you credit for, Konohamaru. But that's enough." The blonde man held out his hand, "Come with me or your friends die."
"Never!", Konohamaru growled.
Yagami sighed, "Okay, let's do this again. Come with me or I'll cut your timid friends into ribbons and turn this place from the Asagi lake into the Akasha BLOODriver. It's your choice", he finished, laughing at his silly joke.
But Konohamaru didn't back down. He spread his arms protectively before his frightened friends and glared at Yagami. There was no way he could take down a mercenary, he was sure of that but he did know some tricks that could help them escape.
The next few seconds were a blur because Yagami vanished only to reappear behind them, sword poised to strike. The three children stood rooted to the spot, unable to move in their shock.
"Have it your way then."
The blow never connected because Yagami vanished again, this time reappearing head-first on the river bank. Naruto stood in his place, cracking his knuckles, a tick mark growing on his temple.
"You leetle shit!", he growled. And then he dived for Konohamaru.
XXXXXXXXXX
Moegi and Udon sweatdropped as they watched the newcomer force a noogie to Konohamaru's skull. Though he was purely masculine, it was obvious that this was were Naruko had gotten her looks from.
"And if you do that again, brat, I'll kill you!", Naruto was saying, "D'you know what would have happened to me if my teammates had found out you were gone! Are you fucking CRAZY?"
"OWWW!", Konohamaru cried as Naruto knuckled his head even harder, "You sicko! Lemme go!"
Udon was just about warning them of the impending threat that Yagami posed but before he could speak, the kidnapper had darted past, snaking an arm around Moegi's throat. Naruto and Konohamaru immediately stopped their bickering.
"HEY!"
With his arm around the girl and his sword drawn, Yagami took a few steps backward.
"Who the fuck are you?", he snarled at his fellow blonde.
Naruto looked affronted by the question and puffed himself out, "Why, I'm Konohamaru's bodyguard! And who the fuck are you?"
"Someone you'll wish you never met. Walk away now kid and I'd forget your earlier attack. This is something you wouldn't want to see."
"I'll go, if you let go of the girl."
"No way in hell, brat!"
"Then what do you want?"
"Konohamaru!", Moegi cried in fear. The man tightened his grip.
"Boss", Konohamaru said, speaking to Naruto respectfully, "He's a kidnapper. It seems he wants me."
Naruto cocked an eyebrow at the man, "Is this true? Which company are you working for then?"
"What is this? Twenty-one questions? All I know is that my employers paid me big money to watch the boy but I got tired of that shit! It's not everyday, he's without his pesky guardian. Better to speed up the process and capture him now. It's what they want after all!"
"Oh", Naruto said, "Just one more question. What rank are you?"
"Chunin. Why?"
"Oh, thank kami", Naruto sighed, "I don't think I could go up against another jonin again. This should be easy."
"Don't underestimate me, brat! I've got decades of experience on you!"
"And I've got only a single bad-ass jutsu on you", Naruto said seriously, "You won't stand a chance."
"You..."
With profound anger, Yagami brought his blade up to Moegi's neck, "You are a fool if you plan on agitating me. Just give me the boy."
"Boss..."
Naruto turned to look at his young ward, "Yeah?"
"Let me go. It'd be okay. Just make sure that Moegi-chan is safe."
"You don't know what you're saying, Konohamaru."
"It'd be alright, boss! I won't let Moegi get hurt because of me" - and he turned to the little girl at this point, flashing her a blinding grin, not unlike Naruto's - "I promise."
The girl visibly relaxed at his words.
"What a smart boy", Yagami chuckled, "It's up to you now, brat!"
Naruto looked at the kid by his side. Just now, he was beginning to view the boy in a whole different light, "Are you sure about this, Konohamaru?"
"For shizzle, boss!"
He then proceeded to grab the kid by the shoulders and haul him under his arm.
"Look at how we'd do it, you bastard!", he growled at Yagami, "We'd toss the two kids at the same time or else, you'd end up getting jack-squat! But I promise you, you won't leave here alive!"
Yagami smirked, hoisting Moegi unto his side in preparation for the throw, "Whatever. We'll do this on the count of three. One. Two. THREE!"
Neither man threw their wards.
"Hey!", Naruto yelled, "Are you trying to trick me?"
"What? I should be saying the same for you!"
"You bastard! A deal is a deal!"
"Crazy ass kid! You'd be better off dead!"
"Ano, why don't you just do it again", Udon interrupted, "This time, I'll count."
Naruto and Yagami glared at each other before nodding.
The bespectacled boy said a small prayer for the safety of his friends then began counting aloud.
On three, both blondes easily flung their charges. The two kids flew in a wide arc, passing each other briefly in mid-air. Konohamaru smiled. Naruto fell backwards into the water; trying to catch Moegi, but Yagami lashed out, easily grasping the Sarutobi by the collar.
"Ha ha!", he yelled, "I've fulfiled my mission! See ya later, suckers!"
To his ultimate surprise, Konohamaru vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving a grinning Naruto in his grasp. A quick glance told him that the 'Naruto' who had caught Moegi was now emerging from the water surface, a tuft of brown hair on his head.
'Shit! He must have performed the Kawarimi no jutsu in mid-air! How the hell did I fall for such a low-rank technique?'
Panicking, he swung his sword, hoping to birfucate the blonde in his grasp but the boy was faster. Joining his two hands together, he created a large explosion of smoke that blinded them all.
"Told ya", Naruto grinned as the smoke cleared, arms crossed behind his head, "You won't stand a chance."
Yagami tried to complete the arc of his blade but paused when he realised it would not budge. Looking backwards, he almost fainted when he realised that about a hundred Narutos were gathered around him, all grinning maniacally. One was holding his sword in a two-handed grip.
"Scream for me", the real Naruto sneered, eyes gleaming with menace.
Yagami barely got a chance to yelp before all hundred clones were upon him, drowing out the gurgles he made.
XXXXXXXXX
Naruto smiled at his handwork as he strung a bloodied, bruised, unconscious Yagami to a tree. The fucker had put up a good fight, managing to take out some of his clones, but in the end, Naruto was the victor in both quantity and quality.
He looked backwards to where Moegi was chewing Konohamaru out with both her little fists. Part of him felt a stir at the sight; watching kids build bonds as they grew. He never had that chance; his one friendship being born out of a tiredness of battling rather than any actual emotion. Sighing, he sat back on his haunches, wondering how his life would have been if things had gone a bit differently. If he had actually grown up in a normal family with siblings of his own. It was a thought he hadn't allowed himself to have in years. Precisely since he was six.
So caught up was he in his musings, he didn't acknowledge the three children standing before his face until Moegi reached out and slapped him on the cheek.
"Ow."
"What should we do now, nii-chan?", the pretty girl asked.
"Nii-chan?", Naruto dumbly repeated.
"Oi; nii-chan. Konohamaru-chan said that we should call you boss now. He said that you're the greatest merc he has ever seen! Almost as good as his grandad! So, you're our big brother!" The girl looked at him shyly, "That's of course, if you're okay with it."
Naruto continued looking dumbly till he noticed Konohamaru off to the side, head tilted in apprehension.
His face turned a small smile, "Naruto-nii-chan, hmm, has a good ring to it. Me likey."
"Arigatou, Nii-chan!"
The blonde grinned as Moegi promptly hugged him. Udon scampered towards him too and he gave the genius kid a pat on the head. Only Konohamaru was left behind.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. The boy looked like he was suffering a constipation. "Alright then..."
"Wait a minute, boss!", the Sarutobi finally blurted, "I'm sorry for insulting you! I'm sorry for disrupting class! I'm sorry for skipping out on..."
But Naruto just raised his fist to the boy, "You're alright, tebayo. You little brat."
It took the boy a few minutes before he understood what was happening. Grinning in a similar manner, he bumped fists with his new mentor, "You too, kore! Nii-chan."
"Good. So what say you we finish cleaning this lake before heading back to school. Say an hour this time?"
"Hai, Naruto-nii-chan!", the three voices chorused.
"Alright! Let's do this!" The blonde yelled before pausing, "Though, it would probably be wise if we kept all that happened today between ourselves..."
The three children made a zipping noise.
Grinning, he turned back to the lake and chorused, "Kage bunshin no jutsu!"
XXXXXXXXX
Sasuke and Kyuubi sighed as the bell rang, signaling the end for the day. Luckily, there had been no other incidence since the firecracker one, apart from the part of Konohamaru's homeroom teacher going missing.
It was with relief that they stood by the gates, waiting for the throng of children to come rushing out the halls.
Fifteen minutes later, Konohamaru's group had still not shown up.
"What's taking them?", Kyuubi growled as she started weaving towards the building doors, past the swarm of squealing boys and girls racing to their guardians' arms.
She had just reached the double doors, when she spied a head of brown hair coming her way. Konohamaru was walking out, his two friends treading happily behind him.
"Hey, Konohamaru", Kyuubi called, "Have you seen Naruto?"
The boy looked dubiously at her, "Why should I have seen him, kore? Wasn't he with you?"
"Oh", Kyuubi said, remembering that the boy didn't know who Naruko was all along, "Well, he went off on his own, and what is this I hear about the little prank you pulled today? Your mother will hear this, that's for sure!"
The trio cringed at her declaration.
Sasuke had been moving to join her when he felt someone tap at his shoulder.
"Naruto? Where have you been?"
The blonde shrugged, "It's hard to dispel a henge with all those kids milling about." He didn't bother to mention that he had only just managed to switch back with his clones in time just as the bell rang.
They caught up with Kyuubi who frowned angrily at him before noticing the state of his shoes. They were sodden and dripping murky water.
"Gasp! What happened to your shoes?"
The blonde cringed, "Er, bathroom accident?"
"Eww, Naruto." She then looked at Konohamaru's group, "But what about them? What happened to all your shoes?"
Naruto and Konohamaru shared a look before flashing Kyuubi cheeky grins, "Major bathroom accident."
The redhead turned green and looked to Sasuke for help, but the Uchiha kept mumbling under his breath; 'I don't wanna know. I don't wanna know.' He suspected Naruto had been up to something but he'd be better off not knowing what it was this time around.
They were interrupted by Konohamaru's shout of 'Grandpa!' as a black limousine pulled up across the gates. The group followed unsurely behind the racing boy who flung himself onto the waist of an old man; hair receeding and wizened with age. The man chuckled and patted the boy on the head a few times. Standing some ways beside him was none other than their jonin sensei.
"Kakashi?", Sasuke asked, surprised.
The jonin eye-smiled at them.
"Are these your students, Kakashi?", the old man asked, looking fondly at the school and all the children running about. For someone who just stepped out of an imposing limo, he looked oddly small. Though, that was negated by the manner in which he carried himself; which spoke of an underlying power, great enough to easily dwarf that of their jonin sensei's.
"Hai, Sarutobi-sama."
The man named Sarutobi gazed at them with twinkling eyes, a small smile playing on his lips, "Well, I do know Udon and Moegi-chan; they are my grandson's friends after all. And this beautiful lady here is none other than the Hanatakas'. A pleasure to meet you once again, Miss Kyuubi, I daresay, under even better circumstances."
The girl bowed politely, "Same here, Mr Sarutobi. Thank you for everything."
His eyes twinkled again, "Alas, I do not believe I have met any of the fine men before me. To whom do I owe the pleasure?"
"Uchiha Sasuke", the raven-haired male said. Sarutobi extended a friendly hand to him, "Uchiha, eh? Shouldn't I have known. You must be the one everyone speaks so fondly about. No doubt, a son to Fugaku. I'm honored to meet you."
He then turned to Naruto, "And you are?"
The blonde had his arms crossed behind his head, a nonchalant expression on his face. Not even bothering to look at Sarutobi, he muttered, "Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto. And who the hell are you, old geezer?"
His teammates gasped and looked at him, scandalized. Kakashi turned a stern expression to his student, "Now, Listen here, Naru...", but he was waved off disinterestedly by the man.
"I'm Hiruzen. Hiruzen Sarutobi. I don't believe we've met before, Naruto-kun."
For the briefest of moments, a flash of emotion passed between Hiruzen's eyes. Sasuke and Kyuubi saw it but neither could register its meaning nor purpose.
Naruto nodded, "You're Konohamaru's grandfather, right? That would mean you're a good man. He's always speaking highly about you."
He then made a fist, "I think you're alright, Sarutobi-san. Konohamaru's lucky to have you."
The emotion flashed through Hiruzen's eyes once more before it was replaced with a twinkle, as he smiled and bumped fists with his grandson's friend. Team three released breaths they didn't know they had been holding.
"Alright, Hiro, let's go."
A young butler they hadn't noticed before saluted Sarutobi before scurrying to get the doors for him.
"Kakashi, I'm glad we could talk", the man said, as he strode towards his vehicle, "As for you, young masters and mistress, I do hope we get to meet again. Would you like for me to drop you off, Udon, Moegi?"
As the children filed into the car, Konohamaru turned once more to grin at his mentor, "Would I be seeing you again, Naruto-nii-chan?"
The blonde gave him a thumbs up, "We'll see, believe it."
Replicating the gesture, Konohamaru settled into the car and the limo pulled away from the school.
Kyuubi and Sasuke turned to look at their teammate.
"What?"
"Nii-chan? Seriously?", Kyuubi asked, "I thought you said he didn't know you were Naruko."
"What can I say? He probably thought I was the coolest among us three."
"Yeah? And what the hell were you doing talking to Mr Sarutobi that way? You sure are rude."
"It's a fist bump, Kyuubi-chan. Haven't you heard the song? The rapper Killer-Bee always uses fist bumps to exchange emotions! It's all part of the swaaaaggg!"
The two began bickering once more as they followed after Kakashi. Sasuke turned to his teacher.
"Who was that man, Kakashi?"
The jonin gave him a mischeivous look, "Which man, Sasuke?"
"You know the one I'm talking about, sensei", Sasuke grunted, tiring of his teacher's extremities.
"I don't know", Kakashi whistled jauntily, "But maybe you would, Sasuke."
And while there was no evidence supporting his belief, the Uchiha confirmed his hunch about who they had just spoken to.
XXXXXXXXX
Hiruzen sat back in his car, listening to his grandson dramatize his story in-between mouthfuls of granola bars.
"...and then that Yagami guy disappears and then appears again, then Naruto-niichan jumps in with a super punch! And then..."
Hiruzen smiled as he mentally reviewed the reports his ANBU had sent him. Prior to contrary belief, he always had a special agent watching his grandson at all times. Rai Yagami had been picked up and was now being transferred to the special detention cells erected in the HQ. Ibiki would surely get a kick out of this.
"...then he did some sort of jutsu and BAM! There were like three thousand of him! You'd have to teach me that later, grandpa! And then they fought; wham! Floosh! Whapish! And then..."
Uzumaki Naruto, Hiruzen thought, his eyes twinkling with joy, Thank you.
XXXXXXXXXXX
UN
XXXXXXXXXXX
I made some changes to last chapter seeing as it wasn't spaced or paragraphed appropriately (curse line breaks). However, since I do all of my work on my phone (which is better than any laptop, mind you: I prefer writing anywhere I go), expect this frequently. I'm still trying to get the hang of Fanfiction after all.
Hope you liked the chapter and feel free to ask or inquire about anything. There's a reason for PM you know (Unsurprisingly, I don't know)
Next chapter, a shorter author's note and Team three gets their first C-rank! Yep, we all know what it will be...
See ya and don't forget to review! It'd only take an hour or so ;)