A/N - I do not own Naruto. What I do own however is a viral chest infection. Now I'm no bitch, I get some sort of punk ass virus once a year tops, even then I shrug it off real quick but damn this is killing me. Trade ya Kishimoto?
Chapter Seven: The Opportunist
Naruto's eye twitched as he and his squad members walked through one of the many lavish forests littered in the country, "Okay fine but I don't see the big deal, honestly, it's the Capital. I doubt anything will go wrong."
Keshi just looked back at the junior stern faced, "I hope you're right, just follow my orders. Everyone's first is an experience, don't let it be a bad one."
Naruto obeyed, eyes no longer holding a relaxed look but now making it clear that this ninja although young was professional and skilled.
The captain of the group wasn't surprised, no matter the situation or the moment once an order was given the boy followed it to a tea, nearly robotic in nature.
After three days of travelling he had gotten along well with his older comrade who seemed to genuinely like the boy's company. As expected the journey was uneventful, they were coming to its end and once they got out of the forest the Capital would be in sight so the odds of attack now where next to none. Even so, if somebody or something were stupid enough to go through with the act they would find difficulty dealing with the platoon of soldiers that now accompanied them.
As per usual, Naruto was taking the rear while Izumo and Kotetsu flanked the carriage manned by Keshi. In it was their 'ever beaming bundle of joy' who had just sent a glare in his direction which he only assumed was for speaking.
The platoon of soldiers had came from the Capital to meet them early that morning and as they were on schedule to arrive in the late afternoon it provided a much needed cool down, that was for Naruto anyway.
For the most part his three day trip was spent with an overbearing silence as he stalked behind the carriage due to the enforcer's rule. He had a lot of time to think so he was mentally prepared despite what little he knew about his destination. He didn't expect much chance of combat, the Capital was just an ordinary village but bigger, the vast majority of its residents would be honest hard working civilians with the rest being Nobles and Lords. To top off the class pyramid would be the literal crown Jewel, the Daimyo and his family.
That last sentence had caused him quite the headache. Apparently they were in the capital was for two reasons, protecting 'sunshine' on the way there and ensuring safety in the premises they were staying.
This was fine.
What wasn't was the fact they were staying in the Daimyo's palace, 'Like that wouldn't of been nice to know?'
Koharu had been sent for talks with the country's leader, the details were well above his pay grade but he was here as the muscle as funny as that may sound. His job was to stay on guard and to be a glorified baby sitter during meetings and fill in any gaps in the needed extra security; essentially he was going to spend a week of guard duty while the other three would be given the more interesting jobs. No doubt Keshi would get to be present in the meetings. Kotetsu and Izumo would probably get a pretty easy time of it escorting any important people from place to place and organising defences, easy yet interesting and at the forefront of any would be action.
Naruto's straight back and perky face fell upon the thought, 'I'll be babysitting some pumped up plastic bitch that's like a fifth cousin of the Daimyo's wife... fuck the disciplinary measures, I wonder what would happen if I refused?'
He shook his head thinking on the matter. On the high chance that he would eventually break to a tedious mission in the near future, this would no doubt result in mindless death and destruction of whomever ordered it, he didn't want it to be the first mission he went on. Reputation, wealth and fame had to be earned before that inevitable conclusion.
Not that it really mattered to him or anything, but he wondered what he was doing here? Why Kakashi picked out this of all missions to send him on or maybe that was the logical yet highly critical part of him speaking up. He'd get his time here over with and then he'd go home with some serious bank made. All he had to do was keep his head down and do what he was told.
Following the line of thought and travelling on in silence they came to the forest's edge revealing a lookout of the city. The group came to a stop, the only sound being the impressed whistle of Naruto, "Maybe this won't be so bad after all."
Not even he could complain about this view, squinting he could make out at least four separate ice cream parlours, what looked to be a museum the size of the Hokage tower and he was guessing that was a brothel.
He saw Kotetsu and Izumo eyeing it up; most likely a brothel.
"Please sir, our guests arrived at the gates over ten minute ago. They will be on our doorstep waiting any minute now and it is quite the rude gesture to keep them waiting." The words spoken were quite chastising and direct although the tone spoken made it less so, more into a suggestion or just some off guard information.
The man being spoken to set down what had gained his interest, a rubix cube, and followed to let out a long sigh, "Do I really have to do this? Hiruzen has been here enough times to see himself in, we don't have to go through this whole routine every time." Standing to his full height it was clear the man was no longer in his prime. Quite an aged but pristine look adorned his face and he had the hairstyle to boot, combed back what was once jet black but now greying hair into a tight bun and to top it off he wore a dark blue layered sweater with light grey pants.
The same voice of his butler droned back, "Sir, I've been telling you all week that Hiruzen couldn't make it. Koharu Utatane, Konoha no Sato's village elder will be attending and she is due to arrive..." white glove coming off his right hand to be then temporarily tucked under his left arm he pulled out a gold pocket watch, "Right about now."
The action had to have been used many times over the years, such was the efficiency.
"WHAT!" He paused in place and paled before adrenaline kicked in, swiftly moving over to the old butler he grabbed both shoulders and shook, "Jeeves! Why would you keep this from me, she's horrible!" He had meet the hag but once before and it hadn't been a pleasant experience, that lifeless glare that she gave for no reason. He shivered.
Jeeves remained unfazed, "I assumed you were aware Sir."
At this he exited with haste, arms swinging wildly as he ran down the hall, "Sir, may I add that as the Daimyo you are to receive protection by a personal bodyguard at all times!"
Jeeves shout after him made him stop, "If I don't get a body guard Akainu will kill me... on the other hand, if I wait for one." The thought of Konoha's village elder phased through his mind before he again took off on a mad sprint. 'No doubt Akainu will put me through proverbial pain but it's a noble sacrifice that has to be made.' Comical tear drops ran openly from the royal Daimyo's eyes.
Naruto just sighed in relief as he walked through the halls of the rather large building. The term 'rather large' was used due to the setting, one would not call it what it rightfully was, this being a palace but instead an impressive household that would serve the purpose of a small yet wealthy family well. The reason for this was because he was now expected to be 'more than that;' as Keshi had put it, 'You are in the living quarters of arguably the most important person in the country and you will act like it.'
Or on Naruto's words, "Holy shit this place is tight." His voice echoed as he approached the end of one of the many halls when he heard thudding sounds getting louder and louder. Following the sound he looked up at the balcony above to see a strange looking man 'running' - or at least trying - towards the stairway; he had been told that the place housed hundreds of people, there were maids, chefs not to mention a small army for protection, just about everything a royal family would need.
The chances were he was one of them, right? "Yo sonic, hold up a second," said man stopped and looked down from the balcony obviously exhausted, "You happen to know where rooms 988, 989 and 990 are?"
He looked down at his questioner and because of his attire he quickly realised it wasn't one of his workers or more importantly a bodyguard. The spiky blond continued to look up at him expectantly, "Hmm, kid. You know civilians aren't supposed to be in here?" His voice was eerily similar to Matio Guy, only if possible, it felt like every word was lowering the listeners IQ.
The man was a dunce.
Silenced followed, 'Looks like I've caught another pesky trespasser mid-act no doubt.'
Naruto, with much effort didn't erupt at the remark and continued to look up at a triumphant smile, 'This guys a fucking idiot.' He sucked in his teeth, "Well if I see any I'll be sure to let you know."
"Oh, okay..." He shrugged and just as he was about to push off the banner his eyes widened, "Impressive trick my young enigma, but you won't fool me that easy kid. I've lived here all my life and there's only two types of people that can break in, you're either a master assassin who has come to kill the Daimyo or a wandering kid who's drifted too far from home, that sort of answer has definitely eliminated the latter." Oh this was good. Akainu would be proud of this.
Naruto sweat dropped at the man's variety of assumptions before releasing a sigh, "Goddamn it... Trust me to run into an imbecile with an analysis paralysis. Fuck, who writes this shit..." Naruto just placed his hands up in a placating fashion as he came face-to-face with the aged man, "Look I'm just trying to find some rooms for me and my teammates, I was sent ahead to prepare them." He rubbed the back of his head somewhat embarrassed; it was a sad life for a Genin when your job was to make the beds.
That or either Koharu just didn't want him there when the Daimyo arrived. He knew the answer.
Slow green eyes followed Naruto's arm as he duly recognised the metal plate tied to it. Suspicious narrowed eyes slowly widened, 'Looking for rooms, check – teammates, check - sent ahead - check.' He looked at Naruto's attire, 'Dark colours, check - bracers for combat, check - metal plate for deflecting projectiles, check. 'My analytical skills are genius.'
Exuberantly the man shouted, "You're a new recruit, aren't you?"
Naruto face faulted, 'So close yet so far. Why me?'
The man ignored it his loud voice continuing, "This is great kid, and your timing is impeccable so consider yourself hired."
"Okay old man I think you need to calm down a little." His frustration was quickly building as the man took no recognition by his word.
His closed eyes and bright smile were oblivious to the other's emotion, "As your first order-"
He let out a growl as his muscles coiled, "Would you please shut up and listen?"
"You are to complete an escort mission-"
His mind told him no but his body yearned to deliver a punishment, "HELLO! I'M NOT A GUARD!"
"From floor three, corridor six, too the palace entry."
'Fuck!' This was the stupidest thing he could do but reprisal be damned, it was worth it.
"I, the Daimyo of fire country will be your client."
A loud flesh hitting flesh slap echoed throughout the palace.
Naruto slowly looked around the empty hall before looking at his fist, blue eyes then moved on towards the rather bruised face of the now known Daimyo who was currently looking at him, fear clearly evident in his eyes. "You know, I don't even regret doing that."
"An apology would have been nice." Arguably the most powerful man in the country looked at Naruto like a lost puppy as he dabbed the bruise on his check, his tone sounding much like his action.
The Uzumaki didn't look back, "Why do you expect one." With his act of violence everything else would seem trivial, hence why he was acting per usual.
The Daimyo sputtered out, "Well you did hit me rather hard. I was nearly sure you were one of my new guards."
Naruto just let out a dry chuckle as he leaned against the wall to his side, "If by 'nearly sure' you mean that you didn't have a clue who I was and jumped to a completely wrong conclusion despite having the knowledge and resources to find out, then 'nearly sure' should have been enough. I'm a Ninja!"
His face lit up in obvious excitement, "A ninja? Aren't you a little young. The oldest Ninja I've seen in my time was barely a man, you don't even look like a teen yet." He was generally interested, he loved Ninja and although he was never able to get much talk out of them he was very interested to what they could do. Between sticking to surfaces, great reflexes and being able to fire off Jutsu with their Catra it was amazing. Some kid couldn't really do it, could he?
Naruto didn't react to the unintentional compliment, "Well that's because you have to have a certain skill level before going on higher ranked missions. Although young I was deemed strong enough for this mission and thus here I am, ruining my career one step at a time."
The Daimyo looked at Naruto questioningly, "You know you're a strange Ninja. Most of the time they don't talk at all, I have to ask them questions and it's always a one word response. You're different..."
"Naruto," The blonde stated when he felt the reach for his name, "Damn right I'm different. I'm a walking magnet for trouble...as you can probably tell." He had racked up multiple ways on how he'd talk himself out of this one; none of them would work against Koharu so the mission was a failure, Sarutobi on the other hand. With a few warps of the truth along with a rookie mistake maybe just maybe he could get away with this.
Unlikely... but it was worth a shot.
His smile widened at the revelation of his name, something he was quick to hide, 'I guess that explains why the boy is the way he is.' He saw the boy mulling over some thoughts, "Say Naruto, just how skilled are you?"
No matter the situation, when the leader of the country gave you the chance to boast you took it, "Well I became a Genin about three and a half months ago. I'm pretty well versed in the basics and I know more that I should considering my age; I'm also pretty skilled in Fuinjutsu. Oh, and I can make a shit ton of clones, probably around a couple thousand."
Again he let a small smile come to his face; he was never one to hold a grudge and understood when he was in the wrong despite a rather spoiled upbringing. He had a tendency to get carried away with things, especially when panicked, but even still he was just going to send the young Ninja back to his team and forget the whole incident occurred, then he was given the name of his attacker and it was one that he had heard before.
Now one thing he would credit himself with was memory, he had a fine memory and that was no lie. He had heard the name all those years ago from Hiruzen and he didn't forget names, especially not that one. He had wanted to meet the boy but even he couldn't do that, his title was a hindrance in that regard. But alas, now was his chance.
On queue the large office door opened, Naruto straightened to a salute while the Daimyo remained seated, hands clasped in front of him while he leaned forward. A very professional pose that leaked rationality and strength something that shocked the blond because of what was previously shown.
Entering through the doorway was Koharu and a small stocky man dressed in the standard black and white suite. Entering first he held the door open and upon receiving a thank you from both political figures in the room he excited, closing the door quietly behind him.
Upon entering Koharu noticed three things she wasn't expecting, the most obvious being the presence of Naruto, that the Daimyo had received a rather large bruise and that the atmosphere in the room were particularly tense. Her mind had jumped to a conclusion and she paled at the thought.
As usual political politeness had to come first, the aged leader of the country followed tradition and waited until the village elder had reached the middle of the large room before standing up and bowing, "Welcome village elder Koharu Utatane, I assure your travel was safe?"
"Of course it was, I presume and hope my short stay here does not interfere with any of your plans?"
What could he say, it was tradition. Although times had moved on and he would do a far less formal act with the like of Hiruzen it was something that couldn't be avoided with her. She was here on business and to talk about village matters that involved him, they would cover and go over details for the first few days and spend the remainder of the week deciding on what direction to take with the proposals and existing agreements. Then the standard financial issues had to be assessed and after that they had to reach a joint conclusion before she would eventually return back to her home. The whole event had been arranged months before hand yet here he was, participating in meaningless small talk and pleasantries.
"If I may be so bold to ask, how did you gain such an injury, it looks quite recent as well." Her eyes flicked to Naruto who remained motionless.
Naruto had yet to be addressed so remained stationary until told to do so, he locked eyes with the Daimyo and he could of swore he seen a smile, 'It was short but the run was good.'
"Well its actually why I didn't come to meet you; you see I had a bad landing going down the stairs and this young chap," He pointed to Naruto, "managed to get me sorted and escorted me here so I could tend to it."
Naruto's only reaction was a slight narrow of the eyes before he returned to normal. Koharu caught this.
Giving him a firm looking over she stripped him down. The usual standard stance of a boy with his sort of confidence, a clearly faked interested on guard look, glazed over eyes and clear disinterest present. That didn't necessarily mean he was doing these things but to an untrained eye it looked like that, "Very good work Naruto-san. You may be dismissed."
Naruto ignored the honorific but exited in the standard Shinobi way, discrete and fast in the form of a Shunshin. Although puzzled he knew one thing for sure, the Daimyo of an entire country doesn't let you away after something like that unless it's for other reasons. He shrugged as he walked into his room, time would tell.
Back in the office the Daimyo broke the silence after the blonde's departure, "I'll never understand how you Ninja can do that. Bear in mind this is from a civilian point of view but how on earth do you manage to simply disappear and reappear. Simple physics shouldn't allow it; his molecule arrangement should be completely ruined?"
'As stupid as he is, the man has a questioning mind, never a bad trait.' As the elder of a village for so long, Koharu Utatane had a little knowledge on how to deal with all types of people, weather it was the smartest peasant to the stupidest King she had knowledge on how to deal with situations. Her background as a Ninja also told her that the fist sized bruise on his check did not come from 'falling down the stairs.'
She had been a Ninja for over sixty years; she knew what they looked like. On another note she had a fair idea on who caused it and would like to confirm her suspicion; not that she wanted the topic to resurface but doing so was not an option. The Daimyo had instantly waved it off, political talk meant that it was not of importance or it's not for your ears, either way it wasn't something she was going to find out. If her suspicion was correct, he didn't seem to care. If it wasn't then all the better and she could move on.
With this thought Koharu was more than happy to answer the question. "We do it through chakra," Seeing a very interested country leader wanting her to continue she held back another sigh, "We learn to focus it to a place or area we want to be, the farther the area the more chakra and skill it requires. It's quite a handy technique although it requires a lot of practice."
At that the Daimyo mentally noted it was chakra and not catra, he barked out a booming laugh, "So the little tike's actually quite skilled. I thought Hiruzen had just sent him down to keep me interested?"
Koharu pointed out the facts, "For his age he is skilled, and actually one of our top Jonin, Kakashi Hatake has complete control of his team." She saw a nod; even he knew his name. "Well he has been given full control over Naruto and his teammates. From training to missions, even full control of them until they become Chunin."
His dealing in Ninja affairs told him enough to understand the anomaly that was. A Kage, although loved and ultimately chosen, was a democratic title. They didn't hand out little bits of power so he assumed that he'd be getting to know Kakashi a little better in the future.
Running a hand through his hair he then grinned, "Well I suppose that's to be expected with the boy's heritage and the burden he holds."
The second the words left his mouth he regretted them, the room's atmosphere had noticeably dropped. Not out of rage nor anything of the sort but he had obviously stepped onto a very touchy subject.
She chose her words carefully, "We do not talk about...those things. Considering that the boy doesn't know his burden nor does he know his heritage I ask you to not repeat your words." She wasn't one bit surprised that he knew these things; Hiruzen had been forced to tell him within days after the Kyuubi's attack on the village. The Fourth had died, the Kyuubi had been sealed into his son was the information he got, that's if her memory served her well.
Considering that after one look at the kid you could pinpoint who his father was, it definitely wasn't a surprise either. Everyone knew that the Daimyo got on very well with Minato Namikaze.
The Daimyo gave a small smile, "I assumed as much." He rose out of his chair behind his desk and stretched announcing their conversation and pleasantries over for the day, "Well there's no point of treading on the past, I'd like to get to know the boy a bit over the next few days, see what he can do, if you don't mind that is?"
His words were presumed a question; the tone suggested otherwise, "You may." She didn't have a choice in the matter but she couldn't help but think Naruto was sent here to grow mentally and be given answers. After an altercation with Danzo, Hiruzen had wanted to tell the boy of his burden so he could accept his life as it was.
She would hardly be able to stop a Daimyo's twelve year old wish of meeting his best friends' son, especially if that was indeed what Hiruzen wanted.
Three Days Later
"...Give me your best shot." Naruto stood relaxed, one arm scratching the back of his neck while the other tensed on guard awaiting a response from Izumo. The look on his face made it all too clear what he was thinking. Naruto sighed, "I know for a fact I'd at least give you something to think about, I'm a lot better than you guys have been giving me credit for."
Izumo snorted, "I doubt that. Despite it all you're a fresh Genin and besides, we've been given are first break in days, do you not wanna make use of it. How about we go downtown?" He and Kotetsu had been organising the protection of the Daimyo's grounds, making sure nobody got in or out without them knowing about it, he needed some time to cool down.
"I've missed training for three consecutive days, I need to do something," he chuckled seeing Izumo slump in defeat, "If you beat me then we'll go downtown. Sound fair?"
The flat and large open fields outside the palace made a perfect spot for battle. Surrounded in thick woods and palace gardens it was a lot like Konoha, "Fine, let's get this over with," without hesitation he immediately disappeared from view, "You should always be aware Naruto," reappearing behind the blonde he swiped with a right fist that was easily blocked with the blonde's free hand, "Hmm, maybe you'll be better than I thought, eh twinkle toes?"
Izumo pushed away realising he was dealing with a little more than he was expecting, 'He's got good reflexes, no amount of training can teach that reaction time.' You could train speed and you could train your senses but an unexpected attack without knowing what direction it was coming, that was all reflex. You had it or you didn't.
He quickly dodged one of Naruto's punches and forced him to back off when he kicked out with a swinging kick that he narrowly avoided with a jump, "You're not bad."
Words spurring him on Naruto stepped it up a little, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Flanked with six clones either side he stood still with calculative eyes while they rushed forward.
Izumo looked unimpressed, "Huh, only twelve? And I heard you were a chakra monster!" Dashing forward to meet them he jumped high into the air and came down with a kick immediately dispelling one, continuing for the main Naruto he weaved in and out of them before he was forced to come to a stop. 'So you're going to circle me eh,' He withdrew a kunai and waited for them to attack and so they did. Immediately being forced to duck he responded by upper cutting his attacker, going on the offence he lunged at a clone before snaking around him leaving behind the loud crack of a snapped arm before blocking a punch with an open hand; being able to clamp down he held the clone in place before finishing it off with a straight stab through the chest, "Four down Naruto!"
His taunting voice seemed to have no effect when he caught a glance at the original. A small frown was in place instead.
Not giving him time more clones rushed, this time Kunai drawn. He took the brunt of a fist in order to dodge the Kunai onslaught that followed, responding with his own low leg sweeps and accurate swipes he took out a few more, the sliding and loud sting of metal hitting metal echoed throughout the grounds. Pulling a clone towards him he used it as a shield before swiping out at another, that's when the low hissing noise that every Shinobi was familiar with entered his system.
Snapping his head around he saw a manically grinning Naruto, on the front of his shirt being an explosive note burned almost all the way through. As if that wasn't enough his grinning face mouthed the words 'Only twelve' as Izumo and the last clone were engulfed as the explosion rang out.
A mostly unharmed Izumo flew out of the smoke, 'The kid's talented.' It wasn't necessarily a close one but it was far from what he wanted out of this fight. As he looked up he saw Naruto still in place, looking back at him with a small scowl, "I thought there'd be more than that."
Naruto's response was to place his hands in the familiar cross symbol and with another shout around a hundred clones spawned to life before him. He paled, 'I just never learn, do I?'
It was the same process; Naruto stayed back, arms crossed and analysing the fight while Izumo again dealt with the clones. By the looks of it, and like last time, Naruto had given them silent orders to stop him from getting to the original. He dealt with the clones again, this time having to resort to a few Jutsu for dodging like the Kawarimi no Jutsu to pull him out of a few scraps.
He would wipe the remaining few away with a quick water Jutsu, a few hand-seals later and a call of "Water Style: Liquid Bullet," and again he was left staring across the empty field at the stationary Uzumaki, this time there were a few more shreds on his clothes and a small cut on his check thanks to a narrowly dodged kunai. A hitch was in his breath, 'He fights very smart for a so called reckless kid.'
Kakashi had obviously put a lot of discipline into the blonde because he wasn't fighting like a fresh reckless Genin, he was fighting like a seasoned Jonin. Naruto had been put into a one vs. one fight and he knew for a fact that he was by far outmatched by an older, wiser and ultimately stronger opponent but that didn't mean it was an automatic loss. He worked to his advantages, he didn't have many but he made use of them.
The Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, a strong clone that can transfer memories to the original when ended. Naruto obviously knew the ins and outs of the Jutsu after using it and gathering information about it; everyone knew that it's only downfall and the reason it was avoided by many Ninja was its chakra usage. That wasn't a problem for Naruto.
That was all well and good, the boy knew his Jutsu but then comes the kicker; he knew to use them smartly. The only disadvantage of it was chakra usage, he didn't have to worry about other opponents and with clones up he knew he was safe. Naruto had stayed still, analysing the fight with his eyes and mind. Kage Bunshin should be used for Intel or distractions; with Naruto's chakra he used them as pawns. Their job was to go out onto the battlefield and create chaos, to try different situations against the opponent and to see what worked and what didn't. With each one that he killed Naruto could sift through its info and find out a better way to fight.
And that's exactly where he stood in this match. The original Naruto didn't lift a finger and used pawns to access and in turn weaken his opponent while finding his weakness, his eyes narrowed which finally caused Naruto to smirk, "You're a little bastard, you know that."
The haggard breath of his teammate prompted him into a laugh, "You figured it out... and don't think I don't see you trying to sneak your clones behind me." Two kunai were withdrawn and launched at speed both right and left which resulted in two loud pops, "It's a pretty O.P strategy, don't ya think."
Izumo grumbled, "By the time I knew what you were doing it was too late, you had worn me down and gained too much info on me." Naruto did have a good strategy but it wouldn't work on the true elites who could just keep fighting and he'd be sure to let him know.
Naruto just Laughed before making another few hundred clones, "When I was busy doing nothing the past three days I had time to think. Izumo and Kotetsu are lazy bastards and their stamina must be shit cause all you ever do is gate duty. I put the two together and wa-la. Even though you're stronger than me I beat you easily," He finished with a shit eating grin and wiggling eyebrows, "Can't wait to tell Keshi about this."
Izumo just lay down in fatigue but managed enough effort to flip the bird, "You're a real asshole." Contrary to his words he was smiling.
Finishing training instructions to his new clones he headed over to his teammate before giving him a light playful kick, "So are we going downtown now? I'm sort of excited to see some of it."
Izumo just groaned before opening one eye, "I'm beat kid, I need some rest."
Naruto felt like ripping his hair out at that, "You can't be serious, even Sasuke could last longer than that."
He received another flip of the bird before giving up, "You're about as much use as a pedal-powered wheelchair Izumo. I'm not saying I hate you or anything, but I'd pull out your life support to charge my phone."
Walking away he didn't hear Izumo's fit of giggles, 'That sentence right there is what I'll tell the lad's back at Konoha.' It summed Naruto up in a nutshell.
Naruto let loose a loud yawn as he walked through the streets of the Capital; for the most part it was pretty boring. It was like Konoha in many ways, just on a larger scale, instead of their being Ninja there were stationed guards every now and then, and it was actually laid out much like Konoha too, the only difference being that the building held the trend of being a bit larger and also using more stone in their construction.
He didn't really know why he left the privilege that was the palace and its expansive grounds. He would far rather be training than walking around bored, 'Now maybe if I had some money it would be fun.' In hindsight, coming to the market district without any money probably wasn't the best idea.
His clones had got Fuinjutsu and other mental things down easily for him, he also had a few running through Kata's because the muscle memory would work, what he needed to do was train himself. At that thought he was tempted to turn back but he dismissed it. He had been walking for well over ten minutes now, something interesting was supposed to happen, right?
He had a reputation for attracting attention and disaster and his patience for one or the other was starting to run thin. Where was the twenty foot giant or the rogue Ninja that he was supposed to defeat? This was no fun at all and it looked to be staying that way, 'What's wrong with this place, I'm not even getting stared at.' It was true and damn was it strange. The streets were bustling, as would be expected in the market area of the Capital. He had passed thousands of people and not one had given him a glare.
For some reason that just seemed to happen in Konoha, he shrugged his shoulders, as usual it was a thought that he didn't really care about too much anymore, he had came to his conclusions, formulated his theories but that was it. So like always it was shoved to the back of his mind.
Another yawn came out before his physical tick clicked into place; hand behind his neck he gave it a small scratch the result being a low groan and a very good view for any onlookers. Unknown to the ignorant Genin, there was.
He heard a giggle to his left causing him to look around in confusion, "Huh?"
Another giggle; trained eyes pinpointed the location..."Goddamn it. I thought this was long over." His brief stint in his first week at the academy meant that he wasn't entirely clueless about the situation, didn't mean he had to like it though.
The gaggle came over to him and despite everything that he stood for he wasn't going to just shut them down because that was rude and if Ino taught him one thing it was, 'Woman are delicate. They are all beautiful. They all have feelings. Don't hurt them; don't think you're cool for disrespecting them either.'
When Ino got mad it had an impact on him so it was no surprise when the echo of her words came to the forefront of his mind, they had quite literally been drilled into him.
He turned questioning eyes to the three ladies that were approaching him and he didn't regret it. They were older than him by a couple years tops with all three wearing similar yet different coloured outfits, nothing out of the ordinary from what he could tell. Short, low cut denim shorts to deal with the heat fire country provided and the usual short sleeve tops that civilian girls would wear.
His eyes continued to ponder before they were clued in place to the particularly well endowed girl in the middle, 'Damn, she's only a few years older than me-...Don't stare you pervert!' He mentally reprimanded himself, as with much effort he managed to lift his eyes to meet hers.
It was a weakness of every man and he refused to be a pervert, no-no. He was an opportunist. He didn't actively go out of his way to see these sorts of things, but of the situation arose where he could steal a peek then why not? He wasn't harming anyone and damn it, he was a growing boy.
Being pushed forward by the other two the girl in the middle giggled again before talking, "Hello, my name is Akiko. I couldn't help but notice you...looking very lost," her friends giggled again at the clear meaning behind the words. Naruto caught it too. "I've never seen you around here before."
The now known Akiko was a petite girl for her age. Nearly the exact same height as Naruto at a level five foot she had dark hair with vibrant blue highlights running through it.
'Ha, I wasn't the only one then.' He didn't feel so bad now, "The names Naruto," he gave a small smile, "and that's because I sorta am. I've never been to the capital before so I was just taking a quick look around."
Despite spending his life confined to a village he could deal with most situations through natural ability. If he was in trouble, he just so happened to be gifted with a quick mind that came up with excuses so terrible on a regular basis that they started to become believable; another trait was self control, he could stop the smallest twitch from happening but it was the age old tale, nobody was perfect.
No single person was adapted for dealing with every situation, on a physical scale Naruto's lean body meant he would always struggle in the strength aspect of being a Shinobi but would make up for it in speed and this situation was no different.
This was one of those things only instead of a physical weakness it was more of a sociable one and he knew a mistake was made as soon as he finished talking.
Naruto made three mistakes. The instincts of a growing boy made it clear he was interested despite really not wanting to be. The other two were more out of his control than anything though; going overboard with Ino's advice he made sure to be polite, the unusual small half smile that he adorned gave off a look pleasing to the eye. Mix this with his Shinobi clothes and trademark hair and he hit the uncommon and forever unknown criteria of a teen girl on the head.
The only problem being that he wanted to avoid it...'I'd take an S-ranked ninja over this any day.'
Akiko gave a small squeal, "What! This is your first time in the Capital; I insist you let me show you around!" It wasn't a question; before he knew it the stranger had taken him by the hand and was dragging him through the market.
"How did we even get here? And what's the point of all this?" Naruto really understood why people talked about the Capital a lot, it had everything, and by everything he really did mean everything. At the start of the involuntary although admittedly helpful tour the shops were pretty standard. There were food stalls and thanks to his company he saw plenty of clothes shops and just the standard things but the deeper he ventured into the market the stranger it got.
Akiko was quick to reply, "Well the farther into the market you get the pricier it is, you see that over there," she pointed to an umbrella stand, "Those are full body umbrellas. Them over there, there revolving ice cream cones." Akiko giggled at seeing Naruto's deadpan face, "Don't judge us like that, here at the capital things are different. The standard every day person won't get any of this stuff but the higher class would kill for little things like this."
Sure enough, when Naruto looked at the price tags he was left gaping like a fish. The action caused another giggle which he capitalized on, "If I'm guessing right, you seem to be enjoying yourself," He'd be lying if he said his short time with the girl wasn't fun, "and I never expected you to ditch your friends like that!"
Akiko had the decency to blush. During the tour she had whispered a quick, 'let's get outta here,' into his ear when they were about to enter another clothes shop. Because her two friends were leading the way the couple slipped past and left without them knowing. "You-know that was pretty bad!" Contrary to his words he finished with a laugh.
It didn't take long for Akiko's playful and bubbly personality to bite back, "You looked like you were about to snap when they started heading for another store and besides, you really didn't think I missed that stare earlier." She crossed her arms and winked trying to get a reaction. Naruto was Naruto so all she received back was a blank stare which made her pout.
The Uzumaki continued the banter giving her a playful elbow as they continued to walk down the bustling street, "Don't play the victim, you were the one that started perving me up first."
Akiko gave a mock glare, "You're a real kill joy Naruto!"
Naruto didn't bat an eye, "No. I'm the unfortunate bastard that somehow ended up being dragged around the market by some chick I don't even know. And by the way, that's the first time anyone's ever called me a killjoy. I'm not a killjoy."
She again laughed at his response turned rant, "You're a funny guy, you know that?"
"So I'm told."
"A little feminine, your hair's pretty girly too but I suppose nobody's perfect." She finished with a shrug and upon looking around to see his reaction she was finally treated.
Having found the weakness in his armour Naruto just looked at her dryly, "Not you too. It's natural, not highlighted. Natural!" The last word was comically shouted.
The couple continued to walk around the market and it took some time before Naruto realised that he'd forgotten all about going back to the palace, he barely knew Akiko but there was something fun about walking around like this and he'd yet to receive a glare.
His stomach gave a low growl which caused him to sulk, "Damn I haven't eaten in ages." He supposed it was time to head back to the palace, although to be honest he didn't want to.
Akiko seemed to pick up on this, "You're hungry? Come-on, I know this great ramen stand around the corner, consider it my treat for being such a great sport."
As usual with Akiko, before he got a chance to politely decline she grabbed his hand and was dragging him to their destination. He couldn't say he was mad though, he was being bought ramen, his eyes slowly but surely looked down, 'the views not bad either.'
By the time he made it back to the palace it was late but his shift didn't start to midnight so it was all good. On a side note, he was not looking forward at being chewed out by Keshi once he caught wind of his little detour about the Capital, he didn't do anything wrong but the Jonin insisted that everybody got sleep before shifts.
Lying on his bed and looking at the ceiling he had one hand behind his head and the other was playing with a Kunai; he would throw it at the ceiling where he had set up a reflector tag so it made for a good time passer. Like a tennis ball, the harder he threw it the harder the reflector tag sent it back, "One of the many benefits of being a budding Fuinjutsu expert."
Speaking of which, his progression with the art had been slow, he hadn't been able to devote much time to it thanks to Kakashi's severe training and too many clones just gave him a headache. He made a mental note to resume his progress tomorrow, instead of sending clones to practice some Kata's they would be designated to Fuinjutsu.
As per usual, a bored mind was a wandering one. Izumo and Kotetsu were on duty already and only Koharu knew where Keshi was at so his thoughts drifted back to how the majority of his day was spent. Akiko was definitely a strange one. He had made a point not to mention anything about why he was in the Capital or where he was staying, he presumed the girl knew that he was a Shinobi because of the Hitai-ate but the topic had not been touched on, it had been strictly fun which he was more than fine with.
The door to his room opened breaking him from his thoughts, "So you're back. Thanks for telling me brat."
He didn't have to look towards the door to realise who it was, "I didn't realize you'd turned all mother hen on me already Keshi?"
The man at question just glared half-heartedly at the disrespectful blonde who had yet to look at him, "The Daimyo wants to see you." Naruto's eyes immediately snapped over, he answered before the question came, "You've been reassigned, instead of being stationed on the north watchtower your to be in his office in ten minutes."
It was always the same with Keshi, dead voice and to the point but he wanted more information, "Is there a reason for it? Not that I care but isn't that job for someone a little more...qualified."
"Doubting yourself already, that's not like you? Your time in the Capital made you soft already?" He finished with a hearty laugh before answering, "I'm not sure why. Ask the man himself...wait, don't. You'd be stupid enough to do that?" To be quite frank, the boy was lucky he was likable because he got away with things others didn't. His sheer disrespect of most things was simply ignored because it was Naruto; most people seemed to gather that it was a lost cause after a few minutes with the boy.
Naruto laid his head back in the pillow and released a sigh before standing, "In order asked; I never doubt myself, no it hasn't, and I do intend to ask." He hadn't told the others about his whole incident with the Daimyo, deep down he was quite proud of that but still, he'd save that joke for the road once he was definitely in the clear.
Keshi bit his lip, "I'll leave it to ya kid. You've done well so far; just make sure you don't overstep your boundaries."
Naruto gave him an odd look, "Is that a compliment, damn! I didn't think you gave those." To get a compliment from the man was pretty good he guessed, to be honest he wasn't much of a talker so anything he did say was always straight to the point. He dropped into a deep bow, "Thank you, Keshi-sama."
The sarcasm was very much evident so he easily predicted and dodged a playful punch via Shunshin. Appearing in the hall he fist pumped the air, something about winding Keshi up was very rewarding. The guy was stoic, he was straightforward and everything he said held genuine meaning behind it. To completely disregard it always caused great reactions, 'God, I'm such an asshole.'
Not ten minutes later and he was standing inside the Daimyo's office. Upon arrival he had been greeted in which he did so very formally and since then there had been a fair silence. Not tense nor was it awkward. Naruto was simply doing his job, guarding the Daimyo while he worked.
This lasted all of ten minutes before something peaked his interest, "Why are you working so late. I mean, you're the Daimyo. Can't you just get somebody to do this for you?"
The man at question immediately chuckled, "I was wondering how long it would take you. Not one Ninja I've ever had in this room has spoken first, no matter the time they've been here. You certainly are different Naruto-san."
He waved him off, "Don't worry about honorifics, I've never liked them; and I assume that's because they're scared of you, the power you hold, and your reputation." It made sense.
The Daimyo was silent for a moment, pondering his thought before asking, "And you're not."
This time it was Naruto's turn to talk. "Hmm, no I am scared of you," He stopped for a moment to think, "I'm not scared of you, more so of what you can do, the influence you hold. Then again, I'm also a rationalist. I know you won't abuse your power because if you did I would be back in Konoha right now. You also wouldn't be still ruling after such a long reign of the title."
"Smart boy!" He held a wide smile, "You don't know how boring it can be in here. The reason I'm working is because letters have to be read, replied and their situations dealt with that only my eyes can see. Much like your Kage, I have deadlines to meet. You'd think after a few years one of my guards or workers would eventually build up the courage to hold a conversation with me but apparently not."
Despite his better judgement of how formal this situation was supposed to be he pulled out another Kunai and lazily launched it across the room. Just before it reached the opposite wall it immediately snapped back across the room into his open hand.
He repeated the process a few more time under the Daimyo's watchful eye before the inevitable question was asked, "How exactly are you doing that? How do you get it to come back so sharply?"
"I've a feeling this is going to turn into a trend, how about for every question you ask, I get to ask one too?" The Daimyo cracked another grin at that, the boy had nerve.
He gave a nod of his head; he wanted to know more about the boy so this was perfect.
He gave a cheeky smile, "Well then I'm counting that last one as two." Ignoring the Daimyo's disbelieving face he continued, "To answer your first question, it's a chakra manipulation technique, and I do it like this," he held the kunai away from him with one hand, while doing so he flicked out his other, "Although you couldn't see it, I just flicked out a small string of chakra and attached it to the kunai, thus allowing me to pull it back to me." To finish he flicked his wrist and the kunai came back to him. "It's a technique used by puppeteers so that they can control objects from afar, I decided to learn it so I can retrieve objects from afar... and without getting off the sofa," he finished lamely.
He didn't quite understand everything but he was very impressed until he heard the last bit which caused a snort, "I can tell you're a lazy little git."
Naruto just shrugged, "I'm just honest. Now my turn... What's your name? Hmm, that'll do... and what's your dream?" His questions weren't particularly organised ones; he just asked what came to mind.
To say he was surprised was an understatement, of all the questions he expected to receive that's what he was dealt, 'Koharu was certainly correct in calling him unpredictable anyway.' He set his quill down and removed his glasses before leaning back on his chair to a more relaxed fashion, "My name is Ekihito and my dream is to have a family which I suppose came true, why do you ask?"
This time it was Naruto's turn for being surprised, "Ekihito. Damn that's not much better. What was your dad thinking naming you something with four syllables? The reason I asked is because lord Daimyo-sama is quite a mouthful. You mind if I call you by your name, I really, really hate honorific's?"
The sheer surprise at that hit the Daimyo. Naruto was a prodigy, he was an orphan and of what he knew, he had experienced a lot in his short life but the fact he was still a child was evident. To ask someone the likes of him if he could call him a nickname was unheard of. It wasn't a boastful thought, more out of shock that somebody would actually do that to him. In his youth he had always been named as little lord or his full name and honorific, even Minato called him Ekihito-san so the fact that Naruto just outright decided to rename him on the whim that his name was too short left quite the impression.
Shaking his head of those thoughts he responded, "No I do not Naruto, you're quite the enigma."
He then went on to explain the situation which only caused another shrug followed by a shake of his head from the preteen, "So everyone keeps telling me, I don't know myself either to be honest. If I see something interesting then I'll try and find out more about it."
Ekihito wiggled his eyes in a teasing manner, "So... that's why you seemed pretty content around that girl earlier wasn't it. I guess she was pretty interesting, wouldn't you say?"
Naruto's eyes actually widened at that, "How did you know about that?"
He broke a short chuckle at the reaction, "Relax, a few guards reported it back to me is all, they saw you walking around the market area with her so they thought I'd be interested."
Not that he cared but Naruto pushed forward what he'd taken from the sentence, "So you have guards watching me?"
"I'm an honest man so I'll answer you truthfully. I do." He waited to see Naruto's reaction but there wasn't one, "You don't seem to mind, Koharu advised me against it, said you wouldn't take too kindly to it." The conversation was now going in the direction he wanted it too.
Naruto snorted, "I'm not going to get mad over some old fart watching me-" he openly laughed at the reaction of the Daimyo as well as the fact that he just got away with calling him what he did, "-especially after our first meeting. I will admit that I'm a little lost at why you're so interested in me though."
"Why wouldn't I be though? Hiruzen's told me an awful lot about you, from what I hear and see you're meant to be a prodigy Ninja so I assume I'll be seeing a lot more from you in the future."
Naruto had the decency to remain silent at that, the only reason Naruto was ever silent was when he was thinking. What Ekihito had just told him was a lie, he knew that much immediately. He didn't know how he knew but he just had a strange feeling that there was more to it than that; the man was truthful in a sense but the compliment was the entire reason.
After the compliment the room dropped into a comfortable silence, the Daimyo was pondering his next question before Naruto beat him too it, voice flat eyes suspiciously narrowed, "You said you were an honest man and that was a lie, why exactly are you so interested in me?"
Internally he was smiling, with a little hint maybe, just maybe the boy would figure it out. In his eyes he was doing a necessary evil, "You're a very extraordinary boy Naruto. There's a lot more to you than you think, powers hidden within you, kept from you."
That was all he was going to say but once he locked with widened, and for the first time emotional longing eyes, not dead lifeless ones. He continued on despite his better judgment, "That's all I can say but take this piece of information to rest your mind. You are a very special boy, no ordinary orphan. I expect great things from you Naruto, great things indeed."
Right then and there is where the Daimyo messed up. His long rule provided him with unparalleled foresight, he knew what decisions to make and how to go about doing them, with best intentions he was opening doors for his former best friend's son, dropping hints to provide knowledge he so desperately wanted and in that respect, what he just said was a noble act.
However there was a problem with that. The hints he dropped could be taken in two different ways.
Naruto Uzumaki was smart, more importantly he was interested in a lot of things and questioned them trying to get results, he never asked, 'Why do people love me?' He asked, 'Why do people hate me, why do they call me a demon?' The constant glares, the distance that people gave him all of which contributed to whenever he was given these final pieces to the puzzle. He figured out something else entirely.
"...So I'm a Jinchuuriki..." It was an idea he had toyed with in nightmares, something he had thought of but didn't want to believe.
A/N - There, hope you enjoyed!
The past few chaps have been very dialogue heavy but despite that I hope you enjoyed the revelation and the new characters I introduced. Yes my Daimyo differs from canon, for reasons. A
kiko is quite interesting isn't she, you'll see more of her shortly. I'm hoping to get the mission wrapped up next chapter and there should also be more serious action rather than just dialogue and world building but hey, can't all be flashy-flashy can it?
For those worried about this factor, don't worry about an overabundance of important OC's. I can only think of four more off the top of my head and three of them are bad guys that I need for added arcs and events.
On a completely unrelated side note, since writing this my chest infection has turned to a mild case of pleurisy so yeah. A little under the weather but I hope I still provided the goods alright.
Favourites and follows are appreciated. Reviews make my day so leave one if you got the time.
Thanks!