There was nothing Sai didn't already know: Naruto being a jinchuriki and the son of Minato. He knew at least that much. There were of course, more secrets the blond held. Everyone had secrets after all. Sasuke, though, was surprised. He blinked once and then seemingly shrugged with indifference, opting to look the other way.
Sai thought it was a disappointing attitude; this wasn't something to scoff at. It was groundbreaking. Then again, Sasuke only had interest in Itachi.
"I doubt you can surpass him, even with the Kyubi," Sai responded in an emotionless tone. For Naruto to surpass Minato, he would have to move as fast as him. And Sai was certain Danzo would rather burn the Flying Thunder God's technique than allow it to be in the possession of someone he didn't trust. Even if that meant it would forever be lost.
The protection of the Leaf was chief among all things.
"Oh ye of little faith," Naruto said, shaking his head with disappointment.
It appeared his teammates didn't care about him being a jinchuriki. There wasn't the slightest hint of negative emotions. He was truly glad. It would have been a tricky situation if his teammates hated him.
It was just a little problematic since he couldn't read Sai. The Uchiha, on the other hand, was an open book with many buttons to press.
"Why must we have faith you?" Sai asked.
Naruto turned to Sasuke and walked over to him. He was amused when the Uchiha glared, took a stance as if ready for another round. He wanted to jump the Uchiha, just for the fun of it. But he decided, he could leave this for another day.
He held out his right hand, smiling. "I hope we get along, Sasuke... and sorry for almost breaking your arm. I heal quickly, so I kind of think everybody does as well." He said, sheepishly.
Sasuke didn't want to admit it, but he would have been writhing in pain, with a broken arm and burning hatred, if Kakashi hadn't intervened.
He wanted power. Naruto had it. He couldn't simply take it from the Uzumaki. He had to train. Frustratingly, they were of the same age, and yet, the blond was at this level. What kind of training did he do? Was there something he needed to do?
"You got lucky." Sasuke refused to shake Naruto's hand.
"Ah, that's just cold. You're mad over something so small? I only hit you twice!"
"You wanted to break my arm!" Sasuke shouted.
He wouldn't have been able to train with a broken arm. It would have been humiliating to even admit he had his arm broken by an unknown Uzumaki who didn't even have a week in the Leaf. He had his pride as a shinobi and an Uchiha. But that wasn't why he was mad; he was simply mad he lost.
Naruto held out his index finger. "Here, break it if it makes you feel better. I can't give you my arm since you're incapable of breaking it at your current level."
And he was worth a finger? Sasuke felt insulted. He felt as if his pride had just been dragged through the mud. Sai's cold laughter in the background only worsened the feeling. He really, really wanted to grab the Uzumaki by his throat. And this time, there was an opening for him to attack.
Yet, Sasuke ground his teeth and restrained himself. Kakashi often told him to have better control over himself. It wouldn't do him any justice if he attacked and lost again. Without proper control, he'd never become stronger than Itachi.
Sai whistled, eyes closed, lips twisted into a scary smile. "You've become better controlled." He really meant it as a compliment, not an insult.
Sai barely reacted to anything. That smile even sickened him. There were times Sasuke thought of driving a kunai through his ribcage just to see if he would squirm like everyone else.
"Is this it for today, or are we going to do those damned D-rank missions?" Sasuke demanded of Kakashi.
The Jonin smiled. "It seems you'll all be able to get along," he said. "I'll give you time to get along. Naruto still has things to do. He needs to get registered before he can take missions."
"And go shopping," Naruto added. "The cupboards are empty."
"We'll meet tomorrow morning at 8 am." Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves.
"Leaf Shunshin, huh? I should ask him to teach me." Naruto said, staring at where the Jonin had been standing.
With the Jonin gone, he was now left with strangers. People he was going to spend the early days of his career with. Naruto smiled—he told himself he couldn't fail this test.
Sasuke didn't wait around when Kakashi left. He turned on his heels and walked away without another word.
"Don't mind him, he's like that," Sai said before Naruto could say anything.
Naruto stared at the Uchiha's back for a moment before his eyes met those of Sai's. Had he woken up so early just for this? It seemed like a waste of time. An abuse of power by Kakashi. In Uzushio, he was usually beat, panting, and wishing it was already noon by this time of the day.
"So, how is it in Uzushio?" Sai asked, just like that, with his fake smile.
Sai had nothing. His tone was just as pale as his face, his voice devoid of emotion. There wasn't even a hint of curiosity or any negative emotion. It simply told Naruto that Sai was not a normal genin. Yet, for someone conditioned like this, he was incredibly weak.
"Beautiful land," Naruto said with a smile.
"That's all?" Sai asked.
"How is Konoha?" Naruto inquired.
Sai reasoned that if he helped the blond, maybe they could be friends. He couldn't successfully complete his mission without getting closer to Naruto. And Kakashi had given him a good cover.
"Beautiful land," Sai repeated.
Naruto closed the distance between them. He raised his hand, and the ROOT agent didn't flinch. He rubbed his hand over Sai's head, causing confusion to wash over Sai's face.
Naruto laughed. "Real emotion," he said. "You're an emotionally stunted child, aren't you?" He paused. "Well, I hope we get along. I'll see you tomorrow, Sai." Naruto removed his hand and turned away from the pale genin.
It took Sai a couple of moments to realize something. He took out his notepad and flipped through the pages, eventually finding what he was looking for. In his notes, he had written that humans patted pets they owned like that as a show of affection. Was Naruto treating him like a pet or was it a show of affection?
He was confused. If it was either, why would the Uzumaki do that?
Afternoon
Freedom was such beautiful thing. Sato was still in the village, but Naruto felt free, without any shackles, eyes watching his every move and dictating when he ate and even relieved himself. Of course, Konoha would have eyes on him, but that was entertainment, an amusement and something keeping him on his toes.
There wasn't anything left for him to explore within the village. Aside from the food, which was a variety. In Uzushio, it was fish and wild animals. The invaders destroyed all livestock, and the Uzumaki were too busy with their plots to even restore. Then again, the whole village was gripped with fear, of another invasion or being hunted down that leaving the village was only done in special circumstances.
He'd hated living under such cloud. He'd hated seeing his fellow clansman living under a dark cloud. How they kept their existence even a secret throughout the Third War just to avoid being finished off. Nobody would do that to his clan, not while he lived.
For now, he could enjoy this little time.
He'd been in the Leaf for less than 28 hours, but Naruto had learned a great deal about the village. There wasn't really anything interesting going on. it was all a snooze fest, but a peace the Sandaime apparently enjoyed. Peace was good, only if it wasn't built on evil. The souls of those destroyed to build any peace would always haunt anyone who ignored their pain. Perhaps that was why even Uzushio was a little haunted.
After finishing his dango, Naruto turned around from the stall, and faced the streets. He wished he was a little bigger. To do the things adults did. To walk around with a chest puffed up. Adults always seemed to be in joyous moods when they were drinking. The loose screws sometimes came off. It was all amusing, but he was a child. A shinobi, but still a child. Killing was fine but not drinking. The morals of shinobi.
Shaking his head, Naruto took out a mask he'd grabbed from the temple and stared at it. A devil may as well be drawn on it. There was no devilish grin as in other masks, it was just an upside smile, depicting neither sadness, nor happiness, just pure evil.
"That's a curious mask," Jiraiya said, sitting beside Naruto, legs folded, eyes completely on the mask the blond held.
He'd been a little hesitant to approach the blond, but he'd forced himself. There was nothing to gain by delaying things. Naruto was the only survivor of his precious student. It brought him nothing more than misery knowing that all students he had perished, and he did nothing to save them. His life was hideous mountain of failures. People could call him a success, but he was filled with nothing but regrets. The fact that he was the only Sannin still in this village didn't say anything to his endurance, but simply a testament to his failures.
"Curious?" Naruto didn't glance at the Sannin, but kept staring at the mask. "Well, you could say that."
Jiraiya, the legendary Sannin and his father's teacher. Well, he was called his father's teacher, but Naruto didn't know what the man actually taught his father. Perhaps, a mentor of some kind. After all, his father decided to name him based on a character from the man's book.
"I must be famous," Naruto glanced at the Sannin, smiling. "To have the legendary Sannin coming up to me so casually? Well, it helps being a son of a great man."
"Oh, you know of me? A lot of these brats have heard of me but wouldn't point me. They don't even know they are standing in the presence of the Great Toad Sage of Land of the Toads!" Jiraiya exclaimed loudly, and proudly.
"Forgive their ignorance, Jiraiya-sama. They are simply too young to understand your greatness!" Naruto played along, grinning while at it.
"You really are Kushina's son. Then again, Minato could be an idiot at times," The Sannin chuckled, reminiscing about the good old days a goofy Minato revealed himself. "You don't mind if we talk, do you?"
"Not at all. When legends speak, we must honor them." Naruto said with a smile, his tone, a little serious. He held great respect of shinobi who have earned the right to be legends. Jiraiya was a powerful shinobi. Even as he sat here, he could feel the man's great power. Above all things, he was a Sage. There was nothing in this world that could be compared to wielding Senjutsu.
Jiraiya nodded and then stared at the mask once more. He glanced at the blond, noting the blond had gone back to looking at it. "I'm going to be upfront with you since you already know everything. If you were not already Kakashi's student, I would take you as my student. Well, maybe in the future. But, I wish for us to get along."
Ah, Minato, what kind of life did you live that you have powerful man loyal to you even after death? Usually, some people were betrayed in death. but these people, wanted to keep the memory of his father alive. He had truly been a great as he was told. It was just a pity, he was Uzumaki and would never carry the name of his father to this land and those beyond the borders of the Fire Nation.
"I don't see why not. I can only benefit from such associations." Naruto said, and glanced at the Sannin through the corner of his eyes. "I'm told you're familiar with Fuinjutsu."
"Yes," Jiraiya grinned. "But nothing compared to your mother."
Naruto shrugged. "Nobody can be disappointed to be inferior to an Uzumaki over Fuinjutsu. In fact, I would walk around with shame if a non-Uzumaki was exponentially better than me in Fuinjutsu. It is just as humiliating as a Sharingan wielder being inferior to Ninjutsu to someone who doesn't even have a bloodline."
"Skill matters."
"Can't argue with that," Naruto grunted, nodding his head. "But what would you say if you saw a Nara who was an idiot?"
This conversation was enough to let Jiraiya know that Naruto was knowledge about things in Konoha and the clan's abilities. It was good. A lot of people in his age didn't know anything. then again, the Uzumaki must have told him to get a better idea of Konoha as a whole since he was going to live here.
"I have never met one."
"It's in their genes." Naruto said.
"But not Fuinjutsu in Uzumaki."
"Indeed." Naruto replied with a smile. "But it is something we're known for. A matter of pride for me." He said. He quickly changed the subject once more. "What do you think this mask does?"
"You took it from the mask temple?" Naruto nodded. Jiraiya shook his head. "No."
"Neither do I." Naruto said with a laugh. "I'm staring at it because I'm trying to figure out what it does. Some of our historical records were destroyed during the invasion."
Jiraiya would have thought Naruto was pulling one on him if he hadn't added an explanation. Why would he hold the mask if he didn't know anything about it? The talk about the invasion was a touchy subject. Jiraiya wouldn't have brought it up. Konoha was Naruto's home, but he was still raised in Uzu, in the aftermath of a destruction that nearly wiped out the entire clan.
"What do you even think about the invasion? You didn't witness the destruction and were raised by the Uzumaki," Jiraiya asked in a careful tone, so as not to be seen as pressing too much.
"Meh," Naruto replied with a shrug of indifference. "Unfortunate and treacherous, but there's nothing I can do about it. We look forward to the future, Jiraiya-sama." Naruto laughed. "Sorry, I think it was one of the greatest tragedies to have ever occurred."
Jiraiya heard Naruto, but he didn't immediately respond. His focus had turned onto a woman crossing the street. She was a civilian, but with a huge rack that reminded him of Tsunade. He giggled, imagining a saucy story scenario. He quickly took out his notebook and began to scribble.
After a while, he closed it and turned to Naruto. The blond had an amused look, his head cocked to the side.
"Ah, you're like that."
"It's for research!"
"Sure..." Naruto replied with a roll of his eyes.
"It really is for research!" The Toad Sage exclaimed, pulling out a book. "I'm an author," he showed the details to Naruto. "You're a little too young to read, but I'll give you a free copy when you're a year older," he added with a sly grin.
It was the same book Kakashi had been reading. You'd think he was reading something enlightening, given how focused he seemed. Kakashi wasn't the only other person Naruto had seen reading the book. Who knew the Sannin was a man of many talents.
"What if I told you I bought it and liked it?" Naruto asked the Sannin.
"You did?" Jiraiya nearly jumped in front of Naruto.
"No." Naruto replied, deadpanned. "How does one go about making money through the sale of seals?"
Jiraiya's presence was good for this. He could sell some basic seals to make money. In this world, away from Uzushio, he needed money. He needed money for food, clothing, electricity, and monthly rent. He simply couldn't go to one of the farms and take some fruit. He needed to buy everything.
Uzushio needed money as well.
"What kind of seals do you want to sell?" The curiosity in Jiraiya didn't show because he was a little disappointed they had changed the subject from Uzushio.
"Anything sellable," Naruto said, and then the mask he held disappeared into thin air, as if he was never there. It just vanished. It may as well have been teleported elsewhere. "Cool, huh?" he said, grinning, seeing the Sannin's interest piqued.
"What did you do?" Jiraiya asked, with wide eyes, greatly curious.
"It's not that cool," Naruto said, waving his right hand. "It is just basic sealing. If it were you, you'd have used a sealing scroll to seal off that mask. My formula is not in a scroll. To put it simply, it's just summoning and reverse summoning."
Storage seals are effective. Shinobi used pouches to keep their kunai and shuriken for quick retrieval during battle. Keeping them in a sealing storage would slow things down as one had to unroll the scroll and summon them.
"You didn't use hand signs."
"Why do people use hand signs?"
"You're saying your degree of control is so good you don't need to perform hand signs?" The Sannin asked, looking impressed by the realization.
"I'm saying it's a simple thing. Weaving hand signs is unnecessary for me to control my chakra for such things," Naruto said, showing a proud smile. "Then?"
There wasn't a shop that was solely focused on selling seals or offering Fuinjutsu services. Explosive tags were Fuinjutsu-based, but those were sold in weapon shops.
"You can find a store and sell your seals or talk to weapon store owners to sell them your seals."
"I'd earn more money by selling things myself?"
"Yes," Jiraiya said. "But you're a shinobi. Will you have the time to run a store?"
"I can have one of my fellow Uzumaki run the shop." Karin sucked with sealing though. She just didn't have the patience. She was taught. She knew clan Jutsu, but her Fuinjutsu seals were mediocre at best. She could, however, run a shop. He thought she'd take it over being subjected to things she had no interest in within Uzushiogakure.
For him, it would be a good thing to have someone who shared the same blood as him running around the Leaf. He wanted a reminder as to why he burnt his body to become the shinobi he was and would be in the future.
Naruto jumped from the stool. "I think I'll do that," he said. "Thank you."
Was it over? Naruto wanted to leave, but Jiraiya wanted to talk some more. He wanted to ask Naruto about his teammates and if he thought he could get along with them or if he wanted him to pass a message to Tsunade or why he'd even asked about her.
"If you need anything, let me know when I'm around," the Sannin called out, grinning. "I travel a bit, and I know people." He pointed at his forehead. "I'm also a sage," he added in a proud tone.
Naruto halted and then turned around. Niceness? It didn't bother him one bit. After all, he knew what the Sannin wanted. Besides, as long as it could benefit him and make his life less miserable, he'd happily accept any help someone was offering because his father had been good to him. It was also the least these people could do. He lost a father that their beloved village would be safe.
"Well, if you say that," Naruto smiled. "Can you give me money to start my own shop?"
"Do I look like I'm made of money?!" Jiraiya responded loudly. It was a reflex at being asked for money, really. Realizing what he'd said, he wanted to do damage control, but Naruto was being a good lad, seeing the funny side of it.
"Don't open doors for things you can't fit in," Naruto said, wagging his index finger. "But damn, you're a Sannin who makes money off selling books, and you're this stingy?"
"I'm not stingy!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "Who ever said I was rich?"
Naruto smiled. "It was a pleasure, Jiraiya-sama."
Hokage Office
Hiruzen didn't hide his disappointment when Danzo entered the office. He'd imagined the man bursting through the doors, armed with Koharu and Homura, attacking him left and right. Yet, the man didn't even show up yesterday. He was only coming in now and had actually knocked before stepping into office. It was a pitiful awakening; to what he had imagined would be a dramatic scenario unfolding in his office.
Danzo had been a little more disciplined since the Uchiha massacre. The man had cost them a great clan and power. A potentially future Hokage. Minato would have had him executed for going behind his back. Hiruzen didn't find any disappointment in Itachi for actually following Danzo's order without confirming it with him, even if he should have.
At any rate, he'd reigned in on the man, and one last warning. One more wrong, and he would be hanged, along with all his ROOT forces.
"You took your time," Hiruzen said, smiling at his former teammate.
Danzo ignored Hiruzen, getting the feeling he was being mocked. Of course, Hiruzen took their little battles with amusement these days. It bothered him, but there was nothing he could do. After all, the ANBU always had their eyes on him. He always had to report, watch his steps. It was frustrating and annoying. He always cursed Kakashi for his betrayal, and Orochimaru for getting discovered. Had the Sannin managed to keep his activities a secret and controlled, they would have still been together, and they could have removed Hiruzen already.
"Did you talk to them?"
Nobody had actually known some members of the Uzumaki even survived the invasion. It was just after Naruto was born that they showed up. they didn't reveal much, just that survivors had been gathered and were in Uzushio. Even to this day, the village still remained a mystery. They didn't know who led it, or what their agenda was.
Danzo held no illusions that they were still their allies. The invasion killed their friendship. Konoha did what it did to protect itself. A rational choice, but those people would have looked at it as a betrayal of their trust. Events long ago during the Second War, but people did not forget, especially when the entire clan was nearly wiped out.
"He is still in the village. I will ask him about it. They don't seem like they want to talk about it."
"You didn't insist?" Danzo glared, showing his frustration with Hiruzen.
"No." The Sandaime Hokage said.
Danzo slapped the floor with his cane. "One day, this village will suffer because of you!" He shouted angrily. "They are a mystery to us! We don't even know what they taught Naruto. He could as well be here with unknown motives. The Kyubi could even be let loose upon us! Who will stop it this time?!"
Hiruzen sighed deeply and fell back on his chair. He closed his eyes, and thought of thirteen years ago, that fateful night. Minato saved them. Yet, thousands still died in battle. It was a dreadful night, that even to this day, many were still scarred.
Danzo was not wrong about the Uzumaki, but Hiruzen wasn't going to force things. Uzushio was still too small to be a threat to Konoha. There were even tools they didn't have back then. The danger was nonetheless there. The Uzumaki have shown they have no interest in forming a relationship with them. They didn't even seem to care to ease their doubts or worries.
"Jiraiya will go to Tsunade and take sensei's necklace from her. It is a seal that will be released if the Kyubi tries to go out. We will give him as something that was worn by Mito," Hiruzen said in a serious tone. "You've constantly said the Sharingan can control a Bijuu. Sasuke is there…"
Hiruzen didn't actually think it likely. Kakashi said Naruto was strong, and he didn't even display any special ability. He was likely to be using seals when really fighting. He could possibly even have the same abilities as his mother. Regardless, if the Kyubi were to be released, intentionally or through the weakening of the seal, measures had to be taken.
"Oh?" Danzo was impressed that Hiruzen actually thought that far ahead. "I thought you'd be all too trusting of him. He must give us reasons to trust him, rather than blindingly trusting him because he is Minato's son. He has no love for this village or its people. We all strangers. He must learn to love the village, and prove his loyalty to us."
"I'm not that naïve."
"Occasionally." Danzo was willing to give his former teammate some credit. "What are you going to do to make him prove his loyalty to us?"
"Nothing. We will simply observe him and let him be. He is not stupid. There is more than meets the eye. Sai must have already told you he effortlessly fought Sasuke. We must assume there is more to his strength." Hiruzen said in a serious tone. "We will see more as he fights and does missions."
"And Sasuke?" Danzo didn't hide his disappointment of the Uchiha. "He is hailed as a genius, but nowhere near Itachi. By his age, Itachi was already too strong and had awakened the Mangekyo already. Sasuke doesn't even have a fully matured Sharingan!"
"They are not living in the same period. We are at peace now."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Danzo shouted forcefully. "You know Sasuke desires power only. He wants the power to fight his brother. If we don't give it to him he could even leave the village to become much stronger. We can't allow someone who will revive the Uchiha to become an enemy. We must train and shape him to be loyal to Konoha, not to his hatred toward Itachi."
Once more, Hiruzen sighed. Naruto's strength would only make Sasuke jealous. He'd been told the Uchiha had that about him. He'd been proud and confident then because he was better than his teammates. The worrying thing was that while Kakashi has been able to reign in on his emotional intelligence, he still had moments, which could prove fatal.
The danger of Sasuke fleeing the village was real. Itachi wanted his brother to be protected. But Konoha's interests had to be protected. Hiruzen just had to do things in a way that would benefit Sasuke. If there was anything Danzo was good at, it was getting his people under control. He didn't want Sasuke to become like Sai, he wanted him to have better control over his emotions.
"You can train him, under the observation of an Anbu, whenever he is not busy with team activities. Your focus will be on his emotions. He must have better control of himself. Once he can reign in on his hatred, he will eventually be better focused," Hiruzen said in a tone of finality, leaving no room for any argument by Danzo. "Kakashi already offers him private lessons. Those will continue."
Danzo frowned deeply, but accepted this. It was a start.
What was Itachi thinking when he did what he did to Sasuke? Was it out of guilt? He could have set his brother on a good path, but instead, he set him up for a path of loneliness and destruction. It wasn't like the Itachi Hiruzen knew.
"They have trained him well. Loyalty is the problem. But if he is loyal, then the decision to send him away was a good one since you would not have allowed him to get the training he required," Danzo said in an accusatory tone.
Danzo wouldn't be against revealing Naruto's status if it would serve him well. If the blond was isolated without the Uzumaki hovering around him, he would be easy to manipulate. It wasn't necessary now. A trick up his sleeve if he needed.
Hiruzen acted as if he didn't hear Danzo speak. "What have you picked up on Orochimaru's movements?"
Danzo shook his head. "Nothing. He is good at keeping track of his movements. Otogakure isn't even a village but a collection of hideouts."
Which should have been destroyed already. How did they even allow a traitor to create his own village right at their borders? This weakness in Hiruzen would be the end of them all one day. Orochimaru could have his uses, but right now, he was an enemy and Danzo wished for nothing more than his elimination. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the agenda for Hiruzen.
"Keep an eye on things. We don't want him growing too strong."
Yamanaka Flower Shop
If it wasn't for Choji casually pointing out that Sasuke was just cold hearted, and treated everyone with pure disdain, Ino may have been blind to everything. Love made people blind. She'd thought it was a joke, meant to stop young hearts from following their hearts, but it was a cold reality. Shikamaru had pointed out with disinterest that Sasuke was nothing but mean to Sakura. He never said anything nice, always, that she was a nuisance. Yet, the girl always took it to the chin and continued to march on as if nothing was wrong.
Being treated better by her teammates opened Ino's eyes. She still held a crush. He was a genius, good looking and had something of a dark background. But his personality sucked the life out of her. He was the kind of person who'd suck you dry. She was kind of impressed that even to this day, Sakura would defend him. Perhaps it was what they called true love. She thought it a joke.
If they'd been adults, Sakura would have jugged down bottle of alcohol in excitement at being put in the same team as Sasuke. She'd have hit the dance floor, gloating while singing him praises. She never stopped talking about how good he was as a shinobi. It was almost like a religion. Their relationship had even taken a hit because of it.
And yet, here she was, venting out her frustrations on her. Her mother had given her the job of watering the plants. But she couldn't. not with Sakura in her ear, hovering her. It wasn't annoying. She was just a little busy. But they were friends. She's always had to rescue Sakura.
She asked her mother to free her, and pointed at the depressed Sakura. Her mother was kind enough to let her go. Once out of the flower shop, Ino sighed deeply. Well, at least she got out of duty. "I rescued you when you were being bullied, but I can't rescue you here."
It had come as a shock; Sakura was being removed from her team. It had nothing to do with her skill, but a new student from the Uzumaki clan was being brought to the village and he was taking her place. The order came from the Sandaime Hokage. There was nothing anyone could do about it. She'd asked her father, and he'd been tight lipped. She'd asked her mother to try to get him to talk but even that failed.
Any other normal person, he would have talked, but there was something fishy.
"I'm not looking to be rescued," Sakura said in a quiet, depressed tone. "I just want a friend."
"Have you seen him?" Ino asked in a curious tone. She'd heard from Shikamaru that Sakura's replacement was in the village and had already been introduced to his teammates.
What kind of a person was he? Did he look good? What was so special about him that he had to be placed in a team under Kakashi? Was he as good of a shinobi as Sasuke? He was Uzumaki, as far as she has heard, but what was so special about the Uzumaki clan? Ino knew nothing about the clan. Her father wouldn't say much. She was so curious; she had considered stalking Team 7 training grounds just to get a good look on him.
"No," Sakura replied with a shake of her head. She was even afraid to go there because she could get a look from Sasuke that told her good riddance.
"Well, he is our age, we can see what kind of a person he is." Ino said, smiling as she got an idea. "We can host a party to welcome him, as part of our group."
"Why do I get the feeling that is more about you than me?" Sakura asked, staring at Ino.
"Don't you want to know what kind of a person took your spot?" Ino asked. "This is the only way," she said. "I'll talk to the others. See if we can organize something," she added, smiling with content. "What happens to you?"
"I was speaking to the Sandaime Hokage," Sakura sighed. "He told me that while I lack in some areas, I had a good mind and excellent chakra control. He said he'd speak to Kurenai-sensei to teach me Genjutsu in the meantime. A new team would be chosen for me in due time,"
"Well, at least they are not leaving you dry," Ino said, and then smiled slyly. "With Genjutsu, you might even trick Sasuke-kun to like you."
"That's not even funny!" She was saying that, but inwardly, she considered it.
"You complained that Sasuke-kun always said you were useless. If you learn Genjutsu, you might not be anymore and maybe, he'll look at you." Ino tried to offer some words of encouragement. Sakura took it well.
Later that night
It wasn't easy making friends, especially in a world of full of strangers, people who could hate him if they found out about his secrets. For now, it was simply better to get along with his teammates. A start, and then he would get to know other shinobi his age, and then life would be a little better. He wasn't used to spending time alone. there had always been someone on his ears, as long as he wasn't unconscious.
As he went back into his apartment, plastic bags at hand, he found visitors. He'd shopped everything; Training gear, change of clothes, new bed sheets, groceries. He gone and taken his photo taken, to be registered as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf.
Sato was sitting on the couch, looking like a mob boss, his expression darkened. Since the loss of his wife, Sato has always seen darker days. Death of a loved one was treacherous. To lose the bond you've built through love and experiences together.
That pain and loss had wrecked havoc within Naruto. The man's wife had been like a mother to him. Her death, had smacked the living day light out of him.
"Who are we killing today?" Naruto asked, going into the kitchen. He came to a halt, seeing Inabi leaning against the kitchen cupboards, hands folded across his chest. He was a tall man, wearing all black, his face masked by a cloth, just his eyes visible. "You sneaked in?" He asked, placing the plastics on the kitchen table.
"It's easy."
"Why?"
"Just testing Konoha's defenses," Inabi replied with a shrug, his voice quiet.
Naruto just shook his head and then went back to the lounge. He settled on a couch, and folded his legs, stared at Sato. Inabi was their best spy, and sadly, their only spy. If these two were together, something curious was happening, and naturally, Naruto wanted to know.
"Is killing all you think about?" Sato asked, going back to Naruto's earlier question.
"Well, I couldn't have asked if you met someone you liked given how happy you looked. You seemed like you were plotting something devious." And as a fellow Uzumaki, he had no other option but to inquire and see how he would participate, for the cause of the Uzumaki.
"How are your teammates?" Sato asked.
"Nothing much to see, yet," Naruto said with a wave of his right hand. "There is Sai… a rather complicated person. Anything but normal, at least given his eyes and expression. The Uchiha is just a disappointment. He was struggling really hard to even control himself…" he smiled. "All different backgrounds, should make for an interesting team."
Naruto was aware of the Uchiha massacre. He knew Itachi killed everyone in his clan and then fled the village. There were reasons, but he wasn't missing a brain cell to simply believe everything. there was just no way a single person could have wiped out an entire clan as powerful as the Uchiha without anyone in the village knowing before it was too late.
"Sai is a member of ROOT. A secret organization headed by Danzo. The man teaches his students to be emotionless tools expandable for the purpose of Konoha," Inabi said as he joined them. He sat beside Sato, rested his hands on his knees and stared at Naruto. "He was likely put in the time in preparation of your return, for surveillance."
"Well, that makes things interesting," Naruto said. "But I'd concluded as much. Still, it would be fun to see how he reads and evaluates me to report to his master. Would it be wrong to go to Danzo and ask him about the reports?"
Sato looked at him as if he was mad. "I fear leaving you alone."
"I'm not stupid, you know!"
"I didn't say you were. Why would you do something like that? It will only make them wary of you. Danzo is capable of just anything. If he deems you to be a threat, he'll plot to have you killed!" Sato exclaimed, with frustration. He was only frustrated because he'd already told Naruto just how much of a danger the man was.
"Well, dying would be bad."
Sato sighed. "We're leaving tonight. You'll be alone," he smiled sadly. "This is the first time there is going to be this much distance between us. Don't feel too lonely and start to do something reckless. We've given everything you need to survive. But you mustn't stop training…" he said in a sad tone.
Naruto shared Sato's sadness. It was really going to be a little sad. He thought Sato secretly referred to him as his 'son'. Everything he has ever needed, Sato provided. The days could have been harsh and treacherous, but the man's shoulder was always there. He'd been there when he first took his steps as a baby, and he was still here.
"This was always going to happen," Naruto said, of his return to the Leaf. "I'll miss everyone."
Sato snorted. "I'm sure you will," he said sarcastically. "Clan secrets must always be clan secrets. We raised you and trained you. But we want to be hidden, for our own survival. You cannot reveal anything about the clan to them."
With people like Danzo, and the enemies watching, the clan would be in trouble if he revealed anything. They were weak people. Full of Fuinjutsu skills, but weak people. Another invasion would be the end of everything. it would be the end of his beloved clan. There was absolutely nothing Naruto would do to endanger his people.
"Have Karin brought over to this village, with some money."
"Why?" Sato asked with a raised eye brow, and a look of suspicion.
Naruto chuckled. "It's not to do with being alone. I didn't grow up with money. I see it is necessary everywhere. We also need it and I think I'll like it. Being poor is sinful. You can't buy or eat the things you like. You can't even sleep in a good place without money. Besides, the Uzumaki name must be known again. It has died in Konoha, and our enemies must know they can't destroy what we know best."
"You want to sell Fuinjutsu?" Inabi asked.
"Yes. Nothing serious. Just your basic things like explosive tags, storage scrolls, maybe some services. Who knows, Konoha might like me enough to say, maybe you can provide some Fuinjutsu for us," Naruto said, shrugging a bit as if he didn't care if they did so or not.
Nothing was ever simple. Life didn't dish out things on a silver platter, except for those who were favored by the wheels of fortune. Sato didn't think Naruto had any favor. His very night of birth was cursed. For everything he would have achieved, blood, sweat, and sacrifices would be needed.
He believed Naruto had been trained to withstand whatever tragedy may befall. But life wasn't predictable. He'd spent the day looking at just how much these people hated the Kyubi. It had been 13 years, but the memories still burned fresh. The fact that they never had any reason to hate made things worse. It would be like the Kyubi had returned to torment them once more.
Naruto enjoyed making seals. He enjoyed coming up with some twisted ideas for Fuinjutsu. "Will it make things easier for you?"
"Yes... it will... With Karin around, I won't have to feel so lonely." Even if he wanted to make friends, everyone in this village was a stranger. They looked nice, but still strangers.
Sato sighed deeply. "I will talk to them. It will take time."
"As long as she comes. I'll be busy making preparations on my side."
"I trust you'll handle everything with care. You're a shinobi of the Leaf, give it your best and make us proud," Inabi said in a stern tone. "Be watchful. Not everyone who smiles and treats you well is a friend. You'll see the true faces of people once your status is exposed."
The good thing was that he could sense negative emotions. A handy trick he owed to the Kyubi. It was no wonder the Bijuu hated humans—after all, it was sensitive to the negative emotions they all held. If he was surrounded by vultures, he would know.
"I can't sense a thing from Sai," Naruto said with a smile. It was honestly an interesting thing. He was like a blank page. "Well, I know well enough. You have nothing to worry about. I'll be just fine."
Sato stood up and walked over to Naruto. He placed a firm hand on the blond's shoulder and spoke in a warm tone. "Take care of yourself. Don't get yourself killed."
Naruto wanted to poke fun at Sato. He really did. He struggled to contain himself but held firm to be serious about the matter. "I won't," he replied in a firm tone. "On the bright side, I'll be free from your nagging." He let it out with a grin.
Sato hit him on the forehead. "Be serious!" he huffed and puffed, taking a step away from the blond before he dished out an uppercut.
"How touching," Inabi said without any emotion. "I'll go first before anyone takes notice. We expect you to come and visit every now and then."
"If Konoha permits me." Naruto said, grinning while waving his right hand.
Training ground 7
It was apparent that the dynamics of Team 7 were complex, to say the least. When he arrived, Sasuke and Sai were already there, but neither was talking to the other. The former was sitting in the same place he was yesterday, and Sai was on a tree a distance away. They were not openly hostile, but it was apparent that they didn't like each other. How did they even function as a team?
Perhaps the former teammate was the glue that kept them together. Naruto waved at Sai, who waved back. He settled down, leaning against the same tree as Sasuke. "Sasuke," he greeted casually.
Sasuke acknowledged with a grunt. He didn't say anything else, just grunted and went back to his wrestling match in his thoughts. "Who did I replace?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Nobody important," Sasuke said in a flat tone. "It is actually a relief that we got a useful teammate. Our last one was a burden." He honestly sounded relieved that he didn't always have to look over his shoulder.
Arrogant, but Naruto didn't think the Uchiha was lying. He could be wrong. He would find out soon enough. "Have you done any dangerous missions outside the village?" Naruto asked, excited a bit. There was nothing quite like missions, especially dangerous ones with interesting enemies.
Sasuke glanced at him through the corner of his eyes, looking annoyed. "You should have asked that before you joined the team."
"Am I annoying you?"
"Yes," Sasuke replied in a cold tone.
"You say that to the guy who almost broke your arm yesterday. Next time, I will really break it," Naruto said, waving his right hand a bit.
Sasuke snorted. "I'd like to see you try that. You got lucky yesterday. I now know what to expect," he said with an arrogant smirk across his lips.
There were all kinds of people. Some were the humble type who would smack you around and proclaim poverty in strength while praising your efforts. The annoying part was that there would be no condescension. And then there was Sasuke—an arrogant prick with confidence in his power, despite having been proven it was not all that mighty.
"You could simply kill the Uchiha as an accident," Kurama said.
Naruto appeared within the seal, stared at the Kyubi, and then laughed. "That sounds personal," he said.
And Naruto wasn't a bloodthirsty murderer. The Kyubi often suggested such. It enjoyed seeing humans die. There was one time it encouraged him to let it take over his body just to slaughter humans, and in turn, it would allow him to use its chakra without any limits.
"You should be asking yourself why you were put in a team with an Uchiha," Kurama said.
"Because the Sharingan can manipulate you? The Uzumaki say you were being controlled by Madara when he battled against the Shodai Hokage," Naruto continued.
A testament to its power, it was the first time the Beast had been captured. Many had tried and failed. Out of the Nine, the Kyubi remained free, with no nation able to master the power to capture it. That was until Madara showed up with his Sharingan. Naruto really had an interest in seeing the full destructive power of the Kyubi. He only had half of its power. He wanted all of it.
And he would get his hands on all of it. He had one tool to take his father's soul from the belly of the Shinigami.
"If you know that, why are you so calm?" Kurama asked, clearly agitated.
"I can't be controlled. My body is tuned to reject any other foreign chakra that is not yours," Naruto said. There was a seal on his forehead. It didn't reject any other chakra as he said, it just activated once foreign chakra tried into enter his head and sealed it within a storage seal. If there were problems, the chakra was directed to the Kyubi's seal. It was mainly done to keep people out of his head. The best even a Yamanaka could do was to be tormented by the Kyubi. "You're the only one who is not safe."
"If you let me out, I can be safe."
"Wouldn't you like that?" Naruto said with a wide smile. The Kyubi closed its eyes, signaling an end to the conversation. "You talk to me when you want and then dismiss me when you want. You're such a cold partner," Naruto said, feigning a hurt expression.
He was, of course, silently ignored. And so, he disappeared from the presence of the Bijuu with a shake of his head.
An hour went past the appointed time, and Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. Neither of his teammates looked surprised. It reminded Naruto of Sasuke yelling at the Jonin about being late. He'd replied with nonchalance. He then concluded that the Jonin was known for being late. Naruto really didn't care—as long as he showed up to the training ground.
The Jonin finally did appear about ten minutes later. Sasuke looked at him with searing contempt but didn't say anything. Sai showed up as the Jonin called for a team meeting.
"You are all getting along?" the Jonin asked, as if oblivious to the mood.
"Getting along?" Naruto asked, staring at the man with disbelief. "How do you think that's possible? That other one is an emotional dwarf, and the other displays nothing but contempt. I'm stuck between a volcano and an ice field."
It wasn't even hard to tell which one was spitting lava and which was the ice field. It amused Kakashi. Naruto sounded a little hysterical. But he'd been sitting there quietly. Perhaps tired after futile attempts to make conversations with Sasuke.
"You must still get along," Kakashi said, dismissing Naruto's frustrations. "During missions, you need to be able to get along. You need to trust each other. And always know someone else has your back."
"I've always done that," Sasuke said to Kakashi. "I don't like him, but I'll always do that. We're shinobi." He meant to say professionals. He'd considered Sakura a burden, but even then, he'd always defended her. It would have been better for everyone if she died, but he always defended her because she was a teammate.
Kakashi sighed and turned to Sai. "Are you making an effort?"
"Yes," Sai said with a nod. "But it is a little difficult."
Sai was not a bad person. If Danzo ordered it, he'd try to kill any of his teammates without blinking an eye, but he was still not a bad kid. He was honestly trying to blend in and learn the emotions Danzo had him discard. It was ironic.
"What do you even mean I'm a dwarf?"
Naruto sighed. "You have little emotions," he said with a shake of his head. "I'm starting to think I was placed on this team as punishment..."
Kakashi eye-smiled. He recognized that it was all jokes with Naruto, but given the look on Sai's face, he didn't get it. This was going to be a long process. Sai had a lot to understand. Unfortunately, reading books wouldn't help; he had to experience it himself.
"Today's training session is simple. You'll all work together to fight against me. In this way, you'll be familiar with your teammates' movements," the Jonin said. "We'll take a D-rank mission after this."
"Not again," Sasuke groaned. "I thought we were done with those!"
"Must you always complain about everything?" Sai asked Sasuke with a blank look on his face. "A mission is a mission, and D-rank missions are also important for the functioning of the village."
"Do I look like I care?" Sasuke retorted.
"Why are you even a shinobi if you don't care?"
"I'm not debating with you," Sasuke said in a cold tone and then stared at their sensei. "I hope it is not a clone, and you actually take this seriously."
Kakashi eye-smiled. "You have to make me serious," he said. "Don't hold back. Give it everything you have."
"Are you not going to regret that?" Naruto asked, looking at Kakashi like a predator. The Jonin felt a chill down his spine.
"I need to see what the collective can do for the type of missions I can request," the Jonin said. "Give it everything."
Naruto lunged at Kakashi without warning. He drove forward, his right arm stretched, and palm open wide in an attempt to grab the Jonin by his face. Kakashi slapped the hand toward his right using his left hand and then tried to drive an open palm toward the blond's chest. Before the attack reached, Naruto vanished into thin air.
He appeared behind Kakashi but didn't attack. His eyes were not even on the Jonin but on his teammates. Sai looked blank, and Sasuke was grinding his teeth with envy, perhaps at the speed at which he attacked their sensei.
"At least wait for me to say 'begin'," Kakashi said. It would have had an effect if he'd landed a hit.
Naruto shrugged and said, "I'd ask you to sit still while I test our sensei, but I have a feeling you wouldn't," particularly looking at Sasuke. He had a feeling that Sai would be more obedient than the Uchiha. "Can it be an order from you? We will do the session with them for teamwork after this. I won't need breaks. I'm a stamina freak," he added with a wide grin.
He was just like his mother. "That works," the Jonin said.
Kakashi stepped into the clearing, his guard up. Naruto had shown to be incredibly skilled—he wasn't going to fool around. He'd be mocked by his peers if they found out he got beaten by a Genin.
He stared at the blond, who was smiling. The atmosphere wasn't as suffocating as it was when he was facing Sasuke. He looked excited. Kakashi had a feeling the blond was simply going to lunge at him once more. Well, as long as he was able to see the full capabilities, he could take it.
"Are you not going to attack?"
Naruto cocked his head. "What?" He blinked. "Aren't you the one who said I must wait for you to say begin?"
Kakashi almost face palmed. "Begin!"
As Kakashi predicted, Naruto lunged at him, head-on. He was darting through the ground and then suddenly vanished. The Jonin was on guard when the blond appeared behind him, midair. He had his right hand held out, and a sword appeared in a blink. Short distance, and unexpected. Kakashi barely managed to avoid the swing after Naruto swung the sword across his face.
He leapt back a bit and then jumped toward Naruto, all while the blond was still in mid-air. He lifted his right foot, aiming for a roundhouse kick, but Naruto didn't try to block the kick. He repositioned his sword and tried to stab Kakashi's leg. The Jonin barely avoided the blow, with the sword cutting through the bandages around his ankle. His kick connected, sending the blond flying away.
Naruto flipped a couple of times. He didn't even land before throwing multiple shuriken toward Kakashi. By the time he hit the ground on both feet, the shuriken he'd thrown were being deflected by the shuriken Kakashi threw.
"I don't mind if you attack, sensei," Naruto said with a shrug, standing up straight.
"You threw those shuriken to stop me from attacking you."
"It's not like such a minor thing could have stopped you if you really wanted." Naruto said and then started to walk toward the Jonin in slow, daunting steps. He stopped right in front of the man and looked up.
Once more, he blurred out of the Jonin's view. Kakashi was experienced enough to follow the movement. He twisted around and blocked a high kick from Naruto with his knee. While his knee clashed with the blond's foot, Naruto grinned, lifting up his right arm, and a Kunai appeared in his palm.
Point blank once more, if he allowed Naruto to throw the kunai, he'd have a hard time trying to dodge it. How was the blond even making weapons appear and disappear in the blink of an eye?
Kakashi increased the strength in his standing leg and then moved swiftly, pushing the blond a bit before stretching his right hand. He grabbed Naruto's arm around the wrist and then tried to slam a fist on the blond's chest.
Naruto twisted his body enough to avoid the blow while jumping up to latch onto the Jonin's hand. Kakashi quickly let go of Naruto's arm, stepped back a bit, and then leapt into the air. He tried to hit Naruto with a two-footed kick. While still in mid-air, a mud splinter protruded from the ground and then tried to skewer him. It seemingly hit him, but he burst into a log.
Naruto landed on the ground gracefully, and he glanced up. The Jonin had chosen to disappear. He didn't bother trying to search for the man. He held a single hand seal with his left hand and twisted around like a tornado. As he twisted, kunai were flung in all directions around the training ground. He released more than twenty kunai.
Nobody was flushed out from the trees. He didn't mind but simply grinned, holding his hands together, creating a seal.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
The kunai he threw were special kunai, marked with an explosive seal. They exploded into a fiery of crimson flames that caused the trees to burn. It was just chaos around him, and he loved every moment of it.
His teammates were the first to step into the clearing, panicked, and Kakashi followed suit. "Time out!" The Jonin shouted, and then watched as the fires burnt the trees. He quickly did a water jutsu to put out the flames before their training ground was completely burnt.
"Were you trying to kill us as well?" Sasuke demanded.
Naruto just shrugged. "Blame sensei for hiding over in the trees. You think I'm going to step into the trees where he'll likely pick on me?"
"Better to flush him out," Sai added. "I thought you were simply attacking, but it seems you have a plan."
"Of course." Naruto said as if it were natural.
Kakashi faced Naruto and then sighed. He couldn't call the blond weak. He had earlier allowed himself to be hit in an attempt to stab him. A second later, he may have had a sword piercing through his leg, blood gushing out, and thoughts of rushing to the hospital to get it treated.
"New rules. Please don't destroy our training ground," he said sternly to Naruto.
Naruto didn't just lunge at the Jonin this time. He dropped a smoke bomb around him, covering his body in smoke. While covered, he summoned a white mask with an evil grin, painted in red, and two small horns.
He appeared behind the Jonin. His teammates didn't see anything, nor did Kakashi, not until it was too late anyway. Naruto's right leg swept through the ground, hitting the Jonin. Kakashi found himself falling backwards, a surprised look across his eyes. He hadn't sensed anything, nor seen anything.
The blond flashed above him. Kakashi could see him, but with the mask, he couldn't sense him. It was like he wasn't even there at all. Naruto tried to hit Kakashi across his chest with an axe kick. The Jonin folded both his hands to block the attack. The kick slammed into his hands, doing much to absorb the blow. He was still sent crashing into the ground, getting buried.
While Naruto didn't follow him, he landed a foot away and slammed his hands to the ground. Chakra chains burst out of the ground around the crater the Jonin was buried in.
The chains then wrapped around the Jonin and then tried to crush him. He exploded in a puff of smoke, revealing it to have been a clone.
"Solid clone, eh?" Naruto said, straightening up, as the chains retreated back into the ground.
Kakashi appeared behind Naruto and then launched a roundhouse kick. The attack never reached Naruto as it was blocked by a chain. The Jonin rushed away when the chain tried to wrap around his ankle.
Naruto turned around and removed his mask. It disappeared, and so did the chains. He grinned. "How was it like fighting an Uzumaki?" But of course, that was nothing.
The explosive tags, the mask, and the chakra chains. The blond actually destroyed his clone and still didn't even look bothered. If Kakashi really wanted to defeat Naruto, he'd have to lift up his headband.
"What is with the mask?"
"Special thing. It seals off your chakra presence. Of course, those with a keen nose can still track me. But I could sit in a tree over there," he said, pointing toward the tree. "And none of you would even know I am here. Cool, huh?"
It was a useful mask that could prove deadly, especially when worn by an Anbu. It was now apparent that the blond had some tricks up his sleeve and didn't mind using his brain during a fight. The fact that he was so far fine and looked like he could go another round was a testament to his stamina. Sasuke couldn't last this long.
"You're better than the others. There is no one better than you at your age in the village." The Jonin conceded with a sigh. "But Sasuke isn't the strongest Genin."
"Oh?" Naruto looked excited. It would have been disappointing if the Uchiha were.
"Who else?"
"You'll meet them." Team Gai was simply the best Genin team in the village. Despite his other flaws, Gai was a good teacher. Lee and Neji stood above the rest. The former couldn't even use Ninjutsu.
Kakashi called it quits on his one-on-one with Naruto. The Blond didn't hide his disappointment but he shrugged it off. There were more important matters—the training session with the team. He told them to prepare, and he went to the trees, taking out his book while the Genin hashed out their strategies.
It didn't take long for Naruto to understand why Sasuke hated doing D-rank missions. Despite everything glorious said about them, they didn't improve a shinobi's overall capacity. They were nothing more than odd jobs meant to simplify the lives of civilians. At the same time, Sai's reasoning was correct.
Naruto just felt like he was in Uzushio once more. But, only here he now got paid. Children were forced to do all the chores in the village and they got a big thank you in the end. Here, the village rewarded their efforts with money.
Sasuke and Kakashi were quick to excuse themselves. Naruto was left with Sai. The blank page was someone he was likely to get along with than Sasuke.
"What was with those chains?" Sai asked, staring at him.
Naruto didn't respond; he was looking for a place he could eat something quick before going back to his apartment to do some study. He decided to head to Icharaku Ramen. The stand wasn't busy. He hopped on a stool and Sai followed him.
The beautiful Ayame nodded to their orders and hurried away to the kitchen. It seemed, she was alone today.
Naruto glanced at Sai and asked. "What do you write in that notebook?"
"I'm trying to understand expressions."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Good luck with that." He said with a smile. "Did I mean that or was I being sarcastic?"
Sai cocked his head, and then replied. "We're teammates, you mean it?"
"No." Naruto said. "I was being sarcastic." He said and then raised an index finger. "You can understand expressions by reason but not always. There are many things people do that are unreasonable. To fully understand certain things, you need to develop emotions."
Maybe he could take Sai like a dog. A pet he had to teach a few things. He smiled at the thought. "Human emotions are complicated..." He said in a thoughtful tone. "What was she like?"
Sai didn't need to think about anything. It bothered him that Naruto wanted to control the flow of the conversation. But as long as Sai gave nothing away and he managed to befriend the Uzumaki, Danzo would say it was a job well done.
"She was weak and did nothing but ask Sasuke for dates. She didn't contribute anything during missions."
And yet, Sai wasn't mad about it.
Dates, huh? Well, then again, young or old, girls did like going on dates. It wasn't just girls asking for dates, but even boys. Young minds were filled with nothing but fantasies about love and romance. What did they even understand about love? Their love was innocent and naive in many ways. They had yet to experience life and its tragedies.
"I don't feel bad about taking her place, then," Naruto said with a smile. Ayame returned with his order. He thanked her, and dished in. "Why are you curious about my chains?"
"Shouldn't I be?" Sai asked, a blank look across his face.
Naruto laughed. "No; you should be."
"Then why ask why?" Sai cocked his head to the side, curious about the reasoning that seemed redundant.
Naruto shrugged. "They are chains formed by chakra," he gave the simple version to Sai. It wasn't a lie. "I don't know what more you expect."
"Unique to the Uzumaki?"
"Yes."
Sai nodded. "Is it possible for you to learn your father's Jutsu?"
Naruto laughed. "You're talking about the Thunder God Technique. It is not an invention of my father but the Nidaime. Why are you asking?"
"Curious to see if you can surpass your father."
"My father lived a short life, so, that is easy to accomplish. If I can live a long life and not surpass him, I may as well be a failure," Naruto replied with a slight shake of his head. "Want me to teach you how to understand people's emotions?"
Hokage Office
"So, what do you make of him?" Hiruzen asked Kakashi with anticipation. He'd watched the sparring session and was impressed. But personality was more important than anything.
Kakashi sighed deeply. Naruto was a lively kid. He had a lot of energy. And it seemed he would get along with his teammates. It was evident he went through extensive training. But having him in the team was just more work for him. He'd always have to be on his toes and not be carefree as usually was.
"Doesn't seem like a bad kid," Kakashi said with nonchalance. "He is very observant. He misses nothing with those eyes of his. But I really can't tell what he is thinking..." the Jonin added with a shake of his head.
Hiruzen folded his hands, adopting a thoughtful look across his face. Jiraiya had the same response. Even if Naruto didn't put on a blank mask, it was hard to tell what he was thinking.
"Is he happy though?"
"A little too happy." Kakashi said. "He doesn't look miserable and enjoys his time."
"That is important." Hiruzen said and then adopted a serious look. "What about his skill set?"
Kakashi thought Naruto would most likely defeat any Chunin he faced in battle. He didn't reveal everything. In the first session, he'd been to measure of all of Sasuke's tricks. With Naruto, he couldn't. The blond was well-rounded.
"His Taijutsu is polished. He used a storage seal to store his weapons. I assume it is the same to a storage tattoo. It has to be somewhere on his right arm. Everything he summons appears on his right arm. He sometimes uses a hand seal, and sometimes not." Kakashi explained from his observation. "There is a lot more to discover. During missions, we will see his personality."
End of chapter
Thank you for the wonderful response to the first chapter. I hope, this one kept with the flow!