Chapter 2: Team Eight Assembles!
Konohagakure, Uzumaki Household
It was the morning after the huge genin graduation party, the Uzumaki family had celebrated Himawari's ascension to the ninja ranks. In her room the youngest member of the household woke up just before her alarm clock was set to go off. Her room had several pictures of her with her friends and family, her own drawings, a big bed for Akamaru.
Himawari herself had already woken up and finished getting dressed. She had changed her outfit a bit from what she wore in the Academy, she was wearing a yellow version of her mother's old overcoat she had from when she was Genin that had an orange trim on its zipper area and around he edges. And on the back was a sunflower design with the Uzumaki Clan symbol in the center. Finally, Himawari was wearing dark blue pants with a kunai holster on her hip while she put on her belt which had a pocket for her shuriken and another for scrolls.
"Alright…I'm ready now!" Himawari said as she eagerly tied her new headband over her forehead and Akamaru rushed over, barking cutely. "Aww thank you Akamaru!"
She hugged the big ninken happily and Akamaru licked her cheek sweetly. He was really protective over her, seeing it as his job to protect Naruto and Hinata's children from oldest to youngest since Kiba was no longer alive. He wagged his tail and did a few barks of encouragement for Himawari who grinned.
"Thanks, Akamaru!" Himawari said as she hugged the big white dog. "After my first mission, I'll get you a big milk bone for you to enjoy!"
Akamaru barked happily at that and ran around in circles happily. Himawari giggled at that; she loved it when the old ninken would act like a big puppy. After petting him and giving him a hug, the young genin grabbed her bag and rushed out of the room for breakfast.
Hinata hummed to herself as she heard her youngest daughter rush into the dining room. Boruto and Shina had already left for the day to go to their respective teams due to having missions in he early morning. Tsune was the only one left besides Himawari and he was eagerly enjoying the breakfast their mother made for her children. Steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, some fried eggs, natto, cooked seaweed and veggies for a side dish. Plus, Hinata's favorite, a huge basket full of fresh cinnamon rolls and buns that she had baked herself!
"Hey Tsune-onii-chan!" Himawari said as she took a seat and saw the spread that their mother had laid out for them.
"Hey Himawari-chan," Tsune grinned at his younger sister. "Congrats again on becoming a genin! You excited about getting your own team?"
Himawari grinned and she grabbed a bowl of rice, veggies, a fried egg and a bowl of miso soup. "You bet! Oh, where's daddy? Did he already head to the Hokage Tower?"
"Oh, not yet! He's waiting for you to finish breakfast in the gardens Himawari-chan!" Tsune replied as he took a cinnamon bun from the basket and bit into it. "Just like he did when me, Shina-onee-chan and Boruto-onii-chan became ninja!"
The youngest Uzumaki blinked at that. "Oh, I nearly forgot that…" she puffed out her cheeks as she grabbed her chopsticks to start eating. "Now I remember, you guys couldn't tell me what happened! So come on, spill!"
"Nuh uh uh, it's a surprise Hima-chan!" Tsune replied in a teasing voice. "You're just gonna have to finish eating before seeing dad!"
Himawari sighed. "Okay, but this better be good!"
Hinata smiled as she walked in with some milk, orange juice and coffee. "Oh, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, Himawari-chan," she said as her Tenseigan eyes twinkled bit. "I can't tell you too much, but this is going to be the norm for the Uzumaki Clan from this time forward."
"Man, I can't wait then!" Himawari complained but she started to dig into her breakfast.
After she had finished, she pushed off the table and hugged her big brother then her mom. Himawari then rushed out of the dining room and headed towards where Naruto was in the garden. The Hokage tended to his plants in his usual fashion, he watered them, trimmed the bushes and made sure the flowers had the right amount of sunlight. He smirked and admired his work.
"Well thanks to Ino's tips I managed to get a better bloom out of these beauties," Naruto said with a grin as he admired the white lilies that were in the garden, as well as tiger lilies and tulips. He took off his gloves and then glanced back to see his youngest daughter arriving. "Right on time Hima-chan."
Himawari grinned. "I'm excited about the surprise! What is it, what is it?!"
"Heh, slow down Hima-chan," Naruto said as he motioned for his daughter to walk with him. "First of all, you know what a jinchūriki is, correct?"
Himawari nodded. "Yeah, that's what you are daddy. You have a Biju, a Tailed Beast inside you!"
"Correct," Naruto said as he rustled his daughter's hair. "And while you've seen Kurama before whenever I've trained with your mother or Sasuke you two have yet to meet. Since you are now a full-fledged shinobi its time for you to have a face to face."
Himawari's eyes widened and her father then motioned her to follow him into the center of the garden. The two then sat cross legged in front of each other and Naruto then lifted up a fist in front of his daughter's face.
"Alright Hima-chan, push your fist against mine."
Himawari nodded and then pushed her own fist against her father's. In mere moments she was then in Naruto's mindscape and behind him was the enormous orange-red nine-tailed demon fox. Kurama snorted a bit and then knelt down and got eye level with the young Uzumaki.
"Ah, it is good to finally meet you Himawari," Kurama said in a deep, booming voice. "You've grown since the last time I saw you…"
"You've seen me before?" Himawari asked and then she gently knocked her forehead and stuck out her tongue. "Oh duh, it's because you're in daddy's mind…"
"Well, you're a bit more observant than your own dad here was at the same age."
"Hey!" Naruto snapped and his daughter giggled at that.
"Anyway, meeting me was just one part of this Himawari," Kurama began as he reached and grabbed a tuff of his own fur. With a yank he pulled it out. "This is the main portion. Now you, like all of your siblings have inherited my chakra through your father but that only goes so far…"
Naruto grinned. "Which means," he said as he began to do a long sequence of seals that his daughter could tell was for a powerful jutsu. "Its time to give you your own partner, Himawari-chan."
"P-Partner?" Himawari asked. "You mean…?"
"Yep…in essence, I'm giving you my own 'child'," Kurama replied as he began to mold the fur, turning it back into its pure chakra base. "Which type of animal shape would you want? Boruto chose a snake, Shina a cat much like Matatabi, and Tsune chose a bear. What about you…?"
Himawari thought about it as she watched the gigantic fox mold the chakra skillfully. "I…I want a fox! Just like you Mr. Kurama!"
Kurama got a big toothy grin at that. "Heh, and that's why I knew you were special Himawari! A fox kit is coming right up!"
The young Uzumaki's eyes sparkled as the strongest of the Biju finished molding the now pure chakra into what looked to be a smaller version of himself though with just three tails. Kurama carefully placed it down as Naruto then walked over to the fox-shaped chakra. The Rokudaime Hokage gave a grin as he finished the hand seal sequence.
"Banbutsu Sōzō no Jutsu (Creation of All Things Technique)," Naruto uttered as his he separated his hands, one glowed white and the other black as he used the Rikudō Sennin's most powerful technique once again.
He placed his hands on the fox-shaped chakra, and he infused it with life. The rough shape it had smoothed out to form a fox-kit with yellow-orange eyes and orange fur. It looked around curiously before settling on Kurama.
"Welcome to the world, kit," Kurama said with a bit of pride. "Himawari, what should we name her?"
"Huh, she's a girl?" Himawari asked and the big fox nodded.
"Yep, she will not be able to start talking for a few months, but she'll be your constant partner and help you when you're in danger. Just like I did-though more willingly, for your dad at his age."
Naruto grinned and patted the newly formed kitsune. "So, Himawari, got any ideas…?"
Himawari blinked and then put her hand to her chin. She looked at the giant fox kit and then the name popped out for her. She then went over and put her hands on the new giant fox kit.
"Her name is Kasumi!" Himawari announced with a grin. "She'll be my best friend and partner!"
With that Himawari hugged the giant fox kit and their bodies glowed to solidify their new bond. Kasumi began to lick her new partner's cheek happily and Himawari giggled and nuzzled her. Kurama smirked and leaned back, folding his giant arms.
"Perfect match…now Kasumi, make sure you keep Himawari safe, and she'll keep you safe in return. Understood?"
The fox kit gave a nod as if it understood and then yipped happily. When Naruto and Himawari exited the mindscape the youngest Uzumaki was holding a little yellow-orange fox kit in her arms. Kasumi yipped at seeing how big the world was before she transformed into pure chakra and entered Himawari's body.
"Heh…I guess she's a little scared right now…" Himawari said as she rubbed the back of her head. "Wait I don't think I got a seal on me like you do papa for Kurama!"
Naruto grinned. "Honestly, you don't need it, Himawari. Due to being my daughter your chakra is already on the same wavelength as Kurama's, which means Kasumi will be able to go into the Biju mindscape within your mind without trouble and manifest whenever she needs to. Even your mother Hinata doesn't have a seal for Matatabi because she was able to match her wavelength."
"Huh…man that's cool!" Himawari said cheerfully. "Crap. I gotta get going papa! I don't want to be late for my team assignment!"
"Right, good luck Hima-chan," Naruto said as he puts her head and she beamed at that.
A few minutes later, Himawari had arrived at her classroom at the Academy. All her classmates were chatting, wondering who they would be put on a team with and wondering who their Jonin-sensei would be. She sat next to Kae, and Yuina-the latter had adjusted her hiate-iti and changed the color of the fabric to a solid black to match her outfit while she read up on the latest survival gear.
I wonder if I'm fully prepared to go on the field… Yuina thought to herself as she put her hand to her chin. A lot of this stuff seems to be highly recommended…
Ehō rushed into the room with Eiki, the two racing each other to their seats. Homura glanced up as he saw them and stretched.
"You two were close to being late, overslept?"
"Grr! Shut up Uchiha-teme!" Eiki snapped and panted, crossing his arms and he pouted. "Jus was finishing some training with my dad…"
Ehō panted. "And I had some last-minute chores my mom wanted me to do before coming to class!"
"Hmph, at least you were using your time wisely," Homura commented aloofly as he leaned back.
Yuina glanced over at him and blushed. …why is Homura-kun always so cool…?
The rest of the class chatted before their homeroom teacher came in. Hana cleared her throat to make her now former students calm down. She then put on a beaming smile as she saw all of her former students sporting their Konoha headbands for the first time. All of her hard work in getting them ready had paid off.
"Alright class, we'll split you all up into teams of three under a jōnin-sensei from the Village," Hana explained to her former students. "You'll be sent on missions to hone your skills, earn money for yourselves and Konoha's economy, and perfect what you've learned here and more!"
"We'll get as strong as the Strongest Generation!" Eiki exclaimed enthusiastically. "Just like the likes of Naruto-sama, Neji-sama or Sasuke!"
At that the class erupted in chatter and Himawari rubbed the back of her head. Being the Hokage's daughter and the Hyūga Head's niece gave her a lot to live up to and she glanced at Homura. He also had a lot of expectations put upon him-being the first male heir to the Uchiha Clan since the Massacre. He folded his hands much like how his father did at the same age, wondering what sort of team and sensei he would be getting.
Hana named the first six teams and each of Himawari's classmates all went off to be with their new teammates, but her name wasn't listed yet. She waited with bated breath as she wondered who would be in her cell. Her former teacher cleared her throat as she started to name off the next names for Team Seven.
"Uchiha Homura, Norimaki Ehō and Itomaki Yuina," Hana announced as Yuina's eyes sparkled and she looked at her crush Homura, secretly very happy to be put on he same team as him. "Your Jonin-sensei will be Aburame Fu!"
"Wait we're being trained by Shino-sensei's wife?" Ehō asked and Hana nodded.
"Yep, and she is also the Jinchūriki of Chomei the Seven-Tails, she's waiting to greet you in the other room Ehō-kun," Hana said with a smile. "She'll be the perfect fit for you all, just wait and see!"
Homura shrugged. "Could be worse, I heard from my father she's really strong,"
"W-Well I'll do my best, Homura-kun," Yuina said as she pushed her glasses up to try to hide her blush.
Oh boy Yuina-chan's dream really came true, Himawari thought as a bead of sweat appeared on her forehead. She's been crushing on Homura since the first year!
Homura, Yuina and Ehō all bowed to Hana before walking to the other room to meet their sensei. Their former teacher gave a happy smile as she went over the paperwork once again to see who the next team would be.
"Alright…for Team Eight, Uzumaki Himawari, Yukiwari Kae and Fūma Eiki," Hana said with a smile. "And your Jonin-sensei will be Sarutobi Mirai!"
Himawari grinned. "Mirai-onee-chan's gonna be our teacher! Awesome!"
"You know her Himawari-chan?" Kae asked.
"Yep! She's the daughter of my mom's own jōnin-sensei, Sarutobi-Yūhi Kurenai!" Himawari exclaimed with a grin.
"That's not all," Eiki said with a smirk. "I've heard of her, she's one of the most talented Jonin of her generation! She's also the personal student of Nara Shikamaru, Naruto-sama's right-hand man!"
Kae grinned. "Oh, I can't wait to meet her!"
With that the three new genin went to the next room where their new Jonin-sensei was waiting for them. Mirai was a rather attractive young woman with short black hair, fair skin and she was athletically built, but her most striking feature was her sharp red eyes that were like the Sharingan which she inherited from her mother. She wore the standard Jonin uniform of the green flak jacket, black t shirt underneath it and black pants. On her hip she carried two trench knives-her late father's signature weapon and she had a kunai holster on her right thigh and a shuriken holster on her left hip.
"Hi Mirai-onee-chan…I mean Mirai-sensei!" Himawari exclaimed happily and hugged her and the young Sarutobi laughed at that.
"Heh, it would be 'onee-sama', Hima-chan, but 'sensei' is just fine!" Mirai grinned before she cleared her throat and went all business like. "I am Sarutobi Mirai, I'll be your Jonin-sensei! Under my training and supervision, I hope to turn you into great shinobi! Now, let's get some introductions out of the way as well as your likes and dislikes!"
"Uh then I'll go first!" Himawari said with a grin. "I'm Uzumaki Himawari, I'm 12 years old and I'll be 13 in a month! I really like drawing, flowers, my friends, my big brothers and sister and training! I don't like mean people or how long it takes cinnamon buns to heat up before eating!"
"Oh…I'll go next then," Kae said as she pushed her fingertips together. "I'm Yukiwari Kae and I'm the 12 years old. I'm also the Princess from the Bamboo Country, it's a small country that borders the Land of Fire, Land of Rivers and Land of Wind. I like calligraphy, sweets, video games and cute animals! I dislike people who abuse their power and think they can use other people like tools."
"And I'm Fūma Eiki!" Eiki said enthusiastically. "I'm 13 years old and I'm part of Konoha's Fūma Clan! I really like Shurikenjutsu, video games and movies, as well as my dad in the Konoha Military Police Force! As for what I dislike…" he started to think of Homura and grumbled. "Jerks who think they are all that and barely have to work at anything to get strong!"
Mirai sweat dropped at that part. "Heh…I see…well!" she clapped her hands together. "While you did pass your Genin Exams, I'm going to evaluate if you can keep your headbands."
"What?" all three asked.
"I thought we passed he genin test and were actual ninja now!" Eiki exclaimed in disbelief.
"And we worked so hard too, and that last test was so scary!" Kae added.
"Oh, yes, I heard about Ibiki's test, those ones are doozies I know," Mirai said as she then lifted her index finger up. "What I intend to do is a practical test of your skills and abilities. Nothing too strenuous though."
"Then…what's it going to be about?" Himawari asked. "Do we have to fight you or something?"
"Oh, no, no," Mirai said with a grin. "First that would be unfair, and I know some Jonin-sensei's do have their own combat-oriented exam, no…this one will be about survival."
"Survival?" Kae asked. "But we did plenty of that sort of training back at the Academy."
"Exactly, now is the time to put it to the true test. To take what you learned and put it into practice," Mirai said as she grinned. "Remember: you want to be ninja. That means you will have to learn to live off the land and survive with minimal amounts of supplies and potentially against hostile wildlife. Added to the threat of potentially facing enemies on top of that…you can see why I want to see what you can do and if you're truly ready to become full-fledged genin."
Eiki nodded. "Okay that makes sense…" he muttered as he crossed his arms. "Still makes it feel like everything we did in the last tests was for nothing…"
"Far from it! Like I said this'll be the practical application of the skills you learned at the Academy," Mirai said as she clapped her hands together. "Alright, you know what we're going to do. So, I want you three to meet me at 4:00 AM sharp at the Forty-Fourth Training Ground. Pack lightly, focus on bringing weapons, some rations and the necessities. Since we will take three days for this evaluation. Understood?"
"Yes Mirai-sensei!"
"Great! If everything goes well, we'll go out on missions right afterwards!" Mirai said cheerfully as she stood up.
"One other thing…what constitutes us failing?" Himawari asked Mirai who smirked.
"That all depends on you, to pass you have to make it through the three days," Mirai replied as she smirked. "If you decide to bow out on the first or second day that's an automatic failure not only for yourself but for the rest of the squad here. You all pass or fail together as a team, understood?"
"Yeah, I think I do," Himawari said with a nod.
"Good! I'll see you at 4:00 AM!" Mirai said as she then vanished in front of them in a puff of smoke.
With that he three new ninjas were left to digest all the information that Mirai had given them and their new task. Before anything else could happen Himawari's body was covered in a red chakra aura briefly and then in the air something puffed out of nowhere and landed in her arms.
'What the?!" Eiki said as she jumped back.
"Heh, relax," Himawari said cheerfully. "Eiki-kun, Kae-chan, this is Kasumi! She's one of Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's children!"
The cute little fox kit yipped and looked around, her tails swishing about. Hearts appeared in Kae's eyes as she came over and began to pet Kasumi's soft fur. Kasumi was a bit shy at first but began to nuzzle the young Bamboo Princess' hand. The cute little multi-tailed fox then licked Kae's hand to show that she liked her.
"She's so cute!" Kaei said cheerfully.
"Heh, I know! This is just her 'compact' form though, inside my body's chakra network she gets much, much bigger," Himawari exclaimed cheerfully as Eiki put his hand to his chin.
"Man, I didn't think Biju could do that," Eiki said as he reached to pat Kasumi who shied away from him. "But its so cool…huh she has three-tails?"
"Yep," Himawari said as Kasumi wagged her tails as Kae scratched under her chin.
"Wonder if she'll grow more tails as she gets older," Eiki said as he grinned. "Man, she's going to be so strong like her dad…this is so cool!"
"Heh, yeah!" Himawari said as she cuddled Kasumi but then checked the time. "Oh, I gotta get going!"
Eiki blinked. 'What for?"
"I still got a shift at Auntie Ino's Flower Shop to do!" Himawari said as Kasumi burst into smoke and went back into her chakra network. "Oh, but afterwards let's head to Ichiraku Ramen for a few bowls! We're officially a team now!"
"Right, we'll see you there Himawari-chan!" Kae yelled cheerfully as she waved her hand.
A few minutes later Himawari arrived at the Yamanaka Flower Shop. She rushed in and grabbed her apron and put it on before tying her headband onto her forehead so it would keep her hair out of her eyes. She looked up as Ino smirked at her.
"Bout time you showed up, Himawari-chan," Ino said with a grin.
"Sorry I'm late Auntie Ino! I was just getting…"
"Relax, I know," Ino said as she waved her off. "You're a genin now and you're also getting ready for the true genin test. So, I already freed up your schedule to make sure you can go on missions after you pass that little hurdle."
"You already did?!" Himawari asked in shock and the Yamanaka leader smiled and pat her head.
"Who do you think you're talking to Himawari-chan? I am Konoha's Head Jōnin after all," Ino pointed out. "Plus, it's the same thing my own dad did for me when I was your age after I became a ninja."
Himawari's eyes widened, and she beamed before she hugged Ino happily. "You're the best Auntie Ino!"
"Heh, I know, I know!" Ino cheerfully said as she pat her young employee's back. "But right now, we have customers to help and flowers to water!"
The young Uzumaki nodded happily and then grabbed a watering can and began to give the flowers a good watering. For the next few hours, she trimmed the flowers, helped customers find their ideal flower or plant, cleaned up the floor of shed leaves and stems, and went into the greenhouse in the back to replenish the stocks of sold-out merchandise. Himawari stretched as she lifted a box out of the back room filled with various watering cans, hoses and fertilizers that the shop sold. As she put the box down to restock the shelves there was a commotion near the roses.
"I don't know what the Kumo-Inu (Cloud Dog) is doing here but she's not welcome," a male voice said.
"I…I was just trying to buy some flowers for my grandmother…" a meek sounding woman's voice said.
"Like we care Kumo-Inu," a sharper sounding woman's foice said. "just get out of here!"
"But, but…"
Himawari scowled and she was about to head over to try to diffuse the situation, but she heard from the main counter a loud 'thwack'. She looked over to see Ino, now uncharacteristically angry, start to storm over to the customers verbally and nearly physically assaulting the immigrant from the Land of Lightning. She had dark skin, wore a white sundress and had her long red hair in a pony-tail. She was also trying to keep the other customers calm so she could keep about her business.
"I don't care what you say in the privacy of your own homes but in my shop, if you want to continue buying the flowers I have here you'll treat all my patrons with respect, got it?!" Ino said strongly but firmly.
"But she isn't even from Konoha Ino-san!" one of the shriller customers protested.
"Yeah, why stand up for her kind?"
"How do we know she's just not here to steal secrets from Konoha to sell back to her homeland?! Its what they used to do in the past!"
"I-I'm not even a ninja…"
"Shut it Kumo-Inu!"
"ENOUGH," Ino snapped, and she pointed to the door. "You all leave my store now or I will be forced to call the Military Police, got it?"
One of he belligerent customers was about to mouth off to the Yamanaka Clan Head but she was pulled out before anymore words could be said. Ino then went over to the immigrant customer who was breathing in and trying to keep her emotions in check.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Ino said as she breathed in and put her hand on the customer's shoulder. "Do you need anything?"
"N-No I'm fine," she said as she sniffled a bit. "…I was…just trying to make a new home for my family here…"
Ino reached over and got some fresh roses for her. "Here, on the house. Not everyone in Konoha are morons like that, this is your home now and you're welcome here. Never forget that."
The dark-skinned woman nodded before taking the roses with her out the door and Himawari walked over to Ino. She was scowling and was wringing her hands together.
"Auntie Ino, why were they so mean to her?" Himawari asked as she looked down. "She looked like a nice lady…"
Ino sighed and pat her young employee's back. "Honestly, I don't know. All six major villages fought against Tobimaru, and Akatsuki in the War and I have many friends and comrades in Kumogakure as do a lot of ninjas within Konoha. Your dad was even trained by one of their best-Killer Bee!" she put her hand to her face and sighed. "Though Konoha's citizens have had a lot of prejudice against people they call 'outsiders'…"
"It has?" Himawari asked and the Yamanaka Leader gave a nod.
"Yeah, I've heard stories from my mother of how immigrants were treated by he populace…its rather shameful," Ino replied. "I think even your mother's clan has a grudge against people from Kumogakure or Lightning despite fighting alongside them in he War."
"Huh, why?"
"You'd have to ask her or your uncle Neji about it," Ino replied but she clapped her hands together. "But now we have work to do Himawari-chan!"
"Right," Himawari said as she tied her headband a bit tighter around her forehead and she went back to work, still thinking on what she just saw.
[-]
Hokage Tower
Naruto pushed himself back from his desk as he stretched. He had just finished the last round of paperwork for the day. Though to be fair his father had helped earlier in the day but there was still a lot of work to go around. From new trade agreements with the members of the Shinobi Union, to permits to authorize a new Chūnin Exams stadium. He glanced up as his old sensei came walking in.
"Heh, hey Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said with a grin. "Thought you and your wife were on a hot springs tour."
"We just got back," Kakashi said with a eye smile. "Tell Hinata though Kahyo-chan loved the anniversary gift."
"Heh, I'll tell her," Naruto said as his teacher's attitude turned serious, and he folded his hands. "Though I assume it wasn't all fun and game?"
"I wish it was, but…" Kakashi replied as he did a seal and in a puff of smoke there was a scroll that appeared on the Rokudaime Hokage's desk.
Naruto unfurled the scroll and his eyes widened. "Towns that have disappeared?"
"All along the border with Orochimaru's territory, yeah," Kakashi said with a frown. "They've either been scooped out of the earth itself, or full-on ghost towns. I could detect a strange scent, almost rabbit-like but I can't be sure."
"…rabbit like?" Naruto asked as he read the report. "A new technique or weapon that Orochimaru made?"
"Potentially, but we should send multiple teams to the borders for a full-on investigation," Kakashi replied. "I'd also advise sending word to the other members of the Shinobi Union too to start investigating their own shared borders with the countries they have in Orochimaru's power bloc."
"Consider it done," Naruto said with a nod.
Kakashi returned the nod to his former student before he checked his wristwatch. "I have to get going home now, the twins are about old enough to start basic training in ninjutsu."
"Heh, getting them an early start?" Naruto asked with a laugh. "Give Obito and Yuriko a hello from me!"
"Heh, of course. They do love it when the Hokage visits,"
With that the Copy-Ninja vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Naruto alone with his thoughts. Part of him thought that this was one of Orochimaru's actions, trying to provoke a conflict to see if this new era of peace could hold up. But another part of him thought it wasn't his style…noting the 'rabbit-like' presence and settlements being scooped out of the earth. Why would Orochimaru even go to that effort he thought? Either way, it would have to be investigated.
He slapped his cheeks. "This can wait till the morning; I have a family dinner to go to!" he then did a seal. "Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)!"
And with that Naruto vanished from his office at an insane amount of pure speed so he could arrive right at his front door to the Uzumaki household. In the front yard Hinata was training with Shina, the two had their Byakugan activated as they sparred.
"Man…mom, you're just too fast!" Shina said as she tried to land a kata of palm strikes but her mother dodged, ducked or just blocked.
"You're getting there Shiaa-chan!" Hinata encouraged as she skids her foot back to avoid the next strike. "Your form is better than mine was when I was your age!"
Shina smiled with pride at that. "Then I'm going to try one of your techniques, mom!" she jumped back and assumed a stance that her mother and father knew all too well. "Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō {Protection Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palm)!"
She focused her chakra to her palms and began to create a web of chakra lasers as she moved them around at high speed. Hinata smirked as she approved of her eldest daughter using her first original technique and at such a high level too.
"Excellent Shina-chan," Hinata said as she moved her own hands. "But I created that technique so…"
Her hands then lashed out like lightning and penetrated the protective chakra web that Shina had created and poked her daughter's wrists to shut down her hands' tenketsu. Hinata then withdrew her hands as Shina winced and her defense faded quickly but she kept her stance.
"Man…hat stung mom," Shina muttered as she undid the tenketsu sealing. "How did you do that? I thought my hands were moving too fast for anything to get through."
"No defense is perfect, Shina-chan," Hinata said as they straightened up. "I just replicated what your uncle Neji did the first time we sparred after I created and mastered that technique."
"Huh?! Uncle Neji could do that?" Shina asked in a bit of shock.
"And plenty more. While I may be much stronger than him now thanks to our clan's ancestor Hamura, when it comes to pure skill…Neji-nii-san is heads and shoulders above me," Hinata said as she smiled. "He's a genius after all, able to easily replicate techniques after just seeing them once. Even now when we're just sparring using our Byakugan he can often defeat me due to finding weak points within my guard."
Shina nodded before she looked to see her father there. "Dad!"
"Heh, hey Shina-chan, Hinata-chan," he said as he walked over. "That was quite the sparring match!"
"Oh, I wanted to show mom I finally got her technique down," Shina said with a proud grin. "And what better way than a spar?"
"Heh, true. Oh, where's your brothers?" Naruto asked.
"Boruto is still with his team, he, Sarada and Mitsuki were on a mission to the villages to the south with Konohamaru-sensei," Shina said as she snapped her Byakugan on. "And Tsune-nii is gaming in his room."
Naruto grinned. "Of course. Though I thought he was going out with Hikari?"
"Apparently not tonight. She has a mission to her mom's lands in the northern Land of Fire after all," Shina replied. "He's kind of down because of that…"
"Sounds like him…oh is Himawari-chan still at work?"
At her mention Himawari pushed the gate open and she beamed at her parents and older sister. She still thought of the interaction at the Flower Shop but tried to push it to the back of her mind for now. After all she had to focus on fully passing the Final Genin Test. Naruto saw how his daughter looked and walked over.
"Everything okay Himawari-chan?" he asked and Himawari rubbed the back of her head.
"Yeah daddy, I'm okay. Just gotta get ready to pass Mirai-sensei's genin test!" Himawari said as her father pat her head and smiled down at her.
"If you ever need to talk to me about something Hima, I'm always here for that."
"Thanks daddy," Himawari said as she hugged her father happily. "Hi Shina-onee-chan, mommy!"
Hinata smiled as she walked over. "The headband looks good on you Himawari-chan."
"Thanks mommy!" she hugged Hinata happily. "Oh, can you tell me what your own sensei was like?! I know a lot about Kakashi but not too much about Kurenai-san!"
"Kurenai-sensei was like a surrogate mother to me, Hima-chan," Hinata said as they walked into the house and took a seat in the living room. "Before your father, she believed in me when even my late father didn't. She trained me to the best of her ability and thanks to her genjutsu I was able to form a defense against illusions with my Byakugan. She was also quite skilled in ninjutsu, so she trained me in both Katon and Raiton to expand my repertoire."
Himawari grinned. "And I'm being trained by her daughter!"
"Oh, I remember when Mirai-chan was little, she was just too cute," Hinata said happily as she leaned back as her mind was flooded with nostalgia. "I guess it isn't hard to believe she rose through the ranks so quickly, with Shikamaru being her Jonin-sensei and her own talent."
"Eiki-kun did say she was really strong and skilled," Himawari said as Shina came in with green tea for her little sister and mother. "Thanks Shina-onee!"
"No problem little sis," Shina said with a cheeky grin like her father's. "Dad had to go into the study, but he said he'll be training later mom."
"Excellent," Hinaa said happily. "I'll be joining him since I need to keep my skills up."
Shina pouted. "Well, sorry I'm not strong enough yet for that mom…"
"You'll get there Shina-chan," Hinata said happily. "You're already much stronger than I was at your age!"
Shina flushed at that and rubbed the back of her head. "Heh, thanks mom!"
"I got to get ready to head to Training Ground 44 myself," Himawari said as she went up the stairs. "I'll see you at dinner though!"
[-]
Princess Kae's Residence
The young Bamboo Princess was also getting ready for Mirai's true Genin Test. Her butler, Batora was helping her get her pack ready, so it had enough supplies, a ten and a sleeping bag, and he made sure she also had ample supply of kunai and shuriken. He looked to be an unassuming man, with short black hair, dark eyes and tan skin. He also wore a sharp gray shirt and formal black pants fitting of his past as a former shinobi. Kae herself was practicing in the front yard of the mansion she was living in in Konoha.
She did a seal and took a deep breath as her rapier then started to glow red. "Katon: Take no Hi Jutsu (Fire Release: Fire of Bamboo Technique)!"
And then from the tip of her rapier a blast of orange flame was shot out right at a target on the range that her butler had created for her to practice her secret ninja techniques. Dummies then popped out of the ground and began to attack her but like a graceful ballerina she dodged their attacks, landed and unleashed a flurry of stabs.
She then used a shunshin no jutsu to avoid a flurry of kunai and shuriken that were launched at her from several launchers around the practice range. Kae then jumped and spun and skillfully deflected the few that managed to get close with her sword. When she landed, she crouched down just as a larger puppet went to grab.
"Yukiwari Hiden: Shi no Emoji (Yukiwari Secret Technique: Glyph of Death)!" she called out as she sank her blade into the ground as white chakra burst from her body,
At Kae's feet a circle like a Kuchiyoise no Jutsu circle appeared but it glowed white and the symbols within it were unlike anything seen in Konoha for the most part, various stars, circles and squares could be made out, but the text was unreadable. And then from the glyph circle a barrage of white chakra blades hit the giant puppet and sent it crashing back. She took a deep breath as a few strands of hair dropped in front of her eyes and she stood up.
"Excellent work, Kae-sama," Batora said as he walked over and clapped his hands. "Your mother would be extremely proud you inherited her skill with this technique!"
"Heh…thanks Batora," Kae said as she stood up and moved the strands of hair out of her eyes. "Though I'm still not at mother's level…she was able to summon defeated soldiers and enemies from hers…"
"That will come in time, Kae-sama," Batora said before he vanished and reappeared with a tray that had some tea and biscuits on it. "You are still just a genin here, my lady. In time you'll reach your late mother's level and surpass it, I have no doubt."
Kae smiled happily at that and took the cup of tea. "Thank you Batora. I needed the encouragement…is everything packed for tomorrow morning?"
"Indeed, I also took the opportunity to draw you a bath and put on your favorite pop song to listen to while you get washed," Batora replied.
"Heh, you're the best! Thank you Batora!" Kae said as she hugged her butler happily. "I'll get the bath done now then we'll eat together like always!"
Batora nodded and his charge went back into the house. He crossed his fingers to create two Kage Bunshin to assist him in cleaning up he mess in the training area of the front yard while he smiled proudly at the Princess' growth since joining Konoha's Ninja Academy. Though his thoughts darkened…this also put an even larger target on her back than before. The last assassination attempted had barely been thwarted by the efforts of Himawari, Boruto and the assistance of the Copy-Ninja Hatake Kakashi…he hoped Kae's improved skill would allow her to battle the next assassin that the Ministers would send against her.
[-}
Fūma Clan Residence
Eiki was ecstatic, he was throwing together everything he would need for the fabled Forest of Death! The gray-haired youth secured plenty of ration bars, jerky and even a few summoning scrolls that his father had that contained extra food and water. He looked up as his dad, Kōtarō walked in to see his progress. His golden eyes looked at his son and he smiled. The leader of the Fūma Clan was dressed in a Konoha Military Police uniform, he had short hair and a round face but the most striking feature, like his son was his piercing yellow eyes.
"You are quite happy about this, aren't you?" Kōtarō asked and Eiki gave a beaming smile.
"Yeah! I'm going to get training from one of Konoha's best Jonin and I'm on the same team as our class's pillar in Himawari and the Princess too!" Eiki said happily. "I can't wait to get stronger and show how awesome the Fūma Clan is!"
"Oh, here I was thinking you were just excited to be on a team with two girls," Kōtarō joked, and his son's cheeks turned bright red. "You did have quite the crush on the Princess when she first arrived in Konoha after all…"
"Gah! Dad!" Eiki exclaimed as he waved his arms around. "It's not like that!"
"Heh, whatever you say Eiki," Kōtarō said as he waved his hand. "Your mother has finished making dinner, come on."
"Okay dad, I'm coming!" Eiki said as he finished his packing for now before he rushed out of his room to the dining room.
[-]
Sarutobi Clan Compound
Finally, Mirai had just finished her own preparations for the survival test within the Forest of Death. Surprisingly, she had lightly packed, only taking a few cooking utensils, toilet paper within a scroll, her trusty trench knives and a tent and finally sleeping bag. She looked over to her father's memorial in the corner of the room and walked over and slapped her hands together in prayer and she closed her eyes.
Heh, I hope you're watching pops…I finally got my first Genin Team! I'm going to make sure they pass my test since I want to be just like you and mom, raising legendary shinobi! Mirai thought as she grabbed a stick of incense and ignited it to spread the scent through the room. She placed it in a holder near the altar. I feel the Will of Fire burning in me…its my urn to pass what I've learned to the next generation. My new genin are a bit wet around the ears so they still need to see what its actually like to be a ninja…please protect them if things go wrong!
Mirai pulled her hands apart after she finished her prayer and looked at the picture of Asuma. "…I sill wish I could have met ya pops…I hope I am making you proud/"
"You are, Mirai," a new voice said, and she turned to see her mother Kurenai walking in after completing a S-Rank mission.
Kurenai had aged very gracefully, she was still quite he beauty that she was known for in her youth. She still wore her long hair freely with her headband wrapped around her neck and still brandished her white wrappings and red skirt for her mission outfit. She had a few wrinkles around her lips abut otherwise the Genjutsu Mistress looked nearly the same as she did before the Fourth Shinobi World War.
"Mirai, you've reached Jonin faster than either me or your father did," Kurenai said encouragingly and put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You were Naruto's bodyguard for five years to boot. You're living up to Asuma's ideals, so I know he'd be extremely proud of you."
The young Sarutobi smiled happily at that and then hugged her mother happily. "Thanks mom, I really needed that."
"No problem just don't be too hard on Himawari-chan tomorrow. I don't want an earful from my former student, got it?"
"Heh I know mom! I got everything planned! And I know Hima, Eiki and Kae'll pass with flying colors!"
Kurenai smiled at that. "I'm glad you have such confidence in them. Though I wonder will this be your only team or are you going to aim higher?"
"…mom come on, I'm…"
"Mirai, he entire village is wondering if you're going to throw your hat into the ring when Naruto steps down from the Hokage position in a few years," Kurenai cut her off. "You already have an amazing reputation throughout the village and your skills and power have surpassed both me and your late father to a high degree. If anyone could make a good Hokage after Naruto, it'd be you."
"Mom I haven't made up my mind on that yet," Mirai said as she sighed. "And Konohamaru is a surefire person to get the position too, maybe even Sarada if she keeps her rise."
"I know, but I sill believe you would make an amazing Hokage dear."
Mirai sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her mother had been rather insistent she aim to become Hokage after her meteoric rise through the ranks in Konoha. In truth the young Sarutobi had been considering it but she still didn't think she was ready for it. Maybe in a decade she thought she would be ready…she slapped her cheeks to calm herself and went to finish her preparations.
[-]
Training Ground 44, the Forest of Death
The night flew by quickly for the members of the newly formed Team Eight. All of its members awoke around 3:00 AM so they would have enough time to get ready and head to the training ground. Mirai had of course arrived first a little before 4:00 AM so she could get the final paperwork submitted to the guards around the training ground.
Himawari, Eiki and Kae arrived shortly after their new Jonin-sensei had finished getting them cleared for the Forest of Death. Since this wasn't the Chūnin Exams they didn't need to sign waivers just in case of death and if things turned out to be too much Mirai was required to get them out. Not only that if Mirai had been incapacitated there would be three Chūnin and a Jonin always monitoring them from the central tower.
"Alright kids, we're all set," Mirai said with a grin. "The three-day pass is ready so if you guys are ready, just follow me!"
"Right sensei!" Himawari, Eiki and Kae all said at the same time despite how tired they were from waking up so early. The sun was not even up yet!
With that the gate opened and Mirai then guided them through it. There were sounds of various animals all around as well as the chirping of crickets. Kae gulped as she heard another growl, but Mirai was humming to herself as she put her hands to the back of her head.
"Don't worry about this, think of this as just a long weekend camping trip and you'll pass the test just fine," Mirai said happily as they walked.
"Y-Yeah I can do that," Kae said and Himawari smiled.
"Don't worry Kae-chan, we got this!"
"Right!" Kae said affirmatively.
Eiki gave a low yawn as they walked. "Sensei why did we have to come so early anyway? Wouldn't it have made sense for us to arrive after at least sunrise?"
"Nope," Mirai said as they walked. "You guys need to be ready at moment's notice and be ready to survive even in the pitch black of night. You aren't going to be around Konoha's shimmering lights for every mission after all and many times you'll be knee deep in mud in the darkness for a lot of jobs. And all the more you have to be prepared to fight, survive and live off the land even in the time before dawn and after dusk."
"But with the world so peaceful right now…" Kae started and Mirai sighed.
"Things aren't as peaceful as advertised, Kae-chan. True there isn't a war out there but there are dozens of minor conflicts that have been resolved since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War. Not only that, many disenfranchised shinobi and samurai have become missing ninja and ronin at higher rates than even Naruto's time as a genin," Mirai said as they walked. "Added to the fact Orochimaru's Alliances have basically made the Shinobi Union enter an informal Cold War with him…"
"Orochimaru…" Eiki frowned. "I still can't believe them murderer of the Sandaime Hokage is still alive…"
"We all can't, but his time will come," Mirai said as she frowned. I wouldn't mind having a shot at him myself considering what he did to Grandpa… she shook her head. "Himawari, can you activate your Byakugan? Need to be sure the place I'm thinking about setting up camp for us is clear."
Himawari nodded and she did a seal and her blue eyes turned white as veins burst around her eyes. She then could see all around her with a range of three kilometers already when most Hyūga at her age were stuck at around 50 meters at best.
"Okay sensei, point the way!" Himawari said happily and Mirai pointed to a clearing that had a river with plenty of fish as well as ample places to set up camp.
When she found the clearing though, while it was an ideal place to set up camp…there was a complication. A family of Konoha's giant tigers had set up their den there. They were an endangered species so it was illegal to kill them even in training so that would make things a bit more difficult.
"Uh…sensei the place you want is near a bunch of huge tigers," Himawari said with a bit of a gulp.
"Oh, really now?" Mirai asked, sounding not worried about it. "We'll deal with them when we get there."
"Deal with them?" Eiki asked with a gulp. "Those things give even Chūnin trouble and if we go too far…"
"Don't worry about it." Mirai said with a grin. "We won't even have to fight."
"Don't even have to fight?" Kae asked and the young Sarutobi nodded.
"Yep, just make sure you follow my orders and things will be fine," Mirai replied, and they nodded and followed her lead.
When they reached the clearing near the spring where Mirai wanted to set up their camp, the Konoha Tigers ears twitched and the largest, the mother stood up to her full height on all four legs. She was one of the queens of the Forest, one of if not the apex predator of the entire woods. She was massive, six meters tall and 15 meters long from snout to tail and was covered in dark orange fur with black stripes. Even the native giant snakes, scaly 20-meter crocodiles, and the massive Senketsu Bears left the area if she was there. She started to snarl in warning to whatever was coming.
"Hatsume don't worry, its juts me," a voice she recognized could be heard and her ears twitched, and she calmed down.
The tiger, Hatsume watched as Mirai walked into the clearing and she began to chuff happily, coming over and nuzzling the Sarutobi like she was one of her cubs. The other tigers had awoken and then went over to Mirai as if they recognized her and chuffed happily and nuzzled her. Himawari, Kae and Eiki's jaws lowered and Mirai laughed.
"Okay, its okay guys, I missed you too," Mirai said as she pats their huge heads and Hatsume licked her head. "Heh…oh come on I already had a bath!"
"Did…did she effortlessly tame some Konoha Tigers?" Eiki asked in awe.
"I…I think they know her," Himawari said, also in awe. "I think my daddy can do the same thing; he befriended the beasts here like he did on Genbu…"
"She…she must have learned how to do that while guarding Hokage-sama then," Kae speculated as she saw Mirai cuddle the tigers happily before she waved her team over.
The three took a deep breath to steel themselves but walked over. Hatsume then looked over and she growled but then looked down at Mirai. She ceased growling as if she understood who they were and when she sniffed the air, she could smell…Naruto's scent on Himawari. That was enough for her to fully calm herself down again and let the three young genin into her territory fully.
"Welcome to the Tiger's Den kids," Mirai said with a grin. "Met these guys when I was on my Chūnin Exam and Hatsume here even saved my butt when I got into trouble with a bunch of bears after I raided some of their honey for food during it."
"Wait you befriended them at that time, not when you were guarding Hokage-sama?" Kae asked in surprise.
"Yep," Mirai said with a proud smile. "Now this is going to be our camp. Set up the tents and get ready for three days here. And don't relax your guard…this is the Forest of Death for a reason. Then we'll actually begin his test."
"Right sensei!" they said as they began to set up their tens.
For the next three days and nights, the members of Team Eight survived within the Forest of Death. Mirai was able to see their skills-Eiki's mastery of Shurikenjutsu which allowed them to catch dozens of fish and other prey, Himawari's skill with her Byakugan which helped with hunting and avoiding other predators, and Kae's strange Hiden jutsu which acted both as a defense and barrier when the likes of Scar the Senketsu Bear decided to test his luck against them.
By the end of the test, it was obvious that the three passed. It didn't hurt that the place where they set up the camp was more or less safe due to Hatsume and her family making it their territory. And the big tiger nuzzled Himawari and licked her head while letting Eiki and Kae pet her showing she had trusted them too.
Mirai smirked and clapped her hands together. "Alright, that's enough for now. You three passed and we can start actual missions in a few days!"
Himawari, Eiki and Kae cheered at that before falling back against Hatsume's side. They had done a LOT of work over the past few days, making sure there was enough food, making sure they had enough firewood for the fires they needed overnight, and other crucial things to survive not just the Forest of Death but everywhere and anywhere. Now that they had learned they had passed all the energy they had for most of the test went away and they collapsed on the big friendly tiger to take a well-deserved nap.
To be continued…
[-]
Author's Note:
Hello 2024 to all my readers. First and foremost: I'm dedicating this chapter to my late father. Its been nearly a full year since he passed and I found myself tearing up a bit when I wrote Mirai's scene at her father's altar. On 2/10/2024 it'll be a full year since my father passed so I'd welcome all condolences…it's been a rough year without him. 2024 is already off to a better start but my 2023 was one of the worst years of my entire life. From my father dying to my mother getting scammed and hacked, to dealing with the fallout of everything…just…glad that the cursed 2023 is over and finally can start fresh in 2024.
With that said, I hope you liked my chapter. I did another RWBY inspiration with Kae's powers, she can basically use Weiss Schnee's Glyph Semblance and her fighting style is modeled after that. Her late mother could also use it but won't have as much training as her daughter will have. Eventually she'll be able to summon a giant knight from her glyphs as her guardian entity but right now she's stuck with 'basic' uses of it.
I also wanted to deal with one of the themes of the first arc as we saw in the scene in the Flower Shop. Mostly dealing with hospitality and welcoming to people from outside your village or country. Konoha has, even in canon, had to deal with Xenophobia and prejudice as we saw from Kushina's backstory. So, I thought the first arc could deal with it. I'll elaborate more on it the next chapter.
Oh, and about little Kasumi. I thought this was a good way for Naruto's kids and the new Uzumaki Clan would have a greater bond with the Biju specifically Kurama hat he old (and eventual antagonistic) Uzumaki won't have. I also showed that Naruto is becoming more like Hagoromo and can even use one of the most advanced techniques: Creation of all Things. He's done this for all of his kids and if Naruto and Hinata have another kid (I am tempted for a arc like that), Kurama will lend his power to create a new Biju like before. And this also helps down the line too since it prevents the Tailed Beasts' power from being concentrated and I break it up to make it harder for another Akatsuki organization if its founded to achieve their goal.
I am sure everyone was surprised on the composition of Neo-Team 8 (and not calling it Team 7 since Boruto's team and now Homora's has earned that) and I am so glad I have a chance to use Mirai Sarutobi. I love the fact she got her own manga and novel as well as being adapted to in the anime. But I think she is underutilized and could easily have become a personal teach for either Sarada or Himawari. So, I decided to make her the sensei to Neo-Team Eight and she has all the qualities to be an amazing one for it. To get you an idea of how strong, skilled and capable she is lets go over her stats:
Mirai Sarutobi:
Ninjutsu: 4.5/5
Taijutsu: 5/5
Genjutsu: 5/5
Intelligence: 4.5/5
Chakra/Stamina: 4.5/5
Speed: 4.5/5
Strength. 4/5
Hand Seals: 3,5/5
Total: 35.5
That's a total equal in stats to Jiraiya and Itachi and she's only 18. She is easily Hokage Candidate material which is why Kurenai is pushing her for greater heights. When Naruto does step down time will tell if she throws her hat in the ring to become the next Hokage since she will have a lot of competition.
Oh, and one more thing, Shikamaru Hiden isn't abandoned. I just have a lot of ideas for the sequel here that I wanted to get out. The next chapter of the Hiden should be out in a few months depending on my work schedule and depending on if I get burned out or not. So please stay tuned for the next chapter!
And please, read and review. I'd really appreciate it!