(Chapter 3: An Opportunity takes Root)
The month of June passed quite quickly and was a rather joyful one, considering how Dan Kato had returned from his last mission and was met with an overjoyed Tsunade and Shizune as well as their kids and Naruto who were ecstatic to see the silver-haired veteran again. Beyond that, Naruto had been hard at work in not only building gadgets for himself and Sasuke, but also building up security measures for his house…after all, in a village full of shinobi that were soldiers for hire; it was better to be safe than sorry in the Ultimatrix wielder's mind.
(June 23rd 996 S.E, Konoha, 1:25 Pm)
It was a sunny Thursday afternoon as Naruto was at the Akamichi bar and grill with his 'Grandpa' Dan, as the Ultimatrix wielder was just ecstatic to be hanging out with his godfather after so long.
"I can't believe you actually retired, Grandpa?" Naruto said whilst sitting across from the jonin in question who was finishing his steak
"Neither can I, Naruto. But even I have to admit that things are getting a bit too intense for me." Dan half-joked with his grandson
"Hey, I won't argue about whatever crazy stuff is going on. Although...I just gotta know. What made you wanna retire from being a badass super jonin? I mean out of everyone in the village other than Pervy Sage and dad. Your the strongest guy in the village!" Naruto asked
"That would be a combination of two things, Naruto. The first and most important are my family…I mean if I had to choose between them and the village. 9 times out of 10, I would die for them, before I ever go against them for the Hidden Leaf" Dan told his godson who inhale a forkful of pulled pork
"Of course. I mean with people like Granny Tsunade, Masako, and Kenichi. Then I'd feel the same way. I mean hell, a village can always be rebuilt. But a family, that's something that only comes once in a lifetime." Naruto replied knowing that a family unlike a village, that once sundered was nigh impossible to restore
"Exactly…I've come pretty close to death a number of times, as a jonin of this village. I almost died and lost my chance to be with Tsunade and start a family, countless times during the 2nd and 3rd World Wars… So believe me when I say that, my time to hang up my headband and stay with my family has come." Dan said back with the weary tiredness of a war veteran
With Dan Kato knowing full well that from all the times he has narrowly escaped death in his decades-long career as a shinobi, his time in the spotlight was coming to an end. Therefore, he knew that his best option at this moment in time was to step away and let the next batch of soldiers to bear the headband of the Hidden Leaf, for he knew that if he were to continue to push his luck… there wouldn't be a next time for him to come back.
"I mean let's be real with each other, Naruto. I've probably evaded death more times than I can count. So to push my luck in the field, and widow my wife, my niece, and most of all...my children. Would be a mistake that would haunt me beyond the afterlife itself." Dan added
"Can't really blame you, gramps. I mean you've done more missions for the village than I can probably count. That's why if anyone deserves to call it quits. It's you." Naruto spoke, gaining a smile from the powder-blue-haired man
"Thank you for acknowledging that. It means a lot to hear that; from the young man who is like one my own." Dan replied
"Same to the man who I'm happy to call my super-awesome grandpa." Naruto said back as he and Dan continued to eat their food
"By the way, what are you gonna do now that you've retired? I mean a badass uber ninja-like yourself; has gotta have something in his back pocket." Naruto asked
"To be honest, I haven't figured that out quite yet." Dan answered back surprising Naruto
"Really?! I figured that you would've had something figured out. I mean you the man with a plan, whose punked out death, more times than anyone can count…So I gotta say, I'm shocked that the Ghost of Konoha doesn't have a plan up his sleeve, for bowing out." Naruto said getting an exasperated sigh from the older man
"I swear I can't stand that nickname. It's…what's the word I'm thinking of?" Dan replied
"Cringey, Gaudy, Over-the-Top." Naruto listed off
"All of the above." Dan said back in a deadpan
"To be fair, grandpa. You do make a whole set of techniques, that turns you into a walking-talking ghost man…So I'm pretty sure you brought this on yourself." Naruto told the elder of the two
"In my defense, I just wanted to make a technique that would help end battles quickly…I didn't think it would end in such a god-awful nickname." Dan said whilst pinching the bridge of his nose
"Well, its thanks to that technique; that you're still around to live the good life with granny." Naruto replied, as the expression on his godfather's face turned to a more joyous one at that
"Now, That! That is one of the few things that I'm proud of this technique for." Dan said with an earnest smile
"That's what I like to hear." Naruto replied meeting Dan's smile with one of his own
"So other than that. What's the other thing that had you wanting to retire?" Naruto questioned
"That is less complicated to explain…To put it simply, with everything I've done in service of Konoha. I honestly feel as though I have nothing left to prove." Dan answered back
"With my renown and fame, or infamy if you ask our enemies; having reached if not matched that of Tsunade and Jiraya's own. So because of that, in combination with my first reason; is why I've decided to retire." Dan told his godson with a simple shrug of his shoulders
"Makes sense to me. I mean, I can't really think of anything else that you'd have to prove. I mean you've just about damn near done everything that someone like you could. Other than being hokage, and having that b.s sage mode that Pervy Sage and dad have. I'd say you've accomplished everything that life could offer." Naruto replied
"Indeed I have…Now I can finally relax, knowing I've done everything I could for the village and my family." Dan said with his smile widening slightly at this fact
"Yup…So here's to my badass grandpa, finally going into retirement. Long may he reign!" Naruto exclaimed as Dan could only smile at the hardly contained, yet boundless energy and joy the blonde seemed to have
'I swear my godson is truly something else.' Dan said to himself as he looked on at Naruto
From there he and Naruto continued to enjoy their lunch with one another, and shared in the good cheer in celebration of Dan retiring from active service to the Hidden Leaf..with it being after another near hour of sharing in each other's company; that they eventually left the bar and grill. Yet it was after Naruto was a good distance away from the bar and grill; that he was approached by an Anbu operative, and not just an ordinary one, but a ROOT agent at that.
With said agent having come to deliver a personal message from Danzo himself, that he wanted to speak with Naruto tomorrow about a possible induction into their ranks, and that should he choose to accept this invitation to speak with the warhawk; that he would be escorted to the premises of their headquarters to speak with him at half past 9 sharp. The Ultimatrix wielder being too intrigued by what this could bring to him, and the thought that Danzo Shimura of all people wanted him to join ROOT had him too interested to reject this offer, and as such he accepted it, and with that the masked operative disappeared; leaving a very intrigued Naruto standing with one thought in mind.
"Looks like things, just keep getting more interesting, for me." Naruto said before continuing his walk home in good spirits
(The next morning, 9:30 Am, ROOT HQ, June 24th, 996 S.E)
It was the following morning as Naruto had been led to the headquarters of the ROOT organization, where he was soon escorted to the warhawk's office; where he sat with all the imposing force of will that one of his experience and station could command.
"Thank you for escorting young Naruto to the premises. That will be all." Danzo said to the ROOT operative beside Naruto
"As you wish, Lord Danzo." The ROOT operative said before walking away
"Now then, take a seat. We have quite a few things to discuss." Danzo told the Ultimatrix wielder
"Alright." Naruto responded before he took a seat before the warhawk
"So let's get to it, and skip past the small talk…I know you called me here to possibly join up with your outfit. The only thing, I don't get is why? I mean, if it were Naoya or Hayase that you were calling here, then I would understand." Naruto questioned the warhawk
"Straight to the point. Good to see that you appreciate a more direct approach…The reason why I want you to join, is that I know of what you can do." Danzo answered back causing Naruto to raise a semi-confused brow at this
"I'm gonna need you to elaborate because I'm still not following." Naruto requested
"Hmmm. Let me rephrase my statement. I know of what you can transform into, young man. The roots of the Hidden Leaf are vast and far-reaching. Did you really think that you could keep secret, your ability to transform into these…aliens as you call them." Danzo said causing Naruto's placid expression to turn into one of utter shock and slight fear
"Does anyone else know about my aliens?..." Naruto questioned with a nervous gulp
"No. Other than myself, and my most trusted operatives. There is no one else that knows of your ability to transform into these creatures. Not the 4th Hokage, your mother, nor that blithering lecher of a Sannin knows. I have had my agents make sure that they have been kept in the dark about your unique abilities, for now." Danzo informed the blonde teen
'That's a massive relief. Moving out without their know-how is one thing, but telling them I can transform into a dozen aliens is another.' Naruto mentally sighed in relief
"And I will keep it that way for you. I will not have someone with abilities such as yours, be wasted in mediocrity; when they can be expanded upon in my organization." Danzo spoke
"Which brings it back to the whole if I should join you." Naruto replied
"Correct. Granted, I cannot force you to join me. I am many things, but not enough to anger your godparents and the Uchiha clan if I coerced you into doing so. Therefore, the choice is ultimately up to you." Danzo said, knowing the full weight of what could happen if he forced the blonde into his ranks
"I am a man of many things, but I am not a foolish nor arrogant one." Danzo added, his piercing gaze still trained onto Naruto
"Considering that you were the guy, who's a big part of the reason we aren't in ruins. I would imagine so." Naruto said before drumming his hands on the table
"That being said. What can you bring to the table, if I join you?" Naruto asked
"I can offer many amenities to you. However, I will keep it brief and tell you of the most important ones that I can offer to you." Danzo said back
"Alright, hit me with 'em! I'm all ears." Naruto spoke keen to see what Danzo had to offer him
"Let me start with the fact that we can offer you the resources, and training facilities needed to hone the abilities of your transformations. After all, I'm sure that what I have at my disposal; is far more suitable than training in the woods." Danzo replied
"I ain't gonna lie, that would help me out a lot. Since your boy is tired of having myself, and Sasuke watch our backs when we train with my aliens." Naruto said
"Furthermore, this would mean you would no longer have to worry about Minato nor Kushina growing curious about your whereabouts…Even with their duties to the village, in conjunction with their training your siblings. Your training with your transformations, will cause suspicion to eventually and no doubt quickly arise. From there it will only be a matter of time before these suspicions cause your parents to send Anbu and summons alike to investigate. From there I'm sure you can fill in the blanks." Danzo told Naruto
"I can, and I don't like how it goes for me in the end." Naruto replied knowing full well the shitshow that'd happen when just his father alone found out
"Indeed…Moving on, we can more than work around your academy schedule, in regards to your training, and taking on assignments. Such things are childs' play compared to what I deal with normally." Danzo said
"Alright, and I'm all for that. But what about when I eventually become a genin? Since I'm gonna have a whole-ass sensei and people i'm with, and their gonna get suspicious if I just up and leave." Naruto questioned the warhawk
"Don't worry about that. I already have my operatives preparing for such a thing, when that arises." Danzo cooly answered back
"I will definitely take your word for it. I just hope your gonna send me on some kickass missions." Naruto replied as a small smirk graced the warhawk's features
"Don't worry. I am certain that I can find missions to suit your talents." Danzo told the blonde
"Fine by me, as long as I get to do cool stuff on missions." Naruto said, moreso happy to go on dope-ass missions
"Lastly, I can make sure that you are properly compensated as a Root operative." Danzo spoke, further gaining the Ultimatrix wielder's attention
"For all of the hard work you will be doing as an operative; should you accept. I will make sure you are properly compensated. From it being monetary, to resources needed to upkeep your housing situation, as well as gear that you possess. That and more will come to you, should you decide to join." Danzo added as the blonde had a rather thoughtful look
"While this is all good and well. There is one small thing that I want done, and this is non-negotiable." Naruto told the warhawk who was keen to hear what the blonde had to say
"I am all ears. What is it that you want done?" Danzo questioned
"I want Sasuke Uchiha to join in my training with my aliens and just combat training in general." Naruto answered back
"I've heard of young Sasuke being rather talented, from what my men have told me. In addition to the two of you being rather close." Danzo noted
"Yeah, Sasuke is my boy. He's pretty much like the brother I wish I had..." Naruto replied before continuing
"But, he has been the only person besides yourself that knows about my transformations…More importantly, he's the only person I trust to keep my secret; on top of him helping me with them. That's why I want him to be part of this with me. He is the one person I know that can have my back when it comes to this, and in a scrap." Naruto added, as he would not do this without someone who was more or less his 'brother' in all but blood
"Is he truly that important to you?" Danzo asked with a scrutinizing gaze
"Yes. We come as a package deal. So if you want me and my aliens, then Sasuke is along for the ride as well. I'm not gonna let my brother fall behind me; when I can share in my come-up with him" Naruto answered back with an unwavering amount of resolve in his statement
"If that is the case, then so be it. Who am I to deny fresh talent being added to our ranks. Even moreso when it is the brother of Itachi himself, who is being spoken for." Danzo replied, as who was he to deny promising recruits to his organization
"Well, if that's that. Then you can consider me as part of Root." Naruto said back
"Excellent. With that being said, you will have to engage in a 2 part assessment. One for us to gauge your skillset, without your aliens. Another to gauge what you are capable of, when you are using your aliens." Danzo informed the teenage blonde
"Fine by me. Just tell me when and where I have to show up?" Naruto replied, all too ready to get things started
"The first one will be conducted this coming Sunday. Following that, the second one will be conducted on the following Saturday. You will be escorted to both locations by an operative at 9 in the morning, and no later than." Danzo told him
"I got it, crystal clear." Naruto replied
"Good. Now then, one of my operatives will be outside to escort you back to your home." Danzo said back
"Gotcha, and trust me. I'm not gonna disappoint at all." Naruto swore to the elder statesman of an ex-shinobi
"I would hope not. Until then, you are dismissed." Danzo replied as Naruto soon left his office
'2 days to get things started…That should be more than enough.' Naruto remarked to himself
(2 days later, Konoha, June 26th, 996 S.E, 9:00 Am)
It was soon the day at hand as Naruto was at one of the various training grounds in the village, that Danzo had set up for his assessment. With the person doing so being someone he very much least expected to be part of it.
"Wait a minute..Ami? Your gonna be doing my assessment?" Naruto questioned as he saw the black-haired, gray-eyed granddaughter of Danzo looking back at him
"Yes. My grandfather decided that I would be the best suited to see what your capable of…I had nothing else to do today, so I figured why not help him out." Ami answered back straightening out her armor
"Fair point. So are we gonna get started now, or in a couple of minutes? Because, if we're gonna do this Then I wanna get this started right now!" Naruto asked as he got into his fighting stance
"We can get started now. We are here to see how strong you are, not posture at each other." Ami replied while getting into a stance of her own
With that Naruto bull-rushed after the warhawk's granddaughter ready to elbow slam her into the ground, only for her to counter with a surprisingly powerful teep kick to the larger mans' liver that staggered him, before running up to deliver a knee bomb to his face. The Ultimatrix wielder in question withstanding the attack and countering with a vicious headbutt, that had her almost see double for a brief moment, before rushing in to tackle her into the dirt, but this was soundly put to a screeching halt when she unleashed a spinning hook kick to the temple that was followed by an elbow to the ribs.
However, Naruto not one to go down quickly; had rallied from the attack and retaliated in full effect with a chopping right to her sternum that was parried and met with knee to his stomach, yet Naruto quickly retaliated with a thunderous overhand right that thudded against her skull. Both combatants stood back a small distance to readjust themselves before both came rushing after each other with Naruto bounding after Ami, and Ami dashing after him like a cheetah…the two meeting in the middle to engage in a ferocious exchange of attacks.
Both parties exchanged everything from kicks, elbows, knees, and punches against one another that were either blocked and viciously retaliated against in Naruto's case, or parried and swiftly countered by Ami; with neither one giving an inch to the other as they fought at a ferocious pace. With Naruto unleashing heavy overhand rights, uppercuts, hooks and side kicks to Ami; who even when parrying them had felt their crushing force behind each attack, whilst Ami was able to use her greater speed to unleash a far greater number of kicks, knees, and elbows against the larger blonde.
The larger blonde growing tired of not landing any worthwhile strikes on the warhawks granddaughter, Naruto went into feint for a double-leg takedown that Ami was able to sidestep out of the way from; but was a setup for him to deliver a brutal uppercut to the jaw that sent her tumbling across the ground. With Ami having to quickly backflip out of the way from Naruto attempting to jump down and stomp her back in half, with the ROOT operative then attempting a low kick to knock Naruto to the ground, yet this was narrowly evaded thanks to him having leapt back at the last minute.
Ami quickly jumped up to her feet and dashed after Naruto once more bounded after her to unload a short yet thunderous combination of hooks and thudding jabs that while the majority of them were deflected, the small handful that did make it through made her bones nearly creak and her head snap back from the sheer force. Yet Ami was quick to come back with a 360 reverse roundhouse kick that was followed by an axe kick to the top of Naruto's skull, that nearly made him bowl over; however the two combatants clashed once more as they caught each other with a right hook to the ribs from the larger blonde, and an elbow uppercut from Ami.
'Finally, someone other than Sasuke who can keep up!' Naruto remarked to himself
'Who would've thought that Lord 4th's eldest wouldn't suck at taijutsu.' Ami said to herself as the two re-enaged with one another
The both of them engaged in another ferocious exchange of blows; that had every shot fired off with the intensity of two timberwolves trying to rip each other to bloody shreds, as both were refusing to give either an inch. With Naruto using his larger frame and greater raw strength to get Ami into a clinch a nail with a series of brutal right hooks and uppercuts to the ribs that cracked against her so hard; they sounded almost like cannon-fire.
This continued briefly before Ami managed to get enough distance between them; within the clinch to drive her knee as hard as she could into Naruto's liver, causing him to break off the clinch at back away whilst clutching at his stomach. With the warhawks' granddaughter then pumping wind chakra into her legs for an incredible burst of speed to deliver a barrage of incredibly kick bicycle kicks to Naruto's jaw, that was ended off by a hook kick to his jaw, that the Ultimatrix wielder met with a chopping right to her nose.
It was all throughout their fight that Ami found herself having to give credit where it was due, in terms of Naruto being incredibly proficient in taijutsu; considering that beyond his raw strength alone; he was able to constantly cut off angles for her to get distance away from him and force her into fighting him in the pocket. Which combined with the dogged pressure he attacked her with from thunderous punches that staggered her, powerful kicks and knees to the body, alongside the vicious counterpunches he'd deliver with lethal intentions; had her give it up to the fact that he was nothing if not devastating in close range.
Yet her thoughts were broken up as her attempt to land a spinning elbow to his temple, was blocked and met with an overhand right that smashed into her nose, causing her to nearly fall flat on her ass at her newly bloodied nose. Something Naruto took full advantage of as he leaped after and speared her into the ground where the Ultimatrix wielder quickly secured the mount on top of her, and began to rain down punches on her head with the cadence of a herd of stampeding elephants.
Ami was subsequently forced to shell up from the constant onslaught of punches that rained down on her; in order to prevent her face from being caved in, so in response to this Naruto punched her in her arms so hard that the ROOT operative nearly yelped from a bone in her arm cracking; allowing for Naruto to quickly pin it to her side and continue landing heavy power-shots to her face. With Naruto continuing to pummel her with ferocious abandon until she managed to expel a considerable amount of wind chakra, to blast him off of her; the granddaughter of Danzo quickly managed to rise to her feet albeit bloodied and battered from the vicious ground'n pound.
However, Naruto was quick to bound after her and engage in another heated brawl that had Ami due to her damaged arm, on the defensive as Naruto despite the numerous welts on his body; continued at his relentless pace. With the Ultimatrix wielder going at it with the fervor of a horny Jiraiya on the hunt for 'inspiration' for his next Icha Icha book, which was felt as he landed a short combination against Ami's abdomen that felt like sledgehammer's being bashed into her gut with each blow.
'I'll give him credit where its due…he's definitely passed with flying colors.' Ami noted to herself as she ducked under a right hook
"Now all I have to do is…" Ami said before she had to dodge another hook to her head
With Ami despite her wounded arm and battered state; managed to still put on a remarkable counter-defensive against Naruto's relentless cadence, with every punch and kick to her body being met with an equally swift elbow from her good arm; or a kick or knee to the chest and head. Yet even with all of the swift and blazingly quick counterattacks she unleashed against Naruto, the blonde before her refused to even waiver under her assault; in part to a combination of his incredible durability and sheer force of will.
Evident when she unleashed a powerful hook kick to his temple so hard that it nearly knocked him over, yet once again he steadied himself and retaliated with a gut-busting uppercut; that she quickly dodged out of the way from and met with a high knee to his sternum. The two stared each other down at the intensive fight that had both of them bruised, semi-bloodied and battered, as Naruto who was rarely the one to play in passivity, went yet again after Ami; in having gone for another takedown attempt via tackling her like a runaway freight train.
In response, Ami nailed him with a powerful front kick to the jaw that nearly snapped his head back, as though he'd been cracked across the face like a razor-wire covered bullwhip; causing blood to leak forth from his split open lip. With her following through with a short series of side kicks to the chest before unleashing a savage elbow uppercut to the side of his jaw, so in response once Naruto recovered his wits about himself after a knee to his stomach; retaliated with a monstrous shovel hook to the ribs.
The blow lifted her off the ground and into the air, as she felt almost all of the air in her lungs pushed out of her body before Naruto grabbed her by the legs, then wrenched her back down and sent her skidding several feet across the ground with a left hook to the jaw; that knocked out a few of her wisdom teeth. Ami quickly rose up after the attack to see Naruto ready to attack once more, and was preparing to charge after her once more…if not for the fact that an audible rumbling could be heard coming from the Ultimatrix wielder.
"Hey, can we call it here? I mean not to sound unprofessional or anything, but I totally forgot to eat breakfast." Naruto asked as his stomach rumbled in need for sustenance that it was denied
"That is more than fair…After the performance you put on, I would say that you have passed with flying colors." Ami said back as she wiped her bloody nose and mouth
"That's awesome! Glad I could impress." Naruto replied
"No problem. Also, you punch extremely hard." Ami remarked as she almost felt like her jaw was gonna come off with some of those punches
"Well, I may not be able to throw my punches in bunches. However, I can throw them hard enough to rock your shit." Naruto said with pride at his raw strength lending itself to his great amount of striking power
"Anyways, well done, and good luck with the next part of your assessment." Ami replied before she disappeared in a body flicker
"Well, that was one hell of a fight…Man, I'm hungry as hell. I wonder if I can get some pancakes or something." Naruto wondered to himself as headed off in search of food
(3 days later, June 29th, 996 S.E, Naruto's House, 1:54 Pm)
It was a few days later as Naruto and Sasuke were hanging out at the formers' house, where the Ultimatrix wielder was informing the Uchiha of the fact that soon enough they'd be a part of something awesome in ROOT.
"So how about it, Sasuke? You down for being a part of something kickass, and awesome?" Naruto asked his longtime friend
"If this can guarantee us both getting stronger, on top of helping you master your transformations. Then I see no harm in joining." Sasuke answered back
"Not to mention, we both get to fasttrack our way towards being stronger than our siblings." Naruto added with a large smile
"There is that as well. To be honest with you, I just want to get strong enough so that I force Itachi to do right by his unborn children." Sasuke said with a naked amount of venom in his voice
"Even now he still fails to make his family with Izumi, his primary precedent…Regardless of his station within the village, his family should be his first and primary priority. Not his constant need to be our villages' lapdog." Sasuke further spoke in disdain of Itachi's prioritizing the village over his clan and soon-to-be family
"Well, you definitely got a long ways to go. Itachi is one of the strongest Uchiha in the village; for a reason. So good luck." Naruto remarked at Itachi's prowess
"I do not need luck, all I need is time and training." Sasuke replied with steel and certainty to his voice that almost made Naruto's back stiffen
'Man, Sasuke gets scary when he talks about his family.' Naruto noted as he saw Sasuke's eyes briefly turn the trademark bloodshine red of the Sharingan
"Hopefully, he can get his act together before you two have to slug it out…Maybe he'll come around by the time his kid gets here." Naruto said with hope
"I can only hope so as well. While I do not want to fight him. If it means getting him to act better, then so be it." Sasuke replied
"I'm pretty sure that Izumi will beat you to it. She may love Itachi, but even she has her limits. So if anyone can get your brother to act better, and fly straight. Then its gonna be her..." Naruto remarked
The Ultimatrix wielder had a strong feeling that Izumi's patience with Itachi would only go so far before it came to a head, considering that when your raising a child by yourself while your significant other was always at work…it tended to put a large strain on things.
"I mean just think about it. Do you really think that she's going to let him be on missions like he is, without something giving in the process?" Naruto asked
"That is a fair point. Knowing Izumi, I give it until the end of the year at the very latest. Once that happens, Itachi is going to be in for a reckoning." Sasuke said back in knowing that it was going to be a matter of if and not when for his brother
"Exactly, so for now. Let's just chill and let things with them sort themselves out." Naruto spoke
"Fair enough. Other than my… issues with Itachi. When and what will you be doing; during the second stage of this assessment of yours?" Sasuke asked after taking a brief moment to recollect his thoughts
"I have until Sunday to be ready for what's getting thrown at me." Naruto answered back
"But, in terms of what I'm gonna be doing. I'm gonna be taking out some idiots from the Hidden Waterfall. Apparently, they've been getting too big for their britches with this Hero Water they have. So for my test, I gotta take out a group of chunin and jonin that are headed back from a mission." Naruto informed the Uchiha of what he was up against
"Are you sure you handle that? Even with your transformations, that is going to be a formidable threat to face." Sasuke noted
"Oh I know, Sasuke. In fact, I'm fully prepared for the challenge ahead of me…Because I'm not about to get caught lacking out here. Not when everyone's an enemy, who can beat my ass if I'm not careful." Naruto replied with a fully confident smile that he could pull off his assessment with flying colors
"That would be an understatement. Between what was the 7 Swordsmen of the Mist, Darui of the Storm Style, and even Orochimaru himself; there are a legion of powerful threats out there…That isn't even taking into account what is 'out there'." Sasuke said in reference to both what was outside the village and what was in the stars beyond their home
"Believe me, I'm well aware of aliens that are gonna come to fuck our home up. That's why, I'm hoping Lord Danzo and I can work something out. Because I want us to be ready for any and everything." Naruto replied
"Hopefully the time for extraterrestrial threats comes far, far into the future. I don't know about you, but I would rather not put our safety in the hands of Hayase and Naoya." Sasuke said with the blonde shapeshifter nodding in agreement
"The only thing those two would get us, is our butts handed to us by aliens. All it takes is them getting backed into a corner, and before we know it, they're hulking out with 9 tails power in no time. Which means we're doubly fucked on both ends." Naruto responded in knowing how quickly things would go from sugar to shit with those two
"I swear those two are more of a liability than their worth." Naruto said in distrust of his siblings should shit go down
"Then you should hope that we will not be partnered with them on a joint mission. Otherwise, the worst will come to pass, and it will be downhill from there." Sasuke replied
"Believe me, if my father has his way about it. He'll try every which way he can to have my future genin team, be up close and personal with them. To be honest, I won't doubt it if the first time we get our big important mission; we're stuck with the twins." Naruto said back in knowing that if the Uzumaki dream team couldn't happen, then Minato and Kushina would push for the next best thing
"Perhaps, Lord Danzo will intercede in that instance. He does possess a large amount of pull in the village." Sasuke brought up
"I'd hope so. The man does have a whole lot of clout in the village, from being a hell of a shinobi in his day…However, even he has his limits, and at the end of the day; my dad is still the Hokage. So he does have the final say at the end of it." Naruto replied while also acknowledging the elephant in the room
With said elephant being that even with all of the political and social power that the warhawk had amassed over the decades, that as acting Hokage; his father still had the final say in how things would go in the village and in concerns to the missions that shinobi in it undertook. Hence why if Minato really desired it, then at the end of the day Naruto and his genin team would be forced to go on a mission with the twins and whoever the poor schmuck was that with them on a mission, even if it was something that would spell certain doom in the long run.
"Do you really think he would do that? Even Lord 4th; wouldn't be that blind to those walking time bombs." Sasuke asked
"Don't get me wrong, Sasuke. My father is a brilliant man, and someone who more than earned the Hokage hat. However, he's also someone who has the habit of looking at his family through rose-tinted glasses. So to him, it'll seem like its no big deal to have them join us on a mission." Naruto answered back
"In that case, let us hope our rise through the ranks comes swiftly. That way, we can have an excuse to not be with them on a mission." Sasuke said
"Now your talking…A lot of doors open up once you have a flak jacket on." Naruto replied as he looked down at his Ultimatrix
"I just hope that they'll lead to me living my best life." Naruto added in briefly envisioning the missions of epic proportion he'd soon go on
"I'm sure they will. In the meantime, focus on that assessment of yours. It is going to come faster than you know." Sasuke told the blonde before him
"Thanks for reminding me to stay on target…This also reminds me, I have to figure out how I'm gonna do this. I've got three days, and time like that goes very fast." Naruto thanked the Uchiha for the reminder
"Not a problem at all, Naruto. Just come back in one piece" Sasuke said as he rose from his seat
"Don't worry, Sasuke. I've got this all under control." Naruto replied as Sasuke gave him a small smirk back
"You had better." Were Sasuke's parting words before exiting Naruto's home
"A squad of badass ninja from the Hidden Waterfall to use as target practice. This is gonna be one heck of a Sunday." Naruto remarked to himself with a grin at what was too come
So with Naruto and Sasuke becoming part of ROOT, and now having the chance to be apart of something greater; our resident shapeshifter must now be ready for the second leg of his assessment to be apart of ROOT. How will he fair in his first real test against enemy forces? Find out in the all new chapter of, The Alien Soldier!
Well, that takes care of that as I hoped you enjoyed the events of what transpired in this chapter, and all that went into it. But without further adieu, let's keep this goin' now shall we.
Otherwise, I hope you guys will continue to enjoy this story for better or for worse, as any favorites, follows, reviews or suggestions are welcome. Yet as per the standard, flames are ignored since if ya don't like then go on and read/support someone else's story that's more your speed.
So with all of that concluded, this is Nomadic Chaos using the power of said chaos to give you guys good stuff to read. The next chapter having the next part of his assessment, along with some other stuff I have planned. So stay tuned for that.
Prelude Theme Song: Regulate by Warren G and Nate Dogg
Random End Song: Take a Look Around by Limp Bizkit
Now then onto some of the reviews from the last chapter.
Kourtney Uzu Yato:Dude trust me it can be a pretty big headache to deal with, as the multiple different types of law you can go into and the classes for them are a massive headache. Luckily when this December comes, it'll all be over. Again, I'm glad you like the brotherly relationship that Naruto and Sasuke have going on, since its something I find to be a nice shake-up with them being each others' ride-or-die. Also, yeah Dan doesn't particularly care for Jiraiya seeing as how to him the man is someone who not only continues to try and get with his wife, but also messed with his 'grandsons' family life...so yeah Dan has a pretty good reason to think Jiraiya is a giant dick. Plus you can't really blame Naruto for taking the precautions with his household, seeing as how with all the crazy stuff that can go on barring his family and his parents, he can't really be too safe, since there will always be someone from his fathers' enemies that will try and get at him if they can't go for the twins. Also, thanks for the good luck with our degrees and same to you with yours, Kourtney.
Obsidian Nova Arc: Glad you like the story so far, as I'm trying as much as I can to avoid either of those things with Naruto. Since I don't particularly care for the whole Naruto gets to be O.P off the bat. As while he will get there eventually, its gonna take some time since he still has to contend with the Akatsuki, the other villages, and not to mention this Universe's versions of people like Vilgax, the Incurseans and so forth that can put into perspective how small you can be in the grand scheme of things. Also, you now have give me an idea to have Naruto work towards making the equivalent of a Bag of Holding using tech and seals, and also I do have some other plans for what kind of cool traps and stuff he can makes going forward.
God of Wind 200: No problem man, and thanks for giving me more stuff to take inspiration from as I vaguely remember Zoids and Gundams from when I was growing up. Also, yeah and while he does have the aliens that can be unlocked either through emotions or as time goes on. The Ultimatrix still can scan new aliens, some of which will pop up once we get into Part 1 of the story going forwards.
bankai777: There always is the possibility that he will. But I can't really promise how things will go between them, as be it positively or negatively; that all depends on how the story writes itself to make sense.
hammelbroden: It is a possibility for a Ben 10 Multiverse storyline to open up, as I will consider it down the line since a multiversal teammup with Ben and Naruto does sound pretty cool I ain't gonna lie. And heck, it would give me a reason to include Professor Paradox into the mix of things. So thanks for the idea