Chapter: 1 A new beginning
In Konoha a young man slept fitfully, his mind assaulted by a lifetime of memories and experiences. Memories and experiences of a life completely divested of his own. A life in which there were no ninjas, no jutsu, where one's future wasn't decided by the speed of their kunai. A life where...he was a blond bombshell in an anime?
"Shannaro!" The young man was awoken by a ballistic pillow thrown into his face. "Inosuke wake up! It's team assignment day, we gotta go!" Opening his eyes Inosuke Yamanaka stared up into an angry but pretty pair of emerald, green ones. His best friend and lover, Sakura Haruno, or as she was now known Sakura Yamanaka. As he stared at her he began to process the memories of his other self. Of the version of him that existed in another world. This was perfect. The awakening of his last life's memories wasn't enough to change him, the mind of a Yamanaka isn't so fragile, but they did give him a brand-new perspective. His last life had been dull, day after day of dreary reality. What was the most exciting thing he could have hoped to do, build a company? Become another corrupt politician? Now he was being given a chance to do something better, be something better. A chance to create a legacy, to become a ninja that would be remembered for all time. Just like the characters he had read about in the memories.
He didn't know how or why he had regained the memories of his previous life, but he also found that he didn't particularly care. He was the heir to a powerful clan with abilities that came straight out of people's wildest dreams, or nightmares if you considered the mentally invasive techniques his clan was known for.
Reaching up he grabbed the back of Sakura's neck and pulled her into a kiss. He spent a moment basking in the moment. Their lives were about to change, and she didn't even know it. Upon releasing her he hopped out of bed and smiled "What's the rush Sakura? It doesn't matter how early we get there. Teams don't operate under the rules of first come, first serve. No matter how quickly you get there you can't influence whether or not you get Sasuke on your team."
She glared back at him blushing lightly from the kiss "I don't need to influence him being on our team, its destiny. We need to get there early so we can start working him over. Between my seductive techniques and your pretty boy charm we'll wear down the walls around his heart! How else are we ever going to fulfil my dream of the perfect three-way?" Her expression changed, her glare morphing into a sly leer "It will be perfect. You, plowing him from behind while pushing his pretty face into my cu—" He cut her off by returning the pillow toss she had awoken him with. Rushing out of the room before the pillow could fall from her face he shouted, "Even if I was bi, Sasuke would be the last man I would ever bang." She growled back "I'll make you see the light soon enough! Now hurry up and get ready." 'Outer Sakura was definitely in control this morning' he thought.
While his memories included a series centered around his classmate Naruto, the series and his reality had several differences. One of the many he discovered combing through his new memories was that there was such a thing as clan-less ninjas in the series. 'Clan politics are a bitch, and no good clan would allow kids with potential to go unclaimed.' He thought. Sakura was a golden find for the Yamanaka clan. A girl with a split personality unlike anything they had seen. She didn't just have two separate personalities, she had two functioning minds. Chakra is composed of mental and physical energy; and Sakura has two sources of mental energy. A potential bloodline that a clan who has made a name for itself manipulating and destroying minds would never pass up on.
The Mind Body Change technique allowed the user to spiritually possess another person's body. Taking over an opponent gives a Yamanaka an almost limitless number of options. From using the host for infiltration, as a hostage, or even as a risk-free combatant. The only remaining flaw to it is that the user loses control of their own body in exchange. This is the one flaw because the other glaring flaw it had in the series doesn't exist here. In the anime and manga any damage done to the host body during possession is done to the user's body as well. In this world the technique has no such side effect. 'Perhaps in the series it was a method to balance a frankly overpowered ability. Granted that balance went out the window with Shippuden anyways.'
Sakura doesn't have to worry about the jutsu's remaining problem; her strange condition instantly offered a solution to their greatest technique's fatal flaw. She can flawlessly insert one of her minds into an enemy's body while maintaining control of her own with her remaining mind. The differences between Sakura's personalities were fairly stark. Inner, a calm calculating and demure girl, Outer, a loud pervert with a temper. Despite the names neither personality is really in more control than the other. She named them after their traits not based upon which personality surfaced more. Inner for introverted, outer for extroverted.
His father and the clan elders were still working out how to mimic the feat. However, with his new memories and perspective in place Inosuke also began to consider a new avenue around the jutsu's flaw.
Upon getting ready he couldn't help but compare himself to the version of him in the memories. The current him was almost the polar opposite of that one. The man in the memories had short brown hair with dark eyes and a burly build, he was now lithe with long blond hair and bright green eyes. Dressed in the uniform Konoha fatigues, that as a sixteen-year-old he didn't quite fill it out yet, he tied his headband around his throat. One of the few forms of expression genin are allowed in their uniforms.
'I suppose those are further differences between my world and the one I remember. Genin graduate at sixteen and uniforms are standard regardless of rank. Which makes a lot of sense if you think about it; command wouldn't really want their younger and weaker ninjas going around wearing clothes that made them stand out. Especially not with clan symbols, that'd be about the same as announcing what kind of techniques an enemy can expect.'
'In this world children begin training within the clan at six. Come twelve they begin the academy where the teacher's job for four years isn't to train them as ninjas but rather to change them from clan ninjas into Leaf ninjas. Ten years of basic training just to be considered Genin. With a much longer training and preparation time, the ninjas of this world are much stronger than the original. Hell, not just ninjas, everyone in general is stronger here. Even without training, chakra ensures that civilians in this world are far stronger and live longer than in the original. The clans are nothing like they were in the series. Their techniques and abilities far eclipse what the series showed them as. The Inuzuka alone are terrifying. Instead of a supernatural sense of smell and slight bestial mimicry, in this world the highest levels of their techniques turn them into what are essentially intelligent werewolves capable of using ninjutsu. The world from the series was way off base.'
As he and Sakura left his home, a present from his parents for both graduation and for reaching his world's age of majority, he contemplated more of the differences. 'The Uchiha had a coup not a massacre. Itatchi Uchiha with his right-hand man Shisui overthrew his father and the clan elders. There was no interference from the village, inter clan politics are generally ignored if they don't disrupt or endanger the village as a whole. I suppose if the village doesn't care that the Hyuugas brand and practically enslave their clan members they also don't care who takes leadership of a clan as long as they are competent. Not even the Senju interfered. Like the Uchiha they were never wiped out and even though they no longer have a member holding the title of Hokage they are the most respected and feared clan in the village. With the wood release techniques being passed down instead of lost the clan continues to prosper. Hashirama was the first to use the technique but, as even bloodlines don't work anything like they did in the series, he certainly wasn't the last.'
'Bloodline techniques exist but not as absolutes. Every technique can be taught and learned. Ones bloodline influences their compatibility with a justu and how far they can take it. Most non-blood related Uchiha's will most likely never unlock three tomoe but they can still learn to use the base form of the Sharingan. Whereas a true born Uchiha might not have to even learn the technique, they generally awaken the Sharingan naturally. Dad said that the prolonged use of jutsu alters the genetic makeup of the user, influencing their offsprings. Our clan is no exception. The Yamanaka clan techniques are far easier for me to learn and wield proficiently than Sakura. For example, our clan's sensory technique the Mind Pulse jutsu. A technique that allows us to sense the brain waves of living beings around us. Even though we learned the technique around the same time my sensing range is far larger and my ability to lock on to a single mental wave pattern is much more precise.'
While the differences between his reality and the Naruto series were fascinating to Inosuke he had something more important to consider. What could he do with his new knowledge and perspective. He knew that he wanted to use it to impower himself and his clan, but how exactly would he do that? 'What can I take from the series that will make me stronger? As it stands, I'm already stronger the female version of me in the series was even, after she made chunin rank.'
He was drawn out of his thoughts by Sakura sliding her hand into his own. With a hum she said, "You're quiet this morning. What's on your mind?" He smiled back at her "Nothing much, just contemplating our future I suppose." "Oh? What aspect of it? Our team assignments, our future careers as ninjas?" A blush started to form on her cheeks "Or maybe something dirty? Is that it? Are you thinking about how we're going to celebrate tonight?" With a chuckle he lied, "That would probably be a more productive line of thought, but no I was just debating with myself over who our jonin senseis will be." Squeezing his hand tighter she said "Don't worry about it too much. They'll assign us to whoever is most suited. As the Yamanaka heir you will most likely get a ninja from another noble clan." He let the conversation die with a thoughtful hum and a peck on her cheek.
Retreating once again into his thoughts. 'While that hadn't actually been my focus, I should probably start planning around team assignment and my selected Jonin sensei. She's right that as the heir to a noble clan I will most likely be assigned to a Jonin from another noble clan. The Senju, Uchiha, Hyuuga, Sarutobi, Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans make up the seven noble clans of Konoha. Each gained nobility by performing various services for the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. Meaning that Asuma is still most likely going to be my sensei as member of the Sarutobi clan's main branch.'
'To be fair my team composition really shouldn't change. Despite the changes in this world Shikamaru and Choji should still be my most likely teammates. Sakura on the other hand might wind up on a different team. Between her being a Yamanaka and Naruto being adopted into the Senju clan their entire team dynamic is changed.' While Inosuke was lost in thought the two arrived at the academy.
Entering the classroom Inosuke nodded towards his senseis Iruka Shimura and Mizuki Hatake. Separating from Sakura to take his seat between Choji and Shikamaru, Inosuke's mind began to wonder again. 'The man from my memories would probably have lost his shit hearing those two names. The thought of Iruka sensei being adopted into the clan of what was most likely one of the craziest villains in the series and Mizuki being related to Kakashi would have sent him for a loop. In Naruto, Mizuki was a d-list villain and the Hatake clan was only shown to have two members, Kakashi and his father. Granted, even here the thought of Mizuki being compared to the two is hilarious. But if you look at it with perspective, he was just one of many clan members, of which those two stood out. The Shimura clan, being involved in the creation of an unsanctioned black ops unit is absolutely absurd. How the hell would one of the Hokage's aides get away with something like that?'
Changing tracks, he began looking around the class. 'With the exception of nine of us, the series essentially dismissed our class. And six of us were only considered relevant due to our interaction with Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. We're worth more than that and we are not the only ones. There are several people in this class who have bright futures ahead of them. Shikamaru's cousin Yuki is in this class for fucks sake.'
Turning his focus to the young woman in question 'What would the version of me from the memories have called her? A big booty goth baddie? Weird phrase, but accurate. How the hell someone that hot came from the same genetic pool as Shika is a mystery. Fucker sure got his chuckles out of her turning me down though.' Turning his attention to the boy sitting next to Yuki 'Our class even has the heir of the Utatane clan, Yugi. With his clan's specialty in trap based jutsu he's guaranteed to go far.' Inosuke quickly got lost in thoughts of his class and how their counterparts differed.
Chunin Iruka Shimura stood beside his coworker Mizuki and stared out at his students. He was both excited and nervous for them. Today would be their last as his students and their first as ninjas of Konoha, as weapons of the Land of Fire. He studied their faces, committing them to memory as the next time he saw them, if he did indeed see them again, they would be changed. His eyes lingered on a select few students, as their chunin instructor he was meant to be impartial, but some of his students certainly had a greater impact on him.
The foremost being Naruto Senju, the classes young jinchuriki. A perpetual troublemaker with a permanent mischievous smile plastered on his face. The boy had stressed Iruka to the point of almost pulling his hair out, but he was also the student Iruka was most proud of. Naruto faced adversity on an almost daily basis. Not even the name Senju being enough to cull the hatred that came with being a jinchuriki but he persevered through it, never losing his smile.
Shikamaru Nara, the classes lazy genius. Another kid that frustrated Iruka to no end, all the potential in the world and no drive to use it. Despite his laziness or maybe due to it the boy had a sense of practicality that Iruka almost envied. Hopefully his mind would carry him through when he was out in the real world.
Sasuke Uchiha, the underdog of the Uchiha clan. Unlike Shikamaru, Sasuke had both the genius and the drive to be the best. Itachi Uchiha had legally challenged their father for leadership of their clan and killed him during the duel making it legal murder as far as the Land of Fire was concerned. Their mother, unable to accept the results, challenged Itachi in turn and lost her life as well. All other dissidents were put down by Shisui Uchiha. Ever since that day Sasuke has had a chip on his shoulder. One that Iruka hopes won't bring the boy to ruin. Iruka couldn't help but root for the kid that had lost his parents to his own brother. Who had to live in the shadow of his prodigy brother and endure his leadership of their clan.
Choji Akimichi, the most lovable student of Iurka's class. The boy was an absolute joy to teach, always a kind word to be said and always a snack to be shared. In terms of skill the boy was also no slouch despite his rotund nature. He easily competed with Naruto and Sasuke. Granted that wasn't very surprising, the Akimichi earned their status as a noble clan in a more direct way than most. When the previous head of the clan single handedly wiped out an entire battalion of soldiers from the Land of Earth the Daimyo granted them the status without second thought. Who would deny the people capable of turning into giants anything that they were due?
Sakura Yamanaka, Iruka's pride and joy. A girl who was adopted into a major clan just as he had been and used that opportunity to truly make something of herself. The girl had achieved the title of kunoichi of the year despite being in a class with several girls born into their clans. Even with her achievement and those that Iruka was sure would follow, he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the girl. Her Dual Mind bloodline ensured her fate as a concubine for the heir of the Yamanaka clan. They seemed to get along wonderfully but Iruka felt that she could do better than the little playboy of the Yamanaka clan. Not that he disliked the kid, but he felt that he could be better.
Inosuke Yamanaka, the playboy of the class. He, like all noble clan heirs, is entitled to two concubines and an official wife. Most of the noble clan heirs in Iruka's class weren't particularly concerned with this fact but Inosuke seemed to spend more of his time trying to find his second concubine than he did studying. The boy is skilled in the ninja arts, perhaps only a few steps behind Naruto, Sasuke, and Choji but his focus needed work as far as Iruka was concerned. At least the boy seemed more focused today, almost excited. He hadn't even flirted with anyone yet.
Hinata Hyuuga, the quiet heiress of the class. Hinata was possibly the only person in the class who could compete with Choji for Iruka's title of sweetest student. The girl was like puppy, granted one who could kill you with a few taps of her fingers but still. Her little crush on Naruto made Iruka want to play match maker even if his professionalism would never allow him to do such a thing. It certainly had nothing to do with what the Hyuuga and Senju clans would do to him if they thought he was playing with their bloodlines.
Kiba Inuzuka, the second most troublesome kid in his class. The boy has a chip on his shoulder like Sasuke but for what are less honorable reasons as far as Iruka is concerned. He believes that the Inuzuka clan deserves noble status and to be fair to him he might not be wrong. They have certainly rendered significant services to the nation but due to the nature of their techniques and their temperament they are unlikely to ever receive such a status. As a result of this, Kiba tends to pick fights with kids from noble clans.
Shino Aburame, the enigma of the class. The boy was skilled but quite honestly a mystery Iruka. He never really said or did much but when he did his words and actions were certainly…something.
These were the most notable students of Iruka's class. They were the future of the village. The ninjas that would lead them one day…he hoped. If he was honest, he had a few doubts about some of them.
"Listen up kids, or rather attention genin! Yesterday you received your headbands and were officially inducted into the ninja forces of Konoha. I expect you to wear them proudly and honor your brothers and sisters who have worn them before you, and those who will wear them after you. Today begins your service to the village and to the Land of Fire. I won't lie to you, several of you will die during the course of your service. We are currently enjoying a time of peace, but no generation of ninja has avoided war since the First Hokage founded this village. Yours will be no different. The Great Nation Wars have slain many, however they have also brought stability and prosperity to our nation. We are stronger now than we have ever been. So do not fear being lost in the line of duty, for doing so you will ensure the prosperity of your families, your clans, and this nation. May the Sage guide you all."
Finishing his speech, looked over the genin again and found what he hoped was resolve in their eyes. "Today you will each be receiving your first assignments. Some of you will be assigned to jonin for training in specific fields of work, some of you will be assigned to chunin to begin your duties directly. When I call your name, you will come to the front and receive a scroll from Chunin Mizuki. In this scroll will be a location that you are to report to, there you will find your newly assigned team. These scrolls and assignments have been decided by the Hokage, his aides, and the Jonin Commander, based upon your assessments. If your assignment isn't to your liking, then you should have worked harder. Let's begin."
Inosuke watched his classmates be called to the front one by one, impatiently awaiting his own turn. "Troublesome blond, you already know we are going to be the second iteration of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Why are you so impatient?" A lethargic and muffled voice called from beside him. Turning away from the front of the class to address his friend Inosuke said "Boring brunet, we're about to start our careers, the next phase of our lives. Why aren't you more excited?" Shikamaru tilted his head up from where it rested on his arms. "What's there to be excited about? We're going from troublesome classes to troublesome missions. It's a shame our dads went and got famous, I could have been assigned to genin corps where I could complete easy d-ranks in the village. But instead, I'm going to be put on a real team and be expected to work outside of the village. What a drag."
Inosuke put his arm around Shikamaru's shoulders "You heard Iruka didn't you? No generation of this Village has ever managed to avoid war. Would you rather be in the genin corps when the next one kicks off or in a team with a jonin ready to protect your ass?" Shikamaru shrugged him off, "Neither, I want to be a house husband. I'd be more than happy to sit at home and cook dinner for hard working woman who pays for my way through life. Tsk, like my mom would ever let that shit slide though. Hell, even the old man said if he has to work so do I." Before they could continue the conversation Iruka's voice rang from the front "Shikamaru Nara!" Standing up Shikamaru muttered "What a drag."
As Shikamaru made his way to collect his scroll Inosuke was left alone again with his thoughts. 'I don't remember the series ever mentioning Asuma's genin test. I wonder what we will have to do. We should hopefully have an answer to whatever it is. I have a longer list of jutsu available than the original Ino did at this point, but they will hardly make a difference against a jonin. Five clan jutsu, two genjutsu, the academy three, and a single elemental jutsu are hardly going to faze Asuma. Especially not if the jonin in this world are as improved as the genin are. I have a tanto but from what my father has said my skills with it are only passable, nothing exceptional that would make a difference in front of Asuma's skill with trench knives. Still, I'll have to make do with what I have, there will be plenty of chances to improve later. Especially if my world's version of team ten matches the series version. There weren't exactly a lot of scenes of team ten working. Most scenes of the team together either depicted Asuma and Shikamaru playing shogi or them hanging out in a restaurant.'
As he began to try to make plans for his future, he was called to the front by Iruka. "Inosuke Yamanaka!" He stood up, nodded towards Sakura and Choji who hadn't been called yet and excitedly made is way towards the two chunin. Upon arriving he gave Iruka a deep bow and said, "Thank you for everything." Iruka slightly surprised but pleased about with receiving some respect from one of his trouble students said "You and your classmates are more than welcome. If you ever need help or advice feel free to come find me." Before Inosuke could respond Mizuki held out his assignment scroll in front of him. "What no thank you for me?" "Sure, thanks for existing while Iruka Sensei taught us, Mizuki." "Damn brat, take your scroll and get out of here." Doing just that, Inosuke grabbed his scroll and rushed out of the room.
Following the instructions on his scroll Inosuke made his way to one of the villages many training grounds. As expected, he found Shikamaru lying out in the grass when he arrived. "You're not even going to try to make a good impression on our new sensei, are you Shika?" Not even bothering to open his eyes Shikamaru muttered, "A good impression? You've known me your entire life, does that even sound like something I would waste time on?" Rolling his eyes Inosuke said "Alright, but if they see you're a slacker and assign you extra training don't bitch to me." Rolling over to face away from Inosuke, Shikamaru waved his hand "Yeah, yeah. You sound like my mother."
"If I sound like your mother its only because of the amount of time I've spent inside her." With a grunt of disgust Shikamaru said "Really? I fucked your mom jokes. You know your own mother would skin you if I told her you said that right?"
Inosuke plopped down beside him "As if you have the energy to play tattletale." Still not bothering to turn around Shikamaru said "True, I'm exhausted from plowing your mother." Before they could continue Choji strolled into the clearing with a box of rice balls in hand. "Both of you are toxic, you know that right? Besides we all know both of your moms love Akimichi meat. Now who wants a rice ball?"
"Well, you kids are going to be entertaining at least." Asuma said appearing in the clearing, his arrival seamless, as if he had been there all along. Pulling the lit cigarette from between his lips "I'm Asuma Sarutobi, formerly of the Fire Daimyo's twelve guardians. I'll be your jonin sensei until you lot either reach the chunin rank or you prove that you're not worth the investment."
"I'd ask you to introduce yourselves, but your files held just about everything I need to know about you. So instead, I'll get right to business. Normally this would be the point where I would give you a test to decide if you three are worth my time. But with this kind of team that would be pointless.
Three teams from your class this year were assigned to learn specialties under jonin. Sakura Yamanaka, Naruto Senju, and Sasuke Uchiha, under Kakashi Hatake. Special ops. Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuuga, under Kurenai Kurama. Hunter ops. With all that said, any guesses as to the purpose of our little four-man cell?"
'The teams turned out the same after all' Inosuke thought. 'The information from the memories should be useful as long as certain facts stay true.'
Shikamaru who had stood up upon Asuma's entrance said, "Capture and interrogation." "Not a bad guess considering that's what your fathers' team specialized in, but no. I'll give you another clue, what do I bring to the table that could be imparted to you lot?" Choji spoke up "You were one of the guardians, right? Does it have something to do with the Daimyo's personal forces?"
Taking a drag on his cigarette Asuma responded "Yes and no. We will be working with the Daimyo's personal forces on occasion, but we will essentially be an attaché unit for any and potentially all of the Land of Fire's military forces. Normally when a ninja's mission involves the other military branches it is for brief collaborations. Sabotage a gate so that the army can storm in, guard a military asset from enemy ninja, assassinate an enemy strategist to give our boys an edge. That kind of thing. On the other hand, our unit? We will be acting on more long-term assignments that could involve doing all of the above. We will receive temporary assignments to various military or diplomatic units and perform a wide array of missions for said units depending upon their objectives. We might on rare occasions receive C-rank missions but for the most part we will be running B and A-rank operations. Any questions?"
Shikamaru was the first to process this information and offer response "Is this assignment optional?" With a snort Asuma said "Well, thank you for asking. No, Nara this is not optional. The only way out of this is failure. Considering any such failure would have major consequences for your new careers, I suggest giving it you're A-game."
"Not to be a heel genin, but this is serious, your performance in this unit will have a significant impact on Konoha's relationship with the various military forces and dignitaries of our nation. You three were chosen for this unit not just because your clans' techniques are some of the most versatile but due to your personality profiles. Each of you was ranked highly in terms of interpersonal relations and cooperation. Skills that this unit will absolutely need."
Having finished his last cigarette Asuma lit another "Now would one of you like to recite the military branches?" Inosuke chimed in "Navy, Army, Ninja, Samurai, Monks, and the Daimyo's Fire Forces."
Asuma nodded "Good on you for remembering to add the Monks, despite their isolationist tendencies they still answer to the Daimyo. However, you forgot one group, the onmyoji."
Inosuke furrowed his brow "I thought they were only supposed to fight yokai? They aren't supposed to get involved our affairs." Asuma smiled around his cigarette "What they are supposed to do and what they actually do are two separate things Yamanaka. They have interfered in national matters in the past and will most certainly do so again in the future. With that said who can tell me which of the mentioned groups is currently the weakest?"
"The navy or the army, right? They don't have same level of training in chakra usage that any of the others have." Choji answered. Shikamaru shook his head at this "No, it's us. The ninjas are weakest."
Asuma's smile grew even wider "Exactly. While even a single genin is worth dozens of soldiers or sailors their sheer numbers put them above us. Quantity is a quality of its own and no ninja can take on a whole army alone. Well at least no living ninja can… The first Hokage and Madara Uchiha were exceptions. The monk and samurai forces have been organized far longer than us and their specialties make them more suited for direct combat. The Daimyo's Fire Force is a group composed of members from each of these forces that report directly to the Daimyo and are led by the Twelve Guardians. The onmyoji are a different beast altogether.
Each of our nation's forces fights in different ways. The army and navy use numbers, formations, and cooperation. Ninjas use ninjutsu, genjutsu, outlandish weapons, tools, and underhanded methods. Samurai use physical enhancement techniques, chakra techniques, and various sword styles to cut down their enemies. Monks practice chakra cultivation and martial arts to push their bodies to superhuman levels, and pulverize their enemies. They are also known for some eclectic powers that aren't too different from ninjutsu in practice. Finally, onmyoji convert their chakra into the same yoki that the yokai use to perform abilities known as sorceries.
When you fight a monk, or a samurai, do not face them directly. Use any ninjutsu, genjutsu, or trick you have. Put them off balance and then go for the kill before they can recover. If you get into a fight with an onmyoji, do it far the fuck away from me. I have a reputation to uphold, and I don't need the ass kicking on my record.
Knowing all of this is important not only because you are likely to face enemies using one or another of these abilities but also because it is relevant to the question of why ninjas are the weakest force. To understand this, we have to go back to when our village was at its strongest, during its foundation.
We are going to have a bit of a history lesson. One that the academy couldn't discuss freely. During the foundation of the village ninjas were the second strongest force in the nation, only the onmyoji were greater. This was due to the might of two individuals, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. The only two people have ever been known to wield not only ninja techniques but those of the other forces.
Madara was known to use ninjutsu, samurai enhancements, and their sword styles. Hashirama was known to use ninjutsu, cultivation, and sorceries. With these powers combined the two were unstoppable monsters. They had a dream of a united force of ninjas, and they made it into reality. Together they founded Konoha, the ninja clans of the Land of Fire were made to either join or die. In the face of this new threat the world was shaken. The ninja clans of other nations banded together in villages of their own in hopes of facing them. The Fire Daimyo, unable to allow such a threat to exist in his own nation summoned all of his forces, bar the onmyoji because not even he can command them freely and prepared to crush the newly formed village. Madara used his sharingan and Hashirama utilized his sorceries to bind the tailed beasts, nine of the most powerful yokai. They then distributed them to the newly formed ninja villages as a show of power. As the Daimyo and his forces were reeling over this, Hashirama presented himself to the Daimyo and kneeling he said "My lord! I have subjugated the unruly ninja clans and brought them to heel under your authority. Command us and we will see your will done." He did this because he knew that when he and Madara passed the village would no longer be able to stand on its own. It would have to truly be part of the Land of Fire for it to continue to exist. In the face of Hashirama's power and declaration the Daimyo had no choice but to accept Konoha into his forces. But he never forgot Madara and Hashirama's slight. He never forgot that they had dared to create an unsanctioned force in his nation.
Do you kids know why we, ninjas whose power comes in the form of secret techniques and obscurity, wear branded headbands and uniforms? This is the Daimyo's revenge, in exchange for allowing Konoha to exist, he demands that while within the nation's border all ninjas must be clearly marked and identifiable. He took our greatest strength, anonymity. An unmarked ninja is an unpredictable threat. Disguised as civilians we could easily unleash devastation anywhere. The Daimyo of that time and those since will not take such a risk.
With the passing of Madara and Hashirama our power dropped drastically and without the ability to act unobserved we cannot stand on the same levels as the other forces. This is one of the primary reasons for the creation of our team. I spent years currying favor in the Daimyo's Fire Force for the sake of introducing the concept of ninja attaché teams. Team Ten exists to take advantage of this new role. Above any assigned mission our job is to produce benefits for Konoha. We are to win allies, spread Konoha's influence, and protect the village's interests through the other forces."
Asuma gave the genin a moment to digest everything he had said. Inosuke's mind was reeling, neither sets of his memories had any knowledge of this. This was the truth of Konoha's founding, and more than that, this was an opportunity. If Hashirama and Madara could gain the power to shake the world combining techniques from other power houses, why couldn't he? In fact, with the perspective he had from his newfound memories, why shouldn't he take it even further. What would the Yamanaka clan techniques become if they evolved with the influences other powers, other realities? What better way was there to explore such potential opportunities than while he was part of a unit specifically designed to interact with those who wielded said powers? He couldn't help the ear-to-ear smile that broke out over his face.
A/N
First, I would like to say thanks to all who read this far. I have had an original horror fiction bouncing around in the back of my head for some time and I hope to publish it someday. This story is my first attempt at practicing my writing so that I can accomplish that someday. As I am writing this story for the sake of practice all criticism is welcome and appreciated.
On to my plans for this story. I know this first chapter was almost all exposition and very little… you know…story. I plan for this story to take place in a very AU version of Naruto. There are going to be expies and crossover elements from multiple other series to help fill in the blanks of the world. So, until a bit of world building is done the story is going to be kind of exposition heavy.
A lot of Naruto fictions balance the characters power levels by nerfing everyone, I'm going in the opposite direction. I'm going to balance all the characters by making them stronger. This will also help with the perpetual itch I've had over the lack of ability exploration in Naruto. In the series most characters only ever used a handful of jutsu based on their specialties. I hated that shit. So many awesome characters neglected. With this story I will be exploring the abilities of several characters but focusing on the potential abilities of mind-bending abilities of the Yamanakas in particular.
Also, several of the ideas in this story are going to be based solely on how entertaining I find them. Not going to lie, the thought of how people would react to Mizuki being a Hatake had me cracking up.
Overall, I'm just fucking around and practicing. Hope y'all enjoy.
