AN: Glad to be back to this story! I hope you all enjoy it.
I am hoping you will all indulge me in an experiment this chapter.
If you are familiar with my other works, you know that I tend to stick with choosing a POV character, writing a section for them, and then moving on to another POV. The main reason for this is because I was writing ASOIAF stories for so long. But as I was mapping out the plot for this (I've got a solid outline for most of Part 1 and the First Movie, more on that at the end) I realized that sticking to Third Person limited for things like team battles and other scenes would not be as clean. So, I was thinking of changing it to a third person omniscient narrative. That way, even if a section follows one character more than the others, I can at least pop into the other character's heads to show how they think.
To test this out, I decided to compare them side to side. Of the two main sections of this chapter, the first was written in my usual 3rd limited style, the other was my attempt at 3rd omniscient. If you think my omniscience is at the same level as my limit, then I will go ahead with it. But if you think I should stick to the POV style, I will have to take that into consideration. I might continue this experiment into the next chapter, just to get more practice in that style done.
Oh! one thing I wanted to say for the FF version of this, (I already mentioned in the summary for A03) is that I talked with some people about how to define when to mark a story as AU, and using their advice, since I include changes to canon from before chapter 1, I suppose I should specify this is an AU.
With all that out of the way, lets jump into it. I hope you enjoy.
IWA COUNCIL CHAMBER
Onoki
"My lord," Onoki began as he stared at the Earth Daimyo seated across the table from him. "The size of our village's population has finally returned to what it was before the Third Great War. Even when just looking at our Shinobi, we are at 95% of what we were before the Second War."
Onoki then bowed his head. "All of this is thanks to the funding you and your predecessors have so graciously provided us. For that, you have our thanks."
The Tsuchikage then raised his head back up, looking directly into the Daimyo's eye.
"However," He began. "For me to step down now, as you so kindly suggest, would only lead to chaos as the brothers and sisters of Iwa devolve into fighting between each other for glory in order to stand out. It would cannibalize our military power and leave us in a situation much as we found ourselves at the end of the Third War. It is for that reason, that until a worthy successor emerges and distinguishes themself from the rest that I must remain in my role as the Tsuchikage."
Onoki was glad that the Daimyo had requested a private meeting. It was simple enough to dismiss the guards and advisors. All those who would take this conversation public to try to increase their own influence in some way were removed, leaving only the two leaders of the Land of Earth.
The Daimyo watched Onoki closely as the older man finished talking.
"I would say this would be a good time for you to step down, or at least begin the search for this distinguished shinobi you are looking for. We are in a time of relative peace. The only real concerns of the current day are the continued Ame civil war and this new Otogakure that popped up two years ago. Even Kirigakure is more concerned with their civil war than taking vengeance for Yosuga." The Daimyo explained. "With all this in consideration, don't you think the transition to the Fourth Tsuchikage would go much smoother if it occurs in a time of peace, rather than risk it having to happen during a crisis?"
Onoki held his gaze. "You are forgetting Deidara. He is still on the loose. He poses a threat to Iwa as well, and I will not let him go unpunished for the crimes he did commit."
"Deidara has been placed in every Bingo Book in the continent." The Daimyo countered. "If the reports I have read about him- reports you provided- are correct, then he is unlikely to come back here. He would rather cause chaos for hire in other nations that do not have the knowledge to come up with countermeasures for his clay."
The Daimyo then leaned forward. "But Deidara's escape from Iwa's justice seems to be another reason for you to pick a successor. Let us accept facts, you may have led the village for far longer than either of your predecessor's, but that also means you have more failings than the two of them combined."
Onoki tightened his hands into fists, hidden under the table.
"Let's look at the history of this village since you became Tsuchikage." The Daimyo said. "A week after you were named to the position by my Grandfather, he was assassinated and my father was taken hostage, forcing you to sign the armistice agreement to save him, ending our involvement in the First Great Shinobi war. That, I can not put at your feet. The war was lost when Lord Mu put his rivalry with Hozuki Gengetsu ahead of his duty to the village."
Onoki wanted to object. To point out how Mu saved half of Iwa's remaining forces at the time he led Gengetsu towards a more secluded area where both could fight all out.
"Then there was the Second War Konoha started." The Daimyo stated. "Why was that again? Something about reclaiming the territory they had given to Suna, which ended up declaring independence and became Kusagakure? We could have stayed out of it, let Suna and Konoha fight between themselves and the Taki backed Kusa, but you insisted it was the perfect time to strike, to avenge the previous war's humiliating defeat, and my father agreed. Only then, Hanzo the Salamander got in between, slowing our arrival and making another enemy we had to face head on. Not only did we lose that one as well, but Konoha uncovered evidence that Iwa forces were massacring the civilians of Ame, which weakened our ability to negotiate at the end of the war."
Onoki wanted to protest that there was no clear evidence that Iwa was targeting civilians. He was certain that it was a trick from Konoha, but he had been unable to prove it at the time. But for now, he stayed silent.
"And a year later, we are back at war, as the Third Great War began." The Daimyo brought up, drawing emphasis on the last war. "The smaller nations were emboldened by our losses in the Second War, and constant skirmishes along borders eventually brought full scale war down on us. We forced Kusa to capitulate to us, but after the Kannabi bridge was destroyed, our main force was left stranded. Then Kusa managed to retake their village, and rather than order a retreat back to Iwa, our Shinobi decided to go for an all out assault on Konoha. And just so coincidentally, so did Kumo and Kiri, and the three ended up fighting each other to the point that when Konoha sent out a force to defend the village, they mainly just finished off the exhausted survivors."
The Daimyo then leaned forward. "And then we were given our lifeline. Sarutobi Hiruzen showed us mercy. We would not have to pay reparations for the war at all. If we had, then this village would have been beggared long before it finished paying."
Leaning back, the Daimyo finally summed up his point.
"You say that the village needs you to remain strong. But looking at your reign, it is clear that you have presided over one failure after another. It is time you step down and let the village be taken into a new direction, before another failure tarnishes what remains of your legacy. You claim this is the greatest village of all the five nations. Surely there must be another Shinobi in it capable of taking over, especially while they have you to help advise them."
"But that just goes to prove I must remain. Hiruzen wanted to retire, but he picked an unworthy successor who could not handle the duties ahead of him, and Hiruzen had to retake the reins when the Yondaime failed." Onoki explained. "I can not simply pick someone on a whim to take over all of my duties. At the very least it would have to be an apprentice of some kind."
The Daimyo snorted. "Namikaze Minato was unworthy of being the Hokage? Now you just insult all the Iwa shinobi he killed. He gave his life to protect the village he called home. Is that not what you teach the Shinobi of Iwa to do?"
Onoki flared his nostrils at the insults. But acting on violence would just cause more problems.
"This village has many powerful shinobi, it is true, but finding a singular one who can match me will not be easy. Stepping down and appointing someone weaker than me would just weaken the village both militarily and politically." Onoki explained, as he brought his hands together and began to activate his Dust Release to remind the Daimyo of why he was chosen as the Sandaime in the first place.
Instead, the Daimyo looked at the cube in Onoki's hand and did not change his expression at all.
"Perhaps it is your Dust Release that is holding you back from choosing a successor." The Daimyo suggested. "Only you and Lord Mu ever possessed it in the history of Iwa. And it has been useful many times in battle, I will not deny; but perhaps relying on it is hindering the village. If you wait for your successor to be someone who also possesses Dust Release, then you may never find them."
Onoki kept his face neutral, but inside he was smirking.
With that one statement, it was obvious who in Iwa had managed to grab the Daimyo's ear and fill him with this nonsense.
It was his cousins. The Kamizuru clan. Only they would think to downplay Dust Release to such an extent. They could never forgive the village for choosing Lord Mu due to his battle prowess, as opposed to selecting one of their own for their blood relation to Lord Ishikawa.
The Kamizuru had realized that their attempts to undermine Onoki were no use in the village itself, where most shinobi were loyal to him; so they must have sent someone to the capital to plant doubt in the main source of the village's income.
Onoki did not have to dissuade the Daimyo himself, but just prove the Kamizuru were creating division in Iwa.
The Daimyo looked at the clock. "I will have to leave soon if I am to return to the capital on schedule."
As Iwa's most important customer stood up, Onoki bowed his head in respect again, only this time it was clear the Daimyo still had some words to share.
"I am not saying you have to step down today. But at least make it seem like you are considering it. Take someone under your wing, give shinobi missions that are meant to prove themselves in your eyes. Do something to show you are planning for the future after you are gone. If not… Well, I have heard that the Land of Wind's Daimyo has been giving missions to Konoha to save money. Konoha itself is a bit too far to ask as much, but I am sure Sunagakure would love to get some of our missions."
With that dire warning, the Daimyo began to leave the Council room, but Onoki called out.
"If I had to pick someone from amongst the strongest in the village, I am sure Roshi or Han are strong enough."
The Daimyo looked back, his face showing clear signs of fear. For all his bluster, the Daimyo had never known war himself, and that meant his emotions were easy for a Shinobi to read.
"NO! Not those two. Pick a normal Shinobi." The Daimyo grunted out before leaving.
The moment Onoki confirmed he was truly alone, he let his mask slip and showed his true emotions on his face.
He slammed his fists on the stone table, leaving a decent sized crack on it.
The Daimyo may have been very important to Iwa, but that should not give him the right to decide when Onoki steps down! Onoki had known him since he was a newborn! He would have hoped his father would have shown him the importance of not pissing off trained assassins.
No, that was a bit unfair. Onoki knew who was truly to blame for the daimyo taking a hard line stance.
Yagura. The Yondaime Mizukage.
After it was discovered that the cousin of the Land of Water's Daimyo had helped fund Zabuza's failed assassination of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura had the cousin arrested and executed without the Daimyo's permission. This should have caused outrage in the capital, but Yagura then executed several other attendants and family members, right in the Daimyo's own manor. Some even said the Daimyo himself was killed, and the current one was simply a Kiri Shinobi in a transformation, who would approve whatever budgetary needs Yagura demanded.
As such, the Earth Daimyo, not wanting to end up like his water counterpart, was swinging in the opposite direction and seemed to be opposing every action Onoki could take. It was a blind panic, one the Kamizuru were taking full advantage of.
Onoki leaned back in his chair.
Iwa was strong, nothing could ever change that. But the Daimyo did bring up their history of failures in the three major wars. If the Daimyo held that belief, then how did other potential customers view them? How did their enemies view them?
Onoki turned his thinking to his secret weapon. The Akatsuki. They were cheap, and using them to handle dangerous missions while taking the lion share of the reward money for Iwa was one of the reasons they had managed to invest so much in the shinobi forces after their losses.
But the Akatsuki were proving to be a double edged sword. They made Iwa economically stronger, but they beggared Iwa from a public perception angle. Iwa could not take credit for the missions the Akatsuki did without people eventually realizing they were knowingly using Missing Nin. That would unite the other nations against Iwa, and they would go the way of Uzushiogakure.
There had to be some way to increase the village's prestige in the short term, just to prove to the Daimyo that he knew how to handle the village's future.
The answer came to Onoki rather quickly.
'Konoha's hosting their international Chunin Exams.' He realized.
Iwa hosted their own Chunin Exams of just their own Genin. That way they could promote those who deserved it without any outside interference, while also keeping the other villages from easily seeing their Genin's true capabilities.
But if Iwa approached Konoha about taking part in the international one, they could take center stage and show just what Iwa was capable of. Konoha was often going on about the importance of international cooperation, that was why they were willing to issue entry papers for any village willing to ask for participation.
Onoki considered this move.
'Iwa can't just flood the exams with all of our Genin though. Konoha would find a reason to fail most of them. A small, elite team. A single team, the best of the best on the world stage. Meanwhile, we can host our usual one two or three months later for the rest of the Genin.'
Onoki then had to consider who to send as a team. After only the briefest of considerations, he knew just who to send.
KONOHAGAKURE ACADEMY
"Made it on time!" Naruto said as he rushed to the classroom door, Ino a half step behind him. "And Iruka isn't here yet either."
"I told you that we shouldn't have stopped at the pawn shop to see if they had anything new." Ino complained as she caught her breath. Naruto's stamina was the best in the class, no one would ever deny that, even Sakura, who hated Naruto for all his pranks on her.
"Hey, that's how I found half the stuff in my apartment." Naruto pointed out.
Ino raised an eyebrow. "Like those calendars with swimsuit models? Or does dad give those to you to hide that he bought them for himself?"
"I keep telling you! Every year since I can remember, there was a knock on the door on my birthday. Then, when I open it to see who it is, all that's there is a frog and a new calendar, and the frog then immediately hops away!" Naruto defended himself as they walked into the room. "Even when I spend my birthday with you, uncle Inoichi and aunt Kaiyo, it's always there in front of the door when I get back."
"Oh just admit you use them because you like them." Ino said with a sigh. "I've seen your Sexy Jutsu." She added with a tone of disapproval.
"As if you can complain about that when you've made me use it to get discounts on clothes by flirting with the employees!" Naruto countered.
"...Fair point" Ino conceded. Then she widened her eyes as she remembered something. "Oh! Speaking of discounts, there's going to be a sale downtown. But the store closes at 4..."
Naruto knew where this was going. "I'll cover for you at the flower shop. At least it will let me get some last minute training with my Henge."
Naruto had been helping out at Yamanaka Flowers for years. But when he had first started working there, it had really hurt business. While Ino said that she didn't want anyone who hated Naruto shopping in their store, Naruto himself had felt guilty about ruining the Yamanaka family business.
It was Shikaku who had devised an answer when he had rushed into the shop to get something that would prevent Yoshino from murdering him for taking a mission that would cause him to miss their anniversary.
Having just learned the Transformation Jutsu at the Academy, Naruto could turn into Ino, who was still learning about flowers herself. That way any mistakes would be just seen as a young girl trying to get used to the family business.
When Naruto worked at the register as Ino, the real Ino would work in the backroom. And when she worked the register herself, Naruto could work in the back as himself.
Thanks to this arrangement, Naruto had gotten really good at the Transformation Jutsu, being able to hold it for several hours at a time, when most of their class- even Sasuke- struggled to maintain it for half an hour a year after they had learned it.
Ino gave Naruto a smile. "Thanks Ototo!" She said happily. "Maybe I can find something for you while I'm there. You do have zero fashion sense after all.
"I'm only two weeks younger!" Naruto complained, but after nearly seven years he was used to it. "And that jumpsuit was awesome! I still can't believe you tried to burn it."
Naruto scanned the desks as they walked into the classroom, seeing what was available. That was when his eyes landed on Sasuke and Hinata. Hinata was sitting by the window on the edge of the row, like usual, and Sasuke was sitting next to her.
Naruto jumped up the stairs and grabbed the seat on the other side of Sasuke. Hinata blushed as her crush was only a few feet away.
Ino spared a look at Sasuke, then moved to sit in the middle desk in the same row. Shikamaru- who had long been banned from sitting anywhere near the windows- was already laying his head down in the middle. She imagined that Choji would be here soon with his arms full of snacks to take the seat to Shikamaru's right.
Her eyes wandered as she looked at the front of the class, only to focus on the door when she heard Sakura step in.
Their eyes met and they both glared at each other, before Sakura turned to look at Sasuke. The glare was then replaced by a smile, only to turn back into a glare at Naruto when she saw him sitting next to Sasuke.
'Probably the only reason Ssauke doesn't complain about Naruto sitting next to him every chance he has.' Ino thought with a smile as Sakura tried to approach Sasuke, but Naruto's glare dissuaded her. Instead she kept walking up and sat directly behind Sasuke, right next to Sai, who was taking the time before Iruka got here to draw in that sketchbook Ino had noticed he always carried.
Choji finally arrived with Kiba following behind him. Choji sat next to Shikamaru as Ino expected, and Kiba sat below them in the first row, right next to Shino.
'...When did Shino get in here?' Ino sweatdropped at the realization she had not noticed him.
Hinata leaned forward, trying to get a better look at Naruto.
'Graduation is only about a month away…' Hinata thought to herself. 'If we get assigned to different teams, I won't be able to see him everyday. If I want to tell him… Maybe now is the time?'
Naruto turned to Sasuke, causing Hinata to panic and shoot back, keeping Sasuke's body in between them.
'Maybe not just yet…" Hinata reconsidered.
"So Sasuke," Naruto began, "You ready to get your ass kicked in Taijutsu today?"
Sasuke did not reply, simply staring ahead while waiting for Iruka to get there.
Naruto smirked. 'I suppose no response is better than him insulting me. I'll take the progress.'
Ino noticed Hinata's brief movement and the blush already on her face.
'You are your own worst enemy Hinata…' Ino sighed. 'I've tried to help you without outright telling Naruto, but at this point you need to actually make a move.'
Ino watched Naruto try to rekindle his friendship with Sasuke.
'Friends for a year and a half.' Ino thought. 'And nearly five years since Sasuke last gave a genuine smile.'
As she watched, her mind wandered back to the first time she and Naruto met Sasuke, and how different he had been.
YAMANAKA FLOWERS
SIX YEARS AGO
"So 2000 minus 1400…" Ino muttered as she looked at the money her mother had handed her and the amount the flowers cost. "600 Ryo in change!"
"Close dear." Kaiyo said to her daughter. "But remember, we have a buy one get a second half off on lilies when added to another bouquet, so the change should actually be 750."
Ino slammed her head on the desk. This was the third time she had forgotten about a sale in these lessons.
"In hindsight maybe six is too young to handle the register." Kaiyo said with a sweatdrop as she heard footsteps approaching. She turned to greet the potential customer.
"Welcome to Yamanaka- Oh, Naruto-kun! What are you doing here?"
Ino took her head off the desk and smiled at hearing Naruto's name. He had been over to their house a few times, and they played almost every time she saw him in the village. She had also witnessed him pranking several of the villagers, which was always entertaining.
Naruto smiled nervously. "Hi Yamanaka-san! I was just wondering if Ino wanted to play."
Ino smiled and wanted to jump out of her seat, but her mother put a hand on her shoulder, keeping her in place.
"I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but Ino still has some chores she needs to do today around the store. If she finishes early, then perhaps she can have time to play." Kaiyo apologized to the young boy.
"Oh…" Naruto said, saddened by the news, before his eyes widened and he thought of an idea. "Does she need help? I don't have anything else to do, and if it means we will get to play together sooner, I can do whatever you need!"
Ino looked at her mother expectantly.
Kaiyo sighed. "I suppose it's possible…"
A new voice suddenly interrupted their discussion.
"Nii-san! Why do we have to go here? Flowers are so boring!" A child's voice complained.
"Now now Sasuke-kun, It's a big day for our mother, so we have to get her flowers to celebrate." Another new voice, older than the other, spoke with a gentle patience.
"Hello! Welcome to Yamanaka Flowers!" Kaiyo said as she moved to the front. Ino noticed she had moved to obscure Naruto from the view of these customers. Likely in case they hated him for the Kyubi.
Ino leaned over to get a better look at the two. They were both boys with black hair, but the older one had a headband on, showing that he was a Shinobi. The older one seemed really tall to Ino, and had long tear troughs. The younger boy was around her and Naruto's age, and had a grumpy look on his face, clearly not wanting to be there.
The older one bowed to Kaiyo. "Good morning. My name is Itachi, and this is my brother Sasuke. Our mother's birthday is tomorrow, and we would like to purchase some flowers to give to her."
"I still don't see why we have to get her flowers as well as the other gifts." Sasuke complained.
"Because we are paying with my money Sasuke." Itachi replied simply.
Itachi's eyes then landed on both Naruto and Ino. Ino noticed Naruto looking at him intently, as if trying to recall a memory just out of reach.
Itachi then gave them a small smile before turning to Sasuke.
"Tell you what Sasuke, why don't you play with them while I handle picking the types of flowers and the arrangement?"
Sasuke smiled at the thought of just having something fun to do, even if he would prefer to do something with Itachi rather than two random kids.
Kaiyo looked at Ino and Naruto, who had expectant looks on their faces at this chance to have fun. She sighed and nodded. "I see. I suppose that will be fine. Ino, just make sure none of you wander too far!"
"Kay mom!" Ino said as she rushed out.
Once they were out, the three of them turned to look at each other.
"Yamanaka Ino" Ino introduced herself fully. "Thanks for coming! You got me out of doing chores for now!"
"Uchiha Sasuke." He said simply. "I just wanted to get out of there."
Naruto jumped in between them. "Uzumaki Naruto, the future fifth hokage!" He introduced himself.
"Fifth Hokage!" Sasuke exclaimed. "No you aren't! My brother is going to be fifth!"
"Oh really?" Naruto said, taking Sasuke's statement as a challenge. "What's so great about him?"
"My brother is awesome!" Sasuuke said, a wide smile on his face. "He graduated from the academy super fast! He wasn't even there for a year! And then, he received special permission to take the Chunin Exam by himself!"
Ino widened her eyes at that. She and Naruto had only just started the Academy two weeks ago. To think someone who would have spent just a little more time there was already a Chunin!
Naruto smirked. "Ha! So what! If he did it so fast, so can I!"
Ino decided to interrupt, to keep Naruto from making any more absurd challenges for himself. "Speaking of the Academy, are you not planning to be a ninja like your brother? I don't recognize you from class."
Sasuke looked shy for a second. "Of course I'm going to be a ninja! It's just that… Well… My father said I wasn't ready for the Academy yet. He said he would teach me himself instead, but he always has Clan business to take care of, so we haven't had many lessons yet. Itachi promised to teach me how to throw a shuriken after we finish shopping. And he said he'd talk to father about enrolling me in the Academy before the next year starts."
Ino could see Sasuke was embarrassed at how little training he had.
"Ah, you're not missing that much, believe it." Naruto said, putting his hands behind his head. "We only really get to learn Shinobi stuff in P.E. The rest is boring stuff like reading and math."
Ino did not share Naruto's pure disdain for their lessons, but she nodded. "Iruka sensei said the first year is all about 'General Education'. In addition to being required basic knowledge, it's so if anyone decides not to be a ninja, they can transfer to a civilian school and not be too far behind."
Sasuke crossed his arms. "Hmm. Maybe it's best if I don't come to the Academy yet. Mom already taught me math and stuff. Maybe once father is done with whatever the Clan needs, we can focus on making me as awesome as Itachi, then I can join you all next year when the real lessons begin!"
"Bah!" Naruto yelled. "Why are we spending all this time talking about school! Let's go and play already."
Ino let out a laugh at her fellow Blonde's outburst. "Yeah, let's go to the park."
Sasuke smiled as well. But then he looked around. "Umm… Where is the park?"
"Huh?" Ino said. "You don't know?"
Sasuke looked nervous again. "I… I don't really leave the Uchiha district that much without Nii-san."
"Your family has its own district?" Naruto said. "That sounds so cool!"
Ino grabbed Sasuke's arm. "Don't worry Sasuke-kun! Just follow us!"
Naruto and Ino rushed off to the park, while Sasuke tried hard to avoid tripping as Ino pulled him along.
From inside the Flower Shop, Kaiyo watched as the kids ran off while she added a pair of lilies to Itachi's order. "Oh Kami, I do hope they stay safe. They are just kids…"
"I wouldn't worry about them Yamanaka-San." Itachi said. "Let them enjoy the innocence of childhood as long as they can. Its not a chance everyone gets."
Kaiyo looked at the Uchiha shinobi. He was young enough to have just earned that headband in the last class. But the way he carried himself had an air of experience to it.
Kaiyo did some math in her head. "...You saw some of the last of the war?" She ventured a guess.
Such a thing would cause any child to grow up too fast.
Itachi stopped for a moment. He then offered a small nod.
Kaiyo gave him a nod in return. She may not have been born a Yamanaka, but with their focus on the mind and how it worked, it was near impossible not to pick up at least a working understanding of psychology after so long.
In silence, Kaiyo helped Itachi make a bouquet that he thought his mother would love.
By the time Itachi and Kaiyo finished up and found the three kids at the park, they were all lying on the ground, exhausted from whatever games they had played.
PRESENT
After that, Sasuke had become a good friend to both Ino and Naruto. So much that Ino would eventually come to wonder if how she thought of Sasuke was what romantic love was. It felt different from how she thought of her parents or Naruto, but the thought of not having Sasuke with her did make her sad.
While they didn't get to see each other everyday, as Sasuke still did not join them at the academy until the next year; Naruto had come to view Sasuke as a brother in nearly the same way Ino was his sister.
For the first half of their second year, the three had been practically inseparable. Even if it did eventually lead to trouble with Sakura when the pink haired girl had ended their friendship over him. But Ino did not blame Sasuke for Sakura's choice.
But then, as if Ino losing one friend was not enough, soon after that was the Uchiha Clan Massacre.
Ino's father had sat both of them down and given a brief explanation of what had happened to the Uchiha. Both kids had been shocked beyond belief, but were relieved when Inoichi confirmed that Sasuke was unharmed himself.
'I thought giving him time to himself was the best course, but Naruto thought that he needed someone by his side more than ever.' Ino reflected. 'Maybe I should have joined him in trying to break Sasuke's walls. Would that have changed him? Or would he still be as he is now?'
After the massacre, Sasuke had changed drastically. He never smiled, and focused solely on his training. One time after sparring with Sasuke in class, Naruto had told Ino how his eyes were filled with pure hate.
Ino knew she could not blame Sasuke for his massive personality change, and she had explained as much to Naruto. Sasuke had gone through the single most traumatic event possible. Especially considering how he had spoken of his brother all those years ago. But as she saw the boy who was her friend and first crush grow more fixated on his personal mission of revenge, ignoring Naruto's attempts to connect with him, calling Naruto a loser, she came to the realization that her crush was no longer present. Sasuke had simply changed too much for his new persona to appeal to Ino in the same way his attitude did to most of their female classmates.
Ino watched as Naruto continued to try to get a comment out of Sasuke. She prayed to Kami that he would one day succeed in bringing down his walls, even if she feared it was simply wishful thinking on her part.
'He has made some progress after all.' Ino reassured herself that Naruto could do it. 'Sasuke did swallow his pride and ask for advice on the Transformation Jutsu when he saw how long Naruto could hold it. If not for that first crack, Sasuke would have told Naruto to shut up by now.'
Suddenly, the door at the front of the classroom swung open, and Iruka walked into the room.
Most people who had been chattering had quieted down, leaving Naruto the only student talking.
"-and then I had to see how it would taste if I added an equal amount of pepper to it, since I had already spilled the whole thing of salt into the ramen. Maybe they would equal each other out? Long story short, just don't. It wasn't worth it."
"Naruto-kun!" Iruka said loudly, getting everyone's attention focused on him. "Please remain quiet so we may begin class."
Naruto stopped talking and gave a brief nod of apology.
Iruka closed his eyes for a moment before clearing his throat.
"Good morning Class. Now before we get to today's lesson, I have some important news for you all. I know it is somewhat late in the year, but we have a new student joining us. Please give a warm welcome to Kugihara Hiroshi!"
At the sound of his name, a boy the same age as the rest of the class opened the door and walked in, standing next to Iruka.
Everyone examined the new classmate.
Kugihara had spiky blue hair and blood red eyes. As he walked towards Iruka, several students noticed his blue hair was tied into a small ponytail in the back.
"Sensei." Shino raised his hand. "Forgive me, but is it not too late to increase the size of the class? Why? Because we have only a month left until the final exams to graduate. Would it not be more logical then, to send Kugihara-san to the class a year behind us? That way, while he may be the oldest student, he would at least have time to learn what is required."
Iruka nodded. "An understandable question from your perspective. But there is no need to worry. Kugihara-san is not a complete novice. He moved to Konoha for his father's job, but he was always planning to become a shinobi of Konoha. It's just that his instruction up to now has been from the Regional Shinobi of the Capital, where our Daimyo lives."
"...Regional Shinobi?" Choji asked, not familiar with the term.
Iruka sweat dropped. "...Mizuki-Sensei hasn't gotten that far?"
Iruka put his hand to his face. "Come on Mizuki… They're about to graduate!"
What Iruka meant as a whisper was heard by a fair few students in the front.
Iruka cleared his throat, deciding to have a talk with his best friend after the students went home. "Regardless, essentially a Regional Shinobi is a Shinobi who is stationed in an area to protect it, either long term, or perhaps permanently. Most of them are assigned to permanent positions guarding a border spot, or in large or important towns or cities. In addition to maintaining order of their assigned lands, they also teach local students who can not make it to Konoha. After all, there are thousands of Shinobi who wear our headband with pride. Unfortunately, the Academy is not large enough to accommodate classes for all those thousands to have gone here. None are as well equipped as the Academy in training, but whether you graduate from the Academy, or are deemed worthy by the head Shinobi of the region, all are considered full fledged Shinobi of equal standing."
Kugihara stepped forward and bowed. "I know none of us will be here long. But I look forward to learning with you all."
Iruka nodded. "Very nice Kugihara-san. Now, why don't you take the seat next to Shino, right in the front. Then we can begin today's lesson."
The blue haired new kid walked to his assigned seat. Shino nodded at his new desk mate as he took his seat.
Iruka turned to the chalkboard. "Now then, we only have a month until the final exam. But a week before that, is the final written exam! While it is technically possible to become a Genin with only a passing grade on the Jutsu test, you would essentially have to do perfectly on it to do so. As such, the higher you score on the written test, the less you need to worry about your jutsu. But by no means take that as a reason to slack off on your training!"
Hearing what the class was going to focus on, Kiba and Naruto both let out a yawn. The only reason Shikamaru did not join in on it was because he had fallen back asleep the moment after Kugihara bowed.
Iruka ignored their yawning, not wanting to delay the lesson any more. "Now while I can't say everything I will cover will be on the test, I can confirm at least some of it will be. So memorize everything!"
Iruka twisted around and tossed the piece of chalk he was writing with at Shikamaru.
The lazy boy raised his head in annoyance.
Iruka simply gave him a smile. He then tapped his finger to his temple
"Well Shikamaru? Got it memorized yet?"
'What a drag.' Shikamaru thought as he already felt the sweet seduction of sleep try to get his attention once again.
AN: And Chapter 2 is done! I hope you all enjoy my first foray into 3rd Omniscient.
Now for those of you new to my stories, it's time for a post chapter breakdown, where I summarize some points and explain my thought process.
Starting off with the first one, we have Onoki of Iwagakure talking with the Daimyo. This section was largely to establish some worldbuilding. Some of the Great Wars were explained briefly, but mainly to establish the type of relationship that exists between the village and the Feudal Lords.
As stated, the relationship amongst all the major nations has soured in recent years because of the actions of Yagura as he rules Kirigakure with an iron fist.
So, in order to prove that he is still the best leader possible for Iwa, Onoki turns to the international Chunin Exams as a way to show off Iwa's power. So you can probably guess that's going to complicate the Chunin Exams when we reach that iconic arc.
Moving on to our main cast, we have a few changes to Iruka's class, as I am sure you all noticed. Next chapter should do a bit to explain why one of the changes occurred.
As for the completely new student, he is the first part of something I am planning to do going forward with this fic, and that is a large amount of references to the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series.
It's not going to reach the point of being a full on crossover. Naruto is not joining the Tojo Clan or anything like that, don't worry.
It started off with me realizing that if I ever need names for throwaway characters, I can just start playing a game, and write down the names of the enemies I fight around Kamurocho.
Then I realized if I struggle with a fight scene, almost all the Heat Actions could count as taijutsu moves. I'm not going to call them out when they happen, but just describe them.
There will be other small scale references, but there is one instance where my plan for a reference caused me to give a side character we know little about a decent backstory. It's not even that big of a connection, it's just the fact I could connect them led to me forming this whole background to establish how this character ends up how we see them in canon.
For the most part, these references are just that, references to a series that I love. And anyone who plays Yakuza 5 knows that Kugihara shares little with his namesake. Besides the name, they only have one thing in common, and I am curious if anyone can figure it out. Hopefully it will all become clear either in Chapter 3 or 4. We will see how much I can fit in those chapters so you don't have to wait too long.
As for the established characters, I gave Sasuke a connection to the two blondes. Afterall, Sasuke did attend the Academy before the Massacre, so some relationships should have been built before he had his life defining tragedy. Considering what lengths Naruto goes to for Sasuke in Canon, i figured a more historied bond would help flesh their relationship out.
And then there is Ino's views on Sasuke. A major departure from Canon. Ino did have the childhood crush on Sasuke, and that led to the infamous Sakura rivalry. But now in the present, she would prefer her friend back instead of a full on romance.
As I stated in the last chapter, I do have a possible relationship plotted out for Ino, but I'm not sure of its feasibility for the longterm.
Now when I mentioned some character bashing occurring in this fic in the first chapter, as you can probably see, Sakura will be the main target, but unlike other Bashing fics I have enjoyed over the years, I will use it as a way to build her up into a more mature character later on. Can't give an exact timeline of when the development will occur, but I will try to have it well under way before the Timeskip.
We then have brief views of the other characters, but nothing too in depth.
And then we end the chapter with Iruka throwing chalk at Shikamaru. I couldn't resist giving Iruka Axle's catchphrase at least once, since they share an english voice. Though considering he is a teacher, he may pull it out a few more times. I've definitely had a teacher or two who stressed memorizing the lesson as best we could.
So, some information regarding the future outlines of this fic. As I said, I have mapped out most of the part 1 events and timeline. It is going to include some filler, and the first movie. The reason for this is largely because there are parts of fillers that I like as character or background building, and also because by not rushing through the Manga Canon, I can use these smaller story events to build relationships with the more makeshift teams. Also, when I first watched Naruto as a child, I was unaware of Manga, and just assumed each episode was canon, no matter how wacky some of them were. As such, I probably do not have the disdain for filler many fans are known for. I will try to get through them relatively faster than I will on the Manga Canon events though, just so those who do not enjoy the arcs do not have to wait weeks on end for something they truly do not enjoy.
Some filler that is definitely getting adapted is the Land of Tea Escort Mission the Mizuki Tracking arcs. And in this chapter I did introduce the antagonists of the Bikochu Search arc, so that is a maybe, along with most of the other arcs. And I do have an original story arc that should be relatively short. The first movie is getting done, but the other movies will probably just be background things. So they will happen, but they will be resolved by other teams and just briefly mentioned if at all.
So, with all that said, I hope I have entertained you with this story, and you will come back for more next chapter!
Hope you all stay safe. I wish you luck in all your endeavors.
Jaehaerys . Joestar