บท 102: Naruto : Uchiha : Chapter 102
"I'm glad you came back alive." Tobirama admitted in no more than a whisper, but his words were no less heartfelt than Mito's would have been in that moment.
Naruto eyes widened and watered, and it hurt his heart far more than it would have had it been a slap in place of this, and so, he buried his face in Tobirama's chest with a soft wail of anguish.
...
Tobirama, having no prior experience in comforting someone gave his back some pats. "There there…" he muttered lamely. It still irked the current Hokage that his pupil had been expecting a slap for a failure on a mission way above his pay grade.
But the kinds of things he had put him through in Naruto's younger years as part of his "training", Tobirama honestly wasn't surprised by Naruto's reaction.
He had been inwardly furious hearing Naruto's condition, but Hiruzen's report stated that the spot where Naruto had battled his enemy had been a bridge when it had started but had been dissolved into a scorching crater by the time Hiruzen had laid witness to it.
His apprentice had fought valorously, and came out alive.
That was all a teacher could ask of his student, if Tobirama were to be honest.
Mito was correct in constantly nagging him with the fact that these children were still thirteen and way too green for the harsh reality lurking outside the Leaf's walls.
Oftentimes he had overlooked Naruto's age during his training, going so far as to put him through things that would have made Hiruzen, or even Danzo quit being his students. But the boy had an ego the size of his grandfather's statue, and so, he had never once complained. Thus, Tobirama had pushed Naruto's limits even farther.
He clutched Naruto's shoulder tightly, veins bulging on his wrists, "Who was it that did this to you?" Tobirama asked. Tobirama's voice held no emotion and yet Naruto had never heard him sound as menacing and frightening as this.
And Naruto didn't have to think twice to realize who Tobirama was referring to, "Some man named Hanzō, said he was from the Rain village." he said with a smile.
Even if Tobirama didn't show it most of the time, Naruto knew he cared.
That was enough.
Tobirama's jaw clicked in annoyance. He had indeed heard that name. Some idiot trying to bring revolution to the world was what he'd heard of him, "He said he knew my grandfather." Naruto added.
Tobirama sighed, having already feared this. "A mistake is more like it. Your grandfather left him alive during my brother's reign saying this Hanzō fellow was far too weak to stain his hands with. Hashirama never paid second mind to him either.
But those two were on a different level altogether, so their strength measurement skills left much to be desired." he clipped, miffed.
If possible, Naruto felt even worse hearing this. Someone that man had crushed like a bug had returned the favor to him in full fervor while he had been unable to do anything about it.
It was humiliating.
Pathetic.
Moving on to more pressing matters, "I'm dissolving Squad Seven. Effective immediately." Tobirama revealed with the subtlety of a hammer. Even if the council hadn't been biting down on his back, he would have done it regardless lest he have his pupil going rogue. That was an outcome Tobirama was unwilling to let happen, ever.
"So…" Naruto hiccuped. "I'm no longer…"
Tendrils of water rose from the flower vase by his bedside, cutting off the shackles as if they were made of Styrofoam. Naruto rubbed his aching wrists, not even having the courage to look in his master's eyes. Tobirama eyed him curiously waiting for a reaction,"You are no longer a genin," he confirmed Naruto's fears with a nod.
Naruto chuckled, "Can't say I didn't expect this. One strike and I'm out, eh?" a lone tear gave his feelings away though.
Tobirama threw him his headband, "I have something different in mind for you." he smirked.
Naruto gave him an odd look, "Something different…" he parroted, weirded out by his vague replies.
As if on queue, the door to his room opened and in walked a man Naruto had never, ever seen before. And Naruto had to admit that the man looked intimidating enough that he would have to rate him at least a chunin, if not more.
He had shaggy brown hair, reaching eye level and wore standard issued shinobi armor with proper holsters tucked in place. His shoulders were armor-less, showing he wasn't a man to shy away from some good old hand to hand combat.
Naruto had to wonder though, how did a man get a cross-shaped scar blotted on his chin.
It was stupid on an entirely new level.
"This is my subordinate," Tobirama introduced the man.
"Shimura Danzō," the man greeted with a stretched arm.
Naruto clasped his hand in a shake, "Uchiha Naruto," he greeted back equally politely.
Tobirama too it as his queue to cut in, "I'm laying down the foundations to an entirely new military organization that will only be called upon in times of extreme stress.
Danzō will be heading this new organization and the only one his subordinates will answer to is me. I'll have direct authority to it's soldiers, no one else."
Naruto caught his gist, "No council?" he asked slickly.
Tobirama smirked, "Just me." he said with a nod.
Danzō looked at Tobirama and the man nodded back to his student, "Raise your sleeve." Tobirama commanded Naruto. Danzō's hands went through a few hand seals and he reached with his glowing right palm to touch Naruto's bicep. He would have, had Naruto not caught his wrist in a tight grip and glared at Danzō with his Sharingan activated.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" branding someone with a seal wasn't something Naruto was comfortable accepting from a complete stranger. Danzo narrowed his eyes into slits.
"Branding you," he replied simply.
Tobirama's teeth clicked, "It's necessary for all members, just a call sign of sorts when I would require your services." he explained to calm the two glaring parties down.
"I'm not having myself branded with a seal by some stranger," Naruto threw Danzō's wrist back roughly and pulled back his arm, Sharingan active all the time. Tobirama held his hand up to motion for Danzō to keep his cool here and nodded at Naruto. He couldn't even fault the boy having known just who it was that had trained him in the art of sealing.
Tobirama walked around the bed, "I'll do it then," he sighed and went through the same seals. Naruto memorized the seals unknowingly, even though he had practically no use for it and let Tobirama do it in Danzō's place.
"Sensei," Danzō spoke for the first time since coming here. "He doesn't take orders well."
"He's a worthy candidate for this organization regardless. I've trained him. Have faith." Tobirama insisted.
"As you say then," Danzō conceded, not willing to argue with a man he respected so much.
"What does joining this organization entail anyways?" Naruto asked, looking at the weird two pronged mark on his shoulder curiously. It didn't even hurt, so that was a relief to him give his present condition.
"You will protect the village from exceptional threats, conduct high-risk missions into enemy territory, and deal with extremely strong ninja. You will also be responsible for carrying out assassinations, tracking, surveillance, and missions requiring specially trained ninja.
Some of our members will serve as interrogators that probe the minds of enemy ninja to learn information valuable to the village and we shall recruit our own medics as well. And since we will become so vital to the village's operations, we cannot be arrested by regular police forces without a warrant.
While many will choose to serve in this organization for furthering their careers, they can return to the standard forces if they choose to - should the pressure become too much for them that is." Danzō replied instead, quick on his feet to make a jab at Naruto with his last words.
Naruto blinked, "It seems like the old man here is the dictator over there,"
Danzō couldn't believe Tobirama let him away with such blatant disrespect in front of everyone, "Lord Second." he corrected, earning a glare from Naruto. He was already beginning to dislike this man and it wasn't even his first day in this organization yet. Tobirama threw Naruto a scroll containing his equipment and motioned for him to unseal it.
"You'll be joining it after returning from the last mission Mito assigned you as a genin." Tobirama told him, his voice laced in authority.
Naruto unsealed the scroll, caressing the leopard shaped mask on his lap gently, "What's it called?" he questioned, holding up the well made grey Kevlar jacket to inspect it closely.
Tobirama couldn't help but puff his chest out in pride, "The ANBU Black Ops."
...
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