บท 39: Chapter Thirty Nine- Meeting With A Kage
"I know you'd probably like to at least stop home first but I've got orders to take you to dad as soon as soon as we arrive," Rizen said with a sorrowful smile as we entered the gates. It was unneeded as I had received the same orders as him.
Yet it seemed our walk to the tower was going to be interrupted by a man I'd only met a few times who appeared in front of us in a storm of crows.
A powerful and renowned shinobi. He was particularly tall well over six feet and thin as a twig. But that was extremely common among my clan members. The only tell of the man's age was that the hair on the sides of his head was faded gray while the spiky top was pitch black. He wore a red battle robe with a katana strapped to his hip. If that wasn't enough I could practically feel the power that radiated from his three tomoe Sharingan.
{Kagami Uchiha Lvl 79 (Fire) (Wind)}
'Kagami of a thousand Illusions', a war hero of the first war known for his complete mastery of fire and wind ninjutsu, and the foremost practitioner of genjutsu after the Second Mizukages death. His most notable feat was battling Onoki of the Particle style to a draw in the opening stage of the second war. It was noted that he had Orochimaru as backup, but that was years before he gained fame as one of the Sannins. It was an impressive feat regardless if he had a man at the pinnacle of A-rank at his side.
The man's level was only five more than Sakumo's which was not a truly significant amount but it told a story.
"Lord Kagami," I greeted with a short bow. A renowned shinobi and my clan head deserved at least this much respect.
"Hey Uncle Kagami!" Rizen said much more cheerfully with a wave.
"I'm relieving you Rizen go say hello to your mother for me," Kagami said with a smile as he shooed the energetic special Jonin away.
He soon motioned for me to walk with him down the main road of Konoha. It was incredibly awkward.
"So, in the last few days, I've spoken a great deal with Koshu about you. A nearly thirteen-year-old boy given a threat level most grown men don't receive was rather shocking." Kagami began as we passed Mikoto's favorite dango stand.
"I see, did he say I was a foolish child?" I asked as that was what I was getting used to him referring to me as. The clan head merely smirked and answered.
"Hardly, he said you are the greatest talent the Uchiha have had since Madara himself, he seemed completely unsurprised that you've been deemed an A-rank threat by the Sand Village," Kagami said nearly making me walk into a villager in surprise.
"Oh….. That is…" I tried to formulate an intelligent response but all I could do was mumble stupidly.
"That was my reaction as well, though not as animated," Kagami replied actually chuckling before becoming serious again. "If I heard such a thing without reading your bingo page I would've thought it was merely the pride of a surrogate parent bragging about a son. Yet I must ask, are you truly a sage as the title on your cloak claims?" Kagami asked as he locked his Sharingan with my pitch-black eyes.
"I'm no master, but I can enter Sage Mode at any time," I answered to the man's widened eyes. It seems even the higher-ups didn't truly believe a young chunin could become a sage.
He didn't speak for a few minutes as we began to near the Hokages Tower.
"You have my backing, anything you don't wish to speak about will be clan secret. Under village law, the Hokage can't force a clan to give up certain secrets under normal circumstances" He affirmed as we entered the tower. What did that mean? A man in the Hokage's inner circle, the head of the strongest clan, a seasoned S-rank shinobi. To have his backing was everything, I was protected but what did it cost?
Nothing was done without motive, and as we entered the room filled with nearly half of the village higher ups I couldn't stop wondering what his were.
{Homura Mitokado Lvl 51 (Water)} He was a man with slicked-back spikey brown hair, known most notably as Tobirma Senju's student along with Kagami and Hirzuen.
{Koharu Utatane Lvl 47 (Fire)} Another member of Lord Tobiramas genin team.
{Orochimaru Lvl 69 (Fire) (Earth) (Wind)} One of the Third Hokage's most prized students. A master of kenjutsu and ninjtusu.
{Hiruzen Sarutobi Lvl 93 (Fire) (Earth) (Water) (Lightning) (Wind)} The Third Hokage, now confirmed to have mastery over all five chakra natures. The foremost ninjutsu master in the shinobi world. A near mythical warrior of this age with his only competition being the Third Raikage and the current Amekage. He was who I had to kill.
Standing before the man nearly had my knees shaking and my heart rate skyrocketed. He had over four times as much chakra as I did and Orochimaru was well over triple. With their chakra added with Kagami's and the other two Jonin, well it made Shukaku's rampage almost tame in comparison.
"Reign in your chakra, a sensor is among us." The man spoke as at a glance he had already noticed my ability to sense chakra. It was obvious who he was talking to as everyone in the room became mere blips on my radar. Except for the man himself as what Kage would rain himself in for the comfort of a chunnin.
"Lord Hokage," I said with a bow reminiscent of the one I gave my clan head earlier.
"At ease, this is merely an informal meeting. Please take a seat young Tometsu," I noticed that the only two seats open one was across the table from Hiruzen while another was off to the Kage's left.
I took it the furthest one without question, knowing it be disrespectful to make a Kage turn his head when addressing me. I noticed that instead of taking the last open seat Lord Kagami had moved to stand behind my chair. I wasn't politically savvy by any margin but even I could see when a message was being sent.
I barely caught the Hokages eyes narrow for a brief instant before a kind smile took its place. He grabbed a few files in front of him as he addressed me.
"Now why don't we start with your accomplishments and merits thus far Tometsu? Your first is assisting in the dismemberment of Russo of The Iron Sand. Next of note would be slaying the B-ranked puppeteer Kazera Urashu with the help of a Tiber Inuzuka." He stopped then to look me over, I nodded in response as those were things I did. "To continue a few days later your squad found themselves on ground zero of the Suna Jinchurikis rampage. You along with Kosuke Maruboshi led the demon away from the army and your teammates. Then deciding to risk it all you both heroically split up going in opposite directions. A tactic used only in the most dire circumstances to make sure one can make it back to inform somebody of the danger." Hiruzen spoke, I didn't fail to notice the raised eyebrows of the 'elders' in the room at the mention of my 'genin' teammate. The wok-wielding ninja truly had friends in high places.
"Yet you drew the short end of the stick and faced the rabid jinchuriki in single combat. Forced to use the summoning jutsu to teleport yourself to a random realm. You were hours away from being pronounced killed in action before a panther made of shadows appeared with a message for your sensei. Days later you returned anew trading blows with Russo of Iron Sand of all people." HIruzen finished and to say I was unnerved would be an understatement. To have the journey thus far be completely known by these people was an odd feeling. But we were shinobi, true privacy didn't exist and I was already warned by Sakumo that he and Captain Nara were ordered to report on me.
He paused to let everyone in the room mull over the information.
"An impressive resume to say the least when it is known you graduated from the Academy less than a year ago. It might even put my own student to shame," Hiruzen said jokingly as a few in the room chuckled while Orochimaru scoffed at the jest.
"Moving on to your known skills. A self-created S-rank variation of the body flicker jutsu, one-handed ninjutsu, notable kenjutsu and fully realized Sharingan. It is even speculated that you have mastered Senjutsu?" Hiruzen stopped and I realized that every eye in the room had focused on me, especially the snake-like man.
"Um… That is all correct Lord Hokage," I answered as I didn't miss the Snake Sannin let out a charetistic hiss in response.
"Care to demonstrate? Forgive us older people, but the possibility that Senjutsu has returned to the village is as prosperous as it is astonishing." Hiruzen said as he sat in his chair a little straighter and the snake sannin had leaned forward in apt interest.
Instead of responding I closed my eyes and kept still. Thirty seconds later I opened my eyes, and a few gasps sprang around the room as Kagami's hand fell on my shoulder.
"Amazing, it feels completely different than Lord Hashirama. Actually, you feel like nothing at all." Hiruzen said with genuine interest, I tried my best to not look too far right to catch another glimpse of the practically drooling Sannin.
"Quite." Was Kagami's reply as the hand holding my shoulder tightened slightly as if he was trying to tell me something? 'If it was to claim clan secrets then I felt it wasn't necessary. I wore the title on my back with the pride and honor of Panthera behind me. It was symbolic, I'd look foolish to try and deny it.'
"Am I right to assume that your summoning clan was the one that trained you in it, one of my other students has been in training for nearly a decade with the same goal in mind." Hiruzen asked academically, showing the side of his other moniker 'the professor'.
"Yes, but it was more of a trial by fire than training," I said with a slightly dark look in my eyes.
"Hm, much like Ryuchi Cave then," The Snake Sannin spoke with a look that nearly matched mine, was he also a Sage? Surely not if these people were so surprised by it. Did he not have the nerve to take whatever trial the snake clan gave him? Or did he fail but survive somehow? Despite that, I was interested in talking to him to learn the story.
"Well….. I must say you've impressed me and done a great deal of service for Konoha and its people. You've proven yourself to be a rising star among her forces and I'd wager based on your actions up till now you've inherited the Will of Fire. For that, I thank you Jonin Tometsu Uchiha." A Hokage said with a warm smile and a nod of acknowledgment. And despite everything my father and Uncle Koshu said and my own opinion. Maybe the 'Will of Fire' wasn't the indoctrinating bullshit I thought it was, at least not completely. I couldn't even hide the real smile that found its way onto my face after I realized I'd been promoted.
-
{Hidden Quest Complete}
The makings of a Legend
Objective: Become a Jonin of the Village Hidden In the Leaves
Rewards: 1 perk point, 30 stat points, Title: Konoha Jonin- Boost stats by 20% when fighting for the village and its interests.
-
"Thank you…." I said and I guess I was speaking to both of them. The scroll and the scroll's target for elimination.
"No need now aside from your promotion we must talk of a reward." Hiruzen continued but was interrupted by the man behind me.
"That is unnecessary Hiruzen, the Uchiha clan is plenty able to reward their shinobi on merits," Kagami spoke but it didn't seem to faze the man in the slightest. 'Was Kagami going to take to the Uchiha clan vault personally'
"Now don't bring clan politics into an informal meeting my friend. I'm surely not going to let the boy pursue the scroll of sealing but is there anything a talented shinobi like yourself is interested in?" Hiruzen asked in interest. 'Was I being bribed? Why was I being bribed? It surely wasn't because they thought I could teach others senjutsu was it?'
"Lord Hokage if this is about teaching others senjutsu…. Well I wouldn't risk it, they have an incredibly high chance of…" I started but was stopped by a raised hand and a small frown.
"Stone yes? I'm well aware of the dangers of senjutsu and have no obligations for you to teach it to anyone. Now tell me, what are your interests, Jonin Tometsu?" I felt that instead of questioning he was ordering me to answer. The problem was I had no real answer, aside from chakra flow and chakra shaping. Both of which I already had the answers to in Sakumo and the training method for chakra flow was given to me by Ruko.
What interested me? Somehow my mind found itself going back to the story of a small nation completely stopping one of the great five with nothing other than skill and Jiraiya of the Sannin.
"Fuinjutsu," I said after a few moments of thought.
"Truly? That is a rather niche subject few in the village dabble in," Hiruzen said with a small tilt of his head.
"I've heard Lord Hokage, I admit that the achievements of our Uzumaki allies have inspired me," I said with a sheepish smile as I met the Hokage's calculating eyes. He seemed to find what he was looking for as he nodded.
"So it shall be, expect an anbu to drop off a package to your residence within the day, now look at the time," Lord Hiruzen's demeanor completely changed as he looked over his shoulder at the sun's position. "I'd say it's nearly four o'clock, the academy should be letting out their children soon,"
'Mikoto!' I thought with excitement.
"Now no need to get antsy and run out on us young man. We did call you back for a mission after all, now a fresh Jonin usually needs to go through an assessment by an elder peer while they lead a mission. Luckily my student here has volunteered for the task, be prepared to be called to my office within the week for your mission details." The Hokage advised as I was free to leave, I stayed silent the whole way down the tower's winding staircase.
"That went well, the monkey didn't expect you to ask for something as niche as fuinjutsu, even our vault has precious little on the discipline," Kagami spoke from behind me, nearly surprising me as I didn't realize he was still following me.
"Don't seem so surprised, we're heading to the same place after all. Rare it is that I have time to pick up my son, he'll be excited." Kagami said with a smile of his own. I nearly sighed as I realized how much those mothers were gonna gossip now that Kagami himself was going to pick up his son with me at his side.
"I see," I replied promptly.
"What do you say we take the little ones to lunch and then continue our discussion after?" Kagami asked and I could only nod. It'd be extremely rude to refuse and I was sure Koshu would chew me out if I even tried. Plus it gave me a chance to figure out what his game was and maybe some time to try and figure out what the Hokage's agenda was.
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