บท 11: Chapter 8 part 2 The Emperor, and Konoha
Training Ground 7
Naruto wanted to seal more natural energy into the seal on his body, but he first needed to sort out something with the Bijuu inside of him. The prison was something else, but Naruto didn't mind it too much. He simply walked over to the bars that held the Kyubi and tapped in seeing that its eyes were closed. "Are you going to ignore me?"
"It depends on what you want to say to me."
Naruto sighed. "You're still a little pissed off that the ghost of the Yondaime Hokage returned and strengthened the seal after I nearly released all of your power…" He hadn't been out of control but he had been close to releasing all the power and turning into the Kyubi. It had been on purpose because he wanted to see how much of the Kyubi's power he could release without the key. He wanted to see if he forcefully drew the chakra, would it break? But the ghost of the Yondaime had appeared and strengthened the seal.
It wasn't so much as a ghost but the chakra the man sealed within the seal that held the Kyubi for in case the seal was breaking. It was the same for his mother. But Naruto wasn't in a hurry to meet her. He could activate her chakra without meeting the requirement needed for it to activate automatically on command.
"I was close to leaving this damned place!"
Naruto shook his head. "I was still very much under control of my body…" the blond said. "That said, I had prepared needed measures to ensure that you didn't go anywhere if you managed to wrestle control over my body."
"What do you want?"
"I wonder; why are you desperate to be free from me? Why does my death make you afraid?" Naruto waited for a moment but the Kyubi didn't say anything. "Minato separated your Ying and Yang chakra. He sealed half of your chakra within him and the other in him. But when he died, your other half wasn't released. He used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, but that doesn't make a difference in the sense that using that seal only gives direction to where his soul goes. Minato used that seal to separate your chakra, not to seal you. The seal that sealed you in me is the same that sealed you in him. I have concluded that Minato has your other half in the belly of the Shinigami. I'm assuming that unless the seal is released, you will never leave me, even when I go to the afterlife, you will go with me, as your other half went to the other side with Minato.
"It is a bit of a tricky situation. Where father is doesn't determine anything. I am certain that if I freed his soul from where he is, you'll probably visit the other plane with him. Are you afraid that you'll be connected with me for all eternity if you don't separate from me while I am still alive? No other seal can do this; I assume this is because of the special characters of the Eight Trigrams Sealing Method."
Kurama stared at Naruto for a long minute before finally responding. "To you people life and death means nothing, isn't it?"
"Should someone who lives for all eternity say something like that?"
"I am a Bijuu…" the Kyubi said with indifference. "You are a mere human and yet death doesn't scare you. No, you Uzumaki… Death is like a state of travelling to another world for you. You have the masks into peer into the afterlife, where no other human can see. If your mother's body had been preserved, she may have already been summoned from the other world to this one."
"You're not going to answer my question, are you?" Naruto said. "It doesn't matter. When I die, I don't want you to follow me. However, whether you are free or sealed into another Jinchuriki really depends on your attitude. We will talk about this some other time; it appears that I have a guest."
Sakura was nervous walking towards Naruto; she hasn't spoken to him in three long years. He was a kid last time, but now he looked like a man, his hair was longer, face manlier. He had the eyes of an experienced shinobi. Then again, Naruto's eyes had at times looked like that of an adult. Perhaps the difference was that now he had the body to back it up.
Although nervous, Sakura managed a small smile when she stopped next to him. "Hey…" she said awkwardly.
Naruto smiled, amused by her awkwardness. "Have I become that much of handsome person that even you, who only has eyes for Sasuke feel nervous when standing before me, Sakura?" he asked lightly.
Sakura glared for a moment. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Naruto!" When she stopped talking, she realized the awkwardness had vanished; her body was no longer tense. He said those words on purpose. But even though he said it just to erase the tension, it wasn't exactly false. She smiled, "Well, I'm sure you'll win a lot of girls…"
"Not fan girls…" Naruto said with a shake of his head. "I saw you around; I don't want to live with that."
Sakura didn't glare at Naruto. She had the decency to look embarrassed at her past behaviour. She hadn't exactly been a kunoichi back then, had she? She was just a naïve girl who was playing shinobi. "That was the past, I am different now."
"I would assume so…" Naruto said. She had been training under Tsunade even before he left for his training trip, so it was to be expected that she changes.
There was silence as Sakura gathered her thoughts. "It is good to see you again, Naruto…" she said. "You didn't respond to my message…" she managed to say.
Ah, the apology. Naruto didn't have anything against people who were earnest in their apologies. Life was a fickle thing that could end at any time. No human was perfect; no human could do everything right. Sometimes people do things on purpose simply because they could. such people needed to be crushed for their foolishness. They were stupid and blind. But still refused to see the light. Perhaps it was the same for Konoha's people.
What did it gain him by holding a grudge against one foolish girl? Nothing. Unless he was a sadist who would enjoy seeing her suffer while trying to earn his forgiveness, then Naruto would go on that path. But he didn't enjoy such things. Besides, the girl hadn't been so bad. Compared to what he was given by many people, she was nothing. Perhaps irrelevant. He hadn't minded much of what she said. He could see her shouting, but he could not recall what she was saying.
"I wanted to look into your eyes before I say anything…" Naruto said holding out his right hand. "Apology accepted, Sakura. But I do hope you have grown from that girl…"
Sakura stared at his hand before taking it. "Of course, I have grown. You are not the only one who has seen changes, you know. I have also become strong…"
"I really don't want to test that out…" Naruto said looking at the punch she had created with her fist. "Tsunade taught you everything she knows, it seems."
Sakura nodded. "I had to learn. I realized I wasn't much of a kunoichi when we were still a team. I wasn't much of a help when we came across different situations. But now when Sasuke comes back and Team 7 forms again, things will be different."
Really? How naïve was she? Did she really think that things would turn back to the way they were? Did she really think that they would all laugh and eat together as they did before Sasuke decided to turn against them? Ridiculous. Nothing was ever going to be the same. Naruto didn't even have the desire to be in Team 7 again. He would not join. That aside, he wasn't going to be here for far too long. He had many things to do with his life.
Preparations though. Preparations were needed.
Later that day
Friends? Perhaps this group could be put in that category but they were not that close. Not too close to be called best friends. In your life, you had people you hanged out with, people you knew. But they were not necessarily close friends who could enter his den and share a meal with him. The Sandaime Hokage had been perhaps his best friend. There were a lot of things the old man did not say even though he did tell him many things. For the Third, it was just so that he could live without pressure. If things had been good, Hiruzen would have probably not told him anything.
A possibility. It was cruel but not the reality. And Naruto was glad it was only just a possibility.
He was sitting in a restaurant, the people he attended class with in the academy where around him. Not this only, but those who managed to become shinobi after graduating from their exams. He had gone to enter the Chunin exams with this group. They were good people; the only group of people to have treated him well. Ignorant of the reality, yes, but many people still hated him even though they didn't know anything.
Naruto didn't have alcohol before him. He usually drank when he was in a bar. Besides, this was a group of people who had finally gathered together after some years. Sakura would not say everyone because Sasuke wasn't present but most people would agree that the Uchiha had never been part of the group. Of course, she would never openly admit that.
"Why does it look like I am the only one who is still a genin around here?" Naruto asked, looking around the group.
"It doesn't look that way; you are the only one who is still a genin." Chouji said while stuffing down food his throat. How he could find time to speak and eat at the same time was beyond comprehension.
Naruto turned towards Ino. "Ridiculous," he said pointing at the Yamanaka blonde.
Ino glared at him. "What is that supposed to mean, Naruto?" she demanded.
"No offence but it is just ridiculous; even you of all people is ranked higher than me. What kind of a world are we living in?" He asked, looking around the group.
"I am offended!" Ino exclaimed. "I will admit that I wasn't any better when you were still around but I have changed. I am no longer the same girl I was back then. If forehead could change, then so could I."
"You are offending me too, Ino." Sakura said glaring at her childhood friend. "If you still want to see who is better between you and me, we can still go to a training ground and I will take on…"
When Ino didn't say anything, it was apparent who was stronger between the two. Then again, Ino's style of fighting wasn't suitable for brawling. There was a bit of delicacy about it. Perhaps if it was someone like Chouji, then one could understand. "It still doesn't make sense. I say rankings are pointless from now on."
Kiba snorted. "Says the Genin…" he said.
Admittedly, it felt like a win for Kiba knowing that he was a Chunin and Naruto was just a Genin. It didn't matter who was stronger, the fact was he was of higher rank and if there was a mission, seniority was given to him who was of higher rank, not the genin. He had lost to Naruto in the Chunin exams, perhaps a bit pathetically, but this was his victory and he wasn't going to allow anyone to blemish it.
Shikamaru sighed. He was certain that Naruto really didn't care about this. Probably just brought the subject to be in control of what they talked about. This made his headache just thinking about it. The blond had always been a step above everyone. It was troublesome, hence Shikamaru stayed away. But he knew. He had heard the talk since he usually visited the Hokage's office – Naruto was probably stronger all of them.
But he wasn't going to say that, was he?
"So, Naruto, I heard you fought Sasuke-kun, is it true? Did he beat you again?" Ino asked a bit excitedly.
"Sasuke who?" Naruto asked with a smile. Ino glared at him, but his smile only widened a bit. "I don't remember. You'll have to jog up my memory a bit. If you help me, maybe I will remember…"
Ino folded her hands across her sizeable burst. It was a chest that made Sakura envious. She had grown other parts, but that side just would not – frustrating reality. "What?"
"When someone drinks a too much, screws loosen a bit in the head and they talk freely. Order some sake, we drink a bit, even you have to drink, then we'll see what drops out of my mouth. Maybe I will even mumble a few naughty things I did when I was training. You know, Jiraiya is a known perverted, wouldn't you want to hear some of the embarrassing things, I caught him doing?"
The Following Day, Forest of Death
Naruto stood up from the ground, sage mode activated. The weight of the chakra caused the ground below him to shatter. The chakra was visible around his body. It was colorless, but clearly visible even to the naked eyes. He didn't do anything but deactivated the mode and sat down.
A minute later, Neji appeared from the forest.
"Why are you watching me, Neji?" Naruto asked in calm tone. "Hinata didn't send you, did she? It was already a problem that she had to watch me because of her damn curiosity, but I don't need your eyes watching me."
"It wasn't my intention but when I saw you sitting here alone, I grew curious." Neji said.
Maybe his body language didn't show it but he had been unnerved by what the Byakugan saw when Naruto stood up. The blond was drawing chakra from nature but that wasn't what had shocked him – he had been shocked by just how much chakra the blond was able to draw out. Even when he was younger, Naruto already had more chakra than a Jonin. Kakashi has admitted that Naruto had more chakra than him. And yet, the blond was still able to draw this much chakra.
This had to be wrong, right? It had to be against the laws of everything for someone to possess as much chakra as the blond has. When you no longer need the Byakugan to see someone's chakra, then something was very wrong. Neji had seen many shinobi but he had never seen anyone who had so much chakra that it distorts that atmosphere around him. It was just ridiculous and he couldn't put a measure to it. But he knew; there was no one who came close to Naruto when it came to chakra, and we still didn't include the power of the Kyubi.
Naruto shook his head. "What brought you here?"
"Tsunade-sama sent me to you…" Neji said. "I'm not going to comment on the seals that I saw." They were just markings around Naruto's entire body. It was strange, not like anything he had seen before.
"It would be best if you don't comment or even say anything about it…" Naruto said. "But it isn't the first time you see, isn't it?"
Neji shook his head. "So you are the son of the Yondaime Hokage…" it was a statement, not a question.
Naruto tilted his head to the side. He didn't think it would be something that this person would know since it was still a secret. It was probably never going to be told people and Naruto didn't care enough for people to know. He didn't want to live under the shadow of his father. He didn't want to be forgotten and people see Minato's son. Then again, would these people of the Hidden Leaf willfully accept? But if they did not, would it bother him? Of course not, their views stopped being relevant some time ago.
"Yes…" Naruto said with a nod. "Who told you?"
"I wasn't told about it…" Neji said. That was true and even when he asked; he was told that it was a village secret. He just had to think through things on his own. "I just came to the conclusion about it when I was being told about your home village, Uzushio. Tsunade-sama wanted us to know the important details before we headed there to hold talks with the village leaders."
Naruto nodded. "How did you take my ancestral home?" He asked curiously.
Neji was silent for a few moments; he didn't see much. They didn't let them see anything that made them curious or want to see more. What was apparent was that the village had more Uzumaki than they were willing to show them. Overall, it had looked like a normal village, but it was not. The people seemed happy nevertheless and the air felt different. "They were not happy to see the Byakugan and the Sharingan. They immediately knew the purpose. They are smart people. But there was no need to worry because they have Byakugan proof wards all over the village."
Naruto laughed at the frustrations of the Hyuga which were clearly evident in his tone. "You're dealing with Fuinjutsu masters who have been allies of Konoha since its founding. Of course they would know how to handle themselves in your all seeing eyes."
"It was still something that had never happened before. We are proud of the Byakugan's ability to see through solid objects but in that village, that rule doesn't apply, you only see as far as they want you to see." Neji said with a shake of his head. "I'm certain they probably had someone with the Byakugan to proof check their work to ensure there were no weak sports in their wards."
Naruto smiled. "I won't add anything on that… it is something only you can understand…" he said with a shake of his head. "How are things in the Hyuga clan?"
"Fine… the clan head told me everything… my father's sacrifice. I do accept my role in the clan. But even so, since I am still the brightest the clan has to offer, they allow me to view things only those from the main family would normally view…" Neji said. "There are still some objections nevertheless."
"That is when you deal with people. Not everyone will agree to everything." Naruto said. "Some people will refuse to see reason and facts even if it smacks them in their face. As long as it doesn't fit how they view things, they will reject it. You are skilled, but those who reject your elevation only do so because you are from the branch family."
Neji nodded. "But I cannot say because at the end of the day, because I am from the branch family, I am fated for nothing. Konoha is preparing for war; the clans have already sat down. I was informed that if we do end up going to war, I will be leading the Hyuga forces. So we have been training together."
Naruto smiled. "That is something worth celebrating…"
"But nothing much changes for you, does it?" Neji asked calmly. "The Hyuga clan avoided you by all means. I suspect the clan heads knew of your parenthood from the beginning but instead of doing anything they chose to ignore you to protect themselves."
"Neji, you were not very wrong when you spoke about fate…" Naruto said. "There are certain things that you cannot avoid. As a Jinchuriki, you are fated to be hated, loathed because of the Bijuu you hold within you. However, you were wrong to say that you cannot change things. Your circumstances have changed."
"But nothing much has changed with yours." Neji said.
Naruto shrugged with indifference. "It is a matter of attitude. If you want your story to change, it will change. You don't choose which family you are born into, but you choose how you live your life, even with the constraints that bind you. I am a Jinchuriki, but I can still live happily. You can say Jinchuriki are fated to live miserably and die alone, but that can be changed. Attitude means everything."
Neji stared at Naruto. "Why do I get the sense that you are just not willing to change things?"
"It is attitude, I told you. I am just not willing to suck up to anyone to get them to like me. We cannot all be heroes. If I choose to become an Anbu, do you think this village will ever recognize me? Anbu fight to protect their village in the shadows. They are never known to the people. Nobody praises them. If I go that path, they will just glare at them as the useless shinobi who doesn't do anything. I refuse to live according to the wishes of someone. I chose my own path regardless of what people say…" Naruto said. "That is attitude, Neji."
"It seems to me that you have chosen a miserable path of existence," Neji said. "Are you prepared for it?"
"You don't make a decision to become a shinobi if you are not going to stand the killing, Neji. Unless you simply join to play a shinobi…" Naruto said in a stern tone. "I am prepared to face my journey and the glares that come with it. But it will be nothing new. I'm sure your cousin can testify to that. She has a whole experience of watching me."
Neji could never work around the issue but he wasn't going to comment on it. It had been something that young Hinata –certainly not something that she would do now. He would know; he was her guardian after all. "What kind of person chooses a path that only brings misery? You are not even the kind to work in Anbu… not because of your personality. I think you would fit there, but because of you power. You are someone who would be utilized in the front line."
Naruto would not disagree with that. He was training hard because he understood the role he would have to play. But if he was going to fight in the front lines, it would certainly not be for Konoha but for his own reasons. "That can happen."
"People looking at you will be unavoidable. At the end of the day, it won't matter what you desire because as a shinobi, you'll still have to follow the instructions of the Hokage…"
"As all shinobi do…" Naruto said with a tired sigh. "You are talking to me, and you said the Godaime was looking for me, isn't she waiting? For you Hyuga, diligence is important, isn't it?"
Neji didn't seem to mind much about the issue but he wasn't worried because he knew that there hadn't been an explicit order to return immediately. He didn't know why he had to find Naruto or why she was gathering the others from the little group of Genins in their generation. "We should go…" he ended up saying.
Hokage Office
When Naruto arrived at the office, he was surprised to see the others waiting with the Godaime Hokage. The blonde was busy with her work while the group stood by themselves, waiting. When they arrived, the eyes turned towards them. "I didn't know you two got along." Sakura said seeing Neji and Naruto walk in while chatting casually.
Naruto shrugged in response. "We just talk there and there…" he said.
"Your indifference is mind blowing…" Ino said with a roll of her eyes. She realized, even last time, he seemed to speak with indifference. Perhaps it was something new he had picked up during his training with a self-proclaimed super pervert of a respected shinobi in the Hidden Leaf.
Naruto smiled at Ino. "Thank you for the praise… I always strive to blow people's mind." It was rather difficult to tell whether he was being sarcastic in his response because there hadn't been any hint of it.
"I wasn't praising you." The blonde Yamanaka said.
Naruto blinked with mock surprise. "Really?"
"You are mocking me, aren't you?" Ino said with a glare. When Naruto only smiled, she huffed before turning away from the Jinchuriki. She knew by now that she wasn't going to win anything with someone who seemed to have a response for anything you throw.
Naruto stood next to Kiba and spoke to the Inuzuka. "I'm jealous of the ladies in your teams. Hinata has filled up; Ino has filled up; Tenten his filled…" he spoke in a whisper. "But Sakura…"
Kiba turned around to face the pinkette and looked at her chest. He nodded to Naruto. "I get you…" he said.
"Did you know that the Godaime was flat chested when growing up?" Naruto said once more. "Those," he said pointing at Tsunade's chest, "might not even be real…"
Before Kiba could respond, a dose of killing intent washed over the two, causing the Inuzuka to stiffen sharply under the might of the Godaime Hokage. Naruto merely smiled at the blonde. "Tsunade-sama…" he said respectfully.
"What did you say to him?" She demanded. "I saw what you were pointing at…"
"Nothing…" Naruto said with a pleasant smile. "This is a pleasant group you have gathered."
Tsunade sighed. She was certain that he had been pointing at her chest and the way Kiba had looked at Sakura before was the same. She shook her head. He really was a student of Jiraiya. Then again, it could all be just a play. Even Jiraiya didn't seem to know how Naruto would do things. Even that smile of his was just flat. "As you already know; we have changed things in the academy and your Jonin senseis have been taking your training seriously. I want to see your progress. Tomorrow, we are going to have a match. It will be a sparring competition in which I will see how far you have progressed in your training."
Naruto looked interested in this. "I hope it isn't teams against teams, Ba-chan…"
"Hokage-sama…" Sakura corrected Naruto in a stern tone.
At this point, Tsunade didn't seem to care how Naruto addressed her. "It is…" she said. "Did you have a better idea?"
"You want to see how they are able to coordinate and play along as a team right? Team 7 hasn't been training and all that. It would also be boring for me if it is in that form. It would be best if you make it all the teams against me…" Naruto said with a smile. "I think that would be worth the challenge. I am the one who went out on a three-year training trip and still is a genin. I'm sure these guys don't want to be bested by a mere Genin."
"You're overly overconfident," Kiba said with a grin. "But I don't hate it at this time…" he said. "Team 8 will take you on at any time!"
Tsunade stared at Naruto for a moment before smirking. "Jiraiya praises your skills… His skills are Kage-level and he says at full power, you are better than him… as a Sannin; going against a team of Chunins is unfair. Even Kakashi if he is fighting seriously would still win. Prepare yourselves tomorrow. Training ground 8, 10am sharp. Don't be late…" She gave her order. "The rest of you can leave. Naruto, stay behind."
"What about me, Tsunade-sama?"
"You will be acting as back-up in all matches… You will be offering your medical expertise."
"Medical?" Shikamaru asked. "Why does it sound like it is going to be too much of a work?"
"Of course there will be work." Tsunade said in a stern tone. "A war could break out any time, you must be ready. Your group needs to act as an example, because in your generation, you are the best Konoha has. Tomorrow, you will be fighting to the best of your abilities. A match will end when I say it is over. Konoha has the best medical nins in the Elemental Nations, you need not worry about dying."
"Dying?" they looked at the Godaime with surprise.
"Your senseis always tell you that when you fight them, you must come with the intent to kill. If you cannot attack Naruto with everything you have, you will get hurt." Tsunade said. "Prepare yourselves. If I see that you haven't made improvements since you became Chunins, there will be consequences to you and your senseis."
Slowly but surely, the group departed from the office leaving just Naruto and Tsunade. The former sat down on the chair in front of the Godaime's desk. He stared at the Senju for a long minute before shaking his head – she was also staring at him. "Is there anything that I have been reported to have done?"
"Why would you ask that?"
"You won't know what Jiraiya framed me for doing…" Naruto said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I want to talk to you about Temari…" Tsunade said in a measured tone. She studied Naruto trying to see if she could get any reaction from him but she didn't get anything. He just looked back at her without even twitching.
The delightful Subaku; he hadn't seen her since that day he left her in the River Country. Perhaps a bit unkind of him but he would always have the memories. The days in Sunagakure had been truly pleasant because of her presence; because she had been there and indulged him. "When she came here, you asked her about me…" he said. "What did she ask you?"
"Nothing… she was curious but she didn't ask much. I also know there are things she didn't tell me when I asked her about what you did in Suna…" the Godaime said in a firm tone. "I just want to know, what do you think about her?"
"I could understand with Jiraiya, but I don't really think you want to get that deeper with my personal life…" Naruto responded calmly. "Why are you asking?"
"Are you not going to answer my question?"
"I will have to see her again to actually know. But admittedly, my time with her had been delightful. I don't hate her…" he really didn't want to use the word, 'like' in this situation because he could sense that there was something in the making. He didn't want to get involved in it. Not when he was just being pushed by someone.
Tsunade smiled. "I'm glad," she said. "Did you think that you could 'not hate' someone when you were younger? I didn't see anything because I wasn't around, but I do get the picture of how things must have been. I can't claim to really understand it but I can see it must have been miserable."
"It really was miserable…" Naruto said with a small nod of his head. "But what do you live for if you cannot hope? I did hope for a better tomorrow. I did hope for many things, because when things are not going well in your life, all you can do is hope, Tsunade-sama. Hope is what drives you; it gives you the confidence to push forward."
For a couple of moments, there was silence. "I want you to know that I really do care for you, Naruto. I want you to be happy with your life and the decisions you make. You were robbed of the childhood you could have had because you became a Jinchuriki, I want to give you an option to choose how you live to make yourself happy. If you want to go back to Team 7 again, I will make it happen, if you don't want it and want to operate separately; I can still make it happen." The Godaime spoke in a warm tone, full of emotion.
But it was only as long as he was living in Konoha, serving Konoha. Well a Kage was supposed to think like that. "And I really appreciate that…" Naruto said with a smile. "Well, if nothing goes wrong, we should be able to live happily…" He paused for a moment before asking. "Are you content with your life?"
"Hmm?" Tsunade stared, trying to understand what Naruto was asking. When she got it, she responded in a quiet tone. "I don't want anything more now. Protecting this village is what I can live for… I have experienced many things in the past. I won't die with any regrets."
"Perhaps some time in the future, we shall sit together and share a bottle of sake while talking about those experiences…" Naruto said.
"I'm not drinking with you!"
Naruto just laughed before standing up. "There shouldn't be anything wrong with that. I am growing and I am sure I will reach a point where you will feel comfortable to say anything to me…" He grinned. "You know, like how lonely the bed can be at night…"
The Godaime threw something towards the blond but he dodged it. "I shouldn't have sent you with Jiraiya…" Tsunade said with a stare.
Konoha, Training Ground 8
Kurenai looked around the training ground; the senseis had already gathered as well as their students. They were not supposed to give them instruction but they had to fight for themselves without their guidance. Kurenai didn't doubt her team but she questioned the intelligence of allowing just one person to fight all the other teams. Even though he wouldn't be fighting them all at once, this was simply saying that he was stronger than all of them by a big distance. Naruto had grown, but just how strong could he have become? She hadn't seen anything outstanding during the Chunin exams. He was training under a Sannin, but so has Sakura.
But the Godaime Hokage seemed to have confidence in his abilities. Kurenai would not question the Hokage. She was just going to watch but she doubted things would be anything surprising. Then again, he was a Jinchuriki; he could use the Kyubi's power. Was it safe using it in such conditions though?
"Kakashi, your student is truly displaying the confidence of youthfulness…" Gai said in a proud tone as he stared at Naruto. To have the confidence to take on a three-man squad, it was outstanding. It was the kind of test that one could set for himself to test his limits.
"He hasn't been my student in three years…" Kakashi said with a shrug. "He is Jiraiya-sama's student…" the Jonin said.
"Where is the man himself?"
"Probably left village already…" Kakashi said.
"It is a shame that he isn't here to see Naruto express himself," Gai said with a small nod.
"Do you think he will do it?" Kurenai asked with caution. The others have also grown as well. And they have been training hard over the past months to prepare for future battles.
Kakashi stared at Naruto for a moment. He had fought the blond, and so he would know. He knew that none of the teams could match up to Naruto. He had certainly been training hard with Jiraiya and not fooling around. His progress was nothing short of miraculous. Only Naruto could grow in such a pace because of chakra levels. He is also not constrained to a certain style of fighting unlike the others.
"You'll see," Kakashi said. "I am interested in how your students have grown though…"
Tsunade clapped her hands to get everyone's attention when she arrived in the training ground with Shizune. She smiled seeing that everyone was present. She was truly interested in seeing what Naruto could do. Jiraiya praised him and Kakashi had nothing but praise as well. But the times coming ahead would require for him to fight not just for Konoha but for the Uzumaki as well. Maybe some people would disagree with her but she didn't care. She was the Godaime Hokage and she alone decided what to do with her shinobi. If she was sending them to war, no one had the authority to say no.
"I hope you all came prepared because I don't want to see anyone taking things easy. We don't know what will happen in the future, but you must be prepared for anything. It isn't just you who have to be prepared but everyone has to be prepared – from Jonin to Genin. This is a 'friendly' match, but you are fighting with the intention to kill. I also want to see if your formations at work.
"Over the next weeks, we will prepare training specifically designed for each time. Kurenai's team is useful for tracking; we will design a training program that will test your tracking abilities. But for today, I just want to see you your abilities. If you are fighting in the front lines, how well do you fight? If you disappoint me, I will strip you of your rankings and put you a level below. You will have to enter another exam to regain the rank you lost. This isn't just reserved to just you, there will be many who will face this fate. I have given an instruction for all shinobi to train, if you don't have an improvement, we will deal with you.
"Even Jonins who have slacked off in their training can be demoted to just Chunins. Konoha has always produced the best shinobi because our Jonins are strong. A Chunin from the Hidden Leaf was usually able to fight some Jonins from other Hidden villages. But over the years, we have slacked off, but no more."
Naruto was amused by all that talk. Many shinobi were Chunins but had poor attitudes and not just strong enough. They were going to have to return their Chunin vests – a pitiful experience that was going to be. But no one could blame anyone. It was apparent that with how things are, people like Sakura and Ino would have never become genin if they didn't improve their levels. So there was no more playing shinobi. Everyone had to be serious.
Ah, the future was certainly going to be difficult.
"I expect all of you to move in if something fatal is going to happen," Tsunade said addressing the Jonin senseis.
The Jonins saluted.
Tsunade turned to Naruto. "I hope you are ready and will not disappoint me and Jiraiya…" she said with a stare. "This is under your terms, and you know you have a role to play in the future. If you are not strong enough, you will die. You won't be able to protect anything. Simply having the desire to do something isn't enough, you need to have the prowess and will to do it."
Naruto nodded. He understood that perfectly, "Let us start with Team Gai… I think they will set the stage…" he said with a wide smile.
Tsunade was certain that Gai's team was stronger than the other teams. Neji and Lee were exceptional shinobi. Lee might not be able to use Ninjutsu, but he could not be underestimated. Gai could easily be their trump card if he was willing to pay the price for using the power he could wield. "Are you sure?"
"If I lose, I can always be mocked by the others for thinking that I had the strength to take them on. It will also be a challenge for me. Circumstances are always not going to be favorable. Besides, you can always heal me…" Naruto said with a shrug.
Tsunade nodded. "No using that power…" she warned. "But we will have to go through that to prepare our shinobi in case they ever have to face a Jinchuriki in battle."
Normal shinobi? What could they do in battle? Fighting a Bijuu was simply a way to die for people who didn't have the might to battle against the power of a Bijuu. Naruto wasn't going to voice his thoughts; He simply nodded.
"Team Gai…" Tsunade called out. "Anything goes… I won't repeat myself!"
Although Lee was jumping up and down about the prospect of facing someone who was prepared to fight all of them, Neji wasn't so confident. "Tenten," Neji called his teammate. "Keep your distance, Lee and I will get close. When you see an opportunity, use it, I will keep watch with my Byakugan. I will also give you an opening."
Tenten nodded. "Just make sure Lee doesn't get over excited," she said.
Neji mere grunted. He wasn't going to be able to do that. The stamina freak wouldn't settle down if he got too excited. Neji was certain that Lee was going to get his match and that would only put him to try with everything he has. "You heard her Lee…"
The Taijutsu user merely grinned. "I will do my best, Neji-kun!"
"That isn't what I was saying…" Neji said before shaking his head.
"You can start!" Tsunade shouted.
"Lee, make the first move." Neji ordered.
"Yosh," by the time the word reached Neji, the taijutsu user was already darting towards Naruto. Neji followed slowly, covering himself with his teammate.
Naruto took a stance seeing Lee charge towards him. The green clad shinobi flashed in front of him, his right foot swept through the air in blinding speed, heading towards Naruto's left shoulder. Naruto raised his left hand trying to put up a defense. The moment Lee's foot collided with his hand, Naruto regretted it. There was much more strength than anticipated and he was pushed towards his left, slightly.
Lee lifted his left foot. It picked up dust as it flashed towards Naruto's face. The blond channeled wind into his right palm and caught the kick. Lee wasn't deterred; his right foot followed shortly, but it was caught around the ankle. Lee held his hands together and tried to slam them above Naruto's head.
The moment the taijutsu user did that, Neji flashed behind Naruto, his feet twisting with his right hand glowing with chakra. He aimed a strike on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto knew he couldn't replace himself in time to avoid the attack, but he could still attack Lee and move fast enough to hit Neji, but he would still get hit.
He breathed in air, "Wind Bullet!" He released a wind bullet from his mouth. It sped out in incredible speed and slammed into Lee's chest. Before it connected Naruto had already let go of Lee's legs. The jutsu was sent flying backwards by the force of the jutsu. The moment Naruto's jutsu hit Lee; Neji slammed his palm on Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto was already twisting around, a wind blade on his right hand. He twisted anti-clockwise, with his right hand stretched out. Neji saw the attack coming with his Byakugan and bent backwards, watching the swift pass through just above him. His left hand touched the ground and he used it as balance before he lifted his right foot, and swung it towards Naruto.
Naruto was forced to jump away from Neji. The moment he landed, he was forced to look to his left; projectiles were coming towards him. He couldn't move his hand from the shoulder because of Neji's attack. He really shouldn't have allowed the Hyuga to get close to him. The projectiles seemingly hit him but he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
He appeared small distance away, but the moment he touched the ground, he was forced to leap into the air; Lee was crashed down towards him with his right foot stretched out. The Taijutsu user crashed into the ground in a loud boom but a second later, he was twisting around in front of Naruto in mid-air. Naruto crossed his hands just front of his face as Lee's vicious kick came close. The kick connected, and sent him flying backwards.
Naruto flipped several times before crashing into the ground with his hands still crossed in front of his face. He straightened his body and observed the team and smiled. "You use your view of the field quite well, Neji. Lee, you move fast. And Tenten is waiting to pounce for any moment. But both Neji and Lee are taijutsu users, they need to get close to me to do any damage. For Lee, covering the distance is quite simple because of the speed.
"You are a good team. I shall assault you now. You will forgive the pain you will experience, but if you can dance, you will avoid it." Naruto said in a stern tone. He was no longer smiling. There was a spike of his chakra as he fixed up the chakra flow on his right hand.
The second that followed, he was gone. There were only gusts of wind picking up dust from his wake.
He appeared in front of Tenten along with the wind. He created a fist with his right hand and drove it towards Tenten's face. When Naruto felt Lee's presence, his left hand moved up. The Taijutsu user flashed in between him and Tenten. Lee punched Naruto's hand away, directing it away from Tenten's path. In that moment, Tenten leapt away to create some distance between her and the two.
Naruto's hand grabbed Lee's outstretched hand with his left hand. "You're excellent in taijutsu and your reflexes are quite honestly frightening, but you have one weakness…" his eyes turned crimson as he channeled the Kyubi's chakra. "Genjutsu…" he finished. Naruto summoned natural energy before slamming a wind enhanced punch on Lee's chest. There was a sickening sound when the punch connected with Lee's chest. The Taijutsu user coughed up blood through his mouth as he fell onto his knees.
Sensing the incoming Neji, Naruto used his hold on Lee to twist him around and then hurl him towards the Hyuga. Neji cursed as he was forced to catch Lee. Naruto flashed behind him just above the ground, and slammed a wind enhanced kick on the Hyuga's back. Neji yelped as pain shot through his body before being sent flying away along with Lee.
The moment Naruto touched Neji; he was forced to look up as he sensed something. He frowned when he saw a huge wave of water falling down on him. The water slammed on his body, sending him crashing to the ground. Tenten summoned the lightning jutsu she had stored in her scroll and directed it towards the water. While covered by the water, the lightning flashed through the water, and shocked Naruto.
The blond had smoke coming out his body after the jutsu stopped. He hadn't even made a sound even though it had hurt like crap. "I see, so you can store ninjutsu in those scrolls… I thought you could only summon weapons…" Naruto stated calmly. He had already deactivated natural energy the moment he threw Lee towards Neji, so he had taken damage here.
Tenten hurried towards Neji and Lee.
Naruto held out his right hand, he formed a ball of flames. He jumped into the air before kicking it towards the three, but it blasted above them. They did feel the heat nevertheless. Naruto snapped his fingers. "Flame Explosion…" the flames exploded, just after missing the three. It created a large cloud of crimson flames that produced increased levels of heat in the training ground.
Sakura jumped into the scene and knelt down before Lee. She frowned when she tried to heal him. There was massive damage on his chest.
"No opponent will allow you to heal an enemy he has just defeated." Sakura froze, hearing Naruto's menacing voice from behind her. There was considerable amount of heat in the atmosphere. She glanced towards the blond from behind, on the palm of his right hand; there was a small ball of red flames. "And I won't be nice enough to let you heal him."
"Aren't you taking this a bit seriously?" Sakura asked with sweat on her forehead.
"If we end up in war, will you be asking that question?" Naruto asked before he took a step forward.
Tenten threw a bomb towards him. Naruto wasn't able to dodge the paper bomb when it hit him on his chest before exploding. The explosion also set off the jutsu on his palm, causing him to be surrounded by a column of flames. The flames didn't burn for a second as they suddenly vanished.
After the smoke screen disappeared, He turned towards Tsunade, "This isn't exciting… can they all just come at me all at once? Maybe I will be forced to fight…" he said in a bored tone. "Sakura will be healing the others and perhaps Lee will use those nasty gates of life. It will be problematic, but at this stage, I'm not being challenged."
Perhaps it was her anger incited by Naruto's bored tone, but Tsunade ordered the others join in. "Sakura, you are not to heal him. And unless Naruto is unable to move, there will be no end to this."
Naruto frowned. "You really want to see me in the hospital, don't you?"
Later that day
Kakashi eye smiled towards Naruto as he landed on the roof of the blond's apartment block. The blond was sitting in a meditative position. "Senjutsu?" He asked.
Naruto nodded. "I have to learn how to gather chakra quickly. It really is proving to be a challenge," he said with a sigh. "Came to see if I am nursing some wounds?"
Kakashi shook his head. "I just wanted to talk to you. We haven't talked since you returned to the village. We didn't even talk much that day I came to visit you…" he felt awkward saying those words. Perhaps it was the circumstances that surrounded them. He had seen Naruto's progress as a shinobi and he was a little bitter over his failure in being a teacher to Naruto. He wanted to talk about it and perhaps about Minato.
Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and then breathed out to break his concentration. "What do you want to ask?"
"Do you hate me?"
"Hmm?" Naruto looked at the Jonin curiously. "Why such a question, Kakashi?"
No longer sensei. Then again, it was what he deserved. Even if Sakura still called him sensei, it was certainly just out of formalities than being a real sensei to her. Tsunade and Shizune taught the girl everything. He couldn't do anything for her. "You know already that I was your father's student. You must have assumed that I know some of his techniques like his signature move."
Naruto stared at the Jonin for a long minute. The man felt off talking about this subject. Seeing him fighting earlier on during the day, Kakashi must have been reminded of his dear sensei. From what Tsunade sent him that other day, Kakashi had been really close to the Yondaime Hokage. The man had demons on his closet and his father had been truly there for him. "Well, you were his star student, and since Jiraiya knows it as well, I did assume you know it. But I wasn't sure since you never used it."
Kakashi held out his right hand. A small Rasengan formed on the palm of his hand. He then cancelled it before speaking. "He taught it to me…" the Jonin paused for a moment. He settled down before speaking to me. "I didn't teach you anything even though I was your sensei. Even during the Chunin exams, I only found a Chunin, who is only a Chunin in name. I focused my attention on Sasuke because I somehow felt that he needed it more than you did. I thought if I focused on training him, maybe he wouldn't feel inferior to you and decide to leave the village."
"But that didn't help…" Naruto said with a flat tone.
"Yeah…" Kakashi said before falling silent. "Your father was a sensei to me. He taught me even his prized jutsu, but I couldn't teach you anything. Even at a moment when I should have really taught you something, I showed favoritism, and chose Sasuke. Maybe it was because the Sandaime ordered me, but I still wouldn't have taught you anything."
Naruto looked up into the sky for a long minute. It was getting dark. There was a comfortable air that was going to wash over the village very soon and he would enjoy it while at the top of the Hokage monument. Perhaps he could find time to get his mind working on seals. Perhaps he could do something for Lee to help him cover his tracks when it came to genjutsu. In cases he ever found himself separated from his teammates, he would be in trouble.
But then again, the likelihood that he would find a shinobi who is going to use illusions wasn't much. Genjutsu was difficult to use. The most powerful shinobi haven't been good with the art. "The Sandaime had you train Sasuke…" Naruto said in a quiet tone. He then shrugged indifferently. "The words you taught me will never leave me, sensei. Personally, you have taught words that I think are fundamental and should be taught in the academy. Your words are what build friendships, a sense of true duty. You know, there is a difference between trying to save someone because you were ordered to do it and doing it because you love them. I think for shinobi that should be a fundamental rule. I came to this conclusion because of how you care for your colleagues."
"Do you think that is enough?"
"Who can tell? But what do you think is important, sensei?" Naruto didn't wait for Kakashi to respond before speaking again. "You focused on team building exercises were much more important; a connection with your teammates – that should be the fundamental step."
"But ultimately not enough if you are not trained to fight."
Naruto nodded. "Yes…" he said. "But it doesn't change the fundamental rule. To be principled, stronger, and united, you need not just share a common goal; you need to care for each other. The raw emotion of fighting for those you love is stronger than anything. We are humans – people of love, hate and anger drive us. You taught me to care for friends, for those I fight for… that is why I have become stronger. That is what drives me. I want to protect those I love."
Seeing Kakashi looking at him, Naruto just smiled.
"I guess you are wondering what I want to protect. I never mentioned anything, and probably have never mentioned anything by name."
"That does make me wonder, but either way, it really doesn't matter to me. If it is Uzu or Konoha, it is your choice. I would only fault you if you turned a blind eye on Uzushio. Regardless of everything, that is the village your mother was born, and you'd probably be treated better there…"
Naruto laughed, "You'll get in trouble if people hear you say those words, sensei…"
The Jonin shrugged with indifference. "I wouldn't care…"
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