บท 15: Chapter Fifteen: Shikaku III

[A/N: Later part is a talk between two Naras. Soooo… yeah it will be a drag to keep track… Also a big chapter.]

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October 19th, Year 66, Nara Compound.

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"Everything all right, dear?" my wife asked as I was changing out of my work uniform. Apparently, my concerns were showing on my face.

Letting out a sigh, I replied, "There's some nasty business going on in the village. And if we are not careful, it could become a major issue… It's really becoming a drag…"

Yoshino hugged me from behind and whispered softly, "I have faith in your brain, dear. I'm pretty sure you'll find a way to handle it and guide Konoha through this."

I couldn't help but chuckle at her words feeling really warm. "Thanks for the support. Sometimes, I feel you have more faith in me than myself…"

Yoshino giggled and planted a kiss on my cheek, saying, "Well, as your wife, I believe in you wholeheartedly. If there is one thing that I know, then that's to have faith in your Nara Brain."

She leaned in for another kiss, I guessed, but stopped a bit away from my lips as she said, "Now go take a shower, you smell as bad as Shikamaru's diapers."

I wrinkled my nose at her action and replied, "You just had to ruin the sweet moment, didn't you, you troublesome woman!" feeling that I got played…

She burst into laughter and left the room, saying with mirth in her voice, "Well, I don't think we need another baby anytime soon. God help, if we get another Kuro! So, deal with it."

Her laughter rang as she went away.

And I could only sigh again.

"What a drag..."

…

After taking a shower and enjoying a cup of warm tea, I decided to wait for Kuro to return. There were a few important things I had to discuss with him.

As a father, I couldn't help but feel reluctant about involving Kuro in the village's affairs at such a young age. It worried me to see him caught up in all the nasty business. He was seven for Sage's sake…

But at the same time, I couldn't deny his natural aptitude for strategy.

As my grandfather used to say…

To achieve optimal outcomes, push your top-performing assets to their limits.

Sigh… what a disgusting and yet… accurate thing to say…

Kuro had the Hokage's ear and even the old professor sought his opinion by name. It was both a source of pride and concern for me. He was getting into the thick of things way too early…

If it wasn't for my friendship with Minato, and knowing how he and his wife treated Kuro… I would never be able to sleep in peace at night.

I sighed, contemplating the dichotomy of being a father. On one hand, I worried about Kuro's well-being and the dangers he faced. On the other hand, I couldn't help but feel proud of the lazy boy who constantly finds himself in trouble with his mother.

A small smile crept on my lips, as I thought, despite how he ran from lessons on politics, he was giving advice to high-ranking politicians at the mere age of 7, while being damn good at it.

Honestly, I somewhat understand how other's feel about us Naras… But Kuro is even pushing that boundary… What a drag…

Lost in my thoughts, I decided to bring out one of the Nara family traditions: the Shogi board.

As a member of the Nara clan, we were blessed with an extended IQ that helped us excel in strategy, planning, and research amongst other things. It was customary for the Nara elders to engage in Shogi matches to assess the competence of the young ones while help them keep their minds sharp.

However, with Kuro, it was always a mess.

When he was just a toddler, I was preoccupied with the war, so I had no chance to introduce him to the tradition…

And all the other elders failed miserably to get the boy to sit down and play a proper game...

The few times they did manage to tie him down for a game… Kuro would either employ a bafflingly stupid strategy to win, or a bafflingly brilliant strategy to lose as quickly as possible, just to escape the elders' lectures.

And no… I didn't mean it the other way around…

After trying for a while, even the elders' knew that it was pointless to try and teach Kuro anything…

This particular aspect of Kuro was something my wife truly disliked—the reluctance to learn from others.

We all have something to learn from someone else. And that's a rule all Nara's abide by, and that's why we observe when we do not engage in a conversation. But Kuro… Was just different…

If it was anyone else who acted like Kuro, people would think that they were arrogant and thought too highly of themselves…

But in case of Kuro, that was not the case…

From my and other's observations… We have learned that kuro wasn't really full of himself…

Kuro was Lazy, to sum him up… But unlike other Nara's he wasn't plagued by stray thoughts… he was always free…

Also, the boy never neglected himself. As much as that is hard to believe.

He trains every day, not excessively like other aspiring Ninjas… but smartly- in such a way that his enormous amount of Chakra was helping him develop his body beyond what it should be.

He also studies every day, not extensively as any student should, but thanks to his accelerated brain caused by his extreme imbalance of Yin he can grasp the gist of each and every topic in a matter of minutes… Not to mention his perfect recall of the things he reads…

His situation is nothing short of miraculous, and somehow, he manages to make it even more extraordinary…

While some might see him as a lazy and worthless individual as said in his report card,

But those who took the time to truly observe him will discover that Kuro was a bona fide prodigy.

The testaments of Kushina and Minato themselves served as proof of that. In a little over a year and a half, the boy had become a master of Fuinjutsu under their guidance.

Well his deliberate decision to remain at a moderate level during academics is getting him a bad reputation… but the only reason he is doing this is because early graduation would disrupt his nap time and burden him with mundane missions.

What a lazy brat…

Well, not everyone knowing Kuro's true abilities was a blessing for him in that regard. People simply looked at him and saw a lazy child, unaware of the monstrous Ninja he can and will become...

After all they say… A good genius is a living genius…

I let out a sigh and decided not to think about it anymore… and set up the Shogi board, waiting for Kuro to return home. This would provide us an opportunity to talk, and I could inform him about what was going to happen and what part he needs to play in all this.

It didn't take long for him to return home. And I got ready to have a serious conversation.

…

"Kuro... so you're finally home from the academy?" I asked, more as a statement than a question.

Kuro's left eye twitched slightly as he replied, "Yeah... That's right. I was at the academy..." He finished with lazily scratching the back of his head.

I sighed once again.

Kuro had a talent for lying convincingly, except when it came to his family and those, he held close. He couldn't lie to save his life in front of them, and that was one of the reasons he often found himself in trouble with his mother.

"If I receive any complaints about you skipping class, your mother will have a serious talk with you," I threatened lazily, he and I both knew that I would never follow through that threat. Because the moment his mother hears about it, both he and I will get an earful…

What a drag…

He chuckled at my remark, "Don't worry, there won't be any complaints about me skipping. Can't say the same about napping in class, though." He cheekily added.

I raised an eyebrow in exasperation. I knew exactly what he meant… Sigh… that damned Jutsu…

"Who taught you?"

He laughed and replied evasively, "Well, Aunt Kushina is pretty cool like that. But anyways, why do you look so serious sitting in front of the Shogi board, pops? Don't tell me you want me to play?"

I knew he was simply trying to divert the attention from him about learning a dangerous Kinjutsu that could potentially kill him…

However, the fact that it was taught by Kushina, and likely with Minato's approval, put my mind at ease to some extent. Kushina would never let any harm come to Kuro, and Minato, as the Hokage, would have carefully considered the risks and benefits of Kuro learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

So letting that thought aside, I nodded in response to his previous question. "That is indeed the case. But I also have some important matters to discuss with you."

He raised an eyebrow, his expression turning serious. Taking the first move in the game by opening his bishop's path on the board.

This is one of Kuro's best traits. He knows when he needs to be serious.

I remained calm and initiated the conversation with a dire news. "Orochimaru has defected," I stated.

Kuro didn't display any surprise, which caught me off guard. I made my move on the Shogi board and allowed Kuro to make his next move. Curious at his silence, I asked him, "You don't seem surprised. Any particular reason?"

"Well, there was always a chance, you know he is kind of a snake," he replied sarcastically, but his expression remained serious as he looked at me.

I nodded, knowing that he was one of the people who read Orochimaru's files.

"Yes, that's true. But it's the timing of his defection that strikes me as peculiar. It's possible that someone leaked our plans." I stated.

Kuro made his next move, contemplating my words. He soon retorted, "Or perhaps Orochimaru felt that he couldn't gain anything more here and saw this as an opportunity to seek a new place."

I pondered his response, finding it plausible. "You're right, that's a valid possibility. But there are no coincidences in the Ninja world. Now, you're aware that Orochimaru had a disciple, correct?"

Kuro nodded, his gaze fixed on me, silently asking for the significance of this information.

Sighing, I continued, "He placed a curse seal on her before leaving her behind, unconscious in tatters in one of his laboratories. The question is, why would he abandon his star disciple if he intended to run away?"

Kuro seemed to wrestle with his thoughts before responding the obvious but looking a uncomfortable, "Perhaps she was intended to serve as a spy?"

Raising an eyebrow, I inquired further, "But you don't seem to believe that. Even though it is the most plausible explanation."

He hummed in contemplation before giving a plausible explanation, "That's because it feels more like she was a failed experiment more than a planted spy. Orochimaru is really smart, and if he wanted to plant a spy, I'm certain he would do so discreetly. It's possible he used her as a distraction while he planted real spies or to aid in his escape."

His observation aligned with my own thoughts and those of Minato. It was a shrewd assessment but when considering the man who was responsible… It was a likely thought.

As the Shogi game continued, it became evident that Kuro's analytical skills were sharp, and his ability to perceive underlying motives was astute.

"And, from your tone, I guess that you guys haven't captured him? I mean, we have like, what? 2 Hokages? and Pervy Sage in the village. Don't tell me that they were unable to capture him?" Kuro expressed surprise, questioning the effectiveness of the village's forces.

I considered his words carefully before responding while maintaining a serious demeanor. "With the presence of the Third Hokage, Jiraiya-sama, and the ANBU, we were able to encircle Orochimaru. However, he managed to escape using some unknown method."

Kuro saw through my attempt to deceive him and rolled his eyes in response.

It was both frustrating and amusing to have a child who could easily unravel my lies. I remained silent, focusing on my next move on the Shogi board.

A brief silence settled between us as we continued our game. After a few minutes, Kuro broke the silence with a question. "So, when will I be called upon? And for what purpose?"

So, he already knew that he was being summoned. Well as expected of him I guess.

I shrugged, contemplating my response. "We have three other seal masters in the village, so they don't require your assistance in examining the curse seal Orochimaru left on the girl. However, Orochimaru's defection has created the perfect opportunity to execute our other plan… meant for our honorable… elders." I said the last part with unhidden disgust.

Kuro's expression turned serious as he inquired further, "So, it's finally happening, huh? Will old man Third be able to set aside his emotions against his beloved friends?"

Realizing he had seen through my previous deception, I let out a sigh. "You saw through that, huh? Well, you know… old feelings die hard."

He narrowed his eyes at me, clearly not impressed at my attempt to make lite of the situation.

So, I answered his unasked question, "Yes, Minato was on the verge of branding Lord Third as a traitor for his previous actions, but Jiraiya-sama intervened and managed to calm him down. However, Minato issued a threat that if Lord Third acted against the village's interests again, he would be labeled a traitor and executed."

The weight of the situation hung heavily in the air. Emotions could become a dangerous liability for a ninja. Even if you were the longest serving Hokage…

Kuro sighed, sharing my sentiments. "What a troublesome old man... this stupidity of letting Orochimaru go… will come back to bite us in the future. Sigh…

Well, at least you guys will have me for the next plan against the honorable oldies. And honestly, with me around, there's little old man Third can do even if he is consumed by emotions... Unless..."

He paused, clearly having thought of something drastic.

I waited for him to finish his sentence, as it might be something important for the coming events.

"Unless he somehow sets the alarm before the fire," Kuro finished, looking directly at me his eyes narrowed.

I couldn't help but sigh. What a drag...

"I'll talk to Minato right away. But for now, be prepared. The council meeting will be held at 10'O clock tomorrow," I responded.

I didn't have much faith in Lord Third. After how he let Orochimaru go, trust in his judgment was wavering. It was evident that he was struggling with his emotions.

Kuro stood up, nodding in agreement. "I will set my shadows to work. I'll ensure that the one-eyed bastard receives no information from old man Third or any other source. Sorry that we can't finish the game though." He finished with a smirk.

I acknowledged his determination with a nod as I watched him vanish into the darkness cast by his shadow.

I looked down at the board.

I sighed, lamenting the fact that a seven-year-old child was more competent than most adult ninjas. However, in these troubled times, every asset was needed to serve the village.

and a Nara who is serious was one of the best assets the village had to offer.

I put the board away that was clearly leading to a game without conclusion. I now understood how frustrated the elders must have been.

A smirk graced my face as I Flickered towards the Hokage Tower.

Tomorrow promised to be a chaotic affair, and I could only hope it would conclude without any casualties… from our side that is…

…

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Honestly… A very hard chapter to write… But was necessary for the next big event.

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