章節 15: Chapter 30
Iruka walked into the classroom with an inscrutable visage. In a tired, resigned voice, he said, "Naruto, you can go home. Haru, come with me."
"Huh? Haru isn't in trouble is he? Look, it was my fault. I was the reason why the fight got so bad. So punish me instead," Naruto valiantly protested.
"I guess that means he doesn't completely hate me."
The scar-faced chunin shook his head. "Don't worry, Naruto. It's not like that," he assured. Then he turned to me and said, "But it is important. Let's go, Haru."
"I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto," I said as I stood up to leave. I couldn't find it within me to put a smile on my face. Weakly, I waved goodbye.
"Yeah, yeah. And next time we'll have a proper fight," he said as he bounded down the stairs. "See ya." And then he disappeared into the halls of the Academy.
Iruka waited for me at the door as I slowly walked down the raised rows of student desks. It was half because of the soreness of my body and half because I just felt tired. "Hurry up, Haru. We can't keep the Hokage waiting."
"Just when I thought this day couldn't get any longer."
Iruka solemnly walked me to the Hokage's office, which was within the administrative building that was juxtaposed with the Academy at the center of the village. I did not enjoy the attention I was attracting as we made our way through the administrative building. I pulled up my hood to hide my face, which abated most of the stares. Maybe word had gotten out that I had caused the huge fiery explosion in the sky. "Man, and I thought the Academy rumor mill was bad."
Eventually, he pushed open the doors to the Hokage's office. Inside, Sarutobi was sitting behind his desk, shrouded by his signature white hat. In front of the desk, Kurenai and Inoichi were standing, turned toward the door as we entered. Iruka joined them, standing next to Inoichi.
Considering the situation, I half-expected Jiraiya to show up too. I bowed and greeted the adults, "Hokage-sama. Kurenai-sensei, Yamanaka-san." I kept my hood drawn, however, to disguise the weariness that assuredly would show on my face.
"Ah, Haru-kun. We've been waiting for you. I'd like to ask you some questions, if you don't mind." Hiruzen Sarutobi's craggy voice was comforting, like a grandfather's, despite the fact that he was the most powerful shinobi in the entire village. "First of all, I'd like to hear your explanation of what happened during your taijutsu lesson."
"Naruto and I just fought like we always do when we spar. It's just that it's been so long that we kinda got carried away." I brought my hands up and shrugged. I didn't think simply raising my shoulders would properly convey the emotion through my coat.
Sarutobi laughed quietly. Iruka rolled his eyes and the two jounin seemed uncomfortable at the Hokage's genial mood. Sarutobi then specified, "And what about the fireball I've been hearing so much about? Half the village reported seeing an explosion in the sky. For a moment, I almost thought we were under attack." He let out one final chuckle before asking seriously, "How did you come about this technique?"
"Jiraiya has probably told you about how I taught Naruto the Rasengan. But Naruto left before I could teach him the rest of the technique. I applied a nature transformation to the Rasengan to make the Rasen-Fireball. The reason why I used it today was because it was the only thing I could think of that would counter Naruto's own Multi-Rasengan. But it ended up absorbing the chakra of his Rasengan, so I detonated my technique in the air to ensure the safety of the bystanders.
"Although I have a fire affinity, I'm pretty sure Naruto has a wind affinity. So when he figures out how to make a Rasengan with a nature transformation, it'll be different than mine. He's already figured out how to throw them as a projectile and make more than one. I'm not sure if he knows you can make them into different sizes." I felt slightly guilty that I had preempted Naruto's innovation but even so, I was proud of my version of the technique, having finally surpassed Minato's version after so many years of daily practice.
Sarutobi continued to stare at me over his steepled fingers. "Fascinating. But tell me, where did you learn the original Rasengan?"
I shrugged once again with my hands in the air, only this time it was simply because I didn't know what to say. "I don't know. Best I can tell, it might have come to me in a dream. I've just always known it." I could probably have come up with a lie. But I just didn't know what it would accomplish. And I had grown tired of lying. I couldn't tell them that I knew everything that would happen if I had never existed. But I felt I could trust the people in front of me, at least a little, although they probably heard nothing more than a flimsy lie in my confession.
The Hokage looked to his representative from the Intelligence Division. Inoichi was scrutinizing the cloaked figure in front of him, having seen me in a new light. Then the Hokage turned his head toward Kurenai, who was less surprised than Inoichi, but still impressed, judging from her smile.
"I've already heard from Kurenai that you two have been working together on an anti-genjutsu defense. Would you care to explain that to the rest of us?" the Hokage asked. I had not been expecting that to come up in this conversation.
"Well, right now the idea is to create several decoy layers of consciousness with a constant jutsu that provides a passive defense against genjutsu. Kurenai-sensei's current formulation of the technique has been effective against all traditional genjutsu that we've tested so far. I have managed to circumvent the defense but only under specific circumstances. In order to do so, you first have to be aware of the defense and second, know the implementation of the technique that was used in order to target the correct set of brain signals. The next step is testing for side-effects from long term use and creating variations on the technique to prevent an enemy from knowing which layer of consciousness is the real one," I explained nonchalantly.
Kurenai and I had spent some time every day after Academy, and most of my one day off from classes, working on the anti-genjutsu. I hadn't expected her to implement my ideas so quickly but she was the resident expert on genjutsu for a reason. "The biggest problem with the technique is that it is lightning natured, meaning that it will be difficult for many ninja to learn. I'm pretty sure there are other ways to create a genjutsu defense too, but this is the first really promising solution we've discovered."
It meant that I'd have to either learn to use Lighting Release or come up with another anti-genjutsu. It'd be worth learning another nature transformation for such a sweet technique though. The chakra drain was minimal and it wasn't extremely difficult to preform if you had experience with lightning techniques. Kurenai's truly brilliant design had been to interlock the layers such that you had to target only the correct set of brain signals. Trying to cast genjutsu on Kurenai through the defense was like trying to cut the correct wire on a bomb. If you didn't know about the technique, you'd simply cut all the wires and the bomb would go off; or if you cut the wrong wire, the bomb would go off. Then the target of the genjutsu would then know you were trying to use genjutsu. She described it like seeing an afterimage or hearing an echo of the illusion I had cast.
The Hokage rubbed his goatee as he listened to my long explanation, seemingly pleased with what he heard. "Wonderful. Haru-kun, do you realize that if you and Kurenai are successful, you will completely change the nature of genjutsu warfare?"
"That was the point," I thought to myself silently. I simply waited for the Hokage to continue talking.
"Now, I have one more question, Haru-kun. When Kurenai volunteered to be this year's kunoichi studies teacher, apparently she also enrolled you in the class. I'd like to hear your opinion about this. What do you think about the class?"
"I didn't like it at first. But at this point, I don't know why you make everyone take the class. It's actually incredibly useful." After almost a couple weeks, I had learned more from kunoichi studies than from Iruka's general ninja class. Why wouldn't everyone want to learn about the various uses of medicinal and poisonous plants? I could even see the point of ikebana, despite feeling that there was probably a better way to send covert messages.
"Hm. Interesting." Sarutobi sat back in his chair. "That's actually what Kurenai has suggested to me. The policy of exempting the male students came about simply because that's what all the clans did during times of war in order to focus on their own techniques. But now I'm starting to agree with Kurenai that perhaps that policy has become outdated."
"Does that mean I won't be doomed to be the only boy in kunoichi class?" Now that much of the female population knew I was a guy, I had started to get the feeling that a lot of eyes were checking me out during Kurenai's lectures simply because I had no competition. It was highly disturbing when I considered that my classmates were six year old children.
"Inoichi, I trust you can take over from here?" the Hokage asked.
The Yamanaka head replied seriously, "Yes, Hokage-sama." Then Inoichi turned to me and said with a warm smile, "Hello, Haru-chan! It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it has, Yamanaka-san." I considered something that the Hokage had mentioned the last time he had talk to me, the day that Jiraiya had left with Naruto.
"The Hokage has asked me to run some tests on you. It won't hurt or anything so don't worry. I just have to make sure that there's nothing wrong with you. So please, follow me." It was painfully obvious to me what Inoichi was talking about. But I didn't care anymore. I also wanted to know exactly what I was, who I was. Maybe he could tell me.
Before I followed him out of the room, I looked back to the Hokage who was mumbling something to Kurenai . Not knowing when I would get the chance to see him again, I asked, "Hokage-sama, do you regret letting Orochimaru go?"
Sarutobi's face hardened instantly. I could feel the dreadful waves of killing intent pass through my body. Unprepared, I dropped to my knees helplessly before I could summon the internal fortitude to resist his presence. Even after steeling myself, I wouldn't have been able to stand up for the overpowering fear of dying. "Shit."
He walked around his desk and, with his wrinkled hand, lifted my hood to reveal my scowling face. With a single finger, he raised my chin and stared into my eyes. I had no doubt he could snap my neck like a twig. Iruka and Kurenai looked horrified as they watched us. Still on my knees, I stared back at the old man, my heart pounding in fear despite my futile attempts to show no weakness.
"So young, and already so brilliant. It is completely baffling. Such ambition in your eyes, perhaps even greater than my own former pupil. I would almost think you were Orochimaru himself if it weren't for the absence of his cruelty and hatefulness. So I must wonder, what drives you, Haru-kun? What makes you different from him? What happened to you, child?"
"I don't care about power or immortality. I just can't stand it when someone ruins things for others. That's why I have to get stronger."
Sarutobi let go of his killing intent. He reached into his robe and pulled out a pipe. It only took him a few seconds to fill it with tobacco from elsewhere in his clothes and light it with a spark from his fingertips. He took a couple puffs and spoke, "Haha, what an interesting answer! Well, I suppose there are worse reasons for being a ninja. Anyways, say hello to Naruto for me when you see him. And don't give Inoichi any trouble, you hear?"
All I could do was nod and rise to my feet and walk to Inoichi who was waiting outside the office to read my mind.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票