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Game of the Year: A Naruto Quest

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Vesvius said:
Pride In Your Heritage
As strange as it is to think of, there was a time before modern civilization. A time before convenience, a time before the shinobi system, a time before Kages, a time before villages even. But there was the clan. The clan still stands strong, and endures forever.
Unlock Condition: Research the Warring States Era in depth.
Reward: Gain Access to the 'Warring States' Era
Status: LOCKED
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Vesvius said:
YOU HAVE ATTAINED THE ACHIEVEMENT 'Pride in Your Heritage'! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT!
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[X] Teeth of the Dragon
I like the idea of trying to make dragons our theme, to the guy that said this is chuni, look at what universe we are in mate, the world is chuni as fuck.
Also i just feel the endless sword is something simple at it's core, while dragon teeth i dont actually know what its gonna be like as an original technique.
 
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A Dossier on Swords by Dr_Caduceus
  • Sidestory
    • Inspired by the addition of the awesome achievement, I give to you:

    Dossiers on Six Legendary Swords + Kabutowari

    Looking over his work, Daisuke was rather proud of what he'd accomplished so far. Given what little information was available to him, it was rather impressive that he managed to piece together enough information to form a decent profile. He was once again thankful that his mother had bought so many notebooks for him as it gave him plenty of space to jot down every scrap of knowledge he came across.

    The subject of Daisuke's quiet pride? A collection of all the data he could find on the legendary Seven Swords of the Mist. He still wasn't sure why the Achievement had appeared in his menu all of a sudden back then; perhaps it was his proficiency with kenjutsu? Regardless, if he was ever going to be collecting the swords to "hang on his wall," then the first step would be to scour libraries, question older ninja that might have seen them or their wielders and collect all that data for reference. Honestly, he had Gai to thank for most of it: Maito Dai had directly witnessed all Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist in combat, back in the day.

    The information was still lacking as it was; scant reports on previous wielders, more speculation than fact regarding the capabilities of each sword and next to no intelligence on where the swords were now. Though given that the swordsmen had attempted a coup and were currently being hunted by their former village, perhaps it wasn't that surprising.

    Still, the data he had was enough to start with and he was under no illusion that he was anywhere near ready to begin going after them. As he gained experience and mastered more techniques he would learn more and add more complete dossiers until he was ready to begin his hunting. Before he retired for the night, Daisuke gave one final look-over of his incomplete masterpiece.

    [==|::::::::::::::::::::::::::::/

    Kubikiribouchou: "The Decapitating Carving Knife" or "Executioners Blade" is a massive, steel buster sword made in the shape of a butcher's knife. The blade itself has two cut-outs; one a semi-circle near the hilt and the other a full circle near the tip of the blade-both of which are meant for decapitating targets. Based off of height comparisons between it and its latest wielder, Momochi Zabuza, the blade and detachable handle are estimated to be almost 2 meters in length. Reports have suggested the blade has some ability to repair itself, given the multiple reports of it being damaged or broken, only to return unblemished in another. (Blood was the key if I remember right.)
    Current Wielder: Momochi Zabuza (Master of the Silent Killing Technique)

    Samehada: "Shark Skin" is widely regarded as the most terrifying of all the Seven Swordsmen's blades. Comparable in size to Kubikiribouchou, this sword is always described as being wrapped in bandages with a skull pommel. According to rumor, the name comes from its unusual blade composition: made up of scales, Samehada apparently inflicts injuries of a shredding or shaving nature. An old medical report on a survivor of the blade compared it to sandpaper, only much deadlier. The blade has also been described as picky in rumors. (Wasn't this one sentient with a giant mouth?) The blade is also supposedly able to absorb chakra from those it strikes, leading its current wielder to gain the reputation as the Tailed Beast without a Tail. (Maybe find this one last...)
    Current Wielder: Hoshigaki Kisame (Monster: Stay Away)

    Kiba: "Fangs" (because they are two swords apparently) have been reported as the sharpest swords in existence. Whether this is Mist propaganda or some property of the lightning chakra infusing the blades is unverified. Each blade of the pair has been described as slim, straight and double edged, with an upward-curved prong near the tip of one side and another near the base of the other. Shortest of the seven blades, each is roughly the length of a forearm. The paired swords grant their user greater control over lightning-release techniques with minimal chakra expenditure and even grant the ability to summon lightning bolts.
    Current Wielder: Kurosuki Raiga (Missing Nin, with a companion with eye bloodline?)

    Nuibari: The "Sewing Needle" is, as its name suggests, a long sword made in the shape of a massive needle, close to a meter long, with a tremendous length of ninja wire spooled at the pommel. It is reportedly a deadly weapon in the right hands, with its former user reportedly capable of sewing through multiple opponents and controlling their movements without killing them.
    Current Wielder: Unknown. Last known wielder: Kuriarare Kushimaru

    Hirameikarei: "Twin Swords" is a unique case in that it seems to be made of two separate blades that are, typically, connected into a greatsword. The sword reportedly possess the ability to absorb and store it's users chakra in order to change it's shape. The sword reportedly possess the ability to absorb and store its users chakra in order to change its shape. (Perhaps in a variation of the same shape manipulation I use for my sword) Because of this ability, the sword has two handles, allowing it to be split into its twin blade form. Hirameikarei has also been seen in a hammer form and a longsword form. All in all, a very versatile weapon.
    Current Wielder: Unknown. Last known wielder: Hozuki Mangetsu

    Shibuki: "Splash" or "The Explosive blade" got its' name from what appears to be a scroll full of explosive seals attached to the back of the blade. It is unclear whether the sword has any additional properties beyond this. Is the sword immune to the explosion? Does the scroll refill itself or does the wielder simply spend a massive amount of money on explosives? No one seems to have any answers, but hey, it's for the collection. Besides, no one has ever said it wasn't effective at what it does, and what it does is kill a lot of people.
    Current Wielder: Unknown. Last known wielder: Munashi Jinpachi

    Kabutowari: The "Helmet Splitter" or "Blunt Sword". Wow, this weapon is controversial. I brought this weapon up at a noodle stand and was treated to a good twenty-minute-long rant about how it was not a sword. To be fair, an ax and a hammer connected by a length of leather is an...unconventional choice for a swordsman to use for sure. Supposedly it is able to break though any defense through sheer force. I'm sure it has...that is to say, I'm sure it's a great weapon if used proper...who am I kidding? I don't understand this weapon at all. But if Mist wants to call it a sword, then a sword it is.
    Current Wielder: Unknown. Last known wielder: Akebino Jinin

    [==|::::::::::::::::::::::::::::/

    His inspection complete, Daisuke closed his book and rubbed his eyes. Still so many gaps, so many pieces left to fill. If he ever wanted a shot at this, he would need more than rumors, half remembered tidbits and scraps of knowledge from his previous life.

    Still, he eyed a spot on his wall that would look perfect with Kabutowari hanging from it.

    Bluntsword indeed.

    But first, he had a Rookie of the Year title to win. Enough day-dreaming about swords for now. Now, it was time to prove to the world that Satomura Daisuke was the best.

    ***
    Thanks to the magnificent kenmadragon for proof-reading and turning my manic scribbles into something legible.
     
  • Sidestory
    • Iruka's Greatest Challenge by Rhodes (canon)
  • Sidestory
    • @Vesvius
    >Umino Iruka has had many challenges over his life. But the newest is perhaps the most difficult: arranging his academy class' seating chart without disrupting teenage politics.

    I took a bit of liberty with the prompt, rather than trying to keep existing friend groups and teenage political structures intact I preferred an Iruka who was more interested in trying to deal with his students' various neuroses via seating chart.

    "They're just kids, what's the worst that could happen?" - Saizo Kagura, last proctor of the "Bloody Mist" exams.

    Your name is Umino Iruka, and today you face your greatest challenge yet: school politics. You look down at the seating chart in front of you and sigh in despair. "Can you remind me why we're doing this again, Toji?

    Your longtime friend and fellow instructor scoffs from the other side of the room, hardly sparing you a glance from where he sits grading papers. "You mean why are you doing this, I keep telling you the seating's fine as-is."

    You lean back in your chair and groan in annoyance, sometimes Mizuki could be so- you cut off the unkind thought, Toji's a decent enough guy, he doesn't deserve you taking out your self-inflicted frustrations on him. "We both know it's not fine. Graduation is coming, and did you not see what happened in class today? What happens if Daisuke and Mariko end up on the same team?"

    Your friend shrugs, not even lifting his eyes from the papers ahead of him. "Then they either get over their problems and become teammates or get shunted off to the Genin Corps, either way, they're not our problem anymore."

    You massage your temples and try to reign in your irritation, sometimes your fellow instructor just managed to push all of the wrong buttons. He's tired after a long day of teaching, just let it go Iruka you think to yourself. "They're our students, we have a duty to make sure they're as well prepared as possible." You grind out.

    Finally, finally, Mizuki looks up from his papers. As he looks at your face you see his twist into a distinctly uncomfortable expression - ah, you must not have hidden your displeasure as well as you hoped - before smoothing out into a casual grin. "Sure, I get you, but they have to learn to fend for themselves, y'know? Sometimes you get partnered up with people you dislike and just have to grin and bear it. It's just another part of the job."

    You frown at your friend, he's not wrong, per se, but. "These are their Genin Teams we're talking about. There are tons of studies out there which show that a shinobi's post-graduation team is one of the most important developmental points in a ninja's career, both psychologically and in terms of skill-"

    You're cut off as Toji rolls his eyes. "Spare me the lecture, I swear I've heard it a hundred times by now."

    Well, he's not wrong, "It's-"

    "Yes, yes, 'it's important', 'we have a duty as their instructors', blah blah Will of Fire, blah." He cuts you off again as he stands. "Fine, let me take a look at what you've got."

    Honestly, your friend was almost uncomfortably irreverent at times. Still, at least he's finally coming over to lend you a hand. "So, Satomura and Yokota," he begins, "obviously we can't seat them next to each other, that'll just make things worse. Hmm, what if we put someone between them to turn down the tension?"

    Your scowl begins to melt away into a thoughtful moue as you look back down at the current seating chart. "Someone to mellow them out, huh? Neither one can be too close to whoever we put in the middle, and between their friend groups and the people who idolize them that's probably about half the class."

    "The word you're looking for is fangirls, Iruka."

    "Shut up."

    "Alright, how about Nara or Akimichi then?"

    You think for a moment before shaking your head. "No, Chouji's too gentle, he wouldn't want to get involved. As for Shikamaru… to be honest he'd probably just nap while they argued over his head. Although…"

    "What, they'll be loud enough that they'll force him to either stop them or listen in class? Not a bad plan, but I'd rather not try to teach while the two kids fight." Toji chuckles from over your shoulder.

    "I'd suggest Hinata, but…"

    "What, Hyuuga? She'd wilt like a flower in a fire jutsu."

    You hate to admit it, but that's probably not an inaccurate description, given how painfully shy the young girl is. "How about Shino then?"

    "Aburame, huh?" Your friend brings his hand up to his chin as he thinks. "Well, he's stoic enough that he probably wouldn't get run over by the other two. Plus, Yokota's uncomfortable enough around bugs that I doubt she could just browbeat him."

    You nod in time with Toji's points. Between his collected demeanor and precise manner of speaking, Shino might be dispassionate enough to make the two feuding children realize that they're being ridiculous. And if that fails, well, there's a reason for the saying that one of any Konoha-nin's greatest fears is an angry Aburame.

    You nod in satisfaction as you place the three in the front row with Shino in the middle. Then in a fit of inspiration, you add Sasuke Uchiha to Daisuke's other side. Daisuke seems to be one of the few students that Sasuke tolerates, and putting the troubled Uchiha directly under the teacher's nose ought to help discourage even the most persistent of his so-called fan club.

    "Alright, next up are Arata and Ren. They've both been jumping at shadows a lot lately, what with the conspiracy club they call a newspaper. And Kairi's really not helping the situation when she does her whole… thing."

    "You mean creepily staring at them while sitting on their desks?" Mizuki laughs.

    You are not amused. "Yes. That."

    "I dunno, " your friend says with deliberate casualness. "They're not really far off with regards to Uzumaki. You know-"

    You sigh in annoyance. You know well how Toji feels about Naruto. The worst part is that he's not entirely wrong, Naruto is a rather troublesome student. But jumping on him for a random inappropriate comment really won't help the situation any, so you decide to let it go and try to stay professional. "That's part of the problem" you look up at Mizuki's skeptical face. "For information security if nothing else."

    Finally, your fellow instructor relents. "I suppose there's plenty of time for them to get properly paranoid, no need to start too young."

    You nod in agreement, steering the conversation back into safer waters. "Perhaps have them sit next to students who don't have anything to hide?"

    Mizuki nods thoughtfully. "Hyuuga, Inuzuka, and Akimichi?" He suggests.

    You think for a moment before nodding. "Choji is good natured, Kiba couldn't keep a secret for his life, and while Hinata's a bit quiet, she might help keep them from being too rude." You nod in satisfaction, another one bites the dust.

    Toji nods from behind you, approving your decision. "If you insist on fixing all of your student's neuroses, how about Yamanaka and Haruno on either side of Nara?"

    You look up at Mizuki, searching for some hint that he's joking. "You're… You're not serious, are you?"

    "Completely. The two girls are unbearable when they fight, but even then they manage not to disrupt class too much. Nara is removed enough from the situation that he won't automatically fall on one side or the other, and he'll have to stop them if he wants any peace and quiet. It's two hawks with one kunai."

    You think for a couple of minutes before ultimately shrugging and letting it pass. "I suppose he'll be fine as long as the two don't bully him into submission. Perhaps we can add Yui to the group. She mostly just watches, but she'll step in if things start getting too out of hand. Alright, that looks good."

    "Great, I'm headed off then." Mizuki says as he starts moving away from your desk.

    "Wait! One more, please?" You ask him before he escapes the room.

    "Iruka…"

    "Come on, I helped you with the term papers two weeks ago so you could spend time with Tsubaki. Help me out here!"

    "Fine." He gravels out. "One more, then I'm gone."

    "Thanks," you smile sheepishly up at your friend. "It really helps to have someone to bounce ideas off of."

    "Whatever." Mizuki grunts as he rolls his eyes.

    "Okay then…" Your eyes trail down the list until you reach the last student who needs to be reseated and wince. "So… where should we put Naruto?"

    "Right, nevermind, this isn't worth my time." Mizuki says as he rapidly turns back toward the door.

    "Toji, come on, he's a troubled student. He just needs a little help is all!"

    Mizuki sighs and runs a hand through his hair as he turns to you. "The situation with that… kid, needs more than a little help. His attitude ranges from disrespectful to downright intolerable, he barely has any classmates who can even endure his presence, let alone friends, and he's utterly incompetent. I mean he can't even pull off a decent clone and we're less than a month from the graduation exams!" Your co-instructor shakes his head. "I don't understand why you even bother with it Iruka, it's a lost cause."

    As he speaks, you feel your scowl from earlier return in full force. Unfortunately, it only gets worse from there as you feel your face redden and a vein in your forehead bulge at your friend's unfair castigation of your orphaned blond student. It isn't until the end of his tirade that you can't help yourself anymore.

    "It?" You ask, deathly quiet.

    Mizuki's face immediately takes on a wary cast. Your students and close friends know you as a guy with a quick temper, it doesn't take all that much to get you to start yelling.

    Mizuki is one of the very few people who have ever seen you get truly angry, and the one time was enough for him to remember the signs.
    "What?" He asks, carefully confused, like he's trying to avoid stepping into a well-hidden trap.

    "You called him - Naruto, an 'it'. Why?"

    Mizuki's face morphs into a cruel sneer. "You know why. You know what Uzumaki really is, even if it happens to be wearing a boy's face right now."

    You desperately leash your temper, striking a fellow Konoha-nin, let alone another instructor, would be very, very bad. Even so, the temptation doesn't leave you as you grit out your next sentence. "Naruto is not a monster. We both know that. He's just an orphaned kid."

    Maybe he has nothing more to say to you on the subject, or maybe he recognizes that now is his last chance to retreat. Either way, Mizuki heads for the door, but not before one last parting shot. "Whatever. You know what it really is, I'm out of here."

    The silence after the door to your shared office slams shut is deafening, and gives your thoughts no distraction from the boiling anger in your stomach. Left with no release, you might have gone out that door and punched Mizuki in his stupid damn face. Of course if you did that, then you'd likely be court-martialed, or at least lose your instructorship. Which would in turn mean that the students in your class with Mizuki as their only sensei. Which would mean that Naruto's only sensei would be Mizuki. Whatever that future might have brought never comes to pass though, as your hand strikes out at the filing cabinet to your right of its own accord.

    The pain of flesh on metal is unpleasant, and it leaves a dent in the cabinet you'll have to fix later. But it does give you something else to focus on besides your anger and frustration with your childhood friend. You just don't get why he refuses to see Naruto as anything but the Fox, even you managed to move past it and you lost far more than he did 12 years ago. But… but there's nothing you can do about it right this second.

    You drop back into your seat with an exhausted sigh as you think about where to place Naruto to get your thoughts away from Mizuki.

    Maybe next to Hiruma Jabari? The two don't interact much, but Jabari is fairly even tempered. On top of that, he had been something of an outcast himself due to his Cloud heritage and coloring until he was assimilated into Daisuke's little group of friends, so perhaps he might have a better understanding of Naruto than most others.

    Try as you might, you can't seem to find anywhere else better to place Naruto, so you put the two together on the right side of the room away from the windows where Naruto will just daydream and call it a day.

    You're about to leave the office for dinner when your eyes glance over at the ungraded work that remains on Mizuki's desk due to your interruption and subsequent argument.

    For a moment, you consider leaving the classroom anyway. It's his work, he should be the one to do it. It's a nice thought, even the vindictiveness doesn't bother you much with the bitter taste of your last conversation still in your mouth.

    You sigh as you watch the rest of your evening slip away and sit down to grade the papers. Research says that a quick assignment turnaround is essential for helping kids learn after all, and you're not going to let some petty argument get in the way of your students' education.
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • Rhodes said:
    @Vesvius
    >Umino Iruka has had many challenges over his life. But the newest is perhaps the most difficult: arranging his academy class' seating chart without disrupting teenage politics.

    I took a bit of liberty with the prompt, rather than trying to keep existing friend groups and teenage political structures intact I preferred an Iruka who was more interested in trying to deal with his students' various neuroses via seating chart.

    "They're just kids, what's the worst that could happen?" - Saizo Kagura, last proctor of the "Bloody Mist" exams.

    Your name is Umino Iruka, and today you face your greatest challenge yet: school politics. You look down at the seating chart in front of you and sigh in despair. "Can you remind me why we're doing this again, Toji?

    Your longtime friend and fellow instructor scoffs from the other side of the room, hardly sparing you a glance from where he sits grading papers. "You mean why are you doing this, I keep telling you the seating's fine as-is."

    You lean back in your chair and groan in annoyance, sometimes Mizuki could be so- you cut off the unkind thought, Toji's a decent enough guy, he doesn't deserve you taking out your self-inflicted frustrations on him. "We both know it's not fine. Graduation is coming, and did you not see what happened in class today? What happens if Daisuke and Mariko end up on the same team?"

    Your friend shrugs, not even lifting his eyes from the papers ahead of him. "Then they either get over their problems and become teammates or get shunted off to the Genin Corps, either way, they're not our problem anymore."

    You massage your temples and try to reign in your irritation, sometimes your fellow instructor just managed to push all of the wrong buttons. He's tired after a long day of teaching, just let it go Iruka you think to yourself. "They're our students, we have a duty to make sure they're as well prepared as possible." You grind out.

    Finally, finally, Mizuki looks up from his papers. As he looks at your face you see his twist into a distinctly uncomfortable expression - ah, you must not have hidden your displeasure as well as you hoped - before smoothing out into a casual grin. "Sure, I get you, but they have to learn to fend for themselves, y'know? Sometimes you get partnered up with people you dislike and just have to grin and bear it. It's just another part of the job."

    You frown at your friend, he's not wrong, per se, but. "These are their Genin Teams we're talking about. There are tons of studies out there which show that a shinobi's post-graduation team is one of the most important developmental points in a ninja's career, both psychologically and in terms of skill-"

    You're cut off as Toji rolls his eyes. "Spare me the lecture, I swear I've heard it a hundred times by now."

    Well, he's not wrong, "It's-"

    "Yes, yes, 'it's important', 'we have a duty as their instructors', blah blah Will of Fire, blah." He cuts you off again as he stands. "Fine, let me take a look at what you've got."

    Honestly, your friend was almost uncomfortably irreverent at times. Still, at least he's finally coming over to lend you a hand. "So, Satomura and Yokota," he begins, "obviously we can't seat them next to each other, that'll just make things worse. Hmm, what if we put someone between them to turn down the tension?"

    Your scowl begins to melt away into a thoughtful moue as you look back down at the current seating chart. "Someone to mellow them out, huh? Neither one can be too close to whoever we put in the middle, and between their friend groups and the people who idolize them that's probably about half the class."

    "The word you're looking for is fangirls, Iruka."

    "Shut up."

    "Alright, how about Nara or Akimichi then?"

    You think for a moment before shaking your head. "No, Chouji's too gentle, he wouldn't want to get involved. As for Shikamaru… to be honest he'd probably just nap while they argued over his head. Although…"

    "What, they'll be loud enough that they'll force him to either stop them or listen in class? Not a bad plan, but I'd rather not try to teach while the two kids fight." Toji chuckles from over your shoulder.

    "I'd suggest Hinata, but…"

    "What, Hyuuga? She'd wilt like a flower in a fire jutsu."

    You hate to admit it, but that's probably not an inaccurate description, given how painfully shy the young girl is. "How about Shino then?"

    "Aburame, huh?" Your friend brings his hand up to his chin as he thinks. "Well, he's stoic enough that he probably wouldn't get run over by the other two. Plus, Yokota's uncomfortable enough around bugs that I doubt she could just browbeat him."

    You nod in time with Toji's points. Between his collected demeanor and precise manner of speaking, Shino might be dispassionate enough to make the two feuding children realize that they're being ridiculous. And if that fails, well, there's a reason for the saying that one of any Konoha-nin's greatest fears is an angry Aburame.

    You nod in satisfaction as you place the three in the front row with Shino in the middle. Then in a fit of inspiration, you add Sasuke Uchiha to Daisuke's other side. Daisuke seems to be one of the few students that Sasuke tolerates, and putting the troubled Uchiha directly under the teacher's nose ought to help discourage even the most persistent of his so-called fan club.

    "Alright, next up are Arata and Ren. They've both been jumping at shadows a lot lately, what with the conspiracy club they call a newspaper. And Kairi's really not helping the situation when she does her whole… thing."

    "You mean creepily staring at them while sitting on their desks?" Mizuki laughs.

    You are not amused. "Yes. That."

    "I dunno, " your friend says with deliberate casualness. "They're not really far off with regards to Uzumaki. You know-"

    You sigh in annoyance. You know well how Toji feels about Naruto. The worst part is that he's not entirely wrong, Naruto is a rather troublesome student. But jumping on him for a random inappropriate comment really won't help the situation any, so you decide to let it go and try to stay professional. "That's part of the problem" you look up at Mizuki's skeptical face. "For information security if nothing else."

    Finally, your fellow instructor relents. "I suppose there's plenty of time for them to get properly paranoid, no need to start too young."

    You nod in agreement, steering the conversation back into safer waters. "Perhaps have them sit next to students who don't have anything to hide?"

    Mizuki nods thoughtfully. "Hyuuga, Inuzuka, and Akimichi?" He suggests.

    You think for a moment before nodding. "Choji is good natured, Kiba couldn't keep a secret for his life, and while Hinata's a bit quiet, she might help keep them from being too rude." You nod in satisfaction, another one bites the dust.

    Toji nods from behind you, approving your decision. "If you insist on fixing all of your student's neuroses, how about Yamanaka and Haruno on either side of Nara?"

    You look up at Mizuki, searching for some hint that he's joking. "You're… You're not serious, are you?"

    "Completely. The two girls are unbearable when they fight, but even then they manage not to disrupt class too much. Nara is removed enough from the situation that he won't automatically fall on one side or the other, and he'll have to stop them if he wants any peace and quiet. It's two hawks with one kunai."

    You think for a couple of minutes before ultimately shrugging and letting it pass. "I suppose he'll be fine as long as the two don't bully him into submission. Perhaps we can add Yui to the group. She mostly just watches, but she'll step in if things start getting too out of hand. Alright, that looks good."

    "Great, I'm headed off then." Mizuki says as he starts moving away from your desk.

    "Wait! One more, please?" You ask him before he escapes the room.

    "Iruka…"

    "Come on, I helped you with the term papers two weeks ago so you could spend time with Tsubaki. Help me out here!"

    "Fine." He gravels out. "One more, then I'm gone."

    "Thanks," you smile sheepishly up at your friend. "It really helps to have someone to bounce ideas off of."

    "Whatever." Mizuki grunts as he rolls his eyes.

    "Okay then…" Your eyes trail down the list until you reach the last student who needs to be reseated and wince. "So… where should we put Naruto?"

    "Right, nevermind, this isn't worth my time." Mizuki says as he rapidly turns back toward the door.

    "Toji, come on, he's a troubled student. He just needs a little help is all!"

    Mizuki sighs and runs a hand through his hair as he turns to you. "The situation with that… kid, needs more than a little help. His attitude ranges from disrespectful to downright intolerable, he barely has any classmates who can even endure his presence, let alone friends, and he's utterly incompetent. I mean he can't even pull off a decent clone and we're less than a month from the graduation exams!" Your co-instructor shakes his head. "I don't understand why you even bother with it Iruka, it's a lost cause."

    As he speaks, you feel your scowl from earlier return in full force. Unfortunately, it only gets worse from there as you feel your face redden and a vein in your forehead bulge at your friend's unfair castigation of your orphaned blond student. It isn't until the end of his tirade that you can't help yourself anymore.

    "It?" You ask, deathly quiet.

    Mizuki's face immediately takes on a wary cast. Your students and close friends know you as a guy with a quick temper, it doesn't take all that much to get you to start yelling.

    Mizuki is one of the very few people who have ever seen you get truly angry, and the one time was enough for him to remember the signs.
    "What?" He asks, carefully confused, like he's trying to avoid stepping into a well-hidden trap.

    "You called him - Naruto, an 'it'. Why?"

    Mizuki's face morphs into a cruel sneer. "You know why. You know what Uzumaki really is, even if it happens to be wearing a boy's face right now."

    You desperately leash your temper, striking a fellow Konoha-nin, let alone another instructor, would be very, very bad. Even so, the temptation doesn't leave you as you grit out your next sentence. "Naruto is not a monster. We both know that. He's just an orphaned kid."

    Maybe he has nothing more to say to you on the subject, or maybe he recognizes that now is his last chance to retreat. Either way, Mizuki heads for the door, but not before one last parting shot. "Whatever. You know what it really is, I'm out of here."

    The silence after the door to your shared office slams shut is deafening, and gives your thoughts no distraction from the boiling anger in your stomach. Left with no release, you might have gone out that door and punched Mizuki in his stupid damn face. Of course if you did that, then you'd likely be court-martialed, or at least lose your instructorship. Which would in turn mean that the students in your class with Mizuki as their only sensei. Which would mean that Naruto's only sensei would be Mizuki. Whatever that future might have brought never comes to pass though, as your hand strikes out at the filing cabinet to your right of its own accord.

    The pain of flesh on metal is unpleasant, and it leaves a dent in the cabinet you'll have to fix later. But it does give you something else to focus on besides your anger and frustration with your childhood friend. You just don't get why he refuses to see Naruto as anything but the Fox, even you managed to move past it and you lost far more than he did 12 years ago. But… but there's nothing you can do about it right this second.

    You drop back into your seat with an exhausted sigh as you think about where to place Naruto to get your thoughts away from Mizuki.

    Maybe next to Hiruma Jabari? The two don't interact much, but Jabari is fairly even tempered. On top of that, he had been something of an outcast himself due to his Cloud heritage and coloring until he was assimilated into Daisuke's little group of friends, so perhaps he might have a better understanding of Naruto than most others.

    Try as you might, you can't seem to find anywhere else better to place Naruto, so you put the two together on the right side of the room away from the windows where Naruto will just daydream and call it a day.

    You're about to leave the office for dinner when your eyes glance over at the ungraded work that remains on Mizuki's desk due to your interruption and subsequent argument.

    For a moment, you consider leaving the classroom anyway. It's his work, he should be the one to do it. It's a nice thought, even the vindictiveness doesn't bother you much with the bitter taste of your last conversation still in your mouth.

    You sigh as you watch the rest of your evening slip away and sit down to grade the papers. Research says that a quick assignment turnaround is essential for helping kids learn after all, and you're not going to let some petty argument get in the way of your students' education.
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    This is quite fine I love how much of an ass is Mizuki without obviously going I'm Evilz stuff that's so common.
     
    I mean, if we remember enough to give it a meme name, we should call it what it is.

    [jk] Sword Beam!

    ~~~~~~~

    Unrelated, but there are heavy associations with weather/water and dragons in eastern myth. Do you think these narrative associations will lead to Daisuke ending up with water element?
     
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    Given how Daisuke lost his cool and nearly got in trouble, Superhuman Willpower would be a good Attribute to focus on. Only needs 270 XP, and besides keeping his calm it should also enable him to train longer. Plus, Superhuman Willpower should help Daisuke resist Genjutsu, at least ones that try to manipulate him all "heart's desire" or whatnot.

    Of course, getting Daisuke's Original Ninjutsu to at least Intermediate if not Advanced or Mastered would significantly help him combat-wise. Better to strike from afar and go Sword Beam Sniper than charging in to get wrecked. So Superhuman Chakra Reserves would actually be a good investment, so Daisuke can Beam Spam like his life depends on it.

    Plus, the higher the rank, the easier it'll be for Daisuke to create better variations- especially once he discovers his Chakra nature. Wonder what he has to do to create Homing/Guided Sword Beams? That'll be pretty amazing.
     
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